This Means War by Valerie Nusbaum I heard a shriek followed by maniacal laughter, and I knew what it meant. The squirrel was back. Poor Randy has been fighting a losing battle with a very clever squirrel over a bird feeder filled with seed. The bird feeder was a birthday gift from my brother, and […]
by James Rada, Jr. March 1921, 100 Years Ago Will Institute Lodge To-night, March 31, a Rebekah Lodge, an organization growing out of the I. O. O. F., will be instituted in Thurmont. This organization is composed principally of ladies–wives, sisters and mothers of Odd Fellows. Girls over 18 years of age and not of […]
My Exciting Trip of a Lifetime By Maxine Troxell This is a new feature that will continue with community contribution. Tell us your story about your most memorable vacation, your trip of a lifetime, and it may be featured in a future edition of The Catoctin Banner! It’s December 2007, and I had just heard […]
by Ana Morlier, The Crazy Plant Lady Dear Gardening Gangster, I have some succulents that I need advice on caring for. My house (during the winter) is warmed by a woodstove—a dry heat source. The leaves are falling off one of my succulents. The stem is still green, but the top is coming off. My […]
by Christine Maccabee Seed Savers Most people who have been gardening for many years already have their favorite seeds in mind for planting this spring, be they hybrid or non-hybrid. It can be a bit bewildering when looking through the various seed catalogs, as there are so many varieties of seeds to choose from. However, […]
by Priscilla Rall Oscar Sykes was born in 1916 in Catoctin Furnace to William and Carrie Ann Stackhouse Sykes. His father was a lumberman from Canada whose own father was killed by a falling tree while working as a lumberjack. Oscar was one of three sons and two daughters. William died in 1919 when Oscar […]
The Year is…1879 A Pleasant Fall Ride Through Emmitsburg by James Rada, Jr. In early October 1879, Samuel Motter, publisher of the Emmitsburg Chronicle, took a ride around Emmitsburg with a friend. “All the world knows that the drives, calculated to afford pleasure and delight, are very numerous around Emmitsburg, and the heart which is […]
Things A Good Cook Should Be Able To Do: 2021 Edition by Buck Reed Time to face facts, and the fact is, the times, they are a-changin’. I get the fact that I am old, and we are not going back to what was once considered familiar. I remember sitting at the counter of a […]
Helpful Hints for Those With Kidney Stones Kidney stones are hard, pebble-like pieces of material that form in one or both of your kidneys when high levels of certain minerals are in your urine. Kidney stones vary in size and shape. They may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as […]
jEanne Angleberger Today’s food shopping requires nutrition knowledge. So, let’s take a look at some nutrition facts before we food shop the next time. This chart defines caloric value, fat, sodium, sugar, cholesterol, and fiber content. This criteria is based on FDA labeling and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. If the tag reads [one below], […]
Great Festivals Worth Putting on Your “Bucket List” by Barb Cline, Your Personal Travel Professional A festival is a place where people looking to have a great time can dance, listen to great music, celebrate, party, have fun, and relax. They happen all over the world for many different reasons. Some celebrate religion, some the […]
Blair Garrett For everyone of us who is “in love” with a furry, loyal, and loving pet, let’s take a moment this Valentine’s Day to reflect on why we’re so crazy about our pets…and maybe why our four-legged friend may be a better Valentine than a love interest. For those of us riding solo this […]
Joan Bittner Fry Last week a fellow knocked on my door. With him, he had a spiral composition book. After introducing himself as Richard Lantz, he explained that the book was found among his parents’ (the late Helen and Dick Lantz of Sabillasville) effects and thought I might be interested in having it. I always […]
Blair Garrett The Hagerstown Town and Country Almanack is a wonderful resource of astronomy, meteorology, and rich information. Studying science and trends has led to a long and fruitful career for Bill O’Toole, who is the now-retired weather Prospector Emeritus of the Hagerstown Almanack. In fact, O’Toole was the Almanack’s longest-serving Prognosticator for one of […]
Jayden Myers, Eighth-Grade Student at Thurmont Middle School As COVID-19 continues to spread around the globe, it has left many establishments and businesses closed down, including schools. Following the closings of schools, students and teachers began using an alternative to in-person classes in the form of virtual school. This has been a hard transition for […]
A local group of 11 players and three coaches from Thurmont Little League have teamed up to plan the baseball trip of a lifetime in August 2021. The team, consisting of players ages 10 through 12, will participate in the prestigious Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournament in Cooperstown, New York. This tournament is well known nationwide […]
Thurmont Little League (TLL) has stayed busy during its brief offseason. When the fall season ended, construction immediately began on improvements around the complex. The most noticeable difference is the addition of TLL’s new sign at the entrance just off Westview Drive. This sign was made possible by several local sponsors and was a 100-percent […]
A Sweet Ride by James rada Jr., Blair Garrett, and deb abraham spalding Just last year, Valentine’s Day meant giving personalized Valentine’s cards to our classmates and families; snacking on sweets like Smarties®, SweetTarts®, and heart-shaped chocolates; and declaring our love with flowers and engagements. This year is going to look a lot different, with […]
Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs With the new year comes Emmitsburg onlyinourstate.com recognizing Emmitsburg as one of “The 10 most beautiful, charming small towns in Maryland.” Congratulations! Thank you to former Emmitsburg Mayor Ralph Irlan for bringing this to our attention. Adding to that good news, the following grants are now in process: FY21 Two Mini […]
by James Rada, Jr. Emmitsburg Trying to Make Vaccine Convenient As Frederick County rolls out its vaccination program, town staff is trying to get a vaccination location in the northern end of the county. Currently, the closest place to receive a COVID-19 vaccine is in Frederick. Since many of the people receiving the early vaccinations […]
Recently, members of the Thurmont Grange met to prepare fruit baskets for area shut-ins for the holiday season. Approximately 40 fruit baskets, containing fruit, canned items, apple butter, crossword puzzles, and other canned and packaged items, were made and distributed to various persons in the surrounding area. Many thanks to Catoctin Mountain Orchard for donating […]
In Frederick County, as of January 21, 2021, over 12,000 residents have received their first vaccination for COVID-19. Currently, the county is vaccinating people in group 1A and those who are 75 years and older who live or work in Frederick County. Residents who are interested in receiving the vaccine must visit the website at […]
The Thurmont Lions Club had another great opportunity to hold a fundraiser to help in giving back to the community to support local and charitable organizations during COVID-19. The club conducted its first fudge fundraiser on December 19, 2020, just in time for the holidays. They sold vanilla, chocolate, peanut butter, maple, eggnog, and peppermint […]
This past Christmas, the Thurmont Lions Club had the opportunity to give the residents at St. Joseph’s Nursing Home a smile during Christmas. During these difficult times, many nursing home residents do not have the opportunity to receive the love they normally would. So, the Thurmont Lions Club wanted to show them some love during […]
written by James Rada, Jr. A new serial fiction romance story for your enjoyment 1: Angels When he recalled this day, Caleb Sachs was sure he would tell people Heaven had whispered to him, and in doing so, created the blustery wind that seemed to tell him, “Look! An angel.” No one would mistake Caleb […]