By Alisha Yocum The Catoctin Banner was excited to partner with the Town of Thurmont and the Town of Emmitsburg for our first-ever youth art contest! As our nation prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary, young artists were invited to showcase their creativity and patriotism through artwork celebrating the United States. The judges were impressed…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Changes to Municipal Parking Lot Plan Economic Development Manager Vickie Grinder provided updates on some issues that had arisen with the plan to make improvements to the municipal parking lot. The engineer working on the original plan left out stormwater management from the plan, which will add $75,000-$100,000 to the…

Woodsboro Burgess Heath Barnes Happy 250th birthday, America. I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July weekend celebrating 250 years of American independence, the land of the free, and the home of the brave. June’s two food truck events in the park were very successful, with a lot of the community out…

ThurmontMayor John Kinnaird I just returned from the Maryland Municipal League (MML) Conference in Ocean City. The MML offers municipal leaders and staff members dozens of courses and seminars on topics of interest to our communities. I attended seminars on Policing-Immigration-Community Trust, De-Escalation of Confrontational Situations, Stretching Revenues, 2026 Legislative Recap, 2026 Federal Briefing, Maryland…

by Aditi Dhananjaya, High School Student Summer rarely announces itself in an obvious way. It does not arrive like the turn of a calendar page or a temperature change by a single degree. A lot of the time, it shows up through sound first. Long before anyone ever says “it feels like summer,” there is…

Waynesboro’s Chestnut Log Eateries Little remains today of a complex that was comprised of a chestnut log restaurant that served, over time, as the home to three succeeding eateries, and the associated cedar-log tourist cabins that stood along Buchanan Trail (previously known as Sunrise Trail) outside of Waynesboro (Rouzerville). The chestnut logs were locally harvested.…

The following are the statuses of new businesses and development coming to Emmitsburg from the town planner’s report: Christ Community Church (Creamery Road) — Awaiting the submission of updated improvement plans. The developer is also going to submit an updated grading plan for the Emmitsburg Planning Commission to review. Emmit Ridge — The developer is…

by Richard D. L. Fulton “Welcome to Maryland” The United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a sheet of 50 different 34-cent stamps on April 4, 2002, essentially commemorating the boom in state tourism, which traced its roots to the 1930s and 1940s, although early examples of tourism in Maryland date back to the 19th century.…

The Frederick County Division of Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the Farm Museum Association of Frederick County, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, June 6, to celebrate the official opening of the new Seed to Harvest Building at Rose Hill Manor Park. “Frederick County’s agricultural heritage is the foundation of our community,” said County…

Elias Lutheran Church is expanding its partnership with Blessings in a Backpack Frederick Chapter to provide weekend food bags for children enrolled in the newly established YMCA Head Start program in Emmitsburg. For the past two years, Elias Lutheran Church has supported Blessings in a Backpack’s work at Emmitsburg Elementary School, helping provide hunger-free weekends…

The Catoctin High School Class of 1976 will be holding its 50-year Class Reunion on Saturday, September 19, beginning at noon. Invites will be going out soon, so please update your information as soon as possible. Please include your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. You can send the information to dgills1@verizon.net or…

Members of Trinity Church recently gathered at Mountain Gate Restaurant to celebrate and recognize two individuals whose dedication, hard work, and leadership helped shape one of the church’s most successful fundraising traditions: Russ Delauter and Tootie Lenhart. Susan Clabaugh, a longtime friend and fellow volunteer, reflected on the pair’s remarkable contributions, which began nearly five…

by lion Ruth Heaney In 1993, Gene Long, President of the Thurmont Lions Club, hosted the initial event to highlight Thurmont’s accomplishments in education and in the community. Years passed. Projects expanded, which increased the amount of funds raised. The Thurmont Lions continued Mr. Long’s ideals of serving others and recognizing accomplishments in many fields.…

Maxine troxell The annual banquet and meeting of the Thurmont High School Alumni Association was held at the Rocky Ridge Fire Company Activities building on Saturday, June 6, beginning at 3;00 p.m. There were 147 in attendance. President Ron Pearcey (‘64) welcomed everyone at 4:00 p.m. and led the pledge to the flag, followed by…

By this time of year, your garden is likely producing a variety of fresh vegetables for your family to enjoy. As you begin harvesting your bounty, it’s also the perfect time to start planning your entries for the Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show, which will be held at Catoctin High School on September 11-13. The…

Exploring potential career opportunities through in-person engagement was the focus of the Fort Ritchie Community Center’s Teen Summit. More than 60 teens participated in the event, which featured a keynote speaker, a catered lunch, door prizes, and representatives from 35 different career fields. Participants heard from keynote speaker Jeremiah Reynolds, who shared how a series…

By Joan Bittner Fry In 1885, Robert Rennert founded the enormous Rennert Hotel in Baltimore, which boasted six stories and 150 personal rooms. Inside, Rennert filled the hotel with elaborate decor, adding everything from marble and fresco to the use of Edison’s electricity. The construction of the Rennert Hotel filled Baltimore city officials with hope…

Regis Eugene “Gene” Miller September 26, 1942 – May 30, 2026 Regis Eugene “Gene” Miller passed away peacefully on May 30, 2026, at the age of 83. Gene was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and raised in Emmitsburg, Maryland, by his loving parents, Regis and Margaret Miller. He graduated from St. Joseph’s High School and earned…

A Community Garden Party and Ribbon Cutting was held at the Emmitsburg Community Garden on Saturday, May 30, at 9:00 a.m. The event celebrated the second round of improvements to the garden. Light refreshments were provided. The Green Team hosted a seed-planting activity. The project was funded by a $13,000 Sustainable Maryland grant. The grant…

When school is out for the summer, many children lose access to the free and reduced-price meals they rely on during the school year. To help bridge that gap, Seton Center is offering its Helping Hands: Feeding Youth in the Valley service, providing free nonperishable food assistance to families with school-aged children throughout the summer…