EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER | SEPTEMBER 2026
Table of Contents Editor’s Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Employee Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Parks & Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 EPW Intersection work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Complete Streets Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 EPD Pit Beef Fundraiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 New Hires/Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Events/Human Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 RECIPE: Homemade Peach Ice Cream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Cover Photo by Colin Jones, MS4 Coordinator
PHOTO CONTEST!
Submit your photo and win a
$25 gift card!
Submit your best photo to gmueller@eastonmd.gov for a chance to win a $25 gift card. The winning photo each month will be featured on the next cover of the Town of Easton Employee Newsletter. Please submit high quality jpg, png, or tiff files, no later than the 15th of each month. Employees can submit multiple photos. Only 1 photo/winner will be chosen per month. Photos do not need to be of the Town of Easton, but photos featuring the Town will be given some priority in the voting process.
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SEPTEMBER 2026 | THE TOWN OF EASTON
END, LESS SUMMER... Seasons come, and seasons go, rain will fall, and rivers flow.
A cool breeze at summer’s end, a schoolyard full of laughing friends. An empty beach, a longer night, porch aglow with pumpkin’s light. A tinge of orange, a lengthy fall, a vacuum truck sucks up them all. A short read, a tiny smirk, the poem’s done, now back to work!
Employee Spotlight
Greg Mueller
QUINTON HADDAWAY | PLANNING & ZONING INTERN
Meet Quinton Haddaway! Quinton serves as an Community Outreach/Planning Intern for our Planning & Zoning Department, and has been working with us over the summer before heading to college at Salisbury University. Quinton has a passion for planning and community development, and was very happy to begin work with the Town of Easton. While here, he has gone on site visits, helped examine plans, and has worked extensively on the Engage Easton webpage, creating an incredible page and survey for our Complete Streets project! Click HERE to see Quinton’s video interview!
In his free time, Quinton enjoys running, reading, singing, and playing the guitar.
EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER | SEPTEMBER 2026
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Parks & Rec
WORK HARD PLAY HARD
Parks & Recreation Crew receive certificates of recognition
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As Parks and Recreation Month came to a close, the Town of Easton took one more opportunity to recognize the dedicated team members who work yearround to keep our parks beautiful, welcoming, and enjoyable for everyone.
“Our dedication to our parks and to the town does not go unnoticed, and we are grateful to have each of you on our team,” said Gould. “It is because of your continued hard work that we are able to comfortably enjoy these beautiful places in Easton. Thank you.”
Parks and Recreation Director Lorraine Gould presented each member of the Parks Maintenance crew with a certificate of recognition from herself, Mayor Megan Cook, and Town Manager Andy Kitzrow. The presentations took place at Moton Park, with Rick Van Emburgh, Director of Public Works, and Billy Murdoch, Maintenance Division Manager, also on hand to help celebrate the team’s contributions.
We are proud to recognize the members of our Parks Team for the hard work, care, and commitment they bring to Easton throughout the year: Larry Wroten, Greg Webb, Timmy Lyons, Drew Griffith. Thank you to our Parks Team for all you do to help make Easton’s parks places our entire community can enjoy. Your work makes a difference every day!
SEPTEMBER 2026 | THE TOWN OF EASTON
EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER | SEPTEMBER 2026
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Public Works
ALL HOURS
EPW Construction Crew continues intersection work across Town
Easton’s Public Works Construction Crew continues minimize impacts on daytime traffic and pedestrians. making progress on an important project to upgrade sigA big thank-you to our dedicated crews for their hard nalized pedestrian crossings throughout Town. work on this project, including Supervisors Justin Crews have been working at the intersection of Washing- Conaway and Justin Jones, Cody Gaertner, Jon McDouton and Dover Streets, installing new push-button pedes- gald, Garey Fike, Colton Insley, Jake Towers, Brandon trian crossing signals and reseating brick on the sidewalk Miles, Jeff Olds, and Chris Hughes. aprons to bring them into compliance with ADA standards. We appreciate their continued efforts to make Easton’s intersections safer and more accessible for everyone! In order to avoid traffic, night work took place as the crews installed new wiring across these normally busy Stay tuned for more information on this project and streets during overnight hours. This work schedule helps future intersection improvements throughout Town.
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SEPTEMBER 2026 | THE TOWN OF EASTON
EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER | SEPTEMBER 2026
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EPW/P&Z
CLOSE TO “COMPLETE”
Town of Easton announces new Complete Streets interactive webpage, survey The Town of Easton is excited to announce a new interactive webpage on their ongoing “Complete Streets” project. Complete Streets is an engineering and planning approach that designs and improves streets to safely accommodate all users; including pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, motorists, and people with disabilities.
Some of the interactive features include: Transportation and Safety Survey There is a transportation and safety survey which allows for participants to share their experience and provide some useful data about the streets in Town.
The Social Map Tool Located at engage.eastonmd.gov, the page features gen- The Social Map tool displays a map of the entire Town eral information about the Complete Streets initiative, and allows users to leave labeled pins on the map to several public engagement opportunities, and a timeline identify issues or concerns they may have in a specific of the steps to be completed as the project progresses. area. Pins are equipped with an upvoting and downvot-
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SEPTEMBER 2026 | THE TOWN OF EASTON
“
It’s an incredible resource to be able to get this level of feedback, and to know exactly what people are looking to improve on our roadways. This webpage launch and survey are just the start. Miguel Salinas, Director of Planning & Zoning
ing system to create a space for collaboration, discourse, and prioritization.
Rick Van Emburgh (Above) and Miguel Salinas (Below) speak with Kyra Ceryanek from WBOC TV about the Town’s Complete Streets Webpage and the future of our Complete Streets Project.
Photo/Video Submission Another useful feature on the page is the photo/video submission tool which will allow users to submit a photo or video to easily and directly identify roadway issues or potential problems. “The Complete Streets Project is founded on public input, and while public meetings require organization and are constrained to time, the Complete Streets page is open at all times and is easily accessible,” said Miguel Salinas, Director of Planning and Zoning. “It’s an incredible resource to be able to get this level of feedback, and to know exactly what people are looking to improve on our roadways. This webpage launch and survey are just the start.” The Transportation and Safety Survey can be taken on the Complete Streets page on engage.eastonmd.gov/ complete-streets/.
EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER | SEPTEMBER 2026
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Easton Police
WHERE’S THE
BEEF?
Community Comes Together to Support EPD Toy Drive The Easton community came together on Friday, August spread the word, the fundraiser was a wonderful success. 28, for a delicious Pit Beef Fundraiser benefiting the Easton Police Department’s Toy Drive—and the response was The EPD Toy Drive helps ensure that local children in need incredible! have presents waiting under the tree during the holiday season. Every donation and act of support helps make that misHosted at Easton VFW Post 5118, the fundraiser featured sion possible. fresh-off-the-grill pit beef and pit turkey sandwiches prepared by Catering By Jamie. For just $12, community mem- A huge thank you to Catering By Jamie for serving up delicious bers enjoyed a sandwich, chips, and a cold drink, with all pit beef and pit turkey, Easton VFW Post 5118 for hosting the event, and—most importantly—to the incredible community proceeds supporting the EPD Toy Drive. members who showed up to support local youth. The event was about more than a great meal, though. EPD’s mobile donation station was also on site, giving attendees the We are grateful for the generosity, community spirit, and opportunity to donate new, in-package toys for local youth continued support that make events like this possible. Thank and their families. Thanks to the generosity of everyone who you for helping us make the holidays a little brighter for local purchased a meal, donated a toy, volunteered, or helped families!
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SEPTEMBER 2026 | THE TOWN OF EASTON
EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER | SEPTEMBER 2026
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Communications/PR
WE HAVE A
WINNER! Congratulations to Billy Murdoch for winning the Employee Newsletter Cover Photo Contest! Billy now has a $25 gift card to Out Of The Fire for his submission that landed on the August 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!
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SEPTEMBER 2026 | THE TOWN OF EASTON
Employee Benefits
Human Resources Birthdays SEPTEMBER
Blair Barstar Thomas Diem Hugo Galan John Greene Ashley Groce Bob Haase Andre Magee Luis Perez Aaron Sadberry Glenn Towers Kierstin Vitkauskas
Anniversaries SEPTEMBER
Laura Diem - 2 years Michael Epstein - 19 years Ashley Groce - 2 years Dawn Hutchison - 10 years Marwin Lewis - 26 years Ashley Ostrowski - 15 years Luis Perez - 1 year Rashida Perry - 3 years Drequan Stevens - 5 years Calvin Walters-Parker - 2 years Stacy Woodard-Slaughter - 26 years Gregory Wright - 39 years EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER | SEPTEMBER 2026
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Recipe
PEACHY
KEEN
Celebrate Summer with Homemade Peach Ice Cream (Feature Impact) Nothing screams summer more than ice cream although sweet, juicy peaches are a close runner-up in the competition. For the ultimate seasonal celebration, combine the two fan favorites with this homemade Peach Ice Cream recipe. Using ripe, succulent peaches will make this ice cream burst with natural sweetness, while the vanilla and brown sugar add extra richness and a hint of caramelized flavor. A little brightness and zing from the fresh lemon juice finishes off your bowl of refreshing summer goodness. The recipe requires an ice cream maker, and you’ll need to freeze the bowl for 24 hours before you churn, so be sure to plan ahead.
PEACH ICE CREAM
Prep time: 25 minutes Churning and freezing time: 5 hours, 30 minutes Servings: 12 (makes 1 1/2 quarts) 4 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (5-6 peaches) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups heavy cream Prior to churning: Freeze bowl of ice cream maker 24 hours. In large bowl, combine peaches, sugars, lemon juice and vanilla. Let sit 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sugars have dissolved and peaches are juicy. Place peach mixture in blender or food processor; pulse until peaches are broken down but not totally pureed. Add heavy cream; stir to combine. Pour mixture into airtight container and refrigerate 1-2 hours, or overnight. Use ice cream maker to churn mixture according to manufacturer’s instructions. Once churned, serve immediately for softer consistency or place in airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze 2-4 hours to harden before serving.
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SEPTEMBER 2026 | THE TOWN OF EASTON