MENU

Sections

  • Home
  • Education
  • Donate to the Centreville Spy
  • Free Subscription
  • Spy Community Media
    • Chestertown Spy
    • Talbot Spy
    • Cambridge Spy

More

  • Support the Spy
  • About Spy Community Media
  • Advertising with the Spy
  • Subscribe
September 4, 2025

Centreville Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Centreville

  • Home
  • Education
  • Donate to the Centreville Spy
  • Free Subscription
  • Spy Community Media
    • Chestertown Spy
    • Talbot Spy
    • Cambridge Spy
Senior Nation Portal Lead Senior Nation Portal Notes Senior Nation Senior Highlights

The Difference Between Try And Triumph Is A Little Umph! By Susan Covey

September 1, 2025 by Susan Covey Leave a Comment

September is Healthy Aging Month which is designed to focus attention on the positive aspects of growing older. The mission being to encourage all of us to take personal responsibility for our own health and well-being by aging with a healthy body, mind and spirit.

So, let’s get motivated, reinvent ourselves and use these simple strategies to keep our good intentions to begin an exercise program or to just keep you on track and CELEBRATE HEALTHY AGING MONTH!

  1. Find something you enjoy. Remember “exercise” can include brain games, outdoor games, playing with the grandchildren, walking around the Zoo, hiking in the woods or taking a meditation walk around the block.
  2. Set goals but make them short term goals that you can easily track. One workout at a time.
  3. Find the best time and make part of your everyday schedule. This will keep you more accountable than just thinking about doing and never doing.
  4. Start slowly. Even just 10 minutes 3 or 4 times a week. The goal being 150 minutes per week.
  5. Plan to do things with a buddy, or a group.
  6. Reward yourself with anything that makes you feel good as long as it doesn’t interfere with your goals.
  7. Mix it up, try a new class, challenge yourself.
  8. But also go easy on yourself if you fall off the wagon. Just get back in your routine as soon as possible. Don’t make it a source of stress. Just enjoy a bit of a break and move on!

Put some umph in your good intentions and reap the benefits!!!  You’ll be glad you did!

Susan Covey is the Acts Bayleigh Chase Fitness Director based in Easton.

 

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

Filed Under: Portal Lead, Portal Notes, Senior Highlights

State Officials Launch 10-Year Plan to Boost Supports for Growing Senior Population

July 31, 2025 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Across the United States, health officials are bracing for the rising population of senior citizens expected in the next couple years, as “Baby Boomers” approach retirement age and will likely need additional supports to secure affordable housing options, health care and other resources.

In what it calls the “Graying of America,” the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that by 2034, the number of people aged 65+ and older will outnumber children aged 18 and younger for the first time in the United State’s history.

Maryland officials are trying to get ahead of the problem, announcing a 10-year plan called the Longevity Ready Maryland initiative to boost supports for older residents in the state in coming years.

In a briefing about the plan Wednesday, Secretary Carmel Roques with the Maryland Department of Aging said that Longevity Ready Maryland is “designed to ensure that Marylanders can age with dignity, purpose and independence” by promoting collaboration between government agencies,  philanthropic efforts and the private sector.

“This is the only way we can truly begin to meet the challenges and also to really be able to realize the potential and benefits of an older and aging population,” Roques said, noting that there are over 1.4 million people over the age of 60 in Maryland as of now.

According to state estimates, about 1 in 4 Marylanders will be 60-years-old or older by 2030. By 2045, an estimated 315,000 people in the state will be age 85 or older.

“We must strengthen supports for people who are aging now and for people who are already older and their care givers,” Roques said.

 Gov. Wes Moore (D). (Photo by Bryan P. Sears / Maryland Matters.)

In a written statement, Gov. Wes Moore (D) said that the launch of Longevity Ready Maryland will work to support older Marylanders at a time when the Trump Administration has been cutting back on spending for programs that they rely on, such as Medicaid and food assistance.

“Maryland is stepping forward with urgency and a clear plan to put the well-being of older Marylanders front and center,” Moore said in the statement. “By coordinating action across state agencies, community organizations, and the private sector, Longevity Ready Maryland takes a resilient approach to aging and makes efficient use of every resource as federal support becomes less certain.”

The Longevity Ready Maryland roadmap has been under development for almost two years, following Moore’s executive order issued on Jan. 3, 2024, to create the initiative.

The roadmap outlines four overarching goals, each with short-term and long-term policy suggestions to achieve those initiatives:

  • Build inclusive communities that are friendly to senior residents and their needs,
  • Strengthen the caregiver workforce,
  • Invest in health programs so that older people can stay healthier longer,
  • Create more affordable housing opportunities and promote financial planning so seniors can have stable housing option.

“Maryland is at a demographic crossroads,” the executive summary of the plan says. “Longer lives and declining birth rates have introduced a significant shift in how our current systems will need to function as the growing number of older adults continues to expand.”

With the multi-agency, multi-sector collaboration, the Moore administration hopes to aid aging residents with the many challenges that come with old age, such as housing needs, financial challenges and health care services.

Danielle Meister, assistant secretary of homeless solutions with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, said that the need for affordable housing options that are suitable for older people is “one of the big needs” for the senior population.

“We’re facing a severe shortage of affordable housing in our state,” she said,” but this need is more acute and significant for older adults.”

She said that department data estimates that 130,000 Marylanders 65-years-old and older face a housing cost burden, meaning they pay more than 30% of their income on rent or a mortgage.

“It makes it really difficult, especially for older adults who are often on restricted incomes, to meet their basic needs,” Meister said.

The state also needs additional accessible housing so more Marylanders can “age in place independently” and not have to move into a new living situation when more health needs or disabilities arise.

Allison Roenigk Ciborowski, President and CEO of LeadingAge Maryland, said in a written statement Wednesday that said that the “important — and hardest — work lies ahead.”

“A plan is only as good as how it is implemented and resourced,” she said in the statement. “We are thrilled to see the full support of LRM by the Governor, and we are eager to continue to work closely with MDOA, state agencies, and legislators to ensure that the goals for coordination and collaboration truly come to life.”


by Danielle J. Brown, Maryland Matters
July 31, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

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

Filed Under: Senior Highlights

Roots of Classic Rock Coffee House Performance by Kathy Jones July 31

July 4, 2025 by James Dissette Leave a Comment

Back by popular demand, Church Hill Theatre’s own Kathy Jones will take us on a journey through rock’s transition from Folk music and early Rock ‘n Roll to the Classic Rock era. Kathy performs with her guitar on a riser in the middle of the theatre, creating a cozy, warm vibe that’s interactive with the audience, even taking on a few requests. Her coffeehouses are pop-up, one-night only, and short notice events. This one is free to the public but donations to CHT will be accepted.

Kathy’s last coffeehouse sold out, so please make a reservation quickly. Table seating is available for small groups, but these go fast. Refreshments, including coffee, will be available for purchase. The show begins at 7:00 pm and will last approximately two hours. Ticket reservations for Thursday, July 31 are available at the CHT website: churchhilltheatre.org.  The theatre is located at 103 Walnut Street in Church Hill, MD.  Call the office at 410-556-6003 if you have questions.

Kathy has serious singing chops, from years with Sweet Adelines groups, gigs in Key West and St. Augustine and lead roles in musicals such as Matilda, the Musical, Fiddler on The Roof, and The Little Shop of Horrors. You can catch her with other CHT favorites singing for CHT’s supper at a Ram’s Head Give Back Night in Stevensville on July 16 from 4 to 6 pm. Kathy is the Chairperson of the Church Hill Theatre. She resides on Kent Island with her husband, Bruce.

For more about Church Hill Theatre go here.

 

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

Filed Under: 1A Arts Lead, 1C Commerce, Senior Notes

Strive for Independence, Not Just on the 4Th Of July! by Susan Covey

June 30, 2025 by Susan Covey Leave a Comment

Like most people, you’ve probably heard that activity and exercise are good for you. The frailty and decreased energy often associated with aging is largely due to muscle loss.  (Here’s where I can’t resist adding the adage “Use it or lose it”.)  So true.  

Being physically active on a daily basis is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself.  As a matter of fact, exercise is THE key to maintaining your mobility and prolonging your INDEPENDENCE!  It is central to daily functioning…think about it.  Your daily activities like getting out of bed, rising out of a chair, standing in the shower, carrying groceries, walking down the hall.  They all require strength and energy, and one of the best ways to keep muscles healthy and strong and to increase the body’s vigor is with mobility-enhancing exercises.  Also called strength training or resistance training, these exercises are among the best ways to fight weakness and frailty that can come with age.  If done regularly they will build bone and muscle and help preserve your INDEPENDENCE.

So, let’s make our founding fathers proud, take back our freedom of movement and refuse to surrender to the tyranny of aging!  We may be born into a life of liberty, but we must not ever remain idle. After all, the key to INDEPENDENCE (and therefore happiness) lies in the pursuit!

Susan S. Covey, Director of Fitness Acts Bayleigh Chase

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

Filed Under: Senior Highlights

Senior Nation: Gardening a Great Boost for Body and Soul by Susan Covey

May 13, 2025 by Susan Covey Leave a Comment

 

The calming benefits of being in the natural world are endless and include fresh air, improved mood and concentration, mental clarity, lower blood pressure, improved flexibility of your joints and muscles.  The list goes on, but the simple satisfaction and delight derived from watching things grow and bloom is both unmatched and undeniable.

Gardening sharpens your mind.  There is evidence that growing plants enhances your brain.  For example, one NIH study found that the act of gardening may lower your risk of dementia by as much as 36 percent!

Gardening strengthens your body.  The actual act of maintaining a garden keeps you moving for one thing. Considering many of us sit for way too much of the day, this is important.  An active lifestyle in turn lowers your likelihood of obesity, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, stroke, depression, and more.  In addition, if you garden outside, you’ll also passively reap the benefits of sun exposure.  Sunshine, of course, is a key source of vitamin D, which fortifies your bones and immune system.

Gardening soothes your soul.  Working in the garden can lower your levels of cortisol, the stress hormone and restore your energy.  It generally lifts your spirits and if that’s not enough growing a community garden with others can also combat feelings of loneliness.  

I’ll end with an anonymous quote that you may have heard before, and someone gave to me on a kitchen towel that reads:

“Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes” …or flowers, or fruit!

Susan Covey is the Director of Fitness at Acts Bayleigh Chase in Easton

 

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

Filed Under: Senior Highlights, Senior Notes

Senior Nation: April Is Parkinson’s Awareness Month by Susan Covey

April 4, 2025 by Susan Covey Leave a Comment

It is time to spread awareness and understanding of Parkinson’s Disease. This is a chronic condition affecting approximately one million people in the U.S. This is more than the number of people living with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and Lou Gehrig’s disease combined. Every year in our country 60,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s. There are 10 million worldwide.

The causes of Parkinson’s are still unknown, but researchers believe it is a combination of genetics and environmental factors. Though only 15-25% of people with Parkinson’s have a relative with the disease, those with first-degree relatives have a slightly elevated risk of developing the disease. Environmental toxins may be a greater risk than any other factor. Rural living, well water, manganese, and pesticides have been associated with an elevated risk of Parkinson’s. Scientists quickly emphasize that although certain neurotoxins may be a risk factor, no single exposure to a particular chemical has been directly pinpointed as a cause.

Treating Parkinson’s disease is more about managing symptoms and slowing the progression than it is about “curing” this disease.

One thing we know for sure is that exercise is medicine for people living with Parkinson’s. Exercise is a physiological tool that protects neurons at risk or compromised, and guides brain health, protection, repair, and adaptation after a neurodegenerative process occurs…otherwise known as neuroplasticity. Once triggered by exercise, these physiological mechanisms have the potential to slow disease progression!

Please join me in raising awareness for Parkinson’s Disease by exercising on National Parkinson’s Day, April 10th. Bike, walk, box, dance, swim—any movement you can do—and think about those who are living with this disease and their caregivers.

Susan Covey is the Acts Bayleigh Chase Fitness Director and Rock Steady Boxing Coach

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

Filed Under: Senior Highlights

Leaders of Londonderry on the Tred Avon named “Women to Watch” by Baltimore Magazine

March 11, 2025 by Londonderry on the Tred Avon Leave a Comment

The female leaders at Londonderry on the Tred Avon were named “Women to Watch” by Baltimore Magazine in its February issue. Pictured from left are Chelsea Harris, Erica Hardeo, Rachel Smith, Christine Harrington, Jennifer Hughes and Lacree Brown.

The female leaders at Londonderry on the Tred Avon were named “Women to Watch” by Baltimore Magazine in its February issue.

Baltimore Magazine recognized the female members of Londonderry’sleadership team for their visionary leadership and commitment to creating a vibrant, hospitality-focused culture on campus where residents and team members thrive. Recognized leaders include: Christine Harrington, Chief Executive Officer; Chelsea Harris, Director of Dining Services; Jennifer Hughes, Controller; Rachel Smith, Director of Sales and Marketing; Lacree Brown, Director of Housekeeping Services and Erica Hardeo, Director of Community Engagement.

 “These are a few of the amazing women who I have the pleasure of working with every day,” said Christine Harrington, Londonderry on the Tred Avon CEO. “With the continued support of Londonderry’s Board of Directors and team, these women have positioned the community as a trusted leader in resort-style retirement living. This recognition from Baltimore Magazine is so well deserved of their inspiring hard work.”

Londonderry is always innovating and tailors its personalized services to meet the evolving needs of today’s retirees, setting the gold standard for senior living. Residents enjoy a dynamic, collaborative lifestyle where wellness is prioritized, independence is celebrated, and every day offers something new. From curating engaging social calendars and organizing fitness classes to coordinating outings, book clubs, winemaking, and card games, the community fosters meaningful connections and lifelong enrichment.


About Londonderry on the Tred Avon

Londonderry on the Tred Avon is a vibrant, independent living cooperative community for adults, ages 62+, that promotes wellness of mind and body. Londonderry offers a variety of housing options from convenient apartments to spacious cottages among 29 acres, including 1500 feet of waterfront shoreline. For more information, visit www.londonderrytredavon.com.

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

Filed Under: Senior Notes

Bob Huntington to direct the 2025 All American Community Chorus in Normandy, France

February 12, 2025 by The Spy Leave a Comment

Bob Huntington Copyright (c) 2018 Karena Dixon www.karenadixon.com

We are thrilled to announce that Bob Huntington will be directing the 2025 All American Community Chorus in Normandy, France this June. This prestigious event will also include members of Queen Anne’s Chorale, including Marla Mooney, our talented accompanist, who will be joining the Chorus for this special occasion. The Chorus will be performing at The American Cemeteries as well as on stage in Sainte-Mère-Église as part of the Concert De Liberation. Sainte-Mère-Église commemorates D-Day every year as one of the first towns to be liberated in France.

You can see Bob, Marla, and the entire Queen Anne’s Chorale perform “Spring Fling!” on April 27th at 3:00pm at Chesapeake College. Tickets are available now on the Queen Anne’s Chorale and TPAC websites:

https://qachorale.org

TPAC tickets

Stay tuned for more updates and join us in celebrating this remarkable achievement!

Queen Anne’s Chorale is supported in part through grants from the United Way of Queen Anne’s County, the Queen Anne’s County Centre for the Arts, and the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive.

There are also always opportunities to support to QAC with donations, program ads or sponsorships. For more information visit www.qachorale.org.

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

Filed Under: 1A Arts Lead, Senior Notes

It’s American Heart Month by Susan Covey

February 7, 2025 by Susan Covey Leave a Comment

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.  Every year, one in four deaths are caused by heart disease.  The good news?  Heart disease can often be prevented when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions, even for people who already have heart disease lower your risk try following the “Life’s Simple 7”:

  1.  GET ACTIVE – Daily physical activity increases your length and quality of life.  If you get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity each day, five days a week, you can almost guarantee yourself a healthier and more satisfying life while lowering your risks for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
  2. CONTROL CHOLESTEROL – By controlling your cholesterol, you give your arteries their best chance to remain clear of blockages.  Our bodies need some cholesterol to make cell membranes and some hormones, but when you have too much bad cholesterol, it combines with white blood cells and forms plaque in our veins and arteries which lead to stroke and heart disease.
  3. EAT BETTER – Healthy foods are the fuel our bodies use to make new cells and create the energy we need to thrive and fight diseases, in other words, the basic building blocks for a healthy life.

Try tracking your daily food intake, eat plenty of fruits and veggies, unrefined whole-grain foods, fish twice a week and cut back on added sugars and saturated fats.

  1.  MANAGE YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE – Keeping your b.p in the healthy range, reduces the strain on your heart, arteries and kidneys which keeps you healthier longer.  Hypertension means that the blood running through your arteries flows with too much force and puts pressure on your arteries which stretches them past the healthy limit causing tears.  This then kicks your body into injury-healing mode to repair the tears with scar tissue.  Unfortunately, the scar tissue traps plaque which can form blockages, clots and hardened, weakened arteries.  So, eat a heart healthy diet and reduce your sodium perhaps by using spices to flavor food instead of salt.
  2. LOSE WEIGHT – Too much fat, especially around your waist, puts you at a higher risk for high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes.  If you’re overweight, you can actually reduce your risk for heart disease by losing as few as five or ten pounds!
  3. REDUCE BLOOD SUGAR – Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose that our bodies use for energy.  The body makes insulin, a hormone acting as a carrier to take food energy into its cells.  Fasting blood sugar should be below 100; if not, you could be headed for pre-diabetes.  This, then, increases your risk for heart disease and stroke.  In fact, most people with diabetes die from some form of heart or blood vessel disease.  So, cut back on simple sugars found in sodas, candies and desserts AND get regular exercise as this will help your body respond to insulin.
  4. STOP SMOKING – Smoking damages your entire circulatory system and increases your risk for coronary heart disease, hardened arteries, aneurysm and blood clots.  Like the domino effect, one risk creates another.  Blood clots and hardened arteries, for instance, increase your risks for heart attack, stroke and peripheral artery disease.  Smoking can also reduce your good cholesterol and your lung capacity, thus making it harder to get the physical activity you need for better health.

Only you can change your lifestyle…it’s time to take action and get moving!

Susan Covey is the Fitness Director at Acts Bayleigh Chase in Easton.

 

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

Filed Under: Portal Lead, Senior Highlights, Senior Nation

Enjoy the health benefits of Thanksgiving Day by Susan Covey

November 5, 2024 by Susan Covey Leave a Comment

Have you always thought the traditional Thanksgiving meal was full of empty calories?

Not so! One ounce of turkey, for instance, provides 8 grams of protein as well as B vitamins, zinc, and selenium. We all know that it is also a source of tryptophan, an essential amino acid for making proteins and serotonin and a neurotransmitter that impacts mood.

Potatoes, which often get a bad rap, are a major source of carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamin C. Sweet potatoes are full of antioxidants and provide vitamins A, C, and manganese.

Bread Stuffing can give you protein, vitamin A, vitamin K, and 21% of your daily fiber.

Cranberries, though 90% water with the rest being fiber and carbs, also contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory, immunity-boosting properties.

Pumpkin is packed with nutrients that support your immune system, especially important during the winter months. One cup of cooked pumpkin has just 50 calories yet provides 245% of the RDA for vitamin A, plus vitamin C, E, iron, and folate.

Pumpkin Pie is synonymous with Thanksgiving and, in addition to providing the aforementioned array of vitamins and minerals, gives us protein, calcium and best of all, JOY!

Eat until your heart’s content…but please follow your meal with a brisk outdoor walk or the following workout!

TURKEY DAY WORKOUT

Triceps kickbacks

Upright rows

Reverse lunges

Knee lifts

External knee rotations

Y-arm raises

Deadlifts

Arm circles

Yawn stretches (interlocked fingers, palms out, reach out and up, taking a deep breath, arms down as you exhale.

Happy November!

Susan Covey is the fitness director at Acts Bayleigh Chase in Easton, Maryland.

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

Filed Under: Portal Lead, Senior Highlights

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 5
  • Next Page »

Copyright © 2025

Affiliated News

  • Chestertown Spy
  • Talbot Spy
  • Cambridge Spy

Sections

  • Sample Page

Spy Community Media

  • Sample Page
  • Subscribe
  • Sample Page

Copyright © 2025 · Spy Community Media Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in