Second Savor St. Mary's Restaurant Week Kick-off Meeting

For locally-owned restaurants, caterers, food service providers, growers and wineries that were unable to attend the first Savor St. Mary's Kick-off Meeting, it's not too late to participate in Restaurant Week!

On March 1, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m., there will be a meeting for possible Restaurant Week participants at Lenny's Restaurant in California, Maryland.  This is the second gathering of possible Restaurant Week participants and is intended to be a planning session as well as to encourage partnerships between area restaurants and growers who are now preparing for summer demand. If you would like to be part of this initiative or find out more, please come. There is NO FEE for attending and all are welcome.

Occuring twice annually, “Savor St. Mary’s” will feature a seasonal line-up of items locally grown and produced as presented through the creative interpretation of area restaurants. Kicking off this summer: July 25 – August 8, 2010, “Savor St. Mary’s” will highlight fresh seasonal produce and then again February 15th – 28th, 2011 will have an emphasis on local seafood and wine.

A collaboration between locally-owned restaurants, St Mary’s County Department of Economic & Community Development and the Division of Tourism, Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC) as well as locally-owned small businesses and community-minded individuals, “Savor St. Mary’s” was conceived in order to offer support to local agriculture, promote the area’s independent small businesses, and give back to the community.
A portion of the proceeds resulting from “Savor St. Mary’s will be donated to the two local kitchens; “St. Mary’s Caring” in Lexington Park, MD and the “Loaves and Fishes” ministry at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Leonardtown, MD, which provide food to the community’s hungry and homeless.

For more information about Restaurant Week, visit http://www.savorstmarys.com/ or contact Rebecca Deprey, St. Mary's County Division of Tourism, at 301-475-4200 ext. 1404 or Rebecca.Deprey@stmarysmd.com.

"FREE at Last! Black History Celebration!" Cancelled

Due to icy conditions at Sotterley Plantation, this weekend’s event, "FREE at Last! Black History Celebration!," will be cancelled. The snow date had been scheduled to take place this Saturday, February 20th from 10 am – 4 pm.  The concern is for the safety of all who visit the site. Sotterley Plantation hopes to reschedule this important event.

For more information, contact Sotterley Plantation at 301-373-2280 or visit http://www.sotterley.org/.

Don't Forget! Restaurant Week Kick-Off Meeting is February 8th

All chefs, restauranteurs, growers, or those involved in a civic organization or activity that is food-related are invited to the Restaurant Week Kick-Off Meeting from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. on February 8th at Lenny's Restaurant in California, MD. This is the first gathering of possible Restaurant Week participants and is intended to be a planning session as well as to encourage partnerships between area restaurants and growers who are now preparing for summer demand. If you would like to be part of this initiative or find out more, please come. There is NO FEE for attending and all are welcome.

For more information about Restaurant Week, visit http://www.savorstmarys.com/ or contact Rebecca Deprey, St. Mary's County Division of Tourism, at 301-475-4200 ext. 1404 or Rebecca.Deprey@stmarysmd.com.

Legends and Lore Tours are Back!

The spirits have been restless as of late – more so than usual. On Saturday, February 27th, Education Director, Carolyn Hoey will lead guests on this eerie after-hours tour experience through the over 300 year old Mansion at Sotterley Plantation.

Over the past few years, the Legends and Lore Tours have grown in popularity, with visitors coming from both near and far. At various times, some have had “experiences” of their own while taking this tour. For those who have longed to hear about actual spirit sightings from past to present at Sotterley Plantation, this is the tour to take. Stories of unexplained happenings will be shared, providing guests with enough information to decide whether or not they believe.

Space on the tours is limited and participants must be ages 16 and up.  Tours cost $20 per person and begin at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.  Reservations are required!  Group tours available.

For more information, contact Sotterley Plantation at 301-373-2280 or visit http://www.sotterley.org/.

Restaurant Week Introductory Meeting on February 8th

All chefs, restauranteurs, growers, or those involved in a civic organization or activity that is food-related are invited to the Restaurant Week Kick-Off Meeting from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. on February 8th at Lenny's Restaurant in California, MD. This is the first gathering of possible Restaurant Week participants and is intended to be a planning session as well as to encourage partnerships between area restaurants and growers who are now preparing for summer demand. If you would like to be part of this initiative or find out more, please come. There is NO FEE for attending and all are welcome.

Occuring twice annually, “Savor St. Mary’s” will feature a seasonal line-up of items locally grown and produced as presented through the creative interpretation of area restaurants. Kicking off this summer: July 25 – August 8, 2010, “Savor St. Mary’s” will highlight fresh seasonal produce and then again February 15th – 28th, 2011 will have an emphasis on local seafood and wine.


A collaboration between locally-owned restaurants, St Mary’s County Department of Economic & Community Development and the Division of Tourism, Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC) as well as locally-owned small businesses and community-minded individuals, “Savor St. Mary’s” was conceived in order to offer support to local agriculture, promote the area’s independent small businesses, and give back to the community.

A portion of the proceeds resulting from “Savor St. Mary’s will be donated to the 2 local kitchens; “St. Mary’s Caring” in Lexington Park, MD and the “Loaves and Fishes” ministry at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Leonardtown, MD, which provide food to the community’s hungry and homeless.
 
For more information about Restaurant Week, visit http://www.savorstmarys.com/ or contact Rebecca Deprey, St. Mary's County Division of Tourism, at 301-475-4200 ext. 1404 or Rebecca.Deprey@stmarysmd.com.

CSM's Friday Night Lecture Series: The Civil War Comes to St. Mary's County

On January 29 at 7 p.m., the College of Southern Maryland Friday Night Lecture Series will present CSM President, Dr. Bradley Gottfried, who will speak about "The Civil War Comes to St. Mary's County."  St. Mary’s County played an important role in the Civil War and his lecture will describe the events that occurred in St. Mary’s County from the landing of Federal troops at Leonardtown in 1861 through the release of the Confederate prisoners at Point Lookout Prisoner of War Camp in 1865. Using illustrations and maps, Dr. Gottfried will describe the occupation of St. Mary’s County by Federal troops, smuggling activities, arrests of local citizens, recruitment into the armies, and the economic hardships during this turbulent period in St. Mary’s County’s history. This is an “encore performance” as Dr. Gottfried’s presentation at the Sotterley Plantation was filled to capacity in November.

The lecture will be held in the Auditorium in Building A at the College of Southern Maryland's Leonardtown Campus, which is located at 22950 Hollywood Road in Leonardtown.  For more information, contact CSM at 301-934-7703, 240-725-5499, 443-550-6199, 301-870-2309 ext. 7703 or visit http://www.csmd.edu/.

Maryland to Kentucky Reunion Will Be Returning to St. Mary's County

On July 16th, 17th, and 18th, the Maryland to Kentucky Reunion will be back in St. Mary's County, the home of their forefathers, for the 2010 reunion.

The story begins back in 1785 when a group of families from the Southern Maryland counties of St. Mary's, Charles, and Prince George's formed a "league" pledging to migrate to Kentucky.  Their reasons for moving included plundering by the British during the Revolutionary War, depletion of available land in Maryland, and anti-Catholic bias.  John Carroll, the Bishop of Baltimore, told them if they would settle together he would do what he could to supply them with a priest.  These pioneers settled in what are now the Kentucky counties of Nelson, Washington, and Marion, an area still known as the "Kentucky Holy Lands."

The descendants of the Maryland to Kentucky pioneers began holding reunions back in 1990 as a way to meet each other and share family stories.  The first reunion, which was held in Nazareth, Kentucky, was so successful that the group has held reunions once every two years ever since.  The reunion draws genealogists of all faiths, bringing together an average of 500 researchers and their families from more than 40 states.  The reunion was held in St. Mary's County in 1992, 2000, and 2006.

The reunion will be returning to St. Mary's County from Friday, July 16 through Sunday, July 18.  The Maryland to Kentucky planning committee would like St. Mary's County residents to join them in "welcoming home" the returning descendants.  The reunion participants, who will be traveling from all over the country, are coming not only to see the land their forefathers left behind but to meet their St. Mary's County "cousins" as well.  They will want to talk to the "stay behinds" and will be seeking help from local community members as they research their roots.

Those who are interested in participating in the reunion events, which include a Welcome Home reception on Friday night, dinner Saturday night, and breakfast on Sunday morning, can register on the Maryland to Kentucky Reunion website at http://www.mdtokyreunion.club.officelive.com/.  All events will take place at the Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department Social Hall, which is located at 22733 Lawrence Avenue in Leonardtown.

For more information, please visit http://www.mdtokyreunion.club.officelive.com/ or stop by the Leonardtown Town Office, which is located at 41660 Courthouse Drive in Leonardtown.