Maryland Public Television (MPT) brings a new film to the Eastern Shore in a program organized by the Avalon Foundation and the Spy in collaboration with the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and Chesapeake Forum.

MPT’s Emmy award winning filmmaker, Sarah Sampson will lead off the evening at 6:00 PM on Thursday, April 16th in a conversation where she and I discuss the making of the film and some of the many stories uncovered during the exploration of the rivers feeding into the Chesapeake Bay.

Sarah spoke recently with the Spy about the significance of the film. A short clip of the interview is below:

The 60-minute film takes viewers across the Chesapeake watershed, from the rapids of Great Falls on the Potomac to the quieter stretches of the Patuxent and Susquehanna, following kayakers, artists, and others who live and work along these rivers. Along the way, it captures a simple but powerful idea: that water is not just a natural resource, but the connective tissue of the region.

To join us at the Avalon on April 16th, go to the Avalon Foundation’s online BOX OFFICE here for more information and to purchase your tickets. You will find information about the other two nights in this three-night series with more films on May 20th and June 3rd.

And, don’t miss one of the great weeks on MPT every year when MPT presents Chesapeake Bay Week starting on Sunday, April 19th. To view the full list of films and when they will be shown, click SCHEDULE HERE .

Lifeblood: Chesapeake River Stories is a production of Maryland Public Television, with funding from The Nature Conservancy, Watermark, and MPT’s Chesapeake Circle.

One of The Talbot Spy’s core missions is to bring attention to important issues that often go unnoticed and homelessness in Talbot County is one such issue. While it may seem uncommon or distinct from larger communities, the reality is more complex and increasingly urgent. To better understand it, we convened a group of local leaders who confront these challenges every day, grounding the conversation in lived experience and practical insight.

Joining the conversation are Nancy Andrew, Director of the Talbot Family Network; Julie Lowe, Executive Director of Talbot Interfaith Shelter; and Andy Hollis of the Neighborhood Service Center—each offering a distinct, on-the-ground perspective and an honest look at where we are as a community, and what it will take to do better.

This video is approximately 12 minutes in length. To volunteer or make a donation, please visit Talbot Family Network,
Talbot Interfaith Shelter or the Neighborhood Service Center

Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble says the current debate over policing in Oxford reflects a larger shift facing small towns across Maryland. As state mandates and reporting requirements have increased, maintaining an independent police department has become complex and expensive. Gamble argues that what was manageable a decade ago is now far more difficult for smaller municipalities with limited staff and budgets.

In Oxford, town officials are weighing whether to continue operating their own department or rely more heavily on the Sheriff’s Office. For now, the county is providing coverage through an interim agreement, with deputies filling shifts and supervising the town’s remaining officer. A final decision is expected as part of the upcoming budget process.

Gamble emphasizes that the Sheriff’s Office can offer targeted patrols without the administrative overhead of running a full department. Towns, he notes, can pay for direct policing services without absorbing the added costs of compliance, supervision, and reporting requirements now mandated by the state.

At the same time, he makes clear that Oxford’s future approach ultimately rests with its residents and elected officials. Whatever the outcome, the Sheriff says the county will continue to provide baseline coverage—but if the town wants a consistent, dedicated presence, it will need to decide how much service it is willing to fund.

This video is approximately five minutes in length.

A Rare Opportunity for Easton: Reimagining the Hospital Site

A recent “Spy Night” conversation at the Avalon Theater explored a question that may shape Easton’s future for decades: What should become of the 14-acre site of the current hospital once it relocates?

Hosted by the Talbot Spy and the Avalon Foundation, the evening brought together two nationally recognized thinkers about cities and communities: Peter Katz, a leader in the New Urbanism movement, and Rebecca Hoffberger, founder of the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore.

Their message was clear: Easton has an unusually rare opportunity to shape the heart of its town thoughtfully—and the outcome will depend on whether the community participates actively in the process.

Below is a summary of the discussion from the Avalon “Spy Night” conversation with Rebecca Hoffberger and Peter Katz about the future of the Easton hospital property.

The Limits of “Business as Usual” Development

Peter Katz began with a blunt assessment of the choices most communities face when redevelopment occurs.

In today’s real estate market, developers generally build from a limited menu:
• housing subdivisions
• apartment buildings
• retail centers
• office or commercial complexes

These projects are typically governed by traditional zoning codes, which separate uses—housing here, retail there, offices somewhere else.

But Katz argued that these conventional tools rarely produce places people truly love.

Instead, they often produce isolated uses, large parking lots, and automobile-dominated environments.

“The choices are usually pretty cut and dry,” Katz said, noting that most modern development simply repeats familiar patterns rather than creating real communities.

Spy Nights - Rebecca Hoffberger…

The Alternative: Building Real Neighborhoods

Katz suggested that Easton should think about redevelopment through the lens of neighborhood design, a concept rooted in traditional town planning.

At the core of that model is a simple principle:

A neighborhood should be walkable within about five minutes.

That translates to a radius of roughly a quarter mile from center to edge, allowing residents to reach daily needs—parks, small shops, schools, or civic buildings—without driving.

Spy Nights - Rebecca Hoffberger…

Traditional towns evolved this way naturally, with:

• connected street grids
• small blocks
• public squares and parks
• buildings that frame streets and public spaces
• a mix of housing types

New Urbanism seeks to revive these patterns, often through “form-based codes,” which regulate how buildings relate to streets and public spaces rather than simply separating land uses.

The goal is to create places that feel like real towns rather than isolated projects.

The Easton Site: Completing a Neighborhood

The hospital property sits in a particularly sensitive location.

It is surrounded by established residential neighborhoods whose homes currently face parking lots or the backs of hospital buildings.

Katz suggested that redevelopment should aim to “complete the neighborhood” rather than insert a single large use.

That could involve:

• extending the existing street grid through the site
• reconnecting surrounding neighborhoods
• introducing a mix of housing types
• creating new public spaces

At roughly 14 acres, the parcel is large enough to shape a meaningful piece of town fabric—but small enough that it must connect carefully with what already exists.

The critical question, Katz said, is whether Easton simply fills the site with conventional development—or creates something that strengthens the town itself.

Honoring the Site’s Healing Legacy

Rebecca Hoffberger approached the question from a different angle: the history and meaning of the hospital itself.

She reminded the audience that the hospital began in 1890 when 15 local women raised funds to establish an 11-bed facility that eventually grew into the medical center serving the region today.

Spy Nights - Rebecca Hoffberger…

For generations of residents, it has been a place where:

• children were born
• loved ones were cared for
• families said their final goodbyes

Hoffberger argued that the site should continue that tradition of healing, even after the hospital moves.

She floated ideas such as:

• a major public park or healing garden
• walking labyrinths and green spaces
• innovative community gathering areas
• playful public features that welcome families and children

Her broader point was philosophical:

Places matter most when they reflect the values of the community that creates them.

The Importance of Public Imagination

Both speakers stressed that successful redevelopment requires active civic participation, not passive acceptance of whatever proposal emerges.

Katz recommended a “charrette” process—an intensive public design workshop in which planners, designers, and citizens work together to explore possibilities.

Such sessions allow residents to test ideas visually and collectively before decisions become locked into development agreements.

“The intelligence of the community,” he argued, is one of the most valuable resources in shaping a place.

Spy Nights - Rebecca Hoffberger…

The Stakes for Easton

The discussion ended with a reminder that redevelopment decisions often occur quietly through negotiations between property owners, developers, and government officials.

If citizens want a different outcome, Katz warned, they must engage the process early.

That may require organizing, sponsoring design studies, and asking questions before plans become final.

“It’s not going to happen through business as usual,” he said.

Spy Nights - Rebecca Hoffberger…

A Moment of Choice

For Easton, the hospital site represents something rare in a historic town: a large piece of land in the center of the community that will soon be available for reinvention.

Handled thoughtfully, it could:

• strengthen surrounding neighborhoods
• add needed housing
• create public space
• reinforce Easton’s walkable character

Handled poorly, it could become just another isolated development.

As Hoffberger reminded the audience, quoting the visionary developer and Easton native Jim Rouse:

“The best way to attack any problem is to ask what things would be like if they worked.”

For Easton, the question now is simple—but consequential:

What would it look like if this place truly worked for the future of the town?

AI Disclosure: The Spy and its writers may use artificial intelligence tools to support accuracy and clarity in our reporting.

It was a privilege and a great deal of fun to be in Easton’s Avalon Theater for a conversation with author Tom Collamore who, with his co-author Jean Becker, is traveling to the Presidential Libraries and other locations to discuss their new book about the fascinating and moving backstories of presidential, vice presidential and First Lady advance in their new book, Don’t Tell the President.

Admittedly, we went on past one hour, but that’s because one story prompted another. And, the stories cover decades on a bipartisan basis. Happily, this Spy Night in the Avalon’s Stoltz Listening Room was filled with people who did not leave.

I hope you enjoy the conversation. Click HERE or on the image above to go to the video. (And, boost the sound as needed.)

Learn More About the Book

For four decades, the Mid-Shore’s For All Seasons has been a quiet but powerful force helping women survivors and their families confront some of life’s hardest realities, from child abuse and sexual assault to mental health crises and human trafficking.

In the Spy’s most recent conversation with Chief Executive Officer Beth Anne Dorman, she reflects on the organization’s 40-year journey, which began with a small group of women determined to ensure that children experiencing abuse had somewhere to turn.

Beth Anne also speaks about the evolution of leadership for women during those same decades. While opportunities for women in leadership have expanded, she notes that the deeper cultural shift has been the willingness to speak openly about issues that once remained hidden in the shadows.

As the organization prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary, the focus now turns toward sustaining that mission for the next forty years.

This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about For All Seasons, please go here.