After a hard day out in the field running his own successful contracting company, Dale Ridgeway has the blissful luxury of escaping to a time long ago and a place far away… his basement. That’s where the proprietor of Bishopville’s Custom Line Contracting has created a 130 sq. ft. wonderland in the form of a custom train set unlike any other to be found in these parts.   “Actually, it’s my wife, Beth, who got me back into model trains after a long time away from them,” confessed Ridgeway, who found himself the grateful but surprised recipient of an HO train set the year after he and Beth had married 20 years ago.   But the initial fascination for Ridgeway started much earlier, back when he was 6, the same year his dad brought home one of those American Flyer train sets as a means to spruce up the house for the holidays.   Since then, Ridgeway has logged many miles – both by air and by rail (of course) – in the pursu... » Click here for the full story.

Olympian Michael Phelps may be the poster boy for swimming in the state of Maryland, but he’s not alone in the quest to promote its virtues. The fact is, there’s a rather ambitious swimming coach from Dahlgren, Virginia, in town who is up to his goggles doing the very same thing.   “It was a very exciting opportunity for me when I was asked to come to this area of the Eastern Shore and establish Coastal Aquatics,” said Craig Clift, who is the head coach of the Princess Anne-based swim club. “I’ve always wanted to introduce my sport to a brand-new area and just build things my way from the ground up.”   A former nationally ranked swimmer who was named team MVP each of his four scholarship years at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Clift dove into the creation and implementation of the program with both feet – and started getting results virtually immediately.   In the club’s first year, with only six ... » Click here for the full story.

"Atlantic Dental Cosmetic and Family Dentistry was created to provide our patients with outstanding modern dentistry in a relaxing atmosphere,” said Dr. Lawrence Michnick, a third-generation dentist and partner at Atlantic Dental. “We strive to make the patient comfortable, to change what was once an uncomfortable, fearful necessity into a more enjoyable experience.”   Practice founder Geoffrey Robbins, DDS, partner Lawrence Michnick, DDS and associate Christopher Takacs, DMD provide their patients with professional, comprehensive care that utilizes the very latest advances in dental technology. Atlantic Dental offers smile enhancements, full mouth restorations, cosmetic whitening, Invisalign and BriteSmile, as well as customary dental treatments for the entire family.   The office setting is a serene, spa-like atmosphere that features patient amenities such as paraffin hand waxes, warm neck towels and relaxing music. The reception area offers pa... » Click here for the full story.

Dr. Charles Brenner has been practicing dentistry on the Eastern Shore since 1973. His Salisbury-based practice, Dentistry For Young People, serves as many as 7,000 patients annually.   Dr. Brenner’s interest in dentistry began at a young age, although unfortunately for the wrong reasons. He remembers a series of traumatic experiences that occurred to him at the dentist’s office as a child. These fears remained with him for years, and actually fueled him with determination through college and dental school to create a new, positive stereotype for the pediatric dental profession. “My main goal was to create an environment for kids that allowed them to not only walk in with a smile, but to walk out with one also,” Dr. Brenner said. That atmosphere is open, inviting, decorated specifically for the patients – and completely accessible to parents who wish to accompany their children throughout the visit. “We see children under 8 ... » Click here for the full story.

"My pediatric dentist seemed to have a great career working with children in a positive atmosphere, so I decided in 9th grade to be a pediatric dentist myself.”   Ever since that day, Dr. Susan Vickers has pursued her professional goals with passion and diligence, leading to her practice, Seaside Smiles, being regarded as one of the Eastern Shore’s top pediatric/orthodontic offices.   Dr. Vickers and her staff utilize the latest advances in dental technology, including digital radiography for intra-oral and extra-oral imaging.   “Digital radiography allows us to use less exposure of radiation to capture a great diagnostic image,” Dr. Vickers said.   In addition, advantages also include immediate image preview and the ability to apply special processing techniques that enhance overall display of the image.   Dr. Vickers and her courteous, professional staff always have fun on the job. Their unofficial motto, “Life&... » Click here for the full story.

"The most rewarding aspect of my profession is enhancing an individual’s health and self esteem,” said Dr. Carrie Schwartz, owner of Schwartz Orthodontics in Salisbury. “Making a positive contribution to the health and development of a child is truly a privilege.  It is so exciting to watch children develop into adults.”   Dr. Schwartz, a native of Minnesota, has been serving the Delmarva community since 1997. She began her long-time goal of becoming an orthodontist by earning her Doctor of Dental Surgery with distinction from the University of Minnesota in 1992. She then completed a three-year orthodontic residency program at the University of Tennessee and began practicing orthodontics exclusively. In 1995, she received a Master of Science in Orthodontics. Dr. Schwartz is board certified by the American Board of Orthodontics and is a certified Invisalign provider.   Through continuing education courses and memberships in professional o... » Click here for the full story.

"I’ve always been interested in the mechanics of how things worked and the challenge of improving them,” Dr. Michael Tilghman, DDS, MS said when asked why he pursued a career in dentistry. “I love meeting people. I’ve always liked to work with my hands and enjoy the challenge of diagnosing cases and then achieving a great result.”   Dr. Tilghman has been practicing orthodontics for 10 years and has offices in Salisbury and Berlin. His work environments are state-of-the-art and feature amenities you wouldn’t ordinarily expect to find at a dentist’s office, especially at his Salisbury location.   “The atmosphere of our office is very warm and welcoming,” Dr. Tilghman said. “We wanted to create a space where patients, as well as their families, would be comfortable. In addition to providing the typical televisions and magazines, we provided a theatre and a wireless café area. We see many parents with la... » Click here for the full story.

What does ADD and ADHD stand for? ADD stands for Attention Deficit Disorder. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Technically the problem is ADD. ADD is a spectrum disorder made up of 3 subtypes: hyperactive or impulsive, inattentive, and a combination of the two. Combined-Type ADD is the most common. The difference is based on the classification of the predominant symptoms the person experiences. Is ADD/ADHD common? According to the research currently available, ADD/ADHS may be present in anywhere from 3-10% of school age children. The actual number may be higher in some communities than others. Some researchers argue that the number of children with this disorder is rising, while others maintain that it is just better diagnostic tools allowing teachers, parents and physicians to identify these children at earlier ages. What causes ADD/ADHD? Genetics may play the biggest role. ADD does appear to track in families. For example, in the case of a mother or f... » Click here for the full story.

FABULOUS DECORATED EGGS INGREDIENTS: 1 dozen hard boiled eggs Egg dying kit or several colors of food coloring Self adhesive ribbon Self adhesive stick-on jewels and/or crystals Markers, crayons, paint or any other craft items you would like INSTRUCTIONS: Cool and dry the eggs. If you are using a store bought egg dying kit, follow the directions according to the package. If you are using food coloring, mix about 20 drops of food coloring with 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a coffee cup. Add ½ cup room temperature water. Repeat the steps above to make different colors. Gently lower eggs into the cup. The longer you leave the eggs in the dye, the darker the colors will be. Once the egg reaches the desired color, remove from the cup with a spoon and pat dry with a paper towel. Allow to dry completely and decorate with your craft items. As shown, we used adhesive ribbon available at your local craft store to create a 3-D appearance on the eggs and applied self adhesive crystal... » Click here for the full story.