ECRWSS Neighbors Form LOCAL US POSTAGE Learning Pods To POSTAL PAID Anne Arundel PERMIT NO. 546 Offer Enrichment CUSTOMER Millersville, MD To Students Makes Decision �� Page 27 On Tackle Football �� Page 23 FREE - Grab A Copy Severna Park VoicE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1981 SEVERNA PARK, MD SEPTEMBER 2020 Garry’s Grill, Opening A Business During A Pandemic shal, everything was pushed Vic Vegas SP Kitchen & Bath, back several weeks,” Jen- Covid Safety Among nifer said. Clayton and Jennifer credit Partner For New Businesses their faith and confidence for keeping them optimistic. They also had help from business Charity Event partner Pat Gilmore and from By Zach Sparks Chartwell resident Kristy [email protected] Wallace, who is a designer for layton and Jennifer Chavis the company. had spent more than 20 Severna Park Kitchen & Bath C years as kitchen and bath and its showroom are now open designers, working up to January by appointment only. Clayton 2020 when they felt ready to leave and Jennifer are taking their their jobs to start Severna Park slogan — Dream. Design. Deliv- Kitchen & Bath in the Park Plaza er — and helping homeowners shopping center. make their vision a reality, just “A couple of weeks later, as they did for their business. it was lockdown,” Jennifer “We’re a conduit to their said. “We still had a lot of hur- dream, and it’s a journey for dles, but we really just hit the every client, finding the right By Elizabeth Spearman ground running.” fit for their budget,” Clayton elebrity Chef Vic Moea, known The first-time business owners said. “We’re not Home Depot. If as Vic Vegas, has always had initiated Zoom calls with poten- they’re looking for the cheap- C a lot on his plate, whether tial clients. Clayton delivered est price, they will find it. But he was vying for the title of Food samples to homeowners. Together most people are willing to pay Network Star or “Chopped” champi- they did anything possible to a local place to do a quality job, on. His newest endeavor will bring spread the word about Severna because they won’t find that at him to Garry’s Grill on September Park Kitchen & Bath, which was a big-box store.” »»Continued on page 16 without a showroom. The Chavis family isn’t alone “If someone is spending among first-time Anne Arundel Clayton and Jennifer Chavis started Severna Park Kitchen $30,000, they want to see our County business owners. Can- & Bath to help homeowners make their vision a reality. stuff,” Clayton said. dace Pruett, a business consul- They relied on referrals and tant with the Small Business were fortunate to have relation- Development Center, has seen Inside ships with contactors, designers, three types of people starting Community ........................................... 1-18 architects and builders from their businesses during the pandemic: Politics .................................................19-22 time at the J.F. Johnson Lumber those who are seeking self-em- Sports ..................................................23-27 Company. Still, it was tough to ployment because they are con- School & Youth .................................. 28-33 open. Everything from securing cerned about their job or because Arts & Entertainment .........................34-38 vendors to buying office chairs they see a new opportunity, Health & Fitness ................................ 39-42 Business ............................................. 43-48 became a challenge. those who are looking for a side Sherry Leikin (left) and Sue Wright formed Covid Safety, “The inspections, our fire mar- »»Continued on page 16 wanting to see schools and businesses operating again. facebook.com/severnaparkvoice @SPVoice @severnaparkvoice 2 SEPTEMBER 2020 SEVERNA PARK VOICE Publishers Margueritte Mills Dianna Lancione Volunteer Richard Brooks Creates Drive-Thru Lonnie Lancione Of The Month Food Distribution System V.P., Operations Brian Lancione By Haley Weisgerber peninsula, so it was really suitable for Unity rom the time he was 20 years old, to help with My Brother’s Pantry.” Account Executives Severna Park resident Richard Brooks Each month, one of the churches and their Larry Sells has felt that he is spiritually called to team of volunteers takes over distributing F Shannon Vitielliss serve others. and organizing food donations. In April, at Brooks is originally from Ohio, where he the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in was a member of the Church of the Brethren Maryland, Brooks and Unity by the Bay were Editor and spent a few years volunteering with the in charge. Zach Sparks Brethren Volunteer Service, a full-time vol- “April was a very interesting month,” unteer program that sends men and women said Brooks. “We were dealing with a lot of Editorial Assistant on one- to two-year assignments across the change because of the health conditions Haley Weisgerber nation and some locations across the world. and COVID.” Brooks was first assigned to a town The pantry, which is located adjacent devastated by a tornado in Mississippi, bution box in their flowerbed for people in to College Parkway Baptist Church, did Reporters and then to New Windsor, Maryland, in need. Once a week, the couple would pur- not have the appropriate space for social Emily Allgair Carroll County. chase enough food for a few people and leave distancing. Brooks’ first step was to cut the Aidann Bacolodan “Getting into that organization brought it in the distribution box. Though it is mostly regular team of about 10 volunteers to two. Bob Hough me into Maryland, and I stayed when I anonymous, Brooks has met a few people He also created a contact-free drive-thru Alyson Kay finished up my term,” said Brooks. who have told him that this small gesture system for distribution day and a safe Shelley Mahoney Brooks worked at a pump company in has impacted them in a big way. delivery system. Jane Seiss Taneytown for 39 years until he retired. When members of their church, Unity “Before the distribution, Rich and his wife Elizabeth Spearman Afterward, Brooks and his wife wanted to by the Bay in Annapolis, heard about their eliminated the normal working party and John Singleton settle down in a town that was close to a efforts, they began to donate food and even packed all grocery bags for 137 households bike trail. The Baltimore & Annapolis Trail take over distribution when Brooks and his and 346 individuals,” said My Brother’s Pan- drew them to Severna Park. wife are away. try volunteer Ken Yargus. “Rich then called Columnists Brooks’ proximity to the trail came in “The people at Unity have really helped every client who missed their food distribu- Heather Bagnall handy when his riding drew his attention to us to expand it,” said Brooks. “We now do it tion, made appointments and opened the Mary Cobbler an area in need. every second day.” pantry repeatedly to serve them. Rich also Sarah Elder “My wife and I joined Friends of Anne Unity by the Bay is one of 12 churches that served 16 emergency clients and delivered Liz League Arundel County Trails and we adopted a support My Brother’s Pantry, a food relief food and masks to several who lacked Ed Reilly flowerbed in Glen Burnie,” said Brooks. “We organization that serves the Broadneck transportation.” Dana Schallheim fixed the flowerbed up the first year and we peninsula. Brooks’ favorite thing about volunteering spent a lot of time going up there. We no- “They had not yet signed up with My with My Brother’s Pantry is meeting the Contributors ticed that there were some folks sleeping on Brother’s Pantry at that time, but they had clients and hearing their stories. Joe Bocek benches or carrying everything they owned. asked me to be the outreach coordinator, “I feel like I get a gift, just by working We just kind of thought it would be a good and one thing we looked at was helping there, from the clients,” said Brooks. Winsome Brown area to give away some food.” people in need of food,” said Brooks. “Unity To contact My Brother’s Pantry, visit www. Dr. Christine Calvert Brooks and his wife set up a food distri- of the Bay is on the edge of the Broadneck mybrotherspantry.org or call 410-757-5190. David Diggs Jason LaBarge Chuck Roydhouse Chartwell’s To Launch Little Free Library Food Pantry Photographer he Chartwell community’s first “Little share books, bring people together and create Maddy Fangio Free Library” will launch with a public communities of readers. Reopens T ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, “Reading has always been a passion of he Society of St. Vincent de September 12, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at 503 mine,” Mahaffee said. “When I was a little Paul food pantry has reopened Heavitree Lane in Severna Park (near the girl, I played ‘library’ with my younger sister at St. John the Evangelist T The Severna Park Voice is published by corner of St. Ives Drive). Severna Park resident where I would catalog books and ask her to Roman Catholic Church in Severna Susan Mahaffee and her 6-year-old son, Peter, check them out. I used the money I earned Park after a brief hiatus due to the will host the event and have invited county from my report card to buy additional books coronavirus pandemic. The organiza- council members and fire department officials that kept my little library blossoming. To this tion serves food and provides limited Family owned and operated since 1981 to attend. day, I often give books as gifts to family and financial help with utilities (cut-off The celebration will include an Anne Arun- friends and believe that now, more than ever, notice required) and eviction (if the Please send your news to: del County fire truck, story-time with give- kids should be exposed to the experience of person has been to court and has [email protected] aways, a Kona Ice truck, and kids goodie bags.