Blair Garrett Festival season is upon us. There’s no doubt we’ve all noticed the changing of the season. A biting cold light frost has replaced the morning dew from summer’s end. Our windshields are foggier than they were just a month ago. And, come October, Northern Frederick County gets a whole lot busier. With Thanksgiving…

Seton Center, Inc., a non-profit social service agency that provides a variety of programs and services to communities in Northern Frederick County, is pleased to announce the appointment of Deb Bisenieks as its new executive director. Bisenieks brings over 10 years of experience in the social service field to the role, most recently serving as…

James Rada, Jr. The Seton Center has been part of Northern Frederick County since 1969. Over those 53 years it has helped thousands of people, yet most people in the area don’t realize what the center does for the community. “Most people think of the Seton Center as a store,” said Vickie Grinder, a Seton…

Blair Garrett Keymar Outdoors, Frederick County’s newest hunting, fishing, and outdoor supply specialty shop, has officially opened its doors. Outdoorsmen in the Northern Frederick County area can rejoice now that they have a new hub in Keymar, housing everything from fishing rods to deer feed, and much, much more. Those of us who have stopped…

James Rada, Jr. Northern Frederick County lost a landmark last month when the Shamrock Restaurant was torn down. It gives the west side of Route 15, north of Thurmont, an empty look. The 2.7-acre property sold last year to Two Farms, Inc. of Baltimore for just under $4 million. Two Farms is a holding company…

by James Rada, Jr. Rural Free Delivery in Northern Frederick County Better late than never, as they say. The United States Post Office started experimenting with Rural Free Delivery in 1891. Despite starting in neighboring Carroll County, the home delivery of mail didn’t reach Frederick County until 1901. However, it wasn’t as if the county…

The Northern Frederick County group of volunteers will again offer free preparation of Federal and Maryland tax returns this spring. You can call 301-471-5757 (the same phone number as last year) to make appointments for the first week in March or later. They are starting their appointments a little later than usual because of COVID,…

James Rada, Jr. With the State of Maryland encouraging people to stay in and reducing the ability of businesses to operate, Christmas was sadder than usual this year. However, at least one of the two vaccines against COVID-19 was expected to be approved and starting to be administered by this month. As of December 19,…

James Rada, Jr. Northern Frederick County is not known for growing tobacco, but it has had a cigar box manufacturer and a few cigar manufacturers who used cigar boxes to pack their products. On May 1, 1905, the federal government made it illegal to give away, sell, or display empty cigar boxes. The reason for…

Blair Garrett Wines come in all flavors and varieties. The care and attention to detail that goes into producing award-winning wines is fine and intricate, and the wineries of Northern Frederick County are no stranger to that. There are five vineyards and wineries on the Maryland side of the Mason Dixon, just a short drive…

In researching facts related to some fire and rescue banquet reporting recently, it almost escaped our notice that several of our community’s fire and rescue volunteers received recognition by the 2018 Frederick County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association. Some awards have been reported in The Catoctin Banner by their department but many missed our coverage.…

James Rada, Jr. Northern Frederick County now has an additional bus trip, taking people to and from Frederick. The new trip on midday Tuesdays leaves the Frederick Transit Center at 12:15 p.m. The shuttle bus then stops at the College Park Plaza in Frederick, DePaul Street in Emmitsburg, Jubilee Market in Emmitsburg, the Thurmont CVS,…

Christine Schoene Maccabee The Swallows Are Back I often wonder how many other people feel a thrill when the swallows return to our area in early May. In late April, I began to watch for the swallows with high expectation. Every year, the swallows are drawn back to my home like a magnet, much to…

James Rada, Jr. Training Center,Besides helping residents before and after the fires in Emmitsburg, the American Red Cross and Vigilant Hose Company (VHC) set out to stop fires from happening again. Beginning on December 12, 2015, volunteers began going door to door to offer smoke alarm checks. “Emmitsburg’s all-volunteer fire department, the Vigilant Hose Company,…

Denny Black As all boys did in small towns during the 50’s and 60’s, I explored every street and alley in Thurmont. Nestled at the foothills of the beautiful Catoctin Mountains in Northern Frederick County, Thurmont offered a kaleidoscope of images, whether you were walking high on the Western Maryland Railway tracks along Altamont and…

James Rada, Jr. “Let’s play ball!” The cry rang out on baseball fields across northern Frederick County on Saturday, April 18, 2015, as the Thurmont and Emmitsburg areas celebrated opening day and held their first games of the season. Crowds flocked to the fields to cheer on the youngsters who were playing baseball for the…