The Catoctin Banner.

From the monthly archives: "July 2016"

CHS Class of 2017 Safe and Sane Holds Dining for Dollars Fundraiser

By goodNewsBanner On July 29, 2016 · Add Comment · In School News

Catoctin High School Class of 2017 Safe and Sane recently held their first Dining for Dollars fundraiser at Roy Rogers in Thurmont. Their next Dining for Dollars fundraiser will be held on August 15, 2016, from 5:00-8:00 p.m., at the Chipotle Mexican Grill, located at 7820 Wormans Mill Road in Frederick, and then again at Roy Rogers in Thurmont on Saturday, September 24, 2016.

Cole Mercer - Safe and Sane

Senior Cole Mercer dresses up as Roy Rogers to greet customers at the Catoctin High School 2017 Safe and Sane’s Dining for Dollars fundraiser.

FORT RITCHIE Redevelopment Planned, Residents to Be Displaced

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Featured Articles

Nicholas DiGregory

Fort-Ritchie Many residents of the historic Fort Ritchie and the surrounding town of Cascade, Maryland, are concerned regarding the manner in which Washington County government’s redevelopment plan for the retired military base was communicated to current residents. The redevelopment plan requires existing buildings at Fort Ritchie to be torn down to make room for a new mixed-use development called Cascade Town Centre. The development is intended to bring new residents and businesses to Cascade.

In mid-July, around ninety families that reside on the grounds of Fort Ritchie discovered that their leases would not be renewed and that they are being forced to relocate when their leases end over the next six months, some as early as September 2016.

The decision to terminate the leases of the residents of Fort Ritchie came on July 12, 2016, when the Washington County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to take the Fort Ritchie property from the current owner, PenMar Development Corporation, and transfer it to Washington County. Arrangements were approved by both parties, stating that ownership of the property would be completely transferred by September 15, 2016, and that redevelopment plans would be put into effect for Fort Ritchie by January 2017.

To many of the residents of the retired military base, the county’s decision to take charge of the property and its redevelopment came as a complete surprise. While the residents understood that redevelopment of their community was likely ever since the base was put up for sale by PenMar in 2015, not one of them anticipated being thrown out of their home so abruptly.

Jodi Gearhart, a single mother who lives in Fort Ritchie with her two thirteen-year-old children, said that she had no idea that the property was being transferred and that leases were being terminated until she read an article online by CJ Lovelace of Western Maryland’s Herald-Mail Media group.

“My initial notification of the issue was my neighbor,” Gearhart said. “He asked if I had read the Herald-Mail. I told him no, and he then told me that we have to be out by September. I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’”

Gearhart said that it was not until July 14 that any written notification of the lease terminations was provided by PenMar or Washington County when some, not all, of the residents received letters.

Gearhart also said that the method by which the information was communicated seemed strange, “Normally, when PenMar has something, they take it and they put it in your door,” Gearhart said. “They come around on a little golf cart with the notifications, and they stick them in your storm door, like if they are having some kind of function or a traffic change. So I’m not sure why they felt like they had to physically mail them, and not just go around and post them, then we would have known the same day.”

Gearhart stated that hers and her fellow residents’ frustrations grew when Washington County officials refused to put anything concerning the redevelopment plan into writing until September.

“One of the biggest issues is that Washington County and PenMar right now are lacking in their transparency,” Gearhart said. “I live in Washington County, I work for Washington County, and I pay taxes to Washington County. This is my county. It’s different when the county tells you that you’re out, and that you have a few months to get out.”
Disturbed by the county’s lack of communication and concerned about the redevelopment plan, the residents of Fort Ritchie and the surrounding town of Cascade decided to take matters into their own hands by organizing a “Save Fort Ritchie” campaign.

Lev Ellian, a resident of Cascade, created the campaign when he built a Facebook page entitled “Save Fort Ritchie.” Gearhart and several other residents joined Ellian and created Twitter and Instagram accounts for the campaign as well. The Facebook page is currently being followed by more than 350 people.

Sterling Sanders, a nineteen-year-old resident of Cascade, helps run the daily social media operations, as well as organizes events for the “Save Fort Ritchie” campaign. Sanders helped to organize and lead a series of protests and prayer circles for the residents of Fort Ritchie to express their concern and to come together as a community.

“The prayer circle, instead of giving a message to the county, is giving a message to the community, letting them know that: we are sticking together, we are still here together, that we are going to fight this, we are going to stay together, and that we are going to put our faith in God,” Sanders said. “On the other hand, the protests send a message to the county that says ‘Hey, we aren’t going to give up on this, we’ve done this before, and we are going to do it again.’”

More than a hundred residents attended the protests held in July. While all present mainly protested the removal of the Fort Ritchie residents from their property, many of the protesters also voiced concerns ranging from distrust of the investors interested in purchasing Fort Ritchie to a fear of crime and pollution increase due to over-development.

In addition to the protests and prayer circles, the residents of Fort Ritchie and Cascade drafted a petition, asking Washington County officials to postpone the redevelopment plan until a public forum is held for residents to voice their opinions.

The petition, which was signed by nearly 200 individuals, was sent to the Washington County Board of County Commissioners, PenMar, Maryland District 2 Senator Andrew Serafini, and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.

While no written response from Washington County or PenMar officials has been released, Washington County Administrator Greg Murray and PenMar Executive Doris Nipps both said that the redevelopment of Fort Ritchie must proceed in order to bring back jobs and revitalize the Cascade area.

Despite these statements, the residents of Fort Ritchie and Cascade continue to reach out to the residents of surrounding areas and to members of the Washington County government to work toward a compromise to ensure the continued well-being of the displaced families and the historic grounds of Fort Ritchie.

“We can’t all just do this on our own; we’d like all of the people of all surrounding areas to get involved with this issue,” said Sanders. “Even if we don’t win this fight, I think it would really help and really be a great thing for us all to become closer with all of the people in the surrounding areas as a community. So whether or not we win in the end, we will, I think, get closer as a community, and hopefully get closer with our government, to open lines of communication with them and come together.”

Vans Warped Tour Cleans up Thurmont

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Featured Articles

James Rada, Jr.
2016-07-12_JAK_1496 Early Tuesday morning, July 12, 2016, a line of tour buses pulled into Thurmont’s Community Park. About 250 rock musicians and roadies spilled out of the buses, stretched, and got ready to work.

They separated into groups and spread out throughout the community, not to sing and play instruments, but to help beautify the area.

They were part of the Vans Warped Tour, a traveling rock revue, featuring dozens of bands. Not only have members of the tour helped beautify communities, but they have also helped out in the wake of big disasters such as New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy.

This year, the group is helping out along the Journey Through Hallowed Ground, the historic and scenic byway between Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and Charlottesville, Virginia. Working with Shuan Butcher, director of communications for the Journey Through Hallowed Ground, the group identified places where they could be of some help.

“It’s a great activity, and they came ready to do some hard work,” said Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird.

By 7:00 a.m., groups had divided up to help out in the park, the Catoctin Furnace, the Thurmont Historical Society, Cunningham Falls State Park, Owens Creek Campground, the Emmitsburg watershed, the Appalachian Trail, and Catoctin Mountain Park.

Donna Voellinger, president of the Thurmont Historical Society, said that eighteen people came to assist historical society volunteers with outdoor work to the grounds.

“They didn’t need a lot of direction,” Voellinger said. “They just needed a task.”

She added that both the Warped Tour volunteers and the Historical Society volunteers seemed to have a lot of fun while they worked.

A group of artists painted a mural on the basketball court wall in Community Park.

“It’s a great piece of art,” Kinnaird said. “It adds a lot to the basketball courts and the park.”

The groups met back at the park for lunch around noon and headed out of town after that. A few of them stayed later to finish the mural, but even those stragglers were gone by 6:00 p.m. They left behind not only a more-beautiful area, but a piece of art that will remind residents of their generosity for years to come.

The day of service for the Warped Tour volunteers came between concert days in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Mansfield, Massachusetts.

Photos Courtesy of Thurmontimages.com
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Mayor John Kinnaird (fourth from right) stands with a group of talented artists of the Vans Warped Tour in front of the awesome mural they painted on the wall by the basketball courts in Thurmont Community Park.

What’s in the Beef at Deer Run Farm

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Business News

Deb Spalding

Some of us buy our meat by shopping sales at grocery stores and buying what is available at the lowest price. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it does open the door for fatty meats, unhealthy additives, and assembly-line beef that has traveled from far-off lands. The bottom line is this: To protect your body from toxins, it’s important to know where your meat came from and what the animal ate as it was raised. There is a ton of controversy about the short comings of store-bought meat, even in organic retail stores.

That is why the Stewart Family at Deer Run Farm in Emmitsburg recently opened a retail Red Angus meat shop on their farm. Their freezer meat is derived from registered Red Angus beef cattle that they raise on their farm. The cattle are forage-raised on a daily natural grass and fermented grass diet, balanced with a nutritious grain feed later in life. The cattle are not given growth hormones or unnecessary antibiotics. They’ve worked hard to insure that they are offering healthy meat with an incredibly satisfying taste. Their beef is processed at a USDA inspected facility. Freezer packs are individually labeled and dressed in white freezer paper for sale.

Ronnie and Annie Stewart, their daughter, Joanna, and son, Josh, established Deer Run Farm in 1996 when they purchased the, then, multi-purpose farm that had been a working farm since the early 1900s. The farm has transitioned through the years from dairy, to housing dairy heifers, to a horse farm, and now to its current use for crop and beef cattle. Their goal had been to purchase beef steers, raise their own feed, and market the freezer meat.

They started with multiple breeds of beef steers, but after a family vote, it was decided that Red Angus would be the farm breed. The first four registered Red Angus bred heifers were purchased from the late Truman Zepp of Westminster, Maryland, in the fall of 1996. At that time, Joanna and Josh were active in the 4-H program. They showed many calves at local fairs, as well as pigs and lambs. When Joanna and Josh left the farm for college, the pigs and sheep were sold to lessen the workload on Ronnie and Annie. With only the beef cattle left on the farm, the herd slowly grew to its present size of approximately thirty-six mother cows. “I never imagined that it (the farm) would get this big,” Ronnie expressed.

The farm is busy throughout the year since all forage and grain is grown on the farm. The cow herd grazes pasture throughout the warmer months and is fed corn silage and baleage during the winter. The majority of the calves are born in March and April and are weaned from their mothers, then fed for freezer beef or breeding stock.

The farm is a full-time job for Ronnie. Annie is a recently-retired teacher who handles farm financials and records. Joanna is a veterinarian, currently residing in New York City, but still actively gives advice for the farm and is busy preg-checking cows when she is home to visit. Josh is a project engineer with a regional general contractor. He helps maintain the crops and cattle throughout the seasons.

Josh and Allison Rostad are the business owners of the retail operation on the farm. Allison, Josh’s girlfriend, is from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and works in marketing and graphic design at a print and copy store in Emmitsburg. Allison was introduced to the farm two-and-a-half years ago and is the jack-of-all-trades around the farm, assisting with retail sales, marketing, signage, and sneaking treats and ears of corn to the cows.

With a great selection of tasty steaks, roasts, ground beef, bologna and jerky, stop by Deer Run Farm at 15131 Sixes Road in Emmitsburg or by the Emmitsburg and Thurmont farmer’s markets to purchase Deer Run Farm’s freezer beef. “Our goal is to provide a top quality product where the consumer actually knows where it came from and what it was fed,” said Josh.

You may also order by emailing info@deerrunfarmmed.com or by calling 301-639-1182. You can find more information about this product at www.DeerRunFarmMD.com. The farm store is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, from 3:00-8:00 p.m.; Sundays, from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., and by appointment. Order now for delicious beef from happy cows.

Allison Rostad, Josh Stewart, Annie Stewart, Nike, Ronnie Stewart, and Harley are shown at their new farm store.

Go! Pokémon Go!

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Business News

Nicholas DiGregory
Do you think that the game development executives who created the Pocket Monsters in 1996 envisioned the craze that they’d create in the future with Pokémon Go? At the time, three Japanese companies—Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc.—united to pursue an idea for a revolutionary video game where players could travel through a world inhabited by mythical creatures, befriending and battling alongside them in a quest to discover every one of the special monsters.

For the first time ever, on July 6, 2016, Pokémon fans were given a way to literally enter the Pokémon world, using their mobile device to “catch” Pokémon in their own backyard, when the Pokémon Company and their partner, the American-based software development company Niantic, Inc., released the mobile game Pokémon Go. Soon, people were noticing drivers slowing down while their passengers stared at their cell phones, or kids stopping on the sidewalk to point their phones at something.

The Pokémon Company, an independent business co-founded by the original three Japanese parent companies, now manages the Pokémon brand, which has become almost universally recognized with an animated television series, a competitive trading card game, and a seemingly endless line of merchandise. More than 280 million units of the various video games have been shipped worldwide, and over 100 countries have tuned in to the animated television series or played the trading card game. For more than twenty years, loving fans across the globe have played through the world of Pokémon on their gaming systems and watched it on their television screens.

Now Pokémon can be found, literally, in our own backyards! By downloading the augmented-reality game to their mobile device, users are prompted to create an in-game avatar, through which their progress in the game is measured. After this, Pokémon Go then maps the player’s geographical area and generates a real-time GPS interface that the player can use to traverse the game world and the real world at the same time. Deb Spalding, The Catoctin Banner’s publisher, downloaded the game while working in her home office. She said, “I created my avatar and stood up from my chair. The first thing I noticed was a Squirtle right there in my office! Somehow, I figured out how to capture it by throwing my first Poké Ball at it.”

As a player travels, the GPS interface alerts if Pokémon are nearby. If the player encounters a Pokémon in the game, he or she can tap on it to try and capture it. The game then brings up the mobile device’s camera, and superimposes the Pokémon into the image of the real world. Players can then attempt to capture the Pokémon in real time by throwing Poké Balls at it. If the player is successful, the Pokémon then becomes part of their permanent team. Deb explained that later that day, “A friend and I were driving on Harbaugh Valley Road while playing the game when out of nowhere, some kind of Poke bird monster started flapping on my phone. I didn’t catch that one.”

In addition to allowing players to catch Pokémon wherever they go, the game also generates points of interest that are linked to real-life locations; the players can then interact with these locations in the game to win prizes or battle other users. Within the game exist two types of these points of interest.

The first type, known as PokéStops, are usually linked to historical landmarks or small businesses. When within range of a PokéStop, a user can tap the location on the in-game GPS interface to win items that can be used to catch, train, or heal Pokémon.

The second group of points of interest that exist in the game are called gyms. These usually correspond to major landmarks, churches, or large businesses in the real world. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Utica has posted on their sign that they’re a PokéGym. At these locations, players can battle each other for control. Heather Plunkard of Thurmont said, “There are definitely some interesting PokéStops throughout the town [Thurmont]. The painted caboose is one, the town square, and several churches throughout town. The fire station is a PokéGym and there’s even one, I believe, in the cemetery behind it off Altamont Avenue!”

When a player has gained enough experience in the game, they are prompted to pick one of three teams. Once on a team, a player can battle alongside other members of their team for control of the Gyms. Austin Freshy of Thurmont said, “I was walking in the [Thurmont] town park trying to catch some eveie, and I saw a guy with his sons walking and playing. We struck a conversation. I found out he was a Team Mystic member and I was an Instinct One. A little bit later, another guy showed up and said he’s from Valor.” Austin explained that all three teams have a grudge match and added, “There we were, three strangers, chatting like we’ve known each other for years. That’s the beauty of this game. It brings a community together through a common ground.”

By uniting the video game world and the real world in this revolutionary way, Pokémon Go has exploded into the most popular mobile game of all time. Apple confirmed on July 22 that in the first week after its release, Pokémon Go was downloaded more times from the App Store than any other app. Two weeks after its release, Pokémon Go had been downloaded 30 million times worldwide, with roughly 18 million unique users logging in to play at any given time, eclipsing the combined user numbers of the popular apps, Facebook, Snapchat, and Tinder. As of July 22, the game had grossed over $35 million, representing half of all revenue generated by mobile games.

While the numbers show that Pokémon Go has been a huge success for the Pokémon Company and their partners, the app has also benefited small businesses across the country. Small and local businesses that exist in historic cities across the United States, where PokéStops are plentiful, have started using an in-game bonus known as a “lure” to boost their own business. By purchasing a lure in the game for a few cents and applying it to a nearby PokéStop, a business can bring additional rare Pokémon to their real-life doorstep, which in turn drives players to frequent the business. Many businesses have utilized this method, in addition to Pokémon-based advertising and social media efforts, to increase their profits.

While Pokémon Go has greatly benefited businesses and encouraged users to get outside and explore the world around them, the game has also contributed to several unfortunate events. On July 16, two distracted men in their early twenties fell nearly eighty feet when their Pokémon Go adventure led them off a cliff in Encinitas, California. Although both men survived the fall, their injuries were deemed “very serious” by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

A similar occurrence of poor judgment brought about by Pokémon Go occurred on July 18, when a Baltimore native drove his SUV into the back of a parked police car. While no one was injured, body cameras worn by police that were standing nearby show the driver staring at his phone right before ramming the police vehicle. The unidentified man later admitted to having been playing Pokémon Go during the accident.

These and other instances have driven local police departments to release statements warning Pokémon Go players to use common sense and to never allow the game to lead them to danger. Along with these statements, some inner-city police departments have cautioned Pokémon Go users to avoid playing at night, citing that some gangs are targeting distracted and unsuspecting players for violent crimes.

Despite the negative publicity caused by distracted or careless users, Pokémon Go continues to grow rapidly. Now released across Europe and Japan, value projections indicate that Pokémon Go could net $10 billion for its first year. And with millions of players interacting both in the game and in the real world, Pokémon Go is quickly building a networked community that shows no signs of dwindling any time soon.

A Poké monster called a Rattata is detected at the Thurmont square.

Thurmont Has Always Been a Nationally Recognized Main Street

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Community News

James Rada, Jr.

Thurmont has been a Maryland Main Street Community since 2005—one of twenty-eight in Maryland, five of which are in Frederick County. What is not as well known is that Thurmont has also been a nationally recognized Main Street.

According to Main Street Manager Vickie Grinder, the Maryland Main Street program works in conjunction with the National Main Street program, operated by the Trust for Historic Preservation. The Trust sets the standard for Main Streets so that if a community is accredited at the state level, it also receives national accreditation.

Main Streets have to renew their accreditation each year, which means that Thurmont has continued to meet the standards for public outreach, programming, economic development, sustainable practices, and the creation of a business-friendly environment, annually.

According to a town press release, the highlights of Thurmont’s Main Street activity this past year include:
• The opening of the Thurmont Main Street Center at 11 Water Street, which serves as a visitor center with tourist information about Thurmont. It also serves as a venue where artists can display their work and make it available to the public. A public meeting area is available for group meetings. It is the headquarters for Christmas in Thurmont and other holiday events. The center is staffed by volunteers and open most weekends.
• Thurmont Farmers’ Market, Gallery Strolls, “Thurmont Think Pink” program, and the “Buy Local” program have all been rejuvenated.
• A recent downtown revitalization took place that included new sidewalks, new street lights, new benches, trash cans, and bicycle racks.
• Christmas in Thurmont, with photos with Santa Claus, prizes, caroling, and the lighting of the tree in Mechanicstown Square Park, continues to be a popular annual event.
• Partnerships were established with Catoctin Mountain Park, Cunningham Falls State Park, and Frederick County Office of Economic Development.

Grinder is especially pleased with the cooperation that the county Main Streets receive from the county government, including quarterly meetings with Sandy Wagerman in the Frederick County Office of Economic Development.

“The meetings allow us to work together, brainstorm and feed off each other,” Grinder said. Four of the county Main Streets (Thurmont, Mt. Airy, Brunswick, and Middletown) actually have a lot in common and something that works well in one community may work in the other communities.

For more information about what is happening with Thurmont’s Main Street, visit www.thurmontmainstreet.com.

Cascade SAL Holds Benefit

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Community News

Joan Fry

goes-with-aunt-joan's-write On June 18, 2016, the Sons of the American Legion (SAL) Post 239 in Cascade held their spring Gun and Cash Bash on the grounds of Fort Ritchie.

Of the 2,500 tickets sold, there were more than 1,050 people in attendance.

The weather was perfect and attendees enjoyed visiting with friends, playing the games, and winning the raffles. Fisher House, SAL Person(s) in Need Fund, and Cascade School’s Christmas Party will be prioritized in receiving the proceeds of the benefit.

There was plenty of pulled pork and beef, along with other picnic items, including Jen’s ice cream, to satisfy the hungry and the thirsty. Heartfelt thanks to all who endeavored to make this day a big success. Just preparing 900 pounds of meat is quite a feat. It takes a lot of people, and they’re all volunteers!
Winners of the ticketed event were D. Miller, B. May, E. Miller, J. Wagaman, P. Pritt, J. Frye, S. Pelland, A. Scott, E. Willard, R. Martin, D. Hensley, D. DeLauter, E. Toms, S. Berger, J. Edwards, T. Bloyer, P. Ambrose, and C. Dayhoff.

The next Gun and Cash Bash will take place Saturday, October 1, 2016. Watch for tickets.

M & T Bank Invests in Community

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Community News

M&T Bank contributed $6,000 to the Fort Ritchie Community Center in Cascade. The funds helped sponsor the 2016 Mountaintop Heritage Days event that celebrated the 90th anniversary of Camp Ritchie.

“M&T Bank’s investment in the community goes beyond sponsoring Mountaintop Heritage Days,” said Buck Browning, executive director of the Community Center. “All of our programs and events are better off because of M&T Bank’s support of our area,” he added.

Mountaintop Heritage Days brings crafts and food vendors, carnival rides and games, and performances by groups such as the U.S. Army Fife and Drum Corps to the former military post located in Cascade. The event concluded with a fireworks show over Lake Royer. The event has been restarted after a two year hiatus with hopes to restore its prominence throughout the region. An estimated crowd of more than 3,000 people visited the event this year.

The Fort Ritchie Community Center provides programs and activities for people of all ages. For more information on how you can get involved in the Community Center, visit www.thefrcc.org.
Fort-Ritchie-Comm-Center--M
Anthony Bagley (back row, left) and Neil Davidson (back row, right) of M & T bank present Buck Browning, director of the community center, and three community center summer camp participants, with a ceremonial check in the amount of $6,000 to support activities and programs that serve local residents.

Girl Scouts Show Officers How Much They Are Appreciated for All They Do To Keep Us Safe

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Community News

Girl Scout Troop 81178 heard about all the bad things happening to police officers, and they wanted to give them something that showed them how much they supported them. The troop decided to make the police officers bags of encouragement to let them know how much they are appreciated for all that they do. The girls went to the Police barracks in Frederick County and were able to meet with an officer from the Sheriff’s Department and the State Police.

The girls thanked each of the officers for protecting them and keeping them safe. One of the girls asked if she could take a selfie with them. The two officers were more than happy to get in a picture with our Daisy Girl Scout. They each got to express to the officers how much they looked up to them and respected them. The girls are a true testament to what they will become in the future, not for just giving back to their community, but for knowing right from wrong.

The troop wants to thank all service men and women for all of their dedication, support, and to know that they are truly appreciated for all they do on a daily bases to keep us all safe.

Van Hollen Announce $123,810 for Vigilant Hose Company

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Community News

On July 6, 2016, Maryland Congressmen Chris Van Hollen announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under the Department of Homeland Security, has awarded a $123,810 grant to the Vigilant Hose Company in Emmitsburg. The grant will be used for operations and safety.

“First responders are on the front lines of emergencies every day, and they work tirelessly to make sure our communities are as safe as they can be,” said Congressman Van Hollen. “This funding will help ensure that the Vigilant Hose Company is as prepared as possible to save lives and property when disaster strikes.”

Federal funds are awarded through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which aims to strengthen first responders’ ability to safely protect their communities. Operations and Safety grants are used for professional training, personal protective equipment, modifications to facilities, and supplies that support firefighting and non-affiliated EMS operations and safety.

Wyatt’s Update: Up, Out, and About

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Community News

The Hershey Children’s Hospital and Hershey Rehab, Wyatt Black, of Thurmont, who battled Bacterial Meningitis, was finally able to come home on June 3, 2016. Wyatt is getting better each and every day. His progress is slow and steady, but he is winning the race against this virus. His parents, Chris and Kiona Black, can see improvements in him weekly. Kiona (the one who holds this family together) is by his side 24/7. Kiona and Wyatt travel to Hagerstown for rehab three times a week for speech, physical, and occupational therapy. One of his physical therapy days is spent in the pool.

He is expected to start back to school at Catoctin High in the fall, where he will be a sophomore. Thanks to Wyatt being an overachiever in middle school, he earned three high school credit classes—Spanish 1 and 2 and Algebra—giving him enough credits before his sickness to advance to the next grade despite missing a large portion of his freshman year.

This summer, he is enjoying some time at the family’s orchard, Catoctin Mountain Orchard, swimming, and relaxing in the pond.
“His appetite is back to normal, eating us out of house and home,” Chris said happily. Wyatt hopes to begin walking with a cane (instead of a walker) in early August.
wyatt
Wyatt Black (center) with his brothers, Nathan (left) and Eaves.

Frederick County 4-H Firepower Club

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Community News

On Saturday, June 4, 2016, members of the Frederick County 4-H Firepower Club participated in the Maryland AIM Championship at the Harvey’s Cedar Gun Club in Harford County, Maryland. The American Trap Association AIM program stands for Academics, Integrity, and Marksmanship and is held in each of the states in the United States.

Each member shot 100 singles during the competition and 50 doubles. In the singles category, the Firepower Pre-Sub Squad, which consisted of members Hunter McGlaughlin, Mo Baker, Marques Miller, Zachary Mullen, and Abigail McGlaughlin, placed first in the state with a total score of 355. Individual member awards were given to Hunter (champion); Mo (runner-up); Marcus (third place), and Abigail (high lady). Zachary shot 69 targets.

The Junior Gold team, consisting of members Natalie Schiazzi, John Schroyer, Amelia Summers, Trevor Mullen, and Matthew Lenhart, also placed first in the singles competition in the state with a total score of 381. Individual member awards were given to Matthew (second place) and Natalie (high lady).

4-H member John Schroyer shot his first 25 straight targets (without a miss) and, as a custom, the hat he was wearing was thrown in the air while members from each club represented “shot at his hat.”

4-H member Kyle Snowden also participated after taking his SAT’s, arriving in time to register to shoot. In the singles event, he scored a 91 out of 100 targets in the sixteen-yard competition.

In the Pre Sub Division doubles competition (50 targets), Hunter McGlaughlin placed first (48), Mo Baker placed second, and Marquis Miller placed third. In the Junior Gold Division, Matthew Lenhart placed first (42), Blair Nicholson of Middletown placed second, and former Club President Natalie Schiazzi placed third.

Matthew Lenhart was also the Shamrock Leather Shoot-Out Winner for the State of Maryland and received the Maryland ATA/AIM leather shooting bag.

Many of the 4-H members who attended this event will be participating in the Youth Grand American in Sparta, Illinois, on July 30 through August 2, 2016.

Other teams participating from Frederick County were Junior Squad members of the Thurmont Top Shots and two Junior Squad teams from the Catoctin Fish & Game Club, who also represented Frederick County well at the event.

The Frederick County 4-H Firepower Club meets on the first Monday of each month at the 4-H Camp Center, beginning at 6:30 p.m. However, the August meeting will be held on August 8, 2016, due to the National AIM Championship.

For further information about the club or if you have any questions, contact Chuck Farmer at 301-418-0918 or the Frederick County 4-H office at 301-600-1589.
Frederick-Co-4-H-Firepower-
4-H members attending the Maryland AIM Championship on June 4, 2016, were: (front row) Zachery Mullen, Abigail McGlaughlin, Marques Miller, Hunter McGlaughlin, Mo Baker; (back row) Matthew Lenhart, Kyle Snowden, Natalie Schiazzi, Trevor Mullen, Amelia Summers, and John Schroye

2016 Plans for 60th Annual Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Community News

The 60th annual Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show will be held at Catoctin High School on September 9, 10, and 11, 2016.

Entry of exhibits will take place on Thursday evening, September 8, from 6:00-9:00 p.m., as well as on Friday, September 9, from 8:30-11:30 a.m., in the new gymnasium and in the agriculture department area. Judging will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, September 9, and is closed to the public. Commercial exhibits may be entered on Friday, September 9, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. The show will open to the public at 6:00 p.m. A silver offering will be collected to benefit the Thurmont Food Bank and the Emmitsburg Food Bank. Door prizes will be awarded each day.

On Friday night, September 9, at 7:00 p.m., approximately forty participants will participate in the community flag ceremony, accompanied by a bagpipe processional performed by Bill and Andrew Douwes. “The Star Spangled Banner” will be sung by Chad Umbel, former Catoctin FFA student. This year’s program will recognize all former past Maryland State FFA officers who graduated from Thurmont High School, Emmitsburg High School, or Catoctin High School. Following the recognition, the 2016-2017 Catoctin FFA Chapter Ambassador will be announced. The baked goods auction will begin immediately following the program, and the grand champion cake, pie, and bread will be sold at 9:00 p.m.

On Saturday, September 10, the show opens at 9:00 a.m. and runs until 10:00 p.m. Activities include a Market Goat, Beef, Sheep, and Swine Fitting & Showing Contest, from 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., at the Ag Center at the school. The Thurmont Police Department will have a K-9 dog exhibition, featuring “Buddy,” which will be held at 10:00 a.m., immediately before the Pet Show begins in front of the school. The Pet Show will be held at 10:30 a.m. Categories include: cat with prettiest eyes; cat with longest whiskers; cutest cat; best-trained pet; dog with wiggliest tail; prettiest dog (25 pounds and under); prettiest dog (26 pounds and over); best costumed pet; pet with most spots; largest pet (by height); most unusual pet; and smallest pet. The petting zoo, farm animals, and pony rides will also be held on Saturday and Sunday.

The Thurmont Grange will serve their turkey and country ham dinner in the school cafeteria from 3:00-7:00 p.m. on Saturday night. Entertainment for Saturday and Sunday will be performed by the Catoctin Mountain Boys. Performance times on Saturday will be from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.; and from 7:00-8:30 p.m., the Taylor Brown “Elvis Show” will be performed. On Sunday, the entertainment begins at 1:00 p.m.; the Taylor Brown “Elvis Show” will be performed from 2:00-3:00 p.m. There will be no admission charge for the entertainment.

The 42nd annual Catoctin FFA Alumni Beef, Sheep & Swine Sale will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Ag Center area on Saturday night. There will be approximately twelve beef, twelve sheep, twenty swine, and seven goats for sale by 4-H and FFA members. Buyers are welcome to come to support these individuals and their livestock projects.

Activities begin on Sunday, September 11, at 9:00 a.m., with the Goat Show, followed by the Dairy Show and Decorated Animal Contest. The decorated animal contest will begin at noon.

At 12:00 p.m., the Catoctin FFA Alumni Chicken Bar-B-Que will be held in the cafeteria. The 37th annual Robert Kaas Horseshoe Pitching Contest will begin at 1:00 p.m.

The Log Sawing Contest will begin at 1:00 p.m. under the show tent in the Ag Center area. Another new and fun feature will be a Peddle Tractor Contest for kids, which will be held on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m., also in the Ag Center area, and prizes will be awarded.

Exhibits must be removed on Sunday, September 11, from 3:00-6:00 p.m. Please note the new deadline to pick up items.

The community show booklets can be found in local Thurmont, Emmitsburg, and surrounding area businesses in late July or early August. New residents of the community are urged to enter and be a part of the Community Show, the largest in the State of Maryland. Some minor additions and deletions will be made in some of the departments. Departments include: Fresh Fruits, Fresh Vegetables, Home Products Display, Canned Fruits, Canned Vegetables, Jellies & Preserves, Pickles, Meats, Baked Products, Sewing & Needlework, Flowers and Plants, Arts, Paintings & Drawings, Crafts, Photography, Corn, Small Grains and Seeds, Eggs, Nuts, Poultry & Livestock, Dairy, Goats, Hay, Junior Department, and Youth Department. There is no entry fee. Please visit our website for updated information at www.thurmontemmitsburgcommunityshow.webs.com.
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The Community Show is sponsored by the Thurmont Grange, Catoctin FFA Chapter, Catoctin FFA Alumni, the Maryland State Grange, and the Maryland State Agricultural Fair Board.

Mother Seton School Confers Seton Values Award at Annual Recognition

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In School News

On Thursday, May 12, 2016, Mother Seton School (MSS) conferred the Seton Values Award to the Jack and Shirley Little Family and Sonya Hand, formerly of By Hand Designs, at their annual Donor Appreciation dinner. The dinner is held each year to show appreciation for the support given to MSS throughout the year.

“We are blessed with a community of individuals and businesses whose contributions make a significant impact in our school,” said Sister Brenda Monahan, D.C., principal of MSS. “The Seton Values Award is an opportunity to extend our gratitude to our partners who strive to help us further the mission of our school.”

The Seton Values Award is given in recognition for outstanding and long-standing dedication to the educational mission of MSS and to continuing the legacy of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. Traditionally, the award is presented to a business or professional and to an individual who has gone above and beyond in their support of MSS’s educational mission. This year, the individual award was given to an entire family, the Littles, who come together each year in honor of their parents’ memory to raise money for the scholarship fund at MSS in their parents’ name.

The Little siblings are responsible for organizing the annual Angels Above Alumni Golf Tournament, which takes place each fall. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Jack and Shirley Little Scholarship Fund at MSS. The tournament began out of a promise the siblings made to their parents. “It’s all about helping others,” said Scott Little. “Now it is our turn…to give back. This was the promise (we) made to our parents on their death bed, that we would continue to give back to MSS and to help as many families as we can.”

Mary Lou Little was honored to receive the award. “I love to volunteer and help those in need. It’s my way of giving back.” Her brother, Ed, agrees. “I love to volunteer because Mom and Dad always encouraged us to help those less fortunate. It’s in our blood.”

Sonya Hand, former proprietor of By Hand Designs, was recognized for her continuing contributions to enhancing and promoting the MSS brand over the years. She has also been integral in helping develop the MSS website over the years, most recently this past spring when she helped create and launch a more streamlined, fresh, and intuitive website. Hand continues to offer assistance in these areas, often performing the services pro-bono. “I believe so strongly in the school, its mission, and its virtues, that supporting the school in whatever way possible just seems like second nature,” said Hand. “It was an honor to receive this year’s Seton Values Award, as it is to be a part of a richly blessed community of loving and dedicated faculty, staff, students, and volunteers.” Hand is also the parent of MSS alumnae (Maya, class of 2014, and Ana, class of 2016), as well as a current student (Nathaniel, entering fifth grade in the fall).

“Sonya Hand and the Little family represent the spirit of our school in that they are “other-centered” and give feely without expecting anything in return,” said Monahan. “They represent the type of person we hope our graduates become. The leadership and dedication they’ve shown has been truly inspiring.”

Pictured from left are: (back) Sister Joan Corcoran, D.C., Assistant Principal; Tony Little, Jane Moore, Pam Little Bolin, Scotty Little, Sarah Little, Sharon Little, Emily Little, Scott Little, Sister Brenda Monahan, D.C., Principal; (front) Marylou Little, Ed Little, and Kim Bolin (holding Mason).
Pictured from left are Sister Joan Corcoran, D.C., Assistant Principal; Ana Hand; Sonya Hand; Lee Hand; and Sister Brenda Monahan, D.C., Principal

Catoctin Corner

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In School News

Crystal Naff Named 2016 FCPS School Secretary of the Year

Congratulations to Catoctin High School secretary, Crystal Naff. During the June 8 Board of Education meeting, she was recognized as an outstanding member of the Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) support staff.

Naff has worked at Catoctin High since 2002. As the secretary to the principal, she supports the administrators at Catoctin. Her job also includes overseeing the front office staff and handling the finances for the school, as well as all of the clubs. Because she enjoys working directly with the students, she chose to add the responsibility of senior class co-advisor. She was previously the junior class advisor, whose responsibilities included setting up the prom and making sure that all students have a wonderful experience. As senior class advisor, Naff works with parents, vendors, and community members to make graduation an experience to remember.

Principal Bernard Quesada nominated Naff for the award. In his nomination he stated, “There is literally nothing that happens in our school without Crystal’s influence or help. Most importantly, she has used all of these positions to work and mentor children in our school. She makes an intentional point to get to know and work with students and their families. I, like all of the staff and students in our building, are better people for having worked with Crystal Naff.”

Nomination letters were also submitted from several students and staff at Catoctin High School. These letters testify to the professionalism, dedication to the job, and respect for others that is shown daily by Naff.
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The welcome sign in the background says it all: Crystal Naff makes everyone feel welcome at Catoctin High School

Season to Taste

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Columns

Buck Reed, The Supermarket Gourmet

“Season to taste.” In the world of culinary arts, this might seem like a small sentence, but in the kitchen this can be a big concept. Say “season to taste” to the wrong student and the fear in his or her eyes grows faster than the line at a Vegas buffet. Immediately, they want to know how much salt they should use. Why can’t they measure it out? You would think I was asking them to design and build a nuclear power plant.

For a few, “season to taste” was a concept easily absorbed, but for many, you had to drag them kicking and screaming—they just were not going to get it. Trying to explain it in an article may seem impossible, but you can’t really write an abstract piece every month and not try to tackle the big ideas. (Just writing a sentence like that proves I have the ego to try.)

On the cruise ships, we called it the blessing. Every soup or sauce got seasoned with salt, pepper, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Naturally, we did this as a last step, and it is probably more important than any other step. Seasoning your dish properly will not save a bad dish, but if done properly, it can turn a good dish into something memorable.

The trick is moderation. Just as we do not want to over-salt a dish, we do not want to overdo it with any of the ingredients in the blessing. Clearly, a certain finesse is called for in this situation. You want to add enough lemon juice or vinegar to make you wonder what that was, yet not so much as it over-powers the dish. In this case, practice makes perfect.

Many professional chefs employ a salt and pepper blend, enhancing the mixture with different spices or herbs. Kosher or sea salt is preferred because of its size; being a bigger grain, it makes it easier for us to measure how much we have when we use our fingers as we add it. Pepper and Tabasco add a piquant flavor to the dish. Worcestershire sauce adds an umami flavor to your dish. Umami is a fairly recent term used to describe a savory flavor in food. Lemon juice adds an acidic flavor to food that when used correctly literally adds a lip-smacking quality to your dish.

Another great finishing ingredient used in a savory dish might be sugar. I like adding brown sugar to bean soups and salad dressings, and it even works well to enhance egg and tuna salad. The same rules apply as to not overwhelming the dish. Prepared mustard can add a unique flavor as well. Today, a lot of professional chefs are swearing by fish sauce as the miracle flavoring. They are adding it to everything from peanut butter sandwiches to ice cream.

Care must be taken to properly season your food in the end. It does you no good to make a beautiful broccoli soup, adjusting the consistency, chopping the vegetables, and getting just the right color, if you cannot season it correctly before you serve it.

If you have any questions or ideas on a future article, please feel free to stop me on the street (seriously, I am not that busy) or write to me at RGuyintheKitchen@aol.com.

Chaney Twins to Share PowerPoint About Ranch Life

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Columns

Deb Spalding

Twelve-year-old twins, Rianna and Sheridan Chaney, formerly of Thurmont, now call a 3,500-acre ranch in Gosper County, Nebraska, home. They’ll be appearing at the Thurmont Regional Library on Tuesday, August 9, 2016, at 6:30 p.m., during Starlight Story Time to share their experiences about ranch life, agriculture, and publishing children’s books. They, along with their mother, Rebecca Long-Chaney, have published seven (the eighth will be released this coming Christmas) children’s books that spread a love and respect for agriculture, each focusing on different aspects of agriculture.

Becky, who had already published a book, Bulldust in My Bra: An American Couple’s Working Season in the Outback, wrote the first three books from observing the girls around the farm and writing down things they would say. She explained, “For the next four books, the girls actually sat down with me and helped select photos, write the text, and even helped edit the books. We are a team.” She added, “I enjoy seeing the process of an idea to storyboard, to layout, to a finished product.
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The twins were only three years old when Becky started taking photos. That fall, a Hereford cow had twins but would only nurse one, so the twins raised the calf on a bottle. Sheridan said, “It was a lot of work but we loved it.” Their first book was, “Little Star…Raising Our First Calf.”

With only two towns in the whole county where they live in Nebraska, these girls know more than a little about cows and life on a ranch. They live twenty minutes from a fast food restaurant or a Walmart; if they want to shop at Kohl’s, Best Buy, or the Apple Store, they have to drive for three hours.

At their school, the twins will begin the school year with twelve other seventh graders. Their entire school has kindergarten through twelfth grade in one building; each grade has one class of approximately fifteen students. The Chaney girls play volleyball on a club team; they also play softball and love doing livestock judging.

The Chaneys are part of a wonderful church family at Lone Star Cowboy Church. The girls are active in 4-H and go to Sunday School or youth worship on Wednesday evening rather than Sunday mornings. Many schools in Nebraska won’t let teachers give homework on Wednesday night because it is considered Christian night.

Most of all, the twins enjoy helping their father, Lee, move cattle or do something on the ranch. He works for Cross Diamond Cattle Company, which is a huge Red Angus cattle ranch (on which the Chaneys live), with a commercial cattle herd of about 350 cows.

Recently, he was teaching the girls to drive a ranch truck in the field while they helped him tear down fence. In Nebraska, rural kids can drive to school when they are fourteen years old.

In addition to their book projects, Becky enjoys substitute teaching for grades kindergarten through twelfth in three different districts. “This is a great way for me to get a little agriculture into the classroom.”

While touring around the book and agriculture circuits, Rianna said her favorite place to visit was the National Beef Convention in Tampa, Florida. “We got to promote our books for three days and have a side trip to Universal Studios at Disney.”

When asked about her favorite place, Sheridan said, “That’s easy. My favorite place was a road trip this past spring to a 35,000-acre ranch in Wyoming to do a photo shoot for the new book. It only took us five hours to get there. We stayed with the most awesome ranch family, and we can’t wait to go back.”

Come out to see Rianna, Sheridan, and Becky in August at the Thurmont Regional Library. They have a great passion for agriculture and would love to share “their ag story” with you. “My sister and I are doing the PowerPoint. We will have fun pictures of Branding day, show season, Nebraska cowboys and scenery, our winning Pig Wrestling team, cooling off in the big cattle tanks, and Nebraska’s most famous wonder: Tornadoes!” said Sheridan.

Becky added some shout-outs, “We are blessed to have a great support network with our books. First, Kelly Hahn Johnson takes many of the photos for the books. Kathy Stowers does the entire book layout, and Laura Keiholtz develops the professional lesson plans that go with every book for grades kindergarten through third. When books are published and big orders come in, Betsy Randall and Bonnie Chaney are my packaging and shipping team, because books are printed on the East Coast. I have a terrific team!”

“For the past eight years, our books have received several Ag Book of the Year honors. The books are in every state and in thousands of schools around the nation, thanks to Farm Bureau and Cattle Women’s groups. For more information, folks can visit our website at rebeccalongchaney.com,” said Sheridan, adding, “We are not famous people, but just ranchers trying to make a difference.”

Sheridan (left) and Rianna Chaney use sorting sticks to help keep calves back during branding day, while cowboy Marcus Eggleston goes to rope another calf to brand and vaccinate.

Rianna and Sheridan Chaney, formerly of Maryland, take a break with their ranching family on branding day at Cross Diamond Cattle Ranch in South Central Nebraska where they now live.
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From left, are, Johanna and Marie Ford, Coltin Nation, Rianna and Sheridan Chaney.

Happily Ever After

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Columns

Squash, Anyone?
by Valerie Nusbaum

COLUMN-happily-ever-after-- Earlier this year, I mentioned that Randy and I had begun a gardening project. I said that I’d report back later in the summer and let you know how our garden was growing; I will do that shortly, but I need to explain some things first.

Randy and I both grew up in families where vegetable gardens and fruit trees were the norm. Our mothers “put up” or canned and froze everything our dads could grow. Long ago, when we were kids, everyone had a garden and we all traded food back and forth. If Uncle Bill had apples, he’d give us a bucketful, and Mom would make and freeze applesauce. In turn, Dad would give Aunt Faye his extra melons. I know that sounds funny, but I’m referring to cantaloupes and watermelons. I’m not sure what Aunt Faye did with Dad’s melons.

My grandfather had raspberries and peaches, and we had strawberries. The next-door neighbors had rhubarb, and they always gave us some. No one knew what to do with it, but we didn’t have the heart to tell them. I can remember grating cabbage and making and canning sauerkraut. We used to cut the corn off the cobs and can that as well, but we used an acid in the canning process, and I’m pretty sure that’s illegal now.

My in-laws and Randy’s grandparents lived on acres in the country, and they did the same things, just on a larger scale. Randy’s grandfather had a vegetable stand where he sold his produce, and the family sold surplus to local stores. They even delivered chestnuts to fruit stands down on the Eastern Shore.

Twenty-odd years ago, the hubby and I moved here to Thurmont, and we promptly put a garden in our little backyard. We were disappointed when nothing much grew but weeds. You all might not realize this, but the soil in Thurmont is filled with clay and is very rocky, at least it is where we live.

Year after year, we kept trying to garden with minimal success until we finally gave up. We really missed growing fresh vegetables. So after several years with no garden of our own, we decided last year that we’d try building some raised beds and see if we had better results.

Randy built the frames and filled them with clean top soil and peat. He put up a white picket fence to keep out the critters, and he made walkways of pea gravel. Our little cottage garden looks so pretty, and I can see it all from the kitchen window.

As usual, I started my Dad’s heirloom tomato plants from seeds we harvested. I put them in little pots on the kitchen windowsill, pampering them for several months before setting them in the ground. Randy did most of the planting in the garden. We decided to plant a variety of vegetables and herbs, but most of our crops are late because of the wet, chilly spring we had. Late or not, we’ve already had several pickings of peas and spring onions. The potatoes are ready to dig if we want “new” potatoes. Our green beans and corn need a little more time, but I’ve been harvesting basil, chives, oregano, and rosemary faster than we can use it. I’ll probably dry some herbs and freeze the rest.

Along with Dad’s tomatoes, we have grape tomatoes and Roma tomatoes—still green but looking good. The bell peppers are coming along, and we tried eggplant this year, too. Those plants are blooming. The cabbage plants have nice heads as well.

The most prolific plants in the garden are, by far, the zucchini. On Thursday, there were two three-inch zucchini on one of the plants. By Sunday, there were seven foot-long squash screaming at me to pick them. The vines have needed to be pruned several times, as they’re been threatening to take over the entire garden. I swear, I’ve never seen leaves so huge—and they keep growing. We’ve had baked zucchini with stewed tomatoes. We’ve eaten steamed zucchini. I’ve made zucchini bread and cookies. We’ve given zucchini to family and friends, and there are two more in my fridge waiting for me. And they keep growing.

As we were pulling some weeds and pruning the other day, I suggested to Randy that maybe we should put in only one zucchini plant next year. There was silence.

I said, “You know I have peripheral vision. I can see you making those faces.”
“What? A gnat’s trying to fly up my nose,” he replied.

“Sure,” I said, “and if I let this zucchini grow a little more, it will make a nice club. Seriously, I can see you.”

We’re planning a couple of late crops after the potatoes are dug and the beans are pulled up, and next year we’ll add two more beds for lettuce and radishes and more herbs. We might even plant some yellow and acorn squash. In the meantime, please send me your zucchini recipes.

Our Neighborhood Veterans

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Columns

by Jim Houck, Jr.
Warren Deardorf Grove Jr.
3rd Class Petty Officer U.S. Navy
Warren (Buddy) Grove Jr. was born in Emmitsburg on August 17, 1926, on Crystal Fountain Road. When he was two years old, he and his family moved to Eyler’s Valley on the Seiss farm.

Warren had two sisters by the time he was ready to start school, and a brother by the time he was ten years old. Warren’s dad didn’t like the school bus that picked up the kids for Emmitsburg School, and their house happened to be on the line (in fact the line was marked by a spring that was piped through the house), between the Emmitsburg school district and the Sabillasville school district. So, his father chose to send him to the Sabillasville school district. They had just built the two-room school house in Sabillasville right before he started there. They could use the two rooms as one if they wanted, because in between the two rooms was a collapsible wall. Later, the W.P.A built a furnace room and bathroom in the school.

Buddy went to the Sabillasville School through the seventh grade, after spending two years in the third grade because the winter was so bad in his third grade year that he missed six weeks of school, thus not passing and having to repeat the year. Warren said that he graduated Sabillasville School with unsatisfactory marks.

When Warren was twelve, the home his family lived in burned down. He remembers that the .22 caliber rifle his dad had given him was one of the few things that survived the fire. His mother was home alone when the fire started, and the fire took the home quickly. His dad had just bought all of the material to put a new metal roof on the house. Warren said that had the roof been put on, the house probably wouldn’t have had as much damage from the fire.

With help, his family ended up building a new house, but not on the same foundation. The old house was built along what was once the main road. It had an outdoor bake oven and a black smith shop. Warren said it was actually used as a stagecoach stop at one time.

The new house was built on what was, at the time, the main road where they raised hogs and goats. The reason they raised goats was that Warren’s brother was allergic to cow’s milk. An old farmer who lived on Flint Road told his father to give him goat’s milk instead, and it would straighten him out. Warren said that, sure enough, the old farmer was right.

They bought the goat’s milk from Mrs. Walters at Emmitsburg. At first, she didn’t want to sell it to him, but when she found out it was a matter of life and death, she did.

One day, Warren’s father saw an advertisement for someone selling a milk goat, so he went to see it. The goat had really long ears that stood straight up. It was a genuine Toggenburg milk goat. The goat gave over a gallon of milk each milking when they first got it, so his brother had plenty of milk. From then on, his mom and dad never used any milk other than goat milk. Warren recalled that the goat not only provided the milk they needed, but, also kept the weeds down.

The family went into goat farming and used the goats to cultivate the fields and to pull carts filled with vegetables. Warren had one of the goats as a pet. It followed him everywhere. The goat never needed a harness, except when in the corn field.

Warren said the goat could never be trusted in the corn field without the harness even though it was well trained by him and understood the commands Warren gave to him. One year, Warren and his goat won the first prize in the fireman’s parade in Emmitsburg. He had the goat pulling a wagon they made to look like a tanker truck.

After Warren graduated from Sabillasville School, he went to high school in Thurmont. The only drawback to that was that when school let out in the afternoon, not all the buses went all the way to Sabillasville. So, he had to ride three different buses to get home. When he got off the last bus, he had a little over three miles to walk to get home—Warren got very used to walking.

While in high school, he took vocational agriculture and went to all the different county meets. He also belonged to the Future Farmers of America and figured he could put it to good use after he graduated, but there were no jobs available after he graduated.

Businesses didn’t seem to want to train anyone for the jobs. Young men just graduating from high school were probably going to be drafted into the military. Warren was seventeen when he graduated high school, so he went down to enlist in the Navy, having his dad sign for him.

Warren went to boot camp for about sixteen weeks, and then completed sixteen more weeks of electrical school. Out of the four hundred and twenty-some that started in his class, only two hundred and twenty-six graduated. The course was very tough. Warren hadn’t had any high math—only general math—so he and six others had to take a special math course after class hours. Sometimes the extra course ended at one or two o’clock in the morning. They learned their entire higher math on a slide rule: algebra, geometry, and the works. Warren came out twenty-ninth out of two hundred twenty-six graduates. Warren said if it wasn’t for that slide rule, he would never have made it.

He was third class petty officer (electrician) in the amphibious outfit after he left electrical school. He went overseas to an island called Mauritius, then to Sonora Island, and then Borneo, and as an amphibian, they landed the Australian troops. Warren was then transferred to the SEABEES. They put up Quonset Huts. Warren wired the huts and refers to generators. When the war ended in August of 1945, they stayed until January of 1946. At Christmas, they made snow with ice flake machines. They got the freezers as cold as they could and made snow for twenty-four hours a day and spread snow all around the base—where it was 120 degrees outside. While there, Warren found a guilder piece (which was the currency in use there at the time), and he still has it today. He also brought back a Samurai sword and recently gave it to his son. Warren’s brother, who was ten years younger than him, was the recipient of a Japanese rifle that Warren brought back with him.

The firing pin had to be removed to bring it home, but Warren drilled a hole in the stock and inserted it and put carboline over it. When he got home, he put the original firing pin back in, and everything was original on the rifle.

Warren was on a small carrier vessel that ended up in China for a while. He stayed aboard the ship that was tied up in dry dock. Soon, they left there and headed to Japan. Warren stayed in Japan just about a year as an occupation troop at the Tsukiji Japanese Officers Training School (Japan’s version of an officer’s training school similar to our Naval Academy in the United States). His unit was there to build a radio station in Tokyo Bay. He told his Lieutenant that it was nothing but a sandbar and that it didn’t seem solid enough to use. It turned out that he was right since a bulldozer they were using to level things off sunk into the sand until there was only about four inches of its exhaust pipe sticking above the sand and water. It was stuck. They didn’t even try to get it out because they didn’t have the necessary equipment to remove it.

Warren was still doing generator work when he left there. With a ninety-day leave, he went home. When he went back, they sent him down to Port Hueneme at Oxnard, California. Warren was to teach others about motors and generators.

He thought they were sending him to school for diesel engines, but that wasn’t what it was about. It was about water power, steam power, gasoline engines, diesel engines, and experimenting with new turbine engines. Warren said they could really speed up like jet engines on airplanes. He was only there for a short time when they shipped him down to San Diego, California, where he was discharged.

They told him he had to muster out now or reenlist. The only problem with reenlisting at the time was that they wanted him in the seventh fleet, and promised that he could never get out of it as long as he lived. Warren could have returned home and enlisted, but he would have been shipped right back out.

Having enlisted in 1944, he was discharged then, in 1947, just a couple weeks short of a three year enlistment.

When Warren returned home, he put in for refrigeration school because everywhere he went for an electrical job, they wanted someone with experience in refrigeration. He worked for the State of Maryland and helped open the Western Maryland Hospital at Fort Ritchie, before they eventually moved the hospital to Hagerstown. Warren did everything: he helped whenever a person didn’t show up to work, whether they worked in the ward, the kitchen, or fired the boiler.

During this time, he went to Baltimore and secured his engineer’s license. He worked and waited for a year and a half until he was admitted into the Dunwoody Industrial Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended Dunwoody for three years and then he came back to the state job, to get the minimum required time for coming back, by putting in two months there, and that completed his one tour. Warren then got a job at the Letterkenny Army base in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. He wasn’t in the labor pool to start with, but they knew that some of the guys really wanted to work and knew that Warren was one of them. So they sent him up to the box factory, where he soon received a promotion.

He was then sent to Warehouse Six—general supply—where they were shipping things overseas. Here, he received a bit of a better promotion. He was supposed to serve six months in training, but in three months school let out and they hired kids out of school. One of the big bosses’ nephews graduated high school and they gave him a job immediately. This was a job that Warren was supposed to get in six months.

Warren told his boss that he would like to go up to personnel that afternoon, but his boss told him he couldn’t. This is where the boss made his mistake. If his boss had told him he would make an appointment for Warren to speak to someone in personnel, there would have been no problem. But, the bosses were eating lunch with several people around, so Warren said, “Here are my witnesses, so you may as well get on the phone now and make me an appointment.” The boss said, “I guess I really goofed, didn’t I?” Warren said, “Yes, you did.”

Each division had their own personnel department, and when Warren explained the situation and got no satisfaction, the personnel person told him he would have to stay there. Warren explained that he did not have to stay and asked to see the chief of personnel. The first thing the chief told him was that they didn’t have a job he was qualified for. Warren called him a liar. The chief told him he could be fired. Warren said, “Go ahead, the sooner the better.”

The chief told Warren that there seemed to be something wrong, and asked him where he was hired. Warren informed him that he took seven exams on the Philadelphia Register and knew of the openings they had that Warren qualified for, according to the register. Warren told the chief that he couldn’t fire him. He would have to be fired out of Philadelphia. He told the chief that they recently had seven guard openings and had hired two, and that it was too early that day and he hadn’t officially hired anyone yet. The chief told Warren to relax. He got on the phone and told a person over the phone, “I have a man I’m sending up. I don’t know what he does or what he knows or anything, but you are going to have to take him.”

Warren told the people upstairs that he knew he was qualified for the job because he used to pull shore patrol duty and that was the same as MP’s. Warren got the job and stayed there for two and a half years.

Here, Warren was the first one his boss selected to go to the police training. He went through part of the training, and when a job came open, he thought it was Fort Richie, but learned that the job was at Site R (The Tunnel, Harry’s Hole, Under Ground Pentagon). Warren thought he might be there a couple of years, but he ended up working there for twenty-nine years.

He went in just to be an operator and got promoted to diesel mechanic with a pay increase, because when they needed help, he helped them. Then they decided to put foremen in the power plant since they were running fulltime. Warren was one of five who were selected as foremen because he knew refrigeration, diesel, and electrical. Those were the three basic shops that ran things. He was a diesel mechanic for twelve years at Site R, then he was promoted to diesel and machine shop foreman.

In all, Warren served thirty-five years with the government. He was asked what he wanted to do, and, at the time, Warren said he wanted to live equal time to what he worked. During our interview, he said, “Well, it’s happened!” He retired in 1981, thirty five years ago—the official date: August 21. On August 16, 2016, Warren will be ninety years young and has traveled all over the world, been in every state of the United States, and has lived life to the fullest. He has a tremendous amount of knowledge and is a pleasure to be around. I could listen to him tell his life stories for hours. I wish everyone could meet and talk with this man, who is so dedicated to his family and his country. I found out that I graduated high school with Warren’s wife’s brother. What a small world we live in after all.

God Bless Our Country, God Bless the American Veteran, and God Bless You.
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Warren Deardorf Grove Jr., 3rd Class Petty Officer U.S. Navy

On The Wild Side

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Columns

Christine Schoene Maccabee
Wildflowers Along the Railraod Track

Anyone who has driven or walked or jogged or biked along Woodside Drive in Thurmont this spring will have noticed the colorful flowers along the railroad track. Many of these flowers are various poppies, mallows, and cornflowers from a mix of flower seeds spread over a few areas prepared in early spring. Miraculously, many of these seeds sprouted and grew in spite of a very dry period, with no one watering them.

Much to the relief of most neighbors on Woodside Drive, a deal was made with the Midland Railroad company not to spray herbicides along the tracks in that area. One fellow said he would rather see green and growing things than dead and dying things, not to mention the toxic smell that wafted over to his property. This project has been just one of the many things the Green Team of Thurmont has been doing for about one year now. You may have already read about these efforts to create a more sustainable, green community. The Green Team is flourishing and, of course, always welcomes new enthusiasts. This wildflower project is just one of many great projects, such as energy saving in homes and businesses, encouraging citizens to shop locally, watershed stewardship, the farmers market, community vegetable gardens, and so on.

Much like any creative project, this garden along the railroad tracks is just getting started, and it will take a few years to rid it of invasives and “unwanteds,” as I call them. However, as the ladies helping to implement this vision know, there are already many important wildflowers growing there that came directly from the soil, no seeding or planting necessary. Some of these flowers are late bloomers, such as the wild asters and evening primroses, so keep your eyes peeled for a late summer show.

Right now, the Queen Ann’s Lace are showing off with all their summer splendor, even as the spring poppies are fading away. Those lovely poppies will return next spring, however, with even more numbers, as thousands of seeds from their seed capsules will drop and fly wherever the wind may blow. That is the beauty of a wild area: It eventually will self-sow.

We have plans this autumn to prepare other areas for sowing of wild native plant seeds, such as coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, lupines, and many more. We will also do some live plantings. Until then, through this summer heat, you may see a couple of us at a time, sweating as we are “working on the railroad,” cutting back lambs quarters, thistle, and wild lettuce before they go to seed. We are projecting that this project, though on-going for years, will be greatly enhanced within about three years. Of course, we welcome any other hardy volunteers to help, so please call or write us (see contact information at the end of this article).

Now, I know that not all people like such a wild display. However, I also know for a fact that the members of the wild community love and need it. If one stands long enough to observe, one will see bees, maybe butterflies, and the birds, which are eating both seeds and bugs. These insects and birds will travel to front and backyard gardens to delight the owners; therein is the secret to creating a natural community of which humans can be an important member.

The more habitat for wild plants and wildlife, the better, as far as most experts are concerned. Air quality improves, streams are cleaner and cooler for aquatic life, bees have more nectar and pollen for survival—and for us to put honey on our toast—and our children will learn more about the importance of connecting with the natural world and how humans can be such an important part of this amazing wild world, if only to protect and enhance it.

If you wish to join with us in the Green Team, please contact us at thurmontgreenteam@gmail.com. You can also write Jim Humerick at the town office at JHumerick@thurmontstaff.com, or you can write me at songbirdschant@gmail.com.

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Christine and Cindy Poole at the railroad tracks for the wildflower project, just one of the many wonderful projects the Green Team has in the works.

Looking Back

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Columns

Recollections of the Civil War, Part 2

by James Rada, Jr.

Editor’s Note: This is the second of two articles recounting Sarah (Six) Schnure’s recollections of life in Thurmont during the Civil War. Schnure wrote her recollections while living in Hollywood, California, in the 1930s.

Sarah Six had been ten years old when the war started. She had watched most of the fighting-age men march off to join the Union Army in 1861. She had watched wounded soldiers being transported through Mechanicstown.

Her family lived in a state of uncertainty. They knew very little of their friends and family who had marched off to war. They didn’t fear an invasion so much as worried over losing what they had to Confederate scavengers.

Word had spread through the region that Confederate soldiers were taking horses and cattle when they found them. If they paid, they paid in Confederate scrip. Sarah’s father, William Six, was so worried about losing his stock that he took his two horses north to Wrightsville, Pennsylvania.

One night while William was away, Sarah was spending the night with her friend Mollie Foreman. The young girls were sleeping in the back of the house when they heard something that awakened them. They realized that it was the steady tramp of horses’ hooves.

They crept downstairs, unlocked the front door, and stepped out onto the front porch. From an upstairs window, someone whispered hoarsely, “Go in and shut that door!”

“I can tell you, we went up those stairs quietly but faster than we had gone down, for when we realized we were down there alone and in inky darkness, we felt as if a rebel was after us for sure and we were scolded good and proper,” Sarah wrote.

All they had been able to see were the shifting shapes of horsemen moving in the night. In the morning, she found out that the men had been suspected Confederate soldiers.

While the town had hidden from the Confederates, they were overjoyed when Union soldiers came to town.
“Everyone (except southern sympathizers) came on the streets and with waving flags, gave them a welcome for they were usually close on the heels of a reported invasion, which made them doubly welcome,” Sarah wrote.

Another night, the town was once again awakened by troops riding through town. This group stopped in front of the Six house when they saw a light shining in a second floor window. They called up to the person in the lighted room.
William wouldn’t answer them, but Sarah’s mother walked to the window and called out, “What do you want?”
“Where does George Johnson live?” one of the men replied.
“Who are you?”
“We are Union men. We are going to Chimney Rock to display signals. We were told Mr. Johnson would feed our horses and point the way to the mountain.”
“How do I know that you are Union men?”

The soldier rode up closer to the house and into the light. “See the uniform?” the soldier asked.
She did, but she still doubted. The soldier finally talked her into telling him where Johnson lived. He was home. He fed the horses and then led the soldiers up the mountain in the dark. Eventually, those people who were still awake did see signals on the mountain.

Since there were no street lights, children stayed close to home as night began to fall. They would sit on their porches and sing Union songs.
Mechanicstown was eighteen miles from Gettysburg, but it might as well have been hundreds of miles, according to Sarah. She knew the name of the town and that it had a college in it, but that was all. Sarah wrote that the road to Gettysburg was so bad and full of stones that it was sarcastically nicknamed “featherbed.”

She remembers seeing the soldiers marching to Gettysburg. “The weather was cloudy with rain and very sultry,” Sarah wrote. “It hurts me even now as I can see those poor men on that forced march in heavy wool uniforms, not allowed to stop for a drink but some would scoop up a hand full from the gutter alongside the street.”

They heard nothing of the battle until they started seeing weary soldiers marching south.
She also remembered the solemn tolling of the church bells after news of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination was announced.
Such sad memories for a child to have.

The Present Past

By goodNewsBanner On July 28, 2016 · Add Comment · In Columns

Utica Mills
by “My Father’s Son”
Between Thurmont and Frederick has long laid the humbly-pleasant settlement of Utica Mills, marked on the map today with solely the charming title of Utica. Where such an enchanting name derives (though mystery part of its appeal) led to investigation learning Utica to mean “old town” – appropriately so, honoring the community’s historical value compiling since it was founded 200 years ago.

The center of Utica Mills was just that; a large, stone, gristmill along Fishing Creek constructed by Jacob Cronise in 1815. This mill, once on the corner of present-day Old Frederick and Utica Roads, was accompanied by Mr. Cronise’s house, “the mansion house” as some referred. The Cronise house, a three-bay, end-hall layout built of stone and finished with stucco parging was built between 1815 and 1817- the final year delightfully found on the backside of a mantel during renovations in the 1970s. Now enlarged by multiple additions (also dated), 10616 Old Frederick Road is an admirable residence with 6-over-6 sashes, louvre shutters, and a Tuscan-columned porch running the width of the front elevation part of which is a southward, lower-roofed wing matching the main house in material. Multiple surnames have claimed the deed of the Cronise home including Rogers (1887) – followed by the Stottlemyer, Pearl, Ziebell, and current Jeffries families- the last in their second generation of ownership.

The most prominent of names to reside at this residence are the two granting the mansion its title as the Cronise-Todd House. Jacob Cronise, who built the house and mill, maintained the 74-acre enterprise until 1825. At this time, for the sum of twelve-thousand dollars, Jacob sold to brother Simon Cronise and relocated to operate the former Williams & Stinchcomb Mill at Ceresville Manor alongside where the Monocacy River ferry crossing was situated on the road to Libertytown. Simon Cronise operated the mill until his death and in September 1835 the property was sold to William H. Todd for eight-thousand dollars. Born in Ireland in 1781, Todd moved to Pennsylvania with his parents in 1795. He married Rebecca Barnes of Pennsylvania in 1804 and settled at Utica Mills after his parents’ untimely deaths. William’s brother, James Todd, moved to Creagerstown at this time also, the sibling’s living ten miles apart for the rest of their lives. The Utica Mill was inherited by William H. Todd’s son of the same name and by 1882 was shipping flour to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. In 1886 the property was listed for sale, an ad in the Citizen stating the mill to be “located in one of the most productive, healthy, and picturesque sections of the country.” The brick mill, inclusive “11-room stone mansion” and 90-foot Switzer barn were all lost by Todd in 1887 to his mortgagors.

No visible trace of the Cronise gristmill exists today in the pasture south of the Cronise-Todd House. Operated until 1900, the mill was demolished around 1924- the 1910 deed between Rogers and Stottlemyer mentioning the property’s improvements “excepting the old mill building” likely referencing its irreparable condition. At the time of the Maryland State Archive’s 1992 survey, residents of Utica relayed that the mill, in lesser form, is still present at its former site as the stone and rubble of the building were reused to raise Utica Road away from the active levels of Fishing Creek. Also untraceable at the site, though surviving longer than the mill until at least 1927, is the mill-race that broke away from Fishing Creek at a bend upstream from the nearby Utica Rd. covered bridge. This watercourse continued straight from the creek’s twist, running to the rear of the mansion house before flowing south past the mill and cooper shop to rejoin its tributary, powering two “overshot” mill-wheels.

North of the mansion house is the old Utica Mills General Store. Now a single-family home this was previously a two-story log cabin built before 1820 by Cronise as the village Post Office and Stage-stop. Originally on Cronise’s landholdings, this store was separated from the Mansion house at the time of the Jeffries’ 1975 purchase of the Cronise-Todd House from Peter & Betty Ziebell. The Ziebells retained the storehouse and 2.3 acres as their own, divided as to keep a c.1930-40 dairy barn and milk house built by Clarence W. Stottlemyer who lived in the manor-house from 1918 to 1965. Additions and modifications to the storehouse leave it today a long, narrow building mere feet from Old Frederick Road.

Franklin Stottlemyer purchased the Cronise-Todd property of 72 acres in 1910. “The farm at Utica” was sold to his son, aforementioned Clarence W. for $4,500.00 per Franklin’s Will. Franklin’s deed reflects the decrease in acreage by the previous Rogers’ donations of two plots: one to the Board of County School Commissioners for a school house (1891- part of a tract ironically called “The End of Trouble”), and another, adjoining the first; to the Utica Cemetery (1893). Both donated properties lay on the northern edge of Lenhart Road; the way to the stone, Baer farmhouse atop a knoll carved by the encircling Fishing Creek. Though John and Annie (Ramsburg) Baer moved after selling their farm to William and Jessie Lenhart in 1903, their daughter would return nearby when she wed Clarence W. Stottlemyer and lived in the mansion house opposite her parent’s old farm-road. The reputable Lenhart lineage continues to occupy the Baer farm 113 years later.

On the opposite corner of the Baer farm-road from the old school lot (now an extension of the Utica Cemetery) stands the Samuel Clem house. Reportedly built between 1820-40 this small home is erected in the German-vernacular style leading some to believe it may actually date to 1769. The childhood home of Augustus Clem, a forerunner in Frederick County’s print industry, Clem distributed reports like the “Little Sunbeam”, “Weekly Enterprise”, and “Monthly Visitor” from the 1850-90s from a single-level shop located immediately North of St. Paul’s Church. By 1886 Clem also printed the larger “Walkersville Enterprise.”

The grist mill, once the focal point of Utica Mills, was replaced as such in 1891 when the striking “Utica Mills Covered Bridge” was raised over Fishing Creek behind the Cronise-Todd House. This was not a new bridge! The 101-foot Utica Mills bridge is actually a fragment of the once double-span, Burr-arch, 250-foot covered “Devilbiss Bridge” that spanned the Monocacy on Devilbiss Bridge Road. Built in 1843, the original structure was washed away by the same storm causing the infamous 1889 Johnstown Flood. It is told that salvageable debris was gathered from the receded river’s banks and the surviving portion of the bridge dismantled and stored to be re-assembled 1.5 miles (as the bird flies) from its primary location. In 1978 the bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places and in December 1996 an extensive, $337,000 restoration begun after an auto-accident exposed severe beetle and termite damage to the susceptible wood.

Utica has many valuable sites beyond the bridge that has long gained it recognition. The place is a perfect medium between city and country life – it’s quiet, open-space calm quickly transformed to the happenings of Frederick City by a short car-ride. In the last 30 years subdivisions like “Utica Mills” and “Mills Manor” have been added paying homage to their location. Many historic structures in proximity to the Cronise-Todd House remain and the majority of the names mentioned here pleasantly honored in the Utica Cemetery; particularly Rebecca Barnes Todd, whose memorial is embellished with a high-relief bouquet of roses & wildflowers and framed in elegant vines.

Utica-Mills
Layout of Utica Mills based off Maryland Land Records, local accounts, and historic descriptions.

EMMITSBURG HERITAGE DAY SPECTACULAR

By goodNewsBanner On July 1, 2016 · Add Comment · In Featured Articles

Deb Spalding

This year, the Emmitsburg Heritage Day Event was spectacular for visitors and town residents. The volunteers who worked on the Emmitsburg Heritage Day Committee planned all year to make the day a success. The weather was beautiful, the people were happy, and the fireworks were fabulous. Volunteer Jim Houck, Jr., said, “All (members) of our committee are truly dedicated to helping our community, especially the kids, enjoy a day of fun and games.”

Although it was originally an Emmitsburg Lions Club event, it is now a cooperative effort among multiple organizations. It is hoped that the festival will continue in the future with even more involvement from the community. Jennifer Joy, Heritage Day Committee chair, said, “It was a wonderful day because of the involvement and support of all of the town’s civic organizations, businesses, and churches that make this event possible each year. Through their generosity and commitment, we are able to provide fireworks (Emmitsburg Professional Business Association), parade (Sons of the American Legion), music (Knights of Columbus), food (SAL and Lions), field games (Lions), and kids activities (Christ’s Community Church) at the festival.”

Jim Houck and Mike Hartdagen coordinated the parade that followed the traditional route from the Doughboy on West Main Street to the square, then down South Seton Avenue. Houck boasted, “The turnout was great and we had some last-minute surprises in our line up.” The Parade was well attended and had more than forty organizations participate. Most enjoyed were the ponies and the Harmony Cornet Band, who also regaled with their talents before and after the Memorial Event.

Through a grant from the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area, a History Art Contest was held. Coupled with donations from local organizations and donors, $1,100 in prizes was distributed to nine winners in three categories. Art Contest Winners: Elementary Division—1^st Prize, Arianna Calhoun, 2^nd Prize, Darren Fry, 3^rd Prize, Lynzee Davis, and Honorable Mention, Abigail Mae Turner; Middle School Division—1^st Prize, Gabrielle Lee Archie, 2^nd Prize, Emily Grace Williams, 3^rd Prize, Shae Lynn Archie Fuller, and Honorable Mention, Marques Miller; High School Division—1^st Prize, Eli Fryer.

A beach week raffle was also held as a fundraiser for next year’s event, and the winner was local resident, Kendall Moore, from Pembrook Woods. Thanks to all who participated and congratulations to the Moore family!

At the Memorial event, all were touched by guest speaker, Brenda Sheaffer’s, story as someone with severe learning disabilities who struggled to make a living and be considered a contributor to society. With the help of Melwood, a non-profit organization, she has now been able to hold a position as a custodian at the National Zoo and the Auditors Building, before earning a security clearance to work at the White House complex. Also at the Memorial event, responders to Emmitsburg’s three major fires were honored and thanked for their service. Parade awards were given to “Best In” categories, and Art contest awards were given out to winners.

At the Bandstand, Miriam Warther of Fairfield, Synergy (a girl group from the Let there be Rock School of Frederick), Screaming Melina’s from Pennsylvania, and Jellyfish Jam Band (from Emmitsburg) entertained the crowd.

Sack Race winners were: Singles—Andy Walters and Addy Dodson (ages 1-4), Landon Miller and Blake Cool (ages 5-8), Joshua Wantz and Deondre Febus (ages 9-12), Josh Maze and Jayson Howard (ages 13-16), Jack McCarthy/Dave Zentz (tie) and Davey Ott (ages 17 and older); Doubles—Addie Dobson/Tierney Burns and Alyse Scarzello/Andy Walters (ages 1-4), Josh Hahn/Savannah Phebus and Robert Upchurch/Annelle Upchurch (ages 5-8), Deandre Febus/Adrian Febus and Helen Hochschild/Violet Walker (ages 9-12), McKenna Stambaugh/Alexis Cool and Cheyene Marsee/Carmella Ogle (ages 13-16), and Nathan Fritz/Brittany Fritz and Kacie Boyle/Wendy Gray (ages 17 and older).

Egg Toss winners were Kimberly Shields and Kathy Shields.

Water Balloon Toss winners were Steve Wantz, Sr. and Steve Wantz III, who tied with Dave Shields and Dave Shields Jr.

Pie Eating Contest winners were Andy Walters and Felicity Phelan (up to 4 years), Robert Upchurch and Lucien Ridenour and Josh Hahn (ages 5-8), Nate Snyder and Krystal Lane (ages 9-12), Jordan Ebaugh and John Lane (ages 13-16), and Jack McCarthy (ages 17 and older).

Watermelon Eating Contest winners were Cassie Click and Cora Krom (up to 4 years); Sarah Lagare, Thomas Love, and Robert Upchurch (ages 5-8); Krystal Lane, Matthew Know, Deandre Febus, and Nate Snyder (ages 9-12); Danielle Wilson, Hannah Kaas, and Caeley McVearry (ages 13-16); and Jack McCarthy and Jared Suit (ages 17 and older).

Casting Contest winners were Trinity Mahon (up to 4 years), Charlie Scarzell (ages 5-8), C.J. Upchurch (ages 9-12), and Jared Suit (ages 17 and older).

Car Show winners were: Best In Show Overall—Brenda Titman; Truck Division: 1^st Place—Steven Kimmel, 2^ndPlace—Jean Eyler, 3^rd Place—Paul Best; Motorcycle: 1^st Place—Robert Droneburg, 2^ndPlace—Wade Droneburg; Car Division: 1^st Place—Stephen Kupick, 2^nd Place—Greg Parry, 3^rdPlace—Brenda Titman, and 4^th Place—Jim Hoover.

The Friends of the Emmitsburg Library held their annual book sale. The Friends raised over $560 to support library programs and the Summer Reading Program.

Next year, the committee hopes to have a carnival and some additional attractions during the event. If anyone is interested in participating or getting involved in the planning of next year’s event, please contact Jennifer Joy at 301-447-6467 or Clifford Sweeney 301-447-1712 or email eburgheritagedays@gmail.com.
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Brandon Burris, Savannah Phebus, and Jayson Howard were some of the game winners during Emmitsburg Heritage Day on June 25, 2016.

Photo by Stephanie Freniere

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Participants in the Pie Eating Contest enjoyed the game and the sweets.

Photo by Stephanie Freniere

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Around 5:15 p.m., families began lining the streets, eagerly awaiting the parade to begin, a much-anticipated event each year.

Photo by Gracie Eyler
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Emmitsburg Sons of the American Legion’s Mike Hartdagen presented the Vigilant Hose Company’s Jimmy Click with a plaque of appreciation for their quick response to the house fires in Emmitsburg this past year.

Photo by Gracie Eyler

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Greased Pig Chase winners were Savannah Phebus (ages 1-6 years), Mathew Knox (7-11), Jayson Howard (12-16), and Brandon Burris (17 and older).

Photo by Stephanie Freniere

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Group shot of some of the riders from Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE), who participated in the mountain bike group rides on the Multi User Trail on Community Heritage Day.

Courtesy Photo

Jim Moxley Memorial Rocket Club Takes Off

By goodNewsBanner On July 1, 2016 · Add Comment · In Featured Articles

James Rada, Jr.

Emmitsburg’s version of Cape Canaveral is Memorial Park. Once a month this summer, Frederick County deputies and youths will meet to build model rockets and send them soaring into the air over Emmitsburg.

“It’s a great project and a lot of fun,” said Deputy Travis Rohrer, one of Emmitsburg’s resident deputies.

The rocket club is called the Jim Moxley Memorial Rocket Club, and is named after a former Emmitsburg resident deputy who died last year. Moxley ran a model rocket club from 2003-2005. The club would meet an hour a week to work on their rockets and then they would be launched on Heritage Day.

“DFC Whitehouse and I decided to bring back the rocket club as a special project directed towards the kids in the community, and to honor Moxley’s service,” Rohrer said.

The new rocket club meets once a month on Sunday afternoon for three hours. During that time, youths, eight to twelve years old, build their rockets and launch them. The Emmitsburg deputies pay for all the materials to build the rockets.

The first meeting of the club was on May 22, 2016, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. Eight children attended. Older and younger participants are allowed, although parents need to stay for the meeting to help their younger children.

“It was a huge success despite the rainy weather,” Rohrer said. “I believe we shot off a total of ten rockets.”

Not only do the youths get to have fun, Rohrer said it was a good way for the children to interact with law enforcement in the right light. They come to see the deputies as friends they can trust, rather than someone to be seen as unapproachable or scary.

Information on future meetings can be found on the town’s website at www.emmitsburgmd.gov. Click on Government and then Community Deputies. Questions can be e-mailed to emmitsburgdeputies@emmitsburgmd.gov.

The Jim Moxley Memorial Rocket Club, named after a former Emmistburg resident deputy who passed away last year, is pictured with Dfc Whitehouse and Deputy Travis Rohrer

A Dedication to a True Hero

By goodNewsBanner On July 1, 2016 · Add Comment · In Featured Articles

Allison Rostad

It has been said before that true heroes never die. These words were proven during a memorial for Marine Cpl. William Kyle Ferrell of North Carolina. Cpl. Ferrell grew to call the Thurmont community his second family, as he was assigned to the naval support facility at Camp David.

On September 29, 2015, Ferrell was a victim of a hit-and-run while pulled over on Route 15 north bound to lend his assistance to a stranded motorist in a heavy rain storm.

On the morning of June 11, 2016, just four months shy of one year since Ferrell’s death, the Thurmont community, along with Ferrell’s family, friends, and his North Carolina hometown community, gathered for a dedication ceremony at Memorial Park in Thurmont, hosted by the Thurmont American Legion.

During the ceremony, guest speaker, David Wood, expressed with admiration, “That day, Cpl. Ferrell wasn’t ordered to pull over and help, but he did what any non-commissioned officer of the Marine Corps does: He led by example.”

This same notion echoed through every word spoken about Ferrell during the ceremony.

Congressional Candidate Daniel Cox said, “We understand that this Marine is a hero, because not only did he serve when not required to, he paid the ultimate sacrifice for it.”

Prior to the completion of the ceremony, a pin oak tree had been planted and dedicated to Ferrell in Memorial Park, along with a new highway sign revealed, dedicating the Catoctin Furnace Trail footbridge to Ferrell in honor of his selflessness, kindness, and dedication to helping those in need. His parents, Dan and Donna Ferrell, were also given a smaller, exact replica of the dedication sign to be taken home with them to Carthage, North Carolina.

Following the ceremony, a pig roast was held at the American Legion, from which all proceeds were donated to the Carthage Police Department in North Carolina, in Ferrell’s name.

Just as Emily Potter once said, “Heroes never die. They live on forever in the hearts and minds of those who would follow in their footprints,” so will Cpl. William Kyle Ferrell live on eternally in the hearts and minds of his loved ones, the Thurmont community, and those who travel Route 15 northbound through Thurmont.

Photos by Allison Rostad

Sgt. Tyler Bergeron, who served with Cpl. Ferrell, presents Cpl. Ferrell’s parents, Dan and Donna Ferrell, a scale replica of the dedicated footbridge sign.

The sign reveal for the Catoctin Furnace Trail footbridge that spans across Rt. 15, in honor of Cpl. William Kyle Ferrell.

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