Maryland African American Pride Magazine

Recent News

From the March - April 2007 Issue

22nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration is held

The 22nd Annual Martin Luther King Birthday celebration in Salisbury concluded with another successful banquet held at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. Over 1,100 people attended the event, including Lower Shore elected officials and other dignitaries. Earlier that day, the Salisbury High School Association held its annual Youth activities at the Center. The keynote speaker for the Banquet was The Honorable Robert C. Bell, Chief Judge of Maryland's highest Court. He challenged the audience to look within themselves and commit to do more to make Dr. King's "dream" come true. We have to make changes so that others may follow. The Coalition awarded Judge Bell for his years of service to the State.

Above, Tri-Counties Organization Coalition president Jesse Ballard (c)
presents an appreciation gift to Keynote speaker Judge Robert Bell (l)
as Judge Norma Lee Barkley (r) looks on.

The 2007 Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards for community service were presented to Pastor John Cornish Sr. of Dorchester County; community activist Kirkland Hall of Somerset County; Salisbury City Councilwoman Eugenie P. Shields of Wicomico County; and Pocomoke City Councilwoman Tracey M. Cottman of Worcester County. Presenting the awards were Joseph E. Morse, Jesse Ballard, and Ronald Molock. The program was halted for a moment to surprise Dr. DeWayne Whittington and his wife by announcing his induction into the Regional F. Lewis Museum (See related article below).

John Cornish Sr.	Kirkland Hall
Eugenie P. Shields	Tracey M. Cottman

The mistress of ceremony for the evening was Ms. Marian Birkhead of UMES. The Banquet has been sponsored by the TriCounty Organizations' Coalition, Inc. since 1983. Jesse Ballard is its president.

Sharon Morris named Assistant Administration Director

Sharon A. Morris was appointed the new Assistant Director of Administration for Wicomico County on February 9, 2007 by Wicomico County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Sharon Morris Jr. "Mrs. Morris' appointment also has historical significance," said Pollitt. "She is the highest-ranking African American female to serve in the Wicomico County government (staff). While this has been a long time in coming, it is a reason for all county citizens to be proud."

The position reports to the county's Director of Administration. Frederick C. Harris had been the Acting Assistant Director while also performing his duties as Director of Purchasing. The position was vacant at the former County Council's request pending the changeover to the executive form of government.

Morris has over 21 years experience in Wicomico County's administrative offices. In that time, she has provided executive level support service management to two County Administrators and to the new County Executive. She has been the first face you see when visiting the County's administrative office. A native of Salisbury, Sharon is a graduate of Wicomico High School. Prior to joining the County she worked in the 1ocal banking industry.

Mrs. Morris has been involved in a wide range of community activities including the NAACP. A member of St. James AME Zion Church, she is a part of its leadership. The daughter of Shelvia and Delores Donohue, she resides in Salisbury with her husband, Ray A. Morris.

H. DeWayne Whittington, PhD.
Reginald F. Lewis Museum Honoree

The other Outstanding Achiever for this issue is Dr. H. DeWayne Whittington of Marion Station, in Somerset County Maryland. The retired Somerset County school super-intendent was recently honored by the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture for his history making achievement and continuous community service.

The Museum's Eastern Shore coordinator, Judy Lynn Mitchell, surprised Whittington by announcing at this year's Martin Luther King, Jr. Banquet that the Museum is inducting him into its Black History exhibit and displaying the portrait that has been painted to hang in the exhibit. Dr. Whittington is a Somerset County native who returned home after graduating from Morgan State U. and worked
his way through the same school system that he grew up in to become its first and only Black superintendent. While doing so he earned his master's degree in Education from Pennsylvania State U. and a Ph. D. degree from Nova University.

He remains active in his church community. He is a member of Shiloh United Methodist Church in Crisfield and active on several Peninsula-Delaware Conference committees. Among his many community activities, Whittington serves as chairman of the Board of Directors of SHORE UP!, Inc. and the Somerset County Commission on Aging. He is past chairman of the Board of Directors of MAC, Inc. Area Agency on Aging. He is past Basileus of the Phi Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and has been and honored as its Man of the Year.He was honored with the Fraternity's Special Service Award last November. Dr. Whittington serves on several boards and committees including the executive committee of Hudson Health Services, Inc., the Board of visitors of UMES, and the board of directors of of McCready Hospital.

He is the recipient of numerous awards for service to his fraternity and community. The primary school in Crisfield is named in his honor.

Keith Davidson becomes the new Director of UMES Athletics
The acting director becomes director

UMES President ,Dr. Thelma Thompson announced at a March 2nd press conference that Keith S. Davidson' has been named director of athletics af the University. Davidson has served as acting director of athletics at UMES since January 2006. He was associate athletic director for compliance at UMES from May 2003 until then. Davidson succeeds Nelson Townsend, who left UMES in December 2005 to become athletic director at Florida A & M University.

"Mr. Davidson was the unanimous selection of the President's Athletic Advisory Committee following a national search," said Dr. Thompson. "I am confident he will improve UMES athletics, guiding a program that will compete for championships in all sports in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)."

Davidson graduated from Lincoln (PA) University with a B.A. in history. He earned his M.A. in political science from the University of Central Oklahoma. He was coordinator of student-athlete services at the State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, from 1991-95; assistant director of student-athlete affairs at SUNY Buffalo from 1995-97; and compliance officer at Texas Southern U. from 2001-03.

UMES is a Division I member institution of the NCAA. It competes in six men's sports - baseball, basketball, cross country, indoor track, outdoor track and tennis; and eight women's sports basketball, bowling, cross country, indoor track, outdoor track, softball, tennis and volleyball.

Dr. Thompson is honored by National Black Engineer & IT magazine

UMES president Dr. Thelma B. Thompson was recognized as one of the "Most Important Blacks in Technology for 2001" at the Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) Conference in Baltimore recently. Thompson was cited along with 77 other prominent African American industry and government leaders in the field of technology. Others recognized included Rodney Adkins, VP of development, IBM Corp., and Black Engineer of the Year for 2007; Charles E. Phillips, Jr., president, Oracle Corp.; and Nancy Stewart, senior VP and CTO, Wal-Mart Inc.

Thompson is completing her fifth year as the 13th president of UMES. Under her leadership UMES is in the midst of a seven year $14 million fundraising campaign to raise philanthropic gifts for student scholarships. Thus far some $5 million has been raised.

Career Communications Group, Inc., publisher of US Black Engineer & IT magazine, produces the annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference. The conference gala's keynote speaker was Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, president of Women in Cable Telecommunications and an Olympic gold medalist.

Lisa Johnson named acting HR director

Lisa C. Johnson has been named acting assistant director of human resources at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Johnson came to UMES with over 10 years experience as a human resources management specialist at NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops
Island, VA, plus four years as Equal Employment Opportunity officer at NASA Wallops. She has worked for the university since 2004.

Her training for the job includes a bachelor's degree in communication arts from Salisbury U. and a master's in education in guidance and counseling from UMES. Johnson, her husband and the couple's two children, are active in church. She is an ordained minister, serving as assistant youth pastor at her Eastern Shore Virginia church.

Suzanne Street named PR director at UMES

Pocomoke City native Suzanne Waters Street has been named director of public relations at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She joined the public relations office in 200 1 and has been interim director since January 2007.

Street received her BA Degree in English from UMES and recently completed a MBA in marketing and management from American InterContinental University. She assisted Suzanne Street president emeritus William P. Hytche with his memoirs and a history of the University. Prior to joining the UMES staff, Street worked at WMDT-TV 47 in Salisbury and Adler Publishing and Communications in Silver Springs, MD. She and her husband, Earl, live in Crisfield with their three children.

Dean A. Jones-Evans to be ordained as a Bishop

Wicomico County native Dean A. Jones-Evans has been notified that he will be ordained as a Bishop. The consecration ceremony will be held April 21, 2007 at Refuge Temple Church in Cambridge, MD. He is the pastor of United Missionary Baptist . Church in Cambridge, moderator of the Progressive Baptist Association of the Eastern Shore; and head of New Birth Ministries.

He also was recently appointed vice president of the United Baptist Missionary Convention of Maryland for the Eastern Region over 125 churches. United Missionary Baptist Church is a member of the Progressive Baptist Association of the Eastern Shore which is a part of the United Baptist Missionary Convention of Maryland, Inc. that is a member of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. Elder Jones-Evans was pastor of St. Mary's Missionary Baptist Church in Somerset County prior to becoming pastor of the Cambridge church. He has been active in the Progressive Baptist Association and in his outreach ministry.

Jones-Evans has directed programs to combat drug and gang violence and substance abuse, including administering the Recovering Adults through Christ program in Somerset County. He authored the 12-step book "Recovering Adults through Christ." Dean attended Duke University, Andersonville Baptist Seminary in Georgia and National Theological Seminary and College in Baltimore. He is married to Valeria Evans who is one of the first women to become a Deacon in the Progressive Baptist Association. Having had a long career in automobile sales, Dean is a sales manager at The Car Store in Salisbury that he managed the opening of in 2002. Prior to joining them, he was a sales and leasing consultant at Courtesy Chevrolet in Salisbury.

Paul Butler to be Honorary Chair of Alzheimer's Assoc. 5KRun/Walk

WBOC-TV and FOX 21 television Sports Director Paul Butler has been named Honorary Chairman of the Alzheimer's Association's 8th Annual St. Paddy's Day 5K Run/Walk set for Saturday, March 17 in Salisbury. His endorsement and participation in promoting this popular "Racing for a Reason" event sends a powerful message to the community for their support for the Alzheimer's Association.

Butler knows first hand; his grandmother had Alzheimer's disease. Butler will appear at St. Paddy's Day packet pick up party and on event day. Interested participants can sign up on the Alzheimer's website www.alzgmd.org. On event day, check-in is at 2:00 p.m. at the Salisbury Elks Lodge on Churchill Avenue. The race, officiated by the Eastern Shore Running Club, begins at 3:00pm. After the race there will be a Victory party and awards ceremony.

Butler is a native of Salisbury. After 10 years of covering sports throughout the South, he returned home to WBOC in July of2005. Butler attended the University of Maryland, College Park; Mary ,Washington U.; and completed his bachelor's degree in communications at Salisbury University (Class of '85). He lives in Salisbury with his wife Valerie and their three children.

Michael Rogers joins the WMD T-TV Weathercast

Salisbury native and, Meteorologist Michael Rogers recently joined the WMDT 47 weather team forecasting at 5am and noon. He shares the morning anchor desk with Katherine Amenta but he says that he'll "be there for Delmarva if there's a serious weather event ...no matter what time it occurs!"

Rogers grew up in Salisbury and graduated from James M. Bennett high school in 1972. A year later, while in the Air Force, he headed for Alaska and remained there, starting a radio and television career that spanned over twenty years. Michael's weather career in television began in Anchorage, and from there he reported on and forecasted weather that has covered much of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. A member of the American Meteorological Society, Rogers' experience also included an eighteen-month internship at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Pocatello, Idaho. He is attending Mississippi State U. to study meteorology. Rogers' hobbies include flying, traveling, and NASCAR.

Pat Sampson to coordinate the work experience program at Wor-Wic Community College

Patricia Sampson of Salisbury was recently selected as the new Work Experience Program (WEP) coordinator at Wor- Wic Community College in Salisbury. She will manage the pre-employment training and place participants into positions at Wor- Wic. She will also monitor the progress and facilitate the access to college-based services for the participants.

Wor- Wic, the Tri-County Workforce Development Initiative, and the Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR) have partnered to create the new grant-funded program to serve the Lower Eastern Shore. The WEP partnership will provide pre-employment and on-the-job training at Wor- Wic for eligible participants who are referred by the departments of social services in Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset counties. Funding for WEP comes from a $121,500 DHR grant, from the federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program.

Sampson was employed at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) for 19 years, where she worked in admissions, career counseling, honors and academic affairs. She also teaches psychology courses at UMES. She received her bachelor's degree in English and her master's degree in education, guidance and counseling from UMES.

Jason Newton leaves WBOC & joins UMES

WBOC-16 and FOX-21 news anchor Jason Newton has left the Salisbury TV station to join the staff of UMES. The long-time newscaster was a staple at the station as it went from being a CBS affiliate and UPN affiliate to loosing UPN to the merger with WB and becoming a Fox affiliate. Newton is a Baltimore native and a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park School of Journalism. He is the son of James and Vera Newton.

Harriet Tubman Day to be celebrated in Cambridge

The Harriet Tubman Organization in Cambridge presents its Harriet Tubman Day Annual Celebration, 6pm - 10pm on Saturday, March 10, 2007, in the Dorchester Elks Lodge at 618 Pine Street, Cambridge, Maryland. The dinner and cultural program celebrates the Day set aside by the US Congress, the State of Maryland, and the Town of Cambridge.

The first Harriet Tubman Day Celebration began in the late 1960's by Mrs. Addie Clash Travers. The day was celebrated in June, Father's Day, with a weekend of historical and cultural activities in Cambridge, MD, ending in church services at the historical Bazzel AME Church, Bucktown, MD. During the 2000 session of the Maryland General Assembly, the African American Tourism Council of Maryland and the Harriet Tubman Organization of Cambridge were successful in getting a Joint Resolution passed to designate March 10 every year as Harriet Tubman Day III Maryland.

The Harriet Tubman Historical Society and the Harriet Tubman Association joined to sponsor the first National Harriet Tubman Day Celebration. Harriet Tubman Day was proclaimed by President George Bush, the US Congress, over 20 Governors, Elected Officials, Cities, and St. Catharines Ontario, Canada in 1990. It was the first such Day honoring a Black woman. The Harriet Tubman Organization, formally the Harriet Tubman Association, is located in its museum and cultural center called The Underground Railroad at 424 Race Street in Cambridge.

Donald W. Pinder of Vienna, MD is its President. The organization is credited with the creation of the Harriet Tubman Memorial Garden in Cambridge dedicated in 2000 and the dedication of a stretch of US highway 50 in Cambridge as Harriet Tubman Highway.

Wicomico County NAACP holds its 10th Black Heritage Day celebration

Allen Brown is honored. The Wicomico County Branch of the NAACp held its Tenth Annual Black Heritage Celebration February 25th at the Chipman Cultural Center in Salisbury. The celebration is sponsored by the Branch each year during Black History Month. Wicomico County's new county executive, Rick Pollitt, expressed his pride in having the NAACP branch in the County. He said that he was determined to be there in spite of the rain and snow.

The Annual Heritage Award was presented to assistant superintendent of Wicomico County schools Allen C. Brown. The Wicomico County native was praised for his accomplishments in the field of education and his work with the area's youth. The UMES Jazz Ensemble provided the entertainment.

James Pinkett is Dorchester NAACP Branch president

The president of Dorchester County NAACP Branch No. 7012 is James Pinkett of Rhodesdale, MD. He was the 15t vice president of the Branch in 2005 and ascended into the presidency vacated by Lorenzo Hughes leaving to devote more time to his new job.

Pinkett is employed at NRG (the former DP&L) power plant in Vienna, MD. A veteran of the US Army, he is a member of the American Legion and active in the Macie Lane Alumni Association. He is also active in his church, Greater Mt. Zion (Apostolic) Church. The son of Rev. Willie and Sarah Pinkett of Hurlock, James and his wife, Pauline, have one son.

Custis chairs Elks weekend

The Chair of the Queen City Elks 2006 Organization Day Weekend in Salisbury was Warner Custis. He was Leading Knight of the Lodge then.

Custis is assistant bar and slot machine Warner M. Custis manager at VFW Post #10159 in Salisbury. He is also chaplain of its men's auxiliary. A member of American Legion Post #145, he is chaplain of the Sons of the Legion at the Post. Warner is married and a native of Seaford, Delaware.

George Ames is honored by the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce

The Dorchester Chamber of Commerce recently honored its past president and County Orphan's Court Judge George R. Ames Jr. with its 2006 ambassador Award. The award is for the outstanding work that he has done for the over 720-member group. It included a certificate ad free membership for 2007 along with free admission to all Chamber events and tickets for two to the show of his choice at Sailwinds.

Ames became the first African American to head the Chamber in 2004 and has remained an active member. He is also past president of the NAACP branch and the American Legion Post in Cambridge. An ordained minister, Rev. Ames is pastor of Wesley Chapel Church in Andrews, MD.

Business News

Dr. Zant relocates his neurosurgical office in Salisbury
The offices of Peninsula Neurosurgical Associates, PA have relocated from Riverside Dr. to 540 Snow Hill Rd. in Salisbury next to SHORE UP!, Inc. The senior associate is Dr. Julius D. Zant. Dr. Jacek M. Malik as another associate.

Jeff Dale returns to Preston Auto
Jeff Dale of Fruitland has returned to Preston Auto Complex in Preston, MD after a year absence. He had been a sales manager there for several years before leaving to explore other options. He may be reached at 1-800-655-3764.

Corey Brooks opens Hair Studio
Corey Brooks of Salisbury recently open Brooks' Hair Studio at 1720 N. Salisbury. Blvd., Suite 3 in Salisbury. The hair salon and boutique offers all hair services, waxing, human hair, hand bags, accessories, and more.

Westbrook Commons opens on the West Side of Salisbury
A lesson in rebuilding Black communities

Families are moving into the new affordable housing apartments being built on the old Campbell Soup parking lot between West Rd. and Delaware Ave. in Salisbury. The 96 unit Wesbrook Commons apartment complex has four garden apartment buildings and an office & community building on the five acre site. Leasing information is available at the office on site. Call 410-860-1306.

The project is sponsored by the Westside Salisbury Revitalization Partnership and The Shelter Group of Baltimore in an effort to revitalize the predominantly-Black West Side of Salisbury. The Partnership grew out of the Salisbury Hot Spots initiative. Projects that it has implemented include providing street lights, increasing crime prevention, funding for after-school programs at the West Salisbury Salvation and Wesley Temple UM Church; neighborhood clean-up beautyfication campaigns; and support for development efforts like the Ebenezer Drive and Rose Street homeowners hip projects. The officers are listed on Page 30 of this issue.

Morse selected for 2007 Who's Who

Maryland African American Pride Magazine publisher Joseph E. Morse has been selected to be included in the 2007 issue of The Global Directory of Who's Who. The Global Directory of Who's Who is an annual, hard covered publication which recognizes Executives and Professionals for their accomplishments and contributions to the global marketplace. The registry serves as an outstanding resource for networking and consulting, and is a significant third party endorsement.