It’s time for my annual pilgrimage.Not the sort a friend just made, walking blisters onto her feet and renewal into her soul on the Camino de Santiago, but with parallels, nonetheless. Something went ... [Continue Story]
Public Affairs
Easton Planning Commission Unanimously Votes Down Fox Chase Estates
On July 17, Easton’s Planning Commission voted 5-0 to reject the proposed Fox Chase Estates, a mixed-use development planned for 1.6 million square ... [Continue Story]
- Building Ramps to Freedom: A Chat with Bay Hundred Community Volunteers President Bill Shrieve
- County Short-Term Rentals: Do Proposed Updates Address a Real or Imagined Problem?
- Governor Moore Launches “Just Communities” on Juneteenth to Address Racial Wealth Gap
- No Kings in Easton: Hundreds Peacefully Protest against President Donald Trump
- How Did the Mid-Shore Community Foundation Donate almost $4 Million for the new Regional Hospital?
- Talbot County Repeals DEI Language to Ensure Airport Work Continues
Spy Highlights
From and Fuller: Special Guest Author Joe Klein
Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment. This week, From and Fuller welcome award-winning author and journalist Joe Klein to share his insights on the current state of American politics and the need to either rebuild our party system or […]
- Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: Route 50 Traffic and 3rd Span for the Bridge
- From and Fuller: Elon Musk’s 3rd Party and the Epstein Files MAGA Civil War
- A Baltimore Banner Tribute to Darren Foxwell
- Publisher Notes: Heartfelt Thanks, Welcome Zack Taylor, Foxwell/Mitchell Back July 9th
- As Talbot Interfaith Shelter Welcomes New Board Chair, Its Leaders Look to the Future
- Chicken Scratch: Waiting to be Said – The radical power you might not know you have.
The Arts and Local Design
From One Generation to the Next: A Community Mural Reimagined by Val Cavalheri
In 2011, more than thirty kids—participants in a summer camp run through the Academy Art Museum—came together to create a large mosaic mural on the ... [Continue Story]
- Plein Air Easton Hall of Fame 2025: Al Bond
- Avalon Donates New Gallery to AAM for Plein Air (Sort of): A Chat with Al Bond and Charlotte Potter Kasic
- Easton Art Galleries Welcome Plein Air by Steve Parks
- Plein Air Easton Hall of Fame 2025: David Grafton As Remembered by Stephen Griffin
- Plein Air Easton Hall of Fame 2025: Working Artist Forum
- When the Anderson Twins Play Ellington, History Swings Back to Life by Al Sikes
Chesapeake Ecosystem
FEMA Cancels $1 Billion for Flood Prevention Projects in Chesapeake Bay Region
As Crisfield Mayor Darlene Taylor sees it, the low-lying Maryland town has no future unless it can hold back rising water. Computer models suggest ... [Continue Story]
- Intense Maryland Energy Debates in Annapolis Fill a Single Afternoon
- Md. leads in carbon emissions reductions – Maryland Matters
- Maryland Levies Fines on Perdue, Valley Proteins for Environmental Violations
- Bay Climate Adaptation: The TNC Guide in Finding the Money for Major Infrastructure Change
- Mid-Shore Arts Plein Air Easton and ESLC Pair Up to Promote Land Conservation
- Wild-Caught Chesapeake Blue Catfish Phenomenon Booming: Thank Goodness
Maryland News
State Employees offered $20,000 Buyout
Thousands of state employees were notified by email Thursday of a buyout program, part of a plan by Gov. Wes Moore (D) to reduce the size of state ... [Continue Story]
- Labor Secretary Raises Concerns About Solvency Of State Unemployment Fund
- US House Passes Massive Tax Break and Spending Cut Bill, Sending it to Trump – Maryland Matters
- Buyout Offers, Hiring Freeze Coming for State Government Amid Budget Crunch
- State Officials Urge People to Stay Vigilant, Use Caution Amid ‘Hazardous Heat Wave’
- Amid High Energy Bills, Moore Touts $19 Million in Ratepayer Relief From Exelon
Health
Let’s Talk About It with Beth Anne Dorman: Adolescence on Film and About Parents
As part of our ongoing monthly series on mental health, The Spy welcomes back Beth Anne Dorman, CEO of For All Seasons, to help us navigate one of the ... [Continue Story]
- Erectile Dysfunction on the Shore: A Chat with Dr. Robert McDonough
- Let’s Talk About It with Beth Anne Dorman: Mental Health, Parents and Adolescence
- Let’s Talk About It with Beth Anne Dorman: For All Seasons in All Seasons
- Let’s Talk about It: Dare to Lead Training Shapes Mid-Shore Leaders with For All Seasons Beth Anne Dorman
- Mid-Shore Health: Getting to the Heart of Heart Disease with Dr. Ian Davis
Brevities
Talbot Historical Society Project Rewind: All Hands on Deck
The beautiful racing Log Canoes in our area have a very large sail area in comparison to the size of their hulls! If a strong gust of wind hits ... [Continue Story]
- From Motels to the Mandarin by Katherine Emery
- Spy Agent 8 Report: Doors are Open at Washington Street Pub and Piazza Plans for Talbottown
- Talbot Historical Society Project Rewind: Planning to Go to Trinity on Sunday
- Planes, Trains, Buses, and Automobiles by Katherine Emery General
- Agent 86 Reconnaissance Footage: Cambridge by Air
- Talbot Historical Society Project Rewind: Ready to Celebrate the 4th of July
Education
Washington College President Michael Sosulski Steps Down
Washington College announced Monday that President Michael J. Sosulski will step down later this summer to become president of Lake Forest College in ... [Continue Story]
- 7Sage and Talbot Mentors Team Up to Help Navigate the Journey to College
- MD Senate Panel’s vote on Blueprint bill straddles House, Administration Versions
- Wood Foundation awards $100K grant to Radcliffe Creek School
- Morgan State professor fined for presenting himself as licensed architect
- Slight increases on Maryland’s annual report card, but changes could be coming
Food & Garden Highlights
Wine(s) of the Week: Piazza New Additions
Ciao Tutti! This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, our weekly wine tasting is postponed until next weekend since tomorrow morning I will be on my ... [Continue Story]
Commerce
Qlarant Foundation Launches Strategic Partnership with Catchafire to Support Nonprofit Growth
The Qlarant Foundation is announcing a new partnership with Catchafire that will extend access to transformative capacity-building resources for ... [Continue Story]
- Qlarant Foundation Announces Grant Recipients and Expanded Geographic Reach
- Delmarva Public Media Welcomes Sandy Brown as Business Development Specialist
- Dover Station presents: “La Dolce Vita: Sip & Savor the Tastes of Italy”
- Experience the Heart of Trappe Tour: Where Every Home Has a Story
- Mid-Shore Real Estate with Chuck Mangold: 2025 Looking Pretty Darn Good
Community Notes
Celebrate Bay Heritage at Watermen’s Appreciation Day Hosted by CBMM on Aug. 10
Watermen’s Appreciation Day is back at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum on Sunday, Aug. 10 from 10am-4pm, inviting guests to experience the unique ... [Continue Story]
- Women & Girls Fund 9-Hole Golf Tournament Set for September 8, 2025
- Shore Legal Access to Host “Medicaid And Asset Protection Event” at Talbot County Free Library on July 21 with Attorney Jason Frank, Esq.
- St. Michaels Rotary Helps Beat the Heat with Free Pool Passes
- Community Gathers for HOT TOPICS and Conversation
- Tidewater Rotary Inducts New Officers and Donates Mobility Device to YMCA of the Chesapeake’s Rock Steady Boxing Parkinson’s Program
- Tilghman Area Youth Association (TAYA) Job Opportunity
Senior Life Highlights
Cruisin’ with Christine: A Chat with Londonderry’s La’Cree Brown
Over the last ten years, the Spy and Londonderry on the Tred Avon have collaborated on stories about this unique retirement community, which educates ... [Continue Story]
- Strive for Independence, Not Just on the 4Th Of July! by Susan Covey
- Senior Nation: Partners in Care Help Elders Age in Place
- Talbot County’s Senior Resource Fair Welcomes Over 200 Attendees for a Day of Connection, Care, and Community
- It’s All Happening at the Talbot County Senior Fair May 21
- Senior Nation: Gardening a Great Boost for Body and Soul by Susan Covey
- Cruisin’ with Christine: Listening to the Nurse with Lorraine Flisher
Arts Notes
MassoniArt Show Summer 2025 Gallery Artist Exhibition July 15 – August 15
Featuring Heidi Fowler, Katherine Cox, Joe Karlik, Zemma Mastin White, Julia Clift, Blake Conroy, Jacqui Crocetta, Simma Liebman, Grace Mitchell, and ... [Continue Story]
- Academy Art Museum Welcomes Matthew Moore as New Director of Education
- All Aboard for Murder on the Orient Express at Church Hill Theatre
- The Elephant Man auditions to be held August 3, 4, 5
- Leon Fleisher Summer Academy Students Sunday, July 20, 2025
- Allegro Academy Performs “Jubilate Deo” at Summer Choir Festival
- Acclaimed Artists Take Center Stage at Studio B Gallery This July
Ecosystem Notes
ShoreRivers Safe to Swim Weekend Report: 7/18
Along with summer swimming comes ShoreRivers Bacteria Monitoring season. It is advised that people not swim 24-48 hours after a major ... [Continue Story]
Education Notes
Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) to Host Fall 2025 Course Showcase on August 6, 2025
Interested in the economics of land development or the state of our rivers? Curious to explore new hobbies, enrich your knowledge, or stay active in a ... [Continue Story]
- 114th Gunston School Commencement Celebrates The Class of 2025
- Woman’s Club of Saint Michaels Awards Two Scholarships
- The 10th Annual Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival
- Schools Recognize Community Partners Of The Year
- Schools Recognize Community Partners Of The Year
- Blueprint Gets a Road Map: Two Agencies That Oversee School Reform Agree to Clarify Roles
Health Notes
Cultivating Growth: UM Shore Regional Health Nurses Graduate from Statewide Leadership Institute
Three nurse managers at University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH), a member organization of University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), ... [Continue Story]
- Talbot Paramedic Foundation Adds New Board Members
- For All Seasons Hosts Hoopers Island Migrant Resource Fair
- Rowan Michael, MD, Joins the Orthopedic Center
- Hope Floats: Area Residents Juliet Taylor and Tim Abeska Partner with Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating to Host Benefit for Hop On A Cure
- For All Seasons Prioritizes Community Needs with Renovation Amid Federal Cutbacks
- Choptank Health Welcomes Bridget Allison, CRNP, to Federalsburg Health Center
Commerce Notes
Qlarant Foundation Launches Strategic Partnership with Catchafire to Support Nonprofit Growth
The Qlarant Foundation is announcing a new partnership with Catchafire that will extend access to transformative capacity-building resources for ... [Continue Story]
- Qlarant Foundation Announces Grant Recipients and Expanded Geographic Reach
- Delmarva Public Media Welcomes Sandy Brown as Business Development Specialist
- Dover Station presents: “La Dolce Vita: Sip & Savor the Tastes of Italy”
- Experience the Heart of Trappe Tour: Where Every Home Has a Story
- Mid-Shore Real Estate with Chuck Mangold: 2025 Looking Pretty Darn Good
- Richard Bodorff named Chair of Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission
Food Friday
Food Friday: Zucchini Time 2025!
It has been the hottest summer on record - but we are saying that every year now, aren’t we? As we try to walk our 10,000 steps every day, lingering under the shady trees as ... [Continue Story]
Looking at the Masters with Beverly Smith
Looking at the Masters: Gustave Caillebotte
Impressionist artist Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) was from a wealthy Parisienne family. He grew up near the area of the St. Lazarre train station. ... [Continue Story]
Spy Poetry
Spy Poetry: Lines Written for a Thirtieth Wedding Anniversary by Eavan Boland
Editor’s Note: Greetings to my new readers in Chestertown, Cambridge, and Centreville. I look forward to sharing the poems I love with you. The poem below is by one of Ireland’s best. There are many things to appreciate here: how the title does so much work to explain the true subject of the poem; how […]
Food and Garden Notes
Wine(s) of the Week: Piazza New Additions
Ciao Tutti! This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, our weekly wine tasting is postponed until next weekend since tomorrow morning I will be on my ... [Continue Story]
- Adkins Arboretum Mystery Monday
- Wine of the Week: Marangona Chiaretto Riviera del Garda Classico
- Exploring Garden Solutions with Stephanie Wooton: Chesapeake Bay Herb Society Hosts July 10 Clinic
- Wine of the Week: Rouge de Vallee
- Wine of the Week: Dardinello Sicilia DOC Zibibbo 2023
- Wine of the Week: Verdicchio Di Matelica DOC
Design with Jenn Martella
Design with Jenn Martella: St. Andrews Wayside Chapel, c. 1874, Redux
When I began my search for this week’s feature, I happily ended it in Galena in upper Kent County with this unique house whose original use was a Wayside Chapel. Ironically, one of my new architectural projects is the renovation and addition to a former chapel in Talbot County to create a one bedroom house, […]
From and Fuller Podcast
From and Fuller: Elon Musk’s 3rd Party and the Epstein Files MAGA Civil War
Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment. This week, From and ... [Continue Story]
- From and Fuller: Is the Iran Bombing a Win for Trump and NYC Politics
- From and Fuller: Trump’s Big Iran Problem, Military Parades and No Kings
- From and Fuller: The Los Angeles Protests and the Rise of Gavin Newsom
- From and Fuller: The GOP Senate’s Big Beautiful Problem and Elon Musk Leaves the Building
- From and Fuller: Trump’s Beautiful Bill in the Senate and Presidential Pardons
- From and Fuller: The House Passes a Controversial Budget and the Biden Age Redux
Columnist J.E. Dean
The Sad Case of Senator Thom Tillis by J.E. Dean
In Washington, D.C., a city used to surprises, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis delivered a big one on Sunday. After joining Senator Rand Paul ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Hugh Panero
Homeland Security Threatens Canada Goose Migration by Hugh Panero
The announcement that President Trump has ended all tariff negotiations between the US and Canada has increased hostility between the two nations. The ... [Continue Story]
- Balancing the Maryland Budget in Extraordinary Times by Hugh Panero
- The Death of TikTok by Hugh Panero
- The Awkward Gentrification of Bellevue by Hugh Panero
- Mr. Biden, It’s Time to Hand Over the Keys by Hugh Panero
- The Mess in Oxford Gets More Messy by Hugh Panero
- Be Like a Cicada and the Catharsis of Dreams by Hugh Panero
Columnist Craig Fuller
Conversations with Craig Fuller: Ambassador and Author Frank Lavin
My friend and former White House colleague Ambassador Frank Lavin has a book coming out in March about his experience in the White House and ... [Continue Story]
- Midair collision over the Potomac: Week two update by Craig Fuller
- A midair tragedy last night in Washington by Craig Fuller
- The Classic Motor Museum starts a new trip in St. Michaels: Craig Fuller talks to Mike Iandolo
- A Community Town Hall focuses on education in Talbot County by Craig Fuller
- MPT, the Chesapeake Bay and Viewers Like You: A Chat with Station Manager Steven Schupak
- So Much Money, So Little Time by Craig Fuller
Columnist Jamie Kirkpatrick
Camp By Jamie Kirkpatrick
Our lives—at least mine, anyway—are the product of our choices and/or of random events that, at the time, seem almost inconsequential. I spent a long ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Laura Oliver
Love by Proxy: Bit by Bit By Laura J. Oliver
My friend and I, both writer-editors, have just been served our blackened salmon salads when he reveals something unexpected. “I’ve been using CHAT ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Angela Rieck
Summer Soundtrack by Angela Rieck
Each season has its own scent and soundtrack. I can close my eyes, ignore the temperature and know what season it is by these sounds and the ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Al Sikes
What is the Game Today? By Al Sikes
The much-honored sportswriter, Roger Angel, writing in 1972 about baseball, while reflecting on sports, said, “Sports are too much with us. Late and soon sitting and watching—mostly watching on television—we lay waste our powers of identification and enthusiasm and, in time, attention as more and more closing rallies and crucial putts and late field goals […]
Opinion
Reflections on the YMCA Legacy of Ellen Rajacich by Robbie Gill
Having called Talbot County home for over 20 years now, I’ve had the blessing of hearing the stories of past leaders who transformed Talbot County ... [Continue Story]
- The Imprisonment of Judge Carmichael and the Suspension of Habeas Corpus by Paul Callahan
- Character Rot: Sounding the Alarm by Johnny O’Brien
- A Conservative Look at the Trump Tariff Policy by David Montgomery
- The Need to Call Out Gunsallus Falsehoods by Megan Cook
- I Support Don Abbatiello for Easton Council President by David Montgomery
- Maryland’s Budget Crossroads Demands Unity, Not Division by Patrick Firth
- The Political is Personal: Reflections on DEI by Margaret Andersen
- New report reveals value of resource conservation for Shore businesses by John Horner
- Presidential pasts and an impending future by Steve Parks
- Gov. Wes Moore: Now’s the time to fix our fiscal crisis
- Maryland’s fiscal apocalypse by Clayton A. Mitchell, Sr.
- Consent first, investigate later by Aubrey Sarvis
- Analysis: Moore’s delicate balance as the session gets under way
- Electric Workboats on the Chesapeake? By Rob Etgen
- Reflections on cabinet choices by J.T. Smith
Letters to the Editor
Letter to Editor: Fox Chase Estates?
Fox Chase Estates? The name of this proposed 365-home development should cause us to raise an eyebrow. What does such a development have to do with ... [Continue Story]
- Letter to Editor: The Memo to MAGA is that Epstein is not News
- Letter to Editor: Local Citizens Mobilize Against Moves to Undermine Democracy
- Letter to Editor: O’er the Land of the Free…
- Letter to Editor: A Vanishing Way of Life
- Letter to Editor: How the Big Beautiful Bill Would Affect the Mid-Shore
- Open Letters to Congressman Andy Harris
