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December 16, 2025

Cambridge Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Cambridge

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1 Homepage Slider Education

Public Affairs

Spy Longform Interview: A Case Study in Affordable Housing with Fello’s Ross Benincasa

If there has been any progress over the last few years on the Mid-Shore in terms of affordable housing, much of the credit must go to Fello. The ... [Continue Story]

  • Cambridge Seminar Explains Living Shorelines as Flood-Protection Project Inches Forward
  • Cambridge Gets Clean Audit; City Reserves Continue to Grow
  • Cambridge Seeks New Lobbyist in Annapolis
  • Dorchester Council Pushes Back On New Conowingo Dam Agreement
  • Check-in with CPD Chief Todd
  • Crab Season Fades, Oyster Harvesting in Full Swing

Spy Highlights

The False Nostalgia of Movie Theaters by Hugh Panero

The battle over Netflix's bid to buy Warner Bros. has triggered fears that it will mean the end of the movie theater. The reaction is based on ... [Continue Story]

  • From and Fuller: The Trump 2026 Election Strategy and FIFA Peace Prize
  • Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: An Annapolis Future with a Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk
  • From & Fuller: Unpacking Trump’s Attacks on Alleged Venezuelan Drug Boats
  • From & Fuller: Epstein Files Fallout and the Future of the GOP
  • The Maryland Caucus: Maryland’s Budget Crisis + Redistricting Plans Set in Motion
  • From & Fuller: What Was Lost During The Government Shutdown?

Brevities

Threads of Legacy By Katherine Emery General

From about age seven, I began my lifelong love affair with what I affectionately call my “grandma hobbies.” In our family, handwork wasn’t a quaint ... [Continue Story]

  • Agent 86 Reconnaissance Footage: A Midshore Weather Report
  • Agent 86 Reconnaissance Footage: A Spy in New York City
  • Cambridge Time Machine: Shopping at the Plaza
  • Resilience, After All, Is a Gift By Katherine Emery General
  • Cambridge Time Machine: The Christmas Parade
  • Finding Light in a Heavy December By Katherine Emery General

Community Notes

Rivers & Roads Consulting Welcomes Jodie Schram as Consultant

Rivers & Roads Consulting is pleased to announce that Jodie Schram has joined the firm as a Consultant, bringing more than two decades of ... [Continue Story]

  • Vienna Readies for 44th Annual Luminaria
  • Rivers & Roads Consulting Completes Strategic Plan for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Easton
  • Fur Your Consideration: Meet Longclaw and Leo
  • Dr. Theresa Stafford Lives On Through New Beginnings
  • Mistletoe on Main December 7 in Downtown Cambridge
  • Pet Adoption Event at RFC Train Garden 12/14 & 20

The Arts

Spy Review: A Choral Rose for Christmas by Steve Parks

Easton Choral Arts Society played its annual Christmastime songfest, “A Winter Rose,” before a full house in its new concert venue, St. Mark’s United ... [Continue Story]

  • Spy Review: MSO’s Opera-Flavored ‘Holiday Joy’ by Steve Parks
  • AI is Coming for the Music Industry
  • Spy Review: Cinematic Classical Gas, by Steve Parks
  • A Waterfowl Weekend with Artist Sandy Alanko
  • Spy Review: MSO Salutes 3 of the All-Time Greats by Steve Parks
  • ESWA Launches First Holiday Book Festival at Cult Classic Brewery, Dec. 13

Ecosystem

Cambridge Seminar Explains Living Shorelines as Flood-Protection Project Inches Forward

Scientists and engineers used a public seminar this week to explain how living shorelines work and how decades of local research are informing a ... [Continue Story]

  • It’s Official: Oysters Making Historic Comeback
  • Westward Ho! Easton’s Rails to Trails Expansion with Project Manager Kody Cario
  • Election 2022: Environmental Forum For Talbot County Council Election
  • ShoreRivers Safe to Swim Weekend Report
  • Md. Lawmakers Check In with new Agency Leaders on Bay Cleanup Progress
  • Keeping the Soul of Cambridge’s Packing House with ESLC’s Carol Bean

Health

Demystifying Palliative Care with Shore Regional Health’s Christina Ball

In a recent Spy conversation, Christina Ball, MS, AGACNP-BC, the director of UM Shore Medical Group-Palliative Care, broke down one of the most ... [Continue Story]

  • Mobile Dental Care Team Expands Access for Dorchester County Students
  • Lets Talk about It with Beth Anne Dorman: Making Sure Our Veterans Get the Help They Need
  • Senior Nation: Nature’s Multicolored Autumn Farewell by Susan Covey
  • A Spy Chat with Shore Regional Health’s New Clark Breast Center Director Dr. Kathryn Kelley
  • Lets Talk about It with Beth Anne Dorman: The Riddle and Some Answers for ADHD
  • A Bad Diagnosis, Remarkable Recovery, and Giving Back: A Chat with Andrew Dorbin

Opinion

“Fail First” is a Failure Always Ali Asghar Kassamali

Imagine walking into a health care clinic only to find that our loved one cannot receive the medication their doctor recommends, not because it is unsafe or unproven, but ... [Continue Story]

Letters to Editor

The Harmful Impact of Excessive Social Media Negativity on Cambridge Harbor

The Cambridge Harbor project is a 30-acre waterfront development along Maryland’s Choptank River, bringing homes, retail, a boutique hotel, and public parks to the city. Managed by Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc. (CWDI), it mirrors the success of other revitalized waterfronts. Recent milestones, including the promenade groundbreaking in December 2024 and ongoing hotel negotiations, show real […]

Congrats to Dr. Thompson

Dear Editor: I would like to congratulate Dorchester County Public Schools and Dr. Jymil Thompson for the significant improvement we have all seen in the academic scores of the school system. The hard work that obviously took place is commendable. Dr. Thompson set a goal for the community and has stuck to it. Dorchester is […]

Letter to Editor: An Abundance of Cruelty

Have you noticed how often, how persistently, the word “cruelty” is showing up in the news? I was reading about the prison built in the Everglades by the State of Florida to house people being rounded up by ICE. Built in a hurry, it is made up of cages for imprisoning humans and tarps for […]

Letter to Editor: O’er the Land of the Free…

Are we a free people anymore? We were told ICE would begin seizing illegal immigrants who were convicted criminals, MS-13 members, drug dealers, murderers, human traffickers and people of that ilk. We wondered how there could be 12 million such people who needed to be deported as Trump claimed during his campaign. Maybe these were […]

Letter to Editor: A Vanishing Way of Life

I am currently reading the book, Chesapeake Requiem, which was recommended to me by a friend. It was written in 2016 and chronicles the year its author, Earl Swift, spent with the watermen and other residents of Tangier Island. I have found it to be a fascinating and disturbingly sad read. It has taught me […]

Letter to Editor: How the Big Beautiful Bill Would Affect the Mid-Shore

President Trump has all but demanded that his One Big Beautiful Bill Act pass both houses of Congress for his signature by July 4. The differences in the legislation approved by the House of Representatives and what has emerged from the Senate must be resolved in conference before the president can sign it into law. […]

Open Letters to Congressman Andy Harris

Dear Representative Harris, In your June 27th Capitol Hill Report, you discussed House passage of HR 875, the Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act.  You indicated that this legislation: “…takes decisive action to ensure all illegal immigrants convicted of driving under the influence are eligible for deportation. Sparked by the tragic loss of American lives […]

Letter to Editor: Another Shameful Act by a Shameful Administration 

“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename an oil ship named after gay rights activist Harvey Milk, a move that pointedly comes at the start of Pride Month.” So reported “The Hill” today. Well what a sad commentary on our current state of affairs. Said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Purnell: “Secretary Hegseth is committed […]

Letter to Editor: The “Big Beautiful Bill” is only Great for Billionaires

I’m certain you’ll receive numerous letters extolling the virtues of Mr Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ passed by the House. Well, it’s big, can’t deny that, and it’s a bill, which we’ll all end up paying, but as for beautiful, that’s in the eye of the beholder. Let’s start with Medicaid, which needs more funding rather […]

Letter to Editor: Trump and the Declaration of Independence

Last week the President hosted an interview with Terry Moran of ABC News in his newly gilded Oval Office. Trump drew Moran’s attention to a wall-mounted copy of the Declaration of Independence. Moran prompted the President to state his understanding of the significance of the Declaration. Trump disconcerted Moran by saying that the document stood […]

Maryland News

Moore Pledges No Taxes in Coming Session as State Faces Another Massive Budget Gap

Gov. Wes Moore (D) told a gathering of county leaders in Cambridge Thursday that he will not propose tax increases to close a projected $1.5 billion ... [Continue Story]

  • Field Of Hopefuls in Speaker’s Race Clears for Peña-Melnyk
  • Low-income Marylanders, Local Officials Left to Navigate ‘Roller Coaster’ of SNAP Disruption
  • Moore pushes for Congressional Redistricting, sets up Confrontation with Senate
  • Honoring Talbot County’s Uncle Nace Hopkins: The Day Freedom Came in Trappe
  • Judge Appears Skeptical of Claim that Unaffiliated Voters Can Sue Maryland Over Closed Primaries
  • ICE Enforcement Impact on Talbot Mentors Families with Kentavius Jones

Commerce

What you Need to Know about Maryland’s Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program

As prices for everyday necessities continue to rise, families with limited means are having to make tough choices on where to allocate their money. In ... [Continue Story]

  • CWDI Completes Cambridge Harbor Demolition Phase
  • Discovering Discover Easton’s Plans for 2023: A Chat with Director Holly DeKarske
  • Mediation Room 8: Benefits of Using Mediation in Divorce 
  • CULTA Announces Partnership with National Cannabis Brand Old Pal
  • The Mediation Room 7: Bad Debt – Getting Beyond It
  • The Mediation Room: The Role of Lawyers in Mediation

Art Notes

AAM Joins the Fun of Artful Ingenuity at Easton’s Holiday Parade

The Academy Art Museum delivered one of the more imaginative moments at this year’s Easton Holiday Parade, presenting a float that blended ... [Continue Story]

  • The Art of the Small Painting at The Trippe Gallery
  • Academy Art Museum Breaks Ground On Henny and James Freeman Annex and Hormel Research Center at Historic Property on Talbot Lane
  • Studio B Art Gallery Showcases Award-Winning Art & “Small Treasures” This Holiday Season
  • Oxford’s Dan Weiss Becomes New Director of Philadelphia Museum of Art
  • New Class at the Fiber Arts Center of the Eastern Shore in January
  • Violist Paul Laraia Discusses The Catalyst Quartet’s “Cinematic Refuge” By Maria Grant

Senior Nation

Senior Nation: Embrace Your Age, Live Your Best Life by Susan Covey

According to Leading Age, “Active Aging is a worldwide initiative that honors the spirit and ... [Continue Story]

  • The Difference Between Try And Triumph Is A Little Umph! By Susan Covey
  • State Officials Launch 10-Year Plan to Boost Supports for Growing Senior Population
  • Cruisin’ with Christine: A Chat with Londonderry’s La’Cree Brown
  • Strive for Independence, Not Just on the 4Th Of July! by Susan Covey
  • Senior Nation: Partners in Care Help Elders Age in Place
  • Senior Nation: Gardening a Great Boost for Body and Soul by Susan Covey

Snow Daze By Jamie Kirkpatrick

  Well, we’ve broken the seal on this winter’s snowfall. It was hardly a blizzard—a mere frosting, in fact—but enough to whet our collective ... [Continue Story]

I Long for Subtlety, Simplicity, Warmth, Class. and Quiet Sophistication By Maria Grant

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about exactly when such qualities got put on the back burner or perhaps shoved out the door.  In the last several ... [Continue Story]

Thoughts on Maryland State Budget Deficits by David Reel

Governor Wes Moore recently spoke to elected and appointed county officials from across Maryland at a conference of the Maryland Association of ... [Continue Story]

“Character Is Destiny” by Al Sikes

My Dad was a retailer in a small town in Southeast Missouri. Name: Kendall Sikes. In my youth, Dad and his brother had a store that, among other ... [Continue Story]

Extreme Cold Emergency Declared for Dorchester County

The Dorchester County Health Officer has declared an Extreme Cold Event beginning Sunday evening, Dec. 14, and continuing through Monday morning, Dec. ... [Continue Story]

Spy Chats

A New Restaurant Besides Piazza: A Chat with Emily Chandler

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 ... [Continue Story]

The We Are One Alliance; A Talk with Heather Mizeur

http:// This is a long form interview with Heather Mizeur Is it possible in a polarized society for two people at opposite ends of the political ... [Continue Story]

The Challenge of Being Historic: A Chat with The Oaks Andy Warner

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 ... [Continue Story]

Spy Exit Interview: Betty Huang and the Working Artists Forum

For the record, artist, and Easton gallery owner, Betty Huang is not giving up on her art or Studio B on Goldsbrough Street, but she's actually ... [Continue Story]

Remembering Spy Columnist Howard Freedlander

It is with profound sadness that the Spy was notified yesterday of the unexpected passing of Spy columnist Howard Freedlander. It is a stunning loss ... [Continue Story]

Spy Exit Interview: Outgoing Cambridge City Manager Tom Carroll

The Spy continues our informal series of long-form exit interviews with some of the Mid-Shore's most well-known leaders in public affairs, the arts, ... [Continue Story]

Wading into The Wading Place History in Queen Anne’s County

Modern Life is challenging in ways our ancestors never imagined. It’s nice to have a place to get away from it all once in a while. “A place to ... [Continue Story]

UM Shore Health’s Khalid Kurtom and Wendy Towers on Brain Injuries and Advances in Neurosurgery

Anyone who has ever had a chat with neurosurgeon Khalid Kurtom, MD, at UM Shore Health knows firsthand his extraordinary grasp of knowledge of his ... [Continue Story]

The Meaning of a James Beard Award Nomination: A Chat with Bas Rouge Executive Chef Harley Peet

Almost since the James Beard Awards began in 1990, this highly recognized culinary achievement has been considered the "Oscars of the food world," and ... [Continue Story]

Using the New CBMM Welcome Center to Open Doors for the Unfamiliar: A Chat with Jen Dolde

While the function of a welcome center seems fairly clear from its title, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum wanted to use this generous new space to ... [Continue Story]

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