From the Mayor
THURMONT
Mayor John Kinnaird
August is upon us, and with it will come some of the hottest days we will probably see this year. When temperatures reach the 90s and above, be sure to stay indoors whenever possible and stay hydrated if you are outdoors. Heat stroke and heat exhaustion are both dangerous conditions. Heat exhaustion can cause dizziness, thirst, heavy sweating, nausea, and weakness. When the symptoms occur, get hydrated by sipping cool water and get into a cooler location. If symptoms do not improve, seek help. Heat stroke causes confusion, dizziness, and unconsciousness. If someone you are with exhibits these symptoms, call 911 first, then move them to a cooler location, loosen their clothing, and cool them with water or ice. Even when it’s hot outdoors, please be sure to wear sunscreen, a hat, long sleeves, and long pants whenever possible. One of the primary causes of skin cancer is damage from sun exposure. A sunburn today could result in skin cancer later in life. My first experience with skin cancer was 40 years ago, when my doctor told me that it probably started with a sunburn when I was a youngster.
As someone who has been fighting skin cancer for almost 40 years, I encourage you to take this advice to heart. Skin cancer is dangerous and can require surgery, radiation treatment, and chemotherapy. I don’t want anyone to experience the pain and suffering skin cancer brings, especially when the majority of skin cancers can be avoided by protecting yourself from sun damage.
School will be starting later this month, and kids will be walking and riding bikes to and from school, others will be catching a school bus, and many will be dropped off by parents. Please be aware of our children as they make their way to school, especially at pedestrian crossings and at intersections; they may not be aware of vehicles approaching. Traffic near schools will be heavy in the morning and afternoon, so be sure to allow for additional time if you need to drive past schools or maybe plan to take a different route. Maryland Law requires you to stop when a school bus activates its red flashing lights. School buses have cameras that are activated when the lights come on. The penalty for passing a school bus when it is picking up or discharging children is severe.
I am happy to announce that the Community Park tennis court has been completed and is now open. The entire court is new, including the playing surface, nets, fencing, and lights. The court is painted with both tennis and pickleball lines. As previously, there will be an equipment box at the entrance to the court with pickleball nets. The box is usually locked. You can contact the town office at 301-271-7313 for instructions to access the equipment box. The tennis courts are for tennis and pickleball only; you must be wearing sneakers while on the court. Pets are not permitted on the court, and the gates should be kept closed at all times.
If you haven’t been to the Thurmont Main Street Farmers Market, I encourage you to stop by on Saturday mornings, from 9:00 a.m. until noon. The market is held in the Community Park and features an amazing number of vendors, offering a wide range of fresh fruit, veggies, hot food, beverages, hand crafts, eggs, soaps, fresh cut flowers, and many other items. The market has been voted the Best Farmers Market in Frederick County. Stop in and you will see why!
The old Thurmont Bank building on the square has been completely remodeled and is now open. There are apartments on the upper floors, an event space on the ground floor, and commercial space on the lower floor. This project is something we have all been waiting for since the Bank of America closed many years ago. I am especially pleased to see that the renovations have not changed the exterior appearance of the building. This building has been the cornerstone of our community since it was built in 1891. These renovations will ensure it continues to be a distinctive and valued part of our community well into the future.
Karen and I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable August! As always, I can be reached by phone at 301-606-9458 or by email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com.
Emmitsburg
Mayor Frank Davis
Due to a scheduled vacation, Mayor Davis is unavailable to write his Mayor’s message for this edition. He will return next month with double the news!
Woodsboro
Burgess Heath Barnes
Greetings! It’s hard to believe it is August already. Summer went by so quickly. This month, kids are going back to school, so the buses will be back running soon. Please use caution when out driving.
At our July 8 town meeting, there was not a lot on the agenda, so the meeting was short. We did, however, discuss the pending pond restoration and are actively obtaining estimates to understand what the cost will be so that we can actively seek grants. We also discussed the very packed community events calendar that the community events committee has put together. The events include food trucks in the park on the second and fourth Monday of each month. Our two events in July were very successful. We also added yard games and things for families at the events that were enjoyed by many.
We are excited to announce that we will be having our first movie night in the park on August 9 at 6:00 p.m., with activities. The movie will begin at dusk, around 8:00 p.m. The movie that will be shown will be Dogman. Please view the advertisement here in this month’s paper on page 43.
We are also actively planning Woodsboro Days, which will be on October 18, from Noon to 5:00 p.m. We have added a petting zoo, pumpkin painting, face painting, and more for the kids this year. In addition, we will once again have bands on the stage all day, food trucks, beer, wine, and a moonshine garden for the adults. We will also have a vendor section again this year, so if you are a vendor, please reach out to me to secure your spot, as we limit it to the first 20 vendors.
We are continuing to have dirt bikes and other motorized bikes ridden in the park. The rules in the park state that no motorized vehicles are allowed for safety reasons. Please refrain from riding these in the park, or if they are your children who are doing it, please have them stop. This is for safety reasons and to maintain the beauty in the park.
As always, I encourage everyone to support Glade Valley Community Services (GVCS) if you have clothes or food donations, as they are always in need of items for members of the community. For more information, please contact GVCS by email at gvcs.inc@verizon.net or call 301-845-0213.
If you have any questions, concerns, complaints, or compliments, please feel free to reach out to me at hbarnes@woodsboro.org or by phone at 301-401-7164.
Woodsboro town meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. In addition, planning and zoning meetings are at 6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the month, as needed. If you have an item for the agenda, it needs to
be submitted 14 days before the P&Z meeting. The current location for meetings is the St. Johns United Church of Christ, located at 8 N. 2nd Street, Woodsboro, MD 21798. The public is always invited to attend.
