The Frederick County Division of Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the Farm Museum Association of Frederick County, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, June 6, to celebrate the official opening of the new Seed to Harvest Building at Rose Hill Manor Park. “Frederick County’s agricultural heritage is the foundation of our community,” said County…

Elias Lutheran Church is expanding its partnership with Blessings in a Backpack Frederick Chapter to provide weekend food bags for children enrolled in the newly established YMCA Head Start program in Emmitsburg. For the past two years, Elias Lutheran Church has supported Blessings in a Backpack’s work at Emmitsburg Elementary School, helping provide hunger-free weekends…

The Catoctin High School Class of 1976 will be holding its 50-year Class Reunion on Saturday, September 19, beginning at noon. Invites will be going out soon, so please update your information as soon as possible. Please include your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. You can send the information to dgills1@verizon.net or…

Members of Trinity Church recently gathered at Mountain Gate Restaurant to celebrate and recognize two individuals whose dedication, hard work, and leadership helped shape one of the church’s most successful fundraising traditions: Russ Delauter and Tootie Lenhart. Susan Clabaugh, a longtime friend and fellow volunteer, reflected on the pair’s remarkable contributions, which began nearly five…

Maxine troxell The annual banquet and meeting of the Thurmont High School Alumni Association was held at the Rocky Ridge Fire Company Activities building on Saturday, June 6, beginning at 3;00 p.m. There were 147 in attendance. President Ron Pearcey (‘64) welcomed everyone at 4:00 p.m. and led the pledge to the flag, followed by…

By this time of year, your garden is likely producing a variety of fresh vegetables for your family to enjoy. As you begin harvesting your bounty, it’s also the perfect time to start planning your entries for the Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show, which will be held at Catoctin High School on September 11-13. The…

Exploring potential career opportunities through in-person engagement was the focus of the Fort Ritchie Community Center’s Teen Summit. More than 60 teens participated in the event, which featured a keynote speaker, a catered lunch, door prizes, and representatives from 35 different career fields. Participants heard from keynote speaker Jeremiah Reynolds, who shared how a series…

By Joan Bittner Fry In 1885, Robert Rennert founded the enormous Rennert Hotel in Baltimore, which boasted six stories and 150 personal rooms. Inside, Rennert filled the hotel with elaborate decor, adding everything from marble and fresco to the use of Edison’s electricity. The construction of the Rennert Hotel filled Baltimore city officials with hope…

A Community Garden Party and Ribbon Cutting was held at the Emmitsburg Community Garden on Saturday, May 30, at 9:00 a.m. The event celebrated the second round of improvements to the garden. Light refreshments were provided. The Green Team hosted a seed-planting activity. The project was funded by a $13,000 Sustainable Maryland grant. The grant…

When school is out for the summer, many children lose access to the free and reduced-price meals they rely on during the school year. To help bridge that gap, Seton Center is offering its Helping Hands: Feeding Youth in the Valley service, providing free nonperishable food assistance to families with school-aged children throughout the summer…

June was a very busy month at the Legion! We presented scholarships to six graduates of Catoctin High School. The Sons Annual Car Show had 87 entries, the Annual Golf Tournament had 21 Teams (84 golfers), and the days were beautiful! Installation of new officers was held for the Legionnaires, Sons, and Auxiliary. So, come…

Come out to Thurmont AMVETS Post 7, located at 26 Apples Church Road in Thurmont, for lunch and dinner every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m., with weekly specials Wednesday through Saturday, from noon to 7:00 p.m. Check out the Friday Night Special: Bucket of Domestic Beer and an appetizer for…

Catoctin Banner editor James Rada Jr. won an award for his column writing at the the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press (MDDC) Association on May 8. Rada is also a columnist for the Frederick News-Post, writing a weekly history column called “Frederick County Rewind.” His column “Thurmont Cat Lady lived in a bus” won 2nd place in the…

Tara Miller Nominated by Linda Reed by Alisha Yocum With her warm smile and welcoming demeanor, it is easy to see how Tara Miller is making an impact on the community. Over the years, Miller has worked in a variety of careers, including serving as a kindergarten teacher and working in both a veterinary clinic…

The Fort Ritchie Community Center recently hosted a Fun Run/Walk along with a Health & Wellness on May 16.  The 5K winners were: 1st Place—Dave and Rosie Lehr (center), 2nd Place—James Summers (left), and 3rd Place—Dean Petersen (right).

VFW John R. Webb Post 3285 conducted its 2026 VFW National Day of Service by participating in a stream cleanup on May 9 (pictured above) with The City of Frederick Sustainability Department. The group collected 1,500-plus pounds of trash from the Rock Creek stream in Frederick. A team of 34 volunteers came together to make…

Nicholas Miller (pictured right) of Thurmont was recognized for academic excellence during Hamilton College’s annual Class & Charter Day ceremony on May 12. Miller received The Holbrook Prize in Biology, an award presented to seniors who achieve the strongest academic records in six biology courses. The honor is one of several academic and scholarly achievement…

By Alisha Yocum Richard Troxell grew up in Thurmont before attending the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, where he graduated and went on to build a career as a tenor opera singer performing around the world. Troxell, who had recently finished his role as Dr. Caius in Falstaff in Philadelphia, was back in Thurmont…

The Thurmont Grange #409 held its annual Community Citizen and Grange Membership Awards Dinner on Monday, April 13. In addition to recognizing Grangers who have reached milestones in their years of membership, the Grange honors an individual or group that strives to make a difference by giving back to our community. This year, Vickie Grinder,…

by Thomas Minnick Have you ever considered being a part of something that is bigger than any of us? Something that makes a true difference in our community and people’s lives. Being a member of Guardian Hose Company is not just about answering emergency calls and participating in fundraising events; it is about being a…