Recorder awarded by national newspaper organization

Friday, Aug. 28, 2009

The contest evaluates entrants' work in news, features, editorials and advertising, looking at the newspaper as a whole. Judges' comments included praise for the paper's "mix of short pieces, investigative reports and brief calendar previews," which they said keep the "community educated and well-informed."

The advertising staff was also praised by judges, who said: "In these tough economic times, the sales team managed to keep the pages full of ads."

Recorder editors had to choose editions from July and November of 2008 and January of 2009. SNA does not announce which months will be qualified until a few weeks before the entries are due.

Karen Acton, publisher and president of Southern Maryland Newspapers, said the award recognizes the hard work of the staff.

"I am extremely proud of the Recorder staff and their commitment to excellence in journalism," Acton said. "We are committed to meeting the needs of our communities with informative local stories and advertising. This award shows the dedication of our staff to producing a great local newspaper each and every issue."

Chesapeake Beach to rededicate Tot Lot

Chesapeake Beach Mayor Bruce Wahl announced this week that the town will rededicate its tot lot at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30. The event will take place at the Chesapeake Beach Tot Lot, located at Kellams Field at the end of Gordon Stinnett Avenue.

"Earlier this year, the Loveless family lost their 2-year-old daughter, Megan Jade," Wahl said in a press release. "The Tot Lot, one of Megan's favorite places to play, was upgraded and enhanced through contributions from the Loveless family and their friends in memory of Megan. On behalf of the Town Council, and all the residents of Chesapeake Beach, we are pleased to accept this very generous gift from the Loveless family and invite you to join us as we rededicate our Tot Lot."

SMOCS, marine museum to deposit oysters this weekend

On Saturday, Aug. 29, Southern Maryland Oyster Cultivation Society members will get together with Calvert Marine Museum staff using the museum's boats to deposit more than 200,000 oysters on test sites in the Mill Creek Watershed. These sites will enable scientists to identify locations most likely to support the return of viable oyster communities to area creeks.

This activity is the completion of a full one-year cycle of oyster restoration. In August 2008, SMOCS set spat (young oysters) on clean oyster shells. When they were ready, SMOCS delivered the spat to members for placement under their docks in BOCSes (Buoyant Oyster Cultivation Systems: pronounced boxes). Now it's time for them to be deposited on prepared test sites to grow in a natural environment and be scientifically monitored to assess their growth and health, according to a press release.

"This milestone is particularly exciting because we are not only restoring native oysters to the local creeks where members raised them, but also because we are following the practice of putting young oysters on mounds of shells. Recent scientific observations suggest that a mound structure is likely to enhance their chances of survival," said Len Zuza, chairman of SMOCS, in the release. "We are able to take this dramatic step through the generous support of individuals and businesses in the local community — a list of supporters that continues to grow."

The Southern Maryland Oyster Cultivation Society (SMOCS) is a grass-roots, membership-driven organization dedicated to raising oysters and improving local water quality through building reefs, public outreach, and targeted advocacy.

Find out more about this community effort at www.smocs.org.