Joan Bittner Fry I particularly like this story. My Dad, Harold Bittner of Sabillasville, was a historian of sorts. He enjoyed picture taking. The photos above show his interpretation of the flag-lowering ceremony at Fort Ritchie in 1967. I can picture him walking toward the Fort Ritchie Castle, or headquarters, where the flag is usually […]
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) has reopened MD 77 (Foxville Road) in Thurmont, following the total closure and detour in May. The contractor, Highway & Services, Inc. of Gaithersburg, is currently working under flagging operations in both directions of MD 77, between Pryor Road and Stottlemyer Road, weekdays from 8:00 […]
James Rada, Jr. Flood watches and the threat of rain didn’t deter people from visiting Thurmont’s downtown businesses for the Main Street Art & Wine Stroll on May 10, 2019. A dozen businesses hosted dozens of local wineries, artists, and other artisans for the bi-annual event. Visitors sampled wines from area vineyards and admired the […]
The staff and mayor of Emmitsburg, members of the Emmitsburg Business and Professionals Association, and community members gathered to celebrate the official opening of several electric vehicle charging stations located on the back side of the Community Building parking lot on South Seton Avenue in Emmitsburg. Matt Wade, the CEO of the EVI (Electric Vehicle […]
Blair Garrett Donations come in all shapes and sizes. Giving back can be a chore for some. For others, donating clothing, food, or money can be a tremendous resource for those in need. For Emmitsburg resident Elaine Schmidt (pictuted above), donating her time is what keeps her going. For the past 18 years, Schmidt has […]
Catoctin Mountain Park recently opened new visitor center exhibits that are a must-see for area residents. For decades, the rustic 1940s-era visitor center has served as a contact point for hikers, campers, and individuals exploring the wooded hills and creeks around Thurmont. The new exhibits provide a broad overview of the area’s history, including sharing […]
The Thurmont Lions Club held its Education Night on May 8, 2019, with Mark Pritts, Frederick County Public School’s instructional director as their guest speaker. The club recognized a teacher from Catoctin High School and the seven feeder schools. Of these eight teachers, a “Teacher of the Year” for the Thurmont Lions Club was honored. […]
On Wednesday, May 8, 2019, the Thurmont Lions Club honored two students at its Education Night program. Each year, the club presents a Lion Award to a Catoctin High School (CHS) student and a Junior Lion Award to a Thurmont Middle School (TMS) student who has volunteered the most hours. Each student is presented with […]
The Arbor Day Foundation named the Town of Thurmont a 2018 Tree City USA in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management. This is the third consecutive year that Thurmont has received this recognition. Thurmont achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care […]
Emmitsburg’s Jubilee Foods’ employees and ownership gathered May 24, 2019, to congratulate Sandy Long (pictured on left) and Susan Ott (pictured on right) on their retirement. Sandy was the only employee still working from when the store opened in 1976. Susan was hired in 2000, when the store turned to Trout’s Jubilee. Both Sandy and […]
Grace Eyler Graceham Volunteer Fire Company (GVFC) members gathered in their fire station to celebrate 59 years in operation at their annual banquet on April 27, 2019. President Gary Keller invited the “County Royalty” to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance, including Graceham’s own, Leigha Blake (Little Miss Fire Prevention), who stepped forward to lead. […]
Deb Abraham Spalding The Frederick Challenger League is a baseball program for players with disabilities or challenges of any type: physical, emotional, or developmental. The league started in Frederick 30 years ago in 1989. It is the first-ever regional Little League program that encompasses all of Maryland District II (Frederick, Montgomery, and Carroll Counties). Games […]
Catoctin High School physical education teacher Mike Franklin was named the Frederick County Public Schools 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year during Superintendent Dr. Terry Alban’s “Prize Patrol” visit to his school. The school system’s most prestigious award recognizes outstanding representatives of the teaching profession. In addition to teaching physical education, Franklin chairs the department at […]
Tara Wilhide (pictured above), a Catoctin High School senior, was homeless for three years. In April, she received a $2,000 scholarship and recognition from School House Connection, a national organization that assists students experiencing homelessness. She was one of the 11 students from around the country to receive this award at a ceremony in Florida. […]
“Making a Memory, Creating a Legacy, Changing the World” by Anita DiGregory I was sick. Sick, sick…not playing hooky sick. Home from school sick. Probably another bout of strep throat; I can’t remember. What I do remember was sitting in my little room, in my little chair, at my little table, not happy I was […]
The Catoctin High School Envirothon teams won many awards at the recent county competition. Team 1 members—Sophia DeGennaro, Isabel Rozo, Fernajen Tundag, Kallan Latham, and Karianna Strickhouser—won first place overall, and first in the Forestry category and fifth in the Issues categories. Team 2 members—Wyatt Payne, Cheyenne Van Echo, Josephine Bujold, and Kiandra Strickhouser—won first […]
Michael Metz (pictured above), a sixth grader at Thurmont Middle School (TMS), was one of the top 10 sixth grade finalists at the Baltimore Regional History Bee Competition, held on March 30, 2019. As a finalist, he qualified to attend the National History Bee Championships in Chicago in June, as well as the biennial International […]
by Buck Reed Cheese and bacon are arguably the top two ingredients used to enhance a dish, and, not wanting to take anything away from bacon, I would say cheese has the upper hand. There are basically three types of cheeses: soft, hard, and bleu cheeses. Shown in the chart (below) are the different steps […]
On Catoctin Photo by Andrea Myers Mannix Andrea Myers Mannix captured a beautiful summer day photo of Catoctin Mountain View Farm from Payne’s Hill Scenic Overlook, along the Scenic Byway (Route #15) southbound near Thurmont, Maryland. This vantage point is a popular stop for photographers, young and old, novice and professional, with all kinds of […]
You Could Win! E-mail your best photos in the Catoctin Region to news@thecatoctinbanner.com. Tell us about your photo, and yours could be featured in this column in an upcoming issue. If yours is selected to be featured as the Focus on Catoctin photo, you win $25.00. By submitting a photo, you imply your consent to […]
It’s Just Fun! Just to get things started, The Catoctin Banner’s publisher, Deb Abraham Spalding, has showcased some of her selfies so you can get an idea of how this section works. We will collect selfies of people from, or visitors to, the Catoctin Region and showcase a random selection on this page every month. […]
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Sabillasville by Theresa Dardanell “Small but mighty” was the way that the parishioners described St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Sabillasville, when I met with them after a recent Sunday service. Their Facebook page gives this description: “We are a small church. But, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Small […]
A Thurmont Family’s Dangerous Ride on the National Road On June 1, 1915, the Brenamans drove their Ford along the National Road, which had passed its first century of service a few years before. The road had improved a lot since the days of it being a graded dirt path, but it was still a […]
John Reever: New Midway to Normandy and Beyond by Priscilla Rall John Wilbur Reever was born in 1922 in Pennsylvania, but the family soon moved to Harney, then to Taneytown, then to Union Bridge, and finally, to New Midway, where Wilbur attended school through the seventh grade. The Great Depression affected every American, especially farmers […]
Ask Dr. Lo – Is High Cholesterol Having An Effect On Your Health? by Dr. Thomas K. Lo, Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center Blood cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made by your liver. It is essential for good health. Your body needs cholesterol to perform important jobs, such as making hormones and digesting […]