Donald Lewis stood crammed among a group of friends and fellow soldiers, trying not to lose his balance. The landing craft they were on was pushing toward its destination on Omaha Beach at Normandy, France. A strong current threatened to pull them away from their destination. Lewis was a long way from his hometown of…

James Rada, Jr. It might be Rube’s Crab Shack now, but in the 1930s, the building that sat on that piece of property was a chicken house…literally. “My father got a tractor and dragged a chicken house down the road to there,” says Mike Fitzgerald. Two gas pumps were added and the site became a…

by Michele Cuseo Thurmont Christmas in Thurmont—December 6 The 12th Annual Christmas in Thurmont event starts at 9:00 a.m. at the Mechanicstown Square Park with a ribbon cutting. This event is meant to help support local businesses by asking citizens to shop locally.  Shoppers can register for free prizes and enjoy hot cider and cookies…

MSS Breakfast with Santa & Christmas Bazaar Shop Mother Seton School’s (MSS) Christmas Bazaar and enjoy the Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 6, 2014, from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., at 100 Creamery Road in Emmitsburg. Event features door prizes, crafters, bake table, pictures with Santa, and more! New this year is a Kid’s Bazaar, featuring…

Lindsay Brandt The Eyler Stables in Thurmont now hosts weekend flea markets. The idea for opening the stables for weekend markets was that of owner, Niki Eyler, and her friend, Emily Kemp, who has been working a similar operation in Virginia. The Eyler Stables property has been in the Eyler family for generations. Eyler’s great-grandparents…

Lindsay Brandt When the residents of Sabillasville, Maryland, travel to their local post office, they won’t be seeing the familiar face of their resident postmaster, Sharon Burd, kindly waiting to help them. Sharon Burd (pictured right) of the United States Postal Service retired from her post on September 28, 2014, after almost thirty-one years. “I…

Pet Show The Thurmont and Emmitsburg Community Show Pet Show was held on Saturday, September 6, 2014, at Catoctin High School. Judges for this event were Jim and Barbara Mofffatt of Mount Pleasant, Maryland, and Chairmen were Dave Harman and Dave Johnston. The judges selected Amber Sanders and her Huskie dog as Champion. She received…

James Rada, Jr. The incessant rain on Saturday morning, October 11, 2014, gave way to a cloudy day in the afternoon, transitioning into a sunny, more pleasant day on Sunday for the 51st Annual Colorfest weekend in Thurmont. The crowds picked up as people turned out for unusual food like Southern-fried Snickers and one-of-a-kind gifts…

James Rada, Jr. A new face was added to the Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners on Monday, October 6, 2014, when Joseph Ritz, III, was sworn in. The Emmitsburg Town election was held on Tuesday, September 30, 2014, and residents were voting for a commissioner and mayor. Ritz ran against former town commissioner Patrick Joy and…

Deb Spalding On Saturday, October 18, 2014, the 90th Banquet of the Emmitsburg High School Alumni was held at the Emmitsburg Ambulance activities building on Creamery Road in Emmitsburg. Emmitsburg High School’s first graduating class was the class of 1898. Their last graduating class was the class of 1968. The late Ada Hollinger Sperry began…

The Catoctin High School (CHS) Safe and Sane 2015 Committee would like to thank everyone for their support of our fundraising efforts to date. Thanks to your time and commitment, we are off to a fantastic start! We are asking for your continued support at our upcoming events. Class of 2015 Spirit Wear: Exclusive apparel…

Ashley McGlaughlin More and more families are experiencing the loss of a loved one to drug abuse. The drugs being abused could be street drugs, or even prescribed narcotics from doctors. There is a wide range of reasons why people hurt themselves by doing this. Some intend to experiment ‘just once’, but end up becoming…

Please come and help support Richard Carbaugh’s Hope Foundation & Project Hope of Thurmont with your donations towards a spaghetti dinner and silent auction & dance fundraising event, which will be taking place on November 29, 2014, in Thurmont at the Thurmont Carnival grounds. This event will help to raise funds towards awareness, education, and…

Mount St. Mary’s and the Civil War by James Rada, Jr. In the years leading up to the Civil War, Mount St. Mary’s enjoyed prosperity. The college celebrated its golden anniversary in 1858, and student enrollment was around 200 young men and growing. “The Mount was thriving, as was most of the South thriving before…

by Valerie Nusbaum The First Thanksgiving It’s that time of year when we all start making plans for the holidays.   We have to decide who’s going to prepare and host Thanksgiving dinner, and what the menu will be. There’s usually a lot of stress and some squabbling involved, and sometimes even the guest list is…

Deb Spalding In preparation of the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service that is held in October in Emmitsburg, Maryland at the National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg’s fire personnel and volunteers fill multiple rolls year-round. For this year’s 33rd annual event held on the weekend of October 11 and 12, 2014, the folks at Vigilant Hose…

The People in My Life for Whom I am Most Thankful by Jim Houck, Jr. I have many people in my daily life at this time for which I am very thankful. I would like to start out by thanking my wonderful family. I thank my mother, Mary Jean Wantz Houck, for giving me life…

MountainFest Weekend in Sabillasville by Chris O’Connor A rather inauspicious opening day of MountainFest at Sabillasville Elementary School in Sabillasville, Maryland, deterred many visitors due to the chilly, misty weather. Sunday, the overcast skies gave way to sun and warmer temperatures and attendance typical of the decades old annual arts and crafts festival sponsored by…

“Memories Afield” by Bob Warden In a few short weeks, we will all be sleeping off Thanksgiving dinner or watching football games with family and friends…and getting ready for opening day of deer firearms season! By getting ready, I don’t just mean getting our guns and gear together, I mean swapping stories from our many…

Deb Spalding A button is just a button, right?  If you notice how many buttons you rely upon, you might wonder what a button would say if it could tell others about its day. Buttons, like their zipper cousins, are so often taken for granted. Yet, they steadfastly secure our clothing without a bat of…