EAST NEW MARKET — Project Clean Stream is coming to North Dorchester. At the Feb. 10 East New Market town meeting Beth Ann Lynch and Fred Pomeroy, representatives of Dorchester Citizens for Planned Growth, announced a Project Clean Stream event.  Ms. Lynch said, “We are here tonight because there is an event that happens in the whole Chesapeake Watershed called Project Clean Stream. We are here to ask for your support and help with that project.” Last year the group picked up 114 bags of trash, 3 tires, and 3 toilet seats from ditches and streams in the Neck district. This year the group will work in the East New Market area and DCPG spokespeople asked to partner with the town. Clean-up is slated for April 11 from 9 a.m. – noon. “We supply the bags and gloves,” noted Ms. Lynch. Mayor Caroline Cline enthused, “This is wonderful timing because less than a month from that time is the Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage. We hope the county and the Cambridge area will be putting their very best foot forward. I’m sure that we’ll be more than delighted to partner with you.” Last year’s event drew 24 pre-registered volunteers and several more joined the project the day of the event. Group president Fred Pomeroy said some volunteers from the Neck district have offered help with the East New Market clean-up. He noted that while the Clean Stream project is supposed to be for streams, ditches are included since their waters ultimately drain into streams that drain to the Bay. The Mayor promised publicity in the town’s newsletters and suggested gathering at the municipal building parking lot before beginning the clean up. She noted, “Groups such as this are going to be the saviors of our county. These people devote countless hours to the mission that they have chosen.” The Dorchester Banner/Susan M. Bautz
Beth Ann Lynch and Fred Pomeroy of Dorchester Citizens for Planned Growth present details at the town’s Feb. 10 commission meeting about an April 11 Clean Stream program set for the East New Market area.[/caption] A vacant seat on the town commission was filled at the Feb. 10 meeting. “We were aware at the January meeting that we had a resignation and we’re mandated under the town charter to fill the vacancy as quickly as feasible until the next election which is in May,” explained Mayor Cline. “We convened and were unanimous in the choice of the person we would like to fill that slot. John Holliday is our new council person.” Mr. Holliday raised his family in East New Market and the Mayor noted, “I think it’s safe to say ‘he’s really a pretty good guy.’” Mayor Cline proudly displayed the February issue of the Maryland Municipal League (MML) magazine the front cover of which was a photograph of Friendship Park. “We made the front cover of MML magazine,” she said. “We’re very pleased and honored that we are so featured.” In an update on the Friendship Park walking trail Ms. Cline said the state highway administration (SHA) approved a change in the trail’s width from 8’ to 6’ with a consequent cost reduction that is closer to the amount of an SHA grant the town received last year. Previous bids were deemed too high so with changes in length and width new bids were requested. Three revised proposals were received, one of which will be accepted at the next work session. According to Town Clerk Patty Kiss, a quote from Bridges Site and Utilities was: $25,800 basic cost; installation on Geotextile cloth adds another $2,150; excavating 4” of soil and hauling adds $4,000. A second bid was from Paradise Lawn Care for $23,200. If recycled material is used the cost would reduce to $19,700. Marshall Property Management offered three options, including the use of stone dust, $19,470; sand, $17,975; or asphalt millings, $18,670. The mystery surrounding the whereabouts of a promised $40,000 to restore the Depot train station has yet to be solved. The station resides in a field near the outskirts of East New Market. Its roof was repaired using town funds but much remains to be restored. Mayor Cline said, “We have spent 8 years attempting to find the elusive $40,000 that we were promised. Some months ago we got a message saying, ‘hey, we found your money.’ Since that time an ongoing debate is taking place.” She added that each agency she or Ms. Kiss contacted said a different agency would pay and no resolution has been reached. “It’s like searching for the Holy Grail or something. We cannot commit ourselves to do any more work at the train station in good conscience until this $40,000 appears. We were promised the money and accepted the building in good faith and have spent town money repairing the roof. We’ve spent all we can afford to spend.” The next meeting is slated for March 10.