JUNE 13, 2024
FREE
BERLIN • NORTH WORCESTER COUNTY• OCEAN PINES
SDHS band man J.D. Foell retires on positive note Colleagues, students say farewell in surprise coda to 32-year career
TARA FISCHER/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Volunteers with the Berlin Horticulture Advisory Committee worked with town staff to create a new rain garden at Burbage Park adjacent to the ping pong tables.
By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (June 13, 2024) Current and former Stephen Decatur High School faculty, staff and students honored the retirement of beloved music and band director J.D. Foell on Friday, June 7, with a surprise celebration. The teacher spent his entire 32-year career at SDHS. He taught marching band, symphonic band, string orchestra, jazz combo, and music theory. Foell has displayed a deep commitment to fostering a passion for music in his students. Throughout his time in education, the director was an active member of the Eastern Shore Band Directors Association and the Eastern Shore Orchestra Directors Association. He hosted the District V middle school band festival held at Decatur each spring and has aided in the implementation of Maryland’s All Shore OrchesSee FOELL Page 4
Garden alleviates rain issues Installation at Burbage Park will help reduce runoff, restore habitat and eliminate mosquito breeding areas By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (June 13, 2024) The Berlin Horticulture Advisory Committee recently installed a rain garden at Burbage Park to restore wildlife habitats and offset stormwater-related issues. The initial planting took place on Thursday, June 6. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, rain gardens are “shallow, constructed depressions planted with deep-rooted native plants and grasses.” After a storm, rather than an rain accumulating on the street or damaging flora, the garden fills with a few inches of water that filters into the surrounding soil. The plantings can reduce mosquito breeding, create bird and butterfly habitats, and filter
runoff pollutants. Horticulture Advisory Committee Chair Andrea Weeg said that the garden in Burbage Park was created to modify the surface where water does not penetrate. Rain would collect and form a large pool, displacing the mulch and killing the plants. The group hopes that the structure will alleviate these issues and inform town residents about protecting individual property from flooding, as the vegetation can help remove standing water in yards, a problem that plagues Berlin homeowners. The Berlin committee’s project began a few months ago when they applied for and were awarded approximately $3,200 from the Maryland Coastal Bays Program. The funds went towards all the trees and plants required for the initiative. Additionally, Weeg said that $1,000 has been allotted for an interpretative sign, which committee member Victoria Spice will design. “The sign is to teach the community,” the chairSee RAIN Page 3
TARA FISCHER/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
“Over the last two years, this man has taught me what it means to be a music teacher,” John Gross said of J.D. Foell.
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