As part of our ongoing series in the Spy, Agent 86 has been collecting reconnaissance footage of great Mid-Shore communities, and he has just submitted his third report. In this case, 86 has filed a report on Smith Island.

This video is approximately four minutes in length.

While Agent 86 is beginning to get quite the reputation as a gifted spy drone operator, she or he still reported on the ground from time to time with surveillance photographs that equal those reconnaissance reports. In this case, they are reported from downtown Oxford a significant mass of residents taking to the street yesterday. It was a relief to know that the locals gathered from the beloved Oxford Day parade rather than a planned protest.

This video is approximately three minutes in length.

As part of our ongoing series in the Spy, Agent 86 has been collecting reconnaissance footage of great Mid-Shore communities, and he has just submitted his second report. In this case, 86 filed a report on the beloved Chestertown Downrigging festival from last year.

This video is approximately five minutes in length.

Spy Special Agent 86 assembled significant evidence this week that Spring is now officially here in Talbot County.  The intelligence officer submitted his report earlier this morning.

This video is approximately one minute in length. 

 

With the approval of Spy CONTROL management, Agent 86 documented the increasingly popular Fire and Ice Festival in downtown Easton this weekend. It was not known at the time of publication if the counter-espionage agent was at risk during its filming due to the extreme fire and ice on display.

This video is approximately one minute in length.

As part of a new series in the Spy, agent 86 has been collecting reconnaissance footage of great Mid-Shore communities, and he has just submitted his first report. In summary, the report indicates that there are no additional spies in Oxford as of the time of filming.

This video is approximately five minutes in length.

 

“Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds”

Even under less than ideal weather conditions, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum bravely opened the doors to their new Welcome Center on Saturday. The 12,000-square-foot, fully ADA-accessible building overlooking Fogg’s Cove was designed to provide guests with a warm welcome to campus with three exhibition spaces, reception area, restrooms, and the new Museum Store.

During the Grand Opening ceremony, CBMM staff and friends commemorated the years-in-the-making project, recognize all who have made it possible, and officially open the Welcome Center.

Afterward, guests are invited to explore the new building while also getting a taste of “Winter on the Chesapeake” through themed activities led by CBMM staff and community partners.

Spy special agent 86 was there to capture surveillance material.

This video is approximately one minute in length. 

 

 

After significant revitalization, the historic Asbury United Methodist Church in The Hill Community of Easton was celebrated Friday morning after almost 12 years of hard work.

The project, initiated in 2010 by Professor Dale Glenwood Green from Morgan State University, involved students from the School of Architecture and Planning. They surveyed the church for the Historic American Building Survey. Following this, in 2011, Professor Mark Leone from the University of Maryland at College Park led annual public archaeological excavations.

And then came the renovation.

Harper & Sons, Inc., a family-owned business from Easton specializing in historic rehabilitation, tackled significant structural challenges, including a failing first-floor system and a westward-leaning steeple tower. They successfully rehabilitated the church from the steeple to the foundation piers.

The extensive renovation, costing $1.4 million, took 12 years of fundraising and nine years of construction. The project faced hurdles, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when over 200 local donors stepped in to support the church’s reopening.

Yerkes Construction initially took on the early phase, followed by Encore Sustainable Architects, who started repairing stained-glass windows in 2014 and later expanded to restore the entire building exterior, including major structural repairs and renovations of the Fellowship Hall and kitchen. Key contributors included Architects W. Ward Bucher, Joseph Wojciechowski, Ernest Demby, Nakita Reed, and Engineers Paynter Ingram and Pulak Bera.

The project also celebrated its roots in Easton’s African diaspora and Methodism. The highlight was when Frederick Douglass, portrayed by nationally renowned Fred Morsell, preached at the church, marking a significant historical moment. Initially part of integrated Methodist societies, the church eventually formed its own congregation within the Easton Quarterly Conference before the Civil War.

The culmination of this long journey was marked by a procession through The Hill Community, led by Professor Green. It included speeches by key figures such as pastor Reginald R. Pinkett, architect Ward Bucher, and guest scholar Celeste-Marie Bernier. .

Special Agent 89 was there to file this report.

This video is approximately one minute in length.