Nicole's Writings

By Nicole Ciarapica

SALISBURY — In this day and age of extravagant celebrity weddings and over-the-top spending, the picture of what a dream wedding should be has become even larger.

The average cost of the traditional American wedding is nearly $30,000. One could safely say the struggling economy won’t affect the wedding plans of most celebrities — but what effect does it have on the majority of brides and grooms?

“Because of the economy, because I don’t want to spend a lot of money,” said Melanie Cline, 22, of Exmore, who is getting married on June 21. “I’m sewing my own wedding dress, my friends are going to cater it, we are ordering the flowers from Mexico because we can get them at a wholesale price and my fiance’s cousin is doing the photography.”

Unlike celebrities, the typical couple doesn’t have to worry about a helicopter filming overhead or sneaky paparazzi snapping pictures from the bushes. Since relying on only friends and family to take pictures could fall short of expectations, many choose a professional photographer. Rebecca English from A Pioneer Photo in Salisbury said she has noticed brides spending less with the state of the economy.

“Weddings have always been expensive but with gas, food, etc., you have to be a lot more careful,” English said. With this in mind, the company offers flexible photo packages.

And while the stars can hire world-renowned chefs to prepare their reception meal, chances are the middle-class lovebirds can’t. Reception catering from The Fountains Wedding and Conference Center in Salisbury averages around $100 per guest, but general chef Ray Strawley said couples are becoming more price-conscious when it comes to the wedding menu.

Although most famous brides can count on a Vera Wang gown being made exclusively for them, the typical American bride is on her own to shop for the dress that will take her breath away — but not her parents’ life savings. As it turns out, the dress may be something brides aren’t willing to skimp on.

Owner Marc Scher of Scher’s in Pocomoke City said the average dress sells for $800. Being through three generations of family business since 1933, Scher’s has not experienced decreased spending due to the poor economy.

“People might be cutting back, but they cut back in different ways,” Scher said. “Tradition never goes out of style.”

Manager Alison Scott of Perfect Dress in Salisbury agrees.

“The wedding business is kind of recession-proof,” she said.

The one thing that the usual bride and groom do have in common with a celebrity couple is an unfortunately high divorce rate. So the key to wedding success may be to make the dress and flower arrangements secondary and put your matrimonial love first.

By Nicole Ciarapica

OCEAN CITY — With the beach, the Boardwalk, and the happening nightlife, it’s no wonder that Ocean City has long drawn vacationers. But the same lures are also attracting at least 3,000 international students to live and work in the beach town this summer.

Most of them can be found in the shops and food areas on the 3-mile boardwalk. Businesses rely on these student workers to help them survive the crowds during this busiest tourist season.

But businesses are not the only ones benefiting.

For some, the opportunity to live and work in America for a few months is exciting enough. Marina Aleksandcova of Bul-garia, who is working at a flip-flop shop on the Boardwalk this summer, said she came to work in Ocean City “to travel and see what it’s like in other countries.”

Doug Lozinak, founder of People First International, an Easton company that helps foreign students find jobs and housing, said the majority this year come from Russia, Turkey, Romania and Columbia.

Many foreign students go home and tell of such an amazing experience that they return the next summer with curious friends. Anna Ayvazova of Russia, who was working at a game booth, said she was in Ocean City this summer for “tourism. (And) because I have a friend and we come to work together.”

Some students come for academic reasons. Ivana Turkovio of Serbia, a senior majoring in English language and literature at Belgrade University, said she came to work in Ocean City “to practice English.”

Aside from academic reasons and travel, many foreign students may love Ocean City for the same reasons 8 million tourists do. Marina Vatchkova of Bulgaria, a graduate from the University of Sofia who was working at Candy Kitchen on the Boardwalk, said she came to the beach to work “for fun, mostly.”

Dipil Shsistra from Nepal, who was stationed at a henna tattoo stand, thought of his summer experience in a similar way. Of Ocean City, he said, “It’s easy to find a job, and also,” as he motioned to the Boardwalk with a grin, “it’s a fun place!”

By Nicole Ciarapica

SALISBURY — If you find yourself bored with the traditional ways to cool down this summer, there are a few treats in Salisbury you’ll want to taste. More exciting than water, and healthier than ice cream, these creative picks are sure to help beat the heat.

The latest drink craze to hit Delmarva is bubble tea. Originating from Taiwan, this fun, summer drink is a mixture of iced tea with milk and flavoring choices of almond, strawberry, coffee, latte, honeydew, mango and coconut. The unique feature of bubble tea is the black gummy balls of tapioca pearls that sit at the bottom of the cup. An extra-wide straw is used to consume the tapioca balls.

Henry Chen, manager of Dragon restaurant in Salisbury, said they pride themselves in bringing new, unique things to Salisbury for people to try. Chen orders his bubble tea ingredients straight from Chinatown in New York.

“First (customers) feel weird because the bubbles are chewy,” Chen said. “Third drink, they are addicted. After a month, we sold out of our inventory.”

Bubble tea can also be found at Megan’s Noodle House.

A cold, summer refresher free of any artificial ingredients are fruit ice bars at Frumex Paletas in Salisbury the only location for them on the Eastern Shore.

Tiburcio and an employee made 4,000 popsicles this past weekend. However, there’s no need to add preservatives, because this amount will sell out in about two weeks.

“We in the Latino community love the popsicles. People buy 20, 30, 100 at a time. We grew up eating this stuff,” Tiburcio said.

Customers make the trip to Tiburcio’s shop all the way from Berlin, Ocean City, Virginia and Milford. One type of the fruity popsicle contains only fruit and sugar, while the other option is simply cream and fruit. Put together by hand and shaped by a mold, these ice pops are available in 34 flavors. The top sellers are coconut, strawberry, eggnog and walnut. But if you ever wondered what your favorite food would be like in a popsicle, you can bring the ingredients to Frumex Paletas, where Tiburcio will handmake it for you.

Originally from South Asia, but most popular in India, mango lassi is as good for you as it is delicious. Yogurt, mango pulp, cinnamon, ice, and sugar are mixed together in a blender for 3 to 4 minutes to create this smoothie-like drink.

“People have drank mango lassi for more than 100 years,” Shalimar restaurant manager Sajjad Alibaig said. “In India, they drink it instead of water.”

This fruity blend with some spice has long been used for upset stomach and digestion.

The recipes vary at each restaurant, with more or less mango being added. A similar drink, the sweet lassi, containing only yogurt, milk and sugar, can be found at Shalimar Restaurant, as well as at Namaste Indian Cuisine.

By Nicole Ciarapica

SALISBURY — A power outage in West Salisbury on Wednes-day left nearly 2,500 Delmarva Power customers without electricity.

Sandra May, Delmarva Power spokeswoman, said the outage was caused by a tree that fell on a primary power line located on Pemberton Drive. Service was restored a little after 10 a.m.

According to Delmar-va Power’s Web site, many outages on the Shore are caused by trees or overhanging branches falling onto power lines. However, even with regular vegetation management, all situations cannot be prevented.

Among those without electricity Wednesday was Pemberton Appli-ances on Pemberton Drive.

Although the lights and computers were down, office manager Dee McDonnell, remain-ed flexible.

“I just found other jobs to do that didn’t require electricity … which was difficult,” she said.

Besides businesses, many residents were affected as well, including Harbor Pointe, an assisted living housing complex on Tressler Drive.

A Harbor Pointe employee said the complex’s office was down, but residential units regained power quickly.

“We had no computers. The office was completely down,” she said. “(The seniors’) individual rooms lost power, but they were backed up by generators.”

Delmarva Power still encourages customers to be prepared for lengthier power outages as the hurricane season continues, particularly from now until Nov. 30.

By Nicole Ciarapica

SALISBURY — Short and sassy is the summer fashion on the Shore. Hairrstylists say the most popular hairstyle for the season is, without question, the inverted bob.

When it comes to beating the heat, chopping off a few inches is always a popular choice.

“Short cuts to get the hair off the neck,” said Sherrie Thomas, master stylist at Designer’s Edge in Salisbury of an annual summer trend.

To achieve the look of an inverted bob, the hair is cut stacked in the back and longer in the front. Celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Katie Holm\es have recently been known to sport this style.

But for those who refuse to part with their lengthy tresses, long hair is always gorgeous. The most popular way to style it this summer is by bringing out the body in it.

Thomas referred to this as “the long tassled look.”

And as Crystal Pines, stylist at About Faces Day Spa & Salon, said “Soft waves are in.”

If you’re one who prefers a little something around the face, bangs make an appearance in every season.

Pines said “Bangs are in. They always seem to be. They tend to be thicker in general, to the side and straight across.”

As for the summer’s best color, every shade from dark to light seems to shine.

“Since summer is approaching, people want the sun-kissed look, so lots of blonde foils,” Thomas said.

Angela Fisher, receptionist at Master Cuts at the Centre at Salisbury, said “Definitely a lot of girls are going dark for the summer instead of light reds and warm browns.”

Mixing the old with the new is popular as well.

“What I’ve seen a lot of is root showing. Uneven color all over the head,” said Pines.

Whether you decide on the Beckham bob or opt for beachy waves, the all-around theme this summer is going with what genetics gave you.

As Pines said, “Doing what works best with your individual face shape and hair. Looking natural is in, not flatironing or curling to death.”

By Nicole Ciarapica

SALISBURY– Forget the traditional colors of pink and blue; a new trend has some babies going green.

On Saturday, Go Green Baby Co. opened as the newest environmentally friendly baby shop for green parents and babies on Delmarva.

“When we wanted to go green as a family, we would have to go online and do a lot of research, and I had to order blindly,” owner Jennifer LeCates said. “Whereas I really would’ve preferred to go to a store, and have someone explain it to me. It’s a great way to test products out — touch them, feel them. It is a lifestyle change for most people. You want to make sure it will work for you.”

For the LeCates family, who live in Salisbury, making Go Green Baby Co. a successful business is a family affair. Husband Jamie works behind the scenes, while LeCates stays busy being a mom to her newborn store, which is located at 720 E. College Ave. in Salisbury and has an online sales component at www.gogreenbabyshop.com.

LeCates says she is not willing to sell a product she can’t stand behind. Fortunately, the family has built-in toy and diaper testers: Josh, 6, Daniel, 18 months, and Caroline, just 10 weeks old.

“Most people say ‘Wow, I can’t believe you’re doing this, especially with a 10-week-old baby,’ but it’s great because I can incorporate them in this because there’s a part of me in every step of the process,” LeCates said. “They help me with everything from sampling new products to setting up the store. My 6-year-old is thrilled. He is going to entertain the other kids for me and serve them refreshments.”

Go Green Baby Co. carries bottles free of the chemical bisphenol-A, baby carriers, natural and organic toys, organic baby/toddler clothing, organic body care for baby and mother and breastfeeding accessories.

But Go Green Baby’s biggest item is cloth diapers.

“It will have the largest impact on your family, your wallet, and on the environment,” LeCates said. “One single diaper takes 250 to 500 years to decompose on a landfill. Parents go through $2,000 to $3,000 in diapers from birth to potty training. Cloth diapering, you can do it for as little $300. Your baby will benefit from it. There are very serious chemicals in disposables. Cotton, organic hemp, cotton, fleece, those are the materials you want next to your baby’s skin — not plastic.”

Parents who are unsure if cloth diapers will fit their family’s lifestyle can find support from other families and also have their questions answered. LeCates, a graduate of Salisbury University’s Perdue School of Business, said the store will offer cloth diaper workshops starting in August. Many Delmarva moms are picking up the cloth diapering habit.

“I’m using cloth diapers from Go Green Baby Co. on my 5-month old and my 2-year old,” said Melissa Wilson, a Salisbury mom. “It is going great. I first looked into it because of the extremely high cost of brand-name diapers, but I feel really good about the environmental aspect as well. It is something that I had looked into when I was pregnant with my first child, (I have three) but I did not go through with cloth at that time because I did not know how to go about doing it. I highly recommend it!”

To meet the growing demand, several baby stores on Delmarva that carry environmentally friendly products have opened recently, including Bay-be Boutique in Salisbury and Barefoot Baby Boutique in Princess Anne.

Barefoot Baby Boutique, which opened last November, offers a selection of eco-friendly high chairs, sustainable wood furnishings, Cariboo Earth bassinets with unbleached, all-natural cotton material, hand-knit hats and booties made of bamboo, toys free of harmful paint and chemicals, all-natural shampoo, and other items.

Owner Martha Ogburn said “If you have an alternative, why would you want to put something toxic on the baby?”

Ogburn said her business in the Independence Hall building has been growing, and she will offer online shopping by the end of the month on her Web site, www.barefootbabyboutique.com.

Beyond Delmarva, parents may be becoming more environmentally conscious across the nation. Babies “R” Us has increased its stores’ inventory of natural and organic items over the past two years to more than 300 separate products. It carried just a few dozen items only a year ago.

“I wouldn’t call this a trend. This is definitely a lifestyle change,” Babies “R” Us spokeswoman, Jamie Beal, said.

Whether a trend or a lifestyle change, planet Earth more than likely approves.

LeCates said “I think there has definitely been a dramatic turn in going green. The media has played a large part in that. Companies are trying to go green, they recognize the imprints they are making on the environment.

What my husband and I want is for our great-great- grandchildren to have a wonderful place to live. Anyone who is willing to change their lifestyle and their family is great.”

Gannett News Service contributed to this report.

SU research team explores what Shore forests looked like prior to development

By Nicole Ciarapica

SALISBURY — The Salisbury University team in the environmental issues program may now hold the key to unlocking Mother Nature’s history.

Enabled by a $25,000 grant given by The Nature Conservancy, the team is studying the history of original forest landscapes in the Nassawango Creek Watershed near Snow Hill.

“People have been living on the Eastern Shore for thousands of years, modifying it. What would a forest on the Eastern Shore look like naturally?” said SU professor Michael Lewis, director of the team.

With the expertise of the faculty and fresh perspective of the students, the Environmental Issues Program intends to answer that very question.

“The objective of this study is to try to make our best scientific and educational guess of what the forests looked like prior to the Europeans. That would serve as a guide to restoring them,” said Doug Samson, senior scientist at The Nature Conservancy.

The SU team includes Lewis, faculty member of the history department, Joan Maloof, coordinator of the program and biological sciences faculty, and Judith Stribling, also part of the biological sciences department. Also a part of the group is Alexis Aguilar of the geography and geosciences department and five students who are specializing in these departments.

Currently only 44 percent of Maryland is covered by forest, Maloof said, and the forest that does is exist is less than 50 years old.

“All of the original forests were logged or cleared for agriculture. With the help of this grant, we are trying to determine what the forest in this area used to look like, what species there were and what they used to look like,” Maloof said.

Each faculty member plays a different role in researching the original conditions of the forests. By determining what plants and species were native to the Nassawango area prior to colonial settlement, the team can assist the Nature Conservancy in the future restoration of the forests back to their initial state. Aguilar has two main jobs. His first is to maintain the global information system, which consists of the forest location data each faculty member collects with a GPS unit. His students input that data into the computer, where Aguilar compiles it with the satellite images and aerial photos to create a map of the location. Concerning the historical reconstruction, Aguilar focuses his attention on the past century.

“My job is to look at the more recent history of the area, the 20th century,” Aguilar said. “I’m looking at more recent records in the form of old aerial photographs back to the 1950s and 1930s, old photos, old maps, inventory maps from 1910. Using these records, we are trying to reconstruct the changing dynamics.”

Lewis, however, delves further back in time. “I look at historical records with Matt Higm, my history student, tax records, survey data that exist from the 1600s,” he said. “People record what they do on the land and how they have modified it. Early settlers used nature every day. They cut down trees, dammed creeks, irrigated fields, and constructed mill ponds.”

The SU team sees this study as very beneficial, with one that has special educational value to a younger generation.

“I think about my students — we tend to ride around the roads here and think if they always looked that way. But once you learn to see the difference between an old forest and a new forest, it brings an appreciation to diversity in an old forest,” Maloof said.

“We want to have a place where we can bring students, an outdoor classroom, where they learn ecology concepts and experience natural areas close to campus, as a tool for research as well as a teaching tool to help students become more aware of national areas that exist around and the types of human disturbances that have occurred and how they have changed these forests over time,” Aguilar said.

In addition to land owned by The Nature Conservancy and the state of Maryland, the SU researchers are interested in studying any private property within the Pocomoke watershed that may have been left undisturbed over many centuries.

“You often think of a nation or state as having history, but people don’t often think of landscape having history — but it does,” Lewis said.

The oldest forests usually have some very large trees of different varieties.

“It’s kind of a national treasure to find areas that haven’t been disturbed in a long time,” Aguilar said.

By Nicole Ciarapica

OCEAN PINES — The creators of Xziex aren’t magicians, but they do know how to produce water out of thin air.

The slogan of the company is “The Future of Water,” and its atmospheric water generator could very likely live up to that title.

The product is being released onto the market in the United States, Germany, Africa and Mexico. The Xziex machine extracts water from the humidity in the air and purifies it into 99.9 percent pure drinking water.

During the process, the machine cleans and dehumidifies the air.

Carmen Meo of Ocean Pines, a distributor of the product at www.meo.myxziex.com, says the quality is comparable to that of bottled water.

“With bottled water, you don’t know what the source is. It’s nothing but purified water,” he said.

The device purifies water with UV treatment and carbon block filters.

“It’s generating water from the heavens, the sky, the atmosphere,” Meo said.

Also being generated in recent years is a growing interest in water purification systems of all types.

Market research group SBI recently issued a report that found high growth in the U.S. market for residential water treatment products.

And according to one company, 84 percent of Americans think their home water supply is polluted, but only six percent of this market has been tapped.

Camp Odyssey hosts the summers most anticipated kids activity, ‘Mud Madness’

By Nicole Ciarapica

SALISBURY — Do you know why they don’t make brown M&M’s any more? Well, the brown coating is too expensive because it would use all of the colors combined.

It’s questions like this that are explored and answered in the Wacky Science room of Camp Odyssey.

“Kids are having fun and interacting with role models in a healthy, safe environment,” said Harlan Eagle, the camp’s 19-year executive director.

At this summer day camp for pre-K to eighth-graders, every day has its own unique theme. However, the principle of “zaniness” is one that has been adhered to day after day, year after year. This includes “learning through fun,” to put it in Eagle’s words. He is the expert on zaniness, being fondly known as “Dr. Z” to the kids. The messiest, but most anticipated event of the summer, Mud Madness, recently took place.

“Mud Madness is what it is. It’s total madness. They create this pit, they churn the dirt, and are constantly putting water in it. Parents know to get the detergent ready,” said Nicole Clark, scholarship auction coordinator, and mother of second-year camper, Tyler, 6.

Campers, counselors and of course, Eagle, covered themselves in mud from head-to-toe.

Clark said, “There’s a certain time they can come out. You can see their faces at the door. When you say ‘okay,’ you better get out of the way because they charge toward this mud, flip in, dive in, cannonball in.”

Ben Dunn, a 10-year-old camper, was especially excited about getting muddy.

“Are you kidding?! Yes, I am,” he said.

Carson Phillips, 8, couldn’t wait to jump in. “I think it’s going to be very fun. Definitely,” he said.

Other campers planned to approach the mud pit with a little more caution.

“I really like to get messy but I’m going to start with the dry stuff and then the wet,” 8-year-old Alison Sahler said.

This year, parents and siblings were invited to join in the last 15 minutes of fun, most giving a $5 donation to the scholarship fund. The one thing equally exciting as mud at Camp Odyssey is giving away scholarships. Mud Madness was the kickoff event for this week of fundraising. Camp Odyssey has given away $100,000 during the past five years, with 41 campers on scholarship this summer.

“We believe we have a fantastic summer program and we want to give that opportunity to every child regardless of economic level,” Eagle said.

Applying for a scholarship includes filling out an application and having the child be on good academic standing. Once the family decides how much of the cost they can afford, Camp Odyssey tries to supply the rest.

“I think that’s kind because they can’t afford this camp the whole time, but they want to be here, and so do we. So they do the same things that we do” said Rachel Leisten, 10.

For this week of fundraising, the camp will have cans outside for change: “Change a kid’s life.” The big finale for raising money will be Camp Odyssey night at the Shorebirds game this Friday. Eagle has 400 tickets to give out to those affiliated with the camp. Following the game is the annual silent auction with local businesses providing services and other donations as prizes.

Clark said, “It’s part of my job to do the auction, but I do it extra hard because of what the camp has done for me. I’m a single parent and I wouldn’t be able to send him here.”

This is the camp that offers so many different activities, every child is sure to have favorites. The different studios include such varied selections as Art, Crafty Creations, Music, Fitness, Outdoor Adventure, Computers, Arcade, Gamezone, Dance/Drama, and Wacky Science.

“My favorite things would have to be Exploratorium and sports,” Dunn said.

Leisten said “I like the computers and the art barn.”

Zander Forsythe, 9, said “Fitness. Sometimes we do fun dances and games.”

Camp Odyssey truly does have “a little bit of everything” as Eagle described. From singing to sports to scholarships, the camp really is all about the kids.

Clark said “When he gets home, he’s always telling me ‘Guess what happened today?’ ‘Guess what I did today!’ It’s a place for them to be themselves, have fun and act crazy.” And that’s not zany, it’s just true.

By Nicole Ciarapica

SALISBURY — The Ward Museum and Local Owners Restaurant Association know the recipe for the event that had 400 people raving last yearFor a second helping of the Taste of Salisbury, have a museum open free to the public, serve a free, full-course meal provided by 18 local restaurants in town and add 1,700 prizes from local businesses. 

From noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, it’s the event that has “something for everybody,” described by Helen Rogan, the museum’s director of special events.

This event celebrates the beauty of the Shore and the art it has inspired, along with the opportunity to sample the delicious food from local restaurants.

“So often when people hear that I’m from the Ward Museum, they say ‘I drive by there all the time and I’ve always intended to come in.’ This event is a good opportunity to come in,” Rogan said.

Beyond viewing these galleries, carving demonstrations will be done throughout the afternoon, and a guided nature walk on the Norman Glenn Nature Trail starts at 2:30 p.m. Activities for children during the event include craft projects, story readings and movies in the newly-renovated theater.

A big event of the day are the “Pick-A-Prize” raffles in which guests mix and match ticket deposits according to prizes they like most. The 1,700 prizes include a pearl bracelet, a vintage bag from Head over Heels, a gift set from Ace Hardware, a fore and cart from Nutter’s Crossing, and two kayak day rentals.

There will also be an extensive array of food, provided free by LORA, a group of about 18 Wicomico county restaurant and catering businesses that provide support to each other and to local places.

“A lot of people put many years of blood, sweat and tears into their local business,” said event caterer Chef Stewart Davis, who is providing barbecued open-pit beef. “We want to educate the community about if they buy local and not national chains, the money stays local. We struggle hard to keep up with the other restaurants because we don’t have the advertising budget that the national chains have.”

One of the appetizers available is Santa-Fe dip from Market Street Inn, made with salsa, cream cheese, and cheddar jack cheese, said Steve Newcombe, dining room manager of the restaurant.

“Whenever somebody sees it for the first time, they are usually pretty quizzical, because it’s bright red. But as soon as we bring it out, it’s usually gone within half an hour. And it’s a huge tray,” he said.

Part of the main course is provided by Adam’s Ribs.

“We will be serving pulled pork barbecue. A couple hundred pounds. We slow cook fresh hams for twelve hours and then pull the meat off. We won best barbecue last year in Metropolitan Magazine,” said owner Pete Roskovich.

And 500 pieces of desserts, cookies, and cakes will be served for dessert, provided by Cakes by David.

“Our customers’ reaction is ‘Wow!’ and then they start ‘grazing,’ ” said owner Barbara Wharton. “Like if there’s a 5- or 6-year-old, they say ‘Ooh.’ And their eyes get real big. Adults do that, too.

“It helps a lot of organizations. The money is donated to worthy causes. It’s a good way to donate money, but you can get something delicious to eat. It’s not like dropping money in a donation jar, you get something out of it too,” Wharton said.