Shabang! The world’s richest man declares that he is going to start a new political party—America. Thoughts, from a registered Independent. America’s prosperity, its root, is competition. We don’t ... [Continue Story]
Public Affairs
Building Ramps to Freedom: A Chat with Bay Hundred Community Volunteers President Bill Shrieve
In this new world of social media, the adage in advertising that it takes seven impressions (ads, TV, radio) for your product or organization to stick ... [Continue Story]
- 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
- Oh Never Mind: Homeland Security Removes Talbot and QAC from Sanctuary List
Spy Highlights
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 Fuller discuss Elon Musk’s plans to create a third party in time for the midterms. Al and Craig also chat about how the Jeffrey Epstein case is dividing MAGA […]
- 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.
- 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
The Arts and Local Design
Plein Air Easton Hall of Fame 2025: Al Bond
This final piece in the 2025 Plein Air Easton Hall of Fame series is something a little different. It’s a love letter—but not a one-way note. It’s ... [Continue Story]
- 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
- Plein Air Easton Hall of Fame 2025: Hali and Scott Asplundh
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
Labor Secretary Raises Concerns About Solvency Of State Unemployment Fund
Maryland’s unemployment insurance trust fund faces potential solvency issues that could worsen in the wake of massive federal employee layoffs or a ... [Continue Story]
- 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
- Embattled DJS Secretary Vincent Schiraldi Steps Down
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
Spy Agent 8 Report: Doors are Open at Washington Street Pub and Piazza Plans for Talbottown
The Spy received two reports this weekend about restaurant happenings in Easton. The first is the emergence of the Washington Street Pub after a few ... [Continue Story]
- 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
- Spy Agent Report: A Morning of Log Canoe Races
- The Rose Garden by Katherine Emery General
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
Adkins Arboretum Mystery Monday
Happy Mystery Monday! Can you guess what is pictured in the photo below: The answer to last week's mystery is yarrow, Achillea ... [Continue Story]
Commerce
Qlarant Foundation Announces Grant Recipients and Expanded Geographic Reach
Qlarant Foundation, the mission arm of Qlarant, proudly announces the recipients of its 2025 grant awards program. This year, a total of $450,000 will ... [Continue Story]
- 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
Community Notes
Community Gathers for HOT TOPICS and Conversation
What: The Talbot County Democratic Forum hosted its inaugural HOT TOPICS night at the Eastern Shore Conservation Center on July 8th. Presenters were ... [Continue Story]
- Tilghman Area Youth Association (TAYA) Job Opportunity
- The Reverend Sue Browning Retires From Unitarian Fellowship
- Dover Station presents: “Brunch & Couture: An Afternoonwith Marc Randall”
- Extreme Heat and Cooling Centers
- St. Michaels Museum’s Traditional Independence Day Celebration
- The 3rd Annual St. Michaels Classic is September 20, 2025
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
Leon Fleisher Summer Academy Students Sunday, July 20, 2025
The Church of the Holy Trinity, Oxford MD, is honored to be able to share select students of the Leon Fleisher 2025 Summer Academy. The concert will ... [Continue Story]
- Allegro Academy Performs “Jubilate Deo” at Summer Choir Festival
- Acclaimed Artists Take Center Stage at Studio B Gallery This July
- Unanchored: Baltimore-Based Artist Caryn Martin’s Works on View in Solo Exhibition Through August 29
- Announcement Regarding the Academy Art Museum 2025 Annual Craft Show
- Talbot County’s Improv Easton Invites Community Members to Try Improv
- Yury Shadrin & Tian Lu Piano Concert July 10, 7:00 pm at The Church of the Holy Trinity
Ecosystem Notes
McCown Presented with Shorerivers Award for Environmental Stewardship
On June 28, Captain Andrew R. McCown was named the 2025 recipient of the ShoreRivers Award for Environmental Stewardship as part of the organization’s ... [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
For All Seasons Hosts Hoopers Island Migrant Resource Fair
On June 30, For All Seasons sponsored its third Hoopers Island Migrant Resource Fair at the Volunteer Fire House on Hoopers Island in Fishing Creek, ... [Continue Story]
- 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
- Talbot Hospice and the Child Loss Community to Dedicate Healing Garden in Honor of Rhonda Higginbottom
- Prioritizing Children’s Mental Health in the Summer
Commerce Notes
Qlarant Foundation Announces Grant Recipients and Expanded Geographic Reach
Qlarant Foundation, the mission arm of Qlarant, proudly announces the recipients of its 2025 grant awards program. This year, a total of $450,000 will ... [Continue Story]
- 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
- Easton Utilities Welcomes Summer Interns
Food Friday
Food Friday: Vacation Dogs
Mr. Sanders, Luke the wonder dog and I are off for a little holiday respite in the mountains of North Carolina for the Fourth of July holidays this week. We are planning to ... [Continue Story]
Looking at the Masters with Beverly Smith
Looking at the Masters: Jacques-Joseph Tissot
Jacques-Joseph Tissot (1836-1902) was a successful painter and printmaker in the 19th Century. Born in Nantes, a port city in France, he would ... [Continue Story]
Spy Poetry
Spy Poetry: Small Kindnesses by Danusha Lameris
Editor’s Note: I have a friend who follows the practice of gratitude. Each evening she writes down the things she is thankful for that happened that day. Usually, these are small things—a good sunset, a good book, a thoughtful gesture—such as the ones in this poem. When I am on the receiving end of someone’s […]
Food and Garden Notes
Adkins Arboretum Mystery Monday
Happy Mystery Monday! Can you guess what is pictured in the photo below: The answer to last week's mystery is yarrow, Achillea ... [Continue Story]
- 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
- Adkins Arboretum Mystery Tuesday: Guess the Photo!
Design with Jenn Martella
Design with Jenn Martella: Oxford Historic District Gem
Oxford’s Historic District has been a treasure trove for me whenever I begin seeking a house to be featured. This three bay house was probably two rooms deep originally but over time, there have been two additions that were easily accommodated on the property’s deep lot that ends at the shoreline of the Tred Avon […]
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
Chesapeake Lens: “Companions” By Jay Fleming
Tangier Island mayor Ooker Eskridge and his crabbing companion Bella shoving out of Cod Harbor at sunrise. ... [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
Bringing Joy Inside by Angela Rieck
It is that time of the year. The hydrangeas are blooming everywhere. Mostly pink, but some blue hydrangeas are brightening our gardens. In my garden, ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Al Sikes
Third Party Apostasy by Al Sikes
Shabang! The world’s richest man declares that he is going to start a new political party—America. Thoughts, from a registered Independent. America’s prosperity, its root, is competition. We don’t want just one seller—we call that a monopoly. Or even two; pejoratively, we call that a duopoly. In short, we want a quick drive away, multiple […]
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: Local Citizens Mobilize Against Moves to Undermine Democracy
Last month, about 75 Talbot County citizens concerned about the current direction of the country held a meeting at St. Paul’s Church in Oxford. The ... [Continue Story]
- 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
- Letter to Editor: Another Shameful Act by a Shameful Administration
- Letter to Editor: The “Big Beautiful Bill” is only Great for Billionaires
