https://chestertownspy.org Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown Mon, 24 Mar 2025 14:24:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/24/133341-2/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/24/133341-2/#comments Mon, 24 Mar 2025 13:26:44 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/24/133341-2/ On March 22, the political groups Cambridge Indivisible and Eastern Shore Indivisible held a “People’s Town Hall” for a packed house in the Mace’s Lane Middle School gymnasium. In response to Congressional Representative Andy Harris’ refusal to participate in an in-person event with constituents, this gathering featured Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin of Montgomery County. Raskin […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/24/133341-2/feed/ 3 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/21/ymca-discusses-results-of-market-study-on-cambridge-facility/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/21/ymca-discusses-results-of-market-study-on-cambridge-facility/#respond Fri, 21 Jun 2024 12:39:38 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/21/ymca-discusses-results-of-market-study-on-cambridge-facility/ On the evening of June 18th, a crowd gathered in the gymnasium of the Pauline F. and W. David Robbins Family YMCA in Cambridge for a meeting on a controversial subject. People sweated in the sauna-like conditions of the echoey gym as Robbie Gill, CEO of YMCA of the Chesapeake, presented the results of a […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/21/ymca-discusses-results-of-market-study-on-cambridge-facility/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/17/mid-shore-history-the-tale-of-handsell/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/17/mid-shore-history-the-tale-of-handsell/#respond Mon, 17 Jun 2024 13:53:58 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/17/mid-shore-history-the-tale-of-handsell/ The historic House at Handsell, near Vienna, sits on land inhabited by the Nanticoke tribe of Native Americans for at least 2,500 years. In the mid-1600s, the Englishman Thomas Taylor claimed ownership of the territory, and the natives ended up collected on reservations. Eventually, they were forced by the British government to move north, away […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/17/mid-shore-history-the-tale-of-handsell/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/31/qac-council-highlights-bay-bridge-traffic-experiment-shows-signs-of-working/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/31/qac-council-highlights-bay-bridge-traffic-experiment-shows-signs-of-working/#respond Fri, 31 May 2024 12:56:05 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/31/qac-council-highlights-bay-bridge-traffic-experiment-shows-signs-of-working/ When weekend traffic from the beach to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on US 50 continually stopped as cars waited to cross the western span, hundreds of drivers would detour to MD Route 18 to save 20 minutes. But those cars caused new congestion on residential roadways that were unequipped to handle the influx of traffic, […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/31/qac-council-highlights-bay-bridge-traffic-experiment-shows-signs-of-working/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/07/cambridge-launches-innovative-land-bank-authority-to-transform-blighted-properties/ Tue, 07 May 2024 12:00:23 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/07/cambridge-launches-innovative-land-bank-authority-to-transform-blighted-properties/ On March 25, the Cambridge City Council unanimously approved Ordinance No. 1234, which established a Land Bank Authority to “acquire, manage, maintain, and repurpose blighted, abandoned, and distressed properties,” as well as sell vacant land to stabilize neighborhoods and encourage redevelopment. City Attorney Patrick Thomas said that Cambridge would be the first Maryland municipality to […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/04/27/the-tale-of-taylor-swift-and-taylors-islands-clara-bow/ Sat, 27 Apr 2024 13:20:48 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/04/27/the-tale-of-taylor-swift-and-taylors-islands-clara-bow/ Only a few local historians and a small fan base are aware that the legendary Clara Bow was among the celebrities who spent time on the Eastern Shore long ago. But she did, in fact, own property on Taylors Island that she called “Happy Days,” where she threw infamously wild parties befitting her status as […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/04/17/dedicating-the-original-choptank-river-bridge-with-fdr-and-the-sequoia/ Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:22:04 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/04/17/dedicating-the-original-choptank-river-bridge-with-fdr-and-the-sequoia/ Saturday, October 26, 1935, was clear and bright, with not much wind in Cambridge. Throughout the morning, many thousands of people from all over Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Delaware streamed into town until, by noon, there were hardly any available parking spaces left anywhere. The recently completed dual road known as Sunburst Highway was decorated […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/04/08/horn-point-professors-named-u-s-fulbright-scholars/ Mon, 08 Apr 2024 12:44:32 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/04/08/horn-point-professors-named-u-s-fulbright-scholars/ Early March brought the announcement that Ming Li and Matthew Gray, faculty members of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, had been named U.S. Fulbright Scholars for the 2024-25 academic year.  The U.S. Fulbright Program strives to increase understanding between citizens of the U.S. and partner countries through cultural and educational exchange programs, […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/04/01/maryland-blueprint-implementation-in-dorchester-county/ Mon, 01 Apr 2024 13:49:24 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/04/01/maryland-blueprint-implantation-in-dorchester-county/ “Transforming our public schools will require nothing less than rethinking and redesigning the policies in place now to create something that works much better for all students.” That statement comes from the initial implementation plan for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a set of policies and funding intended to transform Maryland’s education system from early […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/03/30/talking-about-pirates-smugglers-on-the-chesapeake/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/03/30/talking-about-pirates-smugglers-on-the-chesapeake/#comments Sat, 30 Mar 2024 13:54:15 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/03/30/talking-about-pirates-smugglers-on-the-chesapeake/ The Chesapeake Bay has a long and storied history of sailing, fishing, and shipping, but not all the activities on those waters has been noble or even legal. On March 6, the South Dorchester Folk Museum hosted David Williams to present a talk on “Pirates, Privateers, and Smugglers of the Chesapeake” at the Robbins Heritage […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/03/30/talking-about-pirates-smugglers-on-the-chesapeake/feed/ 2 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/03/21/what-happened-with-cambridge-city-manager-tom-carroll/ Thu, 21 Mar 2024 14:16:51 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/03/20/what-happened-with-cambridge-city-manager-tom-carroll/ “This was a hard decision for me to reach,” said Tom Carroll in an email on Tuesday, “but I do know it is the right decision to make.” He was referring to his surprise choice to resign from his position as city manager of Cambridge, which he announced to the City Council in a closed […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/02/26/mid-shore-history-leading-african-americans-of-cambridge/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/02/26/mid-shore-history-leading-african-americans-of-cambridge/#comments Mon, 26 Feb 2024 14:42:59 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/02/26/mid-shore-history-leading-african-americans-of-cambridge/ The story of Cambridge is, in large part, an African American story. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and the related conflicts created a large shadow over the city, but there have been many Black individuals in the community who have made positive impacts on Cambridge, the Eastern Shore, Maryland, and beyond. They include […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/02/26/mid-shore-history-leading-african-americans-of-cambridge/feed/ 2 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/02/12/mid-shore-case-study-using-tax-increment-financing-to-fund-cambridge-harbor/ Mon, 12 Feb 2024 15:08:28 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/02/12/mid-shore-case-study-using-tax-increment-financing-to-fund-cambridge-harbor/ On December 5, 2023, Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc. provided the Dorchester County Council with an update on the Cambridge Harbor project. The presentation included a section on a possible funding source for the endeavor: tax increment financing. This was not a proposal yet, but CWDI Executive Director Matt Leonard and his team are working on […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/01/29/the-ins-and-outs-of-rent-court-on-the-shore/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/01/29/the-ins-and-outs-of-rent-court-on-the-shore/#comments Mon, 29 Jan 2024 14:02:23 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/01/29/the-ins-and-outs-of-rent-court-on-the-shore/ During the COVID pandemic, there was a realization that having a place to live is not only a basic right of everyone but also a matter of public safety and health. Consequently, a lot of attention started to be paid to understanding the financial challenges people faced, and the Maryland legislature looked more deeply into […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/01/29/the-ins-and-outs-of-rent-court-on-the-shore/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/01/08/veterans-first-mid-shores-beacon-of-hope-healing-by-p-ryan-anthony/ Mon, 08 Jan 2024 15:35:45 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/01/08/veterans-first-mid-shores-beacon-of-hope-healing-by-p-ryan-anthony/ After three years at the Cambridge VA Outpatient Clinic, Nurse Manager Christine Balcar is still enthusiastic about it. “I think we’re amazing,” she gushed. “Everyone’s doing a great job. And I will tell you, the customer service here at Cambridge, and the staff, they all are so happy to be here. They love taking care […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2023/12/22/mid-shore-education-a-tribute-to-dr-theresa-stafford/ Fri, 22 Dec 2023 19:47:26 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2023/12/22/mid-shore-education-a-tribute-to-dr-theresa-stafford/ In her final days, Dr. Theresa Stafford was still thinking of the children. When Cambridge Police Captain Antoine Patton visited her at the hospital on December 9, she was worried about whether he had gotten receipts taken care of for the Christmas program for the kids at New Beginnings Youth and Family Services, where Stafford […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2023/12/04/mid-shore-history-the-phillips-packing-company-strike-of-1937/ Mon, 04 Dec 2023 14:09:41 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2023/12/04/mid-shore-history-the-phillips-packing-company-strike-of-1937/ Phillips Packing Company was the economic powerhouse in Cambridge, Maryland, in June 1937, when around 2,000 employees went on strike. The workers, both black and white, demanded better pay, better hours, and the right to form a union. The protest led to violent confrontations between the strikers and armed representatives of the company. Then the […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2023/11/27/promoting-the-heritage-of-the-heart-of-the-chesapeake-in-dorchester/ Mon, 27 Nov 2023 13:09:32 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2023/11/27/promoting-the-heritage-of-the-heart-of-the-chesapeake-in-dorchester/ On November 2, the Heart of the Chesapeake Country Heritage Area annual awards ceremony was held at the Dorchester Center for the Arts in Cambridge. Two individuals and three organizations or projects were recognized for their outstanding contributions over the past year in promoting the culture and traditions of this part of the Eastern Shore. […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2023/10/30/when-annie-oakley-called-cambridge-home/ https://chestertownspy.org/2023/10/30/when-annie-oakley-called-cambridge-home/#comments Mon, 30 Oct 2023 18:27:12 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2023/10/30/when-annie-oakley-called-cambridge-home/ Famous sharpshooter Annie Oakley and her husband, Frank Butler, retired to Maryland’s Eastern Shore in 1913 after a quarter-century with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. They chose Cambridge as their new home, captivated by its natural beauty and welcoming community. Annie and Frank purchased two lots on Bellevue Avenue and built a charming colonial bungalow […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2023/10/30/when-annie-oakley-called-cambridge-home/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2023/10/02/is-the-tree-of-heaven-a-problem-on-the-eastern-shore/ https://chestertownspy.org/2023/10/02/is-the-tree-of-heaven-a-problem-on-the-eastern-shore/#comments Mon, 02 Oct 2023 12:37:14 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2023/10/02/is-the-tree-of-heaven-a-problem-on-the-eastern-shore/ In a recent Capital News Service article, Cecelia Shilling focused on what she called a “worrisome invasive species,” the tree of heaven. This deciduous tree kills native plants, threatens habitats, and damages infrastructure. It also provides a home and food for the spotted lanternfly, another pesky invader and enemy of plants and fruit crops. But, […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2023/10/02/is-the-tree-of-heaven-a-problem-on-the-eastern-shore/feed/ 1