From the Mayor
Emmitsburg
Mayor Don Briggs
Was it protracted summer or second spring? There was no break in the weather to accommodate a resurgent Indian summer. Our plants and foliage (along with Lib and I) enjoyed the opportunity to rebloom and grow. Then, finally the feel of fall swept in for a morning walk in mid-October. It is time. Time to close out gardens and restock compost bins with fallen leaves.
I greeted 25-plus members of Gettysburg Walking Club (GWC) down for a walkabout and lunch at the Carriage House Inn on a beautiful day. Thank you, Dee Conley, a town resident GWC member, for bringing business and exposure to the town.
Maryland Department of Planning reported census data from 2010 to 2020 reflected the population of Frederick County increased 16.4 percent. As a result, our Northern Frederick County Council District 5 will be redistricted to include precincts from a more-populated adjoining district. We live in the largest district, but also the least populated. The goal of the election board was, “to bring the proportion of the county’s population within each council district to as close to 20 percent as possible. The proposal would bump the District 5 proportion from less than 18 percent to more than 19 percent and decrease the District 2 proportion from more than 21 percent to 19.5 percent, changing it from the most populous district to the second least populous.”
I was honored to attend and speak at the groundbreaking for the Frederick Health—Mount care facility. The facility will serve not only Mount students but also residents of Northern Frederick County. The facility will be located on the university land at the corner of Annandale Road and Old Emmitsburg Road, across from the School Security office. It is much-needed and an important part of enhancing the town and Northern Frederick County social infrastructure. In addition to primary care, blood testing and special testing (i.e. mammary exams) will now be available more conveniently in our “neck of the woods.”
So, what is this MS4 that keeps coming up at town meetings? Well, welcome to the governmental proclivity for what sometimes feels like bloated self-defining program acronyms. MS4 is not a British spy intelligence agency. MS4 is “Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System.” Fundamentally, it addresses the concern of protecting the cornucopia the Chesapeake Bay affords us. President Obama, through executive order, elevated the necessity to protect the bay. All of Maryland, except a small sliver of western Garrett County, is included with parts of six states and the District of Columbia in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
“MS4 Permit is a permit administered by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to carry out the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, implemented by the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA). The NPDES program aims to restore and protect the U.S. waterways. To meet these requirements, MDE issues MS4 permits with the aim to reduce and eliminate pollution because of rainfall runoff. Frederick County is in its fourth generation of the NPDES – MS4 permitting going back to 1997.”
The Seton Family Store plans to hold a Christmas Craft Fair & Open House on Saturday, November 27, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Free Wi-Fi connection and electricity is available to stands. There are limitations, indoor spaces, caps on categories (e.g., number of jewelry artisans). Spaces are offered on a first-confirmed basis. Interested handmade artisans, crafters and/or food vendors wanting to register for spaces, please go to www.SetonCenter.org/Christmas. Cut-off for applications is the close of business on Saturday, November 13.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving with family, and get ready to set the table for Christmas.
Thurmont
Mayor John Kinnaird
Thurmont is holding elections for Mayor and two Commissioners the day after I wrote this article. I look forward to serving with the newly elected Commissioners, as we work together to make Thurmont the best it can be!
Colorfest has come and gone for another year, and considering we missed last year, it was a great success. I hope all our nonprofits did well this year. All of our churches, civic groups, Scouts, the Guardian Hose Company, the Thurmont Ambulance Company, and others depend on Colorfest for a large portion of their annual income. Next year, things should be back to normal and Colorfest will be back again.
The Skate Board Park is now open and is an extremely popular place! I want to thank the members of the Thurmont Skate Park Commission for their hard work to help this become a reality. A special thanks to Stacie Zelenka and Kiersten Dugan for their amazing guidance in getting the park up and running. Finally, thanks to everyone that helped by making donations, the Thurmont Board of Commissioners for their full support of the project, and Jim Humerick for staying on top of everything while this dream came to life.
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! If you are traveling for Thanksgiving, please be careful. I encourage everyone to consider making a donation to the Thurmont or Emmitsburg Food Banks so that our less fortunate family, friends, and neighbors can enjoy a happy Thanksgiving dinner.
Christmas in Thurmont is coming up fast. Keep your eyes open for more information about our Christmas tree lighting, the annual train display, the Christmas decorating contest, and other fun holiday events.
Please remember that every Friday evening, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., the Frederick County Health Department is offering COVID-19 vaccinations and testing at the Town Office. They are set up in the parking lot and typically have the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. If you are eligible, they will also administer boosters.
If you have any questions, comments, complaints, or compliments, I can be contacted by phone at 301-606-9458 or via email at [email protected].
