Around TownRocky Ridge Volunteer Fire Company Open HouseDrop by the Rocky Ridge Fire Company and help celebrate its 75th Anniversary on October 19, from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m., beginning at  2:00 p.m. Additional activities include face painting, demonstrations, and fire injury prevention information. Light refreshments will be served and anniversary apparel will be available for sale.…

Alisha Yocum “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”  ~Mark Twain “Pomp and Circumstance” filled the air as 156…

The Thurmont High School Alumni Association will hold its annual banquet on Saturday, June 10, at the Thurmont Event Complex, located at 13716 Strafford Drive, which is just off Lawyer’s Lane, from Route 550 (south of Thurmont).  Frederick County COVID-19 rules will be followed.  New this year, we will recognize all cheerleaders to stand at…

Courtesy Photo On December 3, 2022, a fundraiser pickleball tournament for Brandi Bubzyck of Thurmont was held at the Talley Recreation Center in Frederick. Brandi is a two-time, double-lung recipient. In 2016, she attended the Transplant Games of American and took first place in the ping-pong competition. She wanted to return in 2020 to compete,…

On October 13, 2021, Thurmont Grange #409 held its annual Veterans Appreciation Program. Grange member Niki Eyler stated that the Veterans being honored were, “all honorable, upstanding, and respectable members of their families, churches, and communities.”  A special recognition of Veteran and past-Granger, Ralph Fornwald, was given by Cheryl Lenhart. Ralph was born August 30,…

Blair Garrett There’s no doubt that the way businesses have had to operate has changed forever. More people than ever before are finding new ways to make their careers compatible with the world around us. The ability for so many different industries to work remotely has revolutionized the way businesses operate, and it may only…

Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) Food and Nutrition Services started distributing “to-go” breakfast and lunch to anyone in the community, 18 years old or younger, in June. Those over 18 who are enrolled in an educational program for people with disabilities can also be served. FCPS will distribute enough to-go breakfast and lunch meals for…

Stories of What It’s Like Returning Home After 25 Years by dave ammenheuser How do you honor the death of a loved one in the midst of a pandemic? It’s not easy. When my parents, John and Elizabeth Ammenheuser, died in the last few months of 2020, our family faced many difficult decisions. Among the…

On Saturday, March 20, 2021, the Easter spirit was evident at Thurmont United Methodist Church (TUMC)! From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the Easter Bunny and Duck paid a visit to TUMC and took pictures with children from the Thurmont Community. With a little help from Catoctin High School (CHS) cheerleaders and members of TUMC,…

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…

Girl Scout Troop 81069 volunteered at the Black Mountain View Farm Draft Rescue in Thurmont in October to complete their Bronze Service Award. The girls learned all about the horse rescue on Whates Lane in Thurmont, which takes in draft horses from auctions, kill pens, neglection, and from people who cannot care for them anymore.…

Deb Abraham Spalding You may have wondered what the chain link “cages” are in Emmitsburg Community Park. They’re actually the “holes” that you “shoot” for in a game of golf—disc golf, that is! Like the game of golf that is played with clubs and balls, this version plays with discs like Frisbees®. Tally the number…

James Rada, Jr. For the first time since the Frederick County Board of Education put off making a decision about whether to close Sabillasville Elementary School (SES), the board discussed the topic during its work session. Some of the possible ways to keep the school open include: Using the school as an agricultural center; Turning…

Deb Abraham Spalding Catoctin-area natives, Kevin Wantz and Andy Adelsberger, know what it’s like to be through boot camp. Having served in the United States Marine Corps and as a policeman with the Frederick County Sheriff’s Department, Kevin carried the integrity of his duty to become the foundation of the construction company he started in…

The Jack and Shirley Little Scholarship Fund at Mother Seton School (MSS) will continue to help families seeking an affordable Catholic education for years to come, thanks to the efforts of the Little Family. Tony Little, Scott Little, Pam Bolin (Little), MaryLou Little, and Ed Little presented MSS Principal Sr. Brenda Monahan, D.C. with a…

What Goes Up Must Come Down by Christine Maccabee The chilly, windy rainstorms of May and June are over, with much flooding and sadly loss of life and property in Ellicott City, Frederick City, and elsewhere. The humid weather has now set in, which, of course, breeds gnats, mosquitoes, and other tiny flying pests; yet,…

James Rada, Jr. It was a long time coming, but a new Mr. Catoctin was chosen on April 5, 2018. Scott Little earned the title after displaying talent, creativity, and an ability to fundraise for Catoctin High School Safe & Sane at the 6th Annual Mr. Catoctin Pageant. “The experience was pretty awesome, and, obviously,…