Cover Photo by Dawn Hutchison, Purchasing & Grant Clerk
A CASE OF THE WEDNESDAYS
I read something the other day that highlighted that July 2, the midpoint of the year, brings us closer now to the year 2050 than we are to the year 2000. Looking at the semi-centennial mark in terms of a modern work week, we are officially in the “Wednesday” of these first 50 years.
Wednesday is an interesting day of the week to be. Productive and brimming with momentum, Wednesday’s are unburdened by the gloom of a Monday morning, and not yet distracted by the seductive freedom promised by a Friday afternoon.
If we are in this “Wednesday” point of 2025 (and of this first half of the century), then we are in a prime position to get some of our best work of the year done.
And, I would argue, that’s exactly what has been happening. Despite the heat, Public Works and our Engineering teams are continually wrapping up new projects that benefit the Town, EPD is keeping us safe and working on several wonderful community outreach programs and events, Parks and Recreation is hosting camps and events that promote the health and well-being of our Town, and Town Offices have successfully navigated our organization through another fiscal year (editor’s note: It is the MONDAY of the fiscal year now, NOT a Wednesday).
So while Wednesday’s have come to be called “hump” days, getting over the hump will only increase our momentum to do great things here in Easton. Keep up the good work and happy “Wednesday!”
Greg Mueller
Click HERE to see Lynn’s video interview!
Employee Spotlight
LYNN THOMAS | TOWN PLANNER
Meet Lynn Thomas! Lynn serves as the Town Planner and is a major part of our Planning and Zoning Department. Lynn has been working with the Town of Easton for over 33 years now.
Lynn is responsible for multiple facets of work in the Planning and Zoning Department, but his primary focus is long term planning. Long term planning includes drafting the Town’s Comprehensive plan, blueprinting the best possible paths for the next 10-30 years of Town growth. Lynn also handles small area plans, and helps with numerous other Planning and Zoning projects.
In his free time, Lynn enjoys hanging out with his wife and two daughters. Together, they enjoy time outdoors, disc golf, and running in various regional long distance races.
CARRYING THE TORCH
EPD hosts Law Enforcement Torch Run - Talbot County Leg in support of Special Olympics Maryland
On June 17, EPD had the honor of hosting the Talbot County Leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Maryland. It was such a great event, and it saw one of our best turnouts ever!
Easton Police Department has participated in this incredible event for over 40 years now, and each year it is a true pleasure to support the dedicated athletes as they make their way through the streets of Easton in preparation for their main event.
Thanks to Special Olympics Maryland, to the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources - Natural Resources Police (Area 2) for their attendance and support, to Catering By Jamie for catering the event, and to Easton Volunteer Fire Dept. MD for allowing us to use the fire department for the luncheon after the run.
Last but not least, thank you to all of our officers and staff who ran, walked, or made sure the streets were clear!
THE ROUTE
The event took place on Tuesday, June 17th, and started at 10 am. It featured separate paths for running and walking through the downtown Easton area alongside the regional athletes.
ROUTE START:
The route began at Easton Police Department, where they headed east on Dover St. and went to Washington St. The runners split and continued south on Washington St., while the walkers continued east down Dover St. to the Rails to Trails.
WALKERS:
Turned south onto Rails to Trails from Dover St. Turned west on Idlewild Ave and then turned north onto Harrison St. Stopped at Harrison @ South St. and met with the runners.
RUNNERS:
Followed Washington St. to the south end of the bypass (Rt. 322), remaining on the shoulder while they continued on Washington St. Turned north onto the bypass and continued along the shoulder until Peachblossom Rd.
Turned east onto Peachblossom Rd and continued to 5 Corners intersection.
Continued north through 5 corners onto Harrison St. Continued North on Harrison St until joining up with walkers on Harrison St. @ South St. Once rejoined at Harrison St. @ South St., the group moved North together on Harrison St., through Talbottown Shopping Center and came to an end at Easton Volunteer Fire Dept. MD.
A CLOSE CALL
Improper lithium-ion battery disposal results in garbage truck fire
A close call was had in late May, when one of our garbage trucks caught fire after lithium-ion batteries were thrown in the trash. A discarded electric pool skimmer was the culprit. When the batteries inside combusted the surrounding garbage in one of our trucks caught on fire.
Thankfully, the truck was salvaged because of the quick response of driver Sam Pearson and Easton Volunteer Fire Dept. MD President Rich Williamson (who was nearby and able to assist). Pearson took action and dumped the garbage in a back lot away from houses and other nearby flammable objects. Easton VFD, and several Public Works
crews quickly were on the scene to put out the fire, and then remove the garbage and clean the street once it was no longer a threat.
Director of Public Works (and EVFD member) Mike Dickerson said, “It’s a good time to remind people to be careful about what they put in their garbage. It may seem like you’re just throwing something simple away, but we’ve got drivers and operators whose lives are at risk in these situations — not to mention critical vehicles for the Town that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and can take years to acquire.”
Dickerson added, “I’d like to say that I’m really proud of our team — the way they responded. Within minutes we had Public Works members from multiple divisions assembled to get here and deal with the situation. It wasn’t long after the flames died down that this mountain of trash was removed and the streets were cleaned. An hour later and you might not have known anything had happened at all.”
Thank you to the Easton Volunteer Fire Department for their quick response to this situation, thank you to driver Sam Pearson and Easton VFD President Rich Williamson for making sure the fire was controlled and didn’t escalate, and thank you to our Public Works teams who were able to drop everything and deal with this emergency quickly and efficiently.
For anyone who is unaware, Lithium-ion batteries can not be disposed of in the trash. They must be taken to disposal
“
I’m really proud of our team — the way they responded . Within minutes we had Public Works members from multiple divisions assembled to get here and deal with the situation.
Mike Dickerson, Director of Public Works
sites to be safely taken care of. Lowe’s in Easton currently offers a free lithium battery disposal service. If you have questions about what is safe to throw away, you can always reach our Public Works team at 410-822-0513.
Town Office
Celebrating our on Father’s Day
DADS
Town of Easton Fathers gathered for a group shot in advance of Father’s Day (6/15).
Pictured Left to Right: Trevor Newcomb, Mike Dickerson, Aaron Sadberry, Kody Cario, Joe Mayer, Rick Farr, Tim Tarrant, Lynn Thomas, Greg Mueller, Mike Whitby, Josh Maxwell, Scott Messick, Colin Jones, Larry Wroten, Ryan Heckler, Rick Van Emburgh, and Mike Young.
Easton Police
HARDWOOD HEROES
EPD plays BAAM Boys in friendly community basketball game
Near the end of May, EPD had an awesome time playing basketball against the BAAM Boy’s team at the BAAM Athletic Center. Our officers came to play, and the exciting game did not disappoint!
Lt. Orellana, Sgt. Coxon, Cpl. Schinault, Cpl. Bland, Det. Everngam, Det. Sova, Pfc. Trams, Pfc. Proctor, Pfc. Beckett, Pfc. Hardy, Pfc. Barstar, Pfc. Reading, and EPD retiree and current Greensboro PD Chief Trams all showed up to play, putting on a
good show for everyone who showed up to watch.
After a back and forth first half, the BAAM Boy’s team pulled away in the end — which means we’re already looking for a rematch!
A big thanks to Dina Daly, James Bell, and Building African American Minds, Inc. for having us out for the event, we had so much fun and we’re gonna brush up on our skills for the next one!
RECOGNITION
Bluepoint Hospitality hosts 5th annual First Responders Celebration Local Events
Bluepoint Hospitality Group’s 5th Annual First Responder’s Celebration took place Thursday, June 12, and we are so thankful to see the appreciation and recognition of all of our hard-working first responders across our Town and region.
Easton and Talbot County’s first responders (Easton Police Department, Easton Volunteer Fire Dept. MD, Oxford Police Department, Oxford Fire
Co., Talbot County Sheriff’s Office, Talbot County Emergency Services (DES), Trappe Volunteer Fire Company, St. Michaels Fire Department, Inc., Tilghman Island Volunteer Fire Company, Queen Anne/Hillsboro FD, Cordova Volunteer Firemen’s Association, Maryland State Police-Easton Barracks) were acknowledged and celebrated in this ceremony at the Talbot County Courthouse lawn on Washington St.
“ When others run away from danger, you run toward it . . .our first responders are the backbone of public safety and the cornerstone of our communities.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown
Speeches were given by Paul Prager, EVFD member Ed Forte, and keynote speaker Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown.
“When others run away from danger, you run toward it,” Brown said. “From volunteers who respond to dangerous house fires in the middle of the night, to police officers who take drugs, and guns and bad people off our streets, to emergency medical service personnel who rush people to the hospital for life-saving care, our first responders are the backbone of public safety and the cornerstone of our communities.”
After the ceremony, the first responders and attendees were treated to complimentary Roma Alla Pala pizza slices.
Thank you to Bluepoint Hospitality for hosting this meaningful event, and thank you to all of the first responders who serve our Town and region — putting their lives on the line every day to keep us safe!
Public Works
BEATING THE HEAT
Public Works duo create Heat Illness Safety & Prevention Plan
After some procedural changes that were put into effect by the MD Department of Labor, our Public Works and Buildings & Facilities teams needed to rethink what long work days spent in the summer sun will look like.
When the heat index hits certain thresholds (80+ degrees, 90+ degrees, etc.) employees will
need to take hourly shaded/air conditioned rest breaks, hit benchmarks for water intake, and keep tabs on each other to maintain a safe work environment.
Luckily, our Public Works team has been proactive with this process and has created new policies and procedures to both protect our employ -
ees and to meet or exceed State regulations.
Construction Division Manager Dustin Otto and Safety Committee Chairman Tim Streckfus composed a “Heat Illness Safety and Prevention Plan” with guidelines on how to remain safe in a high heat work environment, including: proper hydration, shaded break intervals, a buddy system, and identifying signs of heat fatigue and heat illnesses.
This week they have been training our entire team on how to implement this plan on the job so that all of our employees can work safely, and effectively throughout the summer months.
More info to come on this initiative as we start to see it in practice, but we are proud of Dustin and Tim for stepping up and working hard on this to ensure the safety of their co-workers. Bravo!
The Easton Police Department Honor Guard had the honor of presenting Colors on Saturday, June 14th at Camden Yards as Richard Troxell sang the National Anthem. Pfc. Cory Schuch, Pfc. Kyle Hardy, Pfc. Nick Everngam and Pfc. Blair Barstar represented EPD with pride. Well done by our Honor Guard team!
Click the photo to see video of the event.
Town of Easton partners with Talbot Thrive, YMCA for Run/Walk Club
Talbot Thrive is excited to partner with the Town of Easton Parks and Recreation and the YMCA of the Chesapeake to launch a new Running and Walking Club – a community-driven initiative designed to bring people together in a fun and supportive environment to improve their physical and mental health!
Join us every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Idlewild Park in Easton and walk or run the trail for about an hour to accommodate all fitness levels. Whether you’re looking to start your fitness journey, improve your endurance, or connect with like-minded individuals, this meetup will provide an inclusive space where everyone can THRIVE at their own pace.
Learn more at https://talbotthrive.org/runwalkclub/
ON DUTY
Easton Police Department graduates two new officers from Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy
On Wednesday, June 11, Easton Police Department welcomed two new officers to their team following their graduation from Wor-Wic Community College’s Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy. Officers Hugo Galan, and Calvin Parker were recognized and sworn in to serve Easton by Mayor Megan Cook following the academy graduation ceremony, held at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, MD.
The academy has a six-month long curriculum that trains officers on many aspects of police operations, and has testing requirements for physical fitness, academics, and marksmanship with a pistol.
Following their graduation, the new graduates must successfully complete a three-month Field Training program with Easton Police Department to satisfy the requirements for full certification as a Maryland law enforcement officer.
After the graduation ceremony, Acting Easton Police Chief Greg Wright congratulated the graduates on a job well done. Acting Chief Wright said, “Every graduating class brings a level of excitement to our department, and these two young officers build upon that excitement. We can’t wait to see them establish themselves and their careers here in Easton.”
WE HAVE A WINNER!
Congratulations to Blair Barstar for winning the Employee Newsletter Cover Photo Contest!
Blair now has a $25 gift card to Roberto’s Pizza for his submission that landed on the June 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!
Birthdays
JULY
Andrew Roberts
Colin Woodard
Colton Insley
Elmer Davis
Juan Sanchez Bartolon
Julia Carroll
Timothy Streckfus
Tracy Lednum
Tyrone Pinder
Bill Willis
Anniversaries
JULY
Carol Callahan - 21 years
Elmer Davis - 5 years
Patrick Sally - 24 years
Rebecca Caldwell - 16 years
Robert Haase - 10 years
Ryan Heckler - 8 years
Sierra Clem - 8 years
Trevor Newcomb - 18 years
Click the photo to see the recipe video.
SAVORY STREET TACOS
Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy” Servings: 4-6
1 chuck roast (2-3 pounds)
1 package taco seasoning
1 can (10 ounces) beef consomme
16-20 street taco tortillas
1 package (8 ounces) shredded cheese
1/4 cup avocado oil
salsa, for serving guacamole, for serving queso, for serving
Cover chuck roast with taco seasoning then place in slow cooker. Pour beef consommÈ over roast and cook on low 6 hours to braise.
Heat oven to 425 F.
Use fork to shred roast.
Brush outside of tortillas with avocado oil and fill with meat and shredded cheese. Place in casserole dish and bake 10-15 minutes until tacos reach desired crispiness.
Place on tray and serve with salsa, guacamole and queso.
SOMETHIN’ TO TACO ‘BOUT Recipe
A Simple, Savory Street Taco Solution for a Summer Soiree
(Family Features) Skip the hot skillet and let your slow cooker do the work for your next taco night. These Savory Street Tacos provide all the delicious flavor you crave without the hassle. Discover more ways to simplify family dinners at Culinary.net.