After the July 2016 tragedy, women of Main Street share their stories
Text by Halima Aziza and Amanda Loudin Photography by Mary C. Gardella
Though she was an expert on floods, Jodye Russell didn’t know what hit her
Philadelphia native Jodye Russell has a history with floods. As a planning manager with the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water), Russell studied flooding. But when the flood hit Ellicott City on Saturday, July 30, Russell didn’t know what hit her. Read More…
Gallery owner Robin Holliday threw her weight against the water
Art runs in Robin Holliday’s family. “My grandmother was an artist,” says Holliday, who lived with her grandmother when she was a small child. Holliday began collecting at age 20, and when she met her husband, Max Crownover, she told him on their first date that she wanted to open an art gallery. That was 10 years ago, and Holliday, who had a degree in nuclear engineering, was working at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. She opened Horse Spirit Arts, LLC, at 8090 Main Street, three years later, in 2015, and showed the work of more than 40 artists. Read More…
Tea on the Tiber embraces the opportunity to change
Though Linda Jones was initially in shock after the flood destroyed her Main Street tea room, she grew to look on the bright side. “This was a great opportunity to change things at Tea on the Tiber,” says Jones, who opened the business in 2012. Her daughter, Sarah Blazucki, established a GoFundMe page that raised $11,600 from early August to late September to help with renovations. The new tearoom, which was scheduled to open in November, features new floors and walls, with gift items moved to the front of the shop, and a larger kitchen so employees have more room to maneuver. Read More…
In spite of devastating losses – notably to the restaurant’s wine cellar – Angie Tersiguel sees the silver lining
When Angie Tersiguel looks around, she sees a community that is rebuilding. Each week since early September, more businesses have returned to Main Street. Tersiguel, mother of two, part-time blogger and wife of Chef Michel Tersiguel, owner of the eponymous French restaurant, has been happy to see so many neighbors reopen shops. “Each business is dependent on another business’s success,” she explains. “Maybe you shop at Sweet Elizabeth Jane and then have lunch. None of us can have the rewards that we have without each other.” Read More…
Mary Anne Madeiros found a temporary place for her salon, but couldn’t wait to get back to Main Street
Though Mary Anne Madeiros was displaced by the flood, she landed on her feet – specifically at Thirty Hair in Columbia, where the hairstylist was able to rent space for the remainder of the summer. But Madeiros was determined to return to her business, Salon Marielle, on Main Street, and reopened in October. “There’s a community here,” she says. She looks forward to seeing Historic Ellicott City whole again. Read More…
Two sisters searched for each other as the flood waters surged
Twins Katie and Sarah Huber were both working on Main Street on July 30 – Katie at Tersiguel’s restaurant and Sarah at Sweet Elizabeth Jane boutique. Their story of that night filled with drama, including Sarah’s heart-stopping fear that one of her colleagues was lost in the flood. But as the water receded, the sisters joyfully reunited. Read More…
Though Sweet Elizabeth Jane has a new storefront, it’s back where it belongs on Main Street
In the aftermath of the storm, Tammy Beideman, owner of Sweet Elizabeth Jane, set up a table at the Ellicott City Old Town Market to sell any of the vintage inspired clothing that had survived the flood. She also sold T-shirts bearing the motto Flooded with Hope. And while the building where the store had been located will likely not reopen for at least a year, she says, Sweet Elizabeth Jane has a new home. The Reedy Electrical Building, a circa 1920 wheat-colored brick building at 8289 Main Street, is more removed from the river than the shop’s previous home. Read More…
