On November 8, 2023, Thurmont Grange No. 409 held its annual Veterans Appreciation Program. The evening started with a welcome, given by Grange President, Niki Eyler. She stated that the Veterans being honored were “all honorable, upstanding, and respectable members of their families, churches, and communities.” Next, Thurmont American Legion Post 168 Commander Nick Middendorff […]
James Rada, Jr. Frederick County’s covered bridges are a beautiful part of Northern Frederick County. Utica Mills, Loy’s Station, and Roddy Road covered bridges are all within 12 miles of one another, and they are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. However, being historic has also caused problems for the bridges because […]
Deadline is January 26, 2024 Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) is accepting nominations for the school system’s 2024 Support Employee of the Year Awards. The awards recognize outstanding members of the FCPS support staff. Examples of staff classified as support employees are bus drivers and bus assistants; custodial, maintenance, and warehouse staff; instructional assistants, community […]
Congratulations to Austin Umbel of Emmitsburg for being the winner of the Thurmont Ambulance Company’s ATV fundraiser raffle in November.
Daniel Genemans is shown with some of the approximately 1,000 pumpkins and gourds collected from the town of Thurmont in the Second Annual Great Pumpkin Pick-Up event on November 25. Sponsored by the Thurmont Green Team to prevent pumpkins from going into the landfill and feed area farm and zoo animals, the pickup was made […]
Most Original 1st Place — Barbie by Shannon Poehler (241) 2nd Place — Mac & Cheese by Deliah Herrell (112) 3rd Place — Spider by Cooper Carter (367) Cutest 1st Place — Semba Baby by Lyla Green (215) 2nd Place — by Enora Ridenour (213) 3rd Place — by Emmy White (231) Scariest 1st Place […]
The Volunteer for Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Northern Frederick County group of volunteers will again offer free preparation of Federal and MD tax returns this coming spring. Starting January 23, 2024, you can call 301-471-5757 (the same phone number as last year) to make appointments for the first week in February 2024 or later. The […]
Dianne L. Walbrecker Here are the brief details about my terrible experience. I already reported this to Target, to the Frederick County Police, to my bank, to Xfinity, and to the FTC, but thought the community might want to know as well, to encourage others to be careful. It can happen to all of us. […]
In a triumph of storytelling and social impact, the groundbreaking PTSD911 Documentary has been honored with the prestigious Award of Excellence for Best Documentary Feature at the 2023 November Vegas Movie Awards. This recognition underscores the film’s powerful narrative and exceptional filmmaking, highlighting the profound impact it has had on both audiences and critics alike. […]
Eleven-year-old Emily Roberts of Thurmont recently decided to do a mission project at Weller United Methodist Church. Emily decided to make beaded bracelets and earrings and sell them to raise funds for the Thurmont Food Bank. She was able to raise $407, which was phenomenal! Weller United Methodist Church is very proud of Emily for […]
Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater will hold a public hearing regarding fiscal year 2025 Operating and Capital Budgets and the fiscal year 2025-2030 Capital Improvement Program at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 4. The public is invited to offer their suggestions and priorities for the upcoming budget year, which begins July 1, 2024. People can […]
Rodman Myers (shown left), president of the Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show, presented a check to Sabillasville Environmental School Principal Dawn Getzandanner, totaling $2,250, from cakes sold at the Community Show Youth Department: Grand Champion Misc. Baked Product by Caroline Clark and Junior Dept. Grand Champion Misc. Baked Product by Jeremiah Matthews, as well as […]
Members of the Thurmont Grange #409 recently presented dictionaries to all Northern Frederick County third-grade students. This is a community service project called “Words for Thirds,” and all of the third-grade students in the Catoctin feeder system received dictionaries (Sabillasville Environmental School, Lewistown, Thurmont, and Emmitsburg Elementary Schools). The Grange is an agricultural organization, which […]
Scholarships to help pay for winter athletic and sports activities or athletic camps are available to students in kindergarten through grade 12. The scholarships are funded by The Luke Clemens Bartlett Memorial Athletic Scholarship Fund, one of more than 790 component funds of The Community Foundation of Frederick County. The application and related information can […]
The National FFA convention is held every year and attracts FFA members from every state, including Alaska and Hawaii. The 96th National FFA Convention was held in Indianapolis, Indiana, from November 1-4, 2023. The convention theme was “Evolve.” While at the convention, 16 Catoctin FFA members joined over 72,900 other FFA members, advisors, and guests […]
A serial fiction story for your enjoyment written by James Rada, Jr. 1: Breakdown Stacy Lawrence glanced anxiously from the dashboard to the winding road ahead of her, as the temperature needle steadily climbed. She had been a teenage mom, but now she was trying for a fresh start. The rising gauge reminded her, though, […]
with Michael Betteridge Prediction: Christmas Will Come Early This Year Here in December, many of us are out shopping for Christmas gifts for our loved ones. Flush with the delicious smells of the Thanksgiving kitchen and basking in the glow of tryptophans, we pull out the wrapping paper, ribbons and bows and we start wrapping […]
by James Rada, Jr. December 1923, 100 Years Ago Infant Drowns in Creek Near Home The funeral of Charles Hewitt, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Hewitt, of Thurmont, who was drowned Saturday afternoon when he fell into a small stream near his home, will be held this afternoon. The child, who was aged […]
‘Twas The Week Before Christmas by Valerie & Randy Nusbaum ‘Twas the week before Christmas at the Nusbaum estate. I hate to admit it but things weren’t looking great. The stockings were waiting to be hung and filled, the gingerbread house we still needed to build. Randy was huddled in pain in the bed. He’d […]
The Woodpecker vs. Fort Ritchie Sitting atop South Mountain, Fort Ritchie helped save the world from the Nazis during World War II. However, the camp didn’t fare as well against woodpeckers. Fort Ritchie’s history dates back to 1889 when the Buena Vista Ice Company of Philadelphia purchased 400 acres on South Mountain. The company developed […]
“Helping You Find Plants That Work” Behind Mistletoe Everything You Did and Didn’t Need to Know About This Christmas Plant In Greek, Roman, and Celtic Druid history, mistletoe acted as a panacea- to cure poisons, illness, pain, and more. The most common folklore traced to this tradition comes from Norse Mythology. Baldur (Odin’s son) was […]
by Maxine Troxell While looking for a recipe to include in the December Banner issue, I came across my aunt Eileen’s gingerbread recipe. This recipe was included in one of my mother’s handwritten recipe books. She had a lot of her relatives’ recipes included, and most are handwritten. It’s interesting to see how some of […]
by Buck Reed Salsa The origins of salsa are straight forward. The sauce has its start dating back to the time of the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas who made a cold sauce with tomatoes peppers and herbs to eat with their daily meals and snacks. The dance gets its start in Cuba in the 40’s. […]
Ira H. Buhrman “Lost at Sea” by Richard D. L. Fulton Ira Harrison Buhrman was born on November 10, 1887, in Foxville (Frederick County), to parents Harvey Meade Buhrman, a farmer, and Theresa Need Buhrman. Buhrman had eight brothers and sisters (two apparently having died at birth). Buhrman resided in Foxville until his death and […]
What Is Calcium & Why Do We Need It? by Dr. Thomas K. Lo, Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center Calcium is a mineral your body needs to build and maintain strong bones and to carry out many important functions. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Almost all calcium in the […]