From the Mayor Thurmont

Mayor John Kinnaird

July is vacation time for many, and this year we are no exception! As I write this, we are traveling in England and Scotland from July 10 through July 28. We started our adventure in London with our uncle Grant and his family and had a great time. We then spent a night and day in Liverpool with our friends Helen and Paul Smith, before heading to their home in Ripon. We spent three days there and then headed for my home town of Aberdeen. A 13-hour ferry ride to the Shetland brought us to where we are today, as I write my column.

 I am writing this morning from the keeper’s quarters at the old lighthouse on Bressay Island in the Shetlands. We got to Bressay by ferry from Lerwick, the capital of Shetland. Lerwick is the Northern most City in Great Britain. We are surrounded by Neolithic sites established 4,000 years ago. The history here is long and complicated and includes Viking invasions. The Vikings arrived in 900, over 2,000 years after the first settlers. We visited Jarlshof, a site that has been in use for 4,000 years, each generation building over previous works. We have been enjoying mostly sunny days, with temps in the 60’s and 70’s.

Meanwhile, back in Thurmont, I hear the weather has been hot and stormy. The paving on Main Street is underway, and I hope it is not causing any unnecessary aggravation or issues. Looking ahead to August, the Commissioners and I will be back to our regular weekly meetings. As always, I invite you to attend our meetings and see how our local government works.

The Thurmont Main Street Farmers Market is open each Saturday morning from 8:00 a.m. until noon. There is always a great selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods, handcrafted soaps, and crafts.

As the saying goes: “No matter how far I roam, no matter what I see, there’s no place like home, it’s where I want to be.” I was born in Scotland but have adopted Thurmont as my home, and I can’t wait to get back!

Please call me at 301-606-9458 or email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns. Better yet, just stop me if you see me out and about.