From the Mayor

Thurmont
Mayor John Kinnaird

I was in the medical lab one day last week getting my monthly bloodwork. I need to go regularly to make sure the chemotherapy drugs I am taking don’t damage my kidneys. While I was there, I heard a technician ask another patient about their bad sunburn. The patient said that they get a good sunburn at the beginning of the year as protection for their skin, and once it turns to a tan, they are safe for the year. Thankfully, the technician told them that a sunburn indicates damage to your skin, and it can lead to severe skin damage later in life.

Now that we are headed into summer, and as someone who has been fighting skin cancer for over 48 years, I have heard this “sunburn protects me” story too many times. To begin with, let me say that not everyone will develop skin cancer, but everyone damages their skin by getting burned and by long-term unprotected exposure to the sun. In my case, I remember getting burned once or twice in my early teens, and I never got a tan very well. My skin type makes me predisposed to severe skin damage and skin cancer. In my case, my journey with skin cancer started back in the early 1980s with an open spot on my back that just never healed. After several months, I finally went to see a dermatologist, who immediately cut the growth from my back and had it checked. It was a squamous cell cancer growth, and he said I would probably start seeing more of them. I was lucky enough to have gone to Dr. Larry Warner; he went to great lengths to explain what the cancer was and how it probably started. One of his earliest comments was that it probably started when I got burned as a teen. Skin cancer is the farthest thing from most people’s minds when they are sunbathing or working outdoors with no protection. I have worked my entire life outdoors, and although I have always worn long pants and long-sleeved shirts, I still managed to build up years of sun damage. To date, I have had over 40 surgeries on my arms, face, neck, back, ears, and scalp. Many of these were just little spots removed with a biopsy blade; others have required the removal of large areas of my scalp, all the way to my skull. I have had three of these major operations and have another one in the planning stages. I have had numerous full-body PET scans to help track the spread of my cancer, and went through a 30-plus day course of radiation treatments to stop cancer that couldn’t be removed from around the nerves and blood vessels in my scalp.

I remember Dr. Warner telling me that, generally, squamous cell carcinoma, if treated early, can be helped with topical meds or simple surgery. After treating me for two decades and removing over a dozen cancerous growths, he advised that I needed to move on to a more specialized treatment plan. My cancer had morphed into a severe form of squamous cell carcinoma that grows deep into the skin and can spread through your lymph nodes. He got me enrolled in the skin cancer program at Johns Hopkins, where I continue to receive treatments. The hardest part about skin cancer is that even after removing a portion of skin, it can still grow in the adjacent skin. This is the problem I have been facing for the past 30 years. This year, I have had a large, deep growth removed from my left neck and my right forearm. I just had another biopsy on a spot on my left hand that will probably require another surgery to remove. In March, I needed plastic surgery to repair damage to my left lower eyelid due to a surgery two years ago that removed all the flesh from my left cheek. I am still awaiting a final decision on removing another large portion of my scalp.

In short, please be careful when you or your loved ones are outdoors. Keep quality sunscreen on your kids and yourself, and wear protective clothing and hats. You can protect yourself and enjoy outdoor life!

Questions or comments? I am available by phone at 301-606-9458 or by email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com.

Emmitsburg
Mayor Frank Davis

I hope everyone is enjoying the spring weather. While it has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride, we have seen some much-needed rain and beautiful warm days. I want to start by giving you an update on current and upcoming projects.

I am sure by now most of you know that the Federal Avenue storm drain project is complete. Unfortunately, it took a little longer than expected due to some surprises we found during construction. Our staff and contractor, Hobbs Excavating, developed an innovative design to work around some unknown infrastructure piping. I want to thank the community for being patient, and we hope you are pleased with the outcome.

As you travel up Hampton Valley Road towards Rainbow Lake, you have noticed a new structure just prior to the lake. The new building houses our water clarifier that performs an initial treatment of lake water before it reaches the water treatment plant. Before the clarifier went online, staff were required to backwash the filters at the treatment plant twice daily. This procedure was not only time-consuming but also used a considerable amount of treated water. With the completion of the project, we are cleaning the filters once weekly, which is saving the town thousands of dollars weekly. This project was started during the leadership of Mayor Briggs and funded with ARPP grant money. Thank you, Mayor Briggs, for your forward thinking and for using the one-time funding wisely.

I have had lots of inquiries pertaining to the North Seton Avenue project. We have submitted all updated plans to the State of Maryland and are waiting on the thumbs-up to move some dirt.

We have received correspondence that federal funding has been put into the budget to assist with the waterline replacement of North Seton Avenue Extended. This is the line that provides service to about 12 properties outside the town limits. If you remember, we had several breaks in line last winter, and it is in desperate need of replacement.

A new scoreboard has been installed on the main Little League field in Community Park. The old board was almost 30 years old and was beyond repair. Ninety percent of the project was grant-funded and is ready just in time for the busy baseball season.

I hope you have noticed the flower beds on the square corners are full of color and sure have brightened up the downtown area. I want to thank Bonnie Fuss and her team for purchasing and planting the flowers. They have teamed up with several business owners and citizens to keep the beds watered and weeded throughout the summer season.

I would like to welcome Brian Wagner to our town staff. Brian is our new Town Planner and brings a wealth of experience and expertise and has hit the ground running. He will be working for the next few weeks with our current planner, Najila Ahsan, who is departing to further her education at Harvard University. Working together, they will provide a seamless transition in providing our citizens with professional service.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Project Management class presentation at Mt St Mary’s University. All four presentations were based on projects that directly impacted the Emmitsburg community. Each group had to plan, budget, execute and evaluate the success of their project.

Projects included coordination of a monthly community meal, developing a workshop for the Daughters of Charity and promoting the Seton Center, and the Frederick County Transit Bus Service for the Emmitsburg area. This is just another shining example of what the Mount students give back to our community. After attending the presentations, I took the time to think about the positive impact the students in general have had on our community. From shoveling snow to helping with yard work, participating in our Halloween and Christmas programs, working in our elementary schools, joining our local fire department, and tutoring high school students.

While I understand there have been a few days when their parties got a little loud or ran a little late, please think about all the good they bring to our town. Also, take a minute to ask yourself what you have done lately to help our community.

Unfortunately, again this month, I will close by remembering another close friend and a pillar in the Emmitsburg and Thurmont communities, whom we recently lost. Rodman Myers, who dedicated his life to farming and serving our communities in so many ways, has left a void that I am not sure can be filled. As you drive south on Route 15 just past Lohr Road, you look to the right at the beautiful farm, with the mountain as a backdrop, and that tells you all you need to know about Mr. Myers. His pride in his work cannot be described in words but can be seen in the picture-perfect scenery. With too many accomplishments to mention, Mr. Myers is best known as the co-founder of the Thurmont/Emmitsburg Community Show. They say there is a silver lining in the loss of a great person, and for Mr. Myers, it is the work ethic that he taught his family, and I know they will continue the Myers’ traditions. On behalf of the Town of Emmitsburg, we offer our prayers and condolences to the Myers family.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns or just want to chat, please give me a call.

Recommended Tax Rate and Proposed Budget

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners recommended that the property tax rate for the fiscal year 2027 be 34.64 cents per $100 of assessed value. This is both the current rate and the constant yield tax rate.

The tax rate was used to develop the new budget, which begins on July 1. The proposed general fund is $2.8 million. The water fund budget is $1.2 million, and the sewer fund budget is $1.4 million.

Town Manager Cathy Willetts also delivered a hard truth to the commissioners about why the budget is so tight. “We need growth,” she said. She said stagnant growth in town has minimized revenue increases while costs continue to rise faster.

The board will vote on the budget and tax rate this month.

Town To Purchase Flashing Speed Limit Signs

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to transfer $20,000 left over in the last year’s Sheriff’s Office Contract line item to pay for the purchase of six mobile flashing speed limit signs and 11 poles to be used throughout the town to help curb speeding.

Re-bidding for Planning Services

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners turned down their single bid for planning services for the Subdivision and Zoning Ordinance Update. The bid from the Berkley Group was $180,200. Town Manager Cathy Willets recommended not accepting the bid and, instead, put rebid the contract with a targeted strategy.

Town Purchases Generator for the Water Clarifier

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a change order to add a generator to the water clarifier for a cost of $64,517.18. The generator won’t cost the town anything because it is funded by the town’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.

Town Approves Developing Natural Surface Trails

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners recently approved moving forward with developing 3.2 miles of natural surface trails on The Scott Road Farm. Professional builders will design the trail, and volunteers will help with the construction. The new trails will continue to attract bicyclists to the town, especially youth bikers and adaptive mountain bikers. The plan is to develop the trails in three phases: trail construction, parking and a new rider skills area, and restrooms.