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November 30, 2025

Centreville Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Centreville

5 News Notes

Save the Date: Talisman Therapeutic Riding Sponsoring Fishing Tournament August 28

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Talisman Therapeutic Riding (Talisman) is sponsoring a fishing tournament and crab feast on August 28. The Rockfish rodeo, with a $1,000 top price, and crab feast will be at the Crab Deck on Kent Narrows. The events are critically important to Talisman’s serving its many communities, including veterans and first responders.

According to Talisman Executive Director Noelle Douglas, when Talisman decided to host its first benefit fishing tournament and crab feast this simmer, “a direct line was cast between the event and our vision of inspiring personal growth and healing by utilizing the great outdoors.” While tack and tackle are different, both activities allow participants to embrace the environment and explore the beauty of our scenic environment, noted Douglas. 

The entry fee for a single angler is $225, which includes the crab feast. The charge for just the crab feast is $110. Call 443-239-9400 or go to www.talismantherapeuticriding.org for additional information and to purchase tickets. Participants can also register online at https: talisman.schoolauction.net/rockfishrodeo2023.

 

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

Centreville Finally Getting the YMCA it Deserves: A Chat with Robbie Gill

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The easy way for those Spy readers familiar with the YMCA of the Chesapeake’s brand new, extensive facility in Chestertown is to image a structure that was almost 40% larger serving the same purpose, and you’ll see the remarkable scale of the soon-to-be-open Y in Centreville.

That information is not only a bit shocking with respect to size but also to the fact that the Centreville site is being built with the anticipated use of 10,000 members or twice the size of the town’s current population.

Both data points indicate the kind of growth the northern part of Queen Anne’s County anticipates as more and more families see the advantages of living in the center of Centreville over the next ten years.

But for Robbie Gill, CEO of the YMCA of the Chesapeake, the Centreville project has been long in coming. With QAC as an active partner in the $22 million program, the facility will finally be a critical meeting point for Kent Island, Centerville, and the northern part of the county under one roof for older adult programming, community events, career development, and resource centers.

The facility will include an indoor walking track, a double gymnasium with six indoor ball courts, and an expanded gymnasium based on the success of a similar YMCA in Chestertown.

The Spy visited the building site a few months ago to tour the facility and talk to Robbie about the remarkable new addition.

This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about the YMCA of the Chesapeake or membership please go here.

 

 

 

 

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

The Challenge of Affordable Housing and Cambridge’s Major Initiative to Address It

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One of the Spy’s primary areas of interest over the last few years has been how our Mid-Shore communities and their respective local governments are responding to the growing need for not only affordable housing but also general improvement of existing homes to attract a new generation of families to these growing towns and cities.

There is no easy fix for any Eastern Shore town. Faced with the realities of market pressure, absent and careless landlords, and the rising costs of home repair in general, community leaders have had to accept that incremental change over time will lead to successful outcomes. But that doesn’t mean a town accepts the status quo.

Cambridge is a case in point. At its mayor’s and council’s request, the new city manager, Thomas Carroll, was tasked to outline what the municipality could do to truly implement an affordable housing strategy. With the benefit of being at the forefront of affordable housing issues in his senior leadership roles in communities in the greater Cincinnati region of Ohio, Carroll responded recently with the presentation to the Council of a “white paper” summary laying out an implantation plan for the next few years. His recommendations could prove, over time, transformational for his community and for other towns on the Mid-Shore.

We asked Tom if he might share some highlights of his presentation and his thoughts about the meaning and realities of “affordable housing” in Cambridge.

This video is approximately 13 minutes in length.

 

 

 

 

 

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

Assessing the Cambridge Evening Curfew Experiment with Chief of Police Justin Todd

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At the height of a horrible year of crime in Cambridge in 2022, a proposal came before the City Council to institute a youth curfew from February 1 to June 3 of 2023 to help reduce this surge of criminal activity. It was a highly-controversial recommendation at the time.

Similar curfew legislation has been proposed for several American cities facing high crime rates and had serious opposition for the curfew’s potential infringement on personal freedom, historical lack of effectiveness, and unfair targeting and profiling. Nonetheless, the Cambridge Council agreed to an experimental period to assess the impact of such a law.

On Monday night, Cambridge Chief of Police Justin Todd reported to the Council his department’s findings, which included the fact that the curfew did not directly impact crime and the recommendation from Chief Todd and his officers that the program continue.

That might seem like poor logic until you hear the police chief highlight some of the collateral benefits that emerged from the fourth-month test. As it turns out, the Cambridge curfew resulted in remarkable improvements in how the police and young kids (and their parents) interacted.

With other Eastern Shore communities seriously considering similar curfew laws, the Spy asked Chief Todd to join us on Zoom to understand more about the Cambridge experiment.

This video is approximately ten minutes in length.

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

The Sane Mind of the Young Mass Shooter: A Chat with Clinical Psychologist Dick Greenbaum

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A narrative often used in the wake of a mass shooter incident these days is one which suggests these crimes are taking place because of a mental illness crisis in America. These young men are victims of mental health who act out on the psychotic impulses of their bipolar or schizophrenic condition with unmentionable violence. If society wants to solve these mass shootings, so goes the argument, it must address the issue of mental health first and gun control, if need be, later.

While politicians have been successful so far in spreading this definition of mass shooters, Dick Greenbaum, with some four decades behind him as a Talbot County public school psychologist and later in private practice, wants to correct this mischaracterization.

Citing numerous research on mass shooters, Greenbaum notes that only 4% have a significant, diagnosable mental disorder before the crime. The typical shooter is instead socially isolated, lacks interpersonal skills, is neglected at home or bullied at school, and often feels mistreated or undervalued. Those factors can lead to depression but not a diagnosable psychosis.

Dick Greenbaum suggests that these young men, fueled by revenge fantasies, seek validation, gain access to weapons, and act out violently to gain notoriety. Their actions are not rooted in mental illness but in a complex mix of social factors, personal grievances, and harmful cultural influences like video games and social media.

While the answers to stop mass shootings remain challenging, Dick believes it’s essential to understand more clearly who these young men are before we can ever hope to end this violent behavior. He came by the Spy Studio last month to talk more about the mind of a mass shooter.

This video is approximately five minutes in length.

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

Easton’s Zoning Dilemma: Cannabis Legalization Spurs Decision-Making

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Easton, like many towns on the Mid-Shore, are now grappling with zoning decisions following the recent legalization of cannabis in the state. As of July 1st, recreational cannabis became legal, prompting discussions within the town’s planning commission. Their aim is to determine whether dispensaries, growers, and processors should be permitted in Easton. The commission commenced deliberations in June, which will continue in the coming months to form a recommendation for the town council.

While neighboring jurisdictions like Oxford and St. Michaels have imposed temporary moratoriums to study the issue, Easton faces a unique circumstance. New cannabis licenses will only be available from September, with issuance in January. This grants the town time to carefully consider zoning regulations. The planning commission intends to make progress throughout July and possibly August. However, if time becomes a constraint, implementing a moratorium is a possibility.

Other municipalities have enacted moratoriums lasting from nine months to a year. Easton has previously implemented moratoriums through ordinances on such things as “big box” stories,  a process that takes time. Balancing the workload of the planning commission and consistency with neighboring areas is crucial. The town aims to avoid legal challenges by closely observing outcomes in Oxford and other towns.

Seeking guidance from the state and challenged jurisdictions will provide valuable insights. Additionally, the Maryland Municipal League is hosting a workshop in August, offering further information. Easton intends to make informed decisions by considering timeframes, monitoring existing moratoriums, and seeking guidance. The town seeks to establish well-rounded zoning regulations that satisfy the community while complying with legal requirements.

Here is a sample of the Easton Town Attorney Sharon Van Emburgh’s presentation to to the Council and some of the discussion that followed.

This video is approximately seven minutes in length.

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

Expanding the Possible on Port Street: A Chat with Arc Advisor Ross Benincasa

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It’s one thing to talk about affordable housing as a campaign issue or as a matter of policy, but it’s quite a different when a great example is staring you in the face.

And that will be the experience of thousands of Easton motorists and pedestrians as they travel on Port Street over the next year as they watch the construction of a three-floor mixed-use building,  just a block from Route 322, called Port Street Commons.

With an official groundbreaking already done, The Arc, and its Chesapeake Neighbors affiliate, are well on their way to creating a unique model for affordable housing. While the first floor will house The Arc’s service center, which will provide a much-needed community resource center for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities, the building will offer nine affordable housing units ranging from two to three-bedroom apartments, targeting families with a household income at or below 60% of the area median income.

It’s a bold vision for what The Arc calls “expanding the possible.” But it does nonetheless come with  some real challenges. We asked Arc advisor, Rivers & Roads’ Ross Benincasa, to walk us through that vision, some of the obstacles being faced, and the unique model Port Street Commons might become in the years ahead as other Eastern Shore communities find new ways to meet their housing needs.

This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about The Arc-Central Chesapeake, its Chesapeake Neighbors program, or Port Street Commons please go here. 

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

The Essential Need to Brand Upper Shore Aging with Bill Shrieves and Andy Hollis

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Perhaps one of the most endearing qualities about Upper Shore Aging over the years has been its modesty about its work serving the senior community in Caroline, Kent and Talbot Counties. Unassuming and devoted to the region’s aging population for close to a half a century, the nonprofit organization has improved tens of  thousands of elders with the basic necessities of life; as simple as food and as life affirming as the social contact senior citizens benefit from at Upper Shore’s five centers.

But perhaps the most disconcerting thing about Upper Shore Aging is that many if not most of the Mid-Shore doesn’t have a clue what it does. Even with some 15 programs and housing programs going full speed, all of whom earn the daily praise of participants and partner organizations, Upper Shore Aging remains an unrecognized hero.

That’s a big problem for Upper Shore Aging board president Bill Shrieves and recently appointed executive director Andy Hollis. Upper Shore’s low profile has made it all the more difficult to raise both operational and capital funding as the Mid-Shore shows a ever growing senior age community.

The Spy sat down with Shrivers and Hollis to learn more about this unique challenge and the organization’s plans for a branding campaign to address it head on in the years ahead.

This video is approximately three minutes in length. For more information about Upper Shore Aging please go here.

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

Mid-Shore Monthly: Counties looking for Blueprint Answers with MACo’s Michael Sanderson

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Editor’s Note: Every month, the Spy Newspapers teams up with our public affairs partner, WHCP Community Radio in Cambridge, to produce a monthly podcast on the some of the real public policy challenges facing the Mid-Shore counties of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen’s Anne’s and Talbot.

In the wake of recent elections and the ongoing implementation of Maryland’s Education Blueprint, concerns and anxieties have emerged regarding the financial implications for county governments.

The ambitious 10-year program, with an estimated cost of around $8-9 billion, aims to provide substantial funding for education in the state. However, the burden of financing the blueprint has raised questions about the ability of counties to meet the financial requirements.

In light of the impact the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future will have on Mid-Shore county governments, we invited Michael Sanderson, executive director of the Maryland Association of Counties, to participate in a interview to discuss the sometimes confusing and potentially destabilizing budgetary requirements they must meet to fulfill the Blueprint’s aspirations.

The Spy’s Jim Dissette, Dave Wheelan, and WHCP’s Kevin Diaz, talked to Michael by Zoom last Friday.

This podcast video is approximately 19 minutes in length.

 

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

Building African-American Minds by Building an Academic Center: A Chat with Dina Daly and Bill Ryan

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Since Building African American Minds (BAAM) opened its doors to the Easton community, the organization’s founders, Derek and Dina Daly, and its board directors have taken on several significant projects that would test any new organization. From establishing a campus on Jowite Street, adding classroom space, and, more recently, completely funding the gymnasium, BAAM has proven its tenacity in getting things done.

The latest case is BAAM’s project to build a state-of-the-art academic center to fulfill organizations tion’s long-term vision of providing learning opportunities to the entire community. From pre-k to seniors, the idea for the new building is to offer life-altering education programs for all ages.

The Spy asked Dina, BAAM”s executive director, and its board president, Bill Ryan, to chat about the almost $10 million facility and the powerful arguments of why this is so important to Easton in the decades ahead.

This video is approximately fiver minutes in length. For more information about BAAM or make a donation to the project please go here. 

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