News and Updates
Update September 16, 2024
New Grant Available:
This grant
https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Business/Pages/Microgrant.aspx is open to
certain businesses. The details are on the website. A business would apply
themselves (contact Valerie Mann
vjmann@comcast.net). The business would have to match part of the grant
funds, see the details on the site. This would not be a Smith
Island United grant. It is for individual business.
Update August 19, 2024
Smith Island United Membership Meeting held on July 27, 2024 -
Click here
Update July 17, 2024
As the notice
sent out a few weeks back stated, our next membership meeting will be in the
Tylerton Church basement at 2:30 PM on July 27th. Capt. Terry on the Capt.
Jason will depart from Ewell County Dock at 2 PM and return after the
meeting. Please post this on your community bulletin boards and have it
announced in church services.
Agenda-
3 members of the Executive Committee will explain how we work from the
Vision Plan and why we do that. They will also explain how some of our
grants work.
Broadband Grant-
We will provide SOME information that will
include the cost per month on the 5G broadband network that we are getting.
We are working with Verizon to set up a meeting in the fall to have them
give an overview of the new system and take questions.
Hope to see you
there.
Executive Committee
Update June 21, 2024
The Executive
Committee sincerely thanks Governor Moore and Dept. of Housing & Community
Development Secretary Jake Day for awarding Verizon a contract to install a
5G network on Smith Island. For many on Smith Island this is another giant
leap forward. Also a special thank you to Jay Flannigan (Fleming :)) for
donating to Smith Island United the cost of the meal. We also want to thank
staff from the offices of Sen. Ben Cardin, Sen. Chris Van Hollen,
Congressman Andy Harris, USDA, Md. Dept. of Housing & Community Development,
Md. Dept. of Planning, Md. Dept. of Commerce, Md. Dept. of Natural
Resources, Senator Mary Beth Carroza, Delegate Charles Otto, Somerset
County, Somerset County Commissioners Laird & Webster, Tri County Council,
Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Coastal Realtors Ass., Beach to
Bay Heritage Area, GMB Engineering, Verizon, Smith Island speakers Dr. Gael
Delaney, Mark Kitching, Laura Evans, Erica Patton, and Chris Harte, and all
others. VERY IMPORTANTLY WE THANK OUR THREE CHURCH GROUPS FOR PROVIDING A
DELICIOUS TRADITIONAL SMITH ISLAND MEAL. Thanks to everyone that helped with
the cleanup and thanks to all that attended. I would also like to explain to
those that didn't understand why the press conference was held in Crisfield.
None of the press could attend the all day event on the Island so we made
the decision to have it in Crisfield. The officials involved the broadband
project DESERVE to be credited for all of their hard work and especially
SUPPORT of our Island. By having the press conference in Crisfield Smith
Island received some very positive press. If you have any questions you have
Executive Committee Members or you can call Eddie at 443 614 1903. When we
have our full membership meeting in late July (will be posting date soon) we
are going to try and have Verizon and State officials attend to provide
details of how the system will work and take questions.
Update June 14, 2024
June 2024 Shoreline
Project Presentation:
Smith
Island: Martin Island and Rhodes Point Living Shoreline Protection Projects
Update June 7, 2024
To All:
Please feel free to voice your opinion or ideas at
https://www.plansomersetmd.org/
Eddie
Update June 6, 2024
On June 20th
Smith Island United and the Ladies Church Groups are providing lunch to a
large group of officials to thank them for their support at the Ewell Rec
Center. Transportation will be provided from Tylerton. At
approximately 1 PM when they are finished with their lunch the public is
invited to hear Sec. Jake Day of Md. Dept. of Housing & Community
Development speak and also make an announcement related to Smith Island.
Please come to show our support for all of the agencies that have supported
Smith Island!
Thanks, Eddie
Update May 30, 2024
A couple of months ago, I emailed
that Shanon Abbott and Michelle Thompson were willing to take a look at the
branding tool kit to see how it can be implemented while keeping in
alignment with our Smith Island Vision Plan.
Since then, they have been
on a fact-finding journey. It’s very early in the process, with some items
moving quicker than others. For instance, last month we received the 1st
Edition Smith Island 2024 stickers order introducing the new logo. We would
like to launch in the coming weeks by providing Smith Island residents and
businesses to proudly display and generate excitement for visitors to
purchase. They will need ideas and help with distribution.
They are also
working with the Somerset County Tourism Manager on reimagining the current
website for Smith Island. It is the hope that the redeveloped site will be
more user friendly for both visitors as well as residents/property owners.
For visitors – the site will provide easy mobile access to accurate and up
to date information on areas such as: tours and events, transportation,
lodging ,catering/food services , and anything else that would help make
their trip and stay on the island the most positive experience possible. For
residents: a central location where news and important announcements will be
posted. Having a tool like this in place will help provide greater
visibility to who we are and what we have to offer which will be helpful
when applying for State and Local Grants/Aid for infrastructure improvements
and maintenance. The plan ultimately is this “Official” Smith Island Website
would be maintained by Somerset County Tourism but content managed by Smith
Island.
For those of you who have not yet met Michelle and Shanon,
I hope in the upcoming weeks you will have the opportunity. They are fully
on board and
committed to each of you and understand that “our brand “ is
more than the elements in the branding kit. It is “our story” and what a
wonderful story we have to tell of the past 400 years. We have an
opportunity to keep the story alive for the next 400 years, 2424 and beyond.
I’m hoping to meet with them this week as we would like to form a Steering
Committee as part of Smith Island United. Maybe it will even be called
something like: Project 2424… and a tagline yet to be determined by all of
you and those not on this distribution list.
Eddie Somers,
President,
Smith Island United
Update May 22, 2024
The Smith
Island Fishing Tournament is this weekend here are a couple of links
https://www.facebook.com/smithislandfishingtournament/
https://ianglertournament.com/2023-smith-island-fishing-tournament
Also don't forget to hunt for the orbs starting this weekend through Labor
Day
https://www.facebook.com/SmithIslandUnited Happy Hunting
Eddie
Update May 15, 2024
Bill Gene Swift
will be coming over in a few weeks to take down a couple of trees. If anyone
else is interested contact Mark Nelson at 336 8480450.
Eddie
Update May 4, 2024
Here are two links to USDA stories about the new waste water treatment plant
for Smith Island
1.
Success Story - Investing in Wastewater Infrastructure is Key to Preserving
Smith Island Maryland 4-16.pdf
2.
Update April 24, 2024
The 2024 Smith Island Waterman's Float Hunt is on !
Click here for full information.
Update April 4, 2024
2024 Smith Island United Facade Application -
Click here to view and download the Application
Update March 20, 2024
Business Boost Grants are Available for Eligible
Small Businesses
Business Boost has reopened its application portal
to accept additional applications through Friday, March 29, 2024, at 5 p.m.
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) through
the Neighborhood BusinessWorks (NBW) program, is offering up to $2,000,000
of Business Boost microgrants ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 to support
small businesses who need capital for growth and/or expansion opportunities.
The Business Boost microgrant assists businesses
seeking to expand their business, or establish a location, with a preference
to supporting home-based businesses in establishing their first commercial
location outside of the home. Business Boost funding will fund businesses
that meet one or more of the priority impact attributes that lead to growing
the economy throughout the state. A few of the priority impact attributes
are:
Businesses within a Sustainable Communities area.
Innovative small businesses that drive innovation or
technology advancements.
Businesses that are growing new industries.
Businesses focused on regional strengths to grow
local economies.
Businesses that leverage partnerships between local
school districts, community colleges, and other higher education
institutions in Maryland.
Minority Business Enterprise (MBE).
Apply online today at
https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Business/Pages/Microgrant.aspx.
Microgrant
dhcd.maryland.gov
Microgrant
Update November 29, 2023
-
Giving Tuesday
Thanks to our very generous donors
on Giving Tuesday. We had a total of $3,339 donated. These donations are a
large part of how we pay for grants, for example our new roads, and other
improvements to the Island. Thanks also to Michelle Thompson and Shanon
Abbott for leading the Giving Tuesday effort. This was one of our best years
since we started participating. Thanks,
Update November 19, 2023
Tuesday, November 28th is National Giving Day, or Giving Tuesday. Smith
Island United is again participating in the Giving Days through The Shore
Gives More (https://www.shoregivesmore.org/).
Our goal is
to raise $5,000 in support of our vision plan, which focuses on how Smith
Island will look, feel, and thrive in the coming decades.
Smith
Island United is truly an all-volunteer group, with no payroll or
compensation. We rely on charitable contributions and appreciate your
support. Thank you for helping us to ensure the future of Smith Island. Any
donation level is appreciated and will be put to good use. We've added some
levels for you to consider, which will support Smith Island United and local
businesses. Donation amount:
-
$100.00 - $249.99 - Mrs. Kitching's Smith Island Cookbook from Smith Island Cultural Center & Museum
-
$250.00 - $499.99 - "Sweet on Smith Island" - Smith Island "Original" Cake from Smith Island Bakery located in Ewell, MD on Smith Island. Shipped to address within the contiguous United States.
-
$500.00 - $999.99 - "Taste of Smith Island" - Smith Island "Original" Cake from Smith Island Bakery located in Ewell, MD on Smith Island AND two (2) Crabcakes from Drum Point Market located in Tylerton, MD on Smith Island. Shipped to address within the contiguous United States.
-
>$1,000.00 - "Smith Island United Ultimate Package" - Smith Island "Original" Cake from Smith Island Bakery located in Ewell, MD on Smith Island AND four (4) Crabcakes from Drum Point Market located in Tylerton, MD on Smith Island AND Mrs. Kitching's Smith Island Cookbook from Smith Island Cultural Center & Museum. Shipped to address within the contiguous United States.
To donate, please go to http://www.shoregivesmore.org/smithislandunited
We appreciate your support of Smith Island!
Thank You,
Eddie Somers
President, Smith
Island United
www.smithislandunited.com
Update October 31, 2023
Giving Tuesday is on November 28th this year
https://www.shoregivesmore.org/
. As most of you know we are all volunteer. We travel at our own expense. We
hope you will remember us this year. Giving Tuesday is a major source of
funds that help with grant writing, trips to the Island to highlight needs,
and show our progress. Our profile is here
https://www.shoregivesmore.org/smithislandunited
Update October 7, 2023
Minutes from the Smith Island United Membership Meeting held on October 2,
2023. (
pdf Version ) (
MS Word Version )
Update October 6, 2023
On Thursday,
Oct. 5, Secretary Jake Day Md. Dept. of Housing & Community Development,
Secretary Rebecca Flora of Md. Dept. of Planning along with some of their
staff, Senator Mary Beth Carroza, several officials from United States Dept.
of Agriculture and their staff, Somerset County Commissioners Randy Laird &
Darryl Webster, and staff to look at current and future projects. Some of
the current issues discussed were the drainage issue and trash, weekend
transportation, harbors at Ewell and Rhodes Pt., and broadband. We feel like
it went very well and wish to thank John Sullivan USDA for helping to
organize the visit and a special thanks to Secretaries Day and Flora and
Senator Carroza for taking the time out of their busy schedules to visit the
Island.
Update:
October 2, 2023
Smith Island United October 2, 2023 Meeting
Minutes
Update September 29, 2023
After thinking about the
tides, we have decided to cancel tomorrow's meeting, September 30th. We will
have the membership meeting at 2 pm on Monday, October 2nd before the
branding meeting. Capt. Larry is not able to make the run to bring people
from Tylerton so Capt. Terry in the Capt. Jason will be picking people up at
around 1:10 and bringing you back to Tylerton after the branding meeting.
Update September 27, 2023
Taylor's Pest Control
This is Justin, your friendly neighborhood bug killer, with Taylor’s Pest
Control. I will be coming over October 20th -21st to perform residential
pest control. This will include interior and exterior treatments. I will be
starting in Tylerton and Rhodes Pt on the 20th and Ewell on the 21st. The
cost will be $100 per house. If u have any questions please call or text 443
655 2571 or email me at
justinsomers@gmail.com. If you are interested please let me know. Also
let me know if you have any specific pest concerns.
Update September 23, 2023
Received this from Dept. of Energy
The Department of Energy is taking a major step forward in improving the
resiliency and reliability of our power grid by investing in
long-duration energy storage (LDES), which is particularly
important given the increasing frequency of extreme weather events.
The Rural Energy
Viability for Integrated Vital Energy (REVIVE) project – with a site in
Ewell, MD – is
one of 9 projects selected for award negotiations to
receive a piece of the $330 million in combined federal funding for emerging
LDES projects capable of delivering electricity for 10 hours or longer.
These investments give businesses the confidence they need to build and
deploy innovative clean energy technologies that are critical to reaching
our net-zero economy.
The National Renewables Cooperative
Organization (NRCO) and its project partners are working to provide vanadium
flow batteries to five geographically diverse sites across the Midwest,
Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic. The batteries offer up to 20 hours of energy,
delivering high benefit, low risk energy solutions to vulnerable and
disadvantaged rural areas. The technology provider, Invinity Energy Systems,
has already successfully installed its VFBs elsewhere in the world,
including Australia and the UK.
You can read the full press release
here.
Eddie Somers
Update: September 13, 2023
1. Membership meeting:
Ewell Rec Center - September 30 at 2:30 PM
Agenda: Branding and Broadband
We will have a
membership meeting in Ewell on September 30 at 2:30 PM in the Ewell Rec
Center. Capt. Larry on the Capt.
Jason II will be bring people from Tylerton to the meeting. Check with
Capt. Larry for time.
Agenda- Branding,
broadband
Branding- Last summer (2022) the business
people on the Island met with Md. Dept. of Commerce in Ewell to hear the
pros and cons of branding the Smith Island name. The business group decided
it would be a positive thing for the Island so Smith Island United, at the
group's request, applied for a grant to fund the process. We received the
grant. Residents and property owners are invited to attend and share your
thoughts on Oct. 2 at the Ewell Rec Center at 2 PM. This will be followed at
3:30 PM by a roundtable discussion with business owners at the same venue.
See below for more details.
Broadband - Although we are very early into the broadband
initiative, we cannot submit the application until 2024, we will talk about
where we are and the process. Hope to see you all there,
Eddie Somers, President Smith Island
United
Update: June 21, 2023
USDA Low Income Housing
Improvement Grant Deadline
The deadline for submitting
applications with estimate for this grant is July 21, 2023.
Both Russell Harrison (Dave Hood) and Mark Pendry are willing to give
estimates. For an application or questions contact Valerie Mann at
410-726-8303 or vjmann@comcast.net
Housing Rehabilitation Grant Application, Smith Island United (SIU)
Click here to print the Application -pdf
(Word version)
Funded by a Housing Preservation Grant from the US
Dept. of Agriculture
Update: April 24, 2023
Announcing the 2023 Smith Island Waterman's Glass Float Hunt.
Details
Update: April 13, 2023
Smith Island United Meeting Minutes 4-13-23
Read
Update: April 2, 2023
There will be a Smith Island United Membership Meeting in the
Tylerton Church Basement on Saturday, May 13th at 3:00 pm.
Zoom Information for the Smith Island United Meeting Saturday
-
Details
Click here for the agenda
Update: Febuary 2, 2023
Feb 2, 2023 - Phone Conference Exec Committee
Read
Update: December 31, 2022
Smith Island Cake Marker
See the Press
Release for a
Historical Marker for the Smith Island Cake.
A sincere thank you to Lisa Challenger of the
Beach to Bay
Heritage Area and Steve Bodnar of the
William G Pomeroy
Foundation.
Eddie Somers
President
Update: December 8, 2022
Giving Tuesday - New Sewer Plant Funding
Giving Tuesday-
Thanks to all who donated to Smith Island United
thru the Giving Tuesday event we raised almost $1,500. This will help with
our one major expense which is insurance. Again Thanks!
“Smith Island is an integral part of Maryland’s
history, culture and Chesapeake Bay heritage,” said Maryland Environment
Secretary Horacio Tablada. “The deteriorated condition of the existing
wastewater system on Smith Island must be addressed to protect public health
and the Chesapeake Bay. This project will be built following Coast Smart
Program resiliency guidelines to reduce climate change risks.”
The following project was approved today:
Smith Island Clean Water Project – Somerset County
Grants and loans totaling $12,491,604 – a $1.6
million Water Quality State Revolving Loan Fund loan, a $2 million grant in
the form of loan forgiveness of a Water Quality State Revolving Loan Fund
loan and an $8,891,604 Bay Restoration Fund grant – to the Somerset County
Sanitary District will help fund the planning, design and construction of a
new Biological Nutrient Removal/Enhanced Nutrient Removal (BNR/ENR)
wastewater treatment plant to replace the existing Ewell wastewater
treatment plant, which is more than 40 years old and in a deteriorated
condition. The multi-phase project also includes an upgrade of the
wastewater collection and conveyance system, the decommissioning of the
existing Tylerton wastewater treatment plant, an overhaul of three existing
pumping stations, and the construction of a new sanitary force main for the
conveyance of wastewater from Tylerton to the new Ewell plant. This action
pertains to the construction of the replaced plant. The upgrade will lead to
an 83 percent reduction in nitrogen discharged and a 90 percent reduction in
phosphorus discharged to the Frances Gut and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.
Excessive amounts of nutrients such as nitrogen and
phosphorus lead to lowered levels of oxygen needed to support aquatic life
in waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay. Enhanced Nutrient Removal
upgrades of wastewater treatment plants are a critical component of
Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay restoration plan. This project will be constructed
in accordance with coastal and non-coastal resiliency guidelines developed
as part of the Coast Smart Program to reduce climate change risks to such
projects.
Smith Island United
Update: November 24, 2022
Final Tornado Donation Fund Total and
Distribution
As most of you are aware, this past August Smith
Island homes and businesses suffered considerable damage from a tornado.
Thru Jay Fleming’s GoFundMe page and directly to Smith Island United our
organization received a total of $212,752.83 in donations. Out of this total
we incurred $3,311.00 in expenses (mostly for cleanup expenses- food and
transportation for volunteers). We had zero admin fees. We setup the Smith
Island United Tornado Relief Committee consisting of 7 volunteers. This
committee made the decisions to distribute $209,441.72 directly to the
victims of the tornado. They did this in 4 phases in the following order-
Uninsured, Deductibles, Lost Wages, and last Insured. These distributions
went to 18 businesses, 19 households, and 2 organizations.
We want our donors to know that none of the tornado
donations went into our operating funds. Our operating funds go towards
making improvements to the Island’s three communities. A couple examples
would be the $100,000 in home improvement grants and especially the new
roads that are now under construction. Therefore we, again this year, need
your support to continue our work. We do all of this with volunteers, NO
PAID STAFF, NO VOLUNTEER TRAVEL EXPENSE, ETC., so please will you consider
donating to Smith Island United this Giving Tuesday? You can follow this
link to the Giving Tuesday donation for Smith Island United
https://www.shoregivesmore.org/nonprofits?_rs=242555389&keyword=smith%20island%20united&category=null&random=1&page=1&type=nonprofits&viewType=paged
Thank you.
Smith Island United Executive
Committee
www.smithislandunited.com
November 18, 2022
USDA Housing Rehab Application - Revised
11/18/2022
Click here to read and save to your computer (pdf
version). Print
it, fill out the form, then mail the signed Application.
Click here for MS Word version.
Smith Island United Committee For Tornado Relief - Meeting Minutes
August 12,
2022 Meeting
August 23, 2022 Meeting
Update: November 8, 2022
Tornado Relief
Yesterday, November 7, the Smith Island United Tornado Relief Committee
finalized the last round of disbursements. 100% of these funds have gone
towards tornado relief with no administrative cost incurred. The work of a
Committee in a process such as this in a small community is not an easy task
because of the closeness of all involved. We have tried to do our best to
help everyone that was affected by the tornado in a fair and honest way.
Most importantly we want to thank all of the organizations, churches, and
people who made this work possible by your very generous donations. A
special thank you to Jay Fleming for starting the process with his gofundme
page. Those that donated directly to Smith Island United have or will be
getting a thank you note. GoFundMe does not release addresses so for those
of you that donated thru Jay’s page please know that we are very grateful
for your support. Without all of these generous donations our Island
Community would have taken a very hard hit.
Update: October 15, 2022
Tornado Relief - Sewer Plant Update
TORNADO
RELIEF
The Committee for
Tornado Relief issued the second round of checks to tornado victims this
past week. The committee decided and voted unanimously to issue funds based
on the applications submitted. This brings the approximate amount dispersed
to date issue to the victims of the tornado at $100,005. We appreciate
everyone's patience as we continue this process.
SEWER
PLANT UPDATE
Officials announced
on Friday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a $1,611,000
grant for the Smith Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements Project.
We’re told this
grant funding will be used to provide an enhanced nutrient system for the
entire island by replacing all the degraded equipment with updated, more
efficient, and clean equipment. Funding for this project will also be used
to eliminate unsanitary sewer discharges into the Tangier Sound and the
Chesapeake Bay.
The completion of this project will benefit both the environment and the
population of Smith Island, as it will increase climate and coastal
resiliency and increase the assurance of access to sanitary sewer services
for island residents and businesses.
Congressman Andy Harris and
Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen released the following statement:
“This is a
sizable investment in modernizing Smith Island’s wastewater infrastructure.
Newer and more efficient sanitation equipment will protect the public health
of the Island residents while keeping pollution out of the Chesapeake Bay.
As the last remaining offshore inhabited island in Maryland, Smith Island
has deep cultural roots on the Eastern Shore and this grant money will
ensure that all residents and businesses have access to the clean water they
deserve.”
Eddie Somers
President,
Smith Island United
www.smithislandunited
Update: September 29, 2022
Tornado Relief - Road Repairs
Tornado Relief-
The Tornado Relief Committee has issued checks to
the un-insured totaling approximately $40,000 which takes care of 40%-50% of
the claims. The Committee is waiting on insurance settlement papers from the
insured. Once we have those we will start issuing checks for copays.
Hopefully we can take care of this within the next couple of weeks.
Road Work-
Received this from Somerset County Roads Director
Woody Barnes-
Good Morning Eddie ,
As follow up to our conversation yesterday below is
a brief recap of the of the course of events that led up to the
Commissioners approval at Tuesday’s meeting.
On September 6, 2022, at the regularly scheduled
Somerset County Roads Board the bids for the Smith Island Roads project were
opened and read aloud. At that time there were two qualifying bids, that
were taken by the Roads Director (me) to be reviewed and consider for
recommendation. During the review it was determined that both contractors
had adequately addressed the proposed scope of work and both were more than
qualified to complete the project. DSM Properties, LLC of Randallstown, MD
was/is the low bidder, submitting a bid of $1,870,962.00, which was $620,962
over the FY2023 budgeted amount of $1,250,000 of which we had received a
$1,000,000 from the US Economic Development Administration (EDA). Thanks to
the vision and assistance from members of Smith Island United.
Recognizing the $620,000 short fall a team
consisting of the Roads Director, Parks/Recs & Tourism Director Mr. Clint
Sterling and County Finance Director Mr Gene Adkins meet with
representatives from the EDA to discuss the possibility of obtaining
additional grant funds, and while there is a chance that the county could
receive additional funding through a formal request, there was no guarantee
and this process was found to be very lengthy. Understanding the crucial
timing constraints of the grant funds previously awarded (Expiring in May
2023) the county team of Mr. Sterling, Mr Adkins and myself didn’t
feel we could afford to wait for the EDA determination, and felt the best
approach was to request additional funding from the County.
Therefore; on Tuesday September 27, 2022 the
Somerset County Commissioners held a special session Roads Board meeting
where we made the recommendation to the Commissioners to consider funding
the proposed shortfall and awarding the contract to DSM Properties, LLC,
without deviation from the original scope work, as I feel that the proposed
work addresses the current conditions of daily tide influences and
deteriorating roads with emphasizes made for potential rising sea levels in
the future. Based on this information and the recommendation of Commissioner
Randy Laird , seconded by Commissioner Charles Laird the Somerset County
Commissioners unanimously awarded the additional funds and contract to the
apparent low bidder, without hesitation.
We are excited to get work on this project, and have
already begun to do so. Following Tuesday’s approval I met with the
contractor and they have already begun work, submitting material products
and specifications for our approval and working on a logistic plan
(material/equipment mobilization) that they plan to present at our Pre
Construction Meeting to be held the week of October 10, 2022.
Please feel free to reach out to me with any
questions or thoughts.
Regards
Woody Barnes
Eddie Somers
President, Smith Island United
smithislandunited@gmail.com
www.smithislandunited.com
Update: September 16, 2022
Tornado -
Rhodes Point - 8/4/2022
On
Wednesday, September 14th, the Smith Island United Committee for Tornado
Relief met to discuss the first round of the issuance of checks to the
uninsured tornado damage claimants. The committee decided and voted
unanimously to issue funds based on the applications submitted for most of
the uninsured. There were a couple of applications that the committee needed
to clarify some of the information on the form. Those people will be
contacted to get the needed information. These first round of checks will
total approximately $34,000 that will take care of approximately 50% of
claims submitted. The funds will be dispersed within the next 10 days. This
leaves 13 claimants that have insurance. Most of the insured claimants had
significant damage with some being totally destroyed. The issuance of funds
to these claimants will take time due to the process of getting the proper
information from the insurance companies. This information will be used to
base the appropriate amount of funds issued to the claimants. We thank you
for your patience.
Eddie Somers
President, Smith Island United
August 25, 2022
Tornado -
Rhodes Point - 8/4/2022
The Smith
Island United Executive Committee voted today to waive the requirement for
an independant approval for small claims (small claims are defined as $5,000
and under).
Here are
some of the things decided so far-
1. 100% of
the funds will ONLY be used for claims arising from the Tornado
2. All of
the claims has been submitted to us in writing
3. Claims
WITH insurance will be addressed AFTER claim has been closed. (this could be
closed with or without payment) this is to ENSURE we are not double paying a
claim
4. Food
claims were capped at $250.00 like insurance companies would do
5. Business
Loss and loss of wages will be moved to the bottom until the personal needs
are met or fulfilled
6. First
checks will be dispersed up to $5000 for first round of checks (first round
included, food, medicine, certain damages, some business losses ( crabpots
etc)
7. We are
consulting with different organizations on how to disperse the checks fairly
and equitably. (Church groups, accountants etc)
Eddie Somers
President
www.smithislandunited.com
August 20, 2022
Tornado -
Rhodes Point - 8/4/2022
We want all the church goups,
foundations, individuals, kids, businesses, and fellow Islanders to
know how much your donations directly to Smith Island United and to
Jay's go fund me page have touched our hearts. As of this afternoon
donations made directly to Smith Island United are at approximately
$38,000.
August 19, 2022
Tornado -
Rhodes Point - 8/4/2022
Officials from Somerset County
Planning and Zoning will be coming over on Monday, August 22 to get
an assessment of damages the tornado did to "HOMES". Only homes not
sheds or other items. This is important for their report to the
state and federal government. They want to be certain that they do
not miss any home that was damaged no matter how small. They are
going to need property owners permission to look at damage. If you
are a homeowner or a representative of a home owner please contact
Eddie at 443 614 1903 or esomers@verizon.net today with your name,
address, and phone number so I can pass it on to them.
August 18, 2022
Tornado -
Rhodes Point - 8/4/2022
A special thanks to Somerset
County Roads for completing the debris removal that had been
gathered by volunteers from Cutting Crew Lawn Care, Oak Ridge
Baptists Church, Christ United Methodist Church, and Island
Volunteers.
August 17, 2022
Tornado -
Rhodes Point - 8/4/2022
Smith Island United Committee For
Tornado Relief
- Minutes of the
1st Meeting
of the
Initial Assessment
August 12, 2022
Read
.pdf version
Read
Word .docx Version
August 15, 2022
Tornado -
Rhodes Point - 8/4/2022
This is just an FYI- the
county is in constant contact with us. Their trucks will be coming
Monday, weather permitting and will be taking care of the pile of
debris. Thanks to them.
On Saturday the Smith Island United
Committee for Tornado Relief had it's first meeting (this is the 7
person committee). We will be getting an overview of the meeting out
as soon as we can. Thank you for your patience.
Tornado
clean-up update
I am sorry for the delay in the clean up process.
We have been working around the clock to secure and organize all the
amazing volunteers that have offered their time , skills, equipment
and manpower to graciously help Smith Island recover from this
devastating event. We appreciate everyone's patience and
understanding as we worked through logistics, scheduling and
organizing
The clean-up process.
Eddie Somers has put in
countless hours to put us in contact with these amazing groups. We
are so extremely grateful for Cutting Crew Lawn Care they really
made a huge difference and their time and work is priceless. I know
that we are all anxious to see some more progress and try to regain
some normalcy and move forward. There will be a lot going on this
week here on the Island . Please contact me if you have any
questions or concerns or to discuss your needs. Tomorrow, Monday
August 15th We have two groups of volunteer crews coming over We
have Jeff Finney and Darryl Webster from Christ United Methodist
Church in Salisbury, they have graciously offered to come on stay on
Island for a couple of days and longer if needed. We also have Gary
McCabe from Oakridge Baptist Church in Salisbury coming with a crew
and also have graciously offered to come back as/if needed. County
trucks will also be arriving tomorrow (weather permitting) to start
the process of removing these debris piles
A huge thank you in
advance to Somerset County and all of these extremely generous
volunteers . Smith Island greatly appreciates you all.
August 12, 2022
Tornado -
Rhodes Point - 8/4/2022
Earlier this week Janet Tyler EMS Captain,
Pastor Everett Landon, and Eddie Somers Smith Island United met to update
each other on progress being made. The first several days the Ewell Vol Fire
Dept led the tornado relief efforts and have been working, and this is an
understatement, hard. I think most of you know that, but it needs to be said
they have done an outstanding job. At this meeting all three of us agreed
that we are now at the point in this effort for Smith Island United to start
leading the efforts to coordinate the cleanup. There was a group that had
scheduled to bring 20 volunteers today that did not work out. This has
caused a delay and we are now working to schedule a crew from Christ United
Methodist Church to come as soon as details are worked out (most of you know
Jeff Finney and Darryl Webster who have doing volunteer work on the Island
for years it is their group). We have other groups that are on standby, and
we will have a better feel when Jeff’s group comes as to whether we need
more help with debris removal. Thanks to Cindy for the help with this.
There have been media reports that other groups are taking the lead in
this effort. Some of these groups have not been able to get the help needed
to come over on the island (my delay comment above). I feel the need to make
it clear that Smith Island United now and in the foreseeable future is
better equipped, better at understanding and coordinating the logistics, and
with the diverse membership we have which includes CPAs, attorneys, bankers,
etc. and lots of hard-working people will be able to lead this effort. Our
membership is also smart enough and our egos small enough to know when and
if we reach a point that we cannot lead this effort we will ask for help in
leading. That is not to say that we do not want the groups that have been
reaching out to us to stop that contact. We do need help but not at the
leadership level.
Contact Information:
Eddie Somers Smith Island
United
esomers@smithislandunited.com / 443-614-1903
If you cannot
reach Eddie, call Janet Tyler, EMS 443,235,3992
August 11, 2022
Tornado -
Rhodes Point - 8/4/2022
Last night, August 10, 2022, the
Smith Island United Executive Committee met via phone conference along with
one member of our Advisory Board, Mark Nelson CPA. This meeting has laid the
groundwork for how Smith Island United (SIU) will handle the Tornado
Disaster Relief Fund that has been very generously created by Jay Fleming’s
go fund me page and by people and organizations donating directly to SIU. We
voted on four things, and they are-
3.
Invoices and any other paperwork relating to the dispersal of funds
will be required before SIU will reimburse a property owner for damage. One
example of this is that any construction related materials will be purchased
thru a local home center where we will have an account set up. The
contractor or group that are doing the work will place the order designating
the order by the name of the property owner and our accountant will pay the
vendor. INVOICES AND PROPER PAPERWORK WILL BE REQUIRED. SMITH ISLAND UNITED
IS IN NO WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR CHOOSING THE CONTRACTOR OR GROUP THAT WILL DO
REPAIRS. THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROPERTY OWNER.
Regarding the donations
we are receiving we have two main responsibilities. They are that we are
responsible for helping property owners and we are responsible to the people
and groups that have very generously donated money.
August 7, 2022
Tornado - Rhodes Point - 8/4/2022:
Smith Island United has
formed a committee that will be working towards dispersing monetary
donations that we receive for tornado related damage. The seven
person committee is Janet Tyler-EMS Captain, Pastor Everett Landon,
Eddie Somers-Smith Island United, Johnny Crantz Tyler, Scott
Andreozzi, Duke Marshall, and Jay Fleming. A form will need to be
filled out by those who have been impacted by the tornado. The form
will be available Tuesday and will be used to help Smith Island
United disperse the funds and to help with cleanup efforts. Please
note, this is not an insurance claim form. Pastor Everett Landon
will be overseeing this process and can be reached at 410-968-3517
or text at 443-783-2079.
Wednesday, Cutting Crew Lawn Care, who have
donated their time, will be coming for cleanup and debris removal.
They will be bringing chain saws and other similar hand tools.
Please see Cindy or Scott Andreozzi to let them know your tornado
damage needs and to give them permission to go on your property.
Please try to have you or someone representing you there while they
work to make sure nothing gets accidently thrown away. Have the
crews make piles by the road. The county trucks will be coming to
take care of the piles.
Eddie Somers will be meeting with Somerset
County Officials sometime tomorrow morning, 8/8/22, regarding
cleanup, and other tornado damage related items.
PLEASE IF ANYONE WANTS TO DONATE SUPPLIES,
CONTACT JANET TYLER, EMS CAPTAIN, AT 443 235 3992 BEFORE SENDING
ANYTHING SO THAT WE ONLY GET WHAT WE NEED.
Anyone who wants to make monetary donations
there are a couple of ways to do that-
1.Jay
Flemings Smith Island Tornado Damage Recovery and Cleanup at:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/smith-island-tornado-damage?fbclid=IwAR1HjOoldhKfjzA-KKaQqNwxERuNu7id1
giYNwSZXj8OWar_C2PrxWGNHGI
2.
Smith Island
United Website and follow instructions at the top of this page, or
click:
smithislandunited.com/donate.htm
3. By mail: Smith Island United PO Box40 Ewell, MD 21824
2.
https://www.wboc.com/news/smith-island-begins-clean-up-after-rare-tornado-damages-homes/video_ec0e147a-540e-54e8-ab6c-79e024e3e67e.html
August 6, 2022
Tornado - Rhodes Point - 8/4/2022
As far as we can tell if you have property and have
not been contacted then you did not have damage. The major cleanups are on
hold waiting for insurance adjusters to get here. We have plenty of water
and food. Thanks to the Fire Dept response and as usual they did and are
doing a fantastic job! A very special thank you to the response from A&N
Electrical. Their crews started arriving the evening of the storm with crews
working thru the night to get power on where they could (by the next morning
they had power restored to everywhere except below the bridge on Rhodes Pt
and a couple of homes on Ewell) and keeping us safe. By early afternoon they
had trucks and poles on the Island. Power will most likely be restored to
all by this afternoon. Thanks to Jay Fleming for setting up the go fund me
page and to all who have donated.
August 5, 2022
Tornado - Rhodes Point - 8/4/2022
Thanks to all that are offering help for the Island. To state and
federal people and agencies that need to contact someone to offer assistance
please call Eddie Evans, Fire Chief, at 410 251 1635. The Fire Dept is
leading this. When things get more settled the fire dept will get a list of
damaged property so those of you that are part timers will be able to see if
you have damage. We do not know how long this will take but will post it as
soon as we get it.
- News Video from WBOC TV -
Possible Tornado Touches Down on Smith Island: Homes Damaged | Latest News |
wboc.com
July 22,2022
The Legacy of a Vanished Island Landscape: The Story
of Sharps Island, Maryland
Presented by Darrin L. Lowery, Ph.D.
2021
Note:
July 22, 2022
Salt Pond Sea Level Data Presentation by Darrin
Lowery
Presented October 3, 2019
View Presentation Slides
(PDF)
July 7, 2022
Smith Island Home
Improvement Grant
Smith Island United has
been awarded a home improvement grant through USDA. This is a low-income
grant. The income limits are listed in the grant application along with
types of projects. If you have any questions regarding the grant or
application, contact Valerie Mann at
vjmann@comcast.net
or by phone at
410-726-8303. Please submit the completed application to Valerie Mann at
vjmann@comcast.net
The application can be
downloaded here:
Application –
PDF version or
Application –
MS Word Document version
For information about
contractors that are willing and approved to do the work under this grant,
contact Kim Hopkins at the Eastern Shore Long Term Recovery Committee at
340-643-7516 or
khopkins@easternshorerecovery.org.
June 2022
Smith Island Waterman's Glass Float
Hunt
We have a fun activity
planned for this summer on Smith Island. Fisherman Float Hunt.
Click here for all the details
September 22, 2021
Message from SIU President, Eddie Somers:
We have been told we should start letting the
general public know what we all have accomplished and some of the things
that have been done since we first organized back in, I think, 2012. Our
501C status came a couple of years later. Here is a list of projects that
have been funded since then. We thank Somerset County for the support, the
many State of Maryland agencies that have funded projects, Community
Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Beach to Bay Heritage Area, Chesapeake Bay
Trust, The Coastal Association of REALTORS®, and the many federal agencies,
especially the federal people at the Martin National Wildlife Refuge and
Army Corps for what seems to have started the ball rolling. The list below
is some of the major projects that have benefited Smith Island.
Rhodes Pt. Shoreline Stabilization - $4,496,400
Rhodes Pt. County Dock - $559,949
Rhodes Pt.
Jetty - $250,000
Drainage Study - $50,000
SI Vision Plan -
$89,241
Martin Wildlife Shoreline $8,400,000
Sewer Plant- $9,200,000
Thorofare Dredging
Tylerton Boat Ramp
Ewell County Dock repairs
Façade Improvement Grants- $25,000
Forever
Maryland Cleanup Grants- $9,500 (we just received the second grant from here
for $4,500)
Drainage Study Implementation-
$300,000
Smith Island Park Improvements - $5,000
Smith Island Overview Deck- $100,000 (permit process)
Two Captains License Courses- $12,000
These below were not funded thru SIU but were a direct result of
being influenced by the Smith Island Vision Plan
Restoration of 111 ft
of Rukes dock at Ewell
Restoration of NW Basin slips at Ewell
USDA Rural Housing Preservation Grant
$50,000