by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Charter Review Committee Established The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners passed a resolution to establish a charter review committee, which will review the current town charter and make recommendations to the mayor and commissioners of suggested changes by September 1, 2027. The mayor and commissioners also approved the following residents to…

ThurmontMayor John Kinnaird Thurmont will be celebrating its 275th Anniversary this year, having first been settled in 1751 by families of Pennsylvania-German descent. The settlement grew into a successful community of small businesses dependent on Hunting Creek to power mills and machinery. The town was initially known as Mechanicstown due to the number of manufacturers.…

The following are the statuses of new businesses and development coming to Thurmont from the town planner’s report: Subdivisions: Hammaker Hill, Phase 2 (Westview Drive) — 22 single family lots in R-2; Under construction. No remaining lots. Mechanicstown, LLC (Emmitsburg Road) — Final Plat conditionally approved for 31 single family lots in R-2/ ARP. Mountain…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Rezoning Hearing Held The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners recently held a public hearing about a rezoning request from property owners of 13 properties in town, and some that town staff identified that needed to be compatible with their zoning. Town Planner Kelly Duty reviewed the properties with the Thurmont Mayor…

ThurmontMayor John Kinnaird As I write this article, we are in the beginning stages of our first major snowstorm of the year, and probably our biggest storm in several years. It looks like we may be headed into an exceptionally cold and snowy winter. There are steps we should all take when faced with this…

Thurmont AMVETS Post 7, located at 26 Apples Church Road in Thurmont, is now open for lunch and dinner every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m., with weekly specials on Thursdays and Fridays. They also offer a bucket of domestic beer for only $13.00! Check out the advertisement on page 7. Love…

We hope the new year has been good for you so far! There has been a lot of illness going around, so please check in on the elderly in your life. Make grocery runs for them, see if they need rides to the doctor or the pharmacy, or just sit and talk with them if…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Impact Fees May Be Raised The Town of Thurmont is considering raising its impact fees paid for new construction in town by 2.81 percent. They are paid for water, wastewater, roads, and parks. The fees currently total $23,320. If the increase is approved, the fees will total $23,965. The commissioners…

THURMONT Mayor John Kinnaird Karen and I hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas with family and friends, and that the New Year brings good health and happiness.  The New Year is traditionally a time when we make resolutions about changing things in our lives, like losing weight, spending more time with our family,…

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. If you didn’t pay your membership dues by December 31, 2025, your key card has been deactivated. Please stop by or mail your dues to the Legion as soon as possible. Any questions, please contact the Post at 301-271-4411 or…

Thurmont Swearing In and New Liaison Assignments The winners of the Thurmont town election were sworn in during a recent town meeting, bringing a new face to the Thurmont Board of Commissioners. Incumbent Mayor John Kinnaird, incumbent Commissioner Wayne Hooper, and new Commissioner Chris Stouter were officially sworn in on November 1 and ceremonially sworn…

THURMONT Mayor John Kinnaird First, I want to thank everyone who voted for me and for your continued support. My thoughts after the election are that we, as a community, can continue to work toward our common goal of making Thurmont the best it can be, and I look forward to playing a part in…

November 28, 1952 The Great Tootsie Roll Drop: During the Korean Conflict, everything had a code name to throw off Chinese anti-aircraft units. Marines sent out a frantic call for 60-mm mortar ammunition, code named “Tootsie Rolls.” Somebody didn’t read up on his code book. Fighting for their lives in the frozen wastes of Chosin,…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Colorfest Fees Continue Being Discussed The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners continue to talk about how to set fees related to Colorfest. After approving a 20 percent increase in permit fees, eliminating the yard sale permit, and increasing the town portion of the parking fee—from $4.00 per car to $6.00 per…

THURMONT Mayor John Kinnaird Here we are in fall, with the beautiful foliage brightening our view. If you haven’t had a chance to get out and enjoy the colors, be sure to do so soon.  Colorfest has come and gone, and we just had Halloween in the Park. Colorfest had a great crowd on Saturday,…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Town Election at the End of October The Town of Thurmont will hold its town election on October 28 from 7 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Guardian Hose Activities Building at 123 East Main Street. The positions of mayor and two commissioners are open. They are currently held by…

THURMONT Mayor John Kinnaird Here we are at the end of September already! Schools are back in session, and autumn is coming fast. With the changing season will come the nice cooler temperatures, colorful leaves, and fall events. We just celebrated the 69th Annual Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show, and I am looking forward to…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Gold Star Families Memorial Considered The Mayor and Commissioners of Thurmont are considering placing a Gold Star Families Memorial in Memorial Park. Gold Star families are families who have lost a loved one in one of the country’s military conflicts. “You have a lot here that would make this a…

THURMONT Mayor John Kinnaird Kids are back in school, so please be aware of them going to and coming from school. This means kids crossing streets without looking both ways and sometimes riding their bikes in travel lanes or darting out from between cars. If we all pay attention, we can make sure our kids…

by James Rada, Jr. Town Starting To Receive PFAS Settlement Funds Bruce Poole of the Poole Law Group recently gave the Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners an update on the PFAS mass tort settlement, which the town got involved with a few years ago because of the polyfluorocarbon water contamination that municipalities are dealing…