Page 5 - Dec Banner 2017_Neat

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F r o m the M a y o r
Thurmont
Mayor John Kinnaird
We are fast approaching the end
of the year, and each year seems to
pass quicker than the one before. I
know that this year has been good
to me, and I hope it was good for
you as well. With Christmas just a
few weeks away, Karen and I want
to wish everyone a Very Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Christmas in Thurmont is coming
up on Saturday, December 2. Be sure
to stop downtown and register the
kids for the many gifts and prizes.
Santa will be at Mechanicstown
Square Park to meet with all the
children, parents, friends, and pets.
The day will include free photos
with Santa, horse drawn wagon
rides, a story with Santa at the
www.TheCatoctinBanner.com
Regional Library, and fun and prizes
for everyone.
This time of year brings with
it colder weather, employment
slowdowns, and all the seasonal
difficulties many of our neighbors
face. Please keep the less fortunate
of our community in mind this
winter by helping support the
Thurmont Food Bank, Thurmont
Clothes Closet, Seton Center, and
other local charity organizations.
Your donation of food, clothes, or
cash can help bring joy to a local
family.
I want to thank Catoctin
Colorfest Inc. for the generous
donations made to our community
this year. Colorfest president, Carol
Robertson, presented donations
totaling $20,676.80. Donations
included $1,500.00 each to
the Guardian Hose Company,
Thurmont Community Ambulance
Company, and the Thurmont Police
Department. Catoctin FFA received
$1,146, and $4,500 to Catoctin
High School Scholarships. The
Thurmont Food Bank received
$3,400. Other beneficiaries include
$1,000 to the Trolley Mural
Project, $5,000 for improvements
in Community Park, $325 to the
Library, and $200 for flowers and
decorations in our parks.
You might have noticed that the
sidewalk project on Moser Road
is nearing completion. This project
will improve pedestrian safety on
the road and allow easy access to
the Regional Library.
Improvements to the Frederick
Road intersection will help turns
onto Moser and the narrowing will
help control speeds. This project
is a joint effort of the Town of
Thurmont and Frederick County.
The recent Town election has
returned Commissioners Hooper
and Burns to office and yours
truly to the office of mayor. I
appreciate the opportunity to serve
our community for another term,
and I look forward to working
with our residents, town staff, and
the commissioners, as we work
together to make Thurmont a great
community.
Please contact me at 301-606-
9458 or jkinnaird@thurmont.com
with any comments, questions, or
suggestions.
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to Share
Your Good News!
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F r o m the M a y o r
Emmitsburg
Mayor Don Briggs
I was looking for the tempest, but
the gift of mild weather heralded in
November. However, there are signs
of more sobering weather to come in
December.
Thank you to everyone for your
patience with the Square and all
the sidewalk work. For the first
time, Brookfiield and Pembrook
subdivisions are connected to the
town with a sidewalk. There will be
a heavy concentration of work at the
Square in an attempt to complete this
section prior to the freezing weather.
The project may be completed six
months ahead of schedule.
ALERT — CHANGE IN
LOCATION: Because of downtown
construction, the Town Christmas
tree lighting on Monday, December
4, will take place in front of the
Town Office and Community Center.
Christmas music provided by a DJ
will begin at 5:00 p.m., followed by
the Mother Seton School and Christ
Community Church chorales at 5:45
p.m. Then, at about 6:30 p.m., Santa
Claus will arrive. Next, we will go
down two blocks to the Carriage
House Inn for the 29th annual “An
Evening of Christmas Spirit” event
for more entertainment, hay rides,
free hot dogs, and hot chocolate.
ALERT — CHANGE IN DATE:
Regularly scheduled Town Council
meeting is moved to Tuesday,
December 5, at 7:30 p.m.
Dipping back into the last days
of October: I was honored to be
the starter for the ESP Performing
Company’s 7 Annual Autumn
th
5K course, “Halloween Edition”
through the Mount Saint Mary’s
University east campus. Eager
runners—many costumed—set the
tone for the wonderful fundraiser.
Also, with a nod to the mild weather,
the largest crowd, by many accounts,
participated in or crowded the square
to cheer on the annual Halloween
parade as it progressed down North
Seton Avenue through the town
square. Then it was on to Vigilant
Hose Company for refreshments
and costume awards. Thank you
to the Lions Club, Vigilant Hose
Company, and all the businesses and
civic groups that also shouldered the
event. Everyone loved it; you were a
success.
In November: Another solemn
Veterans’ Day 21-gun salute tribute
by the joint American Legion –
VFW Honor Guard at our seven
area cemeteries. Out of town for
a wedding, I missed this year’s
commemoration for the first time in
seven years. Commissioner Glenn
December 2017 Page 5
Blanchard, a Veteran, represented the
town.
On several Saturday mornings,
our Boy Scout Troop 727, huddled
in threes and fours in their
illuminated vests, gathered for
merit badge credit, applying yellow
refresher coats of paint to forty
to fifty fire hydrants. Good to see.
Thank you for the public service,
your merit noted. It’s been almost
twenty years since the Mount rugby
team did similar volunteer work for
the town.
Interesting article on farming in
the Wall Street Journal (October
24, 2017) titled, “Supersized
Family Owned Farms Transform
U.S. Agriculture.” Four percent of
U.S. farms now produce over two-
thirds of the country’s agricultural
output. There has not been anything
like this since the U.S.D.A. began
keeping records on size/production
in the 1980s. The article goes on
to note that one Kansas farmer
can fly his Cessna thirty-plus miles
over the property he owns. That’s
30,600 acres. Farm holdings of
this size enjoy the economies of
scale that enables them to pressure
farm suppliers and grain companies
for lower prices and discounts
accommodations that are not
available to smaller farmers. As a
result, more, and smaller, farmers
are being driven out of business. The
average size of a farm in Frederick
County is about 140 acres. Living
amidst a beautiful farm community,
rimmed to the west by Catoctin
Mountain, we have to support our
local farmers in every way. Dine at
“farm to fork” restaurants. Shop
at our Farmer’s Market. Stop by a
local orchard.
At the recent Frederick Chapter
Maryland Municipal League (MML)
meeting, the membership approved
its 2018 Legislative priorities.
The No. 1 priority was to restore
municipal Highway User Revenue
(HURS) to pre-recession levels.
In 2010, HURS funds (from state
budgets) for municipalities lost 96
percent of transportation revenues.
Currently, they have been 61 percent
restored. Thank you for last year’s
nudge. Please, Governor Hogan,
take us back to pre-2010 level. Our
municipal budgets need the revenue.
Hoping you had a wonderful
Thanksgiving, and wishing a Merry
Christmas to all.
Drop Your Change this
Holiday Season
Don’t forget to drop
your change to benefit
area food banks.