When Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the Berkeley School of Law and a strong advocate of free speech, invited sixty graduating students to his home, one of them rewarded his and his wife’s kindness with ... [Continue Story]
Public Affairs
1st District GOP Candidates Debate without Incumbent Andy Harris at LWV Forum
Two forums were planned for last Sunday at Chesapeake College for Democratic and Republican candidates running in this year’s primary elections for ... [Continue Story]
- Congressman Harris Votes No on Bill Supporting Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan
- Spy Report: Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc Hosts Public Update Session
- County Council Update: Lakeside Resolutions Discussed and More
- House, Senate Send $63 Billion Budget to Governor
- Maryland House and Senate leaders Say They have a Budget Agreement
- Going on 15 Years: A Chat with Talbot Interfaith Shelter’s Julie Lowe
Spy Highlights
When Whistler looked at City Streets with the Curator David Park Curry and AAM’s Lee Glazer
The Spy always tries to keep an eye open for interesting art shows in Washington that we think are worth the hassle of crossing the Bay Bridge and facing city traffic. One of those exhibitions is now at the Freer Gallery of Arts entitled “Whistler: Streetscapes, Urban Change,” curated by David Park Curry. Beyond the […]
- Chicken Scratch: Are You Feeling Stressed Today? By Elizabeth Beggins
- The Art and Importance of Festivals at the CBMM with Shannon Mitchell
- From and Fuller: Speaker Johnson’s Foreign Aid Pickle and Trump Trapped in the Courtroom
- Dedicating the Original Choptank River Bridge with FDR and the Sequoia
- Let’s Talk About It: Human Trafficking on the Mid-Shore with Beth Anne Dorman
- A New Steward at the Academy: Meet AAM Curator Lee Glazer
The Arts and Local Design
Spy Review: They’re All Winners in this Contest by Steve Parks
A trio who got together barely nine months ago – late in the summer of 2023 – came away with the top prize of $10,000 in the 11th biennial Chesapeake ... [Continue Story]
- TAP Time: Tred Avon Players Liz Clarke and Cavin Moore on “Vanities”
- Two Art Grants Programs that Might Change Lives with Talbot Arts’ Joan Levy
- Spy Music Review: Concerto to Die For by Steve Parks
- Spy Arts Diary: A Stands for Art in April by Steve Parks
- Spy Concert Review: The Final 3 in MSO Concerto Playoff by Steve Parks
- Spy Review: Jonathan Richman at the Avalon by Mark Pelavin
Chesapeake Ecosystem
Maryland’s Oyster Sanctuaries Show Promising Signs by Joe Zimmermann
At first, oyster biologists were concerned. Monitoring efforts at some restoration sanctuary reefs in 2022 weren’t pulling up many oysters, even ... [Continue Story]
- Deena Kilmon Appointed Executive Director of Waterfowl
- The Eagle’s Owl Nest: After Years of Teasing, This Great Horned Owl Couple Finally Delivers
- Mid-Shore Ecosystem: Record Breaking Farm Land Saved by QAC but Future Funding Looks Bleak
- Md. Offshore Wind Project Loses Energy: Developer Announces ‘Repositioning’ Of Project
- A Conservation Journey From Cordova to Palaka and Back to Delmarva by Norman Greenhawk
- Environmental Reclamation and Sustainability for the Bay: The Poplar Island Project
Maryland News
Here are Some Bills to Watch on the Final Day of Session
The General Assembly session began on Jan. 10 with dire news over projected deficits. It will end Monday with a total eclipse of the sun. In ... [Continue Story]
- Should People with Severe Mental Health Needs get Court-Ordered Treatment?
- MD House Fiscal Leader Can’t Rule Out Extended Session on Budget
- Maryland’s Budget Compromise Languishes As Annapolis Debate Revenues
- A Check in with Cambridge Mayor Steve Rideout: The Resignation of a Highly-Respected City Manager
- Key Bridge Update: Six Workers Presumed Dead
Health
Compass in Review: A Chat with CEO Heather Guerieri
Every year, the Spy makes it a point to talk to Heather Guerieri, the CEO of Compass, the Mid-Shore's largest nonprofit hospice organization, for an ... [Continue Story]
- Working Together on Senior Care: A Chat with Talbot Health’s Carrie Ottey and Upper Shore Aging’s Andy Hollis
- Mid-Shore Health: The Road to Recovery at Shore Medical Center’s Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Clinics
- Mid Shore Health Improvement Coalition Launches Health Careers Website
- Mid-Shore Health: The New Science of Orthopedic Care with Drs. Myron Szczukowski and Dr. Sheila Taylor
- The Moore Budget Shows $100M for Proposed Medical Center
Education
Breakdown Of Funding For Blueprint Plan Comes Into Focus
To help pay for the Blueprint plan through fiscal year 2027, the legislature also approved the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act, known as the ... [Continue Story]
- Horn Point Professors Named U.S. Fulbright Scholars
- Maryland Blueprint: Implementation in Dorchester County
- Blueprint Implementation Continues: New Plans Reveal Ongoing Challenges For Schools
- Chesapeake Forum’s New Era of Lifelong Learning with James Adams and Claudia Dziobek
- Building a Pathway to Serve with MD’s Service and Civic Innovation Secretary Paul Monteiro
Food & Garden Highlights
Breakdown Of Funding For Blueprint Plan Comes Into Focus
To help pay for the Blueprint plan through fiscal year 2027, the legislature also approved the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act, known as the ... [Continue Story]
Brevities
Agent 86 Reconnaissance Footage: Chestertown by Air
As part of our ongoing series in the Spy, Agent 86 has been collecting reconnaissance footage of great Mid-Shore communities, and he has just ... [Continue Story]
Commerce
Breakdown Of Funding For Blueprint Plan Comes Into Focus
To help pay for the Blueprint plan through fiscal year 2027, the legislature also approved the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act, known as the ... [Continue Story]
Community Notes
Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Opens May 11
On Saturday, May 11, the Tilghman Watermen’s Museum will re-open for the 2024 season. Standard hours are Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 3 pm, ... [Continue Story]
- Waterfowl Festival Celebrates Volunteer Week
- John Lewis, Headmaster of Gunston School, will be speaking about “Artificial Intelligence and Disinformation.
- The Spy to Offer Election Interviews with all St. Michaels Commissioner Candidates
- Eastern Shore Land Conservancy Celebrates Trails
- This Talbot Day, Celebrate Eastern Shore History with Talbot County Free Library’s Maryland Room
- CBMM partners with Dockwa for Members-Only Marina
Senior Life Highlights
Could Your Core Be Getting Frail? By Susan Covey
As you probably know, a weak core impacts everyday life...but maybe more than you think. If basic functional movements like getting out of bed or ... [Continue Story]
- Working Together on Senior Care: A Chat with Talbot Health’s Carrie Ottey and Upper Shore Aging’s Andy Hollis
- Senior Life: Stepping Out by Susan Covey
- Cruisin’ with Christine: For the Love of Rotary at Londonderry with Robert Grill
- Londonderry on the Tred Avon Welcomes Brian Cotter to Board of Directors
- Housekeeping Team Contributes to Superior Lifestyle at Londonderry on the Tred Avon
- Cruisin’ with Christine: A Kitchen Inspection at Londonderry
Arts Notes
The Mainstay Welcomes Rex Fowler and Aztec Two-Step 2.0
On Friday, May 10 The Mainstay welcomes Rex Fowler and Aztec Two-Step 2.0. Aztec Two-Step was an American folk-rock band formed back in “the day” ... [Continue Story]
- AAM Announces Spring/Summer Exhibitions
- Allegro Academy Block Party-May 11
- Avalon Theatre Events for April, May, and June
- Mark Gadson to release his latest single, Feel That Love Again
- Plein Air Easton Launches Inaugural Hall of Fame Awards: Nominations Now Open
- Join or Die: May 23 film screening explores the power of joining together
Ecosystem Notes
Celebrate Trails Day in Queen Anne’s County: April 27, 2024
Queen Anne’s County is gearing up for Celebrate Trails Day on April 27. This event highlights the natural beauty and recreational opportunities ... [Continue Story]
Education Notes
Get Your Groove On! Learn How to Jam With Others
Spend a few hours learning how to jam with others and pick up a lifetime of music and joy. Whether you are a backroom strummer or a lapsed high ... [Continue Story]
- Drink Tequila, Explore the Serengeti or Read a Book In April at Chesapeake Forum
- Get Reel with Chesapeake Forum’s Lectures on the Shore this May
- Heron Pickleball Tournament Raises $7,000 for Gunston Athletics
- Darius Johnson Appointed to Maryland Historical Trust Board of Trustees
- Dr. Matthew Kibler Named as QACPS Assistant Superintendent
- Benedictine Programs and Services Receives $1.8 Million 2024 Congressionally Directed Spending Funding
Health Notes
Talbot Goes Purple will collect medications for National Take Back Day
Talbot Goes Purple this week announced prescription medication collection from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. April 27, in St. Michaels, as part of National ... [Continue Story]
- Shore Regional Health Celebrates Donate Life Month
- Queen Anne’s County Emergency Services to Host Community Emergency Response Team Training (CERT)
- Habitat Choptank Receives $450,000 Funding for Camper Street Neighborhood Project
- Health Fair Coming to Delmarva Pride Center
- Free Mental Health Screenings Offered in Easton This Month at Grace Street
- For All Seasons Offers Focused Staff Trainings Around Trauma
Commerce Notes
Breakdown Of Funding For Blueprint Plan Comes Into Focus
To help pay for the Blueprint plan through fiscal year 2027, the legislature also approved the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act, known as the ... [Continue Story]
Food Friday
Food Friday: Prepare for Al Fresco
We have had just enough warm weather this month to get us acclimated to the notion of summer, and now it is about to get cooler, but in a zesty, spring-y fashion. (We can wear ... [Continue Story]
Looking at the Masters with Beverly Smith
Looking at the Masters: Daisies and Beavers
If you were born during the month of April, the daisy is your birth flower. Ancient Egyptians grew daisies for their medicinal value. Eating daisies ... [Continue Story]
Design with Jenn Martella
House of the Week: Four-Square Fabulous
Now that Dorchester County is part of my beat, I am enjoying becoming acquainted with Cambridge’s historic neighborhoods. This house caught my eye for several reasons; its location only two blocks from the Choptank River, its deep lot, and its modified American Four-Square architectural style. Features of this style include its boxy footprint with square […]
From and Fuller Podcast
From and Fuller: Speaker Johnson’s Foreign Aid Pickle and Trump Trapped in the Courtroom
Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment. This week, From and ... [Continue Story]
- From and Fuller: A Deep Dive into Battleground State Wisconsin and MAGA Move for Trump Airport
- From and Fuller: Trump Antisemitism, Ohio Primary Results, and Hogan Poll Numbers
- From and Fuller: Biden’s SOTU Doesn’t Change Polls and the RFK, Jr. Third Party Threat
- From and Fuller: A Super Tuesday Download and the High Stakes of Biden’s State of the Union Address
- From and Fuller: The Politics of Isolationism and Commander’s Bites
- From and Fuller: Republicans Says No to Border Compromise, Fail to Impeach Mayorkas, and the Trump Defeat on Immunity
Columnist J.E. Dean
Trump’s “Historic Trial” by J.E. Dean
Donald Trump made history Monday in New York as the first American ex-president ever to face trial for a felony. Trump himself said he "was honored" ... [Continue Story]
- The Trump Melt-Down Continues by J.E. Dean
- Keeping Idiots Out of Congress by J. E. Dean
- Pence Declines to Endorse the Man Who Wanted Him Hanged by J.E. Dean
- How is Joe Biden’s Reelection Campaign Going? By J.E. Dean
- What Supporting Trump Says About You by J.E. Dean
- Ten Futures for Donald Trump by J. E. Dean
Columnist Howard Freedlander
Out and About (Sort of): Good Deed, Awful Behavior by Howard Freedlander
When Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the Berkeley School of Law and a strong advocate of free speech, invited sixty graduating students to his home, one of them rewarded his and his wife’s kindness with appalling behavior. Using her own microphone in Chemerinsky’s backyard to plead the plight of Palestinians, she and ten other students showed […]
- Out and About (Sort of): Wondering by Howard Freedlander
- Out and About (Sort of): Calming the Waters in Oxford by Howard Freedlander
- Out and About (Sort of): Compromise and Cars by Howard Freedlander
- Out and About (Sort of): Noteworthy History by Howard Freedlander
- Out and About (Sort of): Race To Watch by Howard Freedlander
- Out and About (Sort of): No Age Limit on Romance by Howard Freedlander
Columnist Hugh Panero
Top 15 Indicators That You Are Too Old For Technology by Hugh Panero
15. You refuse to upgrade your Mac operating system because you are terrified it will have bugs and screw up your computer. You only do it when you ... [Continue Story]
- Dune Part 2 and My Son Got Me Back Into a Movie Theater by Hugh Panero
- Governor Moore is About to Have a Moment by Hugh Panero
- The List of the 15 Most Upside-Down Things of 2023 by Hugh Panero
- New Hospital Dreams and Long ER Wait Time Nightmares by Hugh Panero
- New Hospital Dreams and Long ER Wait Time Nightmares by Hugh Panero
- America’s Crash Course on the Law by Hugh Panero
Columnist Craig Fuller
A Technologically Driven Holistic Approach to Healthcare: Craig Fuller Chats with Dr. Rubin Pillay
In a recent insightful interview with Dr. Rubin Pillay, an innovative voice in modern healthcare, the Spy's Craig Fuller was offered a glimpse into ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Jamie Kirkpatrick
A Writer’s Life by Jamie Kirkpatrick
Just over a year ago, I decided to begin work on a sequel to my debut novel, “This Salted Soil.” In that book, I introduced readers to a young Irish ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Laura Oliver
This Wild Heaven By Laura J. Oliver
Laura Oliver will be reading her work at the Stoltz Listening Room at the Avalon Foundation in Easton on April 24th at 6 pm as part of our Spy Nights ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Angela Rieck
Hunting Demons, the Epilogue by Angela Rieck
Last year, I wrote a column (Hunting Down Demons) about the trauma that I experienced when I moved to Key West and was besieged by life events. To ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Al Sikes
A Small Light by Al Sikes
There was a time when a single channel offered a blockbuster movie or series. Think broadcast TV and, for example, one of my favorites, Lonesome Dove. Or, maybe, The Sopranos. The shows were promoted extensively, if not excessively, and became what we called “appointment TV.” I have just now caught up with “A Small Light,” […]
Opinion
When Peace Visited War: A Christmas Story by Tom Timberman
Americans approach Christmas 2023 in a dark angry environment that has divided millions, even families and friends. Bethlehem, even Santa Claus and ... [Continue Story]
- A Christmas Carol 2023 by Maria Wood
- The Carbon Darwin Award by Bob Moores
- America’s Civil War of Weaponized Words and the Middle East by Tom Timberman
- Here’s a Test: Can You Recognize a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing? By Maria Grant
- What Happens Next to Israel, Hamas, Palestinians and the US? By Tom Timberman
- Still No Planning? By Carol Voyles
- America is Losing Control of the Israel/Palestinian Global Narrative by Tom Timberman
- Things To Do In A Deer Stand by Rob Etgen
- Towards A National Directory Of Gun Violence by Stan Salett
- Wars, Political Chaos, Confusion and Anger: What to Do? By Tom Timberman
- Are We Judged by the Company We Keep? By Maria Grant
- October 7 Perspective by Bob Moores
- Rockfish Conservation by Rob Etgen
- Thoughts from the Mayor Of Crisfield on the Tawes Crab Feast and Clam Bake by Darlene Taylor
- The House is Dysfunctional; Where’s the Contingency Plan? By Tom Timberman
Letters to the Editor
Letter to Editor: Farmers, Watermen, and Citizens Around the Bay Need More Effective Shoreland Zoning And Funding.
Have you ever taken a sip of water, a taste of food, or a breath of air and wondered if it was safe for your health and the environment? As a local ... [Continue Story]
- Letter to Editor: Why I’m Running for St. Michalels Commissioners
- Letter to Editor: Rename the Francis Scott Key Bridge
- Letter to Editor: Legal Challenge To Striped Bass Regulations Gets Wide Support
- Letter to Editor: Planning Commission Decisions On Lakeside This Tuesday
- Letter to Editor: Your Personal Guide to the Colossal Lakeside Mess and the Way Out
- Letter to Editor: Neighbors Helping Neighbors Journey To Citizenship