Wrap-Up Report
It was a collision of good weather, interesting houses & gardens, great visitor turnout, and super volunteers. AND the social event of the season with people scurrying up and down the streets from house to house, oohing and ahhing about what they had just seen – the little blue house/work studio with a great view of Back Creek; the collection of rolling pins; compass rose and pebbled entryways; a rain garden, secret garden and formal garden; the TV behind the mirror; a tin roof and original heart of pine floors; the updated doctor’s house; eclectic art collections; the silver-footed tub; the narrowest house with a boat bar; and much, much more. All of this combined to produce a very successful tour and lots of money – over $7,000 – to be used for Eastport projects such as the flowers on the bridge, sending eligible Eastport children to summer camp(s), co-sponsoring community events with EBA, seed money for the book on Eastport (soon to be published), and help with public parks. Other projects are being considered as this goes to press.
A warm thank you to all the homeowners for graciously opening their homes to complete strangers to see and appreciate their design/decorating creativity. Without them there would be no tour. So many visitors commented on the uniqueness of each house and the range of sizes and styles. Unique IS Eastport’s middle name after all. Thank you to Annapolis Maritime Museum for letting us use their Back Creek location for ticket sales and distribution. The volunteers there enjoyed a lovely breeze coming off of the creek and a beautiful view of the bay. Thanks to the many docents. Last minute pleas for volunteers allowed us to have two 2-hr shifts enabling the docents to enjoy the tour as well. And last, but hardly least, thank you to our advertisers and sponsors – Ahh, Coffee, Artist’s Framer, Boatyard Bar & Grill, Davis’ Pub, Mercedes, City of Annapolis, Lewnes’, W&P Nautical, Claire Murray (provided door prize).
My personal gratitude goes to the hardworking Home & Garden Tour Committee and other helpers - Lee Finney (program chair, house selection, go-fer, moral support, etc.), Dretta Peterson (docents & balloons), Jean McCoy (treasurer), Jane Lawrence (program narrative), Rosemary Frietas (house & poster drawings), Patsy Helmetag (poster & postcard graphics), Linda Hughes (publicity), Shelley Row (advertising), Elizabeth Foscue, Marcia Marshall and Vic Pascoe (house selection), Bob & Kathy Adams, Janine Barbacane, Dick Emmett (distribution of posters & postcards), Rita Snyder & Shelley Deutschle (ticket table), Hugh Bernard (event signs), Dick Emmett & Dick Peterson (go-to-guys on day of event).
-- Phyllis Emmett, ECA board member and H&G Tour Chair
To contact Phyllis about getting involved in this event, please e-mail her at board5@eastportcivic.org.