by “My Father’s Son” The Immaculate Collection: Hayland Outside Emmitsburg, nearly the northernmost one can travel before leaving Maryland for Pennsylvania, stands a mansion time forgot, nestled at the end of a long, private lane in solitude, possibly its savior. This estate, known as “Hayland,” located at the terminus of Mechanicstown Road, off the way […]
Maryland film producer, Conrad Weaver, and a collaboration of award-winning film makers, have launched a crowd-funding campaign on IndieGoGo.com to raise development funds for a new film project called Scars of an Orphan. The film will tell the true story of Diana Prykhodko, a young orphan girl who survived—yes, even thrived—against insurmountable odds. Fleeing the […]
Deb Spalding Sabillasville resident, Christine Maccabee (pictured right), has been a volunteer at Frederick Memorial Hospital (FMH) since 2012. In that role, she plays a baby grand piano on Wednesdays for a couple of hours. She first encountered the piano in the lobby of the hospital when she went there for one year after an […]
Anita DiGregory “I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a firefighter. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work which the firefighter has to do believe that his is a noble calling. There is an adage […]
A music video titled, “The Fallen and the Brave,” by Dave Carroll, was produced by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at the National Emergency Training Center and was shown for the first time on October 20, 2016, during Opening Ceremonies of the Annual Firehouse Expo Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, with thousands in attendance from across […]
James Rada, Jr. With Thanksgiving dinner behind them, many people will set out that holiday weekend to begin their Christmas shopping. Don’t forget the local businesses when looking for gifts. They often offer unique gifts for the hard-to-shop-for names on your list. That Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 26, will also be Small Business Saturday. It […]
James Rada, Jr. The cost for camping gear for a Girl Scout or Boy Scout can add up quickly and be used only occasionally. Hillary Rothrock knows this because she has two daughters who are Girl Scouts. Making enjoying the outdoors affordable is one of the reasons that she and her husband, Paul, opened J. […]
James Rada, Jr. As I was speaking with Mark Zurgable, a man walked into Zurgable Brothers Hardware looking for PVC glue and a part. Mark quickly showed him where both were. As the man walked up to the register to pay for the items, he said, “You guys are a lifesaver. This keeps me from […]
The Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland announced that the Town of Thurmont was one of fourteen Maryland municipalities honored at the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony at the Maryland Municipal League’s annual Fall Conference on October 17, 2016, in Solomons, Maryland. Highlights of Thurmont’s accomplishments include: Adopted a Sustainable Procurement Policy in 2016 […]
James Rada, Jr. Going into the 2016 Town of Emmitsburg election, it was known that there would be at least one new member of the town commission in October. Commissioner Jennifer Mellor chose not to run for re-election. Her seat and Commissioner Blanchard’s seat were open for the September 27 election. Blanchard, Liz Buckman, and […]
Submitted by Bill Eiker, SAL Historian On October 1, 2016, the Sons of the American Legion (SAL) Post 239 in Cascade held their fall Gun and Cash Bash on the old parade grounds at Fort Ritchie. Of the 2,000 tickets sold, there were more than 750 people in attendance. Considering the gloomy weather, it was […]
Once again, on Saturday, November 5, 2016, Boy Scouts from Emmitsburg’s Unit 727 will be hanging bags on resident’s doors to collect food for the Emmitsburg Food Bank on Saturday, November 12. The Emmitsburg Food Bank is in need of the following food items: cake mixes, flour, sugar, cereal, Ramen noodles, peanut butter, canned meat, […]
Anita DiGregory As in year’s past, the metamorphosis began slowly early in the week. With steady deliveries of port-o-potties, new tents being constructed, and signs going up around town, the temporary makeover was gradually taking shape. By the morning of October 8, 2016, the conversion was complete. Thurmont’s quaint and quiet Community Park, and surrounding […]
On Saturday, September 24, 2016, Barkers 4 Blood Cancer, a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the Night team, held their annual Cornhole 4 A Cause Tournament fundraiser at the Emmitsburg Community Park. Twenty-one teams participated! They raised a total of $1,281— through a long-shot toss competition, a large raffle, and a 50/50, along with silent […]
Ninety-year-old couple, George and Helen Deluca, of Thurmont, don’t look or act their age. Helen has been an active volunteer with the Thurmont Senior Center and a long-time contributor to The Catoctin Banner, and George, after his retirement, stayed busy delivering meals from the Thurmont Senior Center to the homebound, as well as helping at […]
The Emmitsburg High School (EHS) Alumni Association held its 92nd annual banquet on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at the Emmitsburg Ambulance Company event facility. A social hour was held at 5:00 p.m., followed by dinner. One hundred eighty-nine graduates and attendees were part of the celebration. The program began with musical selections from Timeless Harmony […]
The Thurmont and Emmitsburg Community Show held its annual Pet Show on Saturday, September 10, 2016, at Catoctin High School. Prior to the show, a K-9 demonstration was held by the Thurmont Police Department and narcotics dog, Buddy. Dave Harman and Dave Johnston served as chairmen for this event. Jenny Humphries, an employee at Catoctin […]
by Theresa Dardanell Emmitsburg Public Works Department Before I met with the Director of the Emmitsburg Public Works Department, James Click, I thought I knew all of the responsibilities of the department. I was amazed at what I didn’t know. According to the website, the public works department “consists of the following public services: water […]
Deb Spalding In addition to serving as The Catoctin Banner’s Contributing Editor, and writing the monthly column “Looking Back” that appears in the Banner and four other newspapers, full-time freelance writer James Rada, Jr. is the author of 18 books. These include five historical novels, seven historical non-fiction books, and others exploring a wide range […]
Anita DiGregory In an effort to help families gain valuable information on staying healthy this school year, Thurmont Primary and Thurmont Elementary Schools joined forces on October 13 to host a fun and educational event, Health Night. Parents were invited to attend the interactive event, which consisted of four rotations of fifteen-minute presentations lead by […]
Theresa Dardanell The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) program at Thurmont Elementary School kicked off a new year with a pizza party on September 28, 2016. Lots of dads with their children attended the event to learn about the program, to enjoy some time together, and, of course, to eat pizza! Watch D.O.G.S. is […]
Theresa Dardanell Parents traded places with students at Emmitsburg Elementary School during Literacy Night on October 13, 2016. While students listened to a story and worked on crafts, parents were in the classrooms learning how to help their children succeed. As families arrived, they were greeted by Principal Mary Ann Wiles and the Emmitsburg Elementary […]
On September 1, 2016, the new owners of Silo Hill Car Wash in Emmitsburg presented Mother Seton School principal, Sister Brenda Monahan, D.C., with a $500 donation. The gift was the result of funds raised during the Mother Seton School Family Fun Day, held at the car wash in July. For five hours, one hundred […]
Cameron Rogers Members of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and Public Health Services were recognized at the annual Pilgrimage for the Sea Services Mass on October 2, 2016, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, D.C., and son […]
by Avie Hopcraft Fall, with its beautiful autumn colors, is flying by, and the winter season will soon be closing in on us. Catoctin has definitely been busy this past month, as well as the town of Thurmont. Colorfest was a blast, and Sunday was a gorgeous day to walk around to all the vendors. […]