Shore Legal Access (formerly Mid-Shore Pro Bono) has named the Fall 2023 recipients of its Sandy Brown Public Interest Internship. Cody Pfieffer, of Centreville, Maryland, will work with Shore Legal Access staff at the organization’s Easton office, assisting residents of the Mid-Shore with their civil legal issues. Amirah Rice, of Baltimore, Maryland, will work at the Salisbury office, which serves the Lower Shore. 

Amirah Rice

The Sandy Brown Public Interest Internship, created in honor of former long-time Shore Legal Access executive director Sandy Brown, offers a stipend to undergraduate and law students as they gain invaluable experience in the field of public interest law at a respected non-profit organization. The program is supported by the Campbell Foundation, with the goal of expanding the pool of diverse, qualified, and committed candidates for career positions in public interest work on the Eastern Shore. As Shore Legal Access continues to grow to meet the civil legal needs of the region, it has added several former recipients of the Sandy Brown Public Interest Internship to its staff.  

 “We are thrilled to have these outstanding young people learning about public interest careers and supporting our community,” says Meredith Lathbury Girard, executive director of Shore Legal Access. “Our interns play an integral role assisting people with limited financial means to access legal representation while gaining real-world experience with the justice system and nonprofits.”

Cody Pfeiffer recently graduated from Bates College in Maine with a Bachelor of Arts degree, double-majoring in history and Spanish. Pfeiffer describes himself as passionate about community service. In the past, he volunteered for several years at the Maryland Food Bank, tutored students online, and helped prepare taxes for those needing assistance. Pfeiffer soon plans to enter law school, where he will focus on public interest law.

“The Sandy Brown Public Interest Internship,” Pfeiffer says, “is an invaluable opportunity to be able to contribute to local communities through Shore Legal Access’s mission of assisting under-resourced members of these communities in a variety of civil legal matters.” 

Amirah Rice is currently studying for her Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice at University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne. Rice, too, is highly motivated to serve her community, having volunteered as a Youth Mentor at Bmore United, a Baltimore-based organization that empowers women and girls of color, and at Chase A Legacy, which teaches Baltimore youth important life skills. Rice applied for the Sandy Brown Public Interest Internship to see up close the positive impact civil legal representation can have on individuals, families, and communities. 

Rice says she is, “looking forward to gaining hands-on experience and the knowledge I need to strengthen my skills in my future endeavors as a criminal justice professional.” After graduation, Rice intends to pursue a PhD in psychology and hopes to work for Child Protective Services.

For more information about the Sandy Brown Public Interest Internship and to donate to the fund, visit shorelegal.org/internships.

Christmas in St. Michaels is hosting its 36th year of celebrating joy with a full menu of weekend events taking place in the heart of historic waterfront St. Michaels, Maryland this December 8 – 10.

This is the event’s 36th year of fundraising festivities, including a Lighted Boat Parade and festive Talbot Street Parade; a Tour of Homes; Breakfast with Santa; Holiday Music and Meals; a Marketplace and Sweet Shoppe, and more.

The Marketplace and Sweet Shoppe located at St. Mary’s Square’s Granite Lodge kick off the weekend event at noon on Fri., Dec. 8. Proceeds from every sale benefit local nonprofits, with shoppers finding one-of-a-kind, artisan-crafted items and culinary delights available only during this weekend event. The Marketplace and Sweet Shoppe are open during select hours through Sun., Dec. 10 at 3:00 p.m.

Holiday music will fill the air throughout the weekend event, including music provided by Union United Methodist Church beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Family-favorite events include Saturday’s Breakfast with Santa for children ages 4 to 9 years old, which takes place from 8-10:00 a.m. at the waterfront Foxy’s Harbor Grille, with limited $10 tickets available for online purchasing. The 10:30 a.m. Talbot Street Parade and the beginning of the Tour of Homes are wonderful mid-day events, with the Lighted Boat Parade beginning along St. Michaels Harbor at 6:00 p.m. Parade routes, event details, online tickets, and more are at christmasinstmichaels.org.

“We love to see our local friends return and new guests take in our events year after year, especially for our homes tour,” says Christmas in St. Michaels Board President Pat Martin. “Ours is one of Maryland’s longest-running home tours, showcasing a curated collection of beautifully decorated homes in our historic district and among the area’s wide expanses of country and watersides.”

The Tour of Homes takes place during select hours on Saturday and Sunday, with tickets available for advanced online purchase. The $30 per person ticket includes one-time admission to all tour homes; transportation to the countryside homes; a detailed tour guide booklet with local information and other major St. Michaels landmark descriptions; and free admission to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, the Classic Motor Museum, and the St. Michaels Museum at St. Mary’s Square for Saturday and Sunday.

Christmas in St. Michaels’ Old Fashioned Eastern Shore Christmas Dinner takes place on Sat., Dec. 9 starting at 11:00 a.m. and lasting until 3:00 p.m., or when the meals are sold out. Dinners include sliced roast turkey, Maryland fried oysters, and a large assortment of sides and desserts. The event will be held at the Union United Parish Hall on Fremont Street in St. Michaels with dine-in and carry-out dinners available at $25 per person, with tickets sold at the door, on the day of the event.

The 2023 Christmas in St. Michaels ornament is the 20th in the collection. In keeping with this occasion, the ornament features the Talbot Street buildings that comprise the Christmas in St. Michaels logo, set in a three-dimensional snow scene, surrounded by lacy snowflakes.”

“When Christmas in St. Michaels was founded in 1987, local artists Betty List and Martha Hudson collaborated on creating a logo that conveys a traditional holiday flavor and celebrates the charming architecture of the town of St. Michaels,” says Martin. “That same logo is still in use today.”

In recognition of the nonprofit’s 20th ornament, local artist and designer Scott Sullivan used the original logo as his muse and created a montage skyline of buildings fronting Talbot Street. The Limited-Edition Ornaments are packaged in a keepsake box and are available for purchase at select area stores and on the Christmas in St. Michaels website.

Since the all-volunteer organization’s beginnings, sponsors and patrons of Christmas in St. Michaels have helped raise more than $1.4M in support of local children and adults served by family-focused, education and child development, and community enhancement organizations. Event updates, online ticket and ornament purchases, and more about Christmas in St. Michaels are at christmasinstmichaels.org.

Easton Utilities recently celebrated significant service anniversaries achieved by ten employees. “We are so proud of our retention and attribute it to being a mission-driven organization with clear core values exemplified by all of our employees,” says Vicki L. Petro, Vice President of Human Resources for Easton Utilities. “We appreciate these individuals for their contributions to our company, our customers and our community over the years.”

40 years

• Hugh E. Grunden, P.E., President & CEO

30 years

• Tom Murphy, Journeyman Lineman
• Vicki Petro, Vice President of Human Resources

20 years 

• Michele Bradley, General Accountant Clerk II
• Leah Copper, Billing Analyst
• Robby Elben, Tech Support Team Lead
• Keith Gullion, Network Operations Technician III
• Richard Hutchison, Superintendent Power Plant Mechanical Maintenance
• Barry Sabo, Customer Service Representative II

10 years

• Carol Trice, Software Engineer I

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Visit eastonutilities.com for more information.

Last Tuesday, the City of Cambridge send a letter to the Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc (CDWI) expressing concerns about the direction of the non-profit development group after reviewing their most current report.

The City of Cambridge has recently raised concerns about the CDWI’s Cambridge Harbor’s ambitious plans. In a letter sent to CDWI on October 24, the city expressed its apprehensions about the governance of the CDWI board and the specifics of the plan.

In a Spy/ WHCP Community Radio interview, Cambridge town manager Tom Carroll, outlines those concerns, which revolve around four key points:

First, the city believes that involving a private developer with experience in handling projects of this magnitude and complexity is essential. While the development team may have the desire to undertake the project independently, the city emphasizes the need for external expertise with a proven track record. Developing a project of this scale is multifaceted and prone to costly mistakes, even for skilled developers.

Secondly, the city contends that the proposal presented in the development team’s mid-year report does not generate sufficient economic value. It falls short of meeting the community’s needs for a substantial change in its tax base. Implementing the presented plan would demand an unacceptably large public sector subsidy, which the city and county cannot afford.

The third point of concern is related to the Tax Increment Finance District, a public sector mechanism aimed at making growth financially self-sustaining. The city deems it unacceptably large and ineffective in achieving the necessary public funding for a plan that lacks economic viability.

Lastly, the city calls for increased transparency, information, and accountability in the governance of the CDWI board. As the entity responsible for setting up the organization, the city believes they should have full insight into CDWI’s actions, which they feel has been lacking.

This video is approximately four minutes in length.

Easton EDC is excited to announce the launch of our first holiday ornament sale! Perfect for gift-giving or a keepsake, the beautiful full-color enameled ornament depicts the iconic Easton courthouse featuring the Frederick Douglass statue.

Retailers offering the ornament for sale include The Hummingbird Inn, The Mercantile, Studio B Gallery, The Academy Art Museum, and An Optical Galleria.

For more information on the ornament sale, to be a retail location, or for volume purchases please reach out to the Easton EDC, Deena Kilmon, Director of Strategic Initiatives, [email protected] or call 410-690-7348. 

The keynote speaker for “Pathways to Prosperity” is Becky McCray

A challenging economy, lack of good living wage jobs and access to affordable housing and health care may seem like a laundry list of today’s challenges in most, if not all communities across the United States. However, these issues are nothing new for small towns and rural communities who practically wrote the book on how to weather bad times whether it be a particularly bad harvest, an economic downturn, or even a pandemic.

On Tuesday, November 14, the Rural Maryland Council will host its biennial Rural Summit, a one-day conference to bring together community leaders, legislators and stakeholders who will share their stories of rural innovation, resilience, and sustainability. In addition to gleaning information that they can take to their own communities, attendees will have an opportunity to network with possible future collaborators. 

The Summit, titled “Pathways to Prosperity”, will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Crown Plaza, 173 Jennifer Road, Annapolis. Registration is $60 per attendee. Meals are included.

“What makes our Summit different from other conferences is that RMC starts from the perspective that our experts are also our attendees,” says RMC Chair Susan O’Neill. “Attendees will get great information from the presenters and panelists during our breakout sessions and plenaries, but that stranger seated next to them may be a future collaborator on a grant project or program that they’ve been tying to get off the ground,” she says.

The keynote speaker for “Pathways to Prosperity” is Becky McCray, international speaker and award-winning author of Small Biz Survival. McCray will share her insights on resilience as a lifelong small-town entrepreneur, business owner and cattle rancher. 

The Summit will kick off with an optional forestry focused bus tour on Monday, November 13, from1 to 5 p.m. to Garman Brothers, Inc., a family owned and operated sawmill in Crownsville and the Home Innovations Lab in Upper Marlboro, where research into improving the moisture performance of wood-framed balconies and decks is taking place.
In addition to the keynote address, the Summit will include a preview of the upcoming legislative sessions from Maryland legislators as well as breakout sessions on Agriculture, Community Development, Economic Development and Health Care. The networking luncheon will feature remarks by Maryland Department of Agriculture Kevin Atticks. 

Founded in 1994, the Rural Maryland Council operates under the direction of a 40-member executive board in a nonpartisan and nondiscriminatory manner. RMC is committed to creating real change by going to go directly to the rural stakeholders who understand their community’s challenges. The organization provides grants and opportunities to connect stakeholders with legislators and like-minded people in the state who can create policy and help create real impact.

To register for the Summit, visit rural.maryland.gov or contact RMC at (410) 841-5772 or [email protected]. For updates on all RMC events and activities connect with the Rural Maryland Council at facebook.com/RuralMaryland or on Twitter @RuralMaryland. 

Since 2008, each year Easton Utilities employees come together for a community tree planting event to reflect their commitment to environmental stewardship. This year, all departments joined forces to plant a total of 24 trees split between the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School and at the Easton Utilities’ owned Commerce Drive Warehouse.  

“It’s gratifying to continue this meaningful tradition which is only one of many components of EU’s environmental stewardship efforts. Our focus to contribute to the environmental health of our community while building relationships within the company is very rewarding and I’m grateful for the incredible team who make EU’s tree planting a success each year,” says Rebecca Saduk, civil engineer and Environmental Committee chair for Easton Utilities.

The tree planting initiative was started in 2008 by Hugh E. Grunden, president and CEO of Easton Utilities and is an ongoing tradition. Every employee is required to participate in some capacity following the annual employee meeting. After a routine safety briefing required before performing jobs, the teams embark on their mission to plant and mulch the pre-selected location. 

Over the years, Easton Utilities has planted more than 390 trees, all large caliper with a stem diameter measuring 2” or more. The program includes monitoring every tree planted with teams specifically responsible for watering and maintaining the trees to ensure each one thrives.  

As an extension of the mission “to enhance the quality of life in our community”, Easton Utilities has an ongoing corporate goal focused on conservation efforts including a recycling program, a watershed clean-up initiative, invasive species removal, habitat revitalization, education on environmental issues, and other important community restoration projects.    

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Please visit www.eastonutilities.com or call 410-822-6110 to learn more. 

https://talbotspy.org/121185-2/

Shore Legal Access recently unveiled its new Easton location and name with a grand reopening reception and a Talbot County Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony. More than 40 people attended the event, which included light refreshments, cake, and door prizes donated by several local businesses.

The Sept. 28 event was hosted by Shore Legal Access board members and staff and took place at SLA’s offices on Idlewild Avenue in Easton. Invited guests included members of the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce, business, community, and government leaders, and Shore Legal Access volunteer attorneys, board members, and alumni.

The nonprofit’s Easton office moved to its larger location this past December to accommodate expanded free legal services for housing and family law. The name was changed from Mid-Shore Pro Bono to Shore Legal Access this past May to be inclusive of the communities served in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties, and clearly convey the services provided.

“We are so grateful for the outpouring of support from our community for our work, expanded services, and now our name change, and new office location,” said Shore Legal Access Executive Director Meredith Lathbury Girard, Esq. “We changed the name to Shore Legal Access to be inclusive of where we work and clearly communicate what services we provide.

“Our new logo incorporates a wave, symbolizing our strength and our Eastern Shore communities surrounded by water, as well as an equal sign, symbolizing our unwavering commitment to equality and justice,” Girard added.

“The Board has been working on the rebrand for a year and we are excited to share it with our respective communities, partners, business leaders, and attorneys seeking to support the mission,” said Timothy Abeska Esq, Board president. “The beauty of an organization like Shore Legal Access, to a retired attorney, like me, who practiced law in another state his entire career, is the opportunity it gives me to represent people here in Maryland as a volunteer. I see firsthand how access to justice changes people’s lives.”

Shore Legal Access was founded as Mid-Shore Pro Bono in 2005 by a small group of dedicated and compassionate local judges and attorneys who recognized the overwhelming need for basic civil legal services in the five Mid-Shore counties. It became the first regional pro bono organization in Maryland to connect private attorneys with people unable to afford representation for their civil legal issues.

Since then, Shore Legal Access has been dedicated to making representation affordable and accessible to Eastern Shore residents facing civil legal challenges in the areas of family law, life planning, consumer debt relief, housing, and criminal record expungement (including cannabis-related records). Shore Legal Access’s staff and volunteer attorneys work with individuals and families to resolve legal issues while helping those new to the law understand their rights and responsibilities. Each year, Shore Legal Access connects more than 3,000 clients with legal help they might otherwise not have received, ensuring that justice truly is for all.

Clients of Shore Legal Access gain an attorney in their corner, connections to community services, and a new perspective on the law. Each year, Shore Legal Access connects more than 3,000 clients with legal help they might otherwise not have received.

Shore Legal Access seeks to continue to grow its reach to ensure that justice truly is for all, with volunteer opportunities and offices in Easton in Salisbury, Maryland. A grand reopening and ribbon-cutting reception is planned at the Salisbury location on Wednesday, October 18, with more at www.shorelegal.org.

Small business owners and entrepreneurs are invited to attend the Talbot County Minority Business Resource Fair on Saturday, October 14 from 4-7 p.m. at the Waterfowl Festival Building in downtown Easton. The event is free, including childcare provided for participants.

Participants will gain important knowledge and resources to help facilitate business start-ups and expansion. In addition to local resource partners, representatives from the Governor’s Office on Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs will be attending the event and available to answer participant questions.

Luis Diaz-Colorado, a bilingual business consultant at the Small Business Development Center, will be the main speaker, presenting in both English and Spanish. Interpreters will also be available for participants at each resource partner’s table.

Based at the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation offices in Annapolis, Diaz-Colorado provides comprehensive guidance to clients throughout their entrepreneurial journey, including the early stages of business planning and growth plans for established operations.

Diaz-Colorado holds a degree in International Business from The George Washington University and earned a Master’s in Business Administration from The American University. He brings invaluable knowledge and insights to his audiences, with a solid background spanning more than 20 years in the banking and hospitality industries.

The Minority Business Resource Fair is presented by the Talbot County Department of Economic Development and Tourism, Uniting for Entrepreneurship in Maryland, and the Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center.

Resource partners include the Small Business Development Center, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Maryland Capital Enterprises, and local banks.

“Being connected to resources helps businesses succeed, and we’re here to be the conduit for building these connections with local business owners and leaders,” said Talbot County Economic Development and Tourism Director Cassandra Vanhooser. “Participants will come away from this event knowing more about the programs and resources available to start and grow a business in Talbot County, including financing options for small businesses.”

The Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center is helping host the event with the hope that minority business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs will feel welcome to attend and access the information.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to host this event with our partners,” said Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center Executive Director Matthew Peters. “Together we are providing business resources that are accessible to any individuals who want to start a business in Talbot County, including the Latino community.”

The Talbot County Department of Economic Development and Tourism’s mission is to enhance and promote a business-friendly environment for current and prospective enterprises and to advocate for policies that support and strengthen the economic vitality of Talbot County. The department’s vision for Talbot County is built on the principles of strong communities, empowered businesses, and innovative solutions.

Business owners and managers are encouraged to receive the department’s Talbot Works newsletter and breaking business news by subscribing at www.talbotworks.org. The department can also be reached at 410-770-8058 or by visiting their office at 215 Bay Street, Suite 5, Easton, Md.