The Cheverly Day Blog!: 2013

Friday, May 24, 2013

Photos from Cheverly Day 2013

After a few days' recovery, we've finally made it through the photos from Cheverly Day! Even with the rain, we definitely had a great time. Photos from the Cicada Crunch 5k and events throughout Cheverly Day are on flickr...CHVProm photos are coming very soon!

Monday, May 20, 2013

Fireworks!

What a weekend! We're still recovering and photos will come out soon! For now, we wanted to share some fireworks -- they really are spectacular.

Thank you all again for a wonderful Cheverly Day 2013!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Thank you, Cheverly!

What a day -- thank you to all who made it possible! And thank YOU for sharing this special celebration with us. We had a great time and hope you did, too. Photos and more to come soon, but now it's time for a rest. Hope you all have sweet dreams of Cheverly Day 2013.

Who's getting ready for fireworks?

Who's excited for fireworks? We are! Fireworks begin at 9pm, right after the Mayor's Speech & the National Anthem!

Cicada Crunch Results

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the 2013 Cicada Crunch 5K Race/2K Fun Walk this morning!

Overall Male

1. William Gallagher 17:37:3

2. David Orne 17:37:6

3. John Latini 20:11

Overall Female

1. Jillian Kramer 19:37

2. Mikaela Lyons 23:32

3. Caitlin Caldwell 24:19

Master Male

1. Elliott Hamilton 20:29

2. M. Casey 23:13

3. Daniel Shenk-Evans 23:23

Master Female

1. Phillipa Gasnier 26:53

2. Barbara Michelman 27:54

3. Amanda Mercer 28:17

Happy Cheverly Day!

It's finally here...Cheverly Day! There may be a few raindrops, but we won't let that stop a great day of fun. Kick things off at Cheverly Community Market starting at 8am -- if you aren't running in the Cicada Crunch, cheer on the runners at the finish line (near the Community Center)! We have a full day of entertainment and great activities in store....

HAPPY CHEVERLY DAY!

Friday, May 17, 2013

Proud to Announce Cheverly's Annual Volunteer Award Winners

This statement was just released by the Town of Cheverly and Mayor Mike Callahan. We are proud to bring it to you. Congratulations to these fine winners!

Cheverly Recognizes Annual Volunteer Award Winners

As Mayor it is my honor and privilege to recognize, with consultation from the Town Council, two citizens or Community Groups whose efforts epitomize the spirit of volunteerism here in the Town of Cheverly. Volunteerism is the life blood of Cheverly.

While the Town Government provides great Public Safety and Public Works services it is our volunteer organizations that makes Cheverly a great place to live. For example; we are only halfway through May and already volunteer organizations have: started the Tee-Ball Season, hosted the Weekday Nursery Truck Touch, hosted the Cheverly Plant Sale, and kicked off the Community Market Season.

What better day to honor this year’s award winners than on Cheverly Day, where volunteers from the Community Market and the Cheverly Day Committee have combined their effort to have one spectacular day.

This year’s winners are:

Mayor’s Award - Volunteer of the Year: Steve Brennan and Legion Post #108

Steve Brennan has led the American Legion’s efforts to create a bond between the Legion and Cheverly residents. In doing so, Steve has provided Cheverly residents with numerous opportunities to gather together and meet their neighbors. Cinco de Mayo, Halfway to St Paddy’s, the Chili Cook-off, a Beach Party and Movie Night are just a few of the events the Legion opened its doors and invited the community to join in.

For fostering community spirit, Steve Brennan is Cheverly’s Volunteer of the Year.

Jack Wheat Award: Progressive Cheverly

While some may see Progressive Cheverly as a political organization, it is clearly much more than that. One service that Progressive Cheverly provides all Cheverly residents are valuable forums on many different topics of interest. Of particular value are forums with candidates for elected office and elected officials.

A BIG thank you!

On this final day before Cheverly Day 2013, we extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who has worked diligently throughout the year -- and especially in the final days -- leading up to the biggest celebration in town. You are the reason that the largest annual community event goes forward every year and the reason that people keep coming back. We are indebted to each and every one of you. Special thanks to David Thorpe, who chairs the Cheverly Day Committee and does an amazing job, and to Mike Callahan, who rallies great volunteers each and every year.

We're looking forward to seeing everyone tonight at CHVProm, tomorrow morning at Cheverly Community Market and Cicada Crunch, and throughout the day for a Cheverly-size, Homegrown in Cheverly celebration.

Happy Cheverly Day Eve!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Countdown to Cheverly Day: Two days to go!!!

Wow -- we can't believe that Saturday is nearly here. At this time tomorrow, the Community Center will be a flurry of preparation for CHVProm. Honestly, we don't know where the time has gone. Let's continue our countdown...

TWO DAYS TO GO!

Today, we want to say a very special thank you to Bruce Mitchell and celebrate the years of sound engineering work he's done for Cheverly Day. Bruce has worked tirelessly to make every entertainer onstage sound their very best in all sorts of conditions. We are deeply grateful for his art and expertise. This Saturday, please be sure to shoot Bruce a thumbs up or a whispered thanks -- he'll be busy working his magic, so don't disturb him, but a sign of your appreciation can't hurt!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

CHVProm Thanks Sponsors and Donors

Are you getting excited for CHVProm this Friday night? We certainly are! The dancing, the music, the food, the people... It really is the best, biggest party in town. The CHVProm Committee thanks its wonderful sponsors and donors for their contributions to CHVProm 2013!

Cheverly Swim & Racquet Club, Cheverly Pool Board (Cheverly Pool August membership)
Kelly Fisher, Wildflower Yoga (three yoga sessions)
Teresa Williams, Touch As Art (one message therapy session)
Landover Liquor and the team Song, Alex, and Raul (liquor and beer)
Seth B. Zirkle, Esq. of Wyatt & Weber, P.A. Attorneys at Law of Annapolis, MD (Comprehensive Estate Planning Consultation and Last Will & Testament Package)
St. Ambrose Men's Club (four tickets to the 2014 Spaghetti Dinner)
St. Ambrose Men's Club (one Greens fee to the St. Ambrose Golf Tournament)
Paivi and Gary Spoon - Gary Spoon, Certified Public Accountant (Standard 2013 tax preparation)
John McGuirk of John J. McGuirk & Associates, Inc. (four tickets to a University of Maryland Men's Basketball game)
Cheverly Garden Club
Cookies to Cocktails - Liz Esposito (cake)
ChvList

Three Days to Go! A special message from the Mayor

A Cheverly Day Message from Mayor Mike Callahan

Oh My Gosh!! Quick -- call the Mayor! Something has to be done! Clearly, someone really messed up and mistakenly scheduled both Cheverly Day and Cheverly Community Market on May 18^th.

Wait a minute, calm down, relax, and take a deep breath!

You mean to tell me this was done intentionally?

The leaders of these two great Cheverly traditions decided to get together and create one simply fabulous day! Not since Peanut Butter and Jelly, Ham and Cheese, Horse and Carriage, or the Fluffernutter (oh, forget the Fluffernutter) has anyone had an idea great as this.

Just imagine, activity in Town park from dawn to dusk: Market Vendors, Cicada Crunch 5K (with real cicadas), Music in the Park, a Midway, Laser Tag, Community Tables, Softball, 3 on 3 Basketball, and, of course, the Fireworks. Only a fireworks display could climax a day like that.

So please come out to Town Park and help your friends and neighbors celebrate Cheverly’s 82^nd Birthday. The children will love the midway, the teens will love the laser tag, and everyone will love the music and fireworks.

Stop by the Community Market in the morning and pick up the makings for a picnic lunch or stop by one of the delicious food vendors – but come spend the day.

On behalf of all of the great volunteers who organize Cheverly Day and Cheverly Community Market, welcome to the best day of the year!!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Volunteer Opportunity: The Midway Needs Assistants!

The Midway Games Committee is looking for a few great volunteers -- can you lend a hand?

They need a few smart teens to help with games -- please contact Pat Nelson (301-908-4138) if you have a teen to spare for a few hours on Saturday. Kids will get community service hours and always seem to have fun on both sides of the games, playing them and running them!

Four days to go -- community organizations at Cheverly Day!

With just four -- FOUR -- days to go until the big day, we're celebrating the community organizations that will be on hand for an afternoon of fun in the upper parking lot this Cheverly Day! Get a (temporary) tattoo, make poppies, learn about bees and Cheverly in the future, get a balloon animal or a pin...fun awaits! Do you know what "geocaching" is? Find out on Cheverly Day and get ready for a great adventure.

The full lineup is on our website -- we'll see you at Cheverly Day!

Monday, May 13, 2013

Countdown to Cheverly Day: The Cicadas

public domain image via WPClipArt

Okay, we're not going to sugar-coat it: we're not the cicadas' biggest fans. Granted, there are several Cheverly Day volunteers who relish the hatching of these insects -- we admire your enthusiasm (though maybe the cookbook is going a little overboard...) But there are a lot of us who, frankly, would happily spend the next few weeks indoors running through human-size habitrails if it meant not coming into contact with the cicadas.

However, we're here to celebrate Cheverly Day, and one very special thing about this area is the occasional influx of cicadas that coincides with Cheverly Day. So here it is: we're celebrating cicadas. Our annual 5k race/2k fun walk takes its name from the 17-year brood...you may really be stomping on them at this year's Cicada Crunch, too!

Brood II should be hatching any day now, so we'll say that chances are very good that you'll come face to face with a few this Saturday. Some watchers, such as ABC 7's Lauren Ricketts, are predicting a smaller-than-normal hatching in the close-in DC suburbs. Entomologist Michael Raupp from the University of Maryland agrees. He a wonderful cicada map for our region that puts the nearest emergence of Brood II in Calvert, St. Mary’s, Fairfax, Fauquier, and Prince William Counties. Professor Raupp's website Bug Of The Week, shows "the blue/purple color 'II" are the locations that are mostly likely to be severely impacted by the cicadas this year"

map via ABC 7

You can keep track of hatching here. And The Washington Post has published very interesting, helpful advice, too.

We also like The Atlantic Wire's take on our airborne friends. Among their suggestions, go to the beach (though definitely not this weekend!), have fun, and keep a little healthy perspective. After all,

Cicadas aren't dangerous at all. They don't bite or sting. They are here to make babies! The males just fly around from tree to tree, playing their love songs in the hopes of wooing a lady with whom to make babies. Four-hundred of them at a time. Maybe more. So, yeah, not exactly cuddly, but still.

But, really, if you think about it, bugs are everywhere all the time. "The density of cockroaches in Manhattan is far greater than the density of cicadas," Cooley assured us. "There are several million per acre, probably — they just aren't all noisy and flying around." That's obviously disgusting as well, but he's right: Roaches are all around us, all day. And, well, we hate to say it, but there will actually be way more cicadas lurching around at the end of the summer, once the mommy cicadas lay their eggs. And you won't even notice the babies! The little ones are so tiny that they don't even fly around, and they certainly don't sing super-loud sex music.

Also, it's time to stop being so selfish. Cicadas will be great for the environment. "It's going to be a tremendous boom year for anything that can eat cicada," Cooley explained. From pigeons to ants, the animals around Brood II are going to feast. So there's that.

Okay. We've mustered as much healthy enthusiasm as we can. We're trying. Really, we are. Yay, cicadas!
(A big thank you to Glen Barton for suggesting this post!)

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Countdown to Cheverly Day: The CHVProm Photo Booth

At this time next week, we'll all be recovering from a very fun Cheverly Day 2013... There are so many quirky traditions of Cheverly Day -- mostly brought about by necessity. After all, CHVProm became the amazing DIY event that it is today because a group of "concerned" citizens did not want to let the dance die when funding became an issue.