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Page 8             August  2017                                       The Catoctin Banner Newspaper                        www.TheCatoctinBanner.com                     Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com

            B u s i n e s s  news



            From a Shield to Scissors


               James Rada, Jr.

               Morris Baker spent decades         to check                                  Photo by James Rada, Jr.  After   working long hours to supervise
            working in security with Maryland     the man’s                                                    seven years   them. “I became director of
            Department of Natural Resources,      weapons,                                                     with the      security, but the work was sun up
            National Park Service, Francis Scott   the man                                                     State of      to sun down, and I couldn’t take it
            Key Mall, Frederick County, and       reached into                                                 Maryland,     any longer.”
            Mount St. Mary’s; but, last year, he   the vehicle,                                                he moved         Baker then served one year
            turned in his badge to become a hair   pulled out his                                              across the    in security at the Mount before
            stylist and has never been happier.   shotgun, and                                                 road to       landing a job with Frederick
               Baker, who turns fifty-seven this   racked it.                                                  become        County at Winchester Hall. Not
            year, has lived in Thurmont all of his life.  “They                                                a ranger      too surprisingly, the politics of
               “I live in the same house they     didn’t give up                                               with the      the place seeped down, even to
            brought me home from the hospital     bulletproof                                                  Mounted       his department, until he could no
            to,” Baker said.                      vests, but I                                                 Horse         longer tolerate it. He left after ten
               He started working for             tell you, every                                              Patrol at     years. “I gave up the badge and
            the Maryland Department of            day after                                                    Catoctin      came to the clippers.”
            Natural Resources as a ranger at      that, I wore                                                 Mountain         He decided to become a hair
            Cunningham Falls when he was          one,” recalled                                               Park. He      stylist because he wanted a job that
            twenty-two years old.                 Baker.                                                       enjoyed       would allow him to work with the
               One incident he remembers from       Although                                                   working       public and give back to them. He
            this time is when he and his training   this man                                                   with the      attended school to earn his license
            officers approached a man near the    proved to                                                    horses, in    and became a barber and stylist
            dam, who was sitting on the pipe      be harmless,                                                 particular,   at Here’s Clyde’s in Thurmont in
            hole. They saw that he had weapons    Baker                                                        giving        March 2016.
            in his vehicle, and they convinced    realized that   Morris Baker is shown at Here’s Clyde’s in Thurmont, where   rides to   He explained that three of the
            the man to come up from where he      he could               he works as a barber and hair stylist.  handicapped   women at Here’s Clyde’s he grew
            was sitting to talk to them.          easily have                                                  children      up with, and he looks at all of them
               The man was depressed, but         been shot, so he went and bought     who came to the park. However,        as if they were his sisters. He also
            cooperative. When the training        his own bulletproof vest to wear     tightening budgets cost the park its   enjoys seeing people walk into the
            officer asked if it would be all right   from then on.                     two horses, Jimmy and Commander,      salon that he hasn’t seen for years.
                                                                                       who were sent to work at the St.         Besides working in security, he
                                                                                       Louis Arch National Park.             was an organist at the Grotto in
                                                                                          So Baker moved on to mall          Emmitsburg for ten years before
                                                                                       security at Francis Scott Key Mall.   becoming the music director at the
                                                                                       He found himself moving up quickly    Fort Detrick Post Chapel, which he
                                                                                       in rank (although his duties and pay   has done for the past four years.
                                                                                       remained the same). When he asked     While the security jobs have been
                                                                                       Director of Security Gary Wood about   work, the music work has been a
                                                                                       it, he was told that it was because he   labor of love.
                                                                                       was reliable and could be trusted.       Baker doesn’t regret any of the
                                                                                          When Wood retired, Baker           jobs he has done because he learned
                                                                                       became the director and realized      from all of them. Even when the
                                                                                       why his work ethic had been           jobs were wearing him down, he
                                                                                       rewarded. The younger officers        stayed happy for the most part. He
                                                                                       couldn’t be trusted to keep working   continues to be happy with a short
                                                                                       without supervision. They would       walk to and from his job and being
                                                                                       goof off or flirt with girls. This    able to spend time with friends,
                                                                                       meant that Baker wound up             new and old.

                                                                                             Emmitsburg Vol. Ambulance Co., 17701 Creamery Rd., Emmitsburg
                                                                                          BINGO BASH




                                                                                                            22 Games Paying $250.00 EACH!

                                                                                                            THREE $1000.00 Jackpots & a Meal!


                                                                                            Sept. 16, 2017
                                                                                              Doors open @ 4 p.m.
                                                                                                 Games @ 7 p.m.
                                                                                               $40.00 in Advance                     Pam Ellison 240-472-3484
                                                                                                                                     For Tickets or Info:
                                                                                               $50.00 at the Door                    Mary Lou 240-285-3184
                                                                                                              Seating is fi rst come, fi rst served.
                                                                                                    EVAC has the right to lower payouts if 200 tickets aren‛t sold.
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