“We own this incident, and I take full responsibility,” stated John Horner, president and CEO of Easton Utilities, in response to the recent fuel spill that fouled the Bay Street Ponds. The incident was a shocking blow to the local environment and an embarrassing blunder for Easton Utilities. However, it was very refreshing to have a business CEO quickly and decisively admit to the problem AND take personal responsibility for it.

Unlike many business and government officials today, Mr. Horner didn’t deny, lie, delay, obfuscate, blame subordinates, or otherwise attempt to “pass the buck.” In my estimation, Horner’s honest admission of responsibility followed the examples set by President Truman, and Generals Eisenhower and Marshall. His response also exemplifies the US Army Command Policy (AR 600-20) that states: “Commanders are responsible for everything their command does or fails to do.”

Other business and government leaders would profit from reading and following the policy and Mr. Horner’s example!

Joseph Koper
Talbot County

I am writing to highlight recently filed state legislation that would significantly limit, or potentially eliminate, key powers of local zoning authorities in Maryland, including the Town of Oxford.

The following bills propose changes to the Land Use Article that would pre-empt local land use authority:

Senate Bill 036
“Land Use – Zoning – Limitations (Starter and Silver Homes Act of 2026)”
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0036?ys=2026RS

Sponsored by the Chair of the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee (by request of the Department of Housing and Community Development).
Status: In the Senate; hearing scheduled for February 17 at 1:00 p.m.

The bill would prohibit local jurisdictions from adopting or enforcing certain zoning provisions related to lot size, dimensions, setbacks, lot coverage, and architectural design elements for certain single-family homes. It would also prohibit local jurisdictions from restricting certain housing types and subdivisions in specific zones.

This bill was introduced by request of the Governor.

House Bill 0239 (cross-filed with SB 036)
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0239?ys=2026RS

House Bill 0548
“Land Use – Permitting Development Rights (Maryland Housing Certainty Act)”
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0548?ys=2026RS

Senate Bill 036 and House Bill 0239 are written to preempt local zoning regulations. I urge readers to review the draft legislation carefully to understand how these changes could affect local control over land use decisions.

If you have concerns or questions, please contact your representatives and the Governor:

Delegate Christopher T. Adams
District 37B (Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot & Wicomico Counties)
Room 405, Lowe House Office Building
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3343
1-800-492-7122 ext. 3343
[email protected]
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Members/Details/adams01

Senator John F. (Johnny) Mautz IV
District 37 (Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot & Wicomico Counties)
Room 402, James Senate Office Building
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3590
1-800-492-7122 ext. 3590
[email protected]
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Members/Details/mautz02
District Office: 8695 Commerce Drive, Easton, MD 21601
(410) 829-2524

Governor Wes Moore
(410) 974-3901

Thank you for helping inform the community about legislation that could significantly impact local zoning authority and decision-making.

Rebecca Ellison
Oxford

To the Editor,

We want to offer a sincere thank-you to the Town of Easton for the steady, practical work underway to make it safer and easier to get around on foot or by bike. Efforts like the East End Small Area Plan, the ambitious plan for 20 more miles of trails & bikeways, and the Town’s Complete Streets approach signal that Easton is thinking beyond individual projects and building a long-term blueprint for a community that works for everyone—kids walking on the Rail Trail, parents pushing strollers, older adults, people with disabilities, and those of us who bike for transportation or recreation.

It is especially encouraging to see safety improvements tied to trail and corridor connections—like pedestrian-actuated signals at key crossings along the rail trail. These details matter: they turn popular amenities into truly accessible community infrastructure and help reduce conflict points where people walking and biking must interact with higher-speed traffic.

Easton’s progress shows what’s possible when a town treats walkability and bikeability as essential public services, not afterthoughts. We hope the Town builds on this momentum by adopting proven safety steps like lower speed limits, more all-way stops, and continuous, comfortable bicycle and pedestrian facilities that close gaps and protect people using the street outside of a car.

Some noticeable wins include:

• East End Small Area Plan: A forward-looking planning effort designed to turn community input into a concrete set of next projects—especially to improve walking and biking conditions along the Dover Road corridor and around the “Dover Triangle.”

• Complete Streets Plan: A townwide guide for how Easton designs and rebuilds streets going forward. While it isn’t a single construction project, it shapes many of them—setting expectations for safer lane layouts, sidewalks, crossings, 4-way stops where feasible and bike connections.

• Rail Trail crossing upgrades: The addition of pedestrian-actuated signals and crossing beacons at trail intersections is a real, on-the-ground safety improvement, making key conflict points more predictable and safer for people walking and biking.
• A growing trail and bikeway network: The Town’s vision for roughly 20 miles of trails and bikeways within town limits—including new facilities at Woodland Park, continued extensions of the Rail Trails, and stronger neighborhood-to-neighborhood connections—signals real ambition and follow-through.
• Modernized traffic signal infrastructure: Progress on replacing older signal systems with fiber optic lays the groundwork for better pedestrian features, including the ability to add pedestrian actuators at every signalized intersection as upgrades move forward.

Alongside the Town’s efforts, the business community and local property owners have an important role to play, especially in the winter, by keeping sidewalks promptly cleared after storms. More than just a safety issue, it is a courtesy so customers can reach shops, employees can get to work, and neighbors of all ages can move around without risking a fall or being forced into the street. If we want Easton to be truly walkable year-round, it must be a community effort of shared responsibility and civic pride.

Sincerely,

Talbot Thrive
PO Box 73
Easton, MD 21601

The way I understand it, supporters of minimum grade policies are not arguing for “free points,” but for keeping students engaged in learning rather than shutting the door on them after a single failure. In a perfect world, teachers—working with school social workers or guidance counselors—would have the time, flexibility, and personal knowledge of students to make informed judgments about retests, illness, or serious family disruptions. Sometimes a missed test reflects a crisis, not a lack of effort or ability.

The real goal should be empowering students to stay connected to school and motivated to improve, not enforcing rigid rules that leave no room for professional judgment. A 50% floor can prevent one bad moment from becoming an insurmountable obstacle, while still requiring students to demonstrate learning over time.

In today’s hyper-politicized climate, we should resist turning grading into yet another partisan battleground. Instead, let’s focus on policies that support both students and teachers, recognize students as individuals, and lead to the best possible educational outcomes for all, and resist treating learning as punishment or students as something to be managed rather than taught. Let’s also give professional educators the room to discuss and deliberate on the best methods for academic success before the public butts in.

Here are examples, as I understand this:

Impact of Minimum Grade Policies
Assume a student has four exams in a semester, each weighted equally.

Scenario A: Traditional Zero for a Missed Exam
Exam 1: 70%
Exam 2: 70%
Exam 3: 70%
Exam 4: 0% (missed due to illness or family emergency)

Average calculation:
(70 + 70 + 70 + 0) ÷ 4 = 210 ÷ 4 = 52.5%

Final course average: 52.5% (Failing)

Result: Despite demonstrating consistent understanding on three exams, the single zero mathematically overwhelms the other scores and makes passing nearly impossible.

Scenario B: Minimum Grade Policy (50% Floor)
Exam 1: 70%
Exam 2: 70%
Exam 3: 70%
Exam 4: 50% (minimum assigned score)

Average calculation:
(70 + 70 + 70 + 50) ÷ 4 = 260 ÷ 4 = 65%

Final course average: 65% (Typically a D or borderline passing)

Result: The student is still penalized for missing the exam, but the grade reflects demonstrated learning and keeps the student academically engaged.

Bottom Line
A 50% minimum does not turn failure into success. It prevents a single missed assessment—often tied to illness or family crisis—from becoming an insurmountable mathematical barrier, while still requiring the student to demonstrate learning.

Rick Hughes
Easton

The recent surges of masked ICE and other Federal law enforcement agents into Democratic-led cities are being described as routine immigration enforcement. But the scale, visibility, and unilateral nature of those invasions suggest something more: a stress test and rehearsal of federal power in Democratic areas.

This is not unprecedented. In 2020, federal officers deployed to Portland and other places under the banner of protecting federal property quickly became a symbol of blurred authority and contested jurisdiction. The lasting impact was not enforcement success, but normalization—accustoming the public to armed federal agents operating without local consent, and testing how courts, officials, and voters would respond.

Today’s ICE deployments appear to serve a similar function. They allow the federal government to rehearse rapid mobilization, interagency coordination, and expansive legal justifications under broadly defined “federal interests.” Just as importantly, they measure how much resistance—political, legal, and cultural—such actions provoke when aimed at cities governed by the opposition.

Elections should be a legal red line. Polling places are locally administered and protected under federal law, and voter intimidation by law enforcement is explicitly prohibited. Any overt federal presence at voting locations would trigger immediate legal challenge and backlash.

But erosion of democratic principles rarely operates through overt prohibition. It more often works through atmosphere—through uncertainty, fear, and administrative friction. ICE occupies a uniquely intimidating symbolic role in immigrant and minority communities. Its visible presence alone can chill civic participation without a single vote being blocked.

The political incentive is clear. This year’s midterm elections will determine whether the Trump administration governs with constraint or near-unchecked authority. Establishing the routine presence of federal enforcement in opposition strongholds today seeks to expand the range of acceptable interventions tomorrow.

Our democracy depends not only on the Constitution and laws, but on norms and guardrails. When domestic federal force becomes routine in politically adversarial spaces, the line between law enforcement and political instrument grows dangerously thin.

Dick Deerin
Talbot County

To all Talbot citizens, county, state, and local officials, and prospective candidates for school boards and town or county councils,

I am an “adopted grandfather” of two boys (5 & 12) in the Talbot County School System. I have been following the MD and Talbot Education systems closely since 2021.

As I’m sure you know, Talbot students had <20% proficiency in math and <50% proficiency in English on the most recent state testing. But Talbot graduated 97% of its seniors?!?!

Right now there is a controversy over some schools adopting a minimum 50% score on school work.

The county just announced that it was issuing crisis alarms on lanyards to teachers so they can call for help if they are attacked by students.

This is unacceptable and untenable.

The funding for Talbot public education is significantly higher than that for St Peter and Paul School, a private school with a good reputation for high-quality education.

Talbot and all MD counties have been following the lead of State and National Departments of Education and teachers’ unions for decades. Following them on a path that has led to ineffective and inefficient teaching and classroom deportment that interferes with learning and makes teachers feel unsafe.

What is your stance on the MD Blueprint?

What is your stance on freedom of choice and having funds allocated for students follow students instead of schools?

What is your stance on returning control to local school boards and away from state and federal bureaucracies?

I am ready to help if our goals coincide.

Sincerely,
Kent Robertson

I am writing to share some reflections on the current discourse surrounding immigration in our country.

While part of our history is defined by waves of immigration, there is a stark contrast in how we currently perceive immigrants.  On the one hand, immigrants are recognized as resilient, ambitious, and determined newcomers who bring skills, contribute to the economy (including our local workforce), and enrich our culture. On the other hand, we see them portrayed in dehumanizing ways—described by our President as “poisoning the blood of our country,” “stealing jobs,” “eating our dogs and cats,” “criminals,” “illegal monsters,” “garbage”.

History shows that atrocities often result when we dehumanize others.

You would think we have learned something by now.

This situation raises a fundamental question for us all: who do we want to be as a people of the United States of America? I believe it is important for us to consider our spiritual and moral values and the legacy we wish to leave behind regarding how we treat those seeking a new life or safety within our borders.

From Pope Leo (as one example):

Foreigners in the US are being treated in an “extremely disrespectful way.”

“I think we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the  dignity that they have.”

“If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts; there’s a system of justice.”

The United States treatment of immigrants  is “inhuman.”

Who do we want to be?

What do we want our legacy to be?

Is there still time or has the clock ran out?

Robin Stricoff
Oxford

It was sickening to learn of the murder of a mother of 3 in Minneapolis for absolutely no reason. The lies promulgated by Fox News, Breitbart and similarly “misguided” “News” organizations have poisoned the American public with never-ending lies and, coupled with the Trump Administration’s similarly structured (daily) falsehoods, have led segments of the American public to believe that we have a full-scale war with “the enemy within.” But then, we are further informed that a male nurse who was nonviolently defending another protester was mercilessly gunned down. Another American citizen exercising his constitutionally protected right to protest was gunned down by a crew of Vigilantes.

We are a country that formerly welcomed immigrants, and when people protested nonviolently, we respected and protected their constitutionally protected right to do so. Not that the road has always been smooth. Racism and hate led to the murder of Medgar Evers in Mississippi in 1963 and the killing of Martin Luther King and countless other murders and lynchings, mostly of people of color. Evers was shot in the back by a racist hater. who was later convicted of the murder. Fast forward to 2026: Alex Pretti, a VA nurse who posed no threat to ICE was shot in the back.

When is this madness going to end? Will his killers be brought to justice? We must stand up against the blatant Hate, Racism, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Homophobia and general disregard for the constitutional rights of us all promulgated by the President and his armed thugs, ICE.

Jim Wilkins
Talbot County

I would like to propose that residents of Talbot County hold a vigil for Renee Nicole Good by the Courthouse. Certainly, we can pull together to honor the life of someone whose life was taken too early. Easton held a vigil a few months ago for Charlie Kirk. Perhaps we might honor our values in every situation and not just the ones we share via our politics. This would suggest that we are not cherry picking our values to suit any agenda, rather we are demonstrating that our values are evenly applied and that we love our neighbors, no matter what. That we might actually have the capacity to share with one another, regardless of political affiliation, our common humanity. It might show that WE WILL NO LONGER ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE DIVIDED FOR POLITICAL GAIN! Let’s do THAT.

Let us be one people that stands together and resists tyranny in all its forms. We can show that we will never accept that political violence, whether it is committed by rogue individuals or by the state, has no place in our society or our world. Let us demonstrate that our community cares about each other. That we might come together….so that, if, when some crisis or calamity strikes, we may rest assured that in OUR community, our political divisions will be overridden by our shared values…our common humanity.

James Siegman
Talbot County

A number of people have urged me to run this year for County Council.  In fact, I have considered it, because the pro-development regime that has controlled Talbot for many years needs to be overthrown.  Integrity must be restored.  Developer influence must be curtailed.  And new guardrails to protect Talbot’s unique character for the long run must be established.  It will take bold leadership to make that happen.

If I run, it will be as an Independent candidate in the General Election next fall–assuming I can find some 300 Talbot citizens willing to sign a Petition of Candidacy, which is the only path for an Independent to get on the ballot.  And the goal would not simply be my election, but helping to seat a solid majority of at least 4 reform-minded candidates, irrespective of party.

THE COUNCIL NEEDS REFORM AND A ROCK-SOLID MAJORITY.

In Talbot, the great challenge of our time is reining in unbridled development.  For over a decade, the Council has been controlled by a 3-person pro-development majority that listens too closely to the lawyers and engineers fronting for developers.

That group is led today by Chuck Callahan, with Keasha Haythe and Dave Stepp as his pocket votes.  This Council’s tolerance for dishonesty is forever symbolized by Lakeside.

It is not pre-ordained that pro-development interests must always sit in the majority while opposition voices remain the minority.  People have just gotten used to it, even though names sometimes changed.  (Tonight Mr. Lesher will play the role of Dirck Bartlett, Ms. Mielke in for Laura Price, and the Frank Divilio part will be performed by Mr. Stepp.)  Fruitless are the days of two white-hat Council Members losing vote after vote to three allied with developers.  

Other issues will matter in the campaign—public safety, for example.  But land use decisions, so susceptible to “influence,” are the ones that will forever shape the future of Talbot County.  Screw it up, and you can’t unscrew it.

WHY RUN AS AN INDEPENDENT?

First, matters before the County Council very rarely involve national “party” issues.  The economy, gun control, the War Department don’t come up in the Bradley Room.  Talbot has no oil or rare earth minerals, and local issues are almost never red vs. blue.  On the most important of those—pace and conditions of development–I believe Republicans and Democrats alike want both restraint and transparency.

Second, if the goal of this campaign is to assure election of 4 or 5 of the best reform candidates regardless of party, the person leading that effort cannot credibly come from inside one party.  Best that such leader be Independent.  And 22% of Talbot voters are unaffiliated; never has one even run for local office.

(Full disclosure:  I was a lifelong Democrat, family roots going back to FDR.  I registered Republican a few years ago for the sole purpose of voting for Dirck Bartlett in a primary where every single vote was essential.  I switched to unaffiliated a few years ago consistent with setting up the bipartisan efforts described below.  Let it also be said plainly that I abhor Trump and virtually everything he stands for–which has nothing to do with Talbot’s land use issues.)  

Third, running as an independent feels comfortable, having founded two successful bi-partisan County organizations—The Bipartisan Coalition For New Council Leadership and The Talbot Integrity Project (“TIP”).  

As a reminder, spurred by The Bipartisan Coalition, in 2018, citizens ousted the then-sitting, pro-development Council President.  And TIP’s RESET LAKESIDE initiative in 2022 resulted in the election of three endorsed candidates, each of whom had confirmed their opposition to that dreadful project.  

(Triumph turned to ashes when Keasha Haythe, a Democrat, promptly turned coat, refused to follow through, and joined with Councilmen Callahan and Stepp in supporting the Lakeside developer through numerous votes in a 3-year battle—notwithstanding that the County and State both ultimately acknowledged that Lakeside’s initial approval had been illegal.)

Those earlier experiences completely inform the campaign envisioned for 2026.  Lessons learned will strengthen it.

WHY DISCUSS THIS NOW, AND NOT IN JUNE?

Because the filing deadline for primary election is February 24th.  People must act soon.  (Info here.)

Surely not everyone is willing to roll over to the developers.  There are readers motivated by a love of the Talbot County, who wish to protect its unique character for the long term, and can bring integrity and wisdom to the challenges and opportunities of growth.  Surely in this political year 2026, there are folks with the courage to engage on local problems where they can make a difference.  Maybe fixing issues roiling our Nation begins at home.

Whether Democrat or Republican, if you want to protect Talbot from the onslaught of unchecked development, consider running.  Especially younger folks—you and your kids are the inheritors of what’s coming, good or bad.

Know that you will not be running alone.  Support exists—organizational, tactical, financial.  Other candidates will join the chorus.  In a year that promises record turnout, many voters will already be coming to the polls with reform on the minds.  Most importantly, know that there are a ton of voters—red and blue—for whom integrity and controlled growth are the key local issues.  (Williams was ousted in ‘18; TIP candidates won three seats in ’22, Lesher top of the list by far.)  People like me will step up to help, if you have the courage to run.

WILL THIS WORK?

It can work, but success depends on many things–beginning with the candidates who have the gumption to step up.  (See above.)  

No matter how compelling the logic, and how much Talbot would benefit, the idea of 5 like-minded candidates–not necessarily of the same party–helping one another, or at least running in parallel, is unprecedented and not guaranteed.  Many details need to be worked out.  Self-interested Central Party Committees, who as a rule act tribally, may try to impede it.  But I believe we can find a way to skin the cat.

And we do not even know yet which incumbents will run.  Burn out happens.  Other demands intrude (like running a business or foundation).  Interest can wane.  (We do know that Pete Lesher intends to file.)

So, if you’re on the right side of these issues, consider running.  And if not you, then encourage that younger friend or neighbor you know would be a strong candidate!  Spread the word.

Dan Watson
Easton

PS. Whether or not you can step up as a candidate, if you’d like to support an initiative like this as it develops later in the year, email me at [email protected].