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August 11, 2025

Chestertown Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown

2 News Homepage News News Portal Highlights

St. Michaels Commission Election to Take Place Tomorrow

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St. Michaels will be holding an election to select two town commissioners. election on May 2 at the Edgar M. Bosley Municipal Building (Town Office), 300 Mill Street, St. Michaels, Maryland between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

The Spy has interviewed three out of the four candidates in the race (Commissioner Bibb did not respond to the Spy’s invitation.) These conversations can be found here.

Election 2022 Profiles: Aida Khalil for St. Michaels Town Commission

Election 2022 Profiles: Al Mercier for St. Michaels Town Commission

Election 2022 Profiles: Katrina Whittington for St. Michaels Town Commission

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

The Spy Student Studio: The Yawndemic by Jean Pierre

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With video cameras now on phones and editing software that costs in the thousands of dollars only a few years ago now free, the world of film is available to everyone at every age. 

That point was made clear a few months ago when 12-year-old Jean Pierre, who attended the FLAG Camp hosted by the Cambridge SDA Church, produced his own short film, The Yawndemic, as a parody of the COVID pandemic. The short was not only a hit in Jean’s community, but he came away with the Best Comedy Award from the Chesapeake Film Festival last year. 

Not a bad start for the young filmmaker. 

This video is approximately five minutes in length. The Yawndemic Written and directed by Jean Pierre

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Eastern Shore Permaculture Institute on the Road: Smoky Mountains State Park

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The Eastern Shore Permaculture Institute’s Justinian Dispenza checked in with the Spy again from where else?—on the road!

This trip, Justinian and friends are exploring the Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, including a 6-mile hike to the 6,700 ft. summit of Mt. Mitchell, a 4+ hour climb not for the faint of heart.

Dispenza’s interest in wilderness survival and living skills gives him a unique perspective on each environment they encounter. On this outing, he discovered plants native to that area; wintergreen and wild blueberries.

Based in Galena, Dispenza is happy to share his wilderness adventures with the Spy, and we are always happy to have a few minutes of vicarious, educational exploring.

“The Eastern Shore Permaculture Institute is a resource for education and empowerment, taking back our food system. We focus on teaching courses on sustainable gardening, mushroom growing, soap making, wilderness survival and living skills, and ecologically friendly building practices.” 

This video is approximately five minutes in length. Please go here for more information about the Eastern Shore Permaculture Institute, see their Facebook page.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Hazel Mitchell-Bell Next to Perform at Tubman Museum on August 14

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On Saturday, August 14 the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center in Cambridge, Maryland presents jazz vocalist Hazel Mitchell-Bell in an outdoor concert from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

The show takes place under a powerful and deeply moving mural of Harriet Tubman, abolitionist and conductor on the Underground Railroad. It is part of an ongoing series of varietal events created by Program Director Linda Harris to draw attention to the site and the historic figure who inspired it. Attendees are welcome and encouraged to arrive early to tour the museum in advance of the show.

Hazel Mitchell-Bell

Washington, D.C. jazz star Hazel Mitchell-Bell will share music from her new album Sack Full of Dreams. Already garnering great reviews, the recording celebrates the singer’s versatility with unique renderings of jazz, blues, R&B and showtunes. In a relaxed and green setting, listeners will be treated to live versions of new album tracks along with select favorites from Mitchell-Bell’s high charting 2018 album Stronger Than Ever.

Working closely with pianist and music director Vince Evans since 2016, the stunning vocalist has performed and recorded with orchestras and smaller ensembles, stoking the fires of the D.C. jazz scene. She has enjoyed one sellout after another, appearing in festivals, concerts and clubs such as the Kennedy Center, City Winery, the Preservation Jazz Festival, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and the Sheldon Cultural Center in St. Louis. Her vocal stylings have been compared to jazz giants Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan and Phyllis Hyman.

The new album has been receiving high praise from critics at home and abroad since its official release in May. George W. Harris of Jazz Weekly writes “Classy and uptown soft swing and soul is delivered by vocalist Hazel Mitchell-Bell as she gives tribute to all of the right inspirations.” Susan Frances of Jazz2love writes “Her blend of jazz, soul, R&B, and bossa nova feel like home, surrounding the listener in comfort and bliss.” Enjoy classics such as the title track “Sack Full of Dreams” by Gary McFarland and Louis Savary and Buddy Johnson’s 1955 jazz ballad “Save Your Love for Me.” Hear favorites from her earlier album Stronger Than Ever, which peaked at #12 overall on the Roots Music Report Top 50 Jazz Chart.

Music director and pianist Vince Evans has earned enormous respect from peers and fans in his extensive career as a musician, producer and educator. He has worked with celebrities such as Phyllis Hyman, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Eddie Murphy, MC Hammer and Prince.

Trumpeter Kenny Rittenhouse is a former member of The United States Army Band, The U.S.Army Blues, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra. He has performed with stars such as Lou Rawls, Doc Severinsen, Arturo Sandoval, Hubert Laws, Kurt Elling, Jimmy Heath and Freddy Cole. He also leads The Kenny Rittenhouse Ensemble. Drummer JC Jefferson, Jr. works regularly with Evans and Rittenhouse in various groups and has performed with jazz greats Benny Golson, Buck Hill, Barry Harris and Larry Willis.
Bassist Herman Burney studied with legendary bassist Keter Betts. He has performed with Wynton,Ellis and Branford Marsalis, Freddy Cole, Eric Alexander, Terell Stafford, René Marie, Monty Alexander, Etta Jones, Natalie Cole and Cedar Walton. He has played the Blue Note, Village Vanguard, Birdland, the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center and toured North and South America, Australia, Europe and the Far East.

The suggested donation for the concert is $20 and reservations are strongly suggested. To reserve your place, visit instantseats.com and select “Jazz at the Mural.” (The short ticket link is: https://tinyurl.com/8k3dxxc ) Proceeds fund future programs. Additional donations are welcome.

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In Memoriam: Remembering Them Today

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Our young nation, a world power, is often engaged in deadly combat. Lost amid the mix of potent weaponry and highly skilled warriors are many who never live to describe the horrors of war.

Mostly young men and women return home, their final resting places in cemeteries throughout the land. They served, they fought, they cried and they died. Their families and friends will celebrate Memorial Day sadly and somberly.

Who knows their final thoughts, their indescribable pain and suffering? What we know is that, yes they fought for their buddies—but they fought for us. They sought no gratitude. They sought no glory.

Uttered often at Memorial Day ceremonies is this declaration: we owe our freedom to those who came home forever young. And we do owe our lives, free from strife and danger, to individuals willing to risk theirs in danger spots in our fractious world.

If our fellow Americans occupying thousands and thousands of gravesites typically unseen except by loved ones could speak to us, they might say:

Pursue peace with passion. Fight to preserve harmony with indomitable patience and persistence. If all else fails, then pick up the torch and relentlessly seek victory in the dreadful event of war.

They might ask something else: wave a flag if you have one, shed a tear for a friend if you can—and call a family and say you care.

The following well-known poem written during World War I by John McCrae, a Canadian physician, poet, soldier, author and artist, is eternally appropriate on Memorial Day.

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
    That mark our place; and in the sky
    The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
        In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
    The torch; be yours to hold it high.
    If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
        In Flanders fields.

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WC: Six Finalists for Nation’s Largest Undergraduate Literary Prize Announced

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Six Washington College seniors today were selected as finalists for the Sophie Kerr Prize in literature, worth $65,580 this year. The winner of the nation’s largest undergraduate literary prize will be announced this Friday, May 21, at 7:30 p.m.

The event, held in person for the finalists on Martha Washington Square, will be hosted by Jim Dissette ’71, a local writer and book artist who won the Sophie Kerr Prize 50 years ago. Viewers can watch the live-streamed event from the YouTube link here.

The finalists each have focused their academic studies in the humanities, predominantly in art & art history, English, communication & media studies, creative writing, and journalism, editing & publishing.

For more about Sophie Kerr and her legacy, go here.

Top left:

MacKenzie Brady • Baltimore

An English and studio art major, MacKenzie Brady is the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Elm; poetry editor for the student literary and arts magazine, Collegian; managing editor of the student journal of liberal arts and sciences, Washington College Review; president of Writers’ Union; a poetry screener for the national literary journal, Cherry Tree; and a member of the National English Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta. Brady’s portfolio contains poems, flash fiction, essays, and a satirical Elm article exploring relationships, personhood, and family that pushes the limits on form. After graduation, Brady will be working as a reporter for the Kent County News, with plans to pursue an MFA in poetry sometime in the not-so-distant future.

“What’s impressed me most about Washington College is all of the different opportunities I’ve had here. Being able to work on all the publications and have my hands in so many things has been really great.”

Top center:

Nicole Hatfield • Columbia, MD

An English major with minors in creative writing and journalism, editing and publishing, Nicole Hatfield is an intern in the College’s Department of English. Hatfield has been a poetry screener for the past two years for Cherry Tree: A National Literary Magazine @ Washington College She is an active member of the Campus Garden, was an intern at the Eastern Shore Food Lab, and achieved academic distinction as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Hatfield’s portfolio, “Inhabit,” includes a collection of poems, personal essays, and literary analyses, many focused on placemaking and the body.

Top right:

Rebecca Kanaskie • Tamaqua, Pennsylvania

An English major with a minor in journalism, editing & publishing, Rebecca Kanaski worked as a peer consultant for the Writing Center, a photographer for The Elm, a nonfiction screener for Cherry Tree, and was a member of the both the prestigious Cater Society for Junior Fellows and Phi Beta Kappa. Kanaskie’s writing portfolio centers around the facets that constitute place and how they shape one’s personal identity. As her creative nonfiction pieces, academic essays, and prose poetry alternately switch between the creative and academic aspects of photojournalism, Kanaskie’s portfolio culminates in a reflection of the lasting impact natural spaces can hold upon the human mind while also serving as a reminder of the importance of preserving the environment while we are still able to. Having graduated in December 2020, Kanaskie is working at The Brinton Museum in Big Horn, Wyoming, and will attend the University of Idaho for a master’s degree in English literature this fall.

Lower left:

Justin Nash • Smyrna, Delaware

An English major with three minors (journalism, publishing & editing; communication & media studies; and art & art history), Justin Nash came to Washington College through the Cherry Tree Young Writers’ Conference, attending two conferences before enrolling in the fall of 2017.

At WC, Justin has held a number of literary positions, including Editor-in-Chief of Collegian, the campus literary magazine, and the Washington College Review, the liberal arts journal. He has been senior poetry reader for Cherry Tree: A National Literary Magazine @ Washington College, vice president of the Writers’ Union, and a member of both the Cater Society of Junior Fellows and Sigma Tau Delta.

“I thought Washington College was the perfect place for me to do everything I wanted to do,” he says. “I knew the English department was great, but The Cherry Tree journal and the Rose O’Neill Literary House opened up a new world for me.”

The poems, stories, and essays in his portfolio, collectively titled Prestidigitate, examine travel, childhood, and conceit through manipulated address and formal play.

Nash will be looking for jobs in publishing and book production, and is considering pursuing an MFA in poetry.

Lower center:

Megan Walsh • Timonium, MD

Megan Walsh is an English major with a minor in creative writing. In her time at Washington College, she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega, a peer tutor in the Writing Center, a poetry editor for the literary journal Collegian, and a member of Writers’ Union, She was honored to be inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Walsh’s writing portfolio includes a collection of poetry and short stories that revolve around themes of trauma, self, physicality, and loss. After graduation, she plans to intern for the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library through the Starr Center’s Explore America program.

Lower right:

Tamia Williams is a double major in English and communication & media studies with three minors (Black studies; creative writing; and journalism, editing & publishing. While participating in Writers’ Union and Cleopatra’s Sisters, she’s worked with various departments around campus to enrich her community. Supported by the Starr Center’s Explore America program, Williams interned in the publishing office at the Library of Congress. She had a second internship with the National Endowment for the Humanities, and achieved distinction as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Her writing portfolio, “Learning to Unlearn,” includes a collection of academic essays, nonfiction pieces, and standalone prose focusing on identity, family, and spirituality.

“I grew up in a Christian household with traditional values. Now I see myself as a spiritual person who is not constrained by stereotypes of ethnicity and race,” she says.

After graduation, she is heading out for a road trip with friends, before applying for a position in publishing.

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Washington College Officially Makes Its Fall Semester Online Only

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This morning, Washington College’s President, Kurt Landgraf, notified the college community that the 239-year-old liberal arts college will not be reconvening in person on August 24 as anticipated due to the coronavirus crisis.

The following is his statement to students, faculty and staff via email:

I am writing to provide an update on Washington College’s plans for the Fall 2020 semester and to inform you of some important changes.

Washington College’s highest priorities are protecting the health and safety of our community and providing an extraordinary academic experience. In light of these priorities, and in consultation with the Washington College Contingency Planning Group and the Board of Visitors and Governors, I have made these difficult decisions:

We will not be reconvening in person as a community on August 24
Fall Semester courses at Washington College will be offered online
The majority of students will study remotely, except as explained below
We remain hopeful for a return to campus in the spring, and will continue to plan for this result.

In June, we reported that Washington College was on track to reopen safely for the fall 2020 semester with a significant number of residential students. COVID-19 cases were on the decline across the country, and we expected that testing with timely results would be widely available. We also committed to monitor closely local, state, and national trends and modify our plans as necessary, based on public health considerations and our ability to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community.

COVID-19 trends are going in the wrong direction nationally, and Maryland and Kent County are not exempt. Based on the latest guidance from federal, state, and local medical experts and public officials, we anticipate that matters may worsen in the weeks ahead. The resurgence has adversely impacted the availability of tests and associated turnaround time for results needed to satisfy CDC-aligned testing protocols. Despite our efforts, it is apparent that these factors are simply too great to overcome and our original plan to have students to return to campus and in person classes must be revised.

We are painfully aware that this decision is hugely disappointing for our students. We share your disappointment. It should not be disheartening, however. I chose to join the Washington College community in 2017 for many of the same reasons that you did. I was inspired by the vision of educating citizen leaders and the emphasis on moral courage, on thinking critically, on writing and speaking well, on preparation for a 21st-century career. This feels like a setback, but it does not need to be. While it will be a fall semester different from any other you will have or have had at Washington College, we are completely committed to making it every bit as rich, rewarding, and exciting as you expect. It may well be one that you will look back on as fuller and more intense than any other in terms of your academic focus and interactions with your professors and peers. This is an extraordinary time in our history, and we are built for this.

Our faculty and staff have worked hard to prepare for a traditional fall semester, but COVID’s specter was always top of mind. Our careful contingency planning enables us to fulfill our commitment to offering a top-flight robust academic experience to our students, and we have re-aligned our efforts and resources to better support online learning.

Faculty have been engaged in course planning and workshops throughout the summer in preparation for a fall that we expected could include remote learning.
All fall courses, except those that are always graded pass/fail, will use letter grades, not pass/fail.
Our Student Life staff and your Student Government Association remain focused on building community and social connections by working with student organizations to support a wide range of virtual activities, programs, and opportunities.

Under this new plan, a limited number of students may receive permission to live on campus or access campus facilities. Only students with a critical need for on-campus housing will be authorized to live on campus. Critical needs include students who lack another housing option or require campus access for graduation. Students living on or near campus will still take all of their courses online and campus facilities will be restricted. Students who wish to apply for permission to return to campus, whether to live in a residence hall or to access other facilities, must complete the form provided.

Room and board charges will be reversed for students who are not living on campus. We are also announcing a change to our tuition rate for the coming academic year. We are reversing the previously announced tuition increase for this year. This year’s rate will remain the same as last year’s. We will send updated bills and awards letters as quickly as possible.
Only applicable fees will be charged, including the health fee and the orientation fee for first-year students. The student service fee will be reduced by more than 50% for all students in the fall semester.

We know that you will have many questions. We have posted a series of Frequently Asked Questions throughout our Covid-19 Response pages, with many pertinent questions addressed on the Students & Parents and Financial Matters pages.

My thanks to you and to the entire Washington College community – students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and friends of the College – for your unwavering support and patience during this difficult time. Best wishes for a pleasant and healthy remainder of the summer. As we make our way through this unprecedented time in our history we can take comfort in the fact that the Washington College community has a long history of taking care of one another in good times and bad.

Kurt M. Landgraf, President

 

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Washington College President Landgraf to Leave in September

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This morning, the Washington College community was greeted with the news that Kurt Landgraf, who became the 31st president of the 239 year old school, would be leaving his position by September.

In his statement, Landgraf outlined his decision to resign:

“My three year contract as President will expire at the end of June and I will move on to the next phase of my career. The past three years have been extraordinary and I am indebted to each of you for your support of my leadership. My immense respect for all faculty and staff has no limit. I will treasure the relationship I have established with each of you!

I have agreed to stay as College President long enough to allow the Board of Visitors and Governors to transition to new leadership and to facilitate the beginning of the new Academic year in this very difficult and challenging environment. I am prepared to stay through the end of September, if needed. I believe each of you will play an important role in helping to effect a smooth transition. I have a lot of confidence in each of you and the important roles you have in the mission of Washington College.”

Steve Golding, chair of the Board of Visitors and Governors, noted, “the Board and I are extremely appreciative of the leadership Kurt has shown these past three years, restoring stability to our campus and building bridges with our local, state, and philanthropic partners, in addition to the broader Washington College community.”

 

 

 

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Spy Gardening: Planning Your Landscaping Like A Pro (Part 1) by Meredith Watters

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Staying home, strolling our yards during the ‘shelter-in-place’ for COVID-19 can reveal our garden’s potentials.  Look around. Here, at my home, I see the demise of Leyland cypresses dying from the combination 2018 record wetness and the 2019 drought. The nuisance weeds are already getting out of control and it’s time to address the dangerous front door steps or add that long-talked about patio. The list goes on….

Leyland cypress

Now may be the time to get started on long-term landscape improvements which, by the way, increases your real estate value by 5% to 15% – an immediate return on your investment. To help you start organizing, I have outlined tasks and considerations that I use in my business when working on a client’s landscape design and installation project.

Start with writing a list of long-term dreams about your landscape. When writing this vision, don’t get hung up on the costs because your plan could be implemented over many years.  Prioritize your list from most important to least.

Ideally, phasing should begin with hardscape (sidewalks, patios, driveways), which is the most expensive portion of your dreams.  Next phase is identifying existing and possible addition of plants, large trees and shrubs. Now think about lighting and irrigation. If you choose to do this, I recommend working with a professional.  Next is mulching (no more than 2 ½” deep) plant beds and individual trees.  The final stage is to establish the lawn.

To begin to implement your dreams for your home and garden:: you will need to create a landscape plan.  If you were given a land plat at settlement, take it to be enlarged at the local print shop.  Ask the shop to use a 1” = 8’ or 1” = 10’ scale, or, if your property is over three acres, consider a 1” = 20’ scale.  Don’t have a plat? Use graph paper to record measurements of your house, existing features such as property boundaries, utilities, and restrictions, trees patios, walks, etc.  Take that drawing to the print shop and ask them to enlarge it to the recommended scales.

On your newly printed plat, identify problem areas such as unattractive views, privacy issues, poor drainage, blistering summer sun, set-back restrictions, underground and overhead utilities.  Identify  good qualities such as existing mature shrubs and trees, beautiful views, any existing landscape features, etc.  Identify areas that you want any hardscape such as patios, walkways, pavilions, swimming pool, firepits, outdoor kitchens, or even a vegetable or butterfly garden.

Now, let’s talk about  plants!

Make a list of your favorites and research their attributes such as ultimate growth height and width, seasonal color, etc.  To keep things less complicated, choose perhaps just 3 varieties of the following trees:  shade (oak), understory (dogwood), and evergreen (pine/holly).  Choose perhaps 5 varieties of deciduous and evergreen tall (viburnum) and short (azalea) shrubs.

Make a short list of your favorite perennial flowers, annual flowers, ground covers, and ornamental grasses (again, take notes on the color, time of year of blooming, etc.).

Once you have this plant list, ask a few questions.

  • Do I have native plants to support the butterflies, birds, and bees?
  • Am I retaining my rainwater on my own property so as not to impact my neighbors?
  • Are plants providing a variety of textures (flat, shiny leaves or spikey, fine needles)?
  • Are the plants suited for my wet/dry/sunny/shady conditions?
  • Are the plants deer or rabbit resistant? (just type that question into Google)

You are ready to put it all together – plants and hardscapes!

This is where your base drawing will be useful.  Use tracing paper over it to play with your dream ideas and configurations of plants, patios, walkways, garden features, etc.  Print photos of your house and use the tracing paper over it to sketch ideas as well.

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Next time in Part 2 of Planning Your Landscape Like A Pro, we’ll get to the really fun parts of your project and put it all together incorporating color, textures, and other design principles.  Leave a comment below if you have any questions or email me directly at [email protected].

Meredith Watters, Watterscape Designs, received her Masters in Landscape Architecture in 1985. In her consulting and design of residential landscapes, she maintains a strong focus on ecologically sensitive and creative outdoor solutions.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

The Great Slow Down List: Jenn Martella

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As the Spy has pointed out in a recent editorial, the country and our region will be facing an unprecedented moment in history when many meetings, performances, schools and other gatherings will temporarily come to an halt. To help with unexpected slow down, each day for the next thirty days The Spy will share with our readers suggestions from our long list of writers and friends on how to pass the time as the country and the Mid-Shore endure social isolation.

Today is Jenn Martella, Spy columnist, House of Week writer and architect.

Read:  Trace Elements by Donna Leon
Watch: Inspector Morse
Outing: A long walk in the neighborhood then a nap on my screened porch with Bunter, my cat

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.