Ode to February by Valerie Nusbaum February is the shortest month of the year, but it’s a special month because every four years a February 29th comes along. Our second calendar month is home to Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, and President’s Day. February is also the most likely month to play host to a blizzard. […]
by Christine Maccabee Nature’s Valentine Years ago, I began exploring design in nature and pressing many flowers, mostly dissecting them for their basic components of petals, stamen, pistil, and sepal. Once pressed, I used them to create designs—mandalas mostly—framing them and sometimes selling. I also pressed leaves of many shapes. Basically, I was exploring the […]
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont’s Part in the 50th Gettysburg Reunion Three hundred cavalrymen rode through Thurmont on June 25, 1913. They arrived on Western Maryland Railroad from Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia. They unloaded their mounts from the train and rode through the town on Wednesday morning. They were part of the second invasion […]
by Buck Reed If you were not lucky enough to learn the art of cooking from your mother or, even better, your grandmother, all is not lost. It really is never too late to practice and obtain the skills needed to use the most important room in your home. There are a number of outlets […]
by Priscilla Rall Raymond Lloyd Raymond Lloyd was born in 1921 in Hanover, Pennsylvania, and graduated from high school in 1939. He is a small, unassuming gentleman, who lives near Ladiesburg with his wife. He worked at the Naval Ordnance Plant in York, Pennsylvania, but left to join the Navy in May 1942. After completing […]
by Dr. Thomas K. Lo, Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center As a parent, you can do a lot to help your child reach and maintain a healthy weight. Staying active and consuming healthy foods and beverages are important for your child’s well-being. You can take an active role in helping your child learn habits […]
Blair Garrett Breaking one world record can take a lifetime of dedication and hard work. Holding two world records is a distant dream for most athletes. For sixteen-year-old Tristan Rice, that dream has become a reality. After spending just five months training and working out, Rice took his talents to Las Vegas, Nevada, to take […]
John Dowling Receives Awards for his Volunteer Work James Rada, Jr. 2018 was quite a year for John Dowling, age seventy-five, of Thurmont. The Thurmont Lions Club, Thurmont Grange, and Mother Seton School all recognized his abundant volunteer work in the area. “I guess I’m involved just about everywhere,” Dowling said. “It’s in my blood.” […]
Deb Abraham Spalding Locally, we’re at war. We’re not in an obvious battle, it’s a hushed one. Our casualties are many. Our enemy is addiction. Through the efforts of the Thurmont Addiction Commission (TAC), and several other groups and individuals, we’re starting to fight back in the Catoctin area. Chris Schildt of Thurmont wasn’t our […]
James Rada, Jr. It’s doubtful that anyone would deny that 2018 was a wet year. Just how wet was it? Well, the Town of Emmitsburg collects and reports on rainfall data each month as part of the wastewater report that Town Manager Cathy Willetts submits to the town commissioners. Her reports from the 2018 town […]
James Rada, Jr. In the days before air conditioning, Washington D.C. could be nearly unbearable in the summer. Those who could would travel to summer homes in more-agreeable climates. It wasn’t always possible for federal officials, though. In 1915, some of the towns surrounding the capital city began making their case to serve as the […]
December 2018 by James Rada, Jr. Emmitsburg Mount Still Planning on Building a Health Care Clinic in the Area Simon Blackwell, with Mount St. Mary’s University, spoke to the Emmitsburg Mayor and Commissioners during their monthly meeting in December. He said that the university is in negotiations with the Frederick Regional Health System to bring […]
Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs In our Community Christmas Stocking Thank you to those who added the trees on the square, and then, decorated them. A spontaneous occurrence and a very nice added touch. Thank you town staff for the decorations at the square and at the Community Center. Many compliments. Thank you E&E Trees, Walkersville […]
Blair Garrett Mountaindale Convenience Store offers more to its customers than just quality foods, hot meals, or gasoline. Owners Rida and Julian Mitchell bring a warm, inviting atmosphere to the people of Thurmont, along with great service with a smile. The family has followed and finally capitalized on their dream of doing something bigger and […]
Fitzgerald’s Heavy Timber, located on Powell Road in Thurmont, received the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Award for the restoration of Pine Bank Covered Bridge. Fitzgerald’s Heavy Timber is a full-service timber framing specialist, producing elegant, cost-effective building solutions by combining traditional craftsmanship and technical innovation. Located in Western Pennsylvania, the Pine Bank Covered Bridge was originally […]
Mayor James L. McCarron, Jr. began his presentation to The Taney Corporation by saying, “Sixty years is a long time to be contributing to the community with the folks Taney has hired & families they have supported…” Since 1958, The Taney Corporation has helped to preserve the long tradition of wood sculptors and craftsmen that […]
James Rada, Jr. Watching Majo jump around, waiting for Tim Duhan to throw a lacrosse ball, it’s hard to imagine that the nineteen-month-old German shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix is a trained law enforcement officer. On the job, Majo is all business, as he tests the air for the scent of hidden narcotics. “He’s 100 percent a […]
Emmitsburg’s volunteer fire department, Vigilant Hose Company (VHC), seeks to remind everyone of the importance of the Frederick County Government’s “Ambulance Transport Insurance Billing” (ATIB, often called ‘EMS Billing’) to all Frederick County Residents who are transported by a Frederick County unit. The program helps citizens of Frederick County by assisting with out-of-pocket expenses for […]
Theresa Dardanell Two hundred and seventy-eight students at Thurmont Elementary School joined people from all over the world for the 7th Annual WorldWide Dance for Kindness. Groups in over 120 cities around the globe all perform the same dance to the same song on the same day to unite the world with kindness. This event […]
Blair Garrett The young guns have begun to click under new head coach Dan Engelstad. The Mount St. Mary’s men’s basketball team has picked up its first two wins of the season in back-to-back victories against Wilson College and American University, bringing the team back on track after a rocky start. The wins are Engelstad’s […]
Before the Catoctin High Varsity Girls Basketball game on Thursday, December 20, 2018, the gymnasium was more crowded than usual as alumni girls basketball players attended a special ceremony to commemorate the school’s 50th anniversary. Other sports will hold similar events, some during their senior night games. The following are Catoctin High School’s Senior and […]
by Theresa Dardanell Photos by Theresa Dardanell “Something for everyone” is a perfect way to describe the Clothes Closet, run by the Thurmont United Methodist Church (TUMC). It also describes the church, itself. When I arrived early for a 10:30 a.m. Sunday service at the church, I spent a few minutes reading the December […]
by Anita DiGregory “New Year, New Beginnings” January 2019. New year. New beginnings. A blank canvas. A clean slate. A do-over. Perhaps country singer Brad Paisley said it best in referring to New Year’s Day: “Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” If you have made a […]
by Valerie Nusbaum You probably just read my column title and thought to yourself that unless one gets the flu, it’s nearly impossible to lose ten pounds in one week, not to mention that it could be unhealthy to diet and exercise to such an extreme. You’re absolutely correct, but now that I have your […]
by Christine Maccabee The Beginning of Wisdom Some things don’t come until late in life, such as Wisdom, if it comes at all. If it is true that the better fruits of life are born with age, then perhaps the same thinking can apply to the Earth and our aging understanding of our relationship with […]