From the Mayor

THURMONT

Mayor John Kinnaird

Karen and I hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas with family and friends, and that the New Year brings good health and happiness. 

The New Year is traditionally a time when we make resolutions about changing things in our lives, like losing weight, spending more time with our family, saving money, learning a new skill, and many others. This year, I resolve to be more helpful to my friends, neighbors, and family. I have come to this desire through my work as one of Santa’s many helpers.

As someone who has the privilege of hearing the most secret wishes and desires of hundreds of children and many adults, I can tell you that many more are in need this year than at any time in the past. My conversations usually center around toys, clothing, jewelry, red Corvettes, and other luxury items. This year, I have noticed a real uptick in children asking Santa to help their parents get a job, to help cure an illness, to bring their family together, for good food and clothing for their family, and other things children would not normally ask for. I have also seen an increase in children asking that their schoolmates, relatives, and friends receive more gifts, which indicates to me that our children are fully aware of the struggles many families face daily. I will point out that these requests come from adults as well as children. Many adults are facing difficulties and are willing to share their wishes for a better life with Santa. It can be heartbreaking listening to some of the requests. Knowing the difficult times many are facing, and with the coldest months ahead of us, I ask that each of you join with me and do what we can to help those in our community who are less fortunate than we are. Your donations to the Thurmont Food Bank, the Thurmont Clothes Closet, and other local organizations will help bring comfort and joy to those in need.

As a history buff, I want to correct a misunderstanding of how my time as mayor stacks up against our previous mayors. I have served for 12 years, and, at the end of this term, I will have been mayor for 16 years. That seems like a long time, but in truth, it pales in comparison to others.

Mayor Jacob Cover continues to hold the record as the longest-serving mayor with 19 years of service (1876 and 1881-1898), including the record for serving as mayor for the longest continuous number of years: 18 (1881-1898).

Mayor William Stoner continues to be the second longest-serving mayor with 18 years of service (1924-1927 and 1931-1944) as mayor, not including an additional four years as town commissioner (1919-1922).

Currently, Mayor James Black holds the record as the third longest-running mayor with 16 years of service (1969-1976 and 1979-1987), not including the additional 2½ years (05-01-1967 through 10-31-1969) he served as a commissioner.

As with those who served before me, we are not interested in how long we serve, but rather that we serve our community to the best of our ability. It is my honor to be included in the list of mayors of the Town of Thurmont. My thanks to Nancy Rice for compiling the list of mayors from the municipal records in November 1984 during her service with the Town of Thurmont.

As always, I am available by phone at 301-606-9458 and by email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com.

Emmitsburg

Happy New Year, Emmitsburg! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and found time to spend with family and friends.

This month, I want to take a moment to look back on 2025 and share our plans for 2026.

A Successful 2025

This past year saw the completion of several long-awaited projects. If there is one thing I have learned in local government, it is that nothing happens fast, but hard work and persistence get us to the finish line.

One of our biggest accomplishments was the approval of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan. This plan is the roadmap for our future and outlines how to reach our goals. I want to extend a special thank-you to our Town Planner, Najila Ahsan, who led this effort with dedication and skill.

Other completed projects include:

     Completion of the DePaul Street water/sewer project.

     Opening of the new concession stand at E. Eugene Myers Park.

     Completion and acceptance of the wastewater pump station on Creamery Road.

     Awarding the contract for the North Seton Avenue Waterline Replacement and Green Street Project.

     Completion of the water clarifier project at Rainbow Lake.

     Rebuilding of the dam catwalk at Rainbow Lake.

     Continued relining of wastewater lines.

     Purchase of 113 South Seton Avenue for parking and a small recreational area.

We accomplished a great deal, and we’re not slowing down.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Project plans for the coming year include:

     Construction of the North Seton Avenue Waterline Replacement and Green Street Project.

     Design of the West Main Street Waterline Replacement Project.

     Replacing the waterline on North Seton Avenue beyond town limits.

     Continuing discussions with Mount Saint Mary’s University on expanding drinking water capacity.

     Beginning planning for the Downtown Revitalization Project.

     Beginning mandated repairs at Rainbow Lake dam.

     Continuing work with several potential development projects.

I hope you are as excited as I am about our progress and the opportunities ahead. None of this would be possible without our dedicated staff and the support of the Town Commissioners.

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns—my door is always open.

Happy New Year!

Woodsboro

Burgess Heath Barnes

son. Stay warm as we enter the dreary, cold months of winter.

The annual Fire Department Santa Run in Woodsboro went well this year, even with the hiccups that the weather and a fire in the area caused that morning. The number of people who came out, despite the cold, was nice to see as Santa rode through town in the fire engine, bringing in the Christmas cheer.

On December 16, we had our first holiday decorating contest, and the judges had a hard time choosing since there were so many nicely decorated homes this year. They ultimately came up with the following as the winners. First place went to 101 Woodbury Drive (receiving $300 in gift cards). Second place went to 402 Copper Oaks Place (receiving $200 in gift cards). Third place went to 203 Autumn Sky Terrace (receiving $100 in gift cards). We had three honorable mentions, each receiving $50 in gift cards: 251 Knotty Alder, 252 Knotty Alder, and 2 Creagerstown Road. Congratulations to all the winners.

The pond-dredging project in the park is complete, along with the bathroom that was built on the east side of the park. This will be opened in the spring when the other bathrooms in the park open for the season. In addition, the lights on the east side of the park have been installed, and it is a nice addition. All of these projects were from grants the town was able to obtain.

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 by calling 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 (P&Z) 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.