Harriet Tubman Day celebrations set for March 10
The State of Maryland has declared March 10 as Harriet Tubman Day and several events are planned to celebrate it in Dorchester County where she was born. The Harriet Tubman Organization and African American Tourism Council of Maryland will present the 4th Annual Harriet Tubman Day celebration that day. A dinner is also planned for that Saturday, March 13, 2004.
Five are honored at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Banquet
UMES President speaks; over 1,200 attend.
The 19th Annual Celebration in commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr. held at the Wicomico youth & Civic Center in Salisbury on January 19, 1004 attracted over 1,200 participants to the evening banquet. The event is sponsored by the Tri-County Organizations Coalition, Inc. with youth talents being displayed there that morning by the Salisbury High School Association. The keynote speaker for the banquet was Dr. Thelma B. Thompson, president of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
This year's Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards were presented at the banquet to Elder Samuel A. Briscoe, Sr. for Dorchester County, Vernon A. Hope for Somerset County, Mrs. Mary Ashanti for Wicomico County, Gary L. Mumford for Worcester County; and Trina Tilghman for the first time Youth Award.
Berlin, MD native becomes the National Press Club president
Sheila Cherry is the 1st African American to serve.
The first African American to serve as president of the prestigious National Press Club is Berlin, Maryland native Sheila R. Cherry. She was installed as the 97th president last December. One of five daughters and eight children of Amanda Cherry and the late Preston Cherry, Sheila is a 1977 graduate of Stephen Decatur High School in Berlin. She intended to become a parole officer when she enrolled at the University of Maryland, College Park but switched to marketing and merchandizing. After earning her bachelor's degree there, she worked in high-end fashion retail sales for a while. A freelance writer for ten years, Cherry joined the Press Club in 1994. She has a Master's of Fine Arts Degree in writing from Johns Hopkins U. now and continues to freelance with magazines and newspapers. Cherry still maintains a home in Berlin and credits much of her success to her growing up on the Eastern Shore.
Roberts to be Wor-Wic CC spring graduation speaker
William R. Roberts of Chevy Chase, Md., president of Verizon Maryland, will address the 2004 Wor-Wic Community College graduates at the college's 27th commencement exercises on Tuesday, May 11, at 7 p.m., at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center in Salisbury. Roberts was born and raised in Talbot County. He graduated from Morgan State University and attended graduate school at Howard University and Eastern Michigan University. He was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore last year.
Washington Afro-American Editor Talibah Chikwendu a Cambridge, MD native
By W.C. Emeka Obiozor, AA Pride Feature Writer
Cambridge native, Talibah Chikwendu, is editor of the Washington Afro American Newspaper. She assumed the prestig-ious position last June. Chikwendu joined the Afro American company in 1997 as editor of the Baltimore edition and was later Special Publications Editor. The daughter of Gloria Wise Cornish & William Cornish, she was a writer and assistant editor for The Daily Banner in Cambridge.
Born in Cambridge, Dorchester County, Maryland during the turmoil of the 1960s, Chikwendu was educated in Dorchester County public schools and attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Stella G. Ennals - From A Major Stroke to Major Success
WC. Emeka Obiozor, reporter
The Unsung Heroine for this issue is Stella G. Ennals of Cambridge, Maryland. She suffered a debilitating stroke five years ago and has made a comeback that she is using to inspire the world. Since that tragic day in her life, Ennals is making a recovery that amazes doctors, authored an inspiring book about her experience, and invented a convenience tray to help others who need to use a walker.
Ennals' new book titled: 'From A Major Stroke to A Major Success', is to send a message to others that it is possible to suffer a major stroke and come back from paralysis, loss of speech and other physical problems a stroke can cause, to live a productive life. The book has positive suggestions on how to fight back from major catastrophes you may have in life. It also contained memories of the author's childhood and life experiences, as well as information about her invention.
32 are inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame
The University inducted 32 former athletes, including the entire 1974 N.I.T.-participating men's basketball team, into its Athletics Hall of Fame as part of its homecoming celebration weekend. The induction ceremony took place Friday, February 20th as part of a banquet at the Student Services Center. A special halftime ceremony during the men's basketball game Saturday afternoon also honored the new class.
The 1974 UMES men's basketball team was the first historically black college or university to play in the N.I.T. Below is a list of the thirty-two new Hall of Fame inductees:
Charles Bryant - N.I.T Basketball Team
Jack Bryan - Basketball
Granville Cannon - N.I.T. Basketball Team
Michael Casey-N.I.T. Basketball Team
Rubin Collins-N.I.T. Basketball Team
Ian Dailey - Track
Leslie Shakey Donaldson - Football
Ralph Esquillen - Football
Alan Faulks - Basketball
Anthony Ferguson - N.I.T. Basketball
Doug Goodwin - Football
Billy Gordon - N.I.T. Basketball
Kim Hall - Baseball/Basketball
Kirkland Hall - Baseball/Basketball
Gordon Harris (deceased) - Football/Basketball
Tyrone Johnson (deceased) - N.I.T. Basketball Team
James LeSane - Football
Howard Lindsay - Track
Rodney Massey - N.I.T. Basketball Team
Frank Mowery - Basketball
Ernie Neal - N.I.T. Basketball Team
Tommy Nelson (deceased) - N.I.T. Basketball Team
Joe Pace - N.I.T. Basketball Team
Robin Petitt - Softball
Cedric Roane - N.I.T. Basketball Team
Paul Shuford - Football
Kenny Simmons - Basketball
Talvin Skinner - N.I.T. Basketball Team
Ira Dude Smith - Baseball
Leslie Stanton - Basketball
Willie Vanderhorst - N.I.T. Basketball Team
Jesse Williams - Basketball
Aaron Deal Named VFW and Auxiliary Teacher of the Year
Maryland State Teacher of the Year Aaron Deal of Salisbury keeps earning accolades. He is now Teacher of the Year for the State of Maryland Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and its Ladies Auxiliary. Deal is sponsored by Wicomico Memorial VFW Post #10159 and its Ladies Auxiliary in Salisbury. He will compete for National VFW Teacher of the Year against 49 other VFW State Teacher of the Year winners.
A ceremony, held at the local post on February 8th, honored the Salisbury Middle School teacher with presentations from VFW Post #10159, District #16, and State officials. The Teacher of the Year Chairman for the Post is Thomas V. Kimball, Jr.
