Joan Bittner Fry Few people in the history of Frederick County, Maryland, can claim to have been a mother to thousands, yet Ambrosia Elizabeth “Rose” Derwart Clarke (who shall be called Rose) could. She was born in south Baltimore on August 4, 1895. Her father owned and operated a saloon and the convenience store next […]
Blair Garrett The 55th Annual Catoctin Colorfest may have been rainy, but it did not stop lovers of arts, crafts, and great food from flooding the streets of Thurmont. Business owners and Colorfest workers trekked through the mud during the peak hours of the morning to bring one of the East Coast’s biggest craft shows […]
Grace Eyler Former students of Emmitsburg High School met on Saturday, October 20, 2018 to celebrate class history, reminisce, and enjoy time together as the group congregated for another year of the popular reunion. The Vigilant Activities building in Emmitsburg, where the reunion took place, quickly filled as 191 attendees checked in at the front […]
William Eiker, Sr. My father, Bob Eiker Sr., was a life-long resident of Emmitsburg, who resided at 116 South Seton Avenue, located directly across from the Chronicle office. From his garage, he operated Bob’s Archery Shop, the only supplier of archery accessories within 25 miles. He crafted custom shafts, bow strings, new and used bows, […]
James Rada, Jr. Emmitsburg and Thurmont received two of Frederick County’s first Municipalities Impact Awards in September. The Frederick County Office of Economic Development (OED)recognized local municipalities for their commitment to serve businesses. The project began last year with a municipal survey to gather economic impact data from each of the town’s in the county. […]
The Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland announced that the Town of Emmitsburg was one of eight Maryland municipalities honored at the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony at the Maryland Municipal League’s annual Fall Conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in October. Emmitsburg received its first Sustainable Maryland certification in 2015. Highlights of Emmitsburg’s accomplishments include: […]
October 2018 by James Rada, Jr. Emmitsburg Incumbents Re-elected The Emmitsburg Town Election was held on September 25, 2018. Incumbents Clifford Sweeney and Timothy O’Donnell ran unopposed for two open commissioner seats. Forty-eight ballots were cast. Sweeney received forty-four and O’Donnell received forty-one. The winners were sworn in for their new four-year terms during the […]
Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs For our active town, the first two weeks of October, predictably, are always busy, but this year was off the charts. It started off with the town meeting on the first Monday, Thursday, a teleconference with Maryland Mayor’s Board executive committee; and Friday night, Catoctin High homecoming float judging with Thurmont […]
Megan Doolittle Elower-Sicilia Productions (ESP) of Dance and Music in Thurmont is celebrating its 50th year in business, and the dancers continue to work hard and diligently on their new choreography. They had a great time performing some of their new dances at the Thurmont Colorfest. The rain didn’t hold them back! ESP would like […]
Blair Garrett Each October, some of our nation’s bravest heroes are honored in Emmitsburg, a.k.a. Firetown, USA. The Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service gives thanks to firefighters who are no longer with us, who have served our communities, protecting citizens in their time of need. In a town heralded for its dedication and history in fire […]
James Rada, Jr. As the leaves on Catoctin Mountain turned to yellow, red, and orange, Thurmont turned pink as the town supported activities to raise funds to fight breast cancer. During October, Thurmont becomes the “Gateway to the Cure,” as the town sells pink light bulbs, pink t-shirts, pink shopping bags, and more. In addition, […]
A mission team from Tom’s Creek UMC traveled to Puerto Rico to provide support and to help Puerto del Cielo Methodist Church rebuild its pavilion that was destroyed during Hurricane Maria. The pavilion was used to cook food and provide meals to the people in the community and to support the ministries of the church. […]
Aaron Shaw of Frederick took the top honors in both the spring and fall 2018 bass tournaments, hosted by Cobblestone Hotel & Suites and held on Lake Royer at the former Fort Ritchie property in Cascade. The events featured adult and youth divisions. Joining Shaw on the podium for the fall tournament, held on Saturday, […]
Developing the “soft” skills necessary to be successful in the workforce is the goal of a new teen program offered by the Fort Ritchie Community Center. The Community Center has received a $30,000 grant from the Rural Maryland Council to pilot the new initiative. In addition to learning new skills, the teens will also have […]
For a number of years, the Thurmont Lions Club has sponsored the Thurmont Community Remembrance Tree during the Christmas season. Starting with the 2018 Christmas season, the concept of this tree has been expanded to encourage local residents and organizations to express any seasonal sentiment that they desire. As in years past, the tree will […]
The Emmitsburg Council of Churches (ECC) enjoyed excellent participation and inspiring speakers at its first Community Unity Day, September 23, 2018. Addressing a large number of citizens, speakers at the event emphasized the importance of love and tolerance in direct opposition to the hatred and fear scattered by the carriers of racism and bigotry. The […]
The Catoctin High School (CHS) 2018 homecoming activities were held on Friday, October 5, 2018, before and during the Cougar’s varsity football game against Rising Sun, which the Cougars won 33-13. Before the game, a Homecoming parade was held for the first time in several years and featured Cougar students infused with school spirit. The […]
Theresa Dardanell See someone alone. Reach out and help. Start With Hello! In September, Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) participated in the third annual Sandy Hook Promise Start With Hello Week. This national anti-violence campaign encourages students to reduce social isolation with acts of kindness that starts with just saying hello. Schools created activities to […]
St. Stephen’s United Church of Christ, Cascade by Theresa Dardanell How does a church with a small congregation not only exist — but thrive — for over 125 years? St. Stephen’s United Church of Christ has continued to flourish, because it’s not only a place to worship but also a place where the community comes […]
“Importance of An Attitude of Gratitude” by Anita DiGregory “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~William Arthur Ward With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the spirit of gratitude is typically celebrated in the month of November. However, increasing scientific studies are verifying the […]
by Valerie Nusbaum This column is for the November issue, so it should be about Thanksgiving and/or being grateful for what we have. In truth, I’m writing this in early October and Thanksgiving is just a blip on my radar at this point. I’m in the middle of getting things ready for Randy’s and my […]
“Amazing Insect Migrators” by Christine Maccabee Most commonly, we think of migration as a ritual birds and Monarch butterflies undertake, but a surprising variety of insects also migrate hundreds, even thousands, of miles to spend winters in warmer habitats. Like most people, I was unaware of these amazing aeronautical feats until I read an article […]
Clifford Stitely Died Helping Others 100 Years Ago by James Rada, Jr. On November 6, 1918, the peace talks between the Allies and Germans had been completed. Men who had fought so hard for years looked forward to the peace that would take place on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th […]
Get Out of the Thanksgiving Box by Buck Reed If Thanksgiving is a celebration or thanks for the bounty of the season, then why do we limit the foods we eat to the same thing every year? Why not add a dish or two to your table? A new dish might add a little pizzazz […]
My View of the Honor Guard and Why I Am Proud to be a Part of It by Jim Houck, Jr. I am a member of the Sons of AMVETS Squadron 7 Thurmont, and I really enjoy the welcoming feeling the people at the post have conveyed to me since I joined. I consider myself […]