Saturday, August 10, 2024

Recollections from generations past (Elmer A. Brittingham -5)

 



INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

Interviewer: How was your church? Where was it?

Elmer: Well, when I was going, it was Salem.


Interviewer: How long did you stay there?

Elmer: I left when I was 22 years old.


Interviewer: How long did you stay? Like when you went in Sunday morning,

 how many hours did you stay that day?

Elmer: Well, we usually went to Sunday school. Sometimes an evening

 church service, but the morning Sunday school, an hour and a half.


Interviewer: Did you get out in time for lunch?

Elmer: We just went to Sunday School. We alternated. Most of the time we

 just went to that and sometimes we went to Sunday night service.


Interviewer: What time did you get out of the Sunday night service?

Elmer: Well, it was an hour.


Interviewer: An hour? So, it wasn’t much different? You didn’t stay for a real

 long time?

Elmer: No.


Interviewer: What kind of influence did the church have on the community?

 Was the church a real big thing? Or was it just something you did on

 Sunday?

Elmer: Largely like it is now. The Baptists fought with the Methodists. And the

 Methodists fought with everybody. And the Catholics stayed to themselves.

 And that was about it. In 1940 when I was with the Post Office, when I went

 away to World War II, there probably weren’t 4 Catholic families in the area.

 By the time the war was over, with the influx and everything, we had a

 Catholic church very shortly.


Interviewer: The same one that’s here now?

Elmer: Yeah.


Interviewer: Did you ever go ice skating?

Elmer: Oh, yeah. When I lived on Front Street, to the right of us, leading up to

 Stevenson Lane, toward Winter Quarters, to the left of that, all winter, the

 water stayed in that whole area coming in from the swamp and in the winter it

 would freeze in there. You’d go to the swamp and put your skates on and

 skate all the way to the river. There were places you’d make pads. There were

 the cypress trees and stuff and you’d make space. And skate in big circles

 and everything. You were always taking a chance, but after you really learned

 to skate, you weren’t taking as much chance. It wasn’t that deep if you did

 fall.


Interviewer: So, it was frozen all year? All winter?

Elmer: No, it would be only frozen at times. It would be a week or two and

 then lay off a while. We never played ice hockey or anything too much. We

 did try to knock the thing around a little bit…Not enough ice really. It was

 more ice than we had for many years  after that.


Interviewer: What about dating when you were younger? Did you go out on

 dates?

Elmer: Not very much. I had a twin sister. And everywhere she went, I had to

 go. With 2 other girls, probably. That explains….I was girl shy. We always had

 1 or 2 in the house, all summer, and whenever they went out, I’d have to go

 along, a protector or something.


Interviewer: When you lived on your farm, were you self-sufficient out there?

 Or did you have to go to town a lot?

Elmer: Well, we always went once a week. We had country stores. My

 grandfather ran a store, down on, oh, half a mile away. We’d go there. But

 we’d go to town about once a week.


Interviewer: Going into community life now….What kind of major events did

 you have during the year?

Elmer: On the farm?


Interviewer: In town.

Elmer: Well, in the summer they had (audio not clear) I don’t remember if it

 was 2 weeks or 1…The (audio not clear) brought in good shows and

 musicals and things we ordinarily couldn’t afford or didn’t have in a small

 community. They had special plays for the children. My sister went, but I was

 always  working.   And, of course, the usual parades and everything. Fourth

 of July  and all that stuff.


Interviewer: So, they had more parades then than they do now here?

Elmer: Well, each community had little things. And then we had the fair. And

 when the circuses came to town, we didn’t go too much for that. Although,

 later on I did, but we didn’t go. My father didn’t care too much for them. He

 did bring us to a big circus. It wasn’t Barnum and Bailey, but it was one of the

 bigger circuses they had. One year when they were here, my father brought

 us in. I thought they were great because of the horse acts they put on. And

 the tigers.


Continues next Saturday here at The Pocomoke Public Eye.

Friday, August 9, 2024

Former Shorebird Jackson Holliday finding his groove with the O's.

 




"– more relaxed and confident, staying behind the ball with that perfect swing, just letting his talent play"

(View news story:)

More on contributions from Holliday and Jiménez - Blog (masnsports.com)



Time Machine Preview

This Sunday here at The Pocomoke Public Eye: 


PLUS

1960..

(Prior to construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel)


1901  ..

1990  ..
1881  ..

1847  ..
(Salisbury described by a visitor)



Thursday, August 8, 2024

Weather impacts Worcester County Fair

 (WMDT)

SNOW HILL, Md. – Due to forecasted inclement weather, Friday’s Worcester County Fair festivities will move indoors to the recreation center in Snow Hill.

Beginning at 4:30 p.m., county officials will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony to kick off the fair. The cake auction kicks off at 5 p.m.

The event will be food trucks, live music, vendors, exhibits, and children’s activities including a bounce house, carnival games, and face painting. The 4H livestock tent will be open Friday evening, with the showing scheduled to take place contingent on weather conditions.

Due to the forecast, the Jimmy Charles Band concert will not take place on Friday. Officials say they are working to reschedule the concert to take place at an upcoming county event.

More on the Worcester County Fair can be found here:

Come On In - Worcester County Fair 2024

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Appeals Court upholds Maryland assault weapons ban.

 


Local and national Second Amendment rights advocates say an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is likely, following an appeals court decision Tuesday that upholds a 2013 Maryland law banning assault weapons.

(View news story:)

Federal appeals court upholds 2013 Maryland assault weapons ban - Maryland Matters

School days ahead-

 

         (Note: all schedules subject to change.)

(delmarvanow.com & bd of ed offices)

WORCESTER COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Teacher preparation & in-service activities: Aug. 26-29, 2024

Students' first day of school: Sept. 3, 2024

Thanksgiving break: Nov. 27-29, 2024

Winter break: Dec. 23, 2024 - Jan. 1, 2025

Spring break: April 18-23, 2025

Tentative last day of school: June 12, 2025

(View full calendar:)

2024-2025 Calendar Worksheets.numbers-DRAFT Superintendent's Rec (core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com)


SOMERSET COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Teachers report for professional development: Aug. 26-29, 2024

First Day of School for DIS– PK3, PK4; PAE– PK3, PK4; GES– 2nd, WAHS– 8th; SIS– 6th, CAHS– 8th, WES– PK3, PK4 & All Comp. Special Education students: Sept. 3, 2024

First day of school for all other students: Sept. 4, 2024

Thanksgiving break: Nov. 27-29, 2024

Winter break: Dec. 23, 2024 - Jan. 3, 2025

Spring break: April 18-21, 2025

Tentative last day for high school seniors: May 30, 2025

Crisfield High School graduation: June 5, 2025

Washington High School graduation: June 6, 2025

Tentative last day of school for all other students: June 11, 2025

(View full calendar:)


ACCOMACK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

(View full calendar:)
AUGUST (accomack.k12.va.us)


WICOMICO COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

All teachers report to school: Aug. 21, 2024

Schools open for grades 1-6, 9; all at Pittsville; Grade 6 only at Mardela; PK/K as assigned: Sept. 3, 2024

All students (grades 1-12) report; PK/K as assigned: Sept. 4, 2024

Thanksgiving break: Nov. 27-29, 2024

Winter break: Dec. 23, 2024 - Jan. 3, 2025

Spring break: April 17-21, 2025

Commencement: Mardela High School (3:30 p.m.); Parkside High School (7:30 p.m.): May 28, 2025

Commencement: Wicomico High School (3:30 p.m.); James M. Bennett High School (7:30 p.m.): May 29, 2025

Commencement: Evening High School (7 p.m.): May 30, 2025
Tentative last day of school: June 11, 2025

Meteorologist Mike Seidel-

 

Salisbury native Mike Seidel, 30-year meteorologist with The Weather Channel, has joined Fox Weather.. a free streaming service owned by Fox Media.


(View news story:)

Mike Seidel Moves to Fox Weather From The Weather Channel (adweek.com)


Monday, August 5, 2024

Fraudulent Jewelry Sales Alert-

 



Worcester County Sheriff's Office

 SCAM Alert - Fraudulent Jewelry Sales in Pocomoke 

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office is alerting the public about a recent incident in Pocomoke, where an individual (pictured) has been approaching citizens in the Walmart parking lot, attempting to sell gold jewelry. The individual claims that the jewelry, which is priced at just a few hundred dollars, is worth significantly more. However, it has been confirmed that the jewelry is counterfeit.

The individual is reportedly driving a 2024 silver Jeep UT24, with Florida license plate JKQY39. He claims that he needs the cash for his family, who can be seen in the back seat of the vehicle.

This subject could be traveling to other parts of our county to attempt the same scam. We urge all residents to exercise caution if approached with such an offer. When someone is selling jewelry and claiming it is worth much more than the asking price, it is a major red flag. We strongly advise you to decline the offer and immediately contact local law enforcement. 

Tuesday is NATIONAL NIGHT OUT!

 


(View news release:)

State Police Ready For National Night Out Across Maryland

(If your area isn't listed contact your local law enforcement agencies for their times and locations.)


New beginning for Worcester County Fair (see article link)

 



John Walter Smith Park, located on Public Landing Road in Snow Hill, is where Worcester County Department of Recreation & Parks programming and maintenance operations are administered.

(View news article:)

08.01.24-Bayside-Gazette.pdf (baysideoc.net)

ON THE WAY- fun attractions, rides, games, competitions, food, exhibits, concerts...

 



For event schedules view this link: 
(Then click on 'The Great Fair' and 'Other Events' tabs:)

 View 45-page Fair book that includes rules and more details at this link:


Sunday, August 4, 2024

Time Machine: 100 years ago this week in Pocomoke's newspaper; 1935, 2006, 1970, 1822, 1955.

 








          (Editorial)


November, 1935

Peninsula Enterprise

(next two items)
*November, 2006
Baltimore Sun

*January, 1970


Sunday Times (Salisbury)


February, 1822
 Delaware Patriot & American Watchman (Wilmington)

April, 1955


(Pocomoke Public Eye Footnote:) In May, 1955 Judy competed in the National Spelling Bee competition.  Although she wasn't the winner one of her memorable moments was meeting Vice President Richard Nixon (pictured below). Judy graduated Pocomoke High School in 1960. Judy Tarr Howard passed away in 2019.  She's remembered by many in Pocomoke as the long-time organist at Bethany United Methodist Church and as church secretary for Bethany-Salem United Methodist.