EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER | NOVEMBER 2025
Cover Photo by Jill Garvey, EPD Management Assistant
A MONTH OF WINS!
This month’s issue highlights several moments that showcased the strength and professionalism of our team, from hosting the statewide Main Street Maryland Conference to participating in a full-scale Mass Casualty simulation.
The Main Street Conference was a true “drop the mic” moment for Easton. The town looked beautiful, and our staff were outstanding ambassadors, earning praise from guests across the state. It was a proud reminder of what we can accomplish together.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Mass Casualty drill tested our skills in a high-pressure, real-world scenario. It was nerve-wracking to watch, and probably even more intense for those who participated, but our team handled it with skill and composure. The exercise demonstrated the training, coordination, and professionalism that define our public safety teams.
You’ll also find updates on the Legislative Breakfast (we hit another home run here), recent Town Hall discussions, and EPD’s Honor Guard training, which are all examples of how our town continues to grow stronger through communication, collaboration, and commitment.
Thank you for all that you do!
Megan Cook
Click HERE to see Josh’s video interview!
Employee Spotlight
JOSH TURNER | PATROLMAN
Meet Josh Turner! Josh works as a Patrolman for the Easton Police Department. Josh has been working here for one year now.
As a Patrolman, Josh patrols the streets of Easton looking to keep the community safe. He pays attention to dispatch during his shift to quickly report to any developing situations. Josh also occasionally helps out to serve as a temporary SRO at Saints Peter and Paul Elementary School.
In his free time, Josh enjoys oil painting and spending time with his wife. He chose a path in law enforcement a little later than most, but is extremely happy with his new career. Prior to working at EPD, Josh served in the Marine Corps, and afterwards spent 15 years living in Japan before coming back to the United States in 2020.
FOR A FRIEND
Jay DeMarco donates Friendship bench to Town of Easton, Waterfowl Festival
Earlier this year the Town of Easton and the Waterfowl Festival received the lovely gift of a Friendship Bench from Easton resident Jay DeMarco. The bench was placed just outside of the Waterfowl Festival Building along South Street.
Friendship benches are part of a program that began in Zimbabwe around 2006, designed to help with mental health and well being in local communities. The idea has taken off and has since made its way to cities all across the world.
“I’ve met so many people that love the bench and come to use it, people that take a rest, even children that wait for their buses here. I think, in this time, in this day and age, friendship is something we really need,” said DeMarco.
The donated bench was made possible with the help of Town Engineer Rick Van Emburgh, and Deena Kilmon, Executive Director of the Waterfowl Festival. “Rick and Deena were both
wonderful,” added DeMarco. “Part of the reason we picked the spot was for the foot traffic, so people would get the most use out of it.”
DeMarco made the Friendship bench alongside his canine partner and best friend, Miles, who he had for 16 years. Unfortunately, Miles’ time with the bench was limited as he passed away in September.
With DeMarco’s initials and Miles’ paw print enshrined in the concrete base, the bench now serves as a memorial of sorts in Miles’ memory. Miles’ collar tag now also sits affixed to the back of the bench, just above the place where he once sat with his friends.
“This bench was made for people to enjoy, and to encourage friendship amongst our neighbors,’ DeMarco said. “Let me tell you, Miles was the best friend I ever had.”
MAIN STREET MEETS THE MAIN STAGE
Easton hosts Main Street MD Conference
It was an incredible two days as the 2025 Main Street Maryland Conference came to Easton on October 7-8.
The event saw around 400 visitors come to Easton from Main Street Programs throughout the state to convene, discuss, and learn from each other on how to best promote their downtown areas.
Discussion forums, mini-classes, and TedX-style talks took place at venues throughout Easton as the attendees networked and learned new strategies.
Thanks to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) for choosing Easton to host this conference, it was such an honor to welcome and entertain everyone from the many amazing Main Street programs across the state.
Thanks to Holly DeKarske and her incredible team at Easton Economic Development Corporation for the tremendous amount of work they put into not only expertly pulling this event off, but for making it so enjoyable and memorable for everyone who attended.
Thank you to Lt. Governor Aruna Miller and Secretary Jake Day for attending and speaking here in Easton; your leadership and the leadership of your teams was inspiring and impactful, and we appreciate you taking the time to be a part of it all.
Last, but certainly not least, thank you to all of the Town of Easton employees who either participated in the event, or helped to clean up and beautify the Town in preparation. Our Town truly shined during the event, and all who attended were left with an incredible impression of Easton. Great work!
A STRONG PLATFORM
Town of Easton launches “Engage Easton” Planning & Zoning
The Town of Easton is proud to announce that their new interactive web platform, “Engage Easton,” is now live and ready for the public to explore. This new digital space allows the public to view, interact with, and give meaningful feedback on upcoming and current projects going on around Easton.
The platform was chosen by the Town’s Planning and Zoning Department as a way to inform and engage with the local community on important planning issues such as the Comprehensive Plan update, and the East End Small Area Plan. It allows for direct feed -
““It’s a perfect tool for our department, but we realize there’s so much utility here for other departments as well. Engineering, Public Works, Parks and Recreation — there is tons of opportunity for this to grow across our organization . ”
Miguel
Salinas,
Director
of Planning & Zoning
back to project leaders, interactive maps, polls, surveys, media galleries, and more.
“Engage Easton gives us a new, faster way to tap into our communities, get feedback on relevant projects, and establish a place for discussion with our neighbors,” said Miguel Salinas, Director of Planning and Zoning for the Town of Easton.
“It’s a perfect tool for our department, but we realize there’s so much utility here for other departments as well. Engineering, Public Works, Parks and Recreation — there is tons of opportunity for this to grow across our organization.”
The Town currently has six projects up and available for the public to view and give feedback on, and will continue to add projects to their roster as they develop.
“We’ve added in some major projects going on around Town, but one thing we are excited about is having interactive maps for commercial and residential pipelines,” added Salinas. “This way the public can see what projects are currently in development around Easton with an easy to use map right at their fingertips.”
The site is live now, and residents can view projects and give their thoughts at https://engage. eastonmd.gov/.
OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD
Easton hosts first Legislative Breakfast since 2019
On Thursday, October 23, Easton officials welcomed local delegates and senators to the Carriage House for a Legislative Breakfast. While a few had to decline due to the federal government shutdown, State Senator Johnny Mautz, State Delegates Chris Adams and Tom Hutchinson, and a representative from Governor Moore’s office all attended the event.
After breakfast was served, the Mayor and Town Manager began presenting to those attending, illustrating the Town’s greater vision and showcasing priority projects for the Town over the next several years. Projects included Easton Wood-
land Park, Rails to Trails Expansion, Easton Point Park, Sidewalk expansions, and Triangle Park at Dover. Additionally, the Town made a legislative ask for better speed control coming into Town from Rt. 50, and to explore the viability of speed cameras near schools adjacent to Rt. 50.
Mayor Cook, Andy Kitzrow, Rick Van Emburgh, Kody Cario, Miguel Salinas, Chief Alan Lowrey, and Easton Utilities’ Kurt Fuchs all took part in presenting to the legislators. Time will tell on if/when these projects may be funded, but the event went very well and was an excellent opportunity to show the ambitions of our Town. Well done!
MASTERS OF CEREMONY
EPD Hosts 23rd Annual Honor Guard Training Conference
From October 8-10, EPD held their 23rd Annual Honor Guard Training conference at the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School.
The program consists of three days of training, the first two days covering various ceremonial duties for fallen or retired officers, parade protocol for community relations, and military style drill and ceremony — and the third day ties everything together with a mock funeral to test what they have learned.
This training prepares these agencies for events such
as funerals, parades, and public ceremonies.
The participants all did an excellent job, and can now take this important knowledge with them when called on for future honor guard events.
A special thank you to Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home (and Randy Welch) for their assistance with the mock funeral and training.
Great work by all of the hardworking officers on our honor guard team to make this event so successful!
HONOR GUARD HISTORY
The Easton Police Department’s Honor Guard Unit was formed in 1998 under the direction of the Chief of Police. The unit was formed with 6 members who volunteered their time to the Unit. At the present time the Unit consists of 10 dedicated officers who continue to volunteer their services.
The Honor Guard Unit has attended funeral services for fallen officers in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia. Members of the Unit have participated in both the Candlelight Vigil and Peace Officers Memorial Services held annually in Washington D.C., as well as Maryland Fallen Hero’s services held annually in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Unit also participates in local parades, Veteran Services, and various civic and department events. In addition, the Unit has participated in funeral services of dignitaries and retired officers. The Unit conducts ceremonial training on a monthly basis and its members have attended training conducted by other ceremonial guard units as a way to hone and increase their skills.
ATTENDING AGENCIES:
Anne Arundel County Department of Detention Facilities
Baltimore Police Department
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office
Cecil County Sheriff’s Office
Fruitland -MD- Police Department
Laurel Police Department
Maryland Transportation Authority Police
Montgomery County Department of Correction & Rehabilitation
Prince William County Police Department
Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff
Rockville City Police Department
Talbot County Sheriff’s Office
EPD HONOR GUARD TEAM:
Lt. Tim Larrimore - Commander
Sgt. Megan Coxon - Team Leader
Cpl. Joseph Schinault
Cpl. Ashley Bayne
Cpl. Chris Westerfield
Cpl. Cody Bland
Cpl. Nicholas Everngam
Pfc. Norm Sova
Pfc. Blair Barstar
Pfc. Kyle Hardy
Pfc. Mark Schinault
Pfc. Cory Schuch
Pfc. Cordero Proctor
‘A GOOD CREW’
Easton’s Public Works team enjoys annual crab feast
This October we celebrated our Public Works crews at the annual Public Works Crab Feast!
Current Public Works employees, retirees, as well as members of our Engineering department all came out to enjoy crabs, fried chicken, drinks and desserts while seated together in the winter storage building.
“These guys work hard year round to keep the Town moving forward, clean, and in good shape. It’s nice for
us to be able to show them some appreciation for all that they do throughout the year. We’re very proud of this team.” said Director of Public Works Mike Dickerson. “We’ve been doing this crab feast for over 20 years now, and it’s been a great opportunity for some of our newer guys to meet some of the retirees and the people who used to work those same jobs years ago.”
Thank you Public Works for all that you do, and keep up the great work!
AN OPEN FORUM
Town Council hosts Town Hall Discussions for each ward
In late September and throughout October, each Council Member hosted a Town Hall discussion. Each event saw a short presentation on Town happenings and developing projects, after which an open forum with Q&A took place.
Each event was very well attended and saw 30-50 people show up at the Easton Firehouse. Additionally, the events were livestreamed and recorded and the analytics show around 1000 views on each video. Popular topics of discussion included: Affordable Housing, Rails to Trails Safety, E-bikes/scooters, traffic, and Rt. 50.
In addition to the hosts, Mayor Megan Cook, Council President Don Abbatiello, Chief of Police Alan Lowrey, EEDC Executive Director Holly DeKarske, and Affordable Housing Board Chair Jim Bent attended some of the discussions to assist with questions and give additional feedback.
With the success of the event, Council is looking into hosting more of these in 2026. Stay tuned for more information on when the next one may occur. In the meantime, click on one of the images above to see the corresponding video of each event.
WE HAVE A WINNER!
Congratulations to Samantha Smith for winning the Employee Newsletter Cover Photo Contest!
Samantha now has a $25 gift card to Rise Up Coffee for her submission that landed on the October 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!
AN EXERCISE IN PREPAREDNESS
Multiple agencies take part in Mass Casualty Simulation assessment
On October 18, Easton Police Department, Talbot County Sheriff’s Department, Talbot County Department of Emergency Services and other local agencies participated in a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) simulation assessment.
Ascenttra, an organization that specializes in disaster simulation to test community preparedness, organized the scenario, testing local agencies’
ability to respond effectively to an MCI in Easton. Staging areas for the event took place at Temple B’nai Israel, Saints Peter and Paul, and the Talbot County Emergency Services center where communication operationss were held.
The exercise was a good test of our capabilities, helping our leadership to see where improvements can be made if such an event were to occur.
Human Resources
Birthdays
NOVEMBER
Ashley Bayne
Bert Murphy
Christopher Doyle
Cory Schuch
Dorothy Stichberry
Elizabeth Mueller
Gregory Wright
Joanne Drummer
Laura Diem
Ronald Dixon
Anniversaries
NOVEMBER
Christopher Doyle - 5 years
Christy Spindler - 2 years
Colin Jones - 8 years
Colton Insley - 2 years
Hugo Galan - 1 year
Jacqueline Garvey - 25 years
Jay Horner - 2 years
Juan Sanchez Bartolon - 2 years
Justin Conaway - 7 years
Larry Wroten - 13 years
Mark Hrobar - 34 years
Nicholas Everngam - 6 years
Norman Sova - 9 years
Shelby Ruf - 5 years
BUNDT, BUT NOT BROKEN Recipe
A One-Pan Solution Stuffed with Fall Flavor
(Family Features) After a long day of completing fall chores like raking leaves, trimming bushes or cleaning gutters, dinner may be the last thing on your mind. Take the hassle of cooking off your plate and let your grill do the work for you with this Grilled Chicken Bundt recipe, which combines the hearty fall flavors of veggies and chicken to rest and recharge after all that work.
GRILLED CHICKEN BUNDT
Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy”
Servings: 4-6
4 potatoes
2 carrots
8 Brussel’s sprouts
oil
2 tablespoons garlic powder, divided 2 tablespoons onion powder, divided 2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 whole chicken (4-5 pounds)
1/2 stick butter, softened
Heat grill to 350 F with one burner off for indirect heat.
Cut potatoes, carrots and Brussel’s sprouts into bite-sized pieces. Drizzle with oil and mix in 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder and 1 teaspoon salt; set aside.
Rub chicken with softened butter, remaining garlic powder, remaining onion powder and remaining salt.
Place some veggies in bottom of bundt pan. Place chicken on top of chimney or tube of bundt pan. Fill pan with remaining veggies.
Place pan over indirect heat and grill 1 hour, 30 minutes, or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 F.