Coastal Style Magazine

COASTAL STYLE THE EASTERN SHORE’S MOST POPULAR MAGAZINE

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019

STORIES OF SUCCESS

ICONIC FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A LOVE FOR LEARNING AND INDEPENDENCE, THE SALISBURY SCHOOL CONTINUES ITS NEAR 50-YEAR TRADITION OF EMPOWERING FUTURE LEADERS FINE-ARTS COLLECTION: SIX STORIES ON TALENTED LOCALS

FIVE-STAR ADVISORS: LEADERS IN THEIR FIELDS

DEATH IS HER LIFE: THE STORY OF SUSAN AYRES WIMBROW

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SALISBURY SCHOOL TRADITION: EDUCATED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MIKE AND JUDY QUILLIN WERE EXCITED TO ENROLL THEIR SONS, MIKE JR. AND DAVID, AT THE SALISBURY SCHOOL BACK IN 1970. THE COUPLE, WHO WERE FOUNDING PARENTS OF THE SCHOOL, WILL WATCH THEIR SECOND GRANDDAUGHTER, ELSA, GRADUATE FROM TSS THIS SPRING.

Features

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019

42

48

62

Iconic for its commitment to fostering a love of learning and independence, The Salisbury School continues its near 50-year tradition of empowering future leaders.

The OC Surf Club program, which two years ago was honored by the Worcester County Board of Education, has positively impacted the lives of local youths.

Susan Ayres Wimbrow was just 5 years old when her mother was savagely murdered and raped.

Nearly 60 years later, she tells her story in her first-ever novel.

WRITTEN BY VICTOR FERNANDES

WRITTEN BY VICTOR FERNANDES

WRITTEN BY VICTOR FERNANDES

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRANT L. GURSKY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TODD DUDEK & GRANT L. GURSKY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRANT L. GURSKY

STORIES OF SUCCESS

SURF INTO INTEGRITY

DEATH IS HER LIFE

ON THE COVER: Baker, Winn and Mapp Custis share a good book in the library. The brothers are the sons of TSS alumni Jeff ('91) and Abbi (Grier) Custis ('01).

10  COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

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Cancer Services 11 CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 

Departments JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019

18 SOCIETY PAGES

Our photographers captured the scene of recent social events across the Shore.

22 THE APOTHECARY

Owner Katie Smith has created a blend of healing modalities and art in downtown Easton.

24 ARTISTIC LICENSE

Front Porch Orchestra offers a bluegrass twist on classical favorites.

18

26

26 MASTERS AT WORK

Artists Rosemary Cooley and Paul Aspell share the passion and expertise behind their creations.

30 TRUE TALENT

Jewelry artist Dawn Pierro turned a bead-working class into a prosperous second career.

32 TURNING HEADS

Dagsboro’s Tom Frey transformed his woodturning hobby into a profession.

30

34

34 A FORCE OF NATURE

For Ocean City artist Debbi Dean-Colley, a world of inspiration is her canvas.

36 JOIN THE REVOLUTION

Green Street Solar is the industry leader on Delmarva. We’ll share the many reasons why.

54 HANDLED WITH CARE

The Shore Pride All Stars send care packages to a deployed military squadron.

56 PRIVATE SCHOOL PROFILES 36

56

School is back in session, and we’ve got the inside scoop to these A-plus-rated institutions.

66 FAMILY-FOCUSED LAW FIRM Procino-Wells & Woodland, LLC, are more than a team of professionals — they are a family.

69 FIVE-STAR ADVISORS

We profile some of the region’s best in the fields of banking, wealth management and insurance.

76 SUPER APPETIZERS! 69

12 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

76

Score during the big game with this collection of apps from local chefs. They’re high-five-worthy!

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Volume 15 • Issue 1 JANUARY FEBRUARY 2019

President JONATHAN WESTMAN Vice President ERIN WESTMAN Independent Advertising Executives TAMMY CONSIGLI, ROBYNE FEEHLEY Contributing Editor NICK BRANDI Contributing Designers DENA GRAY, MAIRE McCARDLE ERIC MARQUARD, LAURA NAVARRE Contributing Writers ALISON CLARY, VICTOR FERNANDES, AMELIE BLADES STEWARD Contributing Photographers TODD DUDEK, GRANT L. GURSKY, SCOTT KRALLER, STEPHEN WALKER Customer Care Coordinator KARYN BORTH Distribution KEN RYAN, JOHN WATHEN

Contact Us: P.O. Box 667 • Ocean City, MD 21843 410-213-9491 • 410-213-9492 (fax)

Let’s Connect: Web: CoastalStyleMag.com Email: Info@CoastalStyleMag.com Facebook: Facebook.com/CoastalStyle

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CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 15

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Start a new chapter with us! 3/1/19 16 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

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SOCIETY PRMC Foundation’s 7th annual Love Your Heart Luncheon An art-loving and enthusiastic crowd filled the Hallowell Conference Center on the PRMC campus November 7, 2018 for the PRMC Foundation’s annual Love Your Heart Luncheon. Guests enjoyed a healthy lunch, prizes and giveaways, as well as a presentation and art activity by featured speaker and local artist Leslie Belloso. Proceeds benefited the Guerrieri Heart & Vascular Institute.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TODD DUDEK

LESLIE BELLOSO

SAMANTHA SEATON AND LISA BOOKE

ANDREA WILLIAMS, PRMC CEO STEVE LEONARD AND KIM LEONARD

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SOCIETY Bethany Beach Ocean Suites and 99 Sea Level Restaurant’s Food & Wine Festival The second annual Food & Wine Festival on November 17, 2018 featured several Delaware restaurants and wine vendors during the afternoon affair that benefited the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association in the memory of longtime volunteer Rae Ann Short.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT KRALLER

JESSE SANTIAGO AND JULLIAN FUNK

NORM SHORT, JODY TRIMSEY AND LORRIE MILLER

CHARLENE MERTZ, DAVID RUDOLPH AND PATTI KELLY

ROBERT & DIANE HERON

CHRISTIAN COSTANTINO AND TOM OGILVIE

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CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 19

SOCIETY Renaissance Med Spa’s Grand Opening Family, friends, patients and staff members of Peninsula Plastic Surgery celebrated the grand opening of its new Renaissance Med Spa location at 318 West Carroll St. in Salisbury. Located adjacent to PPS, the state-of-the-art facility offers patients a host of cosmetic enhancing options performed by its award-winning team of licensed professionals.

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BRIAN NELSON, MICHELLE GORDY AND DERESE EWELL

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ARTISTICALLY SPEAKING

A blend of healing modalities and art at...

THE APOTHECARY

WRITTEN BY AMELIE BLADES STEWARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN WALKER

I

ts name reflects where East meets West.

Owner Katie Smith, M.Ac, L.Ac, LMT, wanted to create a Healing Arts Studio in Easton where the public can get a variety of healing modalities while enjoying local art. Smith is licensed in acupuncture, massage and Chinese herbs. Her studio also offers skincare and classes in Flow Yoga and yoga workshops.

“Being a woman entrepreneur, it has always been important to me to display and interface the art of healing modalities with more ‘common’ art, in Western terms, made by women artists,” says Smith.

The Apothecary is currently featuring the art of two local artists: painter Dawn Tarr-Scott, who offers regular “paint nights” at the shop, and mosaic artist Lisa Skibenes, who will soon be offering mosaics classes. In the future, Smith hopes to expand into fair-trade art and textiles.

She adds, “I have always been fascinated that in Asia, acupuncture is viewed as an art form, and here in the West, it’s viewed as a medical modality. It’s actually both. I believe the marriage of healing arts with tangible art is quite seamless and can help restore individuals, not only on a physical level but on a mental and spiritual level, as well.”

The Apothecary accepts insurance. Smith also offers community-style acupuncture to keep it affordable for the public and free acupuncture for local veterans. The Apothecary is located at 22 North Harrison Street in Easton.

The shop is open daily, but Smith suggests it is best to make an appointment.

22 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

APOTHECARY OWNER KATIE SMITH SHARES A FUNNY STORY ABOUT THE OVERSIZED SHELVING UNIT THAT DISPLAYS HER JARS OF CHINESE HERBS AND HER LOVE OF THIS BOLD FLORAL PAINTING BY DAWN TARR-SCOTT

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1413 Wesley Drive, Salisbury, MD 21801 | 598 Cynwood Drive, Unit 102, Easton, MD 21601 | drcrousesbraceplace.com CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 23

ARTISTICALLY SPEAKING

FRONT PORCH ORCHESTRA (FRONT ROW, FROM LEFT): MICHAEL ALLEN, GUITAR; RAY REMESCH, GUITAR; GREG REMESCH, BANJO; (BACK ROW, FROM LEFT): QUINN PARSLEY, BASS; WILLOUGHBY BUXTON, VIOLIN; NEVIN DAWSON, VIOLA; JORDAN STANLEY, DRUMS; MICHAEL SOUSA, NARRATOR.

ARTISTIC LICENSE Front Porch Orchestra offers a bluegrass twist on classical favorites WRITTEN BY AMELIE BLADES STEWARD | PHOTOGRAPH BY STEPHEN WALKER

F

ront Porch Orchestra has the sound of a band you might hear on A Prairie Home Companion, accompanied by the comedic narration of 1960s radio personality Stan Freberg.

Local musician Ray Remesch founded Front Porch Orchestra in 2017 to create a channel for people who play folk instruments, offering an orchestra experience on Maryland’s Mid-Shore.

The group has created a big orchestral sound with guitars, fiddles, banjos, string bass and percussion. Specifically, Remesch and his group have been genre-bending between bluegrass/ folk and classical music. In December, the Front Porch Orchestra performed its second year of the “Bluegrass

24 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

Nutcracker” to record across Delmarva.

He explains that “Bluegrass Nutcracker” is breaking new ground — creating a bridge between classical music and the average music listener. He adds, “I wanted to attract a wider audience.

It’s sort of like ‘A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.’ Really, it’s about bringing classical music to people who have an ear for pop.”

Front Porch Orchestra has also interpreted The Carnival of the Animals,

by Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns, and The Music of Minecraft, collaborating with local dance company Continuum Dance. This year, the group is exploring performing a bluegrass version of Fantasia, which was originally released in 1941 by Walt Disney, featuring the best

music and visuals of the time. Remesch hopes that his arrangement can also be a collaboration between visuals, including dancers, sand art, video and the music.

Remesch points to current genre-bending artists like Chris Thile and The Piano Guys as an inspiration for the group. The addition of a narrator to the performances between movements interjects comedy while helping to paint a picture in people’s mind before they hear the music.

Studio recordings can be streamed via Spotify and Apple Music and CDs are available.

FRONT PORCH ORCHESTRA RayRemesch@gmail.com Facebook.com/frontporchorchestra

CLASSICAL STARS, TRANSCENDENT MASTERWORKS!

2019 SEASON A SENSE OF THE TRAGIC, AN EXCITING DEBUT!

ODE TO HUMANKIND, TO COUNTRY AND TO JOY!

Thursday, March 7 7:30 PM $45 Easton Church of God Easton, MD

Friday, April 26 7:00 PM $50 Chesapeake College Wye Mills, MD

Saturday, March 9 3:00 PM $45 Mariner’s Bethel Ocean View, DE

Sunday, April 28 7:00 PM $50 Ocean City Convention Center Ocean City, MD

Sunday, March 10 3:00 PM $45 Community Church Ocean Pines, MD

Andrews Sill

Guest Conductor Schubert, Symphony No. 4 Young Artist Competition Winner

“Strong artistic abilities, musical versatility, and winning personality.”

Jean Sibelius, Finlandia Ravel, Piano Concerto Beethoven, Symphony No. 9

Michael McHale Piano

“Performed with zest and sensitivity with the RTÉ National Symphony under Courtney Lewis.”

For tickets, call 888-846-8600 or visit midatlanticsymphony.org.

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, a nonprofit organization, is supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Maryland State Arts Council, the Talbot County Arts Council, the Worcester County Arts Council, the Sussex County Council, the Van Strum Foundation, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, PNC Bank, Choptank Electric Trust, Delmarva Power, as well as other generous donations from corporations, organizations, and individuals.

CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 25

ARTISTICALLY SPEAKING

ROSEMARY COOLEY SETS UP THE PRESS IN THE PRINT-MAKERS STUDIO AT THE ACADEMY ART MUSEUM; OPPOSITE: COOLEY DEMONSTRATES HOW TO CARVE A WOODCUT.

MASTERS AT WORK Two local artists share their passion and expertise

A

rtist and printmaker Rosemary Cooley of St. Michaels likes the idea of beauty. Her woodcuts, lithographs, etchings and monoprints bring joy to those who see them. Her work has been influenced by her life in Asia, Africa and South America, and this has broadened her artistic vision for printmaking. But it was at an early age that she learned that art could create new realities.

Cooley comments, “From the age of seven, I can remember a distinct love for the materials of art. From eight, Mozart, Bach and Beethoven filled years at the piano. Then, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo,

26 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

WRITTEN BY AMELIE BLADES STEWARD | PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN WALKER

NY, created within me a memory bank with images of color and light. Even if the daily light in that northern city could be thin, it occurred to me that art could create new realities. I found ways to make my thoughts tangible with paper and paint.”

She completed her undergraduate degree in art education and after teaching secondary studio art and art history, she moved with her husband to South Africa and began 15 years of living in Asia and South America before settling first in New Jersey, where she completed her master’s degree in art history, and in Washington, DC, and then in Maryland. She has studied under various printmakers, including the

Johannesburg Art Foundation, initiated

by William Kentridge, and at Santa Raparata School of Art in Florence, Italy.

Cooley comments, “Printmakers are said to be the most generous of artists and are quick to share a method. I love the mechanical and chemical surprises that printmaking brings to a work of art.

But there has to be heart along with the ability to lose oneself.”

Among her favorite techniques with printmaking are the monoprint and artists’ books, which showcase papers, printmaking and embellishments.

“Printmaking can create a story and can be more intellectual,” she says, “as various plates may be layered on one

“I think art can have a healing effect on people.”

—Rosemary Cooley

print, creating new realities. Because I love painting, I like the technique of monoprint where the artist paints on Plexiglas and rolls the image on wonderful papers in the etching press for a ‘one-off’ work. I like working on handmade, archival papers from France, England and Italy, and those from Japan and China.”

Color and image memories from her travels are reflected in her work with water being a recurrent theme. Her work is soothing and often features the color blue. Says Cooley: “I focus on peaceful themes to work on — nothing political.

I think art can have a healing effect on people.”

Cooley’s solo exhibitions have included the Academy Art Museum in Easton; Washington Printmakers Gallery in Washington, DC; Gallery Uesuto in Tokyo; National Institutes of Health in Bethesda; and Group Exhibitions at the Cosmos Club and the Dadian Gallery in Washington, DC, and at Pyramid Atlantic in Hyattsville, MD. Her work is currently on display in Washington Printmakers Gallery in Washington, DC, and at Trippe-Hilderbrand Gallery in Easton.

Collage elements, hand coloring and the addition of 24K gold leaf, as well as pastel, currently enhance Cooley’s work.

This spring, she will be teaching a three-day

workshop, “Printmaking: Solarplate Intaglio” on March 22, 23 and 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day at the Academy Art Museum.

According to Cooley, this workshop is for those who enjoy the art of printmaking and would like to learn something new. Solarplate is a nontoxic method of intaglio (etching) that uses a light-sensitive photo emulsion on a steel plate. Film positives are made from drawings, ink paintings, charcoal drawings or photographs, and are exposed in a light unit onto the plate.

ROSEMARY COOLEY 301-802-5242 RosemaryCooleyArt.com CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 27

ARTISTICALLY SPEAKING

“I like that pottery is being touched every day and a part of everyday life.”

—Paul Aspell

PAUL ASPELL THROWS A SIMPLE POT THAT WILL BE DONATED TO THE EMPTY BOWLS CHARITY; OPPOSITE: A SET OF CHESS PIECES CREATED BY PAUL'S STUDENT GEOFF HUNTINGTON; CELIE BAUSSAN EXAMINES THE PLATTER SHE CRAFTED BEFORE ITS GLAZED.

28 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

L

ocal potter Paul Aspell crafts earthen clay while using his surroundings in nature to create the textures and designs that identify his signature pottery. Using river birch and redbud branches, shells from the beaches and the dust of old bricks, he creates food-safe stoneware that reflects the landscapes of the Eastern Shore. These imprints of natural elements in the clay reflect the region’s rich natural history. His serving platters, pitchers, bowls, vases and dinnerware sets are practical pieces people can use every day. Form and function play a critical role in his art form.

Aspell states, “My pieces are utilitarian. An example is my hand-built pitchers, which can be filled with iced tea or with a bunch of wildflowers. I like that my pottery is being touched every day and a part of everyday life.”

He integrates the fundamentals of art, including good craftsmanship, proportion, visual appeal, energy and balance into every piece of pottery he creates. He combines hand-built forms with thrown elements, combining traditional and sculptural techniques.

Oxides are often used as washes under a satin-white matte glaze, giving his pottery color and helping to reveal the supple beauty of the textured surfaces. Through trial and error, Aspell has found the right glazes that work with his designs. Many of his pieces are done in white glazes — a signature of his work.

Aspell comments, “My work is very personal. You know me; you know my work. I work in earth tones — predominately three colors — white, off-white and green glazes. I like keeping a consistent palette. The forms may change, but the clay stays the same.”

His work has gotten acclaim up and down the East Coast. He keeps his stoneware affordable, so people can bring his pieces home with them.

Sometimes his art creates art, such as his platters, which end up on the walls of his customers. He adds, “This is an easy way to collect art that can also be used.”

In addition to his undergraduate degree in art education and master’s degree in ceramics, Aspell has learned from many talented potters at workshops at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine, the Peter’s Valley Craft Center in New Jersey and on sabbatical in England. He has been teaching pottery for 30 years — most recently at the Academy Art Museum in Easton, where his sold-out classes help budding potters

learn the craft from a master. He adds, “I am a process-oriented artist. I tell my students, ‘If you take care of the process, the product will take care of itself.’”

In 2017, Aspell was one of the featured artists at the Academy Art Museum Craft Show — Fired Up! For several years, his work has been featured in craft shows in Lewes and Bethany Beach, and at the Newark Academy in Livingston, NJ, where he taught for 16 years. You can find his work at Adkins Arboretum in Ridgely, MD, at the Chesapeake Culinary Center in Denton, MD, and at Gallery 37 in Milford, DE. Each year, he also participates with his students in the Empty Bowls fundraisers in Caroline and Talbot Counties, creating over 100 bowls to raise funds for the hungry. In the winter of 2019, Out of the Fire restaurant in Easton will be featuring Aspell’s work.

Aspell concludes, “The process of making art is evolutionary. The inspiration that I receive from creating one piece is infused into the next.

I enjoy the process as much as the finished product and hope to pass that satisfaction on to those who buy my pottery.”

PAUL ASPELL 410-829-1117 PaulAspellPottery.com CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 29

Dawn’s jewelry designs are eclectic, so there is a piece for every personality type. Her collections often include stones paired with intricate metal engravings.

She is extremely careful about the sources and stones she uses for her work, which adds to their uniqueness.

Pierro’s favorite aspect of the profession is when customers ask her to create a custom piece of jewelry.

“Oftentimes, they are searching for a truly unique piece that symbolizes a special meaning for them or their family,” said Dawn.

One of Dawn’s favorite custom pieces, which was requested as a surprise gift for a bride, came in the form of a compass-shaped bracelet.

Compasses hold a symbolic meaning for the bride’s family, so to add even more personalization to the piece, Dawn

ARTISTICALLY SPEAKING

A TRUE TALENT Ocean View jewelry artist Dawn Pierro turned a bead-working class into a prosperous second career

WRITTEN BY ALISON CLARY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT KRALLER

For local jewelry artist Dawn Pierro, a passion for artistry came later in life.

Through her many years working as a preschool teacher, Dawn did not consider herself especially artistic, much less that she would one day become a professional artist.

Everything changed 18 years ago, when Dawn took a bead-working class at the Rehoboth Art League. She immediately felt a connection with this hands-on artistry and discovered

30 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

she possessed a natural talent for it.

Dawn soon found herself expanding beyond simple beadwork by tinkering with metal etching. This combination immediately sparked a passion, and later a career, in transforming metal into unique jewelry.

Now an accomplished professional flourishing local art scene, Dawn uses a variety of media in her handcrafted collections, including metal work, enameling, stone-setting and riveting.

etched a quote from the bride’s parents on the backside of the compass. “I loved being able to provide the bride with such a personal and meaningful gift on her big day,” said Dawn.

Dawn is grateful to the community for helping her to recognize her passion.

Her artistry has come full circle in that she has since shared her passion through teaching art classes. “I feel continually blessed by how many wonderful people I have met through my art,” said Dawn.

Dawn’s jewelry can be viewed and purchased by appointment at her home studio on Beaver Damn Road in Ocean View. Her designs are also for sale at local art shows throughout the year, as well as on Facebook and Etsy.

DAWN PIERRO 302-841-1775 dawnpierro@gmail.com

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ARTISTICALLY SPEAKING

TURNING HEADS Tom Frey transformed his woodturning hobby into a profession WRITTEN BY ALISON CLARY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT KRALLER

P

rofessional woodturner Tom Frey has always liked working with his hands, but he credits his high-school shop class with piquing his interest in the technique. That class is also where he crafted his first bowl, which remains a sentimental keepsake to this day.

After serving in the Navy and graduating from the Wharton School of Business, Tom worked as an auto mechanic for 30 years. In 1987, Tom retired and transformed woodturning from a hobby to a profession.

Although vastly different career fields, auto mechanics and woodturning both require impeccable hand- eye coordination in order to be successful.

Fortunately, Tom’s ability to work swiftly with his hands allowed him to excel in both disciplines.

In the late ’80s, Tom directed much of his efforts toward crafting miniature wood figurines, which he sold at

32 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

dollhouse expos.

“I’ve found that almost nothing is too small to turn,” said Tom. Now, Frey focuses mostly on turning bowls and vases, and he even has the capacity to produce two or three bowls a day. Tom’s approach to woodturning includes preserving the wood’s natural blemishes and imperfections, rather than trying to cover them. He also steers toward thinly turning the natural-edge vessels.

These techniques allow his final work to display the natural beauty of the wood.

“I let Mother Nature work on the wood before I begin,” said Tom. To keep things exciting, Tom also attempts to turn unconventional items just to see how they turn out. Recently, he’s even experimented with turning gumballs and avocado seeds.

“Woodturning never gets boring for me. I’m always finding different things to create,” said Tom. Tom’s received several awards throughout longstanding artistic career and has become well-known in the woodturning community. His work even earned him a solo exhibition, titled “Revolutions in Wood” at Gallery I of the Carvel State Office Building in Wilmington.

Tom has also been a dedicated advocate for the local arts community.

He is one of the founding members of the annual SEDAST Tour, which showcases local artists at work and raises funds to benefit art-education programs in the Indian River School District.

Tom’s woodwork can be previewed and purchased at his home studio and showroom in Dagsboro.

TOM FREY 302-732-6172 tefpwf62@gmail.com

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ARTISTICALLY SPEAKING

A FORCE OF NATURE For Ocean City artist Debbi Dean-Colley, a world of inspiration is her canvas WRITTEN BY ALISON CLARY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRANT L. GURSKY

34 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

H

enry David Thoreau once said, “The world is but a canvas for our imagination.” For local mixed-media artist Debbi Dean-Colley, this quote rings especially true.

Debbi’s extensive artwork collection, which includes a current exhibition at the Art League of Ocean City, consists mostly of unconventionally yet artistically reimagined versions of items Debbi has uncovered in nature.

“I consider myself a hunter-gatherer because I personally scavenge all the elements used in my artwork,” said Debbi.

She sources most of her artistic components from the local environment, often from walks through Assateague Island. Debbi doesn’t rely on one specific type of artistic element, but rather she uses a wide variety of media for her creations.

“I go for anything raw or organic that catches my eye,” said Debbi.

A 35-year vegetarian, Debbi maintains a deep admiration for the animal kingdom and channels this respect into her artwork.

She looks for ways to display a connection of spirituality and purpose to Mother Nature in every piece of art she produces.

FACE TIME: THOUGH DEBBI DEAN-COLLEY FORMALLY STUDIED ART AT THE PITTSBURGH CENTER FOR THE ARTS, SHE IS PRIMARILY SELF-TAUGHT WHEN IT COMES TO MIXED MEDIA. SHE OFTEN INCORPORATES FACES INTO HER ARTWORK, ESPECIALLY EYES, BECAUSE “THEY ARE THE WINDOWS TO THE SOUL.”

“I often find myself incorporating faces into my creations, specifically eyes, because they are the window to the soul,” said Debbi.

Debbi’s artistic genre of choice wasn’t always mixed media. In her early art days, Debbi attended the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, where she studied metal design, jewelry making, and even pottery-wheel throwing. It wasn’t until later when Debbi was inspired to shift her focus to mixed media, for which she is primarily self-taught.

Now, with an impressive slew of local exhibitions to her credit, Debbi’s love for the arts spans far beyond her mixed-media creations. She currently serves as the Art League of Ocean City’s Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator. In this role, she strives to get the local community involved in and inspired by the arts.

Part of Debbi’s outreach includes the Art and Soul program, which she started last year with the help of a grant. The Art and Soul program occurs monthly at the Art League of Ocean City and it allows members of the public to create art without boundaries.

Debbi and the Art League began the Art and Soul program to help aid the local fight against opioid addiction. In its first year, the program has benefited the community through providing people who are suffering — whether through addiction, mental illness, or grief — a positive outlet to heal.

Debbi hopes to continue the Art and Soul program in the future and she plans to expand her outreach efforts on behalf of the Art League of Ocean City.

She also wants to keep inspiring her two daughters, Damiana (17) and Kaya (15), who have inherited her passion for art.

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ArtLeagueofOceanCity.org CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 35

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“The federal government offers a 30 percent incometax credit through 2019, which applies to the total cost of the system. Additional state and local rebates may be also available to help reduce total costs significantly,” said Russell Pfaller, Green Street Solar’s installation manager. “In addition to substantial savings on their electric bills, most homeowners realized total payback in five to seven years, with 20-year saving estimates upwards of $20,000.

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G COVER STORY

IL ALLEN III had to crouch while walking through The Salisbury School’s historic tunnel, which reminded him that two decades have passed since the 30-year-old attorney last experienced the life-changing education that occurs beyond the Lower School’s beloved entrance.

Still, Allen instantly felt at home again, even after all these years, as he visited the picturesque 43-acre campus off Hobbs Road in Salisbury in November.

As much as The Salisbury School has evolved since Allen first walked those halls as a 3-year-old preschool student, core values that have allowed the school to thrive for 48 years occupy a special place in the hearts and minds of not only Allen, a 2006 graduate of the Upper School, but also fellow alumni, current students and founders.

“The feel of it is very, very much the same, even 25-some years since I was going to school there. Having spent just an hour there, I could still see that very real sense of community,” said Allen, a Salisbury native whose family, like many others across the Eastern Shore, features three generations of Dragons from a school that celebrates its 50th anniversary in the 2020-21 academic year.

Gil’s father, now 69, was among the school’s first students, in 1970, who learned reading, writing and arithmetic in the basement of nearby St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, until the Lower School opened in 1973. Gil’s sister, Kate Dyer, 28, a graduate of William & Mary, and later Georgetown University, who’d spent 14 years at the school before graduating in 2008, now shares lessons learned at TSS with her students as a firstyear English teacher at the school.

Now, with their own spouses, Allen and Dyer have children who are destined to be next in line at TSS. “That says something about the school,” said Headmaster Bev Dearing, a longtime cornerstone of a faculty that proudly carries on the principles the school was founded on nearly a half-century ago — a progressive educational curriculum based on experiential, or proactive, learning that isn’t centered solely on traditional academics. “It’s much more than a school,” Dearing said. “Schools generally teach textbook materials. We teach our children how to be positive, productive citizens. I’ve never seen anything like it. It really changes lives.”

Dearing and her staff are eagerly preparing for the school’s upcoming semicentennial by first remembering the past.

They have gathered memorabilia and testimonials that represent the heart and soul of a school formed, literally and philosophically, by parents who wanted more for their children and took matters into their own hands to make it happen. “We have photographs of people walking through the woods, clearing brush in order to build this building,” said Lois Colaprete, executive director of the school’s educational foundation.

42 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

ICONIC FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A LOVE FOR LEARNING AND INDEPENDENCE, THE SALISBURY SCHOOL CONTINUES ITS NEAR 50-YEAR TRADITION OF EMPOWERING FUTURE LEADERS WRITTEN BY VIC TOR FERNANDES PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRANT L. GURSKY

STORIE

CONNECTING POINTS: TRADITION MEETS EVOLUTION AT THE SALISBURY SCHOOL, AND THE PATH WHERE THEY MEET BEGINS IN THE TUNNEL THAT LEADS YOUNG STUDENTS INTO THE LOWER SCHOOL. AVA GIBBS, LEFT, AND HER SISTER, ADDISON, DAUGHTERS OF ALUMNUS JEFF GIBBS ('91) AND HIS WIFE, ASHLEY GIBBS, SHARE THIS WALK TOGETHER EACH DAY.

ES OF SUCCESS CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE  43

DIFFERENCE MAKERS: LOCAL TSS GRADUATES INCLUDE NICK CAROZZA (CLASS OF '09), ZACH PIERN ('11), MINDY MYRICK ('88) LAURA ROBERSTON ('89), GIL ALLEN ('06) AND JOSIE JOHNSTON ('13).

LASTING LEGACY: GIL ALLEN II, LEFT, WAS ONE OF THE FIRST STUDENTS OF THE SALISBURY SCHOOL IN 1970. HIS CHILDREN, GIL ALLEN III AND KATE DYER, ALSO ATTENDED TSS. GIL III, A SALISBURY ATTORNEY LIKE HIS FATHER, AND KATE, A TEACHER AT THE SCHOOL, WILL SOON ENROLL THEIR CHILDREN AT TSS.

“Literally, they started the school from scratch,” she said.

“Everything they did, from the design of the building to the curriculum and the name of the school, was all incredibly intentional, to create the learning environment they wanted.

So we want to make sure those elements that were so important to them when they founded the school are still at the center of what we’re doing here today.”

Annual events like the gala, the year’s biggest social gathering and fundraiser, will merge the past and present during the yearlong anniversary celebration, while providing an opportunity to maintain the school’s already strong financial sustainability moving forward.

Original founders are sharing fond memories for video interviews that will be unveiled during events. Yet, they

remain actively involved in the school in many ways because, Colaprete said, “They still see the same things that drew them to the school in the first place. They still feel really passionate about The Salisbury School. They still really embrace that sort of intangible magic that happens here.”

Tradition meets evolution at The Salisbury School, and the path where they meet begins in the tunnel that leads young students into the Lower School. Headmasters from Eugene Munnelly to Dearing, who took over the position at the end of the 2017-18 academic year, have greeted students with a handshake and a warm smile every morning for 48 years because, Colaprete said, “It’s a really important time of the day when [students are] acknowledged as a member of the community, and they in turn acknowledge whoever is greeting them.”

The tunnel leads to the library that serves the Lower and Middle schools, or the Hub, as it’s known. Young students develop their natural curiosity into a passion for learning, and set a strong foundation for a complete education, through a

WHERE: 6279 Hobbs Road, Salisbury INFORMATION: 410-742-4464,

www.TheSalisburySchool.org FOUNDED: 1970 (Lower School—1973; Upper School—1997; Middle School—2005) GRADES: Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade

44 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

HEADMASTER: Bev Dearing STUDENTS: 345 (approx.)

DECADES OF TRADITION:

The Salisbury School has developed many annual traditions over the past 48 years.

love of reading fostered through unlimited access to all that’s inside of the library.

Students still feel like kids in Middle School, with scheduled recess each day. They also eagerly tackle academic challenges, including a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program that prepares them for the Upper School, and to everything the world has to offer for graduates of The Salisbury School.

The Upper School boasts a 100 percent college-acceptance rate, because students embrace a complete, and demanding, college-preparatory curriculum taught by a faculty featuring many teachers with doctorates on their résumés. They also receive consistent guidance on the path to making their collegiate choice.

“It’s extremely challenging,” Dearing said, “but there’s always this softness of support and caring that raises the kids to the level they need to be.”

Year after year, passion blossoms into a strong sense of self, with teachers intent on developing uniquely well-

HERE ARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS: HANDSHAKE: Since its founding, students

have been greeted each morning at school by every headmaster from Gene Munnelly to Bev Dearing and division heads.

JOB TEAM: All students complete a job in school at the end of each school day, such as wiping down a chalkboard or putting books away.

GIVE AND RECEIVE DAY: Upper and Middle School students work with Lower School

rounded students, offering guidance and encouragement, and classrooms without doors symbolizing that nothing stands in their way to a valuable education. Students also gain a sense of responsibility that drives them toward being “their own best version of themselves,” and helps them “realize how rare and special that is,” Dyer said.

There are no locks on lockers, because students respect one another. There are no hall passes, because students take the freedom to explore the school seriously. There is no competition among peers, because everyone wants everyone to succeed in their own way.

“It makes a difference knowing that people believe in you and what you want to do. It makes you want to live up to those expectations,” said senior Elsa Quillin, 17, of Berlin, who has taken a much different path to graduation day this spring than her older sister, Lila Quillin.

Lila Quillin, 19, a 2017 graduate, is an aspiring composer at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, while Elsa heads to college next fall to study mathematics and science.

students to complete projects that benefit community members outside of the school, such as reading to students in local public schools and making holiday treats for nursing home residents.

EXPERIENTIAL WEEK: Students and faculty team up for one week every school year in hands-on educational experiences. Past examples have ranged from serving with Habitat for Humanity and planting trees in Dorchester County’s Blackwater Refuge to

helping rebuild the city of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and traveling to Scotland as part of Global Awareness Day. FOUNDER ’S DAY: Students connect with founders and alumni to learn about the school’s history and the impact many have had on it.

GALA: The social event of the year and important annual fundraiser allows for founders, alumni, students and their families to come together in support of the school.

CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 45

GLOBAL AWARENESS DAY FOR THE PAST THREE DECADES, students at The Salisbury School have traveled the world without leaving their academic home through a national award-winning program that brings everyone together to spotlight the world’s wonders on one unforgettable day.

The school culminates the 32nd year of promoting worldwide awareness on May 3, 2019, with a tribute to the African nation of Ghana.

Faculty, students and parents from the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools will team up to learn about Ghana’s unique culture, such as music, dance, literature, food and geography. Students reveal what they discover at an event that annually attracts 400-500 people.

The planning committee chose Ghana the year after selecting the South American nation of Chile because, Global Awareness Day coordinator Hilary Lynch said, “We move from one continent to another every year, so we move around the world.” They also select a nation

46 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

with history and culture that’s different from its predecessor. Then the committee goes to great lengths to provide students with a vast array of educational opportunities. This year, they have enlisted the help of two Ghana natives living in the Salisbury area.

Teachers begin to incorporate specific research and activities into lesson plans approximately six weeks before Global Awareness Day. Students also enjoy special activities, which in past years have included dancers from Chile and Spain, a kickboxing demonstration (Thailand, 2014) and rugby lessons from Salisbury University’s team (New Zealand).

Students create dishes and treats unique to that country, along with the dozens of parents who volunteer their time both in and out of school to prepare for Global Awareness Day. “It’s a whole-year process, and we take one day and completely redo our school,” Director of Admissions Gail Carozza said. “We have activities, only eat food from that country. [Students] really live it, breathe it. These kids are really global thinkers. They know there’s a lot more out there because they actually experience it. They don’t just read about it and see it in a book.”

The journey at The Salisbury School is unique for every student.

“I was never forced into some particular box that the school wanted me to be in,” said Dyer, who gravitated toward music and theater as a student. “They encouraged me to develop my own interests, which I definitely did. The school gave me lots of opportunities to develop those skills. They gave me so much more confidence and knowledge of myself by having a place that was completely invested in me.”

Mike Quillin listened to Eugene Munnelly, the school’s first headmaster, vow to provide students with a “love of learning that will stay with them throughout life,” through a refreshingly individualized, proactive approach to education rooted in the Montessori philosophy.

“I had grown up going to traditional schools. The structure and the firmness and just the emphasis on learning the basics, I had been all through that,” said Quillin, 79, of Ocean City, who joined his wife, Judy, 79, in serving as founding parents while their sons, Mike Jr. and David, attended the school. “The Salisbury School was going to be a little different. It was just a more exciting concept to me.”

The Lower School opened in 1973, followed by the Upper and Middle schools in 1997 and 2005, respectively.

The curriculum and resources available to teachers and students, much like the campus, has evolved over the years.

David Quillin, 53, an architect in Berlin, remembers moving furniture into the basement at St. Alban’s on Mondays to begin each school week and putting furniture away on Fridays before weekend services at the church. Dearing, who has served in various teaching and administrative roles in 27 years at the school, recalls operating Ditto machines to print copies of assignments for students.

Now, the campus has an outdoor classroom, to further enhance the educational experience, and students are issued or have access to Chromebooks, among other amenities. The focus in the Upper School is to prepare students for challenges they will face in college.

But year after year, the end result is the same. “People love learning for the right reasons, and they love being excited about something in the future,” said Kim Quillin, 47, a biologist at Salisbury University and author of a biology textbook who met her husband, David, at the school and enrolled daughters Lila and Elsa after moving back home to the Shore from Berkeley, CA. Dearing expects the school to continue evolving over the next 50 years. “The thing that I know that will not change,” she said, “are the ethos that our founders started this school with. Because if they change, it’s not The Salisbury School anymore.”

CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 47

Surf Into 48  COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

The OC Surf Club program, which two years ago was honored by the Worcester County Board of Education for its creative approach to education, has positively impacted the lives of local youths WRIT TEN BY VIC TOR FERNANDES PHOTOGR APH Y BY TODD DUDEK & GR ANT L. GURSK Y

Integrity

CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE  49

he seventh-grade student stepped onto the stage, looked out onto the crowd, and spoke of how the code surfers follow in and out of the ocean strengthened the bond with his father.

Ocean City Surf Club president Tommy Vach suddenly experienced a wave of emotion.

Surf Into Integrity, a 3-year-old youth-mentoring program formed through a partnership between a group of community-driven surfers and the afterschool academy at Stephen Decatur Middle School in Berlin, steers impressionable teenagers in the right direction before they can explore the wrong path in life. For nine weeks each fall, students learn — and live — life lessons from the Surfer’s Code: 12 Simple Lessons for Riding Through Life, a book written by motivational speaker and former world championship surfer Shaun Tomson.

The program, which two years ago was honored by the Worcester County Board of Education for its creative approach to education, has positively impacted the lives of 54 seventh and eighth graders and their families, through lessons learned in the classroom, on the beach and in the ocean. Sometimes, the benefits students gain have emerged in unexpected yet incredibly personal ways.

“That’s always a little emotional,” Vach, 58, said while sharing the 2017 story of that student, who connected with his father in a way he likely never imagined.

“The reward for us is hearing these stories and to see these children use the manners they were taught in class.”

Students arrive at class having read two chapters from Tomson’s book, which was published in 2006 but was inspired in 1998 by the Surfer’s Code Card, which featured 12 sayings the South African-born Tomson wrote on a card that all began with the words: “I will.”

Tomson donated copies of his book to Ocean City Surf Club, and club officials built the program around those lessons and the allure of surfing, which gives students the opportunity to ride waves in wet suits and on soft-top surfboards donated by K-Coast Surf Shop.

“It gives me so much satisfaction to know that I might have played a little part, perhaps, in these young students’ lives,” said Tomson, who spoke with graduates and their families via Skype during the most recent graduation ceremony in November.

He challenged those graduates, like he has other students he's addressed over the years, to share their own personal code for life with him.

50 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

Ocean City Surf Club developed the core values behind Surf Into Integrity, a youth-mentoring program at Stephen Decatur Middle School, from life lessons in former world champion surfer Shaun Tomson’s 2006 book, Surfer’s Code: 12 Simple Lessons for Riding Through Life: 1. I will never turn my back on the ocean (Passion) 2. I will paddle around the impact zone (No shortcuts) 3. I will take the drop with commitment (Courage, focus and determination) 4. I will never fight a rip ride (The danger of pride and egotism) 5. I will always paddle back out (Perseverance in the face of challenges) 6. I will watch out for other surfers after a big set (Responsibility) 7. I will know that there will always be another wave (Optimism) 8. I will ride and not paddle into shore (Self-esteem) 9. I will pass on my stoke to a non-surfer (Sharing knowledge and giving back) 10. I will catch a wave every day, even in my mind (Imagination) 11. I will realize that all surfers are joined by one ocean (Empathy) 12. I will honor the sport of kings (Honor and integrity) SOURCE: SHAUNTOMSON.COM

TO THE RESCUE: Surf Into Integrity is a 3-year-old youth-mentoring program that steers impressionable teenagers in the right direction before they can explore the wrong path in life.

“The formative years for a kid are really much younger than we think. The trajectory of life is formed by high school,” said program founder Rich Brueckner, the state’s former gang and narcotics prosecutor in Salisbury who’s now in private practice in Ocean City.

“I got tired of prosecuting kids and seeing kids locked up for making decisions and not having a solution,” Brueckner, 45, said. “I was always taught you’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. I wanted to do something about it.

Hopefully, there will be one or two kids who stand at the crossroads because of our class and make better life choices.”

Brueckner stands by the entrance before every class to greet students. He expects eye contact and a proper handshake from them.

Students address their 14 instructors with the title of “Mr.” and “Mrs.,” and instructors show students the same respect.

Unlike traditional classrooms, instructors spend more time engaging directly with students through thought-provoking questions and comments instead of mainly speaking to a group of kids quietly listening. Then students stand up straight, and with hands at their sides and eyes on the instructor, share thoughts that are met by equally respectful

agreement or rebuttals from instructors and fellow classmates.

“You give respect and you get respect, and you share the respect around the school,” said Stephen Decatur High School sophomore Gio Dascoli, 15, of West Ocean City, a member of the original 10-person graduating class in 2015 who now serves as an assistant instructor.

Assistant instructor and 2017 graduate Amella Mehan, 14, said the first chapter, I Will Never Turn My Back on the Ocean, helped her make more friends by controlling her once short temper.

“You shouldn’t be ignorant about what’s happening around you, because it could be your undoing,” said the eighth grader at Stephen Decatur Middle School. “You need to be aware so you know how to react properly. You know what you have done, your actions, and know what to do. It helps to solve problems.”

CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 51

“You shouldn’t be ignorant about what’s happening around you, because it could be your undoing. You need to be aware so you know how to react properly.

You know what you have done, your actions, and know what to do.

It helps to solve problems.”

— Eighth Grader Amella Mehan, 14, of Ocean City

Theresa Torpey, an assistant principal and head of the afterschool academy at Stephen Decatur Middle School, recalled instantly being excited about the Surf Into Integrity program, which is open to all students at the school. But the self-proclaimed city girl from Philadelphia, who refuses to step into the ocean, was concerned about the students’ safety in the water during surfing lessons.

“I went to that beach, and I watched how [instructors] were with the kids, and all of my fears were erased. It’s all about safety first,” Torpey said of a program that features two instructors for every student in the water and more importantly produces success stories like that of a former middle-school student whose time in the program enhanced his innate but initially misdirected leadership qualities.

52 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

“He was a leader in this building but not always for the right reasons,” Torpey said. “But when he stepped on that beach, he knew that he needed to be a positive role model, and all of the kids stopped and they watched everything he did.

They were in awe of him.”

His positive influence soon stretched into every corner of the school. For example, Torpey said, “You would see him with a student who may have been targeted or may have been picked on, and you would watch him sit next to that child and talk to him.”

Torpey often sees students reading Tomson’s book at lunchtime in school, because they want to be prepared for that afternoon’s class.

Now, parents of students are reading the book, and they regularly join in the sessions on the beach. “It’s a compliment to the students who read the book and choose to participate in a way that we’re asking them to participate,” program administrator Rusty Ruszin said.

Ocean City Surf Club officials are focused on expanding the program to other middle schools. Brueckner said schools up and down the East Coast have expressed interest.

“There are more impressionable teens to reach out there,” he said. “We’re going to get to do a lot of good in their lives.”

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CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE  53

community

HANDLED WITH CARE The Shore Pride All Stars send care packages to a deployed military squadron

W

hile many families were spending the Sunday after Thanksgiving relaxing at home, the Shore Pride All Stars were hard at work, putting together care packages to send to a deployed military squadron with a special connection to the talented cheerleading team.

Fifteen-year-old Becca Kelly has been a dedicated Shore Pride All Star for five years. The Kelly family patriarch, Robert Kelly, is a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force and has served in the military for 32 years. On September 5, 2018, Sergeant Kelly was deployed to the United Arab Emirates.

“It’s always hard for our family when Robert is deployed, but this current deployment has been extra tough, since we received word that his squadron doesn’t have the accommodations they typically do when deployed abroad,” said Robert’s wife, Debbie Kelly.

Upon learning of Sergeant Kelly’s

54 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

WRITTEN BY ALISON CLARY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TODD DUDEK

squadron’s situation, the team immediately began collecting items such as toiletries, snacks and personal letters to send over before the holidays.

“We wanted to remind them that we are thinking about them every day,” said cheerleader Colby Bennett, 15.

The team also included members of the Shore community in the process.

Alisha White, a youth group leader at Dagsboro Church of Christ and mother of team member Taylor White encouraged her youth group to either say a prayer for Mr. Kelly and his fellow servicemen or write a letter to include in the care packages. She was thrilled by their reception and enthusiasm.

“My father and grandfather both served in the military, so I recognize the sacrifice the Kelly family has made. It’s like cancer, in that you don’t know how hard it is until it affects someone close to you,” said Alisha.

The Shore Pride All Stars initially planned to send personalized care

packages to each of the squadron’s 40 servicemen and servicewomen. But after pulling together all the donations, the group was delighted to discover they had collected enough to fill 47 packages.

They also assembled treat-filled packages for each of the squadron’s four K-9s.

“Robert is scheduled to return home on June 5th, but we’re never certain if the return date will change due to unforeseen circumstances” said Kelly’s mother, Carol Kelly. “The team’s support means a lot to us as we await the unknown.”

The Shore Pride All Stars plan to continue supporting the community and the Kelly family in the future.

“We emphasize the importance of philanthropy to our girls,” said Anne Oglesby, a member of the team’s Parent Pride organization and mother of team member Georgia Oglesby, 14. “This is why we organize events such as these, so the team can participate throughout the year.”

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2019 PRIVATE SCHOOL PROFILES

THE SALISBURY SCHOOL WHERE LOVING TO LEARN IS A HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE The Salisbury School, as the independent school’s mission statement reads, in part, has a singular goal in mind: to develop students who are “prepared for the highest levels of academic pursuit and ready to lead a well-rounded life of purpose and creativity.”

With an academic philosophy rooted in experiential learning, the school’s well-educated and selfless faculty devote their time to helping each student reach their full potential. With offerings in multiple languages, including Mandarin; AP classes; STEM learning, including technical writing, technology and coding classes, the TSS curriculum embraces individual interests while challenging students to be their best. “We see

6279 Hobbs Road Salisbury, MD 21804 410-742-4464 / TheSalisburySchool.org Grades: Pre-K through 12 Enrollment: 345 students (approx.)

Student/Faculty Ratio: 6:1 Open House: February 13 and March 13, 2019 Tuition: $5,920 (Pre-K)—$14,450 (Grades 9-12) Financial Aid: Financial aid awards allocated based on financial need and merit.

56 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

each child as an individual,” Headmaster Bev Dearing said, “offering differentiated learning to all ages. Our students take great pride in ownership of an education that often leads to acceptance at some of the best colleges in the country, including Cornell, Vanderbilt and George Washington University. With the direction of our college counselor, TSS graduates enjoy 100 percent college acceptance.”

The Salisbury School is a family that sends young men and women into the world with a foundation for success based on high academic standards and an understanding of community responsibility, ready to be global citizens in the 21st century.

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2019 PRIVATE SCHOOL PROFILES

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The Jefferson School utilizes every inch of its 43-acre campus to provide its students with an enriching educational experience.

Through a focus on environmental studies, students take advantage of the lush woods and fields, a nature trail, two ponds, greenhouse, garden — even goats and chickens.

“We really use our campus to do a lot of teaching,” Head of School Constance Hendricks said.

Students at this 26-year-old school also benefit from individual attention because of small class sizes, as well as the first-rate faculty’s ability to “take learning styles into account,” Hendricks said. “Because of the size of the school, we really can get to know the students.”

The skills platform serves as the foundation for a complete education. “We are opening a new building in September 2019 which includes dedicated middle school classrooms.

Hendricks said. “Students are well-prepared for high school and thrive in every type of secondary school setting.”

Don’t let The Jefferson School’s size fool you. Faculty and students achieve big results.

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Grades: Pre-K3 through 8th Grade Enrollment: 110 students (approx.)

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2019 PRIVATE SCHOOL PROFILES

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A FAITH-BASED EDUCATION… AND MUCH MORE

Salisbury Christian School blends the variety of academic and extracurricular opportunities large schools provide and personalized attention small schools enjoy with a foundation firmly rooted in faith-based learning to develop well-rounded students.

The school has developed a strong reputation, especially for its cutting-edge Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics program, which features Robotics, Destination Imagination, Coding and other classes. These proactive, hands-on programs have been developed with students in mind, namely to hone their ability to think at a heightened level and collaborate well with their peers.

But the opportunities don’t end there. Aspire to take advanced classes? Salisbury Christian School has 23 of them.

Want to pursue your interests in clubs? The school has many of them, from Robotics to an award-winning band. The school also has 19 athletic teams, which have won 57 championships.

Students even have an opportunity to become scuba-certified through a marine-biology course.

The options are endless at Salisbury Christian School, where students can discover who they are — mind, body and soul.

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60 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

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Approximately 25% of people in Maryland are obese. Obesity is known to increase the risk of multiple medical conditions including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, heart disease, strokes, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, depression, hyperlipidemia and even some forms of cancer. Many people have attempted the various diet fads with minimal, if any, success. Studies have shown weight loss (bariatric) surgery to be superior to diet and exercise alone in terms of weight reduction and reducing or curing weightrelated co-morbidities. Our surgeons perform all 3 of these popular bariatric surgery procedures.

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BOOK SMART

Death is Her Life Susan Ayres Wimbrow was just 5 years old when her mother was savagely murdered and raped. That unimaginable yet indelible event altered the course of her life, as she channeled her grief for more than 40 years assisting others cope with death as a funeral home owner-director. Now, nearly six decades since that horrific day, Wimbrow tells her story in her first-ever novel, Death Is My Life 62  COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

WRIT TEN BY VIC TOR FERNANDES PHOTOGR APH Y BY GR ANT L. GURSK Y

D

eath Is My Life, is not only the debut novel from local author Susan Ayres Wimbrow, it is, in key ways, the story of her life, as seen through the eyes of her principal character, Elizabeth Barclay.

“I was Elizabeth. I am Elizabeth,” said Wimbrow, 62, whose long, winding path to novelist began when she was just 5 years old, spurred by an unthinkable tragedy. That occurred on October 19, 1961, in Norfolk, VA, when her mother was murdered and raped — in that order.

In the decades that followed, Wimbrow was able to observe the far-reaching effects of the traumatic event, not only in herself but in others, as well. She saw the quiet strength of her grandmother, for example, who for 43 years channeled her grief into a passion for helping other bereft families through death’s darkest days as the owner and director of a funeral home. “[Susan] thought she might want to write this story of what happened to her mother and how that led to her involvement in the funeral-home business,” recalled Stephanie Fowler, a member of the Maryland Writers’ Association with whom Wimbrow had shared the premise of her story in 2017.

“So much death really had become her life’s work.”

Wimbrow began reliving her mother’s death in detail and her family’s lifetime of silent anguish in May 2017. She sifted through nine years of court transcripts and newspaper articles outlining a legal battle centered around convicted killer Jay R. Timmons, his mental state and the death sentence he received for murdering her mother, Ann Ayres Bannon, at age 26.

She wrote for six hours each afternoon, without exception, for more than a year.

“It was very arduous and very lonely,” Susan said.

Long walks each morning with her greyhounds, Oliver, 12, and Penelope, 9, and dinner conversations with her husband of 15 years, Maurice Wimbrow, offered solace. But the characters within those pages — many of whom represented family and friends forever scarred by the horrific events of 57 years ago — were her constant companions.

Wimbrow said she immersed herself in telling their stories, because each played a role in helping her “educate the public” as to what happens to the nucleus of a family when a member of that family has been murdered. “We always hear about the one who commits the act or the crime,” said Wimbrow, “but people forget about the families of the victim.”

The characters of Margaret Eyre, Elizabeth’s grandmother, Uncle Harvey and others, Wimbrow added, “were with me 24-7. I would wake up in the night and think about them. And I know this sounds a little creepy, but they actually were telling me what to write.” Then one day, her cathartic journey ended, with the final written words: Your characters leave you, and it’s a sad process when they do.

Much more uplifting, however, was the arrival of August 16, 2018. That’s the date on which Wimbrow and Fowler rallied around the book-binding machine in the Berlin office of Fowler’s five-year-old company, Salt Water Media, a self-publishing and techservices company that turned Wimbrow’s life story into a bona fide literary product.

With Champagne in their hands and tears in their eyes, they celebrated the courage of the author.

Wimbrow said she learned at a young age that refined Southern women rise above life’s hardships. “You’re not raised to be a victim. You don’t talk about it.

We pick ourselves up, and we go on,” Wimbrow shared, marveling at the inner strength her late grandmother, Eleanor Ayres Bruehl, who endowed her granddaughter with a normal life while quietly coping with her own daughter’s death.

“For Susan to open up and tell this story, to tell everything, is so brave,” said Fowler, whose celebratory, but empty, Champagne bottle still resides on a bookshelf in her office. Meanwhile, just blocks away, on South Main Street,

Death Is My Life is on display at The Greyhound, an indie bookstore that Wimbrow opened with Maurice in October to showcase local authors.

The novel has quickly grown popular among locals and visitors, which “is a blessing,” as Wimbrow put it. Barbara Lockhart, a noted Eastern Shore novelist whom Wimbrow credits with providing the final surge of motivation needed to write, penned a congratulatory letter that said, in part, Death Is My Life is

“genuine and honest, humorous and heart wrenching. I was with you at every word.”

Wimbrow is amazed at the impact many have experienced from reading her novel. “I did not realize the interest it would garner,” she said. “I had no idea that people would really be interested in this story — not only the locals, but also people who come into the bookstore.”

“It’s great the way people have responded to the book,” added Maurice, who recently met a woman buying the novel who knew Susan’s mother. “She said it was devastating for everyone in the community when it happened.”

Since publishing Death Is My Life, Wimbrow has spoken freely and publicly about her family’s story.

“It’s exhilarating. It’s healing. It’s like a weight has lifted off my shoulders,” she said. “I am definitely a stronger person because of it, and by helping others with this book, I’m a better person for it.”

CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 63

64  COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

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BUSINESS PROFILE

Procino-Wells & Woodland, LLC, pride themselves as being more than a talented team of professionals — they are a family. That bond extends to the firm’s clients and loved ones across the Eastern Shore WRITTEN BY VICTOR FERNANDES PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIEL BOSTWICK

M

ichele Procino-Wells has a personal stake in how families across the Eastern Shore care for their elderly relatives.

Family is the inspiration behind the work that makes Procino-Wells & Woodland, LLC, one of the area’s most unique and promising firms. Procino-Wells and fellow attorneys Amber B. Woodland and Leslie Case DiPietro have expanded the 14-yearold practice across state lines, from the original location in Seaford to newer offices in Lewes and Berlin, by focusing exclusively on elder law and estate planning.

“We’ve seen such a huge need in

66 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

Meet The

FAMILY-

our community for the kind of work we do,” said Procino-Wells, 49, the most experienced (23 years) of the three passionate attorneys with a combined 44 years of legal experience. ProcinoWells opened the firm in 2005, but its singular purpose grew clear in 2010 as she hurried back to the office one day to tell Woodland what she discovered at Nanticoke Memorial Hospital.

Procino-Wells learned about the projected growth and net worth of the area’s elderly population moving forward during a presentation at the Seaford hospital, where she serves as a board member. “I immediately started thinking about this kind of planning for my own

parents,” said Procino-Wells, which laid the foundation for a firm specializing in elder law, estate planning, asset protection planning from the costs of long-term care, estate and trust administration, guardianship for disabled persons and planning for persons with special needs.

Procino-Wells watched her parents work too hard for too long to build their family plating business to imagine that they could exhaust the fruits of their labor by paying for long-term care in the future, and they are not alone in facing that potentially overwhelming concern.

“Family is really important to me, to all of us,” Procino-Wells said.

“Whether it’s being able to plan for their

FOCUSED LAW FIRM estate and what will happen if they become incapacitated, or upon their death, we love it because we can jump in at a very stressful time for families and ease their stress by sheltering some of their assets and creating a plan for the future years of their loved one’s life.”

DiPietro, 39, calls her three years with the firm “one of those life-changing experiences,” because of a team approach that’s both fulfilling and productive.

Woodland, 32, a former summer law clerk at the firm who became an associate in 2010 and partner four years later, has cherished the positive impact this trio of attorneys and their 14 team members has made with Eastern Shore families.

“... We can jump in at a very stressful time for families and ease their stress by sheltering some of their assets and creating a plan for the future years of their loved one’s life.”

— Michele Procino-Wells

“We’re providing incredible service to our families,” Woodland said. “We’re really proud of what we’ve been able to do together.”

Now, the nearly all-female team at Procino-Wells & Woodland, LLC, looks to a bright future with confidence.

Earlier this year, Procino-Wells and Woodland joined DiPietro in being licensed in Delaware and Maryland by passing Maryland’s bar exam, which coincided with the opening of the firm’s Berlin office. They expect to open a new permanent location in Lewes next year. The firm also hired four new team members this past year.

CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 67

PROCINO-WELLS & WOODLAND, LLC “It requires a team to provide the level of service that we provide,” DiPietro said. “We are very much a team in everything we do. The fact that the three of us are licensed in both states allows us to be really fluid as we serve clients and families in both states.”

Woodland said adding new team members would help handle the volume of work at a top-quality level.

“It’s exciting to us that we can still grow and offer opportunity to new members,” Woodland said. “We certainly don’t have a crystal ball to know what that looks like. But I think we could all envision a few more team members, to support what we currently have in place.”

They would have to be the right people, though, because Procino-Wells & Woodland, LLC, is more than a team. It’s a family. Families they represent depend on their equally personal and professional approach, because they would expect the same service for their families.

“We really want to love the people we work with every day,” Procino-Wells said. “That lends itself to our whole-team approach and how we’re trying to treat our clients. We want to come to work every day and love what we do. That in turn transfers over to our clients.”

Procino-Wells & Woodland, LLC Attorneys: Michele Procino-Wells (23 years), Amber B. Woodland (8 years), Leslie Case DiPietro (14 years) Area of practice: Elder law, estate planning, asset protection planning from the costs of long-term care, estate and trust administration, guardianship for disabled persons and planning for persons with special needs.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

PKS INVESTMENT ADVISORS LLC: (SEATED, FROM LEFT) JOHN M. STERN, JR., CPA/PFS; DANIEL M. O’CONNELL II, CPA/PFS, CVA; AND GIGI G. LEKITES, CFP, CRPC. (STANDING, FROM LEFT) STEVEN E. SWEIGERT, CRPC, AND TIMOTHY A. GONZALES, CFP, AAMS.

PKS INVESTMENT ADVISORS LLC FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES BASED UPON EVIDENCE, NOT EMOTION Celebrating its 20th year in 2019, PKS Investment Advisors LLC has always been driven by the principles of trust, knowledge and transparency. The firm’s highly educated team of financial planners and advisors are dedicated to upholding these values to the highest standards. As a registered investment advisory firm, it adheres to a strict fiduciary standard and is legally bound to act in their clients’ best interests.

The firm’s strategy is deeply rooted in scientific, evidence-based investing practices and is guided by the principles of the Modern Portfolio Theory and the Efficient Markets Hypothesis. While other firms subscribe to a “Wall Street” philosophy by futilely attempting to pick winners and losers, PKS Investment Advisors firmly utilizes data, evidence and numbers to make sound, tactical decisions.

“We are born from an accounting firm, so we make decisions based on numbers and data, not emotions or prognostications,”

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said John M. Stern, Jr., CPA/PFS, a founding partner of PKS & Company, P.A. and PKS Investment Advisors LLC. “Guidance is given only after we have a complete understanding of each client’s financial goals, individual circumstances and investment objectives and risks. Our team is focused on the latest financial planning methods, strategies and technologies. With PKS it’s about service, not sales.”

These tenets are the basis of their low-cost, globally diversified portfolios.

Further, PKS Investment Advisors’ fee-based approach to financial planning services and asset management reinforces that each decision is strategically made with their clients’ best interests in mind rather than that of a commissioned trader compensated for each and every transaction.

With the full support and resources of its affiliated firm, PKS & Company, P.A., financial planning and advisory clients

have complete access to its family of tax experts for strategies and solutions for individuals, families, businesses, estates, trusts and partnerships. To achieve these goals for clients, PKS incorporates traditional accounting, tax and audit services — specializing in additional areas of financial guidance, including estates and trusts, employer-sponsored retirement plans such as 401(k), fraud and forensic services and litigation support.

Salisbury, Ocean City, Lewes 800-274-2564 • PKSAdvisors.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

WEALTH MANAGEMENT INSURANCE

AVERY HALL INSURANCE GROUP: (SEATED, FROM LEFT) MARY MENGASON AND ANGELA STROUTH, CIC, CISR. (STANDING, FROM LEFT) JOE GAST, CPCU, ChFC; KATHY BENNETT, CRC, CRM; AND KEVIN J. HAYES, CIC.

AVERY HALL INSURANCE GROUP TREATING PEOPLE RIGHT, THE FIRST TIME AND EVERY TIME, SINCE 1925 “Treat people right the first time and every time you meet them.” This was the unwavering philosophy of Avery Hall — the one he instilled in his employees upon founding Avery W. Hall Insurance Agency, Inc. in 1925. Today, more than 93 years later, that same principle drives the success of Avery Hall Insurance Group — Delmarva’s largest independent insurance agency.

Avery Hall Insurance Group prides itself on being a reliable insurance company with honest, unparalleled customer care.

As an independent agency specializing in commercial insurance, personal insurance, employer and individual benefits, Avery Hall has the freedom and advantage of providing clients with a wide range of options when it comes to insurance carriers and coverages.

“Our knowledge relates to nearly every kind of insurance, including employee benefits, personal and commercial lines,” said Joe Gast, CPCU, ChFC, Avery Hall Insurance

Agency, Inc. President. “We also take the time to educate customers on how changes in the insurance industry could affect them and their policies. Avery Hall supports this standard by quoting appropriate products, adjusting policies to match the client’s requirements and guiding the client through the claims process.

“Everyone can expect professional, knowledgeable guidance and counsel offering the most appropriate products available,” Gast continued. “We offer the same level of service for an individual with a small policy as we do for our large commercial customers. Clients can also expect Avery Hall to be loyal to them throughout our relationship and communally responsible as a sponsor of many programs and activities throughout the Lower Shore region. We know that the world can be an unpredictable place, but we are here to ensure that such things as their staff, property and assets remain protected. Whether a forprofit or non-profit organization, the goal is

to increase revenue or income and minimize expenses.”

Avery Hall Insurance Group, a Coastal Style “Best Of” winner five consecutive years, is also a company that genuinely cares about the Delmarva communities it serves.

“Our staff raises, and Avery Hall gives, thousands of dollars each year to support both area and national causes,” Gast said.

“We believe that if we put our time and money where it matters the most, we all benefit.”

Five Shore Locations • 410-742-5111 AveryHall.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

WEALTH MANAGEMENT BANKING

CALVIN B. TAYLOR BANK: (FROM LEFT) WES MCCABE, ADAM JAMES, LEE CHISHOLM, CORY WALSH, ROSS BERGEY AND DOUG COOK.

CALVIN B. TAYLOR BANK A RELATIONSHIP-DRIVEN PARTNER THAT’S “ALWAYS HERE. FOR GOOD.” For nearly 130 years, Calvin B. Taylor Bank has been an integral component of the growth and overall of success of Worcester County by being an institution driven by relationships and customer service over transactions.

Headquartered in Berlin, the bank offers a wide variety of consumer and business deposit and loan products, a full suite of electronic banking services, such as Internet and mobile banking, and ancillary services, such as Merchant Services, Remote Deposit Capture and ACH origination. All of its banking products and services are designed for convenience, ease of use and to help their customers prosper.

“Always Here. For Good” is the bank’s philosophy. While these words are concise, their dual meaning represents everything Taylor Bank is known for. “‘Always Here’ suggests our storied history, the convenience of our 11 branch locations, our always-on 24/7 mobile banking solutions,

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and the accessibility of our high-touch customer service,” said Taylor Bank President and CEO Raymond M. Thompson. “‘For Good’ reflects our unwavering commitment to remaining independent and continuing to give back to our community. This extends into our lending philosophy.”

Taylor Bank has always believed that at its core, meaningful relationships hold the most value. The bank aims to be a good partner for their customers, which goes beyond approving loans.

“We view ourselves as an important partnership to the businesses we serve,” Thompson said. “Our lenders will ask questions to truly learn about their businesses.

They can expect quick decisions and timely engagement.

“Our commitment is to the customers and communities we serve,” Thompson continued.

“Our employees are ingrained in the community, and many of them serve as board

members to local nonprofits and volunteer their time to local organizations. The culture of our bank is focused on taking care of our customers.”

To that end, Taylor Bank has been awarded many prestigious industry and community honors, including a Best of Bauer 5-Star Rating, Coastal Style Magazine’s 2018 Best Bank in Worcester County and the 2018 Silver Level recipient of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Healthiest Maryland Business Wellness at Work award.

11 Shore Locations • 410-641-1700 TaylorBank.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

VALLIANT WEALTH STRATEGIES: MARY ELLEN M. VALLIANT AND BRUCE J. VALLIANT, MANAGING PARTNERS, VWS AND REGISTERED PRINCIPALS, RJFS

VALLIANT WEALTH STRATEGIES SOPHISTICATED, TAILORED WEALTH MANAGEMENT SERVICES The principals and advisors of Valliant Wealth Strategies (VWS) pride themselves on establishing deeply personal relationships with each client they service. At the firm’s core, family comes first — and each member of their client family is personally and dependably assisted through every stage of their wealthbuilding voyage.

“We believe our role in navigating one’s financial journey is to be their lighthouse — a reliable guiding resource that will provide reassurance and direction throughout every stage of the process,” said Mary Ellen Valliant of Valliant Wealth Strategies.

Valliant, a Managing Partner of VWS since 1997 and Registered Principal with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., has more than 30 years of experience with leading financial services and banking firms. Throughout her career, she has provided private client investment management and financial planning services.

Bruce Valliant, a Managing Partner of Valliant Wealth Strategies and Registered Principal with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., offers over 19 years’ investment management and estate planning experience to private clients. Together with their talented and dedicated team, they proudly provide personalized, concierge-level client care for the clients located on the Eastern Shore and around the world.

“Our family of clients and their needs are as unique as this wonderfully diverse region,” Mary Ellen said. “We pride ourselves on having deeply personal relationships with each and every person we service — from the farmers to the fisherman, the families, the fiscally solvent and the free-spirit entrepreneurs.”

The advisors at Valliant Wealth Strategies provide financial, education, college and retirement planning, estate collaboration, socially responsible investing (ESG investing) and tax, insurance and risk management

strategies for individuals. They also help businesses with institutional investment management, 401(k) services, foundation, nonprofit and endowment support and senior executive transitions.

110 S. Queen Street, Chestertown MD 21620 3033 Kent Narrows Way, S., Suite 5, Grasonville, MD 21638

410-810-0800 ValliantWealth.com *Valliant Wealth Strategies is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA / SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Raymond James does not provide tax advice.

CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 73

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

WEALTH MANAGEMENT INSURANCE

STATE FARM INSURANCE: (FROM LEFT) GREG HADDAWAY, RHONDA PHILLIPS, CECELIA RAMOS AND SHEILA TYLER.

GREG HADDAWAY, STATE FARM PROTECTING CLIENTS AND THEIR ASSETS LIKE FAMILY MEMBERS For State Farm Insurance broker Greg Haddaway, relationships are the key component of his business. Being there for his clients is more than a corporate slogan, it’s a personal guarantee.

Based in Easton, Haddaway heads a team of five licensed insurance professionals working to help clients protect what is most important to them, recover from the unexpected and to realize their dreams.

“We treat every policy holder as they are a member of our family,” Haddaway said. “We conduct annual reviews with our policyholders to ensure we have the proper coverages. Our goal is building long-lasting relationships with our clients.”

Haddaway offers a wide array of insurance coverages, including auto, homeowners, life, and short-term disability. He can even provide vehicle loans and refinancing options. State Farm is the largest insurer of automobiles in the United States thanks to its reputation for

74 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

providing competitive prices, easy claims and “We enjoy being involved in the greater excellent service. They also offer Drive Safe & Easton community,” Haddaway said. “We are Save™, Steer Clear® and other discounts for passionate and driven to create possibilities, safe drivers. and we’re serious about being here to help our State Farm also offers a comprehensive customers by providing solutions for all of life’s collection of protection plans for homeowners, moments. We are not only in the insurance condo owners and renters. Additionally, business. Most importantly, we’re in the clients who are looking for the affordability Denise Beam, relationship-building business.”

Agent Thanks, Readers of 112 Atlantic Avenue of term life insurance, the lifelong protectionOcean Coastal Style Magazine.

View, DE 19970 and cash value of permanent insurance, ordenise@denisebeam.com aBus: 302-539-1900 I love being here to help life go right in a community combination of both, State Farm has options to where people are making a fit each client’s needs and budget. difference every day.

Haddaway’s company website allows for Thank you for all you do. users to explore coverage and cost options, submit a claim, pay a bill and more. It’s another level of personalized service that Greg and his team offer their clients.

Haddaway and his team were recognized

by State Farm for their commitment to excellence and customer service with the State Farm, Bloomington, IL Easton • 410-822-7480 company’s 2017 Ambassadors Club and1601485 GregHaddawaySFAgent.com Honor Club awards.

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RECIPES

SUPER APPS! Score early and often during the big game with these mouthwatering, high-five-worthy recipes from our team of chefs PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRANT L. GURSKY

RECIPES MAURICE’S STICKY-ICKY ASIAN WINGS CHEF MAURICE CATLETT | Matt’s Fish Camp Lewes Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

For sauce: ¼ cup garlic, minced ¼ cup soy sauce 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 tsp sesame oil 3 oz pineapple juice

For sauce: Sauté garlic in sesame oil for two minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients. Whisk on medium heat until all of the brown sugar dissolves. Continue cooking sauce down until it loses half its volume and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

To garnish: 3 green onions, chopped 1-2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

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For wings: Fried method: Set oven to 325° and cook wings in single layer for 20 minutes. Let cool.

Bring oil to 325°, fry wings in small batches, 4-6 at a time, for approximately 4 minutes or until crispy.

Broiler method: Place wings on sheet tray in single layer. Place under broiler for about 10 minutes or until crispy. Turn wings and cook other side until crispy. Toss in large bowl with sauce.

Place on platter and garnish with chopped green onion and toasted sesame seeds.

BLUECOAST CRAWFISH GUMBO CHEF JASON DIETTERICK | Bluecoast Rehoboth

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS 1 cup clarified butter or regular butter or vegetable oil 1 cup flour 2 oz tomato paste 12-oz can tomatoes, diced 1 medium Spanish onion, diced 4 stalks celery, diced 1 large green bell pepper, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup fresh okra, sliced 3 qts crab stock (you can substitute fish or chicken stock) 3 qts ham or pork stock 2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced 1 tsp gumbo file powder (available in most grocery stores with spices) 1 tsp blackening spice (black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, thyme, chili powder) 1 oz Worcestershire 1 oz hot sauce 8 oz fresh crabmeat 8 oz crawfish meat 8 oz andouille sausage, diced Salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

Start to make the roux by adding the butter to a heavy-bottom pot at high heat.

Next, whisk the flour slowly until well incorporated. Reduce the heat to low and continue whisking until the roux is a deep, toasty brown. Add the onions and stir until slightly browned.

Next, add the blackening spice and tomato paste and stir. Adjust heat to medium and add the garlic, celery, okra and bell pepper.

Add bay leaves and thyme. Continue to whisk slowly while adding both stocks.

Whisk until there are no lumps. Bring back to a boil, then back down to a low simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, Worcestershire and hot sauce. Add crab, crawfish and sausage at the last minute and allow to heat all the way through.

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SHRIMP TOSTADA

FROM THE KITCHEN AT LONGBOARD CAFÉ

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3-5 minutes

Servings: 12-18

INGREDIENTS For guacamole 2 avocados, ripe and mushed, leaving chunks 2 Roma tomatoes, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced 1 Tbsp garlic powder (or more to taste) 2 tsp cumin (or more to taste) 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped Juice of 1 lime, fresh Salt and pepper to taste For shrimp tostadas 6-9 medium to large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off

78 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

DIRECTIONS 12-18 corn tortilla chips (good quality store-bought) Fresh guacamole (recipe follows) Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish For warm chips 2-3 6-inch corn tortillas (cut into 6 wedges each) 3-4 cups vegetable oil Salt

For guacamole: In a large mixing bowl, add avocado and lime juice. Mix in remaining ingredients. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing down to remove any air.

For shrimp tostadas: Grill or boil shrimp for 3-4 minutes until done. Slice each shrimp lengthwise. Top chips with spoonful of guacamole, then fan shrimp slices over top.

Garnish with cilantro.

For warm chips: Heat oil in a saucepan to 350°. Drop in tortilla wedges, a few at a time, and cook until golden brown (about 1-2 minutes). With a slotted spoon or tongs, remove and place on paper towels for draining.

Sprinkle with salt.

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SMOKED SALMON MOUSSE ON POTATO CRISPS BANQUET CHEF STEVE FRANCIE | The Clubhouse at Baywood Weddings and Events

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 20 pieces

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

8-10 oz smoked salmon (any type will work) 8 oz cream cheese 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice Fresh dill, coarsely chopped and separated 2 large russet potatoes, sliced on the bias on mandolin or 1/8” thin

For salmon mousse: Place smoked salmon in the food processor and pulse about 10 times. Add the cream cheese and turn on until well blended (about 1 minute).

Add in the lemon juice and blend. Slowly add in the heavy whipping cream while continuously blending. You are looking for a light, pipeable consistency, so add more cream if necessary. Add in chopped dill (1-2 tablespoons or to taste) and blend briefly.

80 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

For potato crisps: Slice potatoes and place into a bowl of water (fully submerged).

Let sit 5 minutes. Drain and put in salted water for 30 minutes. Bring a pot of oil to 350°. Fry potatoes in small batches.

Remove from oil when golden in color (about 2-3 minutes). Allow oil to come back to temperature between batches.

Toss in salt when warm. Let cool completely before assembling.

Put mousse in piping bag. Pipe mousse onto potato crisps. Sprinkle with chopped dill for garnish.

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CoastalStyleMag.com / COASTAL STYLE 81

SCORE EXTRA POINTS! Get bonus tips from the pros at CoastalStyleMag.com!

BRINE & BRAISED TRI-TIP WINGS

CHEF CHRISTIAN COSTANTINO | Hooked Up Ale House & Raw Bar Prep Time: 3½ hours

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS For brine & braise: 2 qts Texas Pete hot sauce 1½ qts water ½ cup honey 1 lemon, halved ½ cup black peppercorns 1 oz thyme 1 oz rosemary 5 lbs Tri-Tip wings

DIRECTIONS For homemade hot sauce: 1 qt Texas Pete hot sauce ¼ cup honey 1 Tbsp thyme, chopped 1 Tbsp rosemary, chopped ½ lb butter, room temperature

For brine & braise: Put the wings into a roasting pan.

Combine all ingredients onto the wings and wrap pan with aluminum foil. Allow the wings to braise in the oven at 350° for 130 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to rest for 1 hour.

For homemade hot sauce: Combine all ingredients, except for the butter, into a pot and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and slowly add butter, whisking until incorporated.

For wings: Bake wings in oven at 425° for 15 minutes or until crispy. Get the wings lost in the sauce and enjoy!

82 COASTAL STYLE / January-February 2019

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