by James Rada, Jr. May 2019 Meeting FY2020 Budget Introduced The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners received the proposed budget for the town for fiscal year 2020 in May. It is proposed to adopt the property tax constant yield rate of 29.92 cents per $100 of assessed value. The constant yield rate is the rate the […]
Mayor John Kinnaird The Class of 2019 at Catoctin High School (CHS) just graduated, and I want to wish all of them the best of luck as they move on to the next phase of their lives. I feel that CHS, and all our feeder schools, provide a rich educational experience for our children. Our […]
On May 7, 2019, at the Vigilant Hose Company’s Fire Hall on West Main Street in Emmitsburg, a brand new fire engine, Engine 61, was dedicated to all past VHC chiefs and to the community they serve. The date was selected because it was May 7, 1989 (exactly 30 years before), that the unit this […]
The Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show committee met recently to begin planning the 63rd Annual Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show. The show will be held at Catoctin High School, located at 14745 Sabillasville Road in Thurmont, on September 6-8, 2019. Officers elected at the meeting were: President—Rodman Myers; Vice President—Robert Valentine; Secretary—Jennifer Martin. Other committee […]
Dianne Walbrecker Emmitsburg rolls out the red carpet for neighbors and visitors alike at its biggest event of the year: Community Heritage Day. This year, at our 38th annual festival, we roll out all the games you love, the BBQ chicken, car show, horseshoe contest, parade, and music, but all at a later time than […]
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 […]
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