Dorchester Banner
CAMBRIDGE — As the situation regarding COVID-19 continues to develop, local groups are reaching out to spread the word about changes to their events and schedules. It remains a good idea to check on the status of goods and services before leaving home.
The Banner compiled a list of announcements over the previous week, which follows:

Dorchester Co. Health Dept.
We are proud to share that Dorchester County has already exceeded MDH’s goal of testing 10% of our population. In fact, out of all of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions, we are second in the state for percentage of population tested. Go Dorchester!
Thank you for your continued help promoting these events and sharing our messages with the community. Starting Monday, free curbside testing has been held at the Dorchester County Health Department, 3 Cedar St. in Cambridge, Monday through Friday from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary

Conversation on WHCP
Ken Kozel, President/CEO of Shore Regional Health, will be the guest on Cambridge Community Conversations Wednesday, July 1 at 7 p.m. He will speak on the Emergency Room and Medical Facility being built at Cambridge Marketplace, the Covid-19 crisis and answer questions from the community.
Omeakia Jackson of Harvesting Hope Youth and Family Wellness will be the moderator.
4th of July Car Parade
A patriotic tour of the county will be hosted by the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce on Independence Day from 12:30 p.m.-3 p.m. Join us for a car parade to Celebrate the birth of our nation.
Decorate your vehicle to show your pride or decorate your yard for folks in the parade to view. We may not have fireworks, but we can still come to together as a community and celebrate – even it is at a social distance.
We will be following a 50-mile route starting at 12:30 p.m. at Palm Beach Willies near Taylors Island and ending the parade at Layton’s Chance Vineyard and Winery in Vienna around 2:45. We will be traveling through several other towns and neighborhoods on the way.
If you would like to drive in the parade please click the ticket link on the Chamber’s Facebook page to register. There is no cost to ride we just need to get a count of vehicles.
Here is the link to route maps: https://chambermaster.blob.core.windows.net

Freedom of the Press Day
Governor Larry Hogan proclaimed June 28 “Freedom of the Press Day” in honor of the five Capital Gazette employees who were murdered in the newsroom on June 28, 2018: Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith, and Wendi Winters.
“Two years ago, five Marylanders lost their lives to a heinous and unthinkable act of violence,” said Governor Hogan. “As we honor those we lost and all who have lost their lives in the pursuit of informing our citizens, we recognize the vital role that the freedom of the press has in our democracy and our duty to honor and protect this most fundamental constitutional right.”
Proclamation
WHEREAS, The Founding Fathers of the United States recognized the vital importance of a free press to uphold the nation’s democracy through the inclusion of the right to a free press in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, Other nations throughout the world do not enjoy this right; and
WHEREAS, Members of the United States Armed Forces have defended and given the ultimate sacrifice to protect this right; and
WHEREAS, This right is threatened in the United States and around the world by acts of violence and dangerous, irresponsible rhetoric; and
WHEREAS, All Marylanders join on June 28, 2020 in honoring the loss of the lives of Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters of the Capital Gazette, who were murdered in the newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland; and
WHEREAS, June 28, will be observed as Freedom of the Press Day in Maryland to memorialize the lives lost on June 28, 2018, at the Capital Gazette offices and to honor and protect all journalists serving a vital role in the world’s democratic process to inform residents of the happenings of their governments.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, LAWRENCE J. HOGAN, JR., GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND, do hereby proclaim June 28, 2020 as FREEDOM OF THE PRESS DAY in Maryland, and do commend this observance to all of our citizens.
Md. Dept. of Health
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) Thursday announced the launch of a coordinated social media campaign encouraging Marylanders to continue to wear face coverings as the COVID-19 epidemic continues.
The campaign begins as health officials anticipate increased summer activity and jurisdictions across Maryland continue to ramp up COVID-19 testing.
“Summer is here and we understand wanting to be out and about with family and friends, especially after staying at home for such a long time,” MDH Secretary Robert R. Neall said. “We’ve made great progress, but we need to remember we’re not out of the woods yet — all Marylanders must continue to exercise responsibility for themselves and each other by doing everything we can to slow the spread of COVID-19.”
Collated by MDH and shared with local health departments, the social media campaign features an array of posts and graphics related to wearing face coverings, including reminders about where to wear them and instructions about how to wear them correctly. The campaign will continue throughout the course of the epidemic, using the hashtag #MasksOnMaryland.

Choptank Elementary School
The summer meal program will now be at Choptank Elementary beginning on July 7 and going til July 30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

4-H Fair, Horse Show
Hello all! We regret to inform everyone that the Caroline-Dorchester County Fair and Horse Shows have been cancelled for 2020. This was a very difficult decision for the Fair Board to make. We thank you all for your continued support and are looking forward to a strong come back in 2021!

Mental health aid
FEMA Region 3 has awarded nearly $2 million to help fund crisis counseling services for people struggling with mental health issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of June 25, these states had received crisis counseling service grants for a total of $1,991,704:
• District of Columbia: $350,507
• Delaware : $281,651
• Maryland: $90,000
• Pennsylvania: $754,391
• Virginia: $391,655
• West Virginia: $123,500
The Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training program is funded by FEMA and overseen by FEMA in coordination with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The program assists individuals and communities in recovering from the psychological effects of natural and human caused disasters through community-based outreach and educational services.
Due to the COVID-19 nationwide emergency and the need to protect the safety and health of all Americans, the crisis counseling will be delivered by phone, internet and the media (including social media).

Virtual college essay writing
July 7 at 10-11 a.m.
Students will brainstorm essay topics and draft an essay that can be used on their upcoming college applications. This workshop is designed for rising senior students headed into the college application process, but rising sophomores and juniors are welcome, too.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Brainstorm essay topics
2. Draft your college essay
3. Learn tips, tools, and tricks for the best essays
   From 1-3 p.m., we’re offering drop-in editing sessions. Have someone review your college essay!
   Salisbury Zoo
   We are excited to announce our re-opening! During the first weekend of re-opening, the Salisbury Zoo will open to Zoo members only on July 3-5, 10 a.m.– 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
   “We wanted to do something special for our members and this is a way to thank them for their continued support.” said Zoo Director Leonora Dillon. “We will re-open to all zoo visitors the following weekend, Friday, July 10th thru Sunday, July 12th, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm & 1:30 pm -3:30 pm. During this phase of re-opening, the Zoo will remain open only on weekends with limited hours, and an attendance cap in place. Moving forward, we anticipate being able to expand our days, but this will depend on our ability to maintain safety protocols for our animals and the staff working with them. We thank our visitors and our community for their patience and can’t wait to see you!”
   Before your visit, please check the Zoo website and social media platforms to read about the changes that have been made that will affect your trip. To buy a membership, visit salisburyzoo.org.

ReStore manager
Dear Friends and Supporters,
I’m incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to get to know you all better over the coming months.
We reopened our ReStore on June 30. To keep customers, volunteers, and staff members safe and to minimize risk as much as possible, we have adopted new safety guidelines. It is imperative that everyone understand that these guidelines must be strictly adhered to.
Our ReStore will be open Tuesday-Saturday from 12-4 p.m. These new hours will allow us to allocate staff and volunteer time appropriately to fully clean and sanitize the store each day.
We are requiring that everyone wear masks and practice social distancing at the ReStore. The restrooms will be closed to all customers and the general public. It is our hope that these guidelines will not only minimize risk but help customers, volunteers, and staff members feel comfortable and safe at our ReStore.
I can’t wait for you all to see the expanded store and hear more from each of you. Before we reopen, I would like to introduce you to our ReStore team!

UMD Extension — Dorchester
The Garden Hoes Podcast — A monthly podcast where we help you get down and dirty in your garden, with timely gardening tips, information about native plants, and more! The Garden Hoes Podcast is brought to you by the University of Maryland Extension, at extension.umd.edu/. If you have gardening questions or suggestions for future topics, please send us an email at gardenhoespodcast@gmail.com. University of Maryland Extension programs are open to all.
In other UMD Extension news, the Dorchester office will continue its closure until July 20. Our faculty and staff have not stopped working. UMD Extension is currently functioning through telework so appointments have and will be held via email and/or conference call.
During this time our staff will continue to be available by phone and email. This continues to be an evolving situation, and the University of Maryland Extension will continue working hard to maintain normal operations and meet the needs of our community as much as possible.
We’re still here for you!

Preston Parks and Recreation
Thanks to Town of Preston Commissioners and our wonderful local sponsors, our summer concert series is back for 4th of July weekend! Our first concert at the James T. Wright Park is an open-air, family-oriented picnic concert starting in the late afternoon on July 5. We will have a nice variety, including American folk music. More information coming soon. Get out the lawn chairs, bring a picnic and get ready to dance everyone, its definitely time to celebrate!