Albert Einstein said, "Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." In Crisfield, the two go hand-in-hand.
With this being Friday, it is "My Town Shoot Out" day, where several of us showcase the good things that make our towns special. We chose "people" for this week's shoot out.
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Tommy Shore is a native of Crisfield. He is a retired bank branch manager (39 years). Not only does he give freely of his time helping out with town events, he plays a 1929 bell chime organ at Asbury United Methodist Church. Tommy also plays the organ at Mt Pleasant Asbury Church, where he is a member. You can check out the church photos that I posted on last Friday's shoot out.
Tommy playing the 1929 bell chime organ.
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Jay Tawes. Around here, I need say no more. It would take a lot of blogging to describe all the great things Jay has done for Crisfield.
In short, Jay is the owner of Tawes Insurance. He is past-chairman of the fund raising committee for the Alice Byrd Tawes Nursing Home and past-chairman of Somers Cove Marina. Jay was recently named Humanitarian of Year.
Thanks, Jay! We all appreciate your endless work and your good heart. Jay is humble, so I won't embarrass him too much. Every town needs a Jay!
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Speaking of Somers Cove Marina, meet Lloyd Tyler, Executive Director of Somers Cove Marina, a beautiful marina with 515 slips.
Lloyd spent 38 years in public education before he took on the job as director at Somers Cove.
Lloyd was born on Smith Island, and is an 11th generation islander. Lloyd's bloodline goes all the way back to John Evans and John Tyler, the first two settlers on Smith Island, somewhere back in the 1600's. Lloyd has bay water running in his blood, so we are in good hands.
Ahoy, matey! When ye be bringing yer boat to our marina, be sure and sit awhile with our captain. Argggh!
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Meet Valerie Howard. She has been the director of our
Chamber of Commerce for 15 years. She keeps the wheels turning, and keeps everyone on their toes. Valerie is married to Tim Howard, the curator of the J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum. That makes them a winning team for our town!
Oh, and I think it is important to note that Val was crowned Little Miss Crustacean in 1965. Now that might not sound too fancy to some of you, but around here being named Little Miss or Miss Crustacean is just as good as being named Miss America. And no matter what year it is, Val is always our Sweetheart!
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Meet Cheeseburger. Anyone who has been to Crisfield knows all about Gordon's.
I posted Cheeseburger's photo on an earlier post, but I could not have a post about people and not include Cheeseburger. He is a fixture at Gordon's and is active in softball and other activities.
So to sum it up: Gordon's = Cheeseburger (and Kevin, who was not there). Go eat there.
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David Price, of Tull and Price Real Estate isn't just seen selling real estate, though he will gladly sell you a house when you are ready to move to our fine town.
David is a good citizen who cares about our community and stays active. I like to kid him that I see him everywhere I go. He says the same about me. See you at the next event, David.
UPDATE, June 2009: David recently passed away. He was still so young. I was going to remove him form this post but decided not to. He will forever be a part of Crisfield.
Please read my tribute to David.
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Mama Mia! A pizzeria in Crisfield? You darn tootin! We love our crabs, but you can only eat so many.
This is Billie Chandler carrying a tray of fresh made dough and hand tossing a ball of dough for one of her yummy hand-tossed pizzas. Click on the photo of that hand-toss. She's good.
Billie has been making pizzas at her restaurant, the Pizza Shoppe, for 16 years. She also runs a catering business.
Billie is a hard worker who gives back to her community in many ways.
Now, do I get a free pizza?
Seriously, when you visit Crisfield, eat lots of crabs, but check out Billie's pizza. It is really good.
This is Doris Good and Fizzy. Doris has worked for Sea Mark Marine since 1972. She is 82 years old, and I don't think I have ever not seen her at work.
Fizzy is 2 years old. When Hurricane Ernesto came through, Fizzy, a tiny kitten at the time, was caught up in a whirlpool of water, headed towards a drainpipe. His life was saved by the kind people at Sea Mark, and Fizzy is now a full-time employee, greeting everyone who comes through the door.
I wonder if he get benefits with his cat chow?
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Mike Harrison lived on Smith Island for 68 years. His wife learned how to make the famous Smith Island cakes there. She learned it from her mother who learned it form her mother who...well, you know the drill.
Here, Mike is delivering one of his wife's cakes to a customer.
Smith Island, like Crisfield, has a history steeped in religion. And almost as old as their religion are their Smith Island cakes, now the official Maryland State dessert.
I won't go into to all the details, but the cakes are made from up to 10 layers of cake. Real layers, that you bake (not from a box) one by one, not cut with a knife. The most traditional cakes are yellow cake with chocolate icing. Coconut is a favorite, but they now come in many flavors.
All you cooks out there can look up the recipe, but I doubt you could ever make a "real" Smith Island cake. If it don't come from around these parts, it's just a cake. Besides, it has to be in your blood.
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Now who could this be?
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"I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar." - Robert Brault
Sounds a little like Brault once lived in a town like Crisfield.
