The Mayor of the Pocomoke

The Mayor of the Pocomoke

By J. Glenn Eugster 
May 11, 1998

This spring I heard from old friends that I had drifted apart from.  Although their news reached me separately what they told me brought me back once again to the Pocoomoke River watershed.  The news drew me away from  family and career issues that I tend to focus on and caused me to think about the places and the people I had met working on river conservation and revitalization.

The first news I heard was about Curt Lippoldt, Mayor of Pocomoke City, MD, friend and river conservation colleague of the last ten years.  Mayor Lippoldt, it was said, wasn’t going to run for re-election.  He evidently wanted to do some things he had been putting off for some time.  As a friend I knew that the Mayor had been trough a terribly difficult year having to try to deal with the impact of Pfesteria on his city and I could understand why he wouldn’t want to continue being a local official.

As a river conservation advocate I felt like someone punched me in the stomach.  As I pondered the news I realized that this unique man and local elected offical would no longer be the mayor who worked so hard and cared so much about Pocomoke City, the Pocomoke River and the Lower eastern Shore.  For ten years I had worked with Curt and never truly appreciated how valuable he was as a "River Mayor", until I heard of his plans.

I took a day-off and traveled with a colleague to meet with Curt, his Citry manager Russell Blake and Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker to talk about the Pocomoke and Pfesteria.  My trip was about business but it was an opportunity for me to make time for colleagues who became good friends while working on the Pocomoke.  Curt’s message was a wake-up call reminding me that talented local leaders are unique and if you have them in your group you should enjoy their skills, experience and friendship while you can.

My friendship with Curt started with the Pocomoke River.  In 1976 I moved from GA to PA and began working for the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation on the Nationwide Rivers Inventory.  I quickly learned about the Mid-Atlantic States and looked for places to canoe.  I had spent six years in the South and was introduced and quite attached to the special qualities of the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers.

I was surprised and delighted to learn of the outstanding free-flowing rivers of the region and developed a strong interest in the river swamps.  My map and book research led me to wonderful wetland dominated river corridors such as the Great Egg Harbor River in NJ, the Leipsic River in DE and the Pocomoke River on the Delmarva Peninsula.  Office research was followed by canoe trips and low altitude photography from a helicopter .  Work on the NRI gave me a chance to learn more about each of these streams, and their values and functions.

It wasn’t until 1989 however, that I learned of Mayor Curt Lippholdt.  Standing on Pocomoke City‘s Main Street one afternoon while my wife Deborah visited  a drugstore, I purchased a local newspaper.  We were visiting the Eastern Shore on our honeymoon and our rambles led to the Beach to Bay Indian Trail.  We stopped in Pocomoke City to take a look at the City’s wonderful riverfront park, historic Main Street, Delmarva Theater, and outstanding bridge.  

Although my honeymoon wasn’t the time when I should have been looking for new river conservation partners an article in the paper caught my attention.  The story featured the Mayor talking about the unique qualities of the City’s riverfront and how he thought the Pocomoke could help the City economically.  I quickly clipped the article as my wife finished her shopping, and made a note to look into the Mayor’s efforts.

After returning home I dropped the Mayor a note mentioning the article and included information about my work conserving rivers with the National Park Service.  I applauded him and Pocomoke City for their vision and interest in the Pocomoke and offered our office’s assistance if he was interested.  Shortly after my letter the mayor called and he and I were soon driving around the City and the watershed.  I learned that Curt was from Colorado, had worked for a corporation in New York City, and was excited about Pocomoke City and his job as mayor.  He showed me the city and the river,  and  described  what the community was doing and what they hoped to achieve in the future.   His admiration for the community, the river was genuine and it wasn’t long before I  embraced the vision that he and others had for the city and the Pocomoke.  My offer to help the Mayor, and the experience that followed, reaffirmed a quote by St. Francis of Assissi, “In giving we receive”.