In 2017, Lorie Stout had a conversation with Jennifer Balducci about what they thought was an eyesore in the community. They drove past it every day on their way to work, and they felt a burning desire to do something about it.
There was a long fence that ran along Forest Drive in front of the sports fields at Annapolis Middle School (AMS). They investigated the fence, and they were confused as to why it existed. It stood alone and unattached to any surrounding structures. They thought that the fence might make sense if it were to prevent stray balls from sports games from entering the street, but as it stood alone and so far away from the fields, the logic of the fence existing the way it did was baffling. The most confounding part about the fence was that it had barbed wire running along the top. It looked horrible, and they were concerned that children could potentially get hurt by playing on or around the fence.
Lorie and Jennifer are local business owners who are members of the South Forest (SOFO) business group, which is also a community service non-profit organization. Jennifer (the current president of SOFO) is a physical therapist and the owner of One. Physical Therapy, Fitness and Wellness Center. Lorie (the current treasurer of SOFO) is a graphic designer and the owner of Stout Gear Promotional Products.
The ladies brought the AMS fence to the attention of the other members of SOFO. Their initial thought was to find out what would be necessary to have the fence removed, or at a minimum to have the barbed wire removed. They searched to find the owner of the fence, but the information they found led to a few challenges. There was uncertainty regarding who the owner was.
After talking with a number of key players in the community about the fence, they received permission to remove the barbed wire from the fence. During the removal process, a number of community members stepped up and decided to go a step further and remove the fallen leaves from around the fence to beautify the area. After working on the barbed wire removal, Lorie felt that more could be done to support the beautification effort.
An idea came to her after a visit to Bates Middle School. She remembered that the school had decorated the fences near their school with stars. She had a lightbulb moment: she could gather children from the community to decorate the AMS fence. The AMS Fence project was born in that moment.
Understanding the value of hard work, members of SOFO felt it would be important to give something special to the students who put in the effort to assist in beautifying the fence. So Jennifer, Lorie, and the SOFO leadership decided to organize the opportunity for all the contributors to have a day on Chesapeake Bay after their work. “What’s great about the project is the youth who work on the project get rewarded by having a day in the Bay on a boat. We really wanted them to connect to the maritime theme,” Jennifer Balducci.
It is important to understand that projects like these do require assistance in a variety of ways. With the assistance of grants, the Crossroads Heritage Foundation, and the City of Annapolis Art in Public Places Commission, the SOFO AMS Fence project lives on. The project is open to receiving donations and supplies, to continue the living beautification project. In addition, the project is looking forward to more artistic contributions by other local youth organizations. For more information about donations or participating in the SOFO AMS Fence Project contact Lorie Stout at Lorie@StoutGear.com.
SOFO is constantly working to engage the community and offer opportunities for people of all ages to get together. This summer they are offering Drive-in Movie Nights at the Bay Ridge Shopping Center. They occur the last Friday of every month starting in July and end in October. For more information about this and other SOFO events email SOFOinformation@gmail.com.
Louis Nesbitt, PDM Department