Easton Employee Newsletter - April 2023

Cover Photos by Joey Faulkner, IT Specialist

WOW, WHAT A MONTH !

March has come and gone, and what an eventful month it was here in Easton! We’ve enjoyed the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and festivities, the Potato Races (well done to our victorious team Starch Your Engines), made significant headway on the Windmill Branch Stream Restoration Project, and major progress was accomplished from our Public Works team on Rails to Trails, park maintenance, and stormwater drain cleanings.

Additionally, the MD Board of Public Works approved our grant request to purchase Easton Woodland Park. This is great news as it will give us the funds we need to make this park a reality.

Coming up we have some major events to look forward to as well: We have the Plastic Bag Ordinance taking effect on Sunday, April 2, and we have the Municipal Elections taking place on Tuesday, May 2. Stay tuned for more coverage on these.

Now that we have pushed into spring I hope you all enjoy more opportunities to venture outside and enjoy the outdoors. If you do, be sure to share a story or picture (or two) with your friendly neighborhood communications specialist!

Sincerely,

Greg Mueller, Communications/PR Specialist

Employee Spotlight

CPL . MEGAN COXON | EASTON POLICE DEPT .

Meet Megan Coxon! Megan is a Corporal with the Easton Police Department. Megan works primarily with the Bike Patrol and does important community outreach with local schools, and with community events such as Coffee with a Cop.

Megan has been working with the Easton Police Department for nearly 12 years.

When not working with the EPD, Megan is also a Master Sergeant in the Air Force Reserves. She drills with them out of Dover Air Force Base.

Megan also enjoys spending time with her family, particularly riding 4-wheelers and goofing around with her children.

Click HERE to see Megan’s video interview!

St. Patrick’s Day Potato Race

P‘TATER TITANS

Starch Your Engines win the 2023 St Patrick’s Day Potato Race with an unforgettable finish

“Do you believe in miracles?”

ABC Sports announcer Al Michaels asked this question in 1980 when the US Men’s Hockey team completed their famous come from behind victory over the heavily favored Russians in the Olympic Semifinal.

Michaels would go on to cover many famous sporting events over his illustrious career as a TV announcer. However, not being in Easton for the 2023 St.Patrick’s Day Potato Race may forever be his “one that got away.”

To set the stage: the Easton Utilities team, named the Utilitators, had won the previous three titles of the coveted potato race. They were well trained, and confident in their ability to take home the trophy yet again.

Enter Carolinne Kahane, team Captain and organizer of “Starch Your Engines.” Carolinne reached out to fellow team members Council President Megan Cook, Project Manager Kody Cario, and Town Planner Nick Johnson to join her on her quest for glory.

With her team assmebled, Carolinne got to work calculating how to take down the formidable Utilitators. The team would group together at the end of a work day to practice the race several times during the week of the big event. What started as a ragtag group of employees began to gel into something more.

On the day of the race excitement was high and the parking lot was full. Teams grouped up and prepped for the big event. 11 teams were split across 3 heats, the winner of each heat would advance to the finals. Rules of the race state that

potatoes must be carried across the lot and transferred to your teammate without the use of hands. First team to cross the line with their potato in hand (spoon) wins.

The Utilitators were in the first heat, and they flawlessly executed their gameplan to advance to the finals. Provident State Bank managed to narrowly win a tight second heat. The third heat arrived and Starch your Engines didn’t falter. They smoothly advanced to the final in an impressive display that showed what they were capable of.

Next came the moment everyone had been waiting for. A final showdown to become the Potato Race champions. The three teams lined up across the lot, and then took off at the sound of the start.

The Utilitators quickly pulled ahead with Starch Your

Engines following close behind. The PSB team took a safer approach that saw them fall behind. While safe and easy worked well in the initial heats, the finals were on the line and risks would have to be taken.

In an effort to catch the reigning champs, Starch Your Engines sped up a bit too fast and lost their potato on the first leg. Tragedy had struck, and Easton Utilities pulled even farther ahead than before.

Where most teams would have thrown in the towel, Starch Your Engines buckled down, retrieved their potato and got to work. Every transfer, every carry, every step had to count towards “peeling” back lost inches on their opponent.

The next two legs were hard fought, and saw Starch Your Engines begin to close the gap on The Utilitators, although

they still held a significant lead. Megan passed the potato to Carolinne, who passed it to Kody, who fought his way towards Nick for the final leg.

The last transfers took place and Nick Johnson took off in hopes off catching the Utilitators’ final member who was closing in on the finish. Nick ran as fast as he could while still balancing the potato on the precariously thin spoon.

He was swiftly making up ground.

As he closed the gap, Nick and the Utilitators’ racer were just yards from the finish line. The ribbon was being raised, the crowd along the line began screaming and no one was ready for what would happen next.

Right in the closing moments of the race, with the cham -

Clockwise from top left: The Miracle on Ice: United States beat Russia, 1980; Super Bowl XLII: The 10-6 Giants go on to beat the undefeated 18-0 Patriots with one of the all-time greatest drives in football history; 2005 Champions League Final in Istanbul: Liverpool come back from a 3-0 halftime deficit to win aginst the heavily favored AC Milan in penalty kicks; 2023 Easton Md Potato Races: Starch Your Engines come from behind to narrowly defeat the favored reigning champions the Utilitators. Who is to say which was the greatest sporting moment in history?

pionship on the line, the Utilitators chance of victory collapsed when their potato fell off of their spoon and rolled along the ground. Nick kept his fortitude and sprinted past the final challenger with his potato in tow. He ran through the ribbon to an explosion of noise from the packed crowd.

They went wild. Fans and spectators were screaming and jumping and cheering all across the parking lot. The lot was soon flooded with people running to congratulate the winners.

The four of them huddled together in a celebratory embrace before being swarmed by excited spectators. Shortly thereafter, in what felt like a blur, they were standing together and raising their hard-won trophy for all to see.

Sport has been a part of humanity since the beginning. It is a thread of our fabric, woven through our inherent nature as competitors. The most entertaining, and heartwarming moments in sport are the underdog stories, the come from behind victories, the against all odds moments where all hope is lost, but somehow, someway, a person or team wills their way to victory despite the odds.

Kudos to Starch Your Engines for establishing yourselves in those upper echelons of sport, alongside other greats who never quit or gave way to the odds. You never gave up, never stopped believing, and became champions. In the words of Al Michaels (who did not attend this event), “I always believe in Miracles.”

Left: The fated moment at the end of the race where Nick Johnson takes the lead and his opponent’s potato falls to the ground at the finish line. Above: Starch Your Engines pose with their victory baskets; from left to right: Nick Johnson, Kody Cario, Megan Cook, Carolinne Kahane.

It was an awesome and fun experience, from being in the parade and seeing everyone all dressed up come together to enjoy the day.

— Team Captain Carolinne Kahane

A FRESH START

of service

The Easton Police Department wishes to offer a heartfelt goodbye to Acting Captain George Paugh III, who retires on Friday, March 10th. Captain Paugh is retiring after 26 years of service with Easton Police Department.

Deputy Chief Gregory Wright said, “Captain Paugh has been with us for a long time and will be greatly missed. He has always been a dedicated worker, a great resource, and friend. We hate to see him leave, but we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors and are thankful for all that he has done for us.”

Captain Paugh began with EPD in January of 1997. He started off with the patrol division,

where he worked for 2 years before moving to the narcotics unit. He then worked with narcotics for the next 15 years and was promoted to unit supervisor. After his time with the narcotics unit, he was then assigned to the Criminal Investigations Unit as the supervisor. In September of 2017 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, becoming the department’s Patrol Division Commander.

As the Patrol Division Commander he developed a proposal to increase the department’s K9 unit to 4 teams, which was approved and implemented. He also wrote a proposal for an Unmanned Aerial Systems (drone) Unit, which was approved by the FAA and the Town of Easton.

Acting Captain George Paugh III retires from EPD after 26 years

Captain Paugh also served as the Commander of numerous other units within his division including the K9 Unit, Accident Reconstruction, Crisis Intervention, and a Crisis Response Unit comprised of a negotiation team and tactical team.

In January 2023, he was appointed Acting Captain in a pilot professional development program where he oversaw internal affairs along with policy and procedures.

In his 26 years of service with the EPD, he has been awarded the Silver Star, the Chief’s Award, 3 Commander’s Awards, 2 Exceptional Service Awards, 6 Unit Citations, Police Officer of the Year 2001, Educational Award, Police Officer Award, Service Award Twenty Five Years, Military Service Award, 100 th Year Anniversary Ribbon, and the 2002-2003 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year from the Knights of Columbus. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Major in Criminal Justice Administration from Trident University International out of Cypress, California.

Following his retirement from EPD, Captain Paugh will continue his law enforcement career as the Chief of Police in Greensboro, Maryland. Captain Paugh stated, “Making the decision to retire from the Easton Police Department, after 26 years has been tough. This is a place that has raised my children, a place that has brought me joy and sadness, a place that has trained and educated me beyond belief, and a place where I have worked with some of the best cops in the industry! You are the sisters and brothers I never had. Thank you all for making this a great place to work.”

Chief Alan Lowrey stated, “It is difficult for a department to lose someone like George Paugh. I will always be grateful for how he welcomed me to the department and assisted my transition. He is a real professional and constantly looking to improve our profession. I am glad he will be working close to us in Caroline County.”

“ Captain Paugh has been with us for a long time and will be greatly missed. He has always been a dedicated worker, a great resource, and friend .

— Deputy Chief Gregory Wright

Parks & Recreation

GREEN LIT FOR A GREAT PROJECT

MD Board of Public Works approves $5M grant for Easton Woodland Park

On Wednesday, March 15, 2023 the MD Board of Public Works approved a grant request for funding the purchase of Easton Woodland Park. The grant, funded through Program Open Space, awards the Town of Easton $5,121,742 to be used in the purchase of Easton Woodland Park, a 197-acre parcel

of land on the eastern side of Oxford Road, near Cooke’s Hope.

This approval was the final step in the grant process after the MD General Assembly approved their portion of the request on February 7, 2023.

Mayor Bob Willey noted, “This approval was the final piece of the puzzle for us to acquire the Woodland Park land. Now that we have it, we can move forward with our plans to preserve this space for our community. We are very excited for this to come to fruition, and we look forward to seeing our community enjoy this space for many years to come.”

Once the land is acquired, the Town of Easton has plans to use the area as a wooded park and recreational space for its citizens. At 197 acres, it would become the largest park in the Town of Easton.

Parks and Recreation Director Lorraine Gould said, “This is such great news for the Town of Easton. With this approval we will be adding our only wooded park and the largest park in the Town. It is a tremendous expansion to our parks network.” Gould added, “A peaceful walk through the woods along natural trails, it will be a nice experience. We’re really excited about being able to offer that!”

The acquisition of the property will also safeguard the plot from any future development, and will help to satisfy a significant portion of the restoration requirements for Maryland’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit. The MS4 Permit aims to advance Chesapeake Bay restoration while reducing flooding and making communities more resilient to the effects of climate change.

A peaceful walk through the woods along natural trails, it will be a nice experience. We’re really excited about being able to offer that!

— Parks & Rec Director Lorraine Gould

WBOC TV 16 reporter Lauren Miller came out to interview Mayor Willey about the Easton Woodland Park project. Click on one of the pictures above or below to see their story.

STREAM OF A NEW BEGINNING

Windmill Branch Stream Restoration project makes progress

Beginning in the spring of 2021, the Town of Easton Engineering team took on the project of restoring the Windmill Branch stream that runs behind Easton High School and the adjacent community along Bridge Street.

Due to increased storm intensity the stream experienced an increased water flow and began

eroding which caused it to change shape and further exacerbate the issue. The stream has been steadily widening into the properties of nearby home owners and if allowed to continue this issue would only grow and get worse. Additionally, this erosion and waterflow has caused higher than usual amounts of sediment and nutrients to be carried into local waterways.

Click on this photo to see our video about the stream restoration project

Town Engineer Rick VanEmburgh and Project Manager Kody Cario stepped in and have worked towards turning this problem around. They first bid out the project to design firms who could scope out the project and design a suitable path to take that would bring the stream back to its natural state.

They also bid out the large-scale digging work to construction companies who could accomplish the execution of the design. They settled on Ecotone, a Maryland based company that specializes in stream restoration construction. With Ecotone onboard, Rick and Kody kept in close contact with them to ensure that the project had been going smoothly and that everything was on track.

Once the digging is complete, they will begin revegetation of the area which will bring plants, trees, and grasses back to the stream banks to help it to remain stable and natural.

It is estimated that the project is 60% complete and should see stream construction completed by the end of May, and planting completed this fall.

SCENES

St. Patrick’s

FROM

Patrick’s Day

CAST YOUR VOTE

In the Town of Easton Municipal Elections on Tuesday, 5/2/23 at the Easton Fire House on 315 Leonard Rieck Drive.

For more information about the election process, please see our election information page here: https://eastonmd.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=47

And for more information on the election candidates, please see Discover Easton’s election coverage here: https://discovereaston.com/2023-easton-election/

WE HAVE A WINNER!

Congratulations to Carolinne Kahane for winning the Employee Newsletter Cover Photo Contest! Carolinne won a $25 gift card to The Ivy for her submission that landed on the March cover of the Town of Easton Employee Newsletter.

Thank you for your photos, and well done Carolinne!

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!

Human Resources

Birthdays

MARCH

Mike Dickerson

Justin Jones

Brian Carroll

Andy Coleman

Jeremy Wojcio

Frank Creegan

Miguel Salinas

Renee Pierce

Justin Conaway

Lynn Thomas

Mark Hrobar

Tyrell Pierce

Anthony Reyes

Joe Mayer

Nancy Adams

APRIL

Michael Thume

Kody Cario

Norman Sova

Gregory Donald Hall

Betty Mackert

Kaylan Rinehimer

Alan Conaway

Eric Kellner

Jill Sherwood

Michael Young

Jon Mcdougald

Matthew Cordrey

Trevor Newcomb

Anniversaries

MARCH

Tyrone Perry 1 year

Troy Handy 25 years

Nick Johnson 1 year

Mary Moyer 24 years

APRIL

Kay Spence, 36 years

Jennifer Kellner, 15 years

Clarence Gould, 49 years

Timothy Lyons, 25 years

Brandon Miles, 3 years

WAKE UP BAKE UP

When you’re in a pinch, there is nearly nothing better to make than something sweet and filling for a weekend family breakfast.

Try these simple and delicious Caramel Sticky Rolls for an easy breakfast for all. The rolls are fluffy, a little crunchy and drizzled with caramel topping.

Start by sprinkling some flour on the countertop. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry. Drizzle and spread caramel sauce on the puff pastry.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts on top then roll up the puff pastry and cut it into about nine pieces to place inside a muffin tin.

Bake for 22 minutes and cool. If you like your

Caramel Sticky Rolls

Servings: 9

Nonstick cooking spray flour, for rolling pastry 1 frozen puff pastry, thawed caramel sauce, divided 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped powdered sugar

Heat oven to 400 F.

Spray muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

Sprinkle flour on work surface. Flatten pastry sheet and roll into rectangle.

Drizzle caramel sauce over pastry and spread within 1/2 inch of edges.

rolls super sweet, drizzle with some extra caramel sauce.

The result is a pan full of warm, gooey and delightful rolls that are perfect for a large family or to save leftovers to enjoy throughout the week.

Next time you slept in a little too late or your family wants something more than the daily norm for breakfast, try this scrumptious and tasty recipe.

Your family will love it and don’t be surprised if you get a request or two for this breakfast again.

Find more quick weekend recipes at Culinary.net.

Sprinkle chopped walnuts over caramel sauce.

Starting on short end, evenly roll pastry with filling to other end.

Cut pastry into nine pieces. Place pastries cut side up into muffin cups.

Bake 22 minutes, or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan to wire rack. Let cool 10 minutes. Drizzle with additional caramel sauce and dust with powdered sugar.