Margot Amelia, director of the Maryland Office of Tourism, said: “We are fortunate to have so many spectacular gardens in our state. They are truly places that merit making a special trip to see. Or, they can easily be the centerpieces for a Maryland getaway.”

Among the state's unique gardens: Adkins Arboretum on the Eastern Shore has the Delmarva region's largest collection of native plants. Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park and Art Center in Southern Maryland presents museum-quality artwork amid its nature areas. Ladew Topiary Gardens has 15 themed “garden rooms" at its Harford County location.

“Coppin State, which has the newest sports venue in the state, will get significant exposure on ESPN,” said Terry Hasseltine, director of the Maryland Office of Sports Marketing. The Coppin State Physical Education Complex – a facility that has a 4,100-seat basketball arena, an NCAA-regulation outdoor track, soccer field, softball field and tennis courts – opened Feb. 27.

The NHSI selects teams in accordance with the ESPN RISE FAB 50's end-of-season rankings. Tickets are available at NHSIHoops.com and the Coppin State University box office.

Delmarva ‘Space Coast' could be major attraction
Florida has its “Space Coast,” and if all goes well, the Delmarva Peninsula will eventually have one, too.

Tourism officials from Maryland, Virginia and Delaware recently met in Ocean City to discuss strategies for establishing a tourist destination tied to NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, located on Virginia's Eastern Shore, 15 miles below Pocomoke City in Worcester County.

A group of Eastern Shore universities are researching the potential economic impact of visitors at launch events. And, tourism leaders are looking at the feasibility of space camps and “zero-gravity” flights. The flights – which can now cost approximately $5,000 – provide weightlessness experiences through the parabolic maneuvers of an airplane.

Wallops launched its first rocket in 1945. Since then – as one of the world's oldest launch centers – it has conducted more than 14,000 launches. A new launch pad is currently under construction at Wallops to accommodate the planned launch of eight unmanned-missions between 2011 and 2015. The missions will deliver supplies to the International Space Station.

Arts Council's Pamela Dunne retires April 1
Pamela Dunne, assistant director at the Maryland State Arts Council, will retire April 1 after a 17-year career at the Arts Council. Dunne began her tenure in 1983 as a program assistant for the Arts in Education Program. She later became program director. The program – designed to advance the arts and arts education in elementary and secondary schools – thrived as Dunne demonstrated her skill in connecting with school administrators and artist-teachers.

Dunne also showed a talent for maintaining fairness in the creation of grant policies and guidelines. As assistant director for Grants and Programs, she applied her skill to a variety of programs – including Grants for Organizations and Individual Artist Awards – and to her work with county arts councils. Her meticulous and thoughtful approach to grant programs was supported by her frequent assertion that she “loves this stuff.”

During recent months, Dunne directed the Arts and Entertainment District Program – the statewide network of 18 designated districts in which the arts and arts enterprises have bolstered local economies.

Maryland writer ‘dishes up' local recipes
A new cookbook that highlights Maryland foods and recipes will be released this month. The book is titled Dishing Up Maryland: 150 recipes for the freshest flavors from the Alleghenies to the Chesapeake.

Author Lucie L. Snodgrass, in the book's introduction, says it was her intent to focus on Maryland's farmers and watermen; draw attention to local products in the state; and provide a guide for eating locally and seasonally. “I was struck by the extraordinary diversity of edible offerings in our state … ” she writes.

The recipes include such dishes as: Grilled confetti Rockfish (Brome Howard Inn, St. Mary's County); Smith Island cake (Susan Evans, Somerset County); Risotto with fresh greens and basil (Black Ankle Vineyards, Frederick County); Pan-fried Maryland soft-shell crabs with lemons, capers and herbs (Cantler's Riverside Inn, Anne Arundel County); and Blueberry fruit kuchen (Spring Valley Farms, Cecil County).

Snodgrass has written about food for The Washington Post, Baltimore Sun and Vegetarian Times. She resides on a farm in northeastern Maryland. Maryland photographer Edwin Remsberg provided the images in the book.

Jewish Film Festival opening at Baltimore County venue
Now in its 22nd year, the Baltimore Jewish Film Festival runs April 8 – May 17, primarily at the Gordon Center for Performing Arts, located at the Jewish Community Center in Owings Mills. Each screening features a post-film discussion with guest speakers or panels.

The festival, which receives a grant from the Maryland Film Office, drew 4,700 patrons at the 2009 event. “We're deeply honored by the recognition from the Film Office,” said Claudine Davison, director of the festival. “It certainly helps us to provide the community with a diverse range of films that without the festival would never make it to public screenings.”

Films on this year's program were made in England, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Poland and Russia. “Our line-up of films will connect viewers with both different and common cultures across true and imaginary borders,” Davison said.

FAM tour highlights Baltimore art scene
An English travel writer – on assignment for Guardian News and Media in the United Kingdom – came to Baltimore this past weekend for a look at the city's art community. The Tourism Office's public relations unit worked with Visit Baltimore and the Maryland State Arts Council to arrange an itinerary.

CRUSA (Capital Region USA) had sent the writer to us after she read a piece in The New York Times last fall about Baltimore's quirky arts scene,” said Camila Clark, the Office of Tourism's public relations and promotions manager. “The overseas market has an ongoing interest in this region's arts communities.” CRUSA is the international marketing arm for Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

VisitMaryland web site outperforms last year
The latest issue of the Maryland Tourism Monitor – the Tourism Office's monthly report that measures visitor activity, advertising response and trends in state travel – is available online.

Among its findings for January: More than 165,000 prospective visitors, 17 percent of all web site visitors, have responded to online advertising this fiscal year – an increase of 36 percent over last year. Print advertising has also generated 57 percent more requests – this year over last.

Other January findings: BWI arrivals, Amtrak ridership, and preliminary leisure and hospitality employment estimates are up from last year. And, tourism-related tax codes – which declined 2.3 percent for the first seven months of the fiscal year – have outperformed overall sales-tax collections, which declined 6 percent during that same time period.

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