Through the Looking Glass On February 24th

Aberdeen Proving Grounds will once again be testing their long range spy glasses on Betterton Beach on February 24th, according to a recent communique directly from APG. For those who didn't see the earlier post, this exercise will have military people dressed in garb from foreign soil roaming our beach and nearby areas. These individuals may or may not be accompanied by military vehicles. It is not a threat but a test.

Earlier attempts have been hampered by weather. The B Blogger would welcome any pictures that residents in town on the 24th might catch in the early morning hours. It is advised, however, that unless you wish to pose for a pin up calendar that you exhibit some caution before gazing out your window in a nighty or undergarment.

Speaking of pictures if you attended our first ever Movie Night at the BCC this past Friday, please post your thoughts of this event below. The B-Blogger caught a glimpse of Carol M and Ken W on their way to the movie but haven't seen them since.

Neighboring Village Looking for Solution

The T shirt says "Where the hell is Betterton? 3 miles north of Still Pond". However after the recent fire at the Still Pond store and post office, the village is hurting over the potential destruction of this historic place. Check out the video from the Baltimore Sun at :

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-stillpond-20110214,0,7248097.story

or just click on the title of this post. If you have ideas for saving this structure or other thoughts to aid our neighbors, why not leave a comment below! Perhaps we could offer our new community center as a site for a local fundraiser?

A Family Bonding Night - Movie Night at BCC (click here)

With the threat of another winter storm looming towards the end of the next week, what better than making plans for something close to home with food and friends. The BCDC will be hosting its first movie night (PG-rating) at the newly refurbished Betterton Community Center says Bettertonian Ann Hedgepeth.

BCDC would like to invite young and old and all ages in between to join us for our first family movie night at the Town of Betterton Community Center. Everyone is welcome and its FREE!

Click on to this Posting's Title and see the movie's trailer.

We encourage you to come early to spend some time exploring the Community Center, visiting with friends and meeting neighbors before the movie gets rolling.

Some chairs and other seating will be available and we will need to seat some people on the floor as well. Bring a pillow to make your movie viewing more comfy! While refreshments will be provided feel comfortable bringing a favorite treat that you might wish to share, too.

Our town The Jewel of the Chesapeake Bay shines a bit brighter by having another place for residents, families and friends to spend time together. We are fortunate to have this unique community center as a gathering space. Mark your calendar, plan to attend and spread the word!

Friday, February 18, 2011
Doors open at 6:45 pm
Film to begin around 7:00 pm
Film - Toy Story 3
Refreshments will be provided

Please contact Ann Hedgepeth if you have any questions about this event: 410.348.5282 (please leave a message) or annhedgepeth@gmail.com.

War Games and Weather

It wasn't too many years ago that a local resident commented about concerns that the proposed Betterton fly-in community could serve as a beach front for enemies to enter our country. Many giggled at the time but if you are in Betterton this week of January 24th, you are probably witnessing just this scenario with Aberdeen Proving Grounds (ABG) war games on Betterton Beach. Originally, the plan was only a single day of men and women dressed in Middle Eastern garb and the presence of ATV's on the beach, but most recent updates from Annette Green seem to imply a multi-day event. Should you have any specific questions about the event you can contact James Fielder at james.fielder@us.army.mil.

The good news is that this is not a blood and guts exercise but rather one of looking and seeing as ABG is testing some highly specialized vision devices to see what they can see from the other side of the Bay. The B- Blogger wants to know if they are looking into my windows or any one's in the condo? Depending on their focus, they might be able to report who is going to Church on Sunday and who is not?

As the B-Blogger is presently in the City of Brotherly Love, I would encourage all Bettertonians within the Jewel to POST their thoughts and visions of what is actually occurring on the Beach as well as provide weather updates on this unexpected winter storm. Get your pictures posted by sending them to makdvm@gmail.com. Who knows the Jewel may actually move from a location to the destination that saved the US from an outside enemy attack!

Only 6 months to Betterton Day 2011

Its hard to believe that with wind chills bringing our ambient temperatures well below 32 degrees, that anyone in their right mind would say its time to plan for Betterton Day, however, the B-Blogger says its the perfect time. Mayor Sorge has said, very accurately, that Betterton is not a destination but rather a location. The B-Blogger says an ever improving Betterton Day can make the Jewel into a destination. When people come then local business survives and our town can then look to new sources of revenue, rather than the resident's wallets.

Enhancing Betterton Day means getting the word out early to near and far as well as coming up with new ideas and events to draw the crowds and have a great time. This being said the B-Blogger has been told that the first order of duty needs to be an enhanced working relationship between our Fire Company and the BCDC. The organizers must be aligned with respect to the betterment of Betterton. Hopefully, some of our Blog readers will belly up to the bar and get a joint committee up and running.

The next step will be determining what should be new and what should remain? How do we use and showcase our new community center? Should we have an early morning Boomer Bike Ride or Walk? More floats, bands and/or vendors? What about a bake off where the men with the best recipes show their stuff to a panel of women judges? How about a kid's tractor pull in the firehouse lot? A tennis tournament? Do we have some Red Hatters who would march? I can't wait to see the suggestions that you come up with, posted below. Have at it friends and neighbors, where do we go from here?

Its Not About Naugthy or Nice but Stranded or Not

While some dreamed of a white Christmas B-Town was blessed with a shade of gray, a wisp of frigid wind and a field full of white geese doing their best to create an illusion of snow. To the Blogger's surprise many residents chose to travel to family and relatives outside the Jewel and leave our wonderful hamlet a bit desolate for those that remained. To top this off many that did leave have been unable to return as they are stranded in locations hit by this weekend's winter storm. The Blogger and family left on Sunday during the height of the storm to travel North to the City of Brotherly Love. While Dr. Mel reports that B-Town was spared any accumulation of white, the Blogger reports that they have 11.8 inches of white throughout Philadelphia as evidenced in the photo above.

City Council members want us to know of a good deed done by our water meter reader, who happened to notice icicles on the inside of a First Avenue home. She immediately contacted Councilman Zellers and with the aid of Karen Russo, the residents were notified of a massive water pipe burst within their home. While there was significant damage done, it could have been much worse if our meter reader had not acted as she did. We should all be grateful to those neighbors and friends who keep an eye out for the little clues that can catch a big problem. A word to the wise is that if you will be leaving your home, especially during these winter months, shut off your water or at least the valves that go to sinks and toilets as well as ask a neighbor to keep an eye open.

So what's your Christmas story and or adventure? Lets hear about it with a post below.

Tis the Season

While the sun was shedding its rays on the Jewel today the thermometer barely reached 40 degrees and this evening is expected to bring below freezing temperatures, so just in case you weren't aware winter is knocking at our door. For some the thought of cold is more than chilling but this holiday season offers warmth with friends, family, food and drink. While Christmas brings bells, holly and Santa, Chanukah brings the festival of lights and as last year's photo reminds us, Betterton is and will be a town of bells, holly and lights for all and if you listen closely perhaps you'll hear Santa's reindeer as they lite on our Community Center's roof, thank goodness its been repaired. Oh! have you seen the trees that have been planted around the Center thanks to the grant that Joe Stock helped us secure?

To get the holiday spirit into full bloom, the Blogger has decided to use this post as an opportunity to share good wishes and good food. So our readers are encouraged to post their good thoughts and hopes and offer up their favorite recipe. To get us started the Blogger wants to wish all his fellow Bettertonians much happiness and health in the coming year and may B-Town blossom in 2011.

Now here is the Blogger's favorite recipe for Latkes (pronounced LOT KA's), potato pancakes served during Chanukah.

Ingredients:
6 Yukon Gold Potatoes ( about 2 lbs) peeled and halved
1-2 yellow onions (finely chopped)
2 large fresh eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons of all purpose flower
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4- 3/4 tsp of ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying, or if your arteries can take it, Chicken fat

Chop the potatoes in a food processor to a slightly lumpy slurry, or grate them by hand like my grandmother did. Use cheesecloth to drain the water from the potatoes, give them a good squeeze. Place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl and add the onion, eggs, flour, and seasoning. Mix well.
In a large fry pan heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil or chicken fat until it bubbles
Use about 1 tablespoon of the potato mixture for each pancake and cook a batch at a time depending on the size of your skillet. Cook the each latke for 2-3 minutes on each side until it browns. It is ok to flatten the latke as it cooks.
Drain the hot latkes on paper towels and then keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

You can augment the latkes by adding applesauce or sour cream as a topping.