Author: cscia

Well… March did what March always does—gave us just enough nice days to make us believe spring is here, followed immediately by weather that says, “absolutely not.” Between the snow, sleet, and the annual Cape-wide debate of “Do I put the snow shovel away or not?”, it’s safe to say March kept things interesting. Despite Mother Nature’s identity crisis, the community didn’t slow down much (we never really do). Behind the scenes—and sometimes very much in front of them—the gears of community kept turning.

In Thor’s Presidential message, he reminds everyone about the upcoming CSCIA Quarterly Meeting being held on April 28th at 7:30pm at the clubhouse. At the meeting, the board will be discussing the Restoration Project concepts first introduced at the March 5th presentation. The restoration work being discussed is part of a long term effort to improve shoreline stability, environmental resilience, and stormwater management across several important locations in the Cape. He also begins his new segment in his message called Volunteer Spotlight. Volunteers are the backbone of the community and Thor plans on celebrating monthly those who contribute the quietest. This month he talks about Jimmy Lamb and highlights everything he does for the community on page 11.

The Town Manager’s message also reminds us about the upcoming meeting in April and also mentions those 2026 Maintenance fees that were due in March. Expect those passes to be mailed soon so keep an eye on those mailboxes.

In community news, the Garden Club is in the process of driving around and picking this year’s first winner of YARD OF THE MONTH. Also, starting on April 1st, you can start to pre-order trees, shrubs, and hanging baskets online at their store. They will also have blueberries, hydrangeas, gardenias …. whew… the list goes on and on. In addition they have t-shirt and sticker designs for you to purchase as well. Mark your calendar for their Annual Plant Sale coming on Saturday May 2nd from 8am to 2pm at the clubhouse field. More information on the Garden’s Club’s very busy April and May can be found on page 6 & 7.

Cape Conservation Corps has a jam packed schedule coming up. On April 1st they have an open house from 6-7pm and a raptor speaker event from 7-8pm at the clubhouse. April 22nd from 5-9pm is their Broadneck Grill fundraiser where 10% will go to CCC. On May 2nd from 9am – 12pm is their Free Native Shrub swap pickup… see details on page 8 for more details. On page 9, CCC has their Application for College Scholarship where they are offering one $1,000 scholarship for the school year

Not to be outdone, Goshen Farm is hosting monthly classes – in April, they are doing Hoop House & Hydroponics on Saturday April 11th, from 10am – 11:30am. In addition, on May 2nd from 10am to 2pm, they are hosting BHS Family day at Goshen Farm. See page 10 for more details.

BOOM – it’s that time of year!!! The Cape St. Claire Strawberry Festival will be held on June 6th 2026. If you’ve never experienced this great event, now is your chance. Check out page 12 or their website for all of the details on this annual community tradition. Page 15 has the signup form you will need to enter yourself in the parade so be sure to grab that if you’re interested.

Let’s get out there and enjoy the weather – enjoy the community and each other. Happy Spring time everyone. See you around the Cape.

I am all for a great snowstorm – ask anyone around the Cape who knows me but I can’t get behind this icy sleet bomb on top of that great snow that we’ve been dealing with. Then, factor in temperatures that are almost absurdly low for these parts and it’s been quite a week. While the roads were tricky, a big thank you to the plows for getting us dug out—at least as best as I think we can expect – that ice is like concrete. As our new President Adam “Thor” Harris notes, the storm certainly created some challenges, but it also gave us a chance to see the Cape’s resilience in action.

Speaking of our new President, a big welcome to Adam “Thor” Harris! In his first message, he shares his vision of stewardship—preserving what makes the Cape special while planning for the future. He also gives a well-deserved thank you to Jerome Zadera for his steady leadership over the last two years and to Cheri Fairchild for her nine years of service on the Board. You can read his full message on page 1. Note that the next Quarterly Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28th at 7:30 PM.

Before we move on, we have to give a huge thanks to Jerome Zedara who has spent the last 2 years dedicating his time and energy as President of CSCIA. We owe him great thanks – “Thank you, Jerome.” – it’s a hard job and can often times (ok, mostly) be thankless.

Town Manager Frank Tewey has an important alert for everyone: Keep an eye out for the YELLOW maintenance fee postcards in your mail. These fees are due by March 1st, so please don’t lose that card!. If you need parking stickers or guest passes, you must fill out the vehicle info on the postcard. Frank also shares some great news about the Deep Creek pier project, which is nearing completion. Check out all the office details on page 3.

In Community News, our local organizations are hitting the ground running for 2026:

• Garden Club: They are hosting a talk on Pest Management on Feb. 3rd and celebrating their 51st Anniversary Dinner on March 3rd. See page 6 for more.
• Goshen Farm: Join them for a Genealogy Class on Feb. 28th and a special Black History Month event at the Severna Park Library on Feb. 7th. Full details are on page 7.
• Cape Conservation Corps: They are offering a “First Flowers in a Box” sale, featuring hard-to-find spring ephemerals to support early pollinators. Order info is on pages 8 & 9.

We also have a “Year in Review” photo spread on pages 12–14 that captures some great memories from the past year. Finally, mark your calendars for the 1st Annual Lillian Wilkinson-Mali Memorial Bingo on March 8th—proceeds go to a great cause!. You can find the flyer on page 19.

Happy reading, and stay warm!

December has come roaring in with cold temps and even a little bit of snow. I love it. It’s rare around here to get the white flakes this early, never take ’em for granted. The other good thing about December is the usual holiday madness. I for one am a Christmas nut – decorations galore, the smell of pine throughout my home and car, and the good times with friends and family. Sure it’s hectic at times but I truly wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s time to get reflexive. In his final Presidential message, Jerome waxes poetic about the time he has spent as our fearless leader over the last 2 years. Cape rules dictate that he cannot serve more than 2 years in a row and so he must relinquish the spot to someone else. We thank him for his service to this great community. YOU should thank him too, he’s earned it, as someone who knows, it’s not an easy gig. Thank you, Jerome.

Frank reminds everyone that the annual maintenance fee renewal postcards will be mailed out in late December. Keep an eye on your mailbox for the yellow postcard. The maintenance fees are due March 1st. The next Annual Membership Meeting is set for January 13, 2026 at 7:30pm. Don’t miss it! Ballots for voting are available in this Caper. See page 14.

In Community News, the Garden Club’s first meeting will be Tuesday, January 27th. More information on their events for 2026 can be found on page 6.

Goshen Farm wishes everyone a Happy Holidays and wants to remind everyone that their 2026 Membership meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 21st 2026 at 7:30 at the Cape St. Claire Clubhouse and online. Voting will be help online from January 1st through the 20th. More details can be found on page 7.

Cape Conservation Corps gives a great 2025 in review which is loaded with great information. There are too many things to list here – it wouldn’t do it justice anyway. Make sure you visit page 8 & 9 to get up to speed.

Page 14-17 contain the budget and biographies of those running to continue to serve on the board in 2026 and onward. Make sure you read about the financial direction of CSCIA and the biographies of those who will serve again.

This issue is always packed with goodies and this one is no different. We announced the winner of the Calendar Photo contest, there’s a history of the candy cane and a great word search and a great announcement of our newest Eagle Scout. Don’t miss it!

See you around the Cape and Happy Holidays to all of you.

Time to close the books on another amazing Halloween season. I posted on Facebook recently about how amazing it was simply driving around the Cape and experiencing the creativity. It’s truly amazing what folks have come up with for Halloween decorations. Scary – clever? All of the above. Let’s hope 2026 is even better!

Now that the new Caper has arrived, let’s dig into it. As usual, Jerome sets us up nicely with his Presidential Perspective. As we approach the holidays, we also approach the season of giving back. He offers some good ideas on how to do that. Also, keep in mind that pier repairs are underway at Deep Creek, so please be mindful of the workers and equipment in the area. There will also be some dredging activity going on at Little Magothy. There are a lot of residents who have an increase in desire to volunteer in the community. BRING IT ON!

In Frank’s Town Manager message, he reminds everyone that the November Caper is always filled to the brim with financials and budgets. This year is no different. Don’t forget to review the budget and be prepared to vote at the January General Membership Meeting on January 13th, 2026. The annual tree lighting is scheduled for Sunday, November 30th at 6pm so mark your calendars. More from Frank can be found on page 3.

The budget for 2027 is on page 6 & 7 so feel free to skip ahead!

In community news, Cape St. Claire Garden Club is teaming up with Annapolis Horticulture Society to welcome Karl Gercens, Conservatory Manager of Longwood Gardens to speak on The How of Wow on Tuesday November 4th. YES! Tomorrow night! In addition, their annual tradition of Evergreen Wreath workshop will be held on an amazing day, Tuesday December 2nd.

Goshen Farm gives a huge shoutout to their 2025 sponsors on page 9. Cape Conservation Corps is hosting their free speaker event on November 7th from 6-8:30pm at the clubhouse. Be prepared to hear from Joan Maloof to discuss “How to recognize old growth forests and how to keep them standing.” There’s also an auction. Check out page 10 for more details!

The holidays are coming, this is the November issue and so what does that mean? YUP – the sign up forms for Breakfast with Santa coming on Saturday December 13th from 8:30 – 10:30 am. Get your signups in early because these seats go quickly. Get all the information you need on page 18.

The holidays are coming!!! See you around the Cape.

Mother nature seems stuck. While the next few mornings will give us that cool Fall air, the daytimes will remain gorgeous and coat-less. I suppose I’m for it but now that it’s October, I like those chilly reminders that the season is changing. Will the leaves take note? Nothing beats driving down College Parkway in the fall with the orange and yellows. It’s spectacular.

With fall, comes the fall activities us Capers all love and enjoy. Before we get to those, Jerome waxes poetic again. Who knew our fearless leader was so adept with his pen? In his message, he asks everyone to take a moment and remember Fred Graul who passed away in August. Fred and his family have been a staple of the Cape St. Claire Community for almost 70 days. We were all sad to hear of his passing. He also takes a moment to remind everyone that with the beautiful temperatures and Halloween approaching, the roads are filled with the squeals and delights from the little ones. Be diligent and SLOW DOWN when out and about on the roads.

Don’t forget, the Board is always looking for nominations for future leaders to serve the community. To get your feet wet on what that process looks like, the October Quarterly meeting is on the 28th at 7:30pm at the Clubhouse.

In Community News, the Garden Club is hosting their first ever Pumpkin Centerpiece workshop on Tuesday October 7th. All guests are welcome! Also, on Sunday October 19th at 6pm, they will celebrate another year’s harvest with their Yard of the Month winners at the Annual Dinner Potluck. You can find more details on page 6.

It was a great summer for Goshen Farm with over 14 musicians attending their Summer Concert series. The next Goshen Goodies sale will be held on Saturday November 29th from 10am to 2pm at Goshen Farm.

Cape Conservation Corps will be hosting their Fall Planting Day at Little Magothy Beach Park from 9-3pm and on October 25th will be mulching the path at the Serene Ravine – 1038 Lake Claire Drive.

Don’t miss the Community Swap which will be held on Sunday October 12th from 10am – 2pm at the Cape Clubhouse field. Details on what you can bring are on page 14.

And then … BOOM – Halloween Happenings will be held on Saturday October 18th from 10am to 3pm. Admission to the event is $6.00 per child. It’s a must do family event here in the Cape. See page 18 for details and the sign up sheet. And don’t forget that on Thursday October 23rd, 2025 they will be Trick or Treating at the Cape St. Claire Shopping Center from 5:30pm to 6:30pm (or until the candy is gone)

See you around the Cape!