The Year is…1808 by James Rada, Jr. The Mount Seminary Is the “Cradle of Bishops” From a brick cottage in rural Maryland grew an institution that has educated dozens of young men who became Catholic bishops and archbishops. Mount St. Mary’s College began in 1808 when “the Society of St. Sulpice in Baltimore closed its […]
A Clean Slate by Valerie Nusbaum Happy New Year! I’m hoping that 2021 will be a great year for all of us. I know a lot of you were miserable in 2020. Many people we know suffered job losses, business closings, and illness. Randy and I were fortunate that, so far, we haven’t been visited […]
by James Rada, Jr. January 1921, 100 Years Ago John H. Bentzell Killed Mr. John H. Bentzell, another prosperous and well known farmer of near Thurmont, came to his death Thursday morning, January 6th. Mr. Bentzell, along with his other work operates a small chopping mill at his home, the same being run by a […]
Scatter Come Together by Priscilla Rall The motto for the 190th Field Artillery Long Tom Battalion (FAB) refers to its cavalry history going back to the Civil War. It reflects the cavalry tactics for a hard fought battle. But instead of horses, the 190th FAB used modern artillery pieces. A member of battalion’s headquarters group […]
In Admiration of the Chicken by Buck Reed When it comes to our fine-feathered friend, the chicken, I have to admit I am a little biased. I keep about 40-50 chickens in my various coops. I raise them from chicks, feed them, watch over them, and even sing to them. “Close to You” by the […]
by Ava Morlier, Culinary Arts Program at CTC Hello, everyone! I hope you had a great holiday. Now, before you lament over the loss of christmas (and the delicious foods you’ve consumed), rejoice! January (and the rest of the winter months) are a great time for delicious warm and hearty dishes that warm the soul. […]
“Helping You Find Plants That Work” by Ana Morlier, The Crazy Plant Lady Now that we’re all finally past the craziness of the holidays, we can sit back and relax, right? More often than not, our schedules get packed all over again with work and school. It seems like the stress never ends. But there […]
Counting Our Blessings by Anita DiGregory In celebration of the last day before an extended holiday break, my daughter’s lovely and very talented tutor had created a “Grammar Bingo” game for the class. Each child chose their own card from her stack of handmade bingo cards. My daughter chose hers and then proceeded to win […]
Ring Out the Old! Bring In the New! by Christine Maccabee “As certain as the turning of Fall into Winter, there can be no stopping the changes, for change is the very nature of Nature.” ~ from Life Poems by Christine Life changes can be challenging, sometimes sudden, sometimes sad or happy, but at […]
by Dr. Thomas K. Lo, Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center Is Secondhand Smoke Putting Your Health in Danger? Secondhand smoke is composed of sidestream smoke (the smoke released from the burning end of a cigarette) and exhaled mainstream smoke (the smoke exhaled by the smoker. Most nonsmokers do not want to breathe tobacco smoke. […]
The Catoctin Banner The Chronicle Press in Emmitsburg has a solid history of publishing newspapers. Ironically, The Catoctin Banner can trace its roots there as well. Under the management of Art Elder, the Chronicle Press published an ad flier called The Banner for several years prior to the publication’s transfer to Lori Smith Zentz. Lori […]
The late George Wireman was a long-time writer for The Catoctin Banner. He also wrote for several other newspapers. He was Thurmont’s honorary resident historian, a local WTHU radio broadcaster, a volunteer conductor for the Walkersville Southern Railroad, and quite a character to know. He took great pride in building a huge model railroad display […]
Blair Garrett For frontline workers, the approach to each workday remains the same. While the world changes rapidly around us with global pandemics and novel vaccines, the essential workers who have put the time in day after day have realized a new normal. It’s going on ten months since COVID-19 reached the United States, and […]
In these current challenging times, it is sometimes painstakingly difficult to find a reason to smile. Yet, in truth, you really don’t need to look far. It is actually the simplest things that bring us the most joy. U.K. healthcare group Bupa sponsored a survey that asked 2,000 people what brought them happiness. Below are […]
James Rada, Jr. While the national election may be tied up in the courts for some time yet, the results for Frederick County are clear. Most people stayed home and voted for Joe Biden as President of the United States. While President Donald Trump commanded large leads in the early voting and Election Day […]
It’s the holiday season, but before you rush off to a holiday party with friends and family, remember COVID is still around. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has put out some recommendations for how you can enjoy the holidays safely. Consider celebrating virtually or only with members of your own household. This is the […]
Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs In the face of a larger second wave of COVID-19 cases, and with new restrictions, there was an individual “community” 5K walk-run Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day morning. It was not done in person. Thank you, Commissioners Burns and O’Donnell. As of this writing, the 32nd Annual Christmas Tree Lighting and […]
Emmitsburg November 2020 For more information on the Town of Emmitsburg, visit www.emmitsburgmd.gov or call 301-600-6300. Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 7 The Town of Emmitsburg will hold its annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony on December 7 at 6:00 p.m. at the Community Center. Come enjoy music and carolers as Emmitsburg kicks off the Christmas season. […]
deb abraham spalding While America, the world, and our local community was learning how to social distance and quarantine last spring as the Coronavirus Pandemic changed our way of living, Sherry and Rob Myers and staff members at the Thurmont Kountry Kitchen Restaurant stepped up to provide meals for kids in Northern Frederick County. For […]
Blair Garrett “Being in the kitchen, it’s like a passion. If you don’t have it, you better get out.” Tony Testa of Rocky’s Pizza in Thurmont knows a thing or two about culinary creativity, the people of Thurmont, and steadfast dedication. For the past 30 years, owners Tony and Tina Testa have brought smiles and […]
On Veterans Day 2020, Grace Eyler with The Catoctin Banner had the honor of joining the Hoke Family in the Church of Incarnation in Emmitsburg to honor our Veterans. Becky Hoke diligently rang the church’s bell for over three minutes while family helped by keeping a timer and prompting her pulls on the bell rope. […]
Mr. Billy Hodge, Sr., former coach and teacher at Thurmont Middle and Catoctin High Schools, was honored at the Cascade American Legion on November 7, 2020, not only as an impactful teacher and coach, but also as a Korean War Veteran. The gathering focused on celebrating Mr. Hodge’s 90th birthday (November 8) and was also […]
Vickie Grinder In November, the Town of Thurmont presented Patty Hurwitz from the Hurwitz Breast Cancer Fund at Frederick Health a check for $15,300 from the 7th Annual Gateway To The Cure Campaign! The Gateway To The Cure included a 5K, Golf Tournament, purchasing pinwheels for our Garden of Love, a Pink Pumpkin contest, selling […]
James Rada Jr. It’s 1818, and a shipment of straw bonnets has just arrived at Sis. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s free school in Emmitsburg. The young girls sit in their school room decorating their bonnets with ribbon as they talk about their lives, whether she is a daughter of a farming family in town or the […]
When there’s a shortage of good news, local Lewistown neighbors come together to do some good. Driving along Hessong Bridge Road, you may have noticed that the Lewistown Ruritan Club sign got a bit of a facelift. Erik Legg, of Meadowland Agricultural Farm, donated his time to make the sign stand out. Adding evergreen holly […]