Last night, the Avalon Foundation and the Talbot Spy co-hosted a Town Hall meeting for four of the six candidates running for the Talbot County Board of Education.

Spy Columnist Craig Fuller served as moderator and engaged the candidates in a series of questions about public education in Talbot County. We encourage our readers to watch the evening’s program.

The Avalon has created a helpful voter guide for residents to help determine their district and candidates. Watch below.

This video is approximately 120 minutes in length.

The Avalon Foundation and the Talbot Spy have announced that the two organizations will collaborate once again on a community Town Hall meeting, this time for candidates running for the Talbot County Board of Education. The meeting will be held Tonight, October 2, at 6 p.m. at the Avalon main theatre to discuss the educational issues facing our community.

Spy Columnist Craig Fuller has agreed to host the evening’s program. Mr. Fuller has lived in Talbot County for the last seven years. Before his arrival, he served four years in the White House as assistant to President Reagan for Cabinet Affairs, followed by four years as chief of staff to Vice President George H.W. Bush. He later was the CEO of public affairs firms and associations in Washington, D.C., before his retirement.

The program is anticipated to last 120 minutes. It will be live-streamed on the Mid-Shore Community Television YouTube channel and the Avalon Facebook page. Attendance at the Avalon will be on a first-come basis, and there will be no charge for admission. Donations, however, are welcome to support the cost of this event and future community programming.

The Avalon has created a helpful voter guide for residents to help determine their district and candidates. Watch below.

The Poplar Hill Farm project, a proposed housing development in Talbot County, was the topic of recent discussion for both the town and county planning commissions. The project’s potential impact on the Maryland designated critical area has raised concerns among residents and officials alike. The critical area is a designated area of land that is protected by law due to its sensitive ecological and environmental significance.

On April 2, a joint listening session was held at the Avalon to discuss the viability of the project and its potential impact on the critical area.  With the help of our partner, the Avalon’s MCTV, the Spy has condensed the two-hour meeting into three segments to fairly explain the project in its entirety, every citizen comment, and finally a short response by the developer’s attorney.

The first segment features Ryan D. Showalter, a lawyer representing the developer. Showalter outlines the developer’s plans for the project and addresses concerns raised by the planning commissions and residents. He discusses the steps the developer has taken to minimize the project’s impact on the critical area and how the project aligns with local and state regulations.

The second segment features public comments from residents who express their concerns about the project’s potential impact on the critical area. Many residents voice their opposition to the project, citing concerns about increased traffic, loss of wildlife habitat, and the potential for pollution in the area’s waterways.

The final segment features Showalter responding to questions raised by resident comments. He addresses the concerns raised and explains how the developer plans to address these issues. He emphasizes that the project is still in the planning stages and that the developer is committed to working with the community to address any concerns and ensure that the project is in compliance with local and state regulations.

While this project and its approval process will have a direct impact on Easton, the entire Mid-Shore community, all of whom are facing similar growth issues, should take special note of this process and some of the uniques challenges that come with growth.

Segment one (Summary) and two (public comments) are approximately 30 minutes in length. Segment three (developer response) is 7 minutes.