The Spy

Spy Chat: Mid-Shore Mediation’s Jenn Williams

December 12, 2019 by The Spy Leave a Comment

While the holiday season does bring good tidings and cheers for all, Jenn Williams, the executive director of Mid-Shore Mediation, would add mediation to that list.

At a time when our society is becoming more and more divided on both the political and cultural front, Jenn, with her small army of dedicated staff and volunteers, is proving, with over 600 cases a year, that medication does indeed work, even with young people.

In fact, the lion’s share of Mid-Shore’s mediation casework takes place at the school level with stunning results. Not only do they work with students experiencing conflict with peers, but they also have been hugely successful in student-teacher challenges that not only lead to positive outcomes for the participants, but for entire classrooms.

The Spy sat down with Jenn a few weeks ago to talk about Mid-Shore Mediation, a group she has worked for decades as its youth coordinator before becoming their new director last year. In her interview, Jenn outlines this remarkably successful record.

This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about Mid-Shore Mediation please go here

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The Best Kind of Talbot County Holiday Marketplace

December 5, 2019 by The Spy Leave a Comment

It’s not all too surprising for eager holiday shoppers to become fatigued by the onslaught of commercial marketing this month. Through aggressive advertising and social media, a good bit of the fun of hunting down the perfect gift can get quickly lost in the annual race by retailers to find the most consumers in the final days before the end of December.

Fortunately for Talbot County, there is a very real alternative to all this madness.

Led by Jen Wagner and dozens of volunteers, the Easton Business Alliance’s Christmas in Easton Art & Craft Marketplace stands as a unique option for shoppers looking for an experience more in keeping with the season. With over thirty artists and craftspeople offering one of a kind presents filling the Waterfowl Building this weekend, the Marketplace has become to go-to place to complete shopping lists but a remarkable moment to see performances, share a glass of wine and listen to holiday music all under one roof.

The Spy sat down with Jen, as well as folks from the different nonprofit groups that will benefit from the annual event, to give some background as to why this is such a special local celebration for all.

This video is approximately four minutes in length. For more information about the Marketplace please go here

Christmas in Easton-Art & Craft Marketplace
December 6-8, 2019
Waterfowl Building, Easton
Admission is free

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The Academy Art Museum Year in Review with Ben Simons

December 4, 2019 by The Spy Leave a Comment

While it may seem like just the other day the Spy noted that Ben Simons was to become the director of the Academy Art Museum, it turns out that he will be entering into his fourth year in leading the arts education and exhibition center in Easton.

And in recounting what has taken place over the last twelve months at the AAM, it’s no surprise that Ben, his trustees, and the staff all have reason to cheer. With masterful art shows such as the record-breaking Richard Diebenkorn show, artist Amze Emmons’ mid-career exhibition, and the brilliant Aaron Taylor Kuffner’s Gamelatron project now on its front lawn, matched with nearly 4,000 children and adults taking art classes of some kind during the same period, it can only be concluded that it was one of the museum’s best years yet.

Adding to this year of achievement was the beginning of a major architectural transformation with its building as well. With a new entrance under construction, as well as the total overhaul of its public galleries, the AAM has been able to navigate this logistical change and still stay open for business nonetheless.

The Spy sat down with Ben to review 2019 and get a quick preview of the renovations taking place last week at the Academy.

This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about the Academy Art Museum please go here.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here.

A Rush Order on Philanthropy Pies

November 30, 2019 by The Spy 1 Comment

For Ryan Groll, co-owner of the locally prepared food store Sprout., it is perhaps intuitive for the entrepreneur to move quickly on a good idea. So when the Talbot Interfaith Shelter in Easton came calling a few days before Thanksgiving to make a donation, he immediately thought of selling pies with all the profit going to the their homeless residences. Perfectly timed for the last-minute rush of Turkey Day hosts, Ryan working with the Sprout. team to perform a remarkable bake-off for over 70 pies in record time.

The Spy sat down with Ryan at the Talnoy Interfaith Shelters’ home on Goldsborough Street for the full story.

This video is approximately one minute in length. For more information about Talbot Interfaith Shelter please go here.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here.

Happy Thanksgiving

November 27, 2019 by The Spy

The Spy will be open for business next Monday. Enjoy the holidays.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here.

Shore Arts: Artist Angela Herbert-Hodges on Saving African Wildlife

November 20, 2019 by The Spy

For patrons of visual art on the Eastern Shore, it comes as no surprise that someone who grew up in a small town in North West England, and would spend the first half of their adulthood in Zimbabwe, London, Paris, and Spain, could find themselves completely at home near Salisbury. The Shore’s growing number of artists come from all backgrounds is just one ingredient that makes it such an attractive and vibrant scene from the Lower Shore to the northern tip of Kent County.

But what makes Angela Herbert-Hodges’ work so unique is her remarkable art depicting the magic and heartache of the endangered animals from her time in what was British Rhodesia. From rhinos to elephants, Herbert-Hodges captures these majestic beasts with the help of paper, gouache, and pastel to tell in color what the world may not see ever again if conservation steps are not taken to save these extraordinary species.

The Spy spent a few minutes with Angela last week at the Trippe Gallery to understand her motivation in doing her part in protecting Africa’s rich and threatened wildlife.

This video is approximately two minutes in length. For more information about the Trippe Gallery please go here.

At the Academy: Reconnaissance Report on Annual Members’ Exhibition

November 16, 2019 by The Spy

While there is little need to document the abundance of remarkable artists living on the Mid-Shore, the annual Academy Art Museum’s Members’ Show only reinforces how lucky the region is this wealth of talent.

Every year, the AAM sets aside a few weeks in the fall to display the work of the Academy’s members and their art instructors in the galleries (or the Armory this year since the main galleries are going through a renovation) to share with the Eastern Shore art community the bounty of

The Spy filed this reconnaissance report last night to highlight some of the special offerings now on display until December 4th.

This video is approximately one minute in length. For more information about the Academy Art Museum Members’ Exhibition please go here.

Talbot Hospice is a Community Affair

November 12, 2019 by The Spy

There is an old saying in marketing that an individual needs to be reminded at least seven times before they purchase a product or service. That number might be low in terms of educating the general public about hospice care and programs.

Part of the reason for that is a simple fact that dying is a scary subject. And this is true for not only those facing a life-threatening condition but also their loved ones, including children.

Nonetheless, as Talbot Hospice director Vivian Dodge and board member Susie Dillon talk about it our most recent Spy interview, this 37-year-old organization is dedicated to saying over and over again, as long as it takes, the importance of this critical stage of life for the entire Talbot County community. And part of that mission is to encourage families to talk candidly about end of life concerns, guide them to support and resources for palliative care, and encourage participation in grieving programs for both young and old.

This video is approximately three minutes in length. For more information about Talbot Hospice please go here.

New Traffic Signals at Matthewstown Road Intersection

November 9, 2019 by The Spy

With nearly 10,000 vehicles a day traveling MD 328 (Matthewstown Road) and increased traffic on Black Dog Alley near Easton, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will signalize this busy Talbot County intersection next week.

The new signals will enhance safety by facilitating turns and crossing movements for Black Dog Alley drivers, particularly during peak-commute periods. MDOT SHA will place temporary message boards along MD 328 to alert drivers of the new signal. Work includes converting the existing flashing beacons to full-color traffic signals with video detection for improved traffic management, as well as signage and line striping. Rommel Engineering and Construction of Linthicum is expected to complete the project in two days for an estimated $30,000.

MDOT SHA works hard to maintain safe traffic mobility in work zones for motorists, as well as our crews. Drivers need to stay alert, focus on driving and, look for reduced speed limits, as well as other driving pattern changes. Drive like you work here and slowdown in construction zones.

The Art and Reality of Nancy Tankersley’s Robbie Bowan

November 5, 2019 by The Spy

When the Spy recently saw the 2019 Waterfowl Festival poster, an essential and historical part of this popular event, was graced with the remarkable work of artist Nancy Tankersley, it was a pleasant surprise that the subject of her work was an actual human being.

Not that we have anything against ducks or geese, but, to our knowledge, this is the first time in its 49-year history of Waterfowl that a “person” was the featured image. And how appropriate that Tankersley, this year’s featured artist, and perhaps one of the country’s most respected Plein Air artists, was the first to break that long-overdue milestone.

And the results are stunning in the way “Podgin’ for Oysters” allows us to watch a quintessential waterman, lean and focused, working hard for his daily catch.

But, being the Spy, we also were eager to know who the waterman was in real life, and with the help of the artist, we were able to spend a few minutes with Robbie Bowan. We found surprising similarities between the subject Nancy captured so well and Robbie’s gentle and generous nature. With his commitment to saving the oyster industry, including helping the UM Horn Point Laboratory and Phillips Wharf Environmental Center, Robbie is just as committed to chairing the annual Crab Pot Christmas Tree & Lighted Boat Parade. And that is after he finishes his day job on his two boats, Preacher Man & The Provider, hoping that all his hard work will yield profit.

We spoke to Robbie at his home last month about being waterman, his optimism that this legendary vocation can be saved, and how it feels to be on canvas.

This video is approximately two minutes in length. For more information about the 2019 Waterfowl Festival, please go here.

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