2024

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!

I believe we’ve run out of superlatives to describe how hot it’s been this summer.

“It’s really hot!”
“It’s a real scorcher!”
“My sweat’s been sweating!”
“It’s hot as Hades!”
“Mother nature is hammered!”

Those phrases have worked in the past but they simply don’t cut it anymore. BWI hit 104 yesterday. That’s like Death Valley hot. Although, humidity there barely crests 20% so, they don’t have a thing on us. Capers, we’re in this sweat box together, let’s embrace it but reminisce about times when it was cooler out. Like the beginning of June and the Strawberry Festival. Jerome, in his Presidential Perspective message, discusses how amazing that event truly was. Was it the biggest ever? You’ll need to read to find out. He also provides some great “swimming near boat piers” advice and gives more gratitude to the many volunteers of Cape St. Claire.

Frank Tewey, in his Town Manager message, also thanks the many members of the Strawberry Festival Committee and the hard work they do every year. Reminder that the Quarterly Membership Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday July 23rd at 7:30pm.

In community news, Goshen Farm has their next Summer Concert on July 26th from 6:30 – 8:30pm. In addition, their Wine Down At the Farm event will be held on Sunday August 18th from 4-7pm. More details on these great events can be found in this month’s Caper.

Cape St. Claire Garden Club has added 18 new members in the past 2 years. It’s a growing club that thanks you for everyone’s support over the years. Check out this month’s Caper for more information.

Cape Conservation Corps has another outstanding article discussing “Lessons Learned by a Garden Advisor” which offers a ton of great information about creating your best yard.

The best part about the online edition of the Caper?? COLOR PHOTOS! In this issue is the Strawberry Festival 2024 and July 4th 2024 recap photo collages. Amazing displays from our amazing community.

Hey photo nerds! Now if your time to enter this year’s Calendar Photo Contest. See this month’s Caper for information on how to enter to get your photo featured in the 2025 calendar.

Stay cool, Capers. See you around the Cape!

“Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” – By Sherry Anderson

Volunteering can be a rewarding experience… I look back on my Cape St. Claire Improvement Association volunteering mostly fondly and sometimes I break out into a cold sweat at some of the shenanigans we had to deal with (pier anyone?). No one reads these posts of mine to listen to me talk about things I have or haven’t done of course but Jerome, in his Presidential message, started it. His overall point, as usual, is a good one. So many in Cape St. Claire simply don’t know what it takes to make this community operate. Most visit the shopping center not realizing that CSCIA owns the parking lot. Many visit Cape Pool and don’t realize that CSCIA owns the land the pool is on. The beaches and marinas, of course.. most don’t realize that yeah, CSCIA owns them too. It takes a village to run a town and although CSCIA and the board members of, never ask for the recognition, it would be nice if every once in a while, they heard a thank you. <sigh> Well, such is the life of volunteers anyway. At the next board meeting, I propose that February 30th of every year will be Cape St. Claire Volunteer Recognition Day! Who’s with me?!?

Frank Tewey, the Town Manager, in his message, congratulates all of the graduates from high school, trade school, colleges and universities! Silver parking stickers have been issued and are now in effect. Please make sure you have them affixed to your vehicles. More details in his message.

In community news, the Strawberry Festival, held on Saturday June 1st was amazing. The weather was spectacular, Mary Lamb and the Strawberry Festival organization put on another great show. Thanks to all who volunteered! (See what I did there?)

Goshen Farm is giving away 2 Lifetime Daylight 8 foot kayaks at just $5 per ticket. Winners will be announced at their next upcoming Summer Concert on June 14th at 6:30pm. Free! Two bands will be participating – Acousticafe & 21012 Band. What’s stopping you? In addition, Cape JOM Sound Team will be hosting an Open Mic summer series at Goshen Farm. Sign ups open at 5:15pm and the music starts at 6pm. June 7th and July 19th are the first two.

Cape Garden Club will be taking a bus trip on Saturday June 8th from 8am to 6pm to Chanticleer & Stoneleigh Gardens. July & August will be their summer break. Over the past 2 years, the Garden Club has had 18 new members sign up! Congrats! More details and colorful writeup with pictures can be found in this month’s Caper.

Cape Conservation Corps spent their May 4th planting over 1000 native plan landscape plugs at Little Magothy Beach park. Coming up tomorrow, they will be doing a Habitat Hero Tour of the last three winners. Come and see what makes their yards a HEALTHY HABITAT.

Don’t forget to get ready for the Cape St. Claire 4th of July Celebration coming up on, errr, the 4th of July. There will be a parade, starting in the same location as the Strawberry Festival. More details and the entry forms can be found in this month’s Caper.

Lastly, 2024 Cape Clean-up will be in Wednesday June 12th, Thursday June 13th and Friday June 14th at the corner of Broadview and Cape St. Claire Road. Check out details in this month’s Caper for what you can or cannot bring!

See you around the Cape!

“Every one of us has the ability to raise awareness, volunteer, educate our friends and family, and give back to our communities.” ~Matt Barnes

I’ll cut to the chase. In this month’s Caper, Jerome’s Presidential message is topical for us all this month. He shows off his prowess not only with running the Cape during his very first Presidential year but also his ability to dazzle us with his prose. I won’t spoil it, I only ask that you read it.

Don’t forget that Primary Election Day is coming up at the Clubhouse on May 14th and the Fire Department’s Touch-A-Truck is at the clubhouse fields on May 11th. For those that haven’t marked their calendars, the Strawberry Festival will be held on June 1st. Please be sure to review the rest of his message for more details.

Frank Tewey, Town Manager for Cape St. Claire, wants to make sure you now have your SILVER sticker attached to your car. Did you pay your fees? Beach Attendants will begin duties in May so be sure to be on the look out for them and say hi! Be respectful as always fellow Capers.

In community news, Goshen Farm is starting their summer concerts on June 14. Their lineup features local talent with two bands performing each night from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Want to sponsor an event? They are always looking for corporate sponsors to help raise funds. For $50, you can get your logo and company information features on their website, social media and newsletter. More details in this month’s Caper.

The Garden Club is in their prime time of the year. April kicked off the Yard of the Month judging, I’m sure you’ve noticed the signs while driving around the Cape. Their Annual Plant Sale will be held at the clubhouse field on Saturday May 18th, from 8am to 2pm. See more details on their website: https://capegardenclub.wordpress.com

Cape Conservation Corps is launching 2 learning libraries this summer. One will be on the trails at the Little Magothy Beach and the other one on the trail at the Serene Ravine. What is a Learning Library? It’s a place to learn about the native and invasive species in our community. It will have information suited to many levels, including kids. These Learning Libraries are all thanks in part to Rebecca Sawyer, who is doing her 10th year of Girl Scouts. Thank you!

This Caper issue is also known for its Strawberry Festival coverage. Check out the listing of the Berry bus stops, as well as all of the required entry forms. They start on Page 17.

See you around the Cape!

I took a look outside, read the weather report for the next 5 days and cried a little. It’s April right? Big snow storm coming to New England? Like, didn’t winter have its chance, it dropped the ball and now it’s too late? To try to confirm my suspicious that Mother Nature is crazy, I asked ChatGPT, the big AI these days, “What should the weather in Maryland be like at this time of year?”, it gave me this response:

“In April, the weather in Maryland typically begins to transition from cool to mild temperatures as spring progresses. Daytime temperatures typically range from the upper 50s to mid-60s Fahrenheit (around 15-20 degrees Celsius), although warmer days are not uncommon, reaching into the 70s Fahrenheit (20s Celsius) as the month progresses.” ~ChatGPT

That’s pretty inconclusive. As we all mourn the loss of the Key Bridge (for now), we are also mourning the loss of sunshine and warmer temperatures (also for now). Jerome, the head of the CSCIA show, doesn’t think so though as his President’s Perspective message in this month’s Caper is optimistic with our current spring thaw… sorry, boss, I’m not feeling it. He also talks about the BMX track feasibility study at Bay Head Park. Could it happen? No way of knowing. Jerome links to the study but I’ll help out by adding it here for ya’ll.

In the Town Manager’s message, Frank Tewey talks about checking your speeds while driving around the Cape and also is open to recruit from Beach Attendants for the upcoming summer season. More details can be found in his message.

In community news, Goshen is having their Spring Open House on Saturday April 13th from 10am to 2pm. Explore the wonders of the last Colonial-era farm on the Broadneck Peninsula at 1420 Cape St. Claire Road, Annapolis, 21409. Admission and parking are FREE. Don’t miss out! More details in the Caper!

The Cape St. Claire Garden Club will be kicking off their Yard of the Month, this month so make sure, once everything dries out, to get your yards in tip top shape! Also, online pre-orders begin on April 5th for their PLANT SALE. This yearly sale will be held on Saturday May 18th, from 8am – 2pm. Please visit capegardenclub.wordpress.com for more details and check out details in this month’s Caper!

Escape through the Cape 5K & 1 mile fun run will be held on Saturday April 20th, 2024. Registration is open. Check out https://cscpto.org/escapecape for more details OR this month’s Caper! Also, Sunday April 14th from 10am to 2pm is the Cape Community Swap, more details on this event are in the Caper.

Cape Conservation Corps talks about their 2023 Habitat Hero Award Winners and on April 6th from 9 to noon they will meet at the parking lot across from Graul’s and do Project Clean Stream. Check out their website for more details.

DON’T FORGET TO MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR Saturday June 1st for the Cape St. Claire Strawberry Festival. All the details and sign up forms can be found on their website or in this month’s Caper. Hopefully by June, winter will have finally gone away. 😉

See you around the Cape!

Every year, I’m always amused at those folks I refer to as the Wint-iners. (Take the word Winter and merge it with Whiners) “Oh it’s so cold!” “All this snow!” In another deflating winter of 2023-2024, we had one real week of winter. Sure, it was cold-ish at times but we do live a good distance from the equator and it is Maryland. Spring will be here before you know it though, tick tock, and this month’s Caper is a harbinger of warmer things to come. The Wint-iners will grow quiet as the heat from Mom Nature growers warmer.

In this month’s Caper, Jerome sounds off about Winter and begins to get us all excited about the spring season to come. He welcomes our new Cape Recognized Organization: Cape Vibes. The group consists of 97% Cape residents of all ages and musical abilities gathering to play music. We’re thrilled to have them. Jerome also mentions a ton of important upcoming Cape dates so be sure to check them out.

Frank Tewey, the Town Manager reminds everyone that TODAY IS THE DAY that the yellow maintenance cards are due. $10 … did you pay yours yet? They are hiring for beach attendants for the 2024 season. Applicants must be 14 years of age or older and be available throughout the summer including weekends and holidays. For more information about this great opportunity, check out this month’s Caper.

In community news, Goshen Farm will eb hosting their first Java & Jazz/Tea & Tunes on Sunday March 10th from 3pm to 5pm at Goshen Farm. Don’t miss this great opportunity! Cape St. Claire Garden Club will be celebrating the 49th anniversary of the Club’s founding with a potluck dinner and a “Taste of Afghanistan”. Make sure you mark your calendars for the plant sale on Saturday May 18th from 8am to 2pm in the clubhouse field.

Escape the Cape 5K & 1 mile run will be held on Saturday April 20th… registration information is in this month’s Caper. Cape Conversation, err, I mean in Cape Conservation news, it’s that time of year to become a member for the bargain price of $20 a year. In addition to membership, they also have a Corporate Sponsorship program for local businesses. CCC is offering their first ever scholarship for a graduating BHS student looking to pursue an environmental degree. More information about all of these great programs can be found in this month’s Caper.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR JUNE 1st 2024 @ 10am – 6pm – STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL. For those that know, you know. If you don’t, you will. Be there.

Also mark your calendars for March 23rd, 2024 at the main beach @ 11am for the Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Tickets can still be obtained at Whimsicality in the CSC Shopping Center during regular business hours. More information on this can be found in the Caper. The upcoming Cape Community Swap will be held on Sunday April 14th from 10am to 2pm.

See you around the Cape!

It’s that time of year again where everyone gets sick, we don’t want to go outside for fear that we’ll get frostbite and where some of our neighbors still won’t take their Christmas decorations down. Still, we know that deep down… spring isn’t too far away. In this month’s Caper, we’ve got a changing of the guard. Beau Breeden, the Cape’s mayor in name only, President extraordinaire has taken a backseat to Jerome Zadera (former Mr. Moneybags). Congratulations to him for taking on the challenging role of President. In his first President’s Perspective, he thanks previous President’s (including yours truly), the current board members and Frank Tewey, Leslie Coble, and Dottie Ballard. He also gives us a sweet, tear filled biography. It’s a must read. Teamwork does indeed make the dream work.

Frank Tewey, in this Town Manager message, also congratulates Jerome on becoming President and welcomes the newest board member, Adam Harris. He also provides a friendly reminder on the annual maintenance fee renewal postcards you’ve received. Fees are due by March 1st!

In community news, Escape Through the Cape 5K & 1 mile fun run is slated for Saturday April 20th. More details on page 4. Goshen Farm has their Java & Jazz/Tea & tunes event coming up on March 10th from 3pm – 5pm at Goshen Farm. Don’t miss it. The Cape Garden club has a great write up in this month’s Caper, don’t forget to mark your calendars for their Annual Plant sale on Saturday May 18th.

Cape Conservation Corps is offering their first ever College Scholarship for 2024. One graduating senior will be awarded $1,000 to pursue a degree focusing on environmental studies. More information on this great opportunity can be found on page 9.

This issue offers a GREAT 2023 Year in Review photo album. Check out a quick snapshot of all the great events that were held this year. See which pictures made the cut! Check it out on page 13-16.

Lastly, don’t forget that the Easter Bunny is coming to the Cape on Saturday March 23th on the main beach. Mark your calendars and check out more details on page 17.

Stay warm and see you (bundled up!) around the Cape!