America's Coolest Small Town Captured

You have never seen Berlin, Md like this before.

We are proud to present The Globe's First Berlin Photography Showcase, a collection of work from sixteen local photographers. These photographers range from novice to professional, life-long locals to newer residents, but all share a sincere love of Americas Coolest Small Town.

We invite you to visit The Balcony and Side Stage Galleries this September and October, and enjoy Berlin captured through the lens of sixteen unique perspectives.

The Opening Reception for The Berlin Photography Showcase will be held Friday September 12, 2014 from 5pm to 9pm in The Balcony Art Gallery. Meet Our Photographers, Lounge with Light Refreshments, and Stroll the Streets of Historic Downtown Berlin for Berlin 2nd Friday.

Meet our sixteen photographers below.

Wyatt Harrison

"The ability of Berlin to transcend generations is what inspires me the most.  For me, a walk down Main St. conjures memories of Rayne’s Reef milkshakes while for my Dad, it might be riding his bike to catch a movie at The Globe.  This timeless quality (along with a place called Burley Oak) keeps drawing me from the hustle of Ocean City more and more."

 Wyatt Harrison is a 26 year old from Ocean City, MD.  After high school, he attended the University of San Diego and graduated with a BA in Anthropology.  Working the summers in Ocean City afforded him the ability to travel, where his love for photography developed and he saw an opportunity for his own business, Plak That.  He currently runs the printing company full time and resides in Ocean City, MD.

Natalee DeHart

"Graduating with a Bachelors in History, I never realized that my love for the past would be reflected in my photography. Living and working in #MDsCoolestSmallTown has inspired me to capture the history that surrounds us in photographs. 

I moved to the Eastern Shore to enjoy a slower pace of life after spending several years working in fast-paced settings. As the owner of Good Clean Fun Life, an arts and entertainment magazine online, I have had the opportunity to spread good vibes, promote entertainment, artists, and events across the Mid-Atlantic region through my photography."

Chloe Ferber

"Berlin has inspired me for a long time; not just downtown, but all of the surrounding areas as well. I wanted to capture the welcoming serenity of the outskirts of town. Berlin to me is relaxed but full of life, which is what I admire most."

Chloe Ferber is a photographer and multimedia artist from Berlin, Maryland. Her inspiration comes from nature and the nature of people around her. She offers a wide variety of creative services with a unique touch!

Joseph Lamberti

"My job requires me to occasionally photograph news in Berlin, but the town and its folks render each experience to be truly rad. I honestly spend most of my free time here.

I grew up in New Jersey and found photography while studying film production in college and fooling around with my girlfriend's DSLR. I made a handful of short films which led to a job filming high school football. I eventually landed an internship at a newspaper in Texas through a photojournalist friend, and eight months later found myself as a staff photographer for The Daily Times here on this thing we call Delmarva."

Carol Scott

"Berlin Maryland, a quaint, charming, family friendly, festival packed small town full of  unspoiled niceness. The relaxing 2nd Friday Art Stroll, the exciting bathtub races,  the talent displayed at the Fiddlers convention,  the beautiful Victorian Christmas, and so much more, there is something for every photographer.  Berlin is indeed  America's Coolest Small (Photogenic) town."

I retired to Ocean Pines on a part time basis 8 years ago. After seeing photographs at an art show I accepted the challenge to take some of my own. Through the Ocean Pines Camera Club my love of photography has grown as has my ability through the many activities and workshops of the club.

Ralph Hastings

"The town of Berlin always reminds me of just how connected the past is with the present. The hundred year-old buildings in the quietness of early morning are a favorite subject for my camera. The darkened storefronts, the Globe, the Atlantic Hotel, and the enchanting homes further along, all can be imagined being inhabited many years before. And yet just a couple of hours later “today” creeps back with its hustle and bustle, activities of all sort, days blending into evenings, shopping and dining, street festivals and artisan wares, carriage rides, and antiques everywhere. This is the Berlin of today! This too inspires me. I am never without my camera. As I turn a corner, or cross a street, I never know just where I’ll find the next iconic shot. 

Born and raised in Ocean City, I worked on the water as a youth and seventeen years for Worcester County, and have always had a keen appreciation for the fragile land and water environment around us.  At present I am employed with Chesapeake Labs, Salisbury, where much of my time is in the field, taking me along the back roads and waterways throughout the lower Eastern Shore. Never without my cameras, I am constantly alert for opportunities to stop and capture that perfect landscape or wildlife shot. It is always exciting to then experiment with these images in order to interpret them through varied computer techniques and personally developed mediums."

Alan Reynolds

"Berlin is clearly a special place; certainly deserved of the title "America's Coolest Small Town." There is something about Berlin that just instantly relaxes me and puts me in a pleasant frame of mind every time I come to town. My family and I only moved here a little more than two years ago, but I already feel more at home here than I have since I left my childhood home over two decades ago."

Alan and his family moved to Berlin in 2012 after living in Tennessee for over 15 years. He is a computer programmer that is extremely fortunate to work from home. Most Wednesday nights, he can be found at the Globe with his family and friends playing trivia!"

Gina Whaley

"Berlin has been home to me for over 15 years and to this day when I pull down Main Street I feel a sense of comfort and ease. Whether it is sitting on the front porch of the Atlantic Hotel or an awesome Saturday night at the Globe with my favorite people I am grateful to know that this where I come from and this is what I call home.

My name is Gina Whaley. As a native to Berlin, I find myself with my camera in hand capturing all the beauty that surrounds me on the Eastern Shore. I enjoy shooting people, landscapes and music, truthfully there is nothing I don't enjoy capturing."

Sandra Grzybowski

"I just love the town of Berlin.  I am small town girl and love that this little place is such a wonderful experience.  I like taking photography's of older objects and architecture, so this town is perfect. Going to Berlin always takes me back in memories, time and good fun.

I am retired, a member of the Center for the Arts in Ocean City, Maryland, which gave me an outlet to display my work.  I enjoy the benefits of being involved with the photography and art world.  It gives me an outlet to express myself and use the eye I have for this."

Jay Cathell

"Having worked in Berlin on and off since the mid ‘60’s, I have seen the town rise from an aging and lifeless community to one with renewed pride and a sense of vitality. It has risen to the forefront of “small town America”. The events that the town inspires bring me back time and time again to record images that I love.

After retiring 12 years ago I began to ardently pursue art of photography that has been a lifetime hobby. Studying photography and Photoshop and of course capturing the images, takes me to locations and leads me to people that become my subjects. Meeting the folks along the way and making new friends is something I cherish. I have joined professional organizations, entered my work into competitions, attended schools, taken tutorials and seek out others with the same desire to continually improve my skills."

Barbara Loffler

"After growing up in the city of Philadelphia and living in the cities of Chicago and Washington, DC, to me, Berlin is a haven of tranquility combined with the friendliness of a small town and the aura of a time gone by.

I live in Berlin (Ocean Pines) with my husband Andy and our 2 furbabies, Max, a Shih Tzu and Angel Marie, a Bichon. I enjoy golf, bridge, reading and traveling."

Greg Poulos

"Berlin is a wonderful backdrop for any photographer. The charm of it's atmosphere and people make it a street photographers dream."

Greg Poulos has been photographing around his home of Ocean City, Maryland since his first photography class at the University of Miami. In the thirty years since then he has studied at Brooks Institute of Photography and Maryland College Institute of Art. Greg has won numerous awards including, most recently a Merit Award from Black and White Magazine and has a book of Ocean City photographs called "Moments, Ocean City, Maryland".

Uriah Pennington

Uriah has a natural eye for revealing the beauty in nature and hidden details in everyday life. 

Uriah has captured diverse images and culture of his travels to places such as London, San Francisco, the Mayan Ruins of Mexico, and Longwood Gardens. While photographing in southern California, Uriah met world-famous surf photographer legend and long-time inspiration, Aaron Chang at his Solano Beach Gallery. Aaron generously provided personal industry wisdom and experience.

Uriah discovered his talent and passion for photography in the darkroom at Henderson High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania. First exposed to the art of photography in the early 1990s, Uriah learned to shoot 35mm film on a manual camera. He studied developing techniques such as multiple exposure imaging, emulsion transfers and solarization. Uriah was accepted to the Photography Program at the Philadelphia Art Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Rachael Pacella

"Berlin is all shadows and streetlights and (maybe) ghosts at night, and that's usually when I'm around. The darkness is calming to me. The roads are silent and empty, but if you look in the right places you can still find sparks of life - silhouettes moving in windows, a man taking a drag of a cigarette on a porch. Taking pictures in low light is an added challenge, but a worthwhile one to get shots of America's Coolest Small Town after dark."

Rachael Pacella is a life-long local who spends most of her days writing and talking to people, and now occasionally taking photographs. She likes boats, drinks way too much Burley Oak beer and is an active trivia participant.

Wayne Holland, Jr.

"I love exploring the hidden views of life, capturing a moment in time, seeing that secret visual gem and immortalizing it."

A Delmarva native Wayne Holland Jr went from a passion for cooking, working the resort towns from Rehoboth to Ocean City to Traveling across the country nomadically finding my niche. 10 states later I'm trading a chefs knife for a Camera.

Ron Michaels

"Berlin is such a charming, architectural gem that it begs me to photograph it. It is no wonder why Berlin was voted The Coolest Small Town in America. I've always known it!

I taught Special Needs Children for 30 years and was always looking for ways to engage them in learning and in looking at things in new and different ways. I found photography and especially nature shots to be both inspiring as well as therapeutic. I feel special and blessed to be retired and living in Ocean City, Maryland. The Eastern Shore is truly a bounty of natural photographic opportunities."

Ode to Globe, Where I Grew Up

Alright dear reader, full disclosure. The post you are about to read about The Globe is being written by someone who technically no longer works there.

It's true. After 2 years at The Globe, I moved to Baltimore yesterday. (Insert lots of emotions.) But I thought anyone who's reading this knows how I feel about eating at The Globe (swoon), or going to see the artwork, or listening to some music on a weekend night, but what about working there? So hey I'll tell ya. I would say I'm qualified.

It's not easy. Working at The Globe is not for those who want to get comfortable, or turn their brain off for a shift. It is not a place where you can throw your hands up and say, "Whatever, good enough." Everybody working at The Globe is working hard. For instance, the reservation book is airtight. The front desk staff has been trained to get the most detailed reservations they possibly can. They strive to pinpoint exactly what table would best suit the needs of the guest on the phone (stairs/no stairs, high chair/booster seat, upstairs or downstairs, etc.), and then they make sure that even if the restaurant is packed to the gills with people that table will be available at the correct time. The waitstaff can describe anything on the menu (which is huge) and anything on the specials sheet (which changes daily). They have been drilled on which items are gluten-free, the spiceyness factor of each dish, how each cheese on the cheese plate tastes and what country it is from, you name it. That's not to mention the drink menu - the servers can tell you which beers on tap are hoppy, citrusy, nutty, heavy, light, summery, etc. and probably a little bit about the brewery each beer is from. And the beers on tap change almost weekly. The bartenders have an encyclopedic knowledge of every drink ever - how an Old Fashioned is traditionally made, what fruit garnish each drink usually takes, the body of each glass of wine. I asked Hilari how the new Pinot Noir tastes (as a plebe, I was looking for descriptors like "dark red," "dry," or "really winey," and I got a run down on where Bridlewood Pinot Noir is made, a little bit about the grape itself, and what food it best pairs with.

You get the idea. A lot of knowledge and hard labor goes on in that building. But here's the thing:  you'd think we all stay on our toes to avoid getting in trouble - that's how it goes with jobs, right? You do your job right so you get a pat on the back from your boss and your weekly paycheck. But at The Globe, people work hard to know their stuff so that they can do their jobs well and best accomodate the guest. It's true! They care! Not to say they're the only restaurant that does - Berlin is blessed with an array of awesome places to eat - but I was blown away almost daily by the lengths our staff would go to to accommodate folks that joined us for a meal.

So, I'll miss it. I would not be amiss to say that The Globe is one of the places where I grew up. If you work somewhere that continually encourages betterment you can't help but improve a little as a person. Thanks, Globe staff and Globe guests. You all reading better go get a margarita and a seafood burrito so I can live vicariously through you.

Food Drive Time!

     When you're part of a community as wonderful as Berlin, you can't help but want to give back. We participate in clothing drives, charity auctions - and we're glad to do it. The Globe was a drop off point for a clothing drive for victims of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and it really made everyone's heart a little lighter to fill up the entire Gallery with shoes, socks, and sweaters that the lovely people of Berlin brought to us. We loaded up an entire truck and it really felt good.

     So, we are hosting a food drive! We are collaborating with Maryland Foodbank and Burley Oak to collect food for families in need all over the Eastern Shore. The main event will be at Burley Oak at 6pm on Monday, June 16th (as part of Burley Oak's fantastic Monday charity series), but The Globe will be taking food donations all week starting on June 10th. Dig that canned food out of your cabinet and leave it with us!

    In order to coordinate the food drive, I (Front Desk Becky) met up with Ralph Hickman, one of the Directing Managers at the Maryland Foodbank in Salisbury. He was kind enough to give me a tour of their warehouse and speak a little bit about what they do. The Foodbank provides to families all over Maryland and even has after-school programs for children who are "food-insecure," meaning they're not sure where their next meal is coming from. Mr. Hickman told me that while it used to be 1 in 4, now 1 in every 5 kids in the area the Foodbank serves is food insecure, and while I'm glad for the improvement it's still very heartbreaking. Hungry kids have evident trouble paying attention in school, maintaining their energy levels, and controlling their behavior.

    The Foodbank gets food donations from all kinds of places - they buy food from grocery stores at discounted rates, take food which is just past the shelf-date but still USDA-approved from bulk-sale stores like Sam's Club and Costco, they collect food from government donations, and they even obtain food from local farms. But the number one source of food is donations from food drives. So let's do it! Bring in those canned peas you were going to make casserole with but ordered pizza instead! Drop them off at the Globe between June 10th and June 16th or (even better) come to our event at Burley Oak at 6pm on June 16th! Bonus: For every pound of food donated, the Globe will donate 50 cents! We'll be glad to see you :)

Donate at: The Globe June 10th-June 16th & Burley Oak @ 6pm on June 16th
Food Drive Finale Event @ Burley Oak 6pm June 16th - 10% of all Bar Sales and All Tips from Burley Oak go to Maryland Food Bank! The Globe will match food donations 50 cents to the pound!

Check that out! Thousands of pounds of food!

I didn't ask if I could drive the forklift because I am a grownup. *Sigh*

That guy right there is helping his community AND knew all the words to "Happy" by Pharrell. I know, I saw him.

Chesapeake Women's Network (An Inside Peek)

Working at the front desk is an unusual experience at times. The host desk's focus is directed entirely at the front door; we cannot see anything going on anywhere else in the restaurant unless we leave the desk. So, over the course of my shift, I hear lots of things that go unexplained. I'll be standing at the desk and overhear the bartender say something like, "So I'm there, pants around my ankles-" and I'll dart over in attempt to hear more when the phone rings and it's too late. On a Murder Mystery night I might be going over the reservation book and overhear a staged gunshot, or an actor shout something like, "not MY husband!" and be dying to get upstairs to investigate but unable to leave the stand. At times it is heartbreaking - there's always something fun or interesting going on somewhere in the Globe.

So when I was finally invited to attend a CWN meeting, I jumped at the chance. CWN, or Chesapeake Women's Network, meets on the second Tuesday of every month at about 6pm in the Balcony Art Gallery (the source of many mysterious goings on in the host universe). CWN is a group of intelligent, active, and very social women whom I will admit I was a little intimidated by, but who also turned out to be quite welcoming. We all gathered upstairs to mingle for about a half hour before sitting down to hear a speaker on the topic "How to Win Friends and Influence People." I had never read Dale Carnegie's book, but from what I had heard its message is an important and timeless one, so I was excited to hear more.

We sat down and enjoyed some quality Globe food, grilled chicken and sauteed vegetables. The speaker introduced herself and her topic, and suddenly I was no longer at work. It is usually impossible for me to be in the building without worrying about something - fixing a wobbly table, answering the phone, etc. - but that vanished in the midst of the crackly energy exuded by this speaker and the women she was addressing. The speaker, Tammy, shared with us the importance of navigating conflict gracefully, making coworkers and peers feel valued, and learning to understand the differences in others as differences, rather than flaws or shortcomings. I was enraptured and determined to put these new lessons to work as soon as I could. Women around the room were generous enough to share their experiences and stories, and the group I was dining with became more interesting by the minute. I met one woman that night who has decided, while living on the Eastern Shore, to take up dogsledding (like, full-on Iditarod/Balto mushing). She is 63, writes her own blog about nutrition and health, owns 5 huskies of her own, and has been dogsledding for 3 years. All I could think while talking to her is that I want to be her when I grow u

I left CWN gratified to know that the goings on at the Globe deserve all the curiosity I'd been harboring, and delighted that I'd finally gotten a peek at what goes on beyond the front desk. I'm grateful for the experience and would recommend it to any woman in the area who is looking for something to do on the second Tuesday of every month. 

Mother's Day Thoughts

With Mother’s Day right around the corner on May 11^th, we at the Globe took a break from gearing up for what will certainly be a busy Mother’s Day Sunday Brunch and took a moment to think about our own moms. I asked everyone I came across if they could spare a moment to tell me their favorite thing about their mom, and of course they all could.

Karen, a waitress here at the Globe, smiled a huge smile and said, “My mom is my absolute best friend in the world. She’s my rock.”

Molly, also a waitress, shifted an enormous tray of drinks on her shoulder and cracked an equally huge smile. “I talk to my mom every day, even though she lives 500 miles from me.”

Jeff, an always upbeat kitchen cook who makes a killer chicken pesto sub said, “My mom’s very imaginative. She’s always been so creative.”

Aveon, another cook, said, “My mom has super powers.” I work with Aveon, and he always makes me smile but I would have to agree that whoever raised him would need those.

Claire, our tech and social media wizard let out a few thoughtful “ohs,” and hopped from foot to foot before saying, “I have so many favorite things! Her free spirit, her confidence, and her awesome sharp wit.”

Greg, our bar manager and the creator of George’s Bloody Mary Mix, had a little more time to tell me about his mother, Bunny. Greg was sitting at his office – a bar table that he periodically claims by covering it in notebooks – but put aside his work to say, “I really enjoy spending time with her. She’s always been fun. I was the youngest of five, and I always felt comfortable talking to her about anything. I was lucky to have that, looking back. On Friday nights, she and my Aunt Dot would make pizza for all of us. Dot had 10 kids; her kitchen table was the size of the bar (the Coppertop Bar, which dwarfs most kitchen tables) and they had a Vulcan range stove. We could all bring a friend, and all my friends wanted my mom’s pizza, so there would be 30, 60 kids ages 8 to 25 eating pizza. Mom made the sauce, Dot made the dough. That sauce…it was phenomenal.”         

So here’s to moms; witty moms, creative moms, loving moms, pizza chef moms, moms who inspire us and moms who are always there with advice and a big hug.  Thank you for so much, and we wish you the best Mother’s Day.