Thurmont  Mayor John Kinnaird November will be a busy month! There are many events to participate in this coming month, and opportunities to spend time with family and friends. November 8 is Election Day, and voters will be selecting candidates to serve as members of the Frederick County Council, County Executive, Clerk of the Court,…

Thurmont  Mayor John Kinnaird Summer has come to an end, and our children have returned to school. Please be extra careful driving during school hours, and be watchful of kids crossing our streets and getting on and off school buses. As we all know, kids are not always aware of their surroundings and can dart…

Thurmont  Mayor John Kinnaird This morning, I am writing from London! Karen and I have been vacationing in Great Britain since July 1. We started our trip with eleven people, including one daughter, a bunch of grandchildren, and companions! The first stop was Aberdeen, where we caught the overnight ferry to Lerwick on Shetland. The…

Q&A with Emmitsburg Mayoral Candidates Why Should Residents Vote For You? Don Briggs: I put my neighbor first, and I do what I say. I have had a business and/or have lived here over 25 years. I love the Mount. I am a former coach and graduate. While I’ve been mayor, taxes have been reduced…

Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs In mid-February, going into whatever this thing was and is, only the words of Charles Dickens from his mid-19th-century novel seem aptly to describe: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” So much going for us, the economy, a mild winter, gearing up for March Madness,…

Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs Happy Birthday, Emmitsburg! Established (platted) in 1885, we are now 235 years old. Speaking to age… infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure…there are all kinds. Water, sewer, sidewalks, ADA compliance, parks and recreation, schools, youth activities, and seniors, to name a few. Every municipality needs and wants to provide and maintain its infrastructure. Within…

Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs Infrastructure comes in many stripes. Sewer lines, water lines, sidewalks, streets, power lines, the list goes on. The number one infrastructure priority of town staff and elected officials right now is the discolored water service experienced by some of our residents. Our attention to this concern has remained unaltered. To our…

Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs Here we are again at the end of another year, which always seems to bring reflection on the pluses and minuses for the year. In the plus column is the Catoctin Cougars bringing home the State Division 1A Football Championship, with a convincing 31-8 win over Dunbar High of Baltimore. The…

Mayor Don Briggs This September 11, at 8:46 a.m., marked the 18th anniversary of 9-11. I was humbled to join the town staff in what is now a tradition to observe a moment of silence for those who lost their lives that day in 2001 and their families and friends. Like it is in every…

Emmitsburg  Mayor Don Briggs As always, May brings a lot with it, both in the expected and the unexpected. None more touching, as expected, than the many graduations: pre-K to kindergarten, middle school, high school, and college. The passage of time, a child one day, a youth another, then on to an adult and out…

Emmitsburg  Mayor Don Briggs Alas, April. Closer to warmer weather is our earnest hope. Earlier sunrises and later sunsets surely spurs the imagination. But to keep one grounded, and still encouraged, comes the timeless reminder, “March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb.” Then the tempering reality in the warning given to…

Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs Teased, better yet, taunted by a 65-degree day, not once, but twice, had me calling out, “Hey, show me some robins!” Alas, none were to be seen, but there were voices, then sightings of returning redwing blackbirds—no wing coloring yet—to join the seasonal regulars: cardinals, titmice, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, mourning doves,…

Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs The new signs about the square, “Old Main Streets,” are part of the State of Maryland Tourism program. Its promotional anthem is: “Vibrant streets invite visitors to explore history, heritage, and architecture, while savoring the flavor of local shops, eateries, and lodging.” The signs accurately reflect the vibrancy enfolding in our…

Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird The Town of Thurmont celebrated Arbor Day on April 22 by planting more trees in the Community Park.  This planting was undertaken by the Thurmont Green Team, as part of their ongoing efforts to ensure a clean environment for our current and future residents. The damages inflicted on our Ash trees…

Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird The months of April and May are budget-crunching time here in Thurmont. Our department heads have submitted their department budgets and capital project requests, and our CFO has been busy organizing the requests and reviewing the recurring funding needs for the operation for the town. Beginning in April, the Board of…