Chamber Salutes Hometown Heroes When we think of the word "hero," we often think of people we see on television or hear about in books. However, we have many heroes right here in eastern Baltimore County. As a way to say thank you to those heroes who enable us to feel healthy and safe as we live, work and play in our community, the Chamber held our 14th annual "Salute to Hometown Heroes" on Thursday, November 18th at Eastern Yacht Club in Essex. Chaplain Christopher Otten was a wonderful Master of Ceremonies again this year, the Kenwood High School Air Force JROTC Color Guard set the respectful tone for the evening, and the Chorus of the Chesapeake performed, adding the perfect touch to the celebration. Following a delicious meal, representatives from local fire and police stations, hospitals, and the Maryland Air National Guard received award plaques from the Chamber along with citations from the Maryland State Senate and House of Delegates, the Baltimore County Executive’s office and the Baltimore County Council. They also received gifts and gift cards from local businesses. Our 2021 Hometown Heroes are: Volunteer Fire and Rescue Companies Essex: Ryan Connelly Middle River: Ryan Nawrocki Rosedale: David Niederhauser White Marsh: Nicholas Palmere Baltimore County Fire Department Essex Station 7: Whitney Sharpe Fullerton Station 8: Phillip A. Saunders Middle River Station 12: Shar Thompson-Godoy Golden Ring Station 16: Jessica Greaver Chase Station 54: Justin Parker Baltimore County Police Department White Marsh Precinct 9: Joshua A. Phipps Essex Precinct 11: Norman Thompson Maryland State Police - David Watson Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police - Andrew Brayman Community College of Baltimore County - Anthony Prabucki 175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard - Werner J. Stiegler Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center - Demetria Larkins MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center - Debbie Kisner Citizen Hero - Jeffrey Dorsey We wish to sincerely thank these individuals for their dedication and service to our community. We also wish to thank our generous sponsors, whose support made this event possible: Titanium Sponsor - Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Gold Sponsors The Berkleigh/Arbors at Baltimore Crossroads Community College of Baltimore County L2 Defense, Inc. Silver Sponsors Broadway Services Cliff’s Hi-Tech Auto Body Shop Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLP Bronze Sponsors Bafitis & Associates, Inc. Chick-fil-A Eastpoint Eastpoint Mall Hendersen-Webb, Inc. Rotary Club of Middle River The Romadka Family Partnership Two Guys Grill & Pub WPM Real Estate Management Chamber Foundation Sponsor Greenleigh In addition, a huge thank you goes to the members of the Hometown Heroes Committee, who worked diligently for months to pull this event together: Bill Bafitis, Kayla Belcher, Roberta Eyring, Sharon Kihn, Maya Lennon and Lynn Richardson. For more information or to get involved in next year’s program, contact Sharon Kihn at the Chamber office, 443-317-8763, info@chesapeakechamber.org. | ![]() Secret Santa Makes HUGE Delivery for Local Students For over 20 years, the Chesapeake Gateway Chamber of Commerce has worked with very generous Secret Santas and their Christmas Angels to provide holiday gifts to hundreds of students in eastern Baltimore County. Again this year the need was significant. Individually wrapped and labeled gifts were given to over 125 students from approximately 20 local schools. These students were identified by their school counselors, and lists were developed to ensure that students received the gifts they wanted and needed. Huge bags of wrapped presents for each and every child were delivered to the Chamber office and unloaded with the assistance of the Chamber’s Workforce Development Committee and the Maryland Air National Guard 175th Wing. School counselors picked up the gifts and delivered them to the students’ homes or arranged for pick-up. We wish to thank our Secret Santas, the Christmas Angels, MANG 175th Wing and the other local companies and private donors who make this program a success. Your continued kindness and generosity ensures that these children have a very Merry Christmas. We also want to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2022.
In March, the Eastern Baltimore County Task Force invited community and business leaders, artists and representatives from Baltimore County's Department of Planning to participate in an Essex Landmark Sculpture Work Group. After a group discussion, which included the results of the 2018 Essex Day survey, the decision was made to retire the Cube and donate it to the Heritage Society of Essex & Middle River for display in the museum. The new sculpture will have four illuminated sides reflecting waterfront life and the past, present and future of Essex. Below is a sample to give you an idea of what this sculpture might look like. The Work Group has just released a Call for Artists, with an honorarium of $1,200 to be awarded across winning selections. All participants will be honored in a curated show installed at the Heritage Society. The Chamber would like to thank the following individuals for serving on the Work Group: Deirdre Aikin - Chair/Program Manager, Leah Biddinger, Lisa Harlow, Laurie Hay, Jessie Hillman, Sharon Kihn, Marta Kulchytska, George Lang, Cliff O'Connell, Bob Romadka, and Sam Weaver. We also wish to thank Maryland sculptor and fabricator Tim Scofield for lending his talents to the project. Have you looked at your utility bill lately? Are you concerned about how much you are spending? To learn more about the Chamber's energy purchasing cooperative simply watch the short video below. Chamber members can click here for additional information. If you have any questions or require additional details, please contact Joe Tabeling with CQI Associates at joe@cqiassociates.com or 443-472-3870. |
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