The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community
By 10 am this morning, it was unmistakably clear in downtown Easton that black lives matter a lot on the Mid-Shore. With nearly 1,000 demonstrators on hand, and with more coming by the minute, the residents of this community peacefully confirmed their rejection of racism and hatred on the Eastern Shore and in America.
The Spy was there to capture these early images of the demonstration.
With a sense of lingering grief, the residents of Easton will be going to the polls next Tuesday to elect a new Town of Easton Council president after the untimely death of John Ford last February. Ford, who had held the office for almost two decades, was highly respected for his fairness and effectiveness in managing the affairs of the town council.
Candidates Megan Cook and Ron Engle are the first to admit the John Ford’s shoes will be hard to fill after serving with him for many years. Megan currently represents Ward 4, and Ron with Ward 3 as well as the acting Council President since Ford’s passing.
The Spy sat down briefly with the two candidates running for this position. In our conversations, both Megan and Ron share their experience and their aspirations for Easton. They also acknowledge their friendship with each other and plans to work together to make their town the best despite the outcome of the election.
These videos are each approximately five minutes in length.
Megan Cook
Ron Engle
Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment.
Today the Spy commentators to discuss President Donald Trump’s use of force to clear Lafayette Park for a photo opportunity at St John’s Church, the sudden decline of Senator Amy Klobuchar’s odds of being Joe Biden’s running mate, the GOP’s need to find a new home for their party convention, and the fate of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper after differing with President Trump on the use of Insurrection Act, which would allow the use of the US armed forces to combat civil disobedience.
This video is approximately fourteen minutes in length.
Background
While the Spy’s public affairs mission has always been hyper-local, it has never limited us from covering national, or even international issues, that impact the communities we serve. With that in mind, we were delighted that Al From and Craig Fuller, both highly respected Washington insiders, have agreed to a new Spy video project called “The Analysis of From and Fuller” over the next year.
The Spy and our region are very lucky to have such an accomplished duo volunteer for this experiment. While one is a devoted Democrat and the other a lifetime Republican, both had long careers that sought out the middle ground of the American political spectrum.
Al From, the genius behind the Democratic Leadership Council’s moderate agenda which would eventually lead to the election of Bill Clinton, has never compromised from this middle-of-the-road philosophy. This did not go unnoticed in a party that was moving quickly to the left in the 1980s. Including progressive Howard Dean saying that From’s DLC was the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.
From’s boss, Bill Clinton, had a different perspective. He said it would be hard to think of a single American citizen who, as a private citizen, has had a more positive impact on the progress of American life in the last 25 years than Al From.”
Al now lives in Annapolis and spends his semi-retirement as a board member of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (his alma mater) and authoring New Democrats and the Return to Power. He also is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins’ Krieger School and recently agreed to serve on the Annapolis Spy’s Board of Visitors.
For Craig Fuller, his moderation in the Republican party was a rare phenomenon. With deep roots in California’s GOP culture of centralism, Fuller, starting with a long history with Ronald Reagan, leading to his appointment as Reagan’s cabinet secretary at the White House, and later as George Bush’s chief-of-staff and presidential campaign manager was known for his instincts to find the middle ground. Even more noted was his reputation of being a nice guy in Washington, a rare characteristic for a successful tenure in the White House.
Craig has called Easton his permanent home for the last five years, where now serves on the boards of the Academy Art Museum, the Benedictine School, and Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. He also serves on the Spy’s Board of Visitors.
With their rich experience and long history of friendship, now joined by their love of the Chesapeake Bay, they have agreed through the magic of Zoom, to talk inside politics and policy with the Spy every Thursday.
With less than twenty-four hours notice, the residents of the Mid-Shore gathered along Marlboro Street in Easton on Saturday morning to pay their respects to George Floyd and to demand justice for this senseless act of racism that took place in Minneapolis last week.
Over four hundred lined the sidewalks on both sides of the road as Saturday morning drivers honked their horns to honor George Floyd. With lines extending to Glebe Road, the protesters’ message was clear that this community was united in their grief and they’re demand for racial justice.
The Spy was there to capture a few moments from this remarkable community event.
This video is approximately one minute in length.
Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment.
Today the Spy commentators to discuss President Donald Trump’s use of Twitter to attack his opponents, the growing importance of the Senior vote, and the president’s threat to pull the GOP convention from Charlotte due to possible social distancing restrictions.
This video is approximately fourteen minutes in length.
Background
While the Spy’s public affairs mission has always been hyper-local, it has never limited us from covering national, or even international issues, that impact the communities we serve. With that in mind, we were delighted that Al From and Craig Fuller, both highly respected Washington insiders, have agreed to a new Spy video project called “The Analysis of From and Fuller” over the next year.
The Spy and our region are very lucky to have such an accomplished duo volunteer for this experiment. While one is a devoted Democrat and the other a lifetime Republican, both had long careers that sought out the middle ground of the American political spectrum.
Al From, the genius behind the Democratic Leadership Council’s moderate agenda which would eventually lead to the election of Bill Clinton, has never compromised from this middle-of-the-road philosophy. This did not go unnoticed in a party that was moving quickly to the left in the 1980s. Including progressive Howard Dean saying that From’s DLC was the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.
From’s boss, Bill Clinton, had a different perspective. He said it would be hard to think of a single American citizen who, as a private citizen, has had a more positive impact on the progress of American life in the last 25 years than Al From.”
Al now lives in Annapolis and spends his semi-retirement as a board member of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (his alma mater) and authoring New Democrats and the Return to Power. He also is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins’ Krieger School and recently agreed to serve on the Annapolis Spy’s Board of Visitors.
For Craig Fuller, his moderation in the Republican party was a rare phenomenon. With deep roots in California’s GOP culture of centralism, Fuller, starting with a long history with Ronald Reagan, leading to his appointment as Reagan’s cabinet secretary at the White House, and later as George Bush’s chief-of-staff and presidential campaign manager was known for his instincts to find the middle ground. Even more noted was his reputation of being a nice guy in Washington, a rare characteristic for a successful tenure in the White House.
Craig has called Easton his permanent home for the last five years, where now serves on the boards of the Academy Art Museum and Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. He also serves on the Spy’s Board of Visitors.
With their rich experience and long history of friendship, now joined by their love of the Chesapeake Bay, they have agreed through the magic of Zoom, to talk inside politics and policy with the Spy every Thursday.
For more than a hundred years, the St. Michaels High School Alumni Association has made a big deal of welcoming new alumni from this small rural school into their ranks.
From carrying on traditions like the wearing of the famed graduation cape, which has worn since the 1930s, to helping with annual college scholarship fundraising drives, the Association, one of the oldest in the country, can be counted every spring to bring well-deserved attention to some of Talbot County’s most worthy young people.
This commitment to St. Michaels High has never altered, even when it faced the last pandemic that hit the Eastern Shore in 1918-19, but nothing could prepare the school or its alums with the complete shutdown that has come with COVID-19.
But, in keeping with the school’s history of resilience, its alumni association has not been deterred. As J.R. Burkhardt, president of the St. Michaels High School Alumni Association, told the Spy a few days ago, they have simply had to creatively pivot on they recognize the new Class of 2020.
This video is approximately two minutes in length. For more information about the St. Michaels High School Alumni Association, please visit their Facebook page here.
According to Queen Anne’s County High School senior Courtney Adams, the third recipient of The Mainstay’s annual musical scholarship grant, her $3,000 award has made an enormous difference in her life goal to become a member of a major symphony orchestra someday. In fact, the Mainstay grant made it possible for her to take her first major step in becoming a professional musician since it allowed her to enter the University of Maryland’s highly competitive music program starting this fall.
Nothing could please The Mainstay more than to hear that since that was the intent of creating the scholarship fund in the first place.
In the Spy’s ongoing efforts to celebrate regional arts and put the spotlight on the Mid-Shore’s most promising musicians, we talked to both Courtney and the Mainstay’s programming director, John Thomas, to understand how important this award can be to young people starting their careers.
This video is approximately two minutes in length. For more information about the Mainstay’s scholarship award, please go here.
Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment.
Today the Spy commentators to discuss President Donald Trump’s use of hydroxychloroquine, a dysfunctional state government in Wisconsin, and words of advice for Joe Biden on working with the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party.
This video is approximately fourteen minutes in length.
Background
While the Spy’s public affairs mission has always been hyper-local, it has never limited us from covering national, or even international issues, that impact the communities we serve. With that in mind, we were delighted that Al From and Craig Fuller, both highly respected Washington insiders, have agreed to a new Spy video project called “The Analysis of From and Fuller” over the next year.
The Spy and our region are very lucky to have such an accomplished duo volunteer for this experiment. While one is a devoted Democrat and the other a lifetime Republican, both had long careers that sought out the middle ground of the American political spectrum.
Al From, the genius behind the Democratic Leadership Council’s moderate agenda which would eventually lead to the election of Bill Clinton, has never compromised from this middle-of-the-road philosophy. This did not go unnoticed in a party that was moving quickly to the left in the 1980s. Including progressive Howard Dean saying that From’s DLC was the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.
From’s boss, Bill Clinton, had a different perspective. He said it would be hard to think of a single American citizen who, as a private citizen, has had a more positive impact on the progress of American life in the last 25 years than Al From.”
Al now lives in Annapolis and spends his semi-retirement as a board member of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (his alma mater) and authoring New Democrats and the Return to Power. He also is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins’ Krieger School and recently agreed to serve on the Annapolis Spy’s Board of Visitors.
For Craig Fuller, his moderation in the Republican party was a rare phenomenon. With deep roots in California’s GOP culture of centralism, Fuller, starting with a long history with Ronald Reagan, leading to his appointment as Reagan’s cabinet secretary at the White House, and later as George Bush’s chief-of-staff and presidential campaign manager was known for his instincts to find the middle ground. Even more noted was his reputation of being a nice guy in Washington, a rare characteristic for a successful tenure in the White House.
Craig has called Easton his permanent home for the last five years, where now serves on the boards of the Academy Art Museum and Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. He also serves on the Spy’s Board of Visitors.
With their rich experience and long history of friendship, now joined by their love of the Chesapeake Bay, they have agreed through the magic of Zoom, to talk inside politics and policy with the Spy every Thursday.
Long before Dr. Ben Carson decided to run for president and later join the Trump administration as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, he and his wife Candy started a remarkable program in 1994.
That year, the Hopkins neurosurgeon and family started the Carson Scholars Fund. A project that not only provided a $1,000 check to promising students from 4th to 11th grade but gave them early recognition for their academic abilities at a time when most children were being celebrated for their success in athletics.
After twenty-five years of existence, over 8,000 young people have received these awards, and in 2020 more than 500 students across the country will have earned this distinction.
Jack Gonzalez, a 5th grader from Tilghman Elementary School, earned his Carson Scholar award despite his young age. While students in the 4th grade can qualify for these prizes, most do not have the required community service record that the Fund insists on for all applications. But Jack’s volunteer work with the Mid-Shore’s Women and Girls Fund over the last few years made these easy criteria to pass in addition to maintaining a GPA of 3.75 or higher at school.
The Spy reached Jack and his mother, Liz, by Zoom last week.
This video is approximately minutes in length. For more information about the Carson Scholar Program please go here.
