Severn River homeowners become oyster caretakers

Piloting his powerboat along the Severn River Thursrday morning, Gary Allanson captained what amounted to an on-the-water oyster-delivery service.

Allanson was accompanied by his neighbors from Long Point on the Severn, Ronnie Langle and Tom McCollum, and state Department of Natural Resources employee Chris Judy on a mission to deliver cages full of baby oysters to piers in the community.

Langle consulted a list of participants in the new Marylanders Grow Oysters program, while McCollum kept a watchful eye on dozens of oyster cages stacked in the stern.

They went from pier to pier, dropping the oyster cages in the water...