EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER | DECEMBER 2025
Cover Photo by Megan Coxon, Sergeant, EPD
A LONG DECEMBER . . .
This month, specifically December 5th, marks my third year here with the Town of Easton — making this month’s employee newsletter the 36th edition! That’s 36 Employee Spotlights, 36 delicious recipes, and 36 introductory letters that have graced these pages so far.
After 3 years of getting to know everyone — whether in passing or through newsletter stories and employee spotlights — one thing is crystal clear: we have a great team working here.
From top to bottom, and across our departments, our staff is filled with people who care greatly for their teams and about this town.
That passionate atmosphere is visible in the pages below: seeing our community come together for an emergency services training facility and seeing our staff and local volunteers work together to pull off another incredible Waterfowl Festival. I especially love to see the hard work that goes into beautifying the Town for the Holiday season, which allows the next generation of local children to experience the lights in town as they were more than 80 years ago. It is exceptional work, and it makes Easton an exceptional place to be.
So take some time to be with family over the holidays, and to recharge your batteries because another year of hard work and meaningful progress is right around the corner. As always, I will do my best to capture all of the care and effort that goes into your projects and daily tasks — showing off just some of the many reasons why the people of Easton are lucky to have you. Thanks for all that you do.
Greg Mueller
Click HERE to see Madisyn’s video interview!
Employee Spotlight
MADISYN MOORE | PLANNING & ZONING INTERN
Meet Madisyn Moore! Madisyn works with the Planning and Zoning Department as an intern as a part of her school day. She has worked here for about four months, and is wrapping up her time here in the coming weeks.
Madisyn has been a big help with the team, assisting with development of the Engage Easton web platform — helping to integrate feedback maps and other forms of public engagement. She was able to also take part in the East End tour during the 2025 Main Street Maryland Conference held in Easton.
In her free time, Madisyn likes to partake in creative activities, such as dance, figure skating, and sewing. She is also active in her high school theatre department, performing in several productions.
Courtney Clark Pastrick, board chair of the A . James & Alice B . Clark Foundation, cuts the ribbon on the A . James Clark Emergency Services Training Campus in Easton . On her left are Rich Williamson, president of the Easton Volunteer Fire Department President, and Brett Whitehead, president of the Friends of the EVFD and training campus campaign co-chair; on her right are Daryl Caldwell, EVFD Assistant Chief, and Ed Forte, co-chair of the EVFD training campus campaign .
A CUT ABOVE
A. James Clark
Emergency Services Training Campus opens after Ribbon Cutting
Local and state officials, first responders, and community members gathered Saturday to celebrate the official ribbon cutting of the new A. James Clark Emergency Services Training Campus on Mistletoe Drive in Easton.
The 7,200-square-foot campus was developed by the Friends of the Easton Volunteer Fire Department (EVFD)
Ceremony
to provide shared training space for firefighters, law enforcement, and emergency-medical personnel throughout the Mid-Shore.
“At that groundbreaking, I made a statement over in the fire hall in Station 60 that we were going to build a Taj Mahal here,” said Brett Whitehead, president of the Friends
of EVFD. “And if you look around, we’ve obviously built the Taj Mahal.”
Whitehead described the project’s goal as creating a campus “so all first responders [can] train together and then bring those services to all the citizens of Talbot County and the Mid-Shore.”
“We are here now. It’s our job to make sure this campus works and we leverage all of the talents and skills that are here,” he said.
Ed Forte, co-chair of the fundraising committee, told attendees, “Our goal is to raise $5 million. To date, I think we’re at 4.75 —we’re at 4.8 million we should raise up to today.”
“Every dollar that we raised, every hand … shaken, every lunch that we did — we needed everybody to make this work. And as you can see, the end result is fantastic.”
Daryl Caldwell, EVFD assistant chief and construction lead, thanked the many people and organizations involved.
“There’s a lot of people behind the scenes,” Caldwell said. “We’re hoping that this can be a project training center that everybody can train, and we can do the right thing, we can do the wrong thing, we can figure it out, and we can move on. But training is the key, especially in the fire service, police service, EMS service.”
Rich Williamson, EVFD president, recognized the project as “a milestone.”
“This is the result of a simple concept that grew into something meaningful — a dedicated training for us that will keep our community safer and our members better prepared,” he said. “They did it without being paid. Most places do need to be paid to do this kind of job, but … they dedicated it [their time] timelessly.”
Courtney Clark Pastrick, board chair of the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, spoke on behalf of her family.
“What started as a bold idea is now a place that will prepare
“
This training facility will provide the knowledge and tools to bolster and improve our local agencies, as well as agencies across the Eastern Shore.
Mayor Megan Cook
as many as 500 first responders a year with the training and confidence that they need to meet the challenges of work,” she said. “As you all know, first responders are the steady hand in our most uncertain moments, and the Mid-Shore is so fortunate to be served by such extraordinary men and women.”
Easton Mayor Megan Cook praised the facility’s regional impact.
“This training facility will provide the knowledge and tools to bolster and improve our local agencies, as well as agencies across the Eastern Shore,” Cook said. “The tactics and education received at this facility could very well be the difference between life or death for a friend, a neighbor, a family member, or even a first responder here today.”
U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.-1st, noted federal support through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“USDA does projects like this, funds projects like this, to make sure that our rural areas are not left behind, and we’re not left behind with this facility,” Harris said. “We’re way up front. This is just a state-of-the-art facility that the area needs.”
Construction was led by Willow Construction with design and engineering by RAUCH Inc. The Friends of EVFD have raised about $4.8 million toward the $5 million campaign goal. To donate, mail a check to: Friends of E.V.F.D., 315 Leonard Reick Drive, Easton, MD 21601.
Waterfowl
Waterfowl Festival
SCENES FROM THE
FOR YOUR SERVICE
Town of Easton, partners recognize veterans
During the week of November 4-11th, the exterior lights for Town of Easton buildings (including Town Hall, the Rail Station, and the Visitor Center) were illuminated green as part of Operation Green Light, a special campaign designed to recognize the sacrifices made by those who have served in the United States Military.
Additionally, Talbot County Government buildings including the Talbot County Courthouse and the Community Center were also lit green in solidarity.
This was the third year the Town participated in Operation Green Light, and the second year we have
displayed commemorative banners for the veterans in our organization around town.
In addition to recognizing our own veterans, we invited partner organizations such as EVFD, Talbot County, and Easton Utilities to join us and celebrate their veterans as well. All told, there were over 30 banners displayed for the participating organizations. The banners were mounted to street lights downtown along S. Washington Street.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen, and thank you to each of our veterans for their service and sacrifice!
2026 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
1/1/2026 New Years Day
1/19/2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
4/03/2026 Good Friday
5/25/2026 Memorial Day
6/19/2026 Juneteenth
7/3/2026 Independence Day (observed)
9/7/2026 Labor Day
10/12/2026 Columbus Day (Canadian Thanksgiving)
11/11/2026 Veterans Day
11/26/2026 Thanksgiving Day
11/27/2026 Day After Thanksgiving
12/24/2026 Christmas Eve
12/25/2026 Christmas Day
TURKEY TUESDAY
Our annual turkey giveaway saw a trailer-load of turkeys (206!) given out to our employees, board members, and retirees as a show of appreciation for all of their hard work and contributions to the Town.
Traditionally, turkeys have been handed out behind Town Hall, but this year cars lined up at the Easton Volunteer Fire Dept. MD parking lot for their turkeys, with several stopping in at the “hugging station” for a friendly hug and a chance to catch up with friends.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by, and we hope you enjoyed your turkeys!
SEASONS GREETINGS
Public Works makes Easton shine bright during the Holidays
Public Works team has been working hard through rain and shine this holiday season, to make sure everything looks perfect for the holiday decorations around town.
Thanks to their efforts, there’s so much to to see and enjoy around Easton! Keep an eye out for: Festive wreaths adorning Town Hall and the Visitor Center on S. Harrison Street, the 60+ ft tree off of Dover St. that has been strung with lights, and the light poles throughout downtown which are mounted with hand-crafted holiday light decorations (Candy Canes, Trees, and Candles).
“Our Public Works department works hard each year to make sure Easton shines its brightest over the holidays,” said Mike Dickerson, Director of Public Works.
“We’re very proud of our team’s handmade decorations that go up each year, and we’re honored to carry on a tradition that started over 80 years ago.”
Thanks to Easton Volunteer Fire Dept. MD for the use of Tower 61, to Easton Utilities for all their help, and thank you to our amazing Public Works team for all the hard work, thoughtfulness, and care they put into making our Town so magical throughout each holiday season.
VAC IN BUSINESS
New leaf vac bolsters leaf pickup efforts
Good news! Public Works’ new leaf vacuum was delivered at the end of November and is now in service.
While the unit was ordered in July (with an expected October delivery date), delivery was unfortunately delayed well into leaf season, causing some backups with the leaf pickup process.
This new unit will give our pickup crews a major boost as they work to get caught up on the heaviest part of leaf season!
WE HAVE A WINNER!
Congratulations to Jill Garvey for winning the Employee Newsletter Cover Photo Contest!
Jill now has a $25 gift card to Doc’s Downtown Grille for her submission that landed on the November cover of the Town of Easton Employee Newsletter.
You could be the next winner by submitting your potential cover photos to gmueller@ eastonmd.gov. If your submission is chosen, you too will win a $25 gift card!
Employee Benefits
Human Resources
Birthdays
DECEMBER
Andrew Hubbard
Anthony Cullings
Brandon Watkins
Clarence Gould
Cody Gaertner
Jay Horner
Jessica Plugge
Joseph Faulkner
Michael Duenas
Nicholas Ewing
Rick Van Emburgh
Anniversaries
DECEMBER
Anthony Cullings - 7 years
Barry Slaughter - 26 years
Brian Carroll - 7 years
Catelin Vanderlinden Trams - 5 years
Colin Woodard - 3 years
Cory Schuch - 4 years
Daniel Reading - 3 years
Eric Kellner - 23 years
Tim Larrimore - 25 years
Jeffrey Olds - 15 years
Jessica Plugge - 15 years
Greg Mueller - 3 years
Joshua Merrick - 19 years
Justin Reibly - 7 years
Nicholas Lange - 5 years
Scott Messick - 15 years
Tyquan Beckett - 4 years
Recipe
DIP INTO THE HOLIDAYS
A unique dessert addition for your favorite treats
Family Features) Holiday desserts set the stage for seasonal delight and add a touch of joy to gatherings. From festive cookies to indulgent dips, these delicious desserts bring people together to
create memories that will last a lifetime.
For a unique twist, try this Gingerbread Dip, featuring vanilla Greek yogurt made with 100% grass-fed organic milk.
GINGERBREAD DIP
Servings: 8-12
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons molasses
1 container (16 ounces) Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups whipped cream graham crackers fruit
In medium bowl using electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugars about 1 minute. Add molasses and mix until combined.
Add Greek yogurt, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat until combined. Fold in whipped cream and mix until fully incorporated. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving or overnight.
Serve with graham crackers and fruit.