Deb Abraham Spalding It’s common-place for His Place Auto Repair and Restoration Center owner, Billy Kuhn III, and his repair professionals to completely strip down a vintage Corvette, or any collectible auto for that matter, to its frame and restore it entirely to new, or better-than-new, from the wheels to the engine to the paint…

by James Rada, Jr. Emmitsburg January 2019 Meeting Emmitsburg Approves Forestry Management Plan The Emmitsburg commissioners approved a forestry management plan that calls for harvesting select trees and selling them. The first lot of trees will be removed from a 60-acre town-owned parcel and is expected to bring in around $60,000 when sold. “Basically, they…

Emmitsburg  Mayor Don Briggs Like everyone, the town started the New Year at full pace. Here are a few things the town is working on. This spring, through grant assistance, the town will be adding wayside exhibits to our historic district streetscape, describing the role of the Square, the Doughboy, and the Emmit House history…

Blair Garrett Off the beaten path, tucked away in a quiet corner of Blue Ridge Summit, lies the Orvis Hill Country shooting range, where members can shoot clays, hunt wildlife, and be a part of a tight-knit community. The gun club offers a variety of activities and perks for members and non-members, but the crew…

James Rada, Jr. Catherine “Cat” Szafran remembers that when her family left Spain, a bonfire at her house burned for four days, for the purpose of consuming her father’s artwork. Years later, when the Barnstones left England, a bonfire burned for a week, again turning Myron Barnstone’s work to ash. It wasn’t that his work…

Blair Garrett Whether it’s fixing up European classics at his local full-service auto shop or rescuing a sinking business, Thurmont business owner and Discovery Channel star Chris Stephens is making an impact. The Discovery Channel’s Garage Rehab, featuring Stephens and his two co-hosts, Russell Holmes and Richard Rawlings, tackle a struggling business each week in…

James Rada, Jr. James “Pop” Hance worked for a few hours at the Carriage House Inn the day he died on December 30, 2018. He had given sixty years of his life to his businesses — the The Carriage House Inn Restaurant in Emmitsburg and the Gentleman Jim’s Restaurant in Rockville, Maryland. When he and…

The Thurmont Addiction Commission (TAC) held its first monthly commission meeting of 2019 on January 10 at the Thurmont Town Office.  Discussions included a review of 2018 events hosted by TAC, as well as planning and scheduling for 2019 events as suggested by those in attendance at the meeting. All commission monthly meetings are held…

Help them help you! The Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service is one service many people take for granted until they need emergency assistance. The dedicated men and women who provide this service stand ready, willing, and able to respond. While many of us hope we never need to call upon the fire and…

Deb Abraham Spalding The 135th Annual Banquet of the Vigilant Hose Company (VHC) was held on Saturday, January 5, 2019, at the Vigilant Hose Company Activities Building on Creamery Road in Emmitsburg. Former Company president and current member, Tim Clarke, acted as master of ceremonies and delivered an enjoyable and comical presentation. Frederick County Executive…

Blair Garrett Through a wintry mixture of sleet and snow, locals from around the Catoctin Area poured into the Thurmont Event Complex to show love and support for the Thurmont Ambulance Company during its annual banquet on January 18, 2019. Friends, families and volunteers of the Thurmont Ambulance Company braved the icy conditions to honor…

Experience Art In Motion! ESP Performing Company’s annual showcase fundraiser is a fun and entertaining evening out for the entire community. The annual ESP Showcase Fundraiser will take place on Saturday, February 23, 2019, at 5:30 p.m. in The Marion Burk Knott Auditorium at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg. Advance tickets are $10.00 for…

CPT David Ellington, Asst. Professor of Military Science at McDaniel College As we enter a new year, we think about resolutions and all of the things that we want to accomplish. As a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Instructor, I think about what I want to emphasize to the cadets in my program, how we…

Theresa Dardanell Each year, Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) recognizes students who demonstrate the leadership qualities of Dr. King during the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration in January. Students who earned the award demonstrated positive leadership qualities and exhibited the “Character Counts Pillars”: responsibility, caring, fairness, trustworthiness, citizenship, and respect. One outstanding…

The Thurmont Middle School (TMS) Show Choir is entering its competition season. The performing arts group has performed at the TMS Winter Concert and practices weekly to prepare for a very large chorus and show choir competition in Midlothian, Virginia. The Koste Classic (mid-March) invites middle and high schools from the Atlantic region to compete,…

Frederick County Public Schools is asking parents to complete a perceptual survey about their children’s schools. “Helping students work to their potential is a collaborative effort involving parents, students, schools, and the community. FCPS values and appreciates feedback from parents and guardians. We use that feedback in tangible ways to improve schools and provide every…

“I’ll color this blue.” Sadie Grubby, a pre-K student at Mother Seton School (MSS), points to the corner of a drawing of the U.S. flag. She turns to her Prayer Partner, fourth-grader Olivia Jaeger, and asks her to help color in the red stripes. “So it looks pretty for the soldiers.” Sadie and Olivia, along…

The strong bond between Mount St. Mary’s and the Daughters of Charity has endured for over two centuries, ever since the foundress of the order, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, resided at The Mount and taught local children in the adjoining Grotto. It’s only natural that the relationship should extend to Mother Seton School (MSS), a…

Blair Garrett Men’s Basketball With a little more than half the season in the books for the Mount St. Mary’s men’s basketball team, it’s time to take a look at the season as a whole thus far. The team’s sub .500 record may be deceiving for the time being, with the strength of schedule heavily…

Blair Garrett The Catoctin High School girls basketball team has seen the highs and lows of a season, but some off-court adjustments have turned their season around. Head Coach Amy Entwistle knows the ins and outs of playing tactical defense, rebound control, and running an offense, but the team’s December struggles may have been stemming…