Chesapeake Beach, MD – A few hours after a horrific fire occurred in the Town of Chesapeake Beach Wednesday, April 3, Mayor Pat “Irish” Mahoney had a long list of things with which to deal. One of them was the status of two weekend celebrations—the bayside town’s 125th anniversary and its annual Easter celebration. The latter event was planned for Sunday, April 7 at Kellam’s Field. The field is adjacent to the site of the huge fire, which claimed two lives, displaced over one dozen families, injured several firefighters and caused an estimated $1 million in damage. The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office has determined the fire started outside the structures but investigators still don’t know the exact cause.
As it turned out, Calvert County Government’s Department of Parks and Recreation, according to Mahoney, stepped and took charge of making the event happen. The two-hour event was moved from Kellam’s Field to the county-owned and operated Northeast Community Center. Town staff, including the crew from Chesapeake Beach Water Park co-hosted the gathering, holding three Easter Egg hunts for children ranging from age 2 to 11 in the facility’s gymnasium. The Easter Bunny and other costumed characters were also part of the fun. Donations for the displaced town residents were also accepted.
Prior to the start of the festival, Mahoney asked for a moment of silence for the two females—an adult and a teen—who died in Wednesday’s fire.
“The show must go on,” declared the mayor. And so it did.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
