Author: cscia

What a cold January. Whew. I say this as someone who frequently complains when there isn’t enough cold and snow. I leave this January pleased at nearly 3 weeks of snow cover and temps, at times, far below freezing. The current temps are Beau shorts weather, shirt optional. Speaking of shirt optional, congratulations to Jerome Zadera for his 2nd term as President of Cape St. Claire Improvement Association. Golf clap. Seriously though, I know how difficult of a job it can be. Let’s give him a resounding round of applause. During the Annual Meeting that took place on January 14th 2025, several recurring board members made it back on, namely Beau Breeden, Mary Lamb, and Joe Angel. Big congrats go to Blake Morris for volunteering to roll the sleeves up and do Cape’s work. An exciting season is ahead and the Board is laying the groundwork.

Frank Tewey, Town Manager, updates us on the new office hours (they are open until 3:30pm now). He also provides a friendly reminder about the YELLOW postcards in the mail. Dues are due March 1st!

It’s quiet season in the Cape; see my first paragraph, but that doesn’t mean that our great Community groups aren’t hard at work. Goshen Farm starts their Java & Jazz, Tea & Tunes on Sunday March 9th. Don’t forget to join them for all the great events and meaningful impact they make to the community. Details inside.

On Tuesday February 4th, the Garden Club will be enjoying a talk titled “A Cutting Garden’s Bounty; Planning for Succession” about creating a series of blooms throughout the season by garden designer Drew Asbury of Hillwood Estate Garden. On Tuesday, March 4th, they will be celebrating their 50th Anniversary with a dinner. More details in this month’s Caper.

Cape Conservations Corps is celebrating 10 years this year! Isn’t that awesome? In this month’s Caper, they announce their Habitat Hero of 2024 – it’s a surprise. Coming up on March 5th, they are having local authors, Ellan Pragar and Dave Jones at the clubhouse. Doors open at 6:30.

What would a February be without the YEAR IN REVIEW. Only in the online version do you get color photos so flip over to page 13 and soak in the memories from the past year.

For me, one of the best things about Cape St. Claire is the holiday season. Driving around the Cape and looking at the lights is a visual feast. We really know how to do it. Now that the political ads have stopped, we can finally enjoy the holidays. Jerome sets things straight after a politically divided election cycle. “Even though our views differ, those differences are what make us stronger.” Well said, Jerome. Is his Presidential message, Jerome also discusses the Fairwinds Marina inquiries. There are no drawings, permits, or textual amendments applied to their zoning. Let’s be mindful of others during the conversations.

Frank Tewey, the Town Manager, is giving a friendly reminder about the annual maintenance fee renewal postcards which will be mailed in late December. Those fees are due March 1st. Starting on January 2nd, the office hours will be changing to 8:30am to 3:30pm, Monday through Friday. Don’t forget about the Annual Membership Meeting on January 14th, 2025 at 7:30pm. Ballots for voting are in this Caper.

This is the yearly Caper edition famous for the budget, assessment and cap discussion. Your time to vote on it will take place at the Annual Membership meeting. See page 4 for the full details and budget for your review. The ballot is on page 7.

In community news, Goshen Farm’s annual meeting will be held on January 15th 2025 at 7:30pm at the Cape St. Claire clubhouse. To be eligible to vote, you must be a current member as of January 10th 2025. As the year comes to a close, please consider supporting the Goshen Farm Preservation Society with an end-of-year charitable donation. See their website for more details. Their first Java & Jazz will be held on Sunday January 9th from 3 to 5pm. More details in this Caper.

Cape Garden Club continues to thrive and grow and since October they have added 3 new members to bring their total to 61! On Tuesday January 7th, they will be hosting a workshop called Winter Seed-Sowing & Rock-paining and are hoping you can attend. For more details, see this month’s Caper.

Congratulations to Vicki Sanders for winning the 2025 CSC Community Calendar Photo Contest. Her picture will dominate the cover of the Cape Calendar and she received a $100 cash prize.

Cape Conservation Corps shares a wonderful write-up about leaving the trees behind as we head into winter. Don’t miss this great article.

The Holidays are their most wonderful when you spend the time with your friends and family. I hope you’re able to do that. Happy Holidays everyone. See you around the Cape.

I saw a funny Facebook short that made fun of us for how quick we jump on the Fall bandwagon. Second that we can, we hit Starbucks for the Pumpkin lattes, we throw up the Halloween decorations, close the pools, and start apple picking. Then, mother nature keeps temps warm and humid and our enthusiasm is worn by the lack of real fall weather once it actually gets here. It happens every year but I still love it. I mean, who doesn’t love those light jacket days? I do. Although, I do think that Starbucks coffee is highly overrated – I digress.

As with all things Cape, some amazing project is going on. Jerome, in his Presidential message, brings everyone up to speed on the beach projects. So much hard work has taken place down at our beaches and still so much to do. He lays out the plans for using the dredging material to help support the 1,625 linear feet of shoreline restoration and enhancement and 900 linear feet of stream restoration. In addition, there are proposed improvements to consist of a marsh area at the mouth of Lake Claire. So many details, so please be sure to read this edition of the Caper.

In Frank Tewey’s message, he gives a shoutout to all of the hard work done by Cape Conservation Corps at the Serene Ravine and Little Magothy Beach. He also provides so real pro tips on handling the leaves that are starting to drop from the trees. Should you rake ’em or leave ’em? He answers that for you.

In community news, Goshen Farm has their final open mic night coming up on Saturday October 12th.. sign ups start at 4pm. On Saturday October 19th, 2024, they are having their Harvest Pasta Dinner at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. They are also warning the community about email fraud attempts. CSCIA has also experienced this. It’s when someone is pretending to be someone else and asking for money. Please ignore. Details inside this Caper.

Community Swap will be held on Sunday October 13th from 10am to 2pm at the Cape Clubhouse field. Details on what you can bring are inside of this month’s Caper – page 7. The Cape Garden club is holding their next meeting on Tuesday October 2nd at the clubhouse where they are hosting Stormy Acres Beekeeping to talk about Basic Beekeeping 101. On October 20th, they will celebrate another happy year together at their annual Harvest Dinner Potluck.

Cape Conservation Corps will be installing a Teaching Library at Little Magothy Beach on October 5th and on the 18th and 19th, join them for their 100 Trees & Shrubs planting days. This month, Stacey Wildberger has a great write-up about Cape Conservation Corps Fight Against Invasives. A must read.

And then… boom shaka laka, with October just around the corner, Halloween Happenings will take place on October 19th from 10am to 3pm. Advanced registration IS REQUIRED but you can get them inside this month’s Caper. Lots of info here so don’t miss it. It’s on page 19.

Enjoy your pumpkin spice latte and this month’s Caper! See you around the Cape.

Ahhh, the season is changing. Pumpkin Spice Lattes have returned to Starbucks. The stores have popped way open with fall displays. Soon, the temps will cool…. the leaves will change…

Jerome, in his Presidential message, talks about the seasons changing. The first sign that they are is Back to School which started today. As we send our kiddos off for another year, it’s a good time to remind ourselves that we only borrow our kids for a short time. Don’t take that send off for granted. Jerome hopes that every school year is filled with exciting new opportunities, growth and learning, and community support. It’s a great message, so don’t miss it.

Frank Tewey, the Town Manager, thanks the Beach Ambassadors for another great season as well as the residents for their cooperation. It was another great year. He also provides great tips on getting that yard work done. Time for cleanup is coming soon!

In community news, Goshen Farm will be dedicating a tree in the Memorial Grove to Dr. E Joseph “Joe” Lamp who passed away in December of 2023. More details on his amazing life and career can be found in this issue. Goshen’s last summer concert will be held on September 6th from 6:30 – 8:30pm. The Biondi Family Band and 24 Karat will be in attendance. The Cape JOM Sound Team will also be hosting their last Open Mic summer series on September 20th. More details inside.

Cape Garden Club resumes their membership meetings on Tuesday September 3rd at the Cape Clubhouse. Want to learn more about gardening in the Cape and what their members learned this summer? This meeting is for you. 7:30pm.

Cape Conservation Corps’s announced their Habitat Hero for 2024 and it’s Jamie Wilhelm! Congrats! Feel free to visit this website to read about her journey.

Don’t forget about submitting your best photos to the 2025 calendar photo contest. For entries details, see this month’s Caper. Remember that the Cape Community Swap will be on Sunday October 13th from 10am – 2pm. Details on what you should bring are in here.

See you around the Cape!