The Thurmont High School Alumni Association will hold its annual banquet on Saturday, June 10, at the Thurmont Event Complex, located at 13716 Strafford Drive, which is just off Lawyer’s Lane, from Route 550 (south of Thurmont).  Frederick County COVID-19 rules will be followed.  New this year, we will recognize all cheerleaders to stand at…

BY Sandi Reed Burns, Realtor, Climb Properties Real Estate LLC As a real estate agent, I hear a lot of people talking about mortgage interest rates increasing. High rates seem to be one of the biggest concerns right now for consumers. During COVID, we saw the houses sell, not only above their listed prices but…

After nearly two years of planning, and one trip lost due to COVID, the Potter Pirates baseball team finally made their way to Cooperstown, New York, to participate in the prestigious Dreams Park Tournament. With the help of Coach Jeff Potter, author and founder of the Potter Baseball Tour, the team was able to secure…

Blair Garrett After nearly two years without a consistent schedule, high school sports are officially back on track. Catoctin High School athletes have had to navigate abridged seasons and restrictions, cutting down opportunities for student athletes to compete since the spring season of 2020. Some students have missed out on half of their high school…

James Rada, Jr. Catoctin Colorfest returned this year after having been canceled last year because of the pandemic. This year’s festival on October 9-10 brought tens of thousands of people to crowd the streets and parks in Thurmont as they shopped for unique crafts and enjoyed their favorite festival foods. One Chinese food vendor brought…

by Teresa Kempisty Hello to all my senior friends and volunteers. While the center remains closed at this time, the COVID numbers are moving in the right direction to be able to open in some way sooner than later. It may have to be a partial opening, with some restrictions. It will all depend on…

The Vigilant Hose Company’s 137th Annual Banquet—normally held in January of each year to recognize and present awards to department members for the previous year—was canceled this year due to COVID and the social distancing requirements. The officers of the department decided to recognize those individuals who would have been recognized at the January banquet.…

Blair Garrett Over the past year, there has been a major divide in this country. People struggle to find common ground politically, and businesses and individuals have never experienced this much uncertainty in their entire lives. The distancing and perpetual chaos of the pandemic have created more space between communities than ever before. Small towns…

Blair Garrett Catoctin High School athletics are pushing on amidst a turbulent spring season. It’s no secret that difficult decisions have affected student-athletes across the country. Many seniors lost a chance to represent their schools last spring with the onset of a pandemic, unlike anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes, in the name of public…

by Teresa Kempisty Photos by Teresa Kempisty President John Dowling & Board Member Kathy Dowling drive in the Drive-By Greetings Parade on October 14, 2020, waving to over 36 seniors Jim and Joan Leo are visited during the October 14th Drive-By Greetings Parade. Helen Deluca waves to the participants in the October 14th Drive-By Greetings…

Blair Garrett A brand-new patriotic mural greets thousands of cars a day just outside the heart of Emmitsburg. Right off Route 15, visitors and residents can see a bold and colorful American Flag waving in place painted on the street-side wall of Jubilee Foods. Lorne Peters, of Jubilee Foods, attributed the mural to the men…

Emails to Gail by Valerie Nusbaum Not many major things are happening in my life these days, due mostly to the COVID times in which we’re still living. Randy and I haven’t taken a vacation or gone on any day trips, haven’t eaten in a restaurant or done much shopping, and haven’t visited family or…