https://chestertownspy.org Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown Thu, 08 May 2025 17:33:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/from-and-fuller-the-gop-beautiful-megabill-and-joe-bidens-return/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/from-and-fuller-the-gop-beautiful-megabill-and-joe-bidens-return/#respond Thu, 08 May 2025 15:33:35 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/from-and-fuller-the-gop-beautiful-megabill-and-bidens-return/ 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 Fuller discuss the House Republican mega bill, which Donald Trump has called a “Big Beautiful Bill,” and Speaker Johnson seeks to send to the Senate for approval by the […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/from-and-fuller-the-gop-beautiful-megabill-and-joe-bidens-return/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/spy-art-review-photorealism-at-the-academy-by-steve-parks/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/spy-art-review-photorealism-at-the-academy-by-steve-parks/#respond Thu, 08 May 2025 15:29:17 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=184055 “Urban Landscapes,” the subtitle of the new photorealism exhibit at Easton’s Academy Art Museum, has been the subject of Richard Estes’ lifelong career as a fine art painter.’ Estes, now 92, studied art at the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago, starting in 1952 when his family moved to Illinois. By the early 1960s, the art-world […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/spy-art-review-photorealism-at-the-academy-by-steve-parks/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/spy-profile-john-waters-brings-the-naked-truth-to-the-avalon/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/spy-profile-john-waters-brings-the-naked-truth-to-the-avalon/#respond Thu, 08 May 2025 13:34:26 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/spy-profile-john-waters-brings-the-naked-truth-to-the-avalon/ Filmmaker, author, artist, and cultural icon John Waters has spent more than five decades daring people to look at what they usually turn away from. Known for cult classics like Pink Flamingos, Polyester, and Hairspray, Waters made a career out of unsettling, challenging, and, ultimately, delighting audiences. On May 9, he brings his latest one-man show, The Naked Truth, […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/spy-profile-john-waters-brings-the-naked-truth-to-the-avalon/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/bumps-ahead-trump-administration-evaluating-marylands-authority-to-set-medicare-rates/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/bumps-ahead-trump-administration-evaluating-marylands-authority-to-set-medicare-rates/#respond Thu, 08 May 2025 13:00:25 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/bumps-ahead-trump-administration-evaluating-marylands-authority-to-set-medicare-rates/ The Trump administration has signaled an interest in reining in Maryland’s ability to set rates for Medicare services – an authority the state has held for about 40 years. Maryland’s system, unusual among states, gives the state significant say over the costs of health care services across different coverage plans to keep costs low and […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/bumps-ahead-trump-administration-evaluating-marylands-authority-to-set-medicare-rates/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/looking-at-the-masters-renoir/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/looking-at-the-masters-renoir/#respond Thu, 08 May 2025 12:00:54 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=184059 Pierre August Renoir was born in 1841 in Limoges, France. The town of Limoges was the center of the famous hand-painted porcelain works. Renoir’s parents were members of an active artist and artisan community. His father was a tailor and his mother a seamstress.  The family moved to Paris in 1845, and they lived near […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/looking-at-the-masters-renoir/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/county-supports-kent-education/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/county-supports-kent-education/#respond Thu, 08 May 2025 11:00:55 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=184072 At the May 5th Special Board of Education Budget Meeting KCPS Superintendent Dr. Mary McComas offered two options to the board for the FY26 Budget. Option A would reduce 44 positions and request $800,000 over local share from the County Commissioners to balance the budget. Option B would be to reduce the remaining 16 positions […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/county-supports-kent-education/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/house-of-the-week-go-dutch-colonial/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/house-of-the-week-go-dutch-colonial/#respond Thu, 08 May 2025 11:00:44 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/house-of-the-week-go-dutch-colonial/ Several of my friends have very fond memories of growing up in this neighborhood off Goldsborough with its long blocks, wide streets with parking on both sides of the streets and rear alleys. This house on a corner lot has been well maintained and it is now being offered for the first time in forty […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/house-of-the-week-go-dutch-colonial/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/osprey-cam-returns-with-surprise-guest/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/osprey-cam-returns-with-surprise-guest/#respond Thu, 08 May 2025 11:00:11 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=184077 Since 1996, Atlantic Security, Inc. of Chestertown has maintained an osprey camera overlooking a nest located on a tributary of the Chester River. The livestream has been shared  with the public since 2017. While there have been many years of abundant osprey activity, the past few years have been difficult. In 2022 and 2023 eggs […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/osprey-cam-returns-with-surprise-guest/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/bob-atieri/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/bob-atieri/#respond Thu, 08 May 2025 11:00:10 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=184069 As Chesapeake Bank and Trust approaches its 40th year, CEO Bob Altieri emphasizes the importance of community banks in a conversation about local economics, global uncertainties, and the evolving real estate market. “Community banks, like churches and small businesses, are part of the fabric of a town,” Altieri said. “We’re soon to be the only […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/08/bob-atieri/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/the-maryland-caucus-with-foxwell-and-mitchell-jake-day-vs-andy-harris-grading-wes-moore-and-easton-election-results/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/the-maryland-caucus-with-foxwell-and-mitchell-jake-day-vs-andy-harris-grading-wes-moore-and-easton-election-results/#respond Wed, 07 May 2025 17:01:03 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/the-maryland-caucus-with-foxwell-and-mitchell-jake-day-vs-andy-harris-grading-wes-moore-and-easton-election-results/ Every Wednesday, Maryland political analysts Len Foxwell and Clayton Mitchell discuss the politics and personalities of the state and region. This week, Len and Clay take turns evaluating the chances of former Salisbury mayor and now Wes Moore’s cabinet secretary, Jake Day, taking on incumbent Congressman Andy Harris in the 1st District next year. They […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/the-maryland-caucus-with-foxwell-and-mitchell-jake-day-vs-andy-harris-grading-wes-moore-and-easton-election-results/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/the-question-is-not-how-trump-is-doing-but-how-we-are-doing-by-al-sikes/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/the-question-is-not-how-trump-is-doing-but-how-we-are-doing-by-al-sikes/#comments Wed, 07 May 2025 13:30:03 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/the-question-is-not-how-trump-is-doing-but-how-we-are-doing-by-al-sikes/ Mea Culpa. I was at least partially wrong when I titled my book, circa 2019, Culture Leads Leaders Follow. A central point in the book: people who run for important elective office organize their brains and rhetoric around what is culturally acceptable. Or to put it another way, marketers of one sort or another and […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/the-question-is-not-how-trump-is-doing-but-how-we-are-doing-by-al-sikes/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/blueprint-bill-that-avoids-some-of-the-most-severe-education-cuts-is-signed-into-law/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/blueprint-bill-that-avoids-some-of-the-most-severe-education-cuts-is-signed-into-law/#comments Wed, 07 May 2025 13:00:06 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/blueprint-bill-that-avoids-some-of-the-most-severe-education-cuts-is-signed-into-law/ Even as changes to the state’s education reform act were being signed into law Tuesday, state officials and advocates were already talking about changes they want to see next in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The debate over House Bill 504 – the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act – was among the sharpest in […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/blueprint-bill-that-avoids-some-of-the-most-severe-education-cuts-is-signed-into-law/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/springtimes-blessings-by-j-e-dean/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/springtimes-blessings-by-j-e-dean/#comments Wed, 07 May 2025 12:30:01 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=184049 Sometimes I forget the sun will rise tomorrow even if the news is bad. Yes, we live in challenging, uncertain times that find Americans deeply divided and worried. And when I say worried, that means everyone these days, even the President’s supporters. But I also find that reading and writing about what I call “troubling […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/springtimes-blessings-by-j-e-dean/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/golfing-fore-gunston-vi-raises-40000/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/golfing-fore-gunston-vi-raises-40000/#respond Wed, 07 May 2025 10:00:18 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/golfing-fore-gunston-vi-raises-40000/ The Gunston School’s annual spring fundraiser, Golfing “fore” Gunston VI, on Friday, May 2 welcomed parents, alumni and community members for a beautiful and warm day on the links at Queenstown Harbor. More than 80 golfers and 25 sponsors raised $40,000 for the school’s annual giving program, supporting the students and faculty of Gunston. Golfers began at […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/golfing-fore-gunston-vi-raises-40000/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/publishers-note-introducing-the-maryland-caucus-podcast-with-len-foxwell-and-clayton-mitchell/ Tue, 06 May 2025 13:05:38 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=184024 Building on the success of our From & Fuller series with national political commentators Al From and Craig Fuller, the Spy is proud to launch an equally compelling new podcast: The Maryland Caucus. This series brings together two of the most experienced and respected voices in Maryland public life—Len Foxwell and Clayton A. Mitchell, Sr. Their […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/words-of-wisdom-from-fran-lebowitz-some-things-to-think-about-by-maria-grant/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/words-of-wisdom-from-fran-lebowitz-some-things-to-think-about-by-maria-grant/#comments Tue, 06 May 2025 12:30:47 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=184037 The author, public speaker, and humorist Fran Lebowitz displayed an incredible amount of energy, wit, and wisdom at Saturday night’s Avalon performance in Easton. The evening was pure delight filled with frank and refreshingly honest comments about modern life and politics. Here are just a few of Fran’s viewpoints that I’ve been thinking about the […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/words-of-wisdom-from-fran-lebowitz-some-things-to-think-about-by-maria-grant/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/crafting-a-legacy-a-talk-with-bob-ortiz/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/crafting-a-legacy-a-talk-with-bob-ortiz/#comments Tue, 06 May 2025 12:00:35 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=184017 After three decades as one of Chestertown’s most beloved artisans, master wood craftsman Bob Ortiz is contemplating retirement and how to write his next chapter. Part of the equation is what to do with his downtown workshop, a place that has become more than a room filled with industrial machinery, lumber and his signature furniture. […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/crafting-a-legacy-a-talk-with-bob-ortiz/feed/ 2 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/boking-gloves-by-jmaie-kirkpatrick/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/boking-gloves-by-jmaie-kirkpatrick/#comments Tue, 06 May 2025 12:00:21 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=184035 My memory is increasingly suspect these days, but this really happened. At least, I think it did… It was the summer of 1966, the months between my senior year of high school and my freshman year of college. I was heading north, part of a group of young volunteers organized by what was known at […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/boking-gloves-by-jmaie-kirkpatrick/feed/ 5 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/drums-on-high-street/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/drums-on-high-street/#respond Tue, 06 May 2025 11:00:50 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=184048 Oh come on, who doesn’t love a marching band even if it’s practice? While most Sundays in Chestertown drift by with a quiet grace punctuated by church bells and conversations among dog walkers, the usual hush of he past two Sundays was replaced by the rattle of snares, drumbeats, and trumpet blasts as the Delmarva […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/drums-on-high-street/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/angels-touch-audiences-at-the-chester-river-chorales-spring-concerts/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/angels-touch-audiences-at-the-chester-river-chorales-spring-concerts/#respond Tue, 06 May 2025 11:00:05 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=184043 Under the direction of Artistic Director Alexis Ward and Assistant Director Stephanie LaMotte, including the outstanding Pam Ortiz Band, “Angels” moved audiences from rapture, to tears, and back to whoops of joy during the Chester River Chorale’s sold-out spring concerts. The Chorale of nearly 100 voices including the Chester Chamber Singers and the River Voices […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/06/angels-touch-audiences-at-the-chester-river-chorales-spring-concerts/feed/ 0