As many Spy readers know, we’ve been periodically checking in with Emily Chandler, the owner of Piazza Italian Deli, over a decade now. Starting in December of 2008 with her relatively small first store in Talbottown, her move to her current location, coping with the pandemic, and a successful recovery, Emily has shown time and time again her unique gift of entrepreneurship mixed with a genuine passion for Italian food and culture. And the Mid-Shore has been the better for it each step along the way.

Now Chandler is taking another bold step with the opening of a new restaurant next door to Piazza called Accanto. In her recent chat with the Spy, Emily talks about the natural path she and her company have taken to get to this point. She also answers many questions about the logistics of the new dinner only establishment, and shares her thoughts about scaling her enterprise and in typical Emily Chandler fashion, talks candidly about the challenges of creating the right menu, the right ambitious,   and the right culture of her both herself and her staff going forward.

Just so you know, “Accanto” means “besides” in Italian.

This video is approximately six minutes in length.

In this remarkable Spy interview, Londonderry resident Margaret Bryan, 102 years old, of Claiborne, Maryland, shares vivid memories from a century of life on the Eastern Shore. Born in 1923 and having just celebrated her 102nd birthday, Ms. Bryan recalls a time before the Bay Bridge, when ferries and steamboats connected communities, and Claiborne was a vital transportation hub. Her father managed the ferry line that once carried passengers and vehicles across the Chesapeake Bay, a lifeline between the shore and Annapolis. Raised in a one-room schoolhouse and later bused to St. Michaels, she offers a rare, firsthand perspective on rural life, early education, and community values in a bygone era.

With great warmth and clarity, Ms. Bryan reflects on the astonishing changes she’s witnessed—from radios to televisions, from steamboats to airplanes, and from typewriters to computers. Her stories include colorful anecdotes about wooden-sided school buses, floating theaters, and even an operator-assisted long-distance call that feels like an early version of today’s smart tech.

This video is approximately nine minutes in length. For information about Londonderry on the Tred Avon, please go here.

While it may be true that the land conservation movement has faced tough times before, particularly on the Eastern Shore, according to Steve Kline, the president of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, it’s hard to remember a more dire moment for preserving essential landscapes.  The combination of a significant drop in state funding for such critical programs like Maryland’s Open Space, coupled with Annapolis’s recent move to supersede local government control of solar farm permitting, will make it more difficult than ever before for organizations and individuals to preserve the Eastern Shore’s most important assets; its rich agricultural soil.

During our annual check-in with Steve, he discusses these real threats to land conservation and the sobering outlook for the Mid-Shore, highlighting the short-term challenges in the region’s ongoing battle to preserve its heritage.

This video is approximately 15 minutes in length. For more information about the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy or to make a donation, please visit their website here.

As Easton enters into the final weeks of its local election for Easton Council president as well as council seats for Ward 2 and 4, there has been considerable surprise in the community at the costs of some of these campaigns, such as lawn signs, billboards, and local ads in the Star-Democrat and other media. But more importantly, the question for Easton Mayor Megan Cook and Ward 3 Councilmember David Montgormey is, who are making these contributions?

The short answer is that no one knows. That’s because the Town of Easton has never had laws requiring donors’ disclosure and the size of their contributions.

Cook and Montgomery want to change this for future elections by co-sponsoring the requirement that candidates disclose that information.

The Spy asked Mayor Cook and Council Member Montgomery to stop by the Spy Studio to outline their plan to increase transparency in the town’s local elections.

This video is approximately four minutes in length.

Every year about this time, the Waterfowl Festival, the nonprofit conservation group behind one of the Eastern Shore’s most popular events, has produced over $6 million in land protection grants over the years and also student scholarships totaling $24,000 just in 2024,  sits down the Spy to provide some analysis of last year’s weekend celebration.

This year, executive director Deena Kilmon reports good news —very good, indeed, for the 53-year-old volunteer program. After a few years of mixed results and bad weather, Kilmon reports a record-breaking event with more than 17,000 people than in previous years.

Deena also makes the sobering point that the costs related to the three-day event have also increased. The expenses of infrastructure, public safety, and the need to provide reliable internet access to both visitors and vendors, as meant fees have gone up to meet those costs while also maintaining the organization’s mission to provide conservation grants and scholarships to the region’s high school students.

This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about the Waterfowl Festival, please go here.  The organization is taking applications for scholarships now for students who volunteered for the Waterfowl Festival. call their office for details at 410-822-4567 or download the form from their website. 

A few weeks ago, The Oaks Waterfront Hotel in Royal Oak became an official member of a highly exclusive club in the United States. The Oaks is one of only 300 hotels in the country that belong to the Historic Hotels of America network, which has the common purpose of preserving and maintaining its historic integrity, architecture, and ambiance. Equally important, the network helps market these landmark inns and resorts to travelers seeking those unique, period-authentic accommodations.

The other commonality for most of these venues is the extraordinary effort it takes in terms of the costs of maintaining these historic assets. As any old home owner knows firsthand, keeping things the way they were does not come cheap. The cost of upkeep, along with competition from modern, state-of-the-art hotels, makes preserving these historic gems a significant personal and financial commitment, requiring time, resources, and passion.

Tackling those challenges at The Oaks is part of the job of general manager Andy Warner. A relative newcomer in the world of hospitality, Andy and his wife decided a few years ago to join her parents in making this remarkable estate a Mid-Shore destination for lodging, dining, and special events.  In his Spy interview, Andy talks about this sudden shift in careers and how The Oaks is gaining traction by maintaining high service standards and a welcoming environment with this family-run business.

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

Over the coming months, community leaders from across the Mid-Shore will gather in various festive ways to celebrate the extraordinary contributions of YMCA of the Chesapeake CEO Robbie Gill.

When Robbie arrived in Talbot County in 2005, the YMCA at the Easton Peachbossom site was already a success story. Through the generosity of the W. Alton Jones Foundation and the dedication of visionary board members, the Y’s presence has since then significantly improved the lives of countless families in and around Talbot County. However, that transformative impact was primarily limited to the county, leaving many nearby counties – particularly further north – without access to similar opportunities.

While others had recognized this gap in mission delivery, it was Robbie’s leadership skills and strategic vision that made these much-needed changes. His ability to unite teams and mobilize resources has brought the YMCA to life in Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties. Today, with two new campuses in Chestertown and Centreville, representing nearly $50 million in funding, the Y has expanded its reach and delivered life-changing programs and services to even more communities.

The Spy recently invited Robbie to our studio to reflect on these remarkable achievements and to share his thoughts on the future. During our conversation, we asked him to explore the question that never seems fully answered: “What’s next for YMCA?”

This video is approximately eight minutes in length. For more information about the YMCA of the Chesapeake please go here.