The Christmas gifts have all been distributed, the tree now sits slumped and desiccated, and our attention now turns to seasonal matters such as postseason football, tax preparations and hearty Sunday ... [Continue Story]
Public Affairs
A New Era and a New Challenge for the Neighborhood Service Center: A Chat with Chuck Callahan and Andy Hollis
It is hard to think of another Talbot County organization that does more for its community than the Neighborhood Service Center on Port Street. Since ... [Continue Story]
- Easton Council Highlights: Downtown Parking
- Spy Longform Interview: A Case Study in Affordable Housing with Fello’s Ross Benincasa
- County’s Short Term Rental Bill 1622 Dies After Sponsors Withdraw Support
- Talbot Preservation Alliance has Concerns with Easton’s 2025 Comp Plan
- Sobering Community Needs Report Draws Questions from Councilmember Montgomery on Data Accuracy
- On the Street Where You Live: Easton’s Complete Streets Design to Fix Traffic Trouble Spots
Spy Highlights
Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden Read by Sue Ellen Thompson
Those Winter Sundays Sundays too my father got up early and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold, then with cracked hands that ached from labor in the weekday weather made banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him. I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking. When the rooms were warm, he’d call, […]
- From and Fuller: A 2025 Year in Review
- Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: Top Maryland Stories and a Few Winners and Losers in 2025
- The False Nostalgia of Movie Theaters by Hugh Panero
- From and Fuller: The Trump 2026 Election Strategy and FIFA Peace Prize
- Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: An Annapolis Future with a Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk
- Maryland Caucus with Len Foxwell and Clayton Mitchell: The Worrisome Case of Kelly Madigan
The Arts and Local Design
Shrek the Musical Comes to the Avalon Just in Time for the Holidays
When Shrek the Musical stomps onto the Avalon Theatre stage this month, it arrives with the kind of joyful chaos only an Avalon holiday production can ... [Continue Story]
- Spy Review: A Choral Rose for Christmas by Steve Parks
- Spy Review: MSO’s Opera-Flavored ‘Holiday Joy’ by Steve Parks
- AI is Coming for the Music Industry
- Spy Review: Cinematic Classical Gas, by Steve Parks
- A Waterfowl Weekend with Artist Sandy Alanko
- Spy Review: MSO Salutes 3 of the All-Time Greats by Steve Parks
Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast
The Spy-Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast: A Chat with Filmmaker Lance Kramer
This year, the Spy is expanding its commitment to the Chesapeake Film Festival by co-producing a monthly podcast with CFF Executive Director Cid ... [Continue Story]
- The Spy-Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast: A Chat with Filmmaker and CFF Artistic Director Cid Collins Walker
- The Spy-Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast: A Chat with Filmmaker Monda Raquel Webb
- The Spy-Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast: A Chat with Casting Director Kimberly Skyrme
- The Spy-Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast: A Chat with Director/Producer Ted Adams
- The Spy-Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast: A Chat with Rebekah Louisa Smith
Chesapeake Ecosystem
Dorchester and Kent Drop out of Challenge to $340 million Conowingo Settlement
Several Eastern Shore counties have withdrawn from an appeal of Maryland’s recertification for the Conowingo Dam, a challenge that the state feared ... [Continue Story]
- The Next Chapter for ShoreRivers
- ShoreRivers Director to Step Down, Search for Successor Begins
- FEMA Cancels $1 Billion for Flood Prevention Projects in Chesapeake Bay Region
- 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
Maryland News
Transportation Officials Approve Rough Plans on Chesapeake Bay Bridge Replacement
The Maryland Transportation Authority Board gave preliminary approval Thursday to a long-range plan that would replace the current Chesapeake Bay ... [Continue Story]
- Let the Great Redrawing Begin: Redistricting Commission Votes to Move Forward on New MD Congressional Map
- The New House Speaker: Forged By Poverty, Fueled By Empathy
- Peña-Melnyk One Step Closer to House Speaker’s Rostrum
- Moore Pledges No Taxes in Coming Session as State Faces Another Massive Budget Gap
- Field Of Hopefuls in Speaker’s Race Clears for Peña-Melnyk
Health
Demystifying Palliative Care with Shore Regional Health’s Christina Ball
In a recent Spy conversation, Christina Ball, MS, AGACNP-BC, the director of UM Shore Medical Group-Palliative Care, broke down one of the most ... [Continue Story]
- Mobile Dental Care Team Expands Access for Dorchester County Students
- Lets Talk about It with Beth Anne Dorman: Making Sure Our Veterans Get the Help They Need
- Senior Nation: Nature’s Multicolored Autumn Farewell by Susan Covey
- A Spy Chat with Shore Regional Health’s New Clark Breast Center Director Dr. Kathryn Kelley
- Working on “The Conversation” about Dying : A Chat with Jo Merrill and Dot Mayorga
Brevities
Talbot Historical Society Project Rewind: The Court House is Closed for New Years
Happy New Year's Eve from the Talbot Historical Society! The pictured Talbot County Court House in Easton, Maryland was decorated for Christmas about ... [Continue Story]
- January 2026 Sky-Watch By Dennis Herrmann
- Gratitude in the Hardest Seasons By Katherine Emery General
- Talbot Historical Society Project Rewind: Picking up the Car at Bennett’s
- Neavitt Contractor, Volunteers Committee Replace Rotten Deck in Time for Christmas
- Music By Katherine Emery General
- Agent 86 Reconnaissance Footage: A Longwood Holiday Report
Education
Dorchester Education Foundation Launches Wyatt Scholarship
The Dorchester Education Foundation launched its first major public event on Saturday, November 8, with a waterfront fundraiser that combined ... [Continue Story]
- Good News and Not So Good News: Talbot County Schools Gets their 2025 Report Card
- Benedictine’s Next Chapter: A Chat with Executive Director Scott Evans
- Bryan Matthews Returns to Steady the Helm at Washington College
- John Lewis: Guiding Gunston’s Next Generation
- Getting to Know The Country School’s New Head Jay Parker by India Smith
Food & Garden Highlights
Wine of the Week: Vino Rosso Gaio Gaio 2022 from Calabretta Azienda Vinicola
Ciao Tutti! I hope everyone had a very happy holiday season and Happy New Year! For our first wine tasting in 2026, our selection is the Vino ... [Continue Story]
Commerce
Business Owners Encouraged to Enroll in Talbot Works Business Academy
The Talbot County Department of Economic Development and Tourism is launching its fourth cohort of the Talbot Works Business Academy beginning on ... [Continue Story]
- Hines, Westerfield and Lahman Graduate from Leadership Maryland’s Programs
- Taste of Easton Announced for Spring 2026
- Will Mapp Graduates from Leadership Maryland’s Executive Program
- A Delightful December! — Shopping, Exhibits and Events at The Market at Dover Station
- CWDI Announces Hire of Tracy Ward as Chief Administrative Officer
Community Notes
January Conversation on Race Explores How Language Shapes Equity
Talbot Family Network will launch the January installment of its Conversations on Race series with a new community partnership and an interactive ... [Continue Story]
- Nominations Open for Talbot County Community Impact Awards
- Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Speaker Series
- Rivers & Roads Consulting Welcomes Jodie Schram as Consultant
- Abbott, Goller and Taylor Graduate from Shore Leadership Programs
- Rivers & Roads Consulting Completes Strategic Plan for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Easton
- Robbie & Jen Gill to Receive Distinguished Citizen Award from Delmarva Council
Senior Life Highlights
Cruisin’ with Christine: A Group Chat with Duval Mills, Jennifer Hughes, and Ericka Taylor
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]
- Cruisin’ with Christine: A Chat with Londonderry’s Susan Andrews
- Londonderry on the Tred Avon Welcomes Chef, Brendan Keegan, Jr.
- Senior Nation: Embrace Your Age, Live Your Best Life by Susan Covey
- Cruisin’ with Christine: A Chat with Londonderry’s Jennifer Hughes
- The Difference Between Try And Triumph Is A Little Umph! By Susan Covey
- Cruisin’ with Christine: A Chat with Londonderry’s Ken Sadler
Arts Notes
Music Theory for Folk Musicians at Allegro Academy
Calling all folk musicians, singer-songwriters, fiddlers, and living-room players! Allegro Academy is offering our new Music Theory for Folk Musicians ... [Continue Story]
- January, February 2026 Upcoming Activities Oxford Community Center
- The Bay Country Chorus Makes a Difference in the Lives of the Vulnerable Through Song
- SMAL Announces Winners Of 2025 “Martha Hudson Awards For Excellence In Watercolor”
- SMAL Announces Winners of 2025 “Martha Hudson Awards For Excellence in Watercolor”
- AAM Joins the Fun of Artful Ingenuity at Easton’s Holiday Parade
- CARPE DIEM! ARTS ALIVE! December 9th OCEAN: Song of Solstice. Celtic Revelries for the Holiday Season
Ecosystem Notes
Adkins Arboretum Hires Visitor Services Manager
Jean Wortman of Easton has recently been hired as the Visitor Services Manager at Adkins Arboretum. Wortman has a breadth of experience in the public ... [Continue Story]
Education Notes
Come in From the Cold to Enjoy the Forum’s Winter Preview on Zoom
Join Chesapeake Forum on January 7 for the 2026 Winter Preview, this time on Zoom, from 6-7pm. Advance registration is required in order to receive ... [Continue Story]
- Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers Celebrates Two Staff Members’ Leadership Milestones
- Kent Island Student Selected as First Recipient of St. Andrew’s Foundation Summer Study Abroad Scholarship
- Chesapeake College Announces New Vice President for Administrative Services
- Benedictine Recognizes Dedicated Staff and Announces Dugan Residential Hall
- Benedictine Community Celebrates Construction Milestone
- Blueprint Board Approves Legislative Recommendations for 2026 Session
Health Notes
Frosty’s Holiday Village Brings Repeat Visitors and Newcomers
This year’s Frosty’s Holiday Village event, presented by For All Seasons and taking place at Anchor Church in Easton, featured over 50 inflatables and ... [Continue Story]
- Talbot County Department Offers “Thanks for Giving” Training
- Frosty’s Holiday Village Event Rescheduled for Friday, December 12
- Mobile Dental Care Team Expands Access for Dorchester County Students
- For All Seasons Participates in National Rural Health Day Bus Tour
- Frosty’s Holiday Village Event Expands to Offer More Family Fun and Resources
- Talisman Therapeutic Riding Sleigh Celebration is Bringing Broadway to Maryland
Commerce Notes
Business Owners Encouraged to Enroll in Talbot Works Business Academy
The Talbot County Department of Economic Development and Tourism is launching its fourth cohort of the Talbot Works Business Academy beginning on ... [Continue Story]
- Hines, Westerfield and Lahman Graduate from Leadership Maryland’s Programs
- Taste of Easton Announced for Spring 2026
- Will Mapp Graduates from Leadership Maryland’s Executive Program
- A Delightful December! — Shopping, Exhibits and Events at The Market at Dover Station
- CWDI Announces Hire of Tracy Ward as Chief Administrative Officer
- Easton Prepares For Shop Small Saturday 2025
Food Friday
Food Friday: Merry, Merry
Holiday greetings from the venerable Spy Test Kitchens! I am writing this week’s column just before gearing up for lots of holiday food prep, but you will be reading this ... [Continue Story]
Looking at the Masters with Beverly Smith
Looking at the Masters: The Feast of Stephen
The Feast of Stephen occurs each year on December 26. The feast day may be familiar; it is mentioned in the carol “Good King Wenceslas” (1853). There ... [Continue Story]
Spy Poetry
Spy Poetry: In This Brief World by Deidra Greenleaf Allan
Editor’s Note: In the spirit of the approaching new year and its opportunity for resolutions and personal change, this poem explores the poet’s journey toward self-acceptance and her understanding of the path to happiness. This is the last poem from Spy Poetry for the foreseeable future until more funding can be secured to support this […]
Food and Garden Notes
Wine of the Week: Vino Rosso Gaio Gaio 2022 from Calabretta Azienda Vinicola
Ciao Tutti! I hope everyone had a very happy holiday season and Happy New Year! For our first wine tasting in 2026, our selection is the Vino ... [Continue Story]
Design with Jenn Martella
Design with Jenn Martella: New Year-New Duplex
Since today is the first House of the Week for the new year, it is fitting that a new house rings in this new year. As an architect who has designed houses for several urban design projects, I know how important it is to infill older neighborhoods’ vacant lots with new housing that blends seamlessly […]
- Design with Jenn Martella: A Christmas Card: “The Snuggery”
- Design with Jenn Martella: Royal Oak Mid-Century Modern
- House of the Week: Treasure in Trappe
- Design with Jenn Martella: Contemporary on the Chesapeake Bay
- Design with Jenn Martella: “Friendship House”, circa 1782
- Design with Jenn Martella: Sherwood Style
From and Fuller Podcast
From and Fuller: A 2025 Year in Review
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: The Trump 2026 Election Strategy and FIFA Peace Prize
- From & Fuller: Unpacking Trump’s Attacks on Alleged Venezuelan Drug Boats
- From & Fuller: Epstein Files Fallout and the Future of the GOP
- From & Fuller: What Was Lost During The Government Shutdown?
- From and Fuller: The Real Impact of the Big Democrat Election Victories
- From and Fuller: A Rough Week for Trump in Court, with Russia and China, as Epstein Returns as the Front Page Story
Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell
Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: Top Maryland Stories and a Few Winners and Losers in 2025
Every Wednesday, Maryland political analysts Len Foxwell and Clayton Mitchell discuss the politics and personalities of the state and region. This ... [Continue Story]
- Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: An Annapolis Future with a Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk
- Maryland Caucus with Len Foxwell and Clayton Mitchell: The Worrisome Case of Kelly Madigan
- The Maryland Caucus: Maryland’s Budget Crisis + Redistricting Plans Set in Motion
- Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: Maryland Redistricting Gets Serious and How the 1st District Could be Cut Up
- Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: Moore and Ferguson Not Eye-to-Eye on Redistricting
- Maryland Caucus Podcast with Foxwell and Corchiarino: Maryland’s Emerging Financial Perfect Storm
Columnist J.E. Dean
What Will Trump’s Legacy Be? By J.E. Dean
President Trump is obsessed about his legacy. He told one reporter, in an offhand comment, that he was building the White House ballroom as a memorial ... [Continue Story]
- Trump Has Killed the Kennedy Center, So Let’s Build a New One By J.E. Dean
- If You Can’t Say Anything Nice… By J.E. Dean
- The Self-Destruction of Trump by J.E. Dean
- The Hegseth “Kill Them All” Order is Trump’s—and America’s—Nightmare By J.E. Dean
- Thanksgiving 2025 By J.E. Dean
- Songs That Could Be About Donald Trump by J.E. Dean
Columnist Hugh Panero
The False Nostalgia of Movie Theaters by Hugh Panero
The battle over Netflix's bid to buy Warner Bros. has triggered fears that it will mean the end of the movie theater. The reaction is based on ... [Continue Story]
- Netflix Makes a Blockbuster Move for Warner Bros by Hugh Panero
- AI is Coming for the Music Industry
- ICE Trauma and Drama on the Shore by Hugh Panero
- Homeland Security Threatens Canada Goose Migration by Hugh Panero
- Balancing the Maryland Budget in Extraordinary Times by Hugh Panero
- The Death of TikTok 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
Postcard From Whitefish By Jamie Kirkpatrick
Deep in the northwest corner of Montana, Whitefish is the gateway to the jagged peaks, lakes, and glacier-carved valleys of one of America’s ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Laura Oliver
Selective Memory by Laura J. Oliver
This is a story about memory. New evidence indicates that it’s not what you think it is and even photographs don’t tell the whole story. In the ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Angela Rieck
Fire By Angela Rieck
The new Avatar movie uses fire as its theme. Fire is a transcendent part of our culture. Without fire we wouldn’t have had light, heat, create ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Al Sikes
The World I Live In by Al Sikes
Each year I have written a Christmas reflection; this year it is somebody else’s turn. Mary Oliver by name. But first, a brief prelude. Sometimes thoughts turn into words quickly—this year quick was missing. Blessedly, a friend sent me The World I Live In. Marvelous, was my thought, as I turned the pages to find […]
Opinion
Horn Point Cuts Put Chesapeake Oyster Recovery at Risk by Sarah Gavian
Everybody on the Eastern Shore knows oysters matter. They clean the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, support watermen and oyster farmers, and sustain ... [Continue Story]
- This Bears My Love to You Pooh by David Wheelan
- When Money Buys the Right to Be Heard, the People’s Voice Is Drowned Out by Tom Dennis
- “Fail First” is a Failure Always Ali Asghar Kassamali
- Remembering Mike Hiner by Robbie Gill
- Character Is Policy by Johnny O’Brien
- Trump Policies Disrupt the Eastern Shore Soybean Market by Wilson Dean
- As the Supreme Court Term Begins… Some Reflections by Margaret Andersen
- Opinion: Marylanders Need Pro-Business Policies by Jamie McNealy
- Spy Daybook: Just Because You Can; Does Not Mean You Should by Calvin Yowell
- Reflections on the YMCA Legacy of Ellen Rajacich by Robbie Gill
- 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
Letters to the Editor
Letter to Editor: Lessons from Geese
“Lessons from Geese” is based on the work of Milton Olson and has been used as a leadership development tool; however, its many lessons apply to all ... [Continue Story]
- Letter to Editor: The Grinch Known as Talbot County’s Short Term Rental Bill 1622
- Letter to Editor: Who Should Vote in Oxford?
- How Far can Trump Push his Military Commanders? By Jim Bruce
- Letter to Editor: Councilmember Montgomery Wrong on Bias Claim
- Letter to Editor: Protecting What Makes Easton, Easton
- Letter to Editor: Electricity Rates and Artificial Intelligence
