Happy Mother's Day, dear readers,
If you are a mom or a grandmother, you hopefully will celebrate Sunday surrounded by loved ones. Mother's Day is the single most popular day to dine out – how about a Havre de Grace restaurant – or make long distance telephone calls. It is the third most popular holiday to send greeting cards.
Anna Jarvis, a 45-year-old Philadelphian spinster and insurance clerk, was inspired to create Mother's Day after the death of her mother. With the financial backing of Philadelphia department store tycoon John Wanamaker in 1907, Anna dedicated her life to fulfill her mother's dream of a national holiday to honor mothers everywhere. She embarked upon a seven-year speaking and letter writing campaign, culminating in a two week lobbying blitz in Washington, D.C. Thanks to Ms. Jarvis' efforts, Congress passed a joint resolution in 1914 to establish the holiday of Mother's Day, which President Woodrow Wilson signed into law.
Help Mom pick out a bouquet at the Havre de Grace Farmers Market at Washington Street and Pennington Avenue near the Havre de Grace Visitor Center, 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday. For information, phone Main Street, 410-939-1811.
Take Mom to the Arts By The Bay Gallery summer reception, May 16. "The Heat is On" 7 to 9 p.m., at 500B Warren St., 410-939-1818, 410-409-1336 or 410-939-4441. Hors d'oeuvres will be served with a cash bar of beer and wine. The featured artist is Autumn Kulaga. Gallery hours otherwise are Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. and Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m.
Buy Mom a 4th of July T-shirt on sale at the Havre de Grace Visitor Center, 450 Pennington Ave., 410-939-2100, for $8 and $9 for 2X or 3X to benefit the Havre de Grace Independence celebration. That's an inexpensive gift – but get the correct size. This year's design was created by Havre de Grace High School Senior Hugh McFarland. This year's parade is on Saturday, July 5.
Havre de Grace Cadette Girl Scout Troop 2816 will host a Mother's Day Tea on Saturday at Tidewater Marina, 100 Bourbon St., Havre de Grace, from 10 a.m. to noon or 1 to 3 p.m. The cost is $15 including tea, sandwiches and sweets. Contact smhitchings@yahoo.com or 410-939-5053.
Let Mom be the Queen of the May, as Steppingstone Farm Museum hosts Medieval Days, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., 410-939-2299. Look for a medieval encampment with fighting and fencing demonstrations, period crafts, music and dance, children's games, food, tours and more. For information, visit http://www.steppingstonemuseum.org.
Take Mom to a free lecture of the Ellsworth B. Shank lecture series, sponsored by the Susquehanna Lock House Museum, 7 p.m. at Havre de Grace City Hall, 711 Pennington Ave. on May 15, 410-939-5780. Topic is the history of the Havre de Grace Opera House and its current restoration project given by Tom Fitzpatrick. Contact lockhousemuseum@gmail.com or http://www.thelockhousemuseum.org.
Buy Mom a ticket for a guided historical walking tour of Havre de Grace, every first weekend through November, Saturdays at 10 a.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. or schedule a tour by appointment. Enjoy with Mom a leisurely 1 1/2 hour walking tour through tree-lined streets. Tickets are available at http://www.mainstreethdg.com, 410-459-3840, 410-939-0565 or hdgmainstreet@verizon.net.
Congratulations to the winners in Tuesday's city-wide elections. May you serve our community wisely.
Birthday blasts! Tom Fitzpatrick (May 10); and Jane Kirkendall (May 15). Happy anniversary Chris and Renee Mentzer (May 15).
Does Mom have children in school? A fun family project awaits you at the Havre de Grace Visitor Center. The Havre de Grace Historic Preservation Commission has a quiz for students in kindergarten to fifth grades and sixth to 12th grades to win an oval sticker "I walked the Lafayette Trail." Quiz copies are at the visitor center ($15).
Does Mom love gardens? Buy tickets for the Havre de Grace Secret Garden Tour, May 17, noon to 5 p.m., sponsored by the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum. Accompany Mom through lovely gardens both large and small in historic Havre de Grace. For tickets, contact 410-939-4800, directorhdgmm@gmail.com, http://www.hdgmaritimemuseum.org, 410-652-9757 or gardensdegrace@hotmail.com.
In conjunction with the garden tour, a garden mart of plants, herbs, artisans, tools and exhibitors will be held at the Maritime Museum from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., rain or shine, sponsored by the Gardens de Grace Club of Havre de Grace. Thanks, Ellen Eltgroth.
The Havre de Grace Community Yard Sale of April 26 (#12) enjoyed a gorgeous spring day with more than 50 households participating and several downtown Havre de Grace businesses. If you did not join the yard sale, you missed a tremendous opportunity with lots of shoppers. Plan for our next Havre de Grace community-wide yard sale Sept. 20 (raindate Sept. 21). And don't tell me I didn't inform you, either!
Grace Place Serving Center will serve a free, hot meal at St. John's Episcopal Church, 114 N. Union Ave. in Havre de Grace, May 13 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Phone 410-939-2107 for details. Volunteers will serve the luncheon to anyone in need who enters.
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My postman wanted you to know that Saturday is the postal employees' annual food drive to assist Havre de Grace Place Serving Center. Leave non-perishable food items at your mailbox or give them to your postal carrier.
Grace Place served 285 meals in March by 83 volunteers at area churches: First Christian; Havre de Grace Presbyterian; Level area Methodist; Havre de Grace United Methodist; St. Patrick's Catholic; St. John's Episcopal; St. James AME; First Baptist; Grace Reformed Episcopal. Thank you churches and volunteers for serving the Havre de Grace community well.
Every second and third Saturday of the month, the Joseph L. David Post 47 American Legion, 501 St. John St., sells pit beef ($7), pit ham ($6) and rotisserie chicken ($5) from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Elaine Hirsch informed me that Zoe Weil, a humane educator, will give a community presentation at Havre de Grace High School, 700 Congress Ave., 6:30 p.m. for the PTSA, 410-939-2237 http://www.humaneeducation.org. Weil teaches educators to instruct students to be kind to animals and the planet.
May 10 is National Train Day.
As more than 80 to 100 trains a day pass through Havre de Grace, remember Saturday is a big hoopla in Utah. On May 10, 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed at Promontory Point outside Salt Lake City. Considered one of the greatest American technological feats of the 19th century, the rails connected the Atlantic and Pacific coasts for the fist time. The prodigious labor was largely provided by Civil War army veterans and Irish and Chinese immigrants.
"Choo-choo" the next time a train crosses the Susquehanna Bridges and keep me informed at 410-939-6562 or 226 No. Union Ave. See ya!