The Spy - Chestertown Spy

May Mart Blooms in Memorial Park on May 2

April 8, 2025 by The Spy Leave a Comment

Spring is here and with it comes the Chestertown Garden Club’s annual garden sale, May Mart, which will be held on Friday, May 2, from 9-1 on downtown Memorial Park Plaza. The event is held rain or shine.

The annual spring event offers an abundance of non-invasive perennials and shrubs, as well as natives, annuals, house plants, herbs, and vegetables for sale. Advice on planting and caring for your plants will be available from CGC members. There will also be a baked goods table with homemade goodies and treats, and a raffle. Purchase 3 tickets for $5.00 for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate from the Chestertown business of your choice. Breakfast, lunch, and beverages will be for sale by Happy Chicken Bakery and can be preordered or purchased at May Mart. Information is at happychickenbakery.com. Cash, checks, and credit cards will be accepted at the event.

May Mart is the organization’s major fund-raiser of the year, and all proceeds go towards the beautification, restoration, and maintenance of Chestertown’s Fountain and Memorial Parks. The club also decorates the spaces with greens for the winter holiday season.

The Chestertown Garden Club was founded in 1931 to bring together area women with a mutual interest in gardening and environmental awareness. Today, this civic-minded group has a membership of over 60 women and men who contribute labor, time, and resources to improve and maintain Chestertown’s public spaces. The club also provides informative meetings and lectures as well as sponsoring local flower shows and trips to area gardens. For more information about CGC, please stop by the hospitality tent at May Mart.

If you miss the main event between 9 and 1, you can look for CGC’s table downtown at First Friday on May 2 from 5-7. There will be plants and raffle tickets for sale at that time. Please come out and enjoy Chestertown Garden Club’s May Mart and support their important work in the community!

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Kent County Chamber of Commerce honors local leaders at 2025 Community Excellence Awards

April 7, 2025 by The Spy Leave a Comment

The Kent County Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Community Excellence Awards held on January 29th at the Chester River Yacht and Country Club in Chestertown. These awards honor outstanding contributions to our community, through commitment, innovation, and leadership in three distinct categories.

Harborview Farms was named the 2025 Business of the Year, Shore Community Outreach Team was awarded the 2025 Organization of the Year, and Kristen Owen was recognized as the 2025 Individual of the Year.

“The Community Excellence Awards is a testament to the spirit of collaboration and dedication that defines Kent County,” said Sarah King, Executive Director of the Kent County Chamber of Commerce. “Each nominee has demonstrated a profound impact on our community, and we are thrilled to recognize their achievements.”

The 2025 award recipients are as follows:

Business of the Year: Harborview Farms

Trey Hill (right), owner of Harborview Farms, accepts the Business of the Year award from Sarah King (left), Executive Director of the Kent County Chamber of Commerce.

Harborview Farms, owned and managed by Trey Hill and Herman Hill, was recognized for its leadership in responsible and environmentally sustainable agriculture. Beyond their own operations, they are pioneers in advancing agricultural innovation and fostering the next generation of farmers. A local resident who nominated Harborview Farms emphasized, “Harborview Farms exhibits continuous excellence in the community through job creation, development of the younger workforce, educational outreach, and a commitment to giving back.” Trey Hill accepted the award on behalf of Harborview Farms, expressing gratitude for the recognition and reaffirming the company’s dedication to innovation and sustainability in agriculture.

Organization of the Year: Shore Community Outreach Team

The UM Shore Community Outreach Team was recognized for its unwavering dedication to improving healthcare access and support services for residents in Kent and northern

Emily Welsh (Center) and Michelle Mathews (Right) of the Shore Community Outreach Team accept the Organization of the Year award from Sarah King (left), Executive Director of the Kent County Chamber of Commerce.

Queen Anne’s counties. With a team consisting of a registered nurse, a social worker, and community health advocates, the organization delivers inclusive and accessible programs tailored to meet local needs. “The Shore Community Outreach Team stands out for their innovative programs and deep engagement with the community,” read the nomination. “Their efforts improve the health and well-being of our residents in meaningful and lasting ways.” Emily Welsh, RN Coordinator, accepted the award on behalf of the Shore Community Outreach Team, expressing appreciation for the community’s ongoing support of their mission.

Individual of the Year: Kristen Owen

Kristen Owen (right) receives the Individual of the Year award from the Kent County Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Director, Sarah King (left).

Kristen Owen was honored for her exceptional volunteer leadership as President of the Board of Main Street Chestertown. Throughout a critical transitional period, she dedicated countless hours to ensuring the organization’s stability and the successful advancement of the Chestertown Master Plan initiative. A local business leader who nominated Owen remarked, “She took time and energy from her personal and professional life to take on an incredible amount of responsibility. Her dedication and leadership make her truly deserving of this recognition.” Upon receiving the award, Owen expressed her deep appreciation for the community and her commitment to the continued success of Main Street Chestertown.

The Chamber extends its congratulations to all winners and nominees of the 2025 Community Excellence Awards. Their dedication, service, and passion for Kent County continue to inspire and uplift the community.

For more information about the Kent County Chamber of Commerce and future events, please visit www.kentchamber.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Racing thoroughbreds in the Gilded Age: An interview with author Josh Pons

December 10, 2024 by The Spy 2 Comments

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On Wednesday, December 18, the Bookplate bookstore will host renowned Maryland horse breeder and author Josh Pons to discuss and read from his new book, Letters from Country Life: Adolphe Pons, Man o’ War, and the Founding of Maryland’s Oldest Thoroughbred Farm. Guests are welcome to join Josh and the Bookplate staff for a reading and book signing at 6pm at The Kitchen at the Imperial Hotel.

In 2016, Josh Pons discovered thousands of letters and documents in the cellar of the family’s horse farm. The trove of information, in almost pristine condition, told the story of his grandfather, Adolphe Pons, a prominent figure in the thoroughbred horse industry. The son of a French chef employed in the opulent mansions of Gilded Age banker August Belmont II, Adolphe immigrated to New York City at the age of five in 1888. Over time, he rose to become Belmont’s personal secretary, playing a pivotal role in the breeding and sale of one of history’s most legendary horses, Man o’ War. During the Great Depression, and as horse racing in New York became outlawed, Adolphe left the state and established a 100-acre horse farm near Bel Air, Maryland, and named it Country Life.

Pons saw the discovered documents as a yet to be formed narrative of an era spanning World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. The result is a captivating chronicle that offers a fresh perspective on the Golden Age of Horse Racing and its enduring impact on the present.

Josh Pons won two Eclipse Awards for his journalism in BloodHorse, presented for best stories of the year in the sport of Thoroughbred racing. He is the author of three books published by Eclipse Press: Country Life Diary: Three Years in the Life of a Maryland Horse Farm, which sold 10,000 copies; Merryland: Two Years in the Life of a Thoroughbred Training Farm (available now in its second printing) and the just-released Letters from Country Life: Adolphe Pons, Man o’ War, and the Founding of Maryland’s Oldest Thoroughbred Farm.

For more bookplate event details, or to reserve your seats, contact The Bookplate at 410-778-4167 or [email protected]. These events are free and open to the public, but reservations are recommended. The Kitchen at The Imperial is located at 208 High Street in Chestertown. The Bookplate will continue their author event series in 2025.

The Spy recently interviewed Josh from Country Life Farm to talk about the book and his experience writing it.

Lead photo is Man o’ War.

This interview is approximately seven minutes in length.

As we reported in previous op-eds, the State Highway Administration (SHA), the Chestertown community, and the town have resurrected the 2014/15 Chestertown Community Task Force Study on improving safety on State roads in town.

The two authors of this report, Mayor David Foster, and senior officials from SHA, began work in the Fall, following up on recommendations in that 2014/2015 report.

While the study and its recommendations covered a wide range of issues on state roads, the group’s work, so far, has focused mostly on pedestrian and vehicular safety on the Maple/Washington Avenue corridor.

Although there is much that SHA can do and is doing to address problems of safety, there are regulatory and policy constraints with which SHA must comply.

Below, is a brief account of the progress made to date; it is a follow up to the presentation by SHA officials to the Mayor and Council last week on Monday, July 17.

State High Administration leaders in District 2, Ken Fender, and Rich Baker, made a positive impression on the packed, standing room only audience at that meeting.

Audience members asking questions and seeking information told us how grateful they were to listen to Ken and Rich and to feel they were being heard respectfully. There was civility and courtesy on both sides.

Month after month, since last Fall, we have met as a working group to see what improved safety measures can be introduced, not just by SHA, but by our own town management. Much has been achieved, albeit not yet fully evident, and we will continue to meet.

So where do things stand right now?

the Council will shortly erect a digital speed sign, mounted on a moveable pole, between the Chester River Bridge and North Queen Street on the incoming side, showing vehicles’ actualspeed v. the legally posted speed, like on the Bay Bridge; soon after, the Council will add a second mounted sign on the opposite side of Maple Avenue between Philosophers Terrace and North Queen. These digital signs have succeeded in slowing traffic in Galena, and Betterton. In the future, other such digital signs may be posted on High Street or elsewhere
SHA will put a push-button/cross-on-request flashing beacon at the pedestrian crossing at Kent and Maple
large clear road-spanning markings will be added to the pedestrian crossings at Kent and North Queen as further indications to drivers to be alert to pedestrians crossing
longer-term, SHA will add a pedestrian crossing for the very first time at the busy major Morgnec Road/Washington Avenue traffic junction
SHA can consider further signage/indicators to the crossing poles at Kent and North Queen — still to be discussed
The Philosophers Terrace/Cross Street/Maple Avenue traffic junction will be adjusted, both in the markings of lanes, and sequencing of traffic lights, etc, to make turns at that busy junction safer, and more pedestrian focused
a No-Right-Turn-on-Red sign will be posted at the corner of Cross Street and Maple, on the “711 ” store side, and the corner there may be cut back to make it easier to hug the curbside and not swing near oncoming traffic
SHA will now consider a follow up camera/”tubed”/speed-and-volume traffic study as was carried out in the late fall of 2022, and in 2014
In the future, the data gathered from the two Council-controlled speed signs may be used to build a clear case for a speed camera or cameras, as long as that meets state regulations
the pedestrian crossing at North Queen and Maple remains a point of contention for residents, a number of whom raised this at the Monday, July 17 meeting. Right now, the state “warrants” study showing numbers of pedestrians crossing does not justify a push button flashing light crossing (but is this because few people cross there because they are afraid to? To be discussed)
The Council, on Council land, has erected a sturdy black iron fence at the steep cement steps on the corner of Maple Avenue and Water Street, on the West side of the Bridge, where pedestrians trying to cross to Water Street faced possible death or serious injury because of the difficulty in seeing oncoming bridge traffic. The iron fence also includes a clear sign warning pedestrians to only cross the road further down Maple, ideally at the North Queen/Maple junction or, safer still, further up at Philosophers Terrace
SHA has also cut back the major tree/branch growth on the West side of the bridge which was obscuring pedestrians’ clear sight of oncoming vehicles
Neighbors on Water Street and North Queen are also working with Google Maps/Waze, etc., to ask them notto post turns into Water or North Queen after the bridge crossing, but to specify turns at Cross and Spring instead; occasionally, large tourist coaches, for example, are driving down Water and North Queen
further augmentation of signage on pedestrian crossings, warnings to truck drivers that loud “jake brakes” are against the law, and possible augmentation of current signs on 301 saying heavy trucks should not cut through Centreville or Chestertown
Residents on High Street are also concerned about speeding between Spring Street and the Police Station and it may be that we need a third digital speed sign there. The Police have put a mobile speed sign between the Station and the RoFo roundabout; Chief Dixon has begun attending our monthly meetings and has been a key part of our progress; he is very committed to this project
In addition, there has been significant speeding on Horsey Lane (off North Queen Street) by drivers using it to avoid traffic lights at Philosophers Terrace and Cross street; residents may ask the Council for speed bumps on Horsey
We are also working closely Jim Bogden and Owen Bailey, on vehicle, pedestrian and cycle safety.Thanks are also warranted to Steve Mitchell of Water Street and Steve McWilliams of North Queen Street for their help.

Stay tuned and by all means get in touch with us at:

[email protected] and

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