Crisfield’s residents would soon be left behind, he said. The city is just completing a comprehensive plan and is seeking bids for the development of its own revitalization plan, aimed at finding that elusive balance between encouraging growth while preserving a way of life (fishing) that is becoming increasingly untenable. There are also plans for trying to help watermen with legislation. One of them is to make sure that the Small Boat Harbor stays in their hands. If passed, the ordinance would allow those recreational boaters who now own docks in the harbor to keep them, but when they do sell, it must be to someone in the marine industry.
Skippy and Hal were just coming back down Main Street when I stepped out of the mayor’s office. “Go scout out the perfect place for dinner, while I make one last stop,” I called out, ducking into Heart of the Home Fine Foods. Whitey Schmidt had suggested that I talk with its proprietor, Susan Linyear. “She’s part of the good change that’s coming,” Schmidt had said. The shop certainly looked like a change for Crisfield. Coffees, teas, specialty foods. Cheese. Hmmm, I thought, I think I see what’s coming.
Linyear is definitely a Crisfield come-here. Before she saw an ad for retail space on the internet, she’d never even heard of the place. “I had been a personal chef and caterer for several years, and I was looking for some space in D.C. to open my own shop,” Linyear said. “I saw the Crisfield ad and came down to take a look. I loved the ambience of the town, and I absolutely loved the price.” She opened Heart of the Home this March. As the weather has warmed up, so has her business. “People are asking for specific things, like apple or vanilla tea, or a particular barbecue