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Thurmont Masonic Lodge Offering Two Scholarships

By Maxine Troxell On March 31, 2017 · Add Comment · In School News

Since 1995, Thurmont Masons have awarded scholarships worth over $75,000 to area students! Scholarships are available to all graduating high school seniors from a Maryland State accredited public, private, and/or homeschool program, who reside within the Catoctin High School district boundaries as per the Frederick County Public School district map.

The Mary and Robert Remsberg Memorial Scholarship is worth up to $4,000. Scholarship funds would be distributed at $1,000 per year, for up to four years of continued education with passing grades from an accredited college or university.

Bernhard “Bernie” Cohen Memorial Scholarship Award is worth $1,000.

Scholarship application forms are available at the Catoctin High School Guidance Office and the Thurmont Public Library. Interested students must complete an application and return it to the location where it was obtained, on or before April 30, 2017.

The successful applicant and their family will be invited to Acacia Lodge’s annual Strawberry Festival in June for the presentation of the Scholarship.

Questions regarding the application should be directed to Acacia Masonic Lodge #155, Attn: Scholarship Committee, via the Lodge website at www.thurmontmasons.com.

Thurmont Little League Invites the Entire Community to Celebrate Its 2017 Opening Day

By Maxine Troxell On March 31, 2017 · Add Comment · In Sports News

Melissa Kinna

On Saturday, April 15, 2017, over 275 Little League players, ages four through twelve, will take to the fields for the 2017 Thurmont Little League (TLL) Opening Day of Baseball. The day will begin at 8:45 a.m., with the first round of games, followed by an Opening Day Ceremony at 10:00 a.m., with special guest announcer Brain Mo from WFRE. The Board of Directors would like to invite the entire community to celebrate the beginning of the 2017 season.

The TLL Opening Day festivities will include two Egg Hunts for the kids at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., as well as 50/50 drawings, ice cream, and more.

“Our Opening Ceremonies are always a wonderful day to celebrate our players, parents, and volunteers,” said Ed Lowry, TLL president.

Little League has provided communities around the world the opportunity for families to connect and for children to come together in a healthy, safe environment to learn the values of team sports and the fundamentals of baseball. Thurmont Little League is proud to have been able to provide this opportunity to our community for sixty-six years, and continue to be one of the largest youth sports association in the Northern Frederick County area.

It will be a great 2017 season at Thurmont Little League, so please mark your calendars for Opening Day on Saturday, April 15. Check us out on the web at www.TLLbaseball.com, visit us on Facebook: ThurmontLittleLeague, or on Twitter or Instagram @theTLLnetwork.

Catoctin Kids

By Maxine Troxell On March 31, 2017 · Add Comment · In Columns

by Anita DiGregory

The clocks have sprung forward an hour, and it is staying lighter longer. The weather is snow one day and 70 degrees the next…must be springtime in Maryland! For many moms—myself included—this time of year is celebrated. Partially, it is because we have survived yet another winter, almost made it through another cold and flu season, and the family’s de-hibernation process is underway. But it is also because with spring, as with Easter, comes a spirit of renewal, and with it, a renewal of hope. In our area, we are blessed by gentle reminders of this all around us. A Catoctin springtime is truly beautiful, with the new buds on the trees and flower blooms, with rainy days giving way to rainbows, with local farms celebrating new additions, and with more children outside enjoying the fresh air. Whether you are doing a little spring cleaning or enjoying some spring showers, this time of year promises to be a perfect opportunity for family bonding. Here are some family-friendly ways to turn spring days into some family fun time, as well as some great book recommendations to check out at your local library.

Create a Garden

Springtime is the perfect time to get started on a garden, and kids of all ages enjoy getting involved. From pruning to plotting to planning to planting, gardening can be a wonderful and rewarding family experience. The benefits of getting your kids involved in gardening can be almost as plentiful as the harvest. Gardening offers the perfect opportunity to teach your children about a multitude of scientific concepts, such as the water cycle, photosynthesis, healthy nutrition, seeds, soil, parts of a flower, Earth, and the environment. Getting physical exercise and being out in the fresh air and sunshine are added rewards. Children are more inclined to eat what they have helped to create, even if it happens to be vegetables. Additionally, kids gain a sense of pride in seeing their hard work come to fruition.

Recommended books: Grow Flower Grow! by Lisa Bruce; A Seed is a Promise by Claire Merrill; Paddington Bear in the Garden by Michael Bond; Seeds! Seeds! Seeds! by Nancy Wallace; A Tree for all Seasons by Robin Bernard; The Surprise Garden by Zoe Hall; The Magic School Bus Gets Planted by Joanna Cole; Mouse and Mole and the Year-round Garden by Doug Cushman.

Build a Fairy House

What is more magical than building a fairy home together? Ask your child to help you draw up some plans first. Read some fairy stories and check out some photos on Pinterest to inspire some fun, creative ideas.

Fairy homes can be made from any number of materials: clay pots, stone, birdhouses, clay, even vegetables! Many local craft stores have miniature furniture and accessories perfect for putting together the finishing touches. Many even have pre-fabricated fairy home kits ready to assemble if that is the route you decide to go. Limited only by the imagination, fairy homes can be small or large, minimal or lavish, and can even grow into a fairy village or garden.

Recommended books: Mistie’s Magic by Sue Whiting; That’s Not My Fairy by Fiona Watt; How to Find Flower Fairies by Cicely Barker.

Go Fly a Kite and Make a Mural

Catoctin springtime can be pretty windy, a perfect cloud gazing, kite-flying time! Try making your own kite and flying it together. Afterwards, take turns pointing out different cloud formations and what they look like. Read about Harold and his purple crayon and work together to make your driveway or sidewalk an original creation: a sidewalk chalk mural. Have fun blowing bubbles together.

Recommended books: The Cloud Book by Tomie dePaola; Wind by Marion Bauer; Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson.

Try Singing in the Rain

If “April showers bring May flowers,” why not enjoy it while we can! Watch the rain from the porch, while sipping tea together. Put on your big ole’ rubber boots and stomp in the puddles with the kiddos. Make mud pies. Watch for rainbows and paint rainbow pictures together. Read a book to learn more about the rain and rainbows.

Recommended books: Down Comes the Rain by Franklyn Branley; Rain Drop Splash by Alvin Tresselt; Muddigush by Kimberley Knutson; Rain, Rain Everywhere by Christine Leeson; A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman; The Magic School Bus Makes a Rainbow by Joanna Cole.

Take a Nature Walk

When the seasons change from winter to spring, it is the perfect time for little ones to learn more about the seasons of the year and how nature changes season-to-season. The books below do an excellent job of explaining how nature changes from winter to spring. After reading about it, take a nature hike and see how many things from the stories you can find together.

Recommended books: Let’s Look at the Seasons: Springtime by Ann Schweninger; Four Seasons Make A Year by Anne Rockwell; The Reason for Seasons by Gail Gibbons; When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes; Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book about Changing Seasons by Il Sung Na; Spring: A Pop-up Book by David Carter.

Learn a New Sport

After being cooped up all winter, children of all ages will find springtime to be the perfect time to get out and get some exercise. Try introducing the kids to a new sport. The Frederick County Division of Parks and Recreation offers many options for kids of all ages, including sports leagues, instructional classes, individual lessons, and competitions. More information can be found at www.recreater.com or by picking up the April-August issue of the Recreater, the official activity guide for parks and rec.

Recommended books: My Football Book by Gail Gibbons; Froggy Plays T-Ball by Jonathon London; The Berenstain Bears Play a Good Game by Jan and Mike Berenstain; The Berenstain Bears Get Their Kicks by Stan Berenstain.

Do A Little Spring Cleaning

Whether it is out with the old and in with the new, sprucing up the yard or doing a complete springtime cleaning, the old saying “many hands make light work” couldn’t be more timely. According to the Center for Parenting Education, research shows that children who help out with chores, “have higher self-esteem, are more responsible, and are better able to deal with frustration and delay gratification.” By working together with their parents, children are able to learn important skills, are able to feel the positive results of “giving back,” and are able to experience a sense of accomplishment in a job well done.

Recommended books: Poppleton in Spring by Cynthia Rylant; Spring Cleaning (Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear) by Else Holmelund Minarik; Spring Cleaning: Featuring Jim Henson’s Sesame Street Muppets by Pat Tornborg and Nancy Stevenson; Just for You by Mercer Mayer.

Trinket or Treasure

By Maxine Troxell On March 31, 2017 · Add Comment · In Columns

by Lisa C. Cantwell

Dear Reader: This is a column to help you determine the history and value of your heirlooms, attic finds, flea market purchases, or antique items. Please send a picture and description of your piece, such as how you acquired it and any details about its history, to tomandlisa@wildblue.net. I’ll research any item, whether it’s a piece of furniture, a painting, a tool, a doll, a figurine, or an article of clothing. An approximate value will be determined to inform you if it’s a “Trinket or Treasure.” Please submit all pictures and questions by the preceding 15^th of the month for possible publication in the next monthly issue of The Catoctin Banner. All inquiries will be answered; however, only those selected for publication will include approximate value assessments. Furthermore, not all submissions may be published in the Banner due to space considerations. Please include your name or initials and where you reside. Thank you and happy treasure hunting!

“In 1995, we bought two of these plates at an estate sale in Beacon Falls, Connecticut. They were displayed on a mantle in this huge mansion that had been abandoned years before. A couple bought the house and sold most of its contents. We’ve always wondered where the plates were made and what they might be worth.”

— Jack and Holly O., Cascade, MD

Your plates are porcelain TREASURES and were made by Pirkenhammer, in what is now the Czech Republic.

The emblem on the backs of these plates, depicting crossed hammers and a crown, dates them between 1918 and 1939. This fine porcelain was first produced in Pirkenhammer, Bohemia, in 1803. During the 1830s, it was considered the best dining ware made and was very popular with royalty throughout Europe. In 1915, a beautiful floral pattern, gilded in gold with a navy background, was created for Pope Benedict XV. Searches of this particular pattern, numbered “4812,” yielded little, but a similar, older pattern was priced at $41.00 per plate on a popular bidding site. Expect this porcelain to value over time, but currently a reasonable price would be $20 to $30 per plate.

“I purchased this scale ten years ago at a yard sale in New Oxford, Pennsylvania. I never took the time to research it, but thought it was used to weigh nuts, bolts, and nails at a hardware store, or maybe even seed corn or beans? I date it to the late 1800s or early 1900s. What can you tell me about it?”

— T. Stover, New Oxford, PA

This is definitely a TREASURE, the research of which was quite challenging.

Your scale appears to be composed of metal with an iron base. It appears to have all but one of its weights. The original “bowl” that would’ve fit on the exposed four prongs is missing. A search of late 19^th century English and European scales revealed two with handles and a swirl design on the bases, similar to yours, but there were no identifying marks. The photo of the “WB” etched on your scale suggests that it could be a WB Scott scale, which was a manufacturer in the USA at the turn of the last century. However, none of the Scott scales resemble this piece. The scale was most likely used in a store for candy, jewelry, or hardware items. Although it’s very fancy for a “general store,” it might have been used to weigh sacks of seeds. Your scale is in excellent condition. Based on its age and design, expect to get $175 to $250.

Victorian Glass Easter Egg

Keep an eye out this month in antique malls and flea markets for charming, old Easter eggs, made of paper mache,’ metal, clay, porcelain, and glass. Pictured (right) is one typical of blown, hand-painted eggs, found in homes during the late 19^th and early 20^th century. This particular egg dates from the 1920s, and its design is fading due to the fact that water colors were commonly used to decorate these eggs. Collectors aren’t too concerned about the condition of the decoration on the eggs, as a little distressing adds to the charm! This one measures 6 inches long and is 11 inches in circumference. These opaque eggs are holding their value and range from $15.00 to $45.00, depending on the size and condition. Consider a basket of them as a centerpiece at Easter dinner. Happy egg hunting!

Happily Ever After – Food for Thought

By Maxine Troxell On March 31, 2017 · Add Comment · In Columns

by Valerie Nusbaum

It is said that “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” I believe this idea was fabricated by a group of men whose wives or girlfriends refused to cook. This month, I have a few thoughts on the topic of eating well.

I do most of the cooking at our house for several reasons: I’m home more than Randy, I’m faster in the kitchen than my husband, and I like to know what I’m putting in my body. I try to feed us healthy, tasteful food, but that’s getting harder all the time. The age-old question of “What can I make for dinner?” often comes back to bite me where I sit.

Randy doesn’t balk at cooking. He does all the grilling at our house, and he makes breakfast on the weekends. His waffles are delicious, and, no, they are not previously frozen. If I’m sick, he pitches right in. Still, most of the meal planning and grocery lists are on my shoulders.

According to some expert, here’s a formula for how many calories a person should consume in a day. Multiply your weight by 13. This number applies whether you’re not exercising at all or only working out moderately for an hour or less. If you’re exercising more heavily, add 100 to 200 calories per additional hour of exercise. If I subscribe to that theory, I should consume around 1,650 calories on any given day. You’re sitting there right now doing the multiplication, aren’t you? Does that mean, though, that if I burn 500 calories on the treadmill, I can then eat 500 more calories? That’s half of a double chocolate doughnut, and I’d like to know the answer. Anyone?

There are so many things we can’t eat any more. A new study says that we shouldn’t consume Splenda because it can raise insulin levels, which may cause diabetes, but we shouldn’t eat sugar either because that can give us diabetes, or make us fat, which will give us diabetes. There always seems to be a new study, contradicting whatever the old study has been telling us. Can someone tell me which one is correct?

I heard that we shouldn’t eat brown rice for fear of arsenic poisoning. We had switched from white rice to brown in order to be healthier. What am I supposed to serve with my burritos and stir fry now?

I was told by my gynecologist that I shouldn’t eat so much chicken because chickens are fed estrogen. At my age, one would think that consuming some estrogen wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. So, am I now supposed to make beef burritos and stir fry? There’s also some reason why I can’t eat soy, but I can’t remember what it is. Goodbye hot and sour soup?

Eggs are a controversial subject, too. They’re a great source of protein, and the yolks are high in cholesterol. This reminds me of the egg poacher my mom had. It was a neat little plastic cup that held an egg, and Mom put it in her microwave for a specified amount of time and took out a perfectly poached egg. I mentioned that Randy might like one. Mom got one for him for Christmas. He tried it and it blew up in the microwave. There was egg everywhere. The directions instructed Randy to cook his egg for 1.5 minutes. Mom said she probably should have told us to cook it for 35 seconds. Probably.

With all the recipe substitutions I make so that we can have healthier, lower-fat food with fewer carbs, the resulting dish hardly resembles what it started out to be. Factor in the things we’re allergic to or just plain don’t like, and we’re living on lettuce and broccoli. But, wait, not too much of those either, because they can cause our blood to either thicken or thin—I forget which.

We go out to eat a couple of times each week, but finding places where we can get a delicious, health-conscious and lower-calorie meal is not easy. We also like to eat in restaurants where we can have a conversation without yelling over the din of screaming kids and background music. Randy wanted to take me out to dinner a while back, and he wanted to try that new barbecue place down on North Market Street, so we went to Carrabba’s. The barbecue joint had a line of people waiting for tables. We don’t wait for tables. We were very distressed to read that Carrabba’s restaurant in Frederick had closed its doors. Why is it that when you find a good place to eat, either the menu gets “new and improved” or it goes out of business?

We were trying to figure out what to have for dinner the other evening. Randy said that he’d see if we had a can of soup in the pantry, and we could have soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. I told him that we couldn’t have sandwiches, because we’d had pancakes for breakfast and croutons on our salads at lunch. And I reminded him about the doughnut he’d forced me to eat. We’d already had way too many carbs that day, so no more bread. He looked at me blankly and said, “Well, that’s silly. Then it’s just soup and cheese.”

On The Wild Side

By Maxine Troxell On March 31, 2017 · Add Comment · In Columns

by Christine Maccabee

Faith in the Seeds:A Message of Hope for Earth Day 2017

One of my favorite short stories is The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono. A wonderful half-hour film was created around this story, through the use of masterful and inspiring watercolor animation. It takes place in France and is about a solitary man, Elzeard Bouffier, who slowly and quietly reforests the mountains and valleys where he lives. On land devastated by clear-cutting, charcoal industry, war, and ignorance, Bouffier planted thousands of acorns, as well as seeds and saplings of other trees. He continued planting right on through the two world wars until his death as a very old man. He also raised bees and watched as springs and streams came back to the arid land, nourishing flower seeds just waiting for water to flow again. He created life, which brought people and their families back to the abandoned villages.

Monsieur Bouffier, though a fictional character, is symbolic of the many heroic activities by people throughout the world, serving to counteract and, hopefully, maintain ecological balance in a world where consumerism and human activities are taking a major toll. Reforestation efforts in Central America by the wonderful New Forest Project are bringing back the rainforests in El Salvador and other war-torn countries. Here in the USA, cities and towns are being encouraged to become Tree Cities, and our town of Thurmont is passing qualifications to be one of those cities, with tree-planting activities on-going.

Personally, I have faith in seeds as an important component in our efforts to take care of our planet. I am a seed saver of old variety and heirloom vegetable seeds, as well as flower seeds of all sorts, especially ones on the wild side, otherwise known as Natives. According to the Native Gardeners Companion catalogue, which offers customers nearly seven hundred native species, “native plants co-evolved with native insects and wildlife and are deeply dependent on one another, creating healthy eco-systems.” Much like Elzeard Bouffier, we too can do something special on our individual properties, whether with seeds or transplanting bare-rooted or potted native plants. Working together, we all can create vitally important habitat for wildlife with healthy eco-systems.

However, nothing can beat Mother Nature when it comes to saving seeds. She is the ultimate seed-saver. Perhaps you have heard the remarkable story of some lupine seeds that were found in the frozen arctic soil. Even though these seeds were shown by radio-carbon dating to be 10,000 years old, some of them still grew when planted in 20^th century soil!

Reading up about lupine flowers, which are in the legume family, I learned that they are the host plant, as well as clovers (also in the legume family), for the life-cycles of various blue butterflies. So, I began planting blue lupine seeds, and I let my clovers grow in patches. Over the last several years, I have seen many tiny pygmy blues and one illusive eastern tailed-blue, so I know they have found my property! Such are the rewards of one lone naturalist…

When I first read the story of Elzeard Bouffier, I thought he was an actual person. Of course, I was disappointed to learn his was a fictional story, but to make it actual is now my challenge, and everyone’s challenge. All we have to do is care enough to do something. As I always say, every little bit helps, but if you can do more, that’s wonderful.

So, be inspired this spring, and have faith in the seeds!

Looking Back: Mystery of the Major League Pitcher Who Disappeared from Emmitsburg Solved

By Maxine Troxell On March 31, 2017 · Add Comment · In Columns

by James Rada, Jr.

Author’s Note: The following is an article I wrote ten years ago for The Dispatch newspapers. I’ve reprinted it with a few tweaks and added an update at the end. When I originally wrote this, no one knew what had happened to Tolbert Dalton. I wish I could take credit for solving this mystery, but it was the work of members of the Society for American Baseball Research. I wanted to bring closure to what was a sixty-four-year-old mystery.

Many a young boy picks up a bat, walks to the plate, and dreams of slugging his way into immortality. Tolbert “Percy” Dalton was such a boy, and he did manage to find his own type of immortality. Not because he is forever remembered as one of baseball’s greats, but because he is one of the few Major League players whose death date was unknown for sixty-four years.

Dalton was also a lay preacher for the Columbia Primitive Baptist Church in Burtonsville, Maryland.

“The church he was an elder in, to my knowledge, had other smaller worship locations in the state of Maryland. As an elder, we understand that he would make occasional appearances at Sunday services at the main church. He would speak to certain topics relevant to the beliefs the church had. He would also baptize new members,” said Richard Bozzone with the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). Bozzone has been researching Dalton to try and find where and when he died.

On August 1, 1948, two deacons from the church visited Dalton’s Emmitsburg home. Dalton had failed to show up for a church meeting on July 4.

Dalton had only lived in Emmitsburg for a year, having moved there from the Catonsville, Maryland, area to become editor of the Emmitsburg Chronicle, when it restarted publication after a five-year hiatus during World War II. He and his wife lived with his wife’s daughter and son-in-law, Lois and George Heller.

The two deacons couldn’t find Dalton. No one in his family knew what had happened to him.

Dalton, who went by the name of Jack during his baseball career, played four seasons of professional baseball. He was an outfielder, who started in the minor leagues in Des Moines, where he batted .208 in 1910. He was invited mid-year to join the Brooklyn Robins, predecessor to the Dodgers. He slumped and was sent to the minor league team in Newark, New Jersey. He returned to the Robins in 1914, and then played for the Buffalo Blues in 1915 and Detroit Tigers in 1916. His best year was 1914, when he batted .319. The following year, his batting average was .293, with 28 stolen bases. He finished his career in 1916, playing most of the season for San Francisco in the minor leagues and eight games for Detroit.

However, by 1948, at sixty-two years old, his glory days were forgotten. Dalton was living in Emmitsburg with his second wife, Thelma Bradshaw.

Though Dalton was too old to steal bases, he possibly found one thing he could still steal. Ralph Harris, a former member, and editor of the Primitive Baptist Church newspaper, knew two of Dalton’s sisters (now deceased). He asked them what happened to their brother.

“Their response was that he had absconded with the subscription funds for the church paper. Although Cary did not have firsthand knowledge of the theft, the story was confirmed by several of the church leadership when he became editor,” Bozzone said.

Dalton happens to be one of the very few 20^th century Major League players for whom death information is not known.

“There are fifteen 20^th century players for whom we do not have death details, but Dalton is, by far, the most well-known of the players,” Bozzone said.

Bozzone has been assisted in his search for Dalton by a SABR member, Al Quimby. What has made the task so difficult is that not even the family of Jack Dalton has information on what happened to him.

No missing person report appears to have ever been filed with the Maryland State Police. No articles about his death have ever turned up. He simply vanished.

SABR member Bill Haber of Brooklyn, New York, also worked on the Dalton case. Though now deceased, Haber’s research over twenty years has corrected errors in more than two hundred professional baseball players’ biographies. Haber tracked some of Dalton’s relatives to Emmitsburg in 1978. He was told that Dalton had seemingly fallen off the face of the earth and never made contact with any of his relatives after he left Emmitsburg. He did not even show up for his brother’s funeral in 1954.

Dalton was born July 3, 1885, in Henderson, Tennessee. He had three sisters, Lura, Lena, and Lola, and one brother, Pleasie.

Following Dalton’s baseball career, SABR determined that in 1921 and 1922, he was a salesman living in Baltimore. In 1930, he was residing in Elkridge, Maryland. By 1940, he was living at Catonsville at 2 North Prospect Street. In April 1942, his World War II registration card lists him as a clerk in the Finance Office of the U.S. Army’s Third Corps headquarters in Baltimore. After the war, he became involved with the Primitive Baptist Church and moved to Emmitsburg.

This was all that was known about Dalton for decades, until Quimby came across Dalton’s death certificate in Pittsburgh. The document stated that Dalton died of a heart ailment in Allegheny General Hospital on February 17, 1950. He was sixty-four years old. The certificate was discovered in 2012, when Pennsylvania allowed access to death records before 1961. The Social Security number confirmed that it was the same Tolbert Dalton who had disappeared from Emmitsburg.

What happened during the two years that he was missing and why he left are still unknown. One interesting point from the death certificate is that it stated Dalton was unmarried. This is incorrect. He was still legally married to Thelma Dalton at the time of his death. She died in 1966 in Royersford, Pennsylvania, which is across the state from Pittsburgh.

While there are still unanswered questions about Dalton, at least the mystery of his disappearance has been solved.

Tolbert “Percy” Dalton

Photo Courtesy of Richard Bozzone

Our Neighborhood Veterans

By Maxine Troxell On March 31, 2017 · Add Comment · In Columns

The Reason I Write About Veterans and Why They Mean So Much to Me

This month’s column was originally featured in the February 2013 issue of The Catoctin Banner.

The picture to the right is me at a young age, posing with my grandfather, Harry Wantz, who is making sure the rifle and I’m holding didn’t fall over. This picture was taken in 1945, while World War II was still being fought. My father, James A. Houck Sr., was somewhere in Germany, serving our country. I hadn’t met him yet, because he was deployed before I was born. I was three years old when I finally got to meet Dad. My mother, her siblings (there were thirteen of them), and her parents told me about Dad and showed me pictures of him. I was told that when he stepped off of the train, I recognized him and ran straight to him.

When I was about three-and-a-half years old, my grandfather Wantz went for a walk in the woods behind his house—as he often did—and sat down on a rock and passed away. This was very hard on me, as he was like a father to me the first three years of my life. He was the one who gave me horsey rides and got down on the floor and played with me, and now he would no longer be in my life. Granddaddy was a railroad mechanic for the railroad that ran through Emmitsburg. Now Granddaddy was gone, and my grandmother Annie (I called her Nanny) was left to raise my aunts and uncles alone. Her son (my uncle), John Joseph Wantz, was in the army, and since he was the oldest, he felt it was his job to now help Nanny raise the family. He asked for a hardship discharge and received one, and he came home to help support his mother and the family. He did a great job of helping the family survive, and the rest of the siblings and their spouses pitched in and helped where they could.

The Korean War broke out around 1951, and two of my uncles—David Bernard Wantz and James Edward Wantz—were old enough and were drafted into the Army to fight in the Korean War. I can still remember my uncle Ed—he was the baby of the family and twelve years older than me—inviting Mom, Dad, Nanny, and me to Fort Indiantown Gap, where he was taking basic training, to watch him graduate. While we were there, he took me to the firing range and let me shoot a rifle. He then treated us to a movie at their post movie theater. That visit made quite an impression on me, and I thought that when I was old enough, I was going to join the army. I had quite a few uncles on my grandmother’s side of the family (Eylers) that gave service to their country in the armed services, and I would enjoy listening to their experiences while serving. I was full of questions; some would provide me with answers, and some did not want to talk about it, and I respected that also. The men on the Houck, Blessing, Grabel, and Frounfelter sides served in the armed services, too. I had plenty of family members to keep me excited about serving our country. I wanted a good education, so I stayed in school until I graduated. I was going to enlist after graduation, but the draft was still in and they called me. So instead of enlisting, I accepted the draft. The day came for my physical exam, and I was on a bus to Fort Hollabird. That day, I came back with probably the biggest disappointment of my life. I was classified 1-Y (in case of emergency only). I asked why, and they said due to high blood pressure. I waited a few months and then tried to enlist, because I was told that even though I was turned down by the draft physical, if I enlisted, they would take me. Well, they didn’t, and that was another great disappointment to me. My brother, Robert Dennis Houck, was drafted into the Army about four or five years later, and served. I have nephews, great nephews, and even a granddaughter who served, or are serving, our country in the military. I now serve the best way I know how: by honoring our military Veterans in print, and by having the privilege of interviewing our armed service heroes and informing our community about their lives. I belong to several Veteran organizations (Sons of AMVETS, Sons of the American Legion, and VFW Auxiliary), and participate in every function for honoring Veterans that I am able to attend. Folks, I hope you enjoy the articles I write about Veterans, as much as I enjoy writing them. I plan to write Veteran stories until I am too senile to control my thoughts (I have been told by a few that I’m already there). I have received a lot of positive feedback about my column, and I appreciate it. So, if you should have any comments (pro or con), send them to The Catoctin Banner, and they will see that I receive them.

God Bless America, God Bless the American Veteran, and God Bless You.

Supermarket Gourmet – A Matter of Taste

By Maxine Troxell On March 31, 2017 · Add Comment · In Columns

Buck Reed

A man can go his whole life believing there is nothing wrong with him, that he is perfect in every way. Then, he falls in love and gets married, and spends the rest of his life finding out from his wife all his faults and liabilities. One of the first things I found out after getting married was that you must wash ice cube trays. Not just rinse them out with fresh water, but actually put them in the dish washer and wash them. Who knew? It is the same with cooking for other people.

When we grow up, we get used to the way our parents put food on the table. If they are good cooks, then your parents put nice, well prepared food on your plate. But even if they were not, you got used to it and that’s what you become accustomed to. How we were brought up determines not only our etiquette and behaviors, but also our sense of taste.

Another problem is where we were brought up. I can make a good argument that the United States is a bean-eating nation. But, although we eat a lot of beans, we seem to have a different way of preparing them from region to region. Barbeque beans from Texas may have some resemblance to Boston baked beans, but not enough to convert a cowboy to a city boy. And red beans and rice from New Orleans are a far cry from the way they eat them in those California bean cakes. It is like dividing people up into dog, cat, or horse people—nobody is really wrong on this point.

Then there is the “allergic” crowd. The latest trend is the “gluten-free” horde. Now I will go on record as saying Celiac Disease is an awful thing and, of course, accommodations must be made for them. And if you think you are allergic to gluten then you should be taken care of as well. As I have said to many professional food service workers: if you do not have one or two gluten-free options on your menu, then you are only bringing grief on yourself.

Then there is the offended crowd. There is no telling what you can put on their plate that isn’t going to pull the trigger in their mind that will make them spout off on how that slice of pork is oppressing them. The scary part is they not only want to regulate what they are going to eat, but they want to control what you eat as well. I guess you will be seeing me at the “Sean Penn Ban the Bacon Reeducation Camp” opening soon in your home town.

Cooking for yourself is easy. You can make what you want and make it taste the way you want. You can even save a plate and eat over the sink, right out of the pan. But as you add others into the mix, you must start planning and acting like you are sincere and considerate. And maybe if you act like you’re sincere and considerate, maybe you will actually become those things.

Mark Greathouse, Featured Poet at “Catoctin Voices”

By Maxine Troxell On March 31, 2017 · Add Comment · In Arts & Entertainment

Poet and novelist, Mark Greathouse, will be the featured writer for “Catoctin Voices” Evening of Poetry at The Creeger House in Thurmont on April 21, 2017, at 7:00 p.m. Open mic precedes his presentation, so poets of all ages are invited to share up to three of their favorite or original poems.

This author and poet continues to express his passion for writing, as he seeks to share a revealing cross-section of his own life through poetry. His soon-to-be-published Life Unfettered represents his own life catharsis, as he humbly presents his poetry to readers and shares the vulnerability that accompanies such personal offerings. Greathouse regularly offers his original poetry at monthly gatherings of the “Catoctin Voices” in Thurmont, and at First Friday Poetry in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Previously, he had poems published in the Gettysburg Poetry Society’s anthology, Almost Time Enough.

Greathouse created his first “serious” poem in 1957 at age fourteen. At the time, he saw it as an expression of the deep feelings he was having about evil and its repercussions. He has always enjoyed the arts—especially poetry—as an expression of his emotions, invariably cathartic. He sees poetry as an expression of personal vulnerability and thus views poetry as sharing pieces of his very soul.

Sierra Club to Host Showing of Before The Flood

By Maxine Troxell On March 31, 2017 · Add Comment · In Arts & Entertainment

A must-see documentary film by Leonardo DiCaprio, Before The Flood, will be shown at Thurmont Regional Library on Saturday, April 8, 2017, at 2:30 p.m. It is an excellent documentary about the many problems our planet and all its life forms are presently enduring because of pollution. DiCaprio has dedicated his life to speaking out for healthy changes that we can make in order to stop the degeneration of our water, land, and air. The visuals speak for themselves; so if you want to see a powerful film that speaks to your heart, then please come out to the library on April 8. There is no cost, and popcorn and juice will be provided!

That same day, starting at 11:00 a.m., the Thurmont Green Team is holding a stream clean-up and water quality testing in the Community Park in Thurmont. All ages are encouraged to come to this educational and fun event. Afterwards, you can jog on over to the library to see the film!

Thurmont’s Main Street Center, located at 11 Main Street, will host a second showing of this amazing film on May 20, 2017, at 2:00 p.m.

To get more information about Before The Flood, you can Google it. Once again, admission is free. The Earth is a gift and a treasure, which we all need to take care of the best we can.

Maryland Filmmaker Launches Documentary on Heroin Crisis

By Maxine Troxell On March 31, 2017 · Add Comment · In Arts & Entertainment

The story of Frederick County’s heroin crisis will soon be shown on the big screen in a documentary film, being produced by Emmitsburg, filmmaker, Conrad Weaver.

“The heroin and opioid epidemic has devastated hundreds of families, individuals, and businesses all across our county. We see it in the news nearly every day, and it’s easy to think that it’s someone else’s problem. We think that it’s a Frederick or Baltimore issue. It’s not! It’s in our neighborhoods. My neighborhood. My small town. It’s our community’s problem, and we must work together to solve it. I couldn’t simply stand by and watch; I had to get involved. That’s why I’m making this film,” said Weaver.

The film is being called Heroin’s Grip and will tell the story from a variety of angles. Weaver intends to interview current addicts, healthcare and mental health workers, officials from the law enforcement community, as well as families whose lives have been shattered by heroin and opioid addiction.

“We need more documentary films like this so that you become a part of the solution,” said Charlie Smith, State’s Attorney in Frederick. Smith was interviewed for the film to include his perspective on the epidemic.

Filming began in early February and will continue through the spring months. Weaver hopes to complete production by early September in order to submit the project to a number of major film festivals around the country. He plans on releasing a DVD version, along with educational materials related to the film sometime in 2018.

Weaver is not working on this alone. He’s recruited Caressa Flannery, a Frederick entrepreneur and mother of a heroin addict who’s in recovery. Together, they have partnered with the Maryland Heroin Awareness Advocates, who will help manage the fundraising efforts for the film.

Weaver is launching a Crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo to raise money for the production of the film. Interested donors should visit the film’s website at www.HeroinsGrip.com for more information.

Weaver is an award-winning filmmaker. Most recently, he received a Mid-America Regional EMMY© Award for his 2014 documentary, The Great American Wheat Harvest.

Catoctin Forest Alliance Launches Campaign to Restore Catoctin Mountain Park’s Camp Greentop Stable

By Maxine Troxell On March 31, 2017 · Add Comment · In Columns

The Camp Greentop Stable in Catoctin Mountain Park has fallen into disrepair. Built in 1980, the stable housed horses used by National Park Service Law Enforcement Rangers to patrol trails and remote areas of Catoctin Mountain Park. As park visitation increased, park rangers were re-directed to other park missions, and the Catoctin Mountain Park Volunteer Horse Patrol became the “eyes and ears of the park.” In addition to patrol, the Horse Patrol maintained trails and cared for the horses and stables.

Volunteers and National Park Staff seized the opportunity to help others and maximize park resources, when Catoctin Mountain Park partnered with the League for People with Disabilities to establish the Camp Greentop Recreational Riding for the Disabled Program in 1981. As the first program of its kind in Frederick County, the project served hundreds of League campers each summer season. While the National Park Service Horse Program ended in the mid-1990s, the Camp Greentop Riding for the Disabled Program continued until 2016. Years of deferred maintenance had rendered the stable unsuitable for this use.

As Catoctin Mountain Park’s official Friends group, the Catoctin Forest Alliance (CFA) is partnering with the National Park Service to rebuild and restore the Camp Greentop Stable. It is hoped that the stable will be completed in time for the 2017 League for People with Disabilities summer camping season. A group of skilled craftsmen, associated with the Indiana Amish Anabaptist Service Program, have volunteered to replace the stable roof and siding. The CFA is seeking benefactors to fund or provide necessary materials. While time is short they are confident that park friends can help make this happen.

Cash donations, materials identified on the materials list, gift cards, and purchase discounts can make this stable project become reality. Please contact Debra Mills, CFA Director of Programming at dop.catoctinforestalliance@gmail.com to discuss material donations and purchase discounts. Cash donations can be made payable by check to Catoctin Forest Alliance and mailed to P.O. Box 411, Thurmont, MD 21788. Donations may also be made on-line at www.catoctinforestalliance.org. It is estimated that materials will cost approximately $10,000. There will be no labor costs, as the project will be completed by volunteer craftsmen.

An overview of the missions and programs of the Catoctin Forest Alliance can be found at the Catoctin Forest Alliance website at www. catoctinforestalliance.org, and on the Catoctin Forest Alliance Facebook Page.

The Catoctin Forest Alliance is the primary Friends group for Catoctin Mountain Park. The organizational mission is to protect the health of the Catoctin Forest, with special emphasis on citizen engagement and youth programs. Visit the CFA website at www. catoctinforestalliance.org.

Thurmont Historical Society Launches “Save the Creeger House” Campaign

By Maxine Troxell On February 28, 2017 · Add Comment · In Featured Articles

Deb Spalding

As a youngster, Thurmont Historical Society Board Member, Robert Eyler, remembers seeing the Creeger House on his visits from his home in Frederick to his great-grandparents Joseph and Anna Mary Eyler’s house in Thurmont. “As a kid, it was the coolest looking haunted house,” recalled Robert.

Robert was enamored with haunted houses then, and still is. He participates in paranormal investigations. He said his interests have “come full circle” since he orchestrated an investigation of the Creeger House by the Gettysburg Ghost Gals last spring, and serves on the Society’s Board of Directors. He first became familiar with the Thurmont Historical Society when he utilized the Society’s volumes of history to research his family heritage. Robert’s fifth great-grandfather, Frederick, settled Eyler Valley. His son, Benjamin, helped build Eyler’s Valley Chapel for the Eyler family and their friends, because they had no place to worship there.

One day last fall, Robert and Board President, Donna Voellinger, were observing the progress of the brick sidewalk being installed at the front of the Creeger House. Oddly, they noticed dust emanating from the bricks on the front of the house. This seemed to be caused by the vibrations of a jackhammer being used on a patio.

The front of the Creeger House is a facade of bricks, encasing the original log cabin. The bricks are old and soft. To explain the current decay of the bricks, Robert said, “Bricks then weren’t made to withstand the road salt, jarring from equipment, and constant traffic.” Donna added, “At one point, the whole house was covered with Ivy and Wisteria, possibly adding to the decay.”

The Thurmont Historical Society Board of Directors have received a $60,000 quote for repairing the brick.

The Creeger House, located at 11 North Church Street in Thurmont, was originally owned and occupied by Daniel Rouzer and his family in the early 1800s. It is named after Edwin Creeger, who purchased the house in 1926. Edwin was the local Chevrolet dealer. His only son, Edward, was a naval aviator who lost his life in World War II. He was the first war casualty from Thurmont and is memorialized in the naming of the American Legion Post. After Mr. Creeger’s death in 1969, his wife, Ethel, left furniture, clothing, and books behind and never returned to the house. It was vacant for twenty years. In 1990, at the suggestion of Sterling Kelbaugh, Terry Best, and Buzz Mackley, she donated the house to the Thurmont Historical Society. Ethel died in the summer of 1995 and never saw the renovations and restorations that have been made to her old home.

Inside the house, the stories of triumphs and tragedies of the families who lived in the Creeger House, and other families of Thurmont, are housed and shared. Carol Newmann, with the help of Liz Stitely, currently manages the Society’s research library. This library has grown from a foundation of information and collections provided by the late Ann Cissel. It now includes many donations of genealogy and history provided by Thurmont resident and non-resident contributions.

“We have a good collection of books and papers. Most are local. Some are from Pennsylvania, Virginia, Carroll County, and Frederick County,” Newmann said. She can lead you to resources for tracing your family’s lineage, or show you historical photos and documents. You can visit the Creeger House on Sundays, between noon and 4:00 p.m., or call 301-271-1860 to make an appointment.

Donna Voellinger takes pride in managing the relics or “physical objects” that are part of the Society’s collection. See a wooden check that was written and cashed (see photo on page 12); stand in Edward Creeger’s bedroom and view his World War II uniform; see a Seatmore Ice Cream and Soda Table Set where people sat to enjoy ice cream at Wisotzkey Brothers Ice and Ice Cream on the square in Thurmont (see photo on page 12).

Carol and John Ford are the unsung heroes at the Society, quietly giving time and talent to various projects that need to be done. New volunteers are always welcome.

With determination and purpose, the current Board of Directors of the Thurmont Historical Society are tackling the next project in the life of the Creeger House. Monetary help is needed to “Save the Creeger House.” An estimated $30,000 will be raised and matched with grant funds. To help, send a donation.

Online donations can be made with PayPal by visiting www.thurmonthistoricalsociety.org, by mailing to Thurmont Historical Society, 11 N. Church Street, Thurmont, MD 21788, or by dropping by the Creeger House on Sundays between noon and 4:00 p.m. Call 301-271-1860 for inquiries.

Pictured is a wooden check that was written and cashed, part of the Historical Society’s collection.

Displayed at the Creeger House is a Seatmore Ice Cream and Soda Table set, where people sat to enjoy ice cream at Wisotzkey Brothers Ice and Ice Cream on the square in Thurmont

Thurmont’s Young Reporter Brings a Kid’s Perspective to the News

By Maxine Troxell On February 28, 2017 · Add Comment · In Featured Articles

James Rada, Jr.

Whether it’s the Weis Pharmacy robbery, the rebuilding of Roddy Creek Covered Bridge, or the deterioration of the Creeger House, they have all caught the attention of Thurmont’s newest newsman, Warren Schaefer.

Warren brings a new perspective to local news: a kid’s perspective. The Thurmont Elementary School third-grader has started a YouTube channel called Thurmont News – a kid’s perspective. The first episode was posted on January 23 and a second episode was posted on February 6, with more on the way.

“After the first one, I had a giant positive response,” Warren said.

The idea for Thurmont News was born out of Warren’s early efforts of filming himself broadcasting weather reports whenever a major weather event hit the area, according to Warren’s father, Steve Schaefer.

Warren wants to be a news reporter, so this was a natural extension of that idea.

Warren comes up with the stories that he wants to write about and then researches them using newspaper and online resources.

“I also ask the mayor (John Kinnaird) if anything is going on,” Warren said.

Warren then goes out with his father to take pictures and interview people. Once he has all of his information, he writes the script, which he said is “pretty hard.” His parents then review it to tighten it up and make sure it reads well.

Then it’s into the spare bedroom in his house, which has been set up as a studio. Steve Schaefer films Warren reading his script until they are satisfied with the result. Steve then edits in photos and the beginning credits.

“It is fun and challenging,” said Warren. “Sometimes we have to film takes over and over, and it gets frustrating.”

“I love being able to work with him and help him explore his passion and ideas,” expressed Steve.

The response to Thurmont News – a kid’s perspective has not only encouraged Warren to continue, but he has expansion plans. He announced in his second episode that his next episode will have a new segment called “Have You Noticed.” Warren plans on going out and finding things in town that adults tend not to notice. He may also expand the length of the shows, which are under five minutes currently.

“I’d like to have my friends on as guest stars and do the weather,” Warren said.

You can find his program by searching for Thurmont News – a kid’s perspective on YouTube.com or visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdP0UKlNcmN4f2-PaGW7INA/videos.

Young broadcaster, Warren Schaefer, is shown in his home studio.

Town Hall Reports February 2017

By Maxine Troxell On February 28, 2017 · Add Comment · In Featured Articles

by James Rada, Jr.

Emmitsburg

Town Approves a New Pool

A pressure test of the Emmitsburg Community Pool plumbing has revealed that it should be replaced. Also, the beams beneath the pool are showing damage and need to be replaced.

This is not entirely surprising. The pool is forty-five years old, and during that time, no significant work has been done to it.

The commissioners had authorized renovation work, but this may prove only a temporary fix that might not be worth the money. Replacing and reconfiguring the plumbing in the filter room, repairing the beam, running a leak detection test, and having a structural engineer examine the pool will cost at least $260,000. A new pool will cost around $369,500.

“If we’re going to do this thing, we might as well put the new one in and be done with it,” said Commissioner Cliff Sweeney.

The rest of the commissioners seemed in agreement, but they need to find the best way to fund the project. The unused funds allocated for the renovations can be applied to the project, and money that is usually paid to a management company for the summer could also be reallocated. They decided to take the balance needed to fund the project from the fund balances in other capital projects so that no money will need to be borrowed to fund the project.

The new pool is expected to be less expensive to run, primarily because water and chemicals won’t be leaking from the pool.

The company making the renovations, Makin’ Waves, is also the company installing the new pool.

Because of the extent of the repairs needed, the pool will not be able to open this summer.

Voluntary Water Restrictions Continue

Although rains in the area raised the level of Rainbow Lake, Emmitsburg Town Manager Cathy Willets told the Emmitsburg Mayor and Commissioners that the town wells are still forty-one feet below their optimal levels from May 2011.

“Although all this rain brought our lake up, it hasn’t had much effect on our wells,” Willets said.

Because of this, the voluntary conservation of water in Emmitsburg will continue.

An Emmit Garden Playground?

A group of citizens asked the Emmitsburg Commissioners to consider building a playground in the Emmit Gardens areas. Currently, the closest playground is in Silo Hill, which requires Emmit Garden users to cross MD 140.

The citizens are asking for a baseball field, swing set, slide, and monkey bars.

Commission President Tim O’Donnell passed the request onto the town’s Parks and Recreation Committee to consider the request and any possible options.

What Brown Water Means

In February, some residents saw brown water coming out of their faucets. It was reported to the town office, and staff investigated.

Brown water is caused by a sudden spike in water pressure, which comes from unauthorized access to the water system. In this case, it came from an unauthorized access to a fire hydrant. It is illegal to tap into a fire hydrant without approval from the town. Not only does it cause brown water, it can damage the water pipes.

Please notify the town immediately at 301-600-6300 if you see any individuals, other than town staff and the fire department, using fire hydrants.

Algae Control System Approved

The Emmitsburg Town Commissioners approved a new algae-control system that will destroy algae in the water of Rainbow Lake.

LG Sonic uses ultrasound waves to destroy algae. It modulates the ultrasound frequency to target different types of algae to prevent them from rising to the surface to reach sunlight. Without sunlight, the algae die and sink to the bottom. Most of the systems use solar panels to power the technology, so there is little energy consumption.

The cost of the system is $38,650, which not only pays for the system, but gets it up and running. After that, the town will pay $13,000 a year for calibration, interactive monitoring to adjust the sonic waves for the different types of algae, and on-site servicing.

If the system doesn’t live up to the commissioners’ expectations, Kershner Environmental Technologies will buy the system back for $15,000.

Town Gets Clean Audit Report

The Town of Emmitsburg received an unmodified opinion (good) in its annual audit of town finances, conducted by Draper and McGinley of Frederick. The audit is required of all municipalities, to be conducted annually to make sure that they are following the best financial practices, and if they are not, alert them to changes that need to be made.

Commissioner Appointments Made

The Emmitsburg Commissioners appointed Joyce Rosensteel to a five-year term on the town Planning Commission. The alternate member position is still vacant.

The commissioners also appointed Dianne Walbrecker to a three-year term on the Board of the Appeals. Ronald Lynn was also appointed to fill out the unexpired term of Larry Pavek, who resigned from the board, and a three-year term following the end of the unexpired term. This still leaves two vacancies on the board: one for a regular member and one for an alternate member.

Thurmont

Thurmont Police See Jump in Calls for Service

In 2014, the Thurmont Police Department’s calls for service were 8,465. Last year, that number was 12,482.

“I’ve been here eleven years, and that’s the highest I’ve seen it since I’ve been here,” Chief Greg Eyler told the commissioners.

He attributed some of the increase to more crime, but he also noted that citizens were being more proactive in reporting suspicious activity. Answering a question from a commissioner, Eyler also noted that some of the crime increase could be from crimes, such as vehicle break-ins, that people are committing to fund drug habits.

He pointed out that despite the increase in calls for service, Thurmont has a low level of serious crime.

Some citizens were concerned about the number of calls that took Thurmont Police officers out of town to assist other law enforcement agencies. This came about from some misinterpreted data in the Frederick News Post. According to Eyler, of the 12,482 calls for service, only 252 were to assist other agencies, and of that number, only 110 required a Thurmont officer to leave Thurmont. This is less than one percent of the calls for service that Thurmont Police answered in 2016.

Creeger House Needs Repairs

Members of the Thurmont Historical Society told the Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners that the home of the Thurmont Historical Society Creeger House is desperately in need of repairs. Ethel Creeger donated the house to the historical society in 1989. The original portion of the house is a log cabin built in the 1920s. Col. John Rouzer, a state senator and Civil War soldier, called the building home. It is not only a historical structure, but it contains artifacts, documents, and genealogy of local interest.

The building has “big problems,” according to Historical Society President Donna Voellinger.

The exterior bricks are deteriorating, and, in some cases, turning to sand. The brick cladding on the log cabin is also threatening to pull away in some places. The roof has holes in it that sunlight can be seen through.

The Historical Society is seeking donations to help pay for the needed repairs. The funds will go toward a matching $30,000 grant from the Maryland Historical Trust. This means that for each donated dollar, the historical will get another dollar.

“The Creeger House does not belong to us,” Voellinger said. “It belongs to the community, and we’ve lost a lot of buildings already; we don’t want to lose this one.”

The Town of Thurmont is considering adding a donation to the town’s budget to help the Historical Society. Work on the Creeger House would not start until at least July.

Last year, more than two hundred people visited the Creeger House from twenty different states.

Thurmont Receives Clean Audit

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners received their annual audit during the February 7 town meeting. McLean, Koehler, Sparks and Hammond of Frederick conducted the audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015. Megan Baker and Barbara Walker of MKS&H presented the highlights of the audit to the commissioners and answered any questions.

“This audit is probably one of the best we’ve ever had,” Walker told the commissioners. The town received a clean audit report, which means that the town is handling its money and assets and reporting it in a proper way.

Commissioners Want to Turn Railroad Bridge into Art

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners recently discussed how to improve the old Midland Railroad bridge over Church Street and turn it into something attractive.

Commissioner Marty Burns wants to spearhead the effort and form a citizen’s committee that will make recommendations to the town about what can be done with the bridge.

The 1936 bridge shows some rust and worn paint on the metal bridge, while the abutments show wear and water staining.

Mayor John Kinnaird supported Burns’ efforts and showed some pictures of what other communities have done with their railroad bridges. They have used the abutments to paint murals and painted the bridges with attractive colors.

Both Burns and Kinnaird said they would like to see the bridge painted with the word “Thurmont” or “Welcome to Thurmont.”

Kinnaird said that he believes that the bridge wouldn’t need to be sandblasted, which would save a lot of money. He said that he believed a fish-oil paint could be used on the bridge, and it would hold up well.

“It is quick, instantaneous,” Burns said. “People will see it change to the positive just with paint on it. It doesn’t cost us a lot of money.”

It would also allow the town time to see if a grant could be found to make improvements to the bridge. It is estimated that it would cost about $13,000 to refinish the abutments and prepare them to be painted.

Food Bank Parking Lot Expansion Approved

The Town of Thurmont had purchased the home at 8 Frederick Road with the idea of expanding the parking lot at the Thurmont Food Bank. The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners recently approved a bid of $33,925 from R. L. McNair and Sons to demolish the house, grade the property, and apply asphalt to expand the parking lot.

Appointments Made

New Thurmont Police Officer Richard Gast was sworn in during a recent town meeting.

Also, the commissioners reappointed Board of Appeals members Kirby Delauter and Carol Robertson to the commission. They also appointed alternate member Jason West to a new term as a full member of the board.

From the Mayor – Thurmont

By Maxine Troxell On February 28, 2017 · Add Comment · In Featured Articles

Mayor John Kinnaird

March is upon us and brings with it the hope of nice weather! With this in mind, the Thurmont Green Team is currently taking applications for the Community Garden on Carroll Street. This project was started last year by the Green Team as a way for residents to have small garden plots for growing vegetables, flowers, or fruit. The Community Garden was a big hit, and I am sure this year will be as well. Be sure to stop at the town office to reserve a spot before they are all gone. I thank the Green Team for starting this project, as well as many others, including the planting of wildflowers along the Maryland Midland tracks.

Speaking of the Maryland Midland railway, Commissioner Burns has once again brought forth the idea of getting the Church Street railroad bridge painted and having Thurmont added to the steel bridge to welcome visitors to our town. Once we get permission from the parent company, Genessee Wyoming, to move forward with the project, we will be asking for volunteers to help establish a committee to help guide the process. Several years ago, Karen and I approached the railroad but could not get a commitment from them to allow any work to be done. We had made a proposal based on a plan to paint the steel bridge, repair the abutments, and then add a mural to each of the abutments. I had proposed painting a mural of the Western Maryland Railway Station, with a steam locomotive on the West abutment. On the East abutment would be a mural of the Hagerstown and Frederick station, the adjoining substation and a trolley car. It is my hope that we can at least get the steel painted and have Thurmont, our town seal, and the Genessee and Wyoming logos placed, and have the abutments repaired and coated. The murals can be added as we get funding or donations of time. The murals may be a good way to get art students at Catoctin and local colleges involved in community service. Once we get going, please think about helping us with either a donation or hands on assistance with the work.

The repairs on the Roddy Road Covered Bridge are nearly complete, and Frederick County plans on it being open to traffic sometime in mid-March. One of the final improvements to be completed prior to the opening is the installation of height warning devices at both ends of the bridge. These will consist of two structures made of wooden posts, with a cross beam and a metal plate hung to the 8’ – 6” maximum height allowed over the bridge. The warning devices will be set far enough from the bridge that they will have little visual impact on the bridge itself. There is also going to be a truck turnaround area on Roddy Road, to the South side of the bridge. The town will be working with the County to improve the truck route signage within Thurmont to help guide trucks safely to Rt. 15. The bridge is looking great and looks almost exactly as it did before the truck damaged it last year. The County has also made vast improvements to the Roddy Road Covered Bridge Park. Roddy Creek Road has been moved away from the bridge and a small park with parking, picnic facilities, and nice walkways will now greet visitors interested in stopping at the bridge.

As a resident, and now Mayor of our community, I have always been very proud of our Police Department, and I am pleased to welcome our Force Officer Richard Gast. Officer Gast comes to us with many years of experience in the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office and as a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. His duties will include investigations, traffic enforcement, and patrol. Please be sure to welcome Officer Gast to our community!

As always, I look forward to speaking to our residents and remind you that I can be reached via email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com or by cell at 301-606-9458.

From the Mayor – Emmitsburg

By Maxine Troxell On February 28, 2017 · Add Comment · In Featured Articles

Mayor Don Briggs

With the winter banquet season now drawing to a close and the Super Bowl behind us, there is not much left to blur the stark reality of winter. Left to a sullen impatience is the unsettled longing for spring. While heartened by the unhurried longer daylight hours, it was the surprise guest of a few warm days that gave a nod to the hope of an early spring. Also stirred by the elixir of warmer temperatures so obliging to my anxious imagination, was the restless ambition of Lib’s perennials pushing up throughout the backyard to confirm the possibility. Oh, so tempting the signals be.

If I seem particularly attentive to the signs of spring, it is because this is the spring the Square – Main Street revitalization project is to begin. Yes, finally after four years of plotting and planning, that seems to us at times to be moving at a glacier pace, but to our development partner the State Highway Administration (SHA), as moving along at an unimpeded rush. This project along with the now underway East Street – Flat Run Bridge replacement, a 100 percent SHA project, when complete, will, for the first time, provide connected sidewalks through the downtown along Main Street, from the Brookfield and Pembrook Woods subdivisions to the west and the Silo Hill commercial area to the east.

All of this has been done as a compatible part of a State of Maryland Sustainable Communities Program. One of the first decisions I made when I came into office was to go with the Sustainable Community Program, and not the state Main Street program, a decision I haven’t regretted for a minute. Private property façade grants under the program, together with our own initiatives, have exceeded expectations. To the five consecutive years of matching grant awards, totaling $250,000, results in $500,000 invested in the town historical property façades area. During the same period, pedestrian connectivity and safety has been enhanced, with eight sidewalk connections throughout the town. Now with the downtown revitalization project about to start, it is all coming together. We are moving to a goal of a more walkable town. Thank you for your patience.

On April 6, 1917, the United States, through joint congressional action, declared war on the German Empire. On April 8, 2017, the American Legion and VFW will recognize the 100th Anniversary of this declaration at noon at the Doughboy.

Working through the State House is a blighted properties bill. Though giving much-needed attention to a municipal problem, the bill seems to give a pass to banks and their foreclosed-on properties. The bill might have to be accepted as at least a step in the right direction.

Another pending bill is Senate Bill 141 that would require Maryland’s local board of elections to establish polling places at each public and private college and university in the State that awards baccalaureate or graduate-level degrees and has campus housing. The local election boards must pay a reasonable fee to cover the costs of the space. Imagine everyone in Emmitsburg having to go to the Mount.

My response: If public schools need to take back a normal closing day, Election Day, the Town of Emmitsburg has an optional location for polling. Moving the polling site to the Mount would be inconvenient and expensive for the town residents, and particularly devastating to our senior residents. More to come on the progress of this bill.

Exploring Emmitsburg’s Heritage

By Maxine Troxell On February 28, 2017 · Add Comment · In Community News

James Rada Jr.

Besides a Catholic Saint who once lived here, Emmitsburg has a famous riflemaker in its history, as well as other artisans. It’s a town heritage that Town Planner Sue Cipperly would like to see developed in the future.

Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs and Cipperly told the Emmitsburg Commissioners that an effort was underway to find a place where a statue of riflemaker John Armstrong could be placed. Artist Gary Casteel has expressed an interest in creating the statue.

Armstrong is most famous for the variation of the Kentucky long rifle. His rifles are highly sought-after collector’s items today. However, he is not the only artisan or famous person to come through Emmitsburg.

The Eyster Family had a number of notable clockmakers, and John Hoover was also known for the clocks he made. One of them can be seen in the Maryland Room of the C. Burr Artz Library in Frederick. George Miles, author of the unofficial Confederate National Anthem, came from the town, as well as Stanley Krebs, a noted psychologist. Then there are the authors, artists, and notable graduates from Mount St. Mary’s.

“I would love to try and showcase more of the earlier history of Emmitsburg,” Cipperly said. She said that occasionally people bring artifacts and other pieces of Emmitsburg history into the town office, hoping to find more information about them. “We have a lot of people who know quite a bit about the history of the town.”

While there are already established sites in Emmitsburg connected with its religious history, Cipperly would like to see other areas developed. Depending on what is developed, a walking tour through town could be put together that includes the Elizabeth Ann Seton sites, fire museum, and other significant points of interest.

“There’s not a lot of towns our size that have the amount of history that we have,” said Cipperly.

While the developing Emmitsburg’s cultural history is on her radar, it is not something to pursue in the immediate future. The town has major projects ongoing with the Route 140 bridge, sidewalks, and town square going on right now.

On-Going Wildflower Project

By Maxine Troxell On February 28, 2017 · Add Comment · In Community News

Christine Maccabee

Everyone loves flowers, and who doesn’t love seeing young children having fun with milkweed fluff (shown right)? Fun was mixed with work in February, when members of the Green Team and their children spread wildflower seeds in the wild area along Woodside Drive. Last year, many beautiful flowers bloomed there during the spring, summer, and even into the fall. The tallest flowers were already there naturally, and those along with our seeding project provided not only beauty for people, but essential nectar and pollen for pollinators and seeds for birds. There are even cattails in the ditch!

This year, the project is continuing. A mixture of twenty other wild native seeds had been previously mixed with fine play sand for better distribution over a large area. This mixture was put in multiple buckets and then distributed by adults and children over areas not seeded last year. It was a cold February day, but everyone had the right attitude, and the distribution went smoothly. Once that work was finished, Cindy Poole led the children in the fun of letting milkweed seeds and fluff fly!

Participants that day were Amie and Charlie McDaniels, Marilyn Worsham, Nova and Ily Rothrock, Cindy Poole, and Christine Maccabee.

The Green Team also has a Community Garden with plots for anyone interested in growing their own vegetables. Get in touch with Jhumerick@thurmontstaff.com.

The Lewistown Volunteer Fire Department Holds Its Annual Banquet

By Maxine Troxell On February 28, 2017 · Add Comment · In Community News

James Rada, Jr.

The Lewistown Volunteer Fire Department held its annual banquet to recognize its members and to install its new officers on Saturday, February 4, 2017, in the department banquet hall in Lewistown.

The members and other guests recalled the fun that they had in serving the community in 2016. The company had a busy year, with 415 fire calls and 380 EMS calls, but the Lewistown VFD members had turned out to help.

“Without these guys, this would not have been possible,” said Fogle.

In recognizing the top ten fire and EMS responders, many of the same names appear again and again, demonstrating the dedication of these members. In fact, the top two responders in both categories were a husband and wife team that competed for the top spot.

The top ten fire responders for 2016 were: Wayne Wachter (125 calls), Beth Wachter (117 calls), Wayne Stull (116 calls), Steve Stull (95 calls), Donald Martin (90 calls), Michael Fogle (89 calls), Frani Wachter (84 calls), Mike Stull (80 calls), Vicky Martin (72 calls), and Vince Schrader (59 calls).

The top ten EMS responders were: Beth Wachter (157 calls), Wayne Wachter (156 calls), Wayne Stull (143 calls), Stephanie Wachter (127 calls), Michael Fogle (69 calls), Brianna Wachter (66 calls), Steve Stull (55 calls), Frani Wachter (53 calls), Vicky Martin (44 calls), Vince Schrader (44 calls), and Mike Stull (35 calls).

After the catered dinner, the members enjoyed a good laugh at their own expense as Steve Stull handed out the Oopsy Awards. Stull called them a “celebration of the human condition, and, boy, were you guys human this year.” The awards recognized members for getting vehicles stuck, running over a skunk, driving down U.S. Route 15 with their gear on the hood of the engine, and chewing up a mat with a snowblower.

Frederick County Director of Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services Chip Jewell swore in the new company officers.

Line Officers: Chief Wayne Wachter, Jr.; Deputy Chief Vicky Martin; and Assistant Chief Scott Martin.

Administrative Officers: President Donald Stull, Jr.; Vice President Chuck Jenkins; Secretary Karen Stull; Assistant Secretary Mary Frances Bostian; Treasurer Lena Stull; and Assistant Treasurer Lisa Monday.

Board of Directors: Paul Stull, Donald Martin, Scott Martin, Scott Stonesifer, Steve Stull, and Shawn Wetzel.

The company also remembered the members it lost in 2016 with a bell-ringing and candle-lighting ceremony. The members who passed away were: past chief Raymond Stull, Jr.; Rose Marie Williar Powell; Eve Ziglar; Janet Marsh; and Joseph Linton.

The company has been proudly serving Lewistown, Utica, and Mountaindale since 1970. That was the year Company 22 was formed and housed on Hessong Bridge Road. The first meeting was held on June 3, 1970, and the company purchased Engine 222 in August for $1,800. It was the first diesel engine in the county.

Lewistown VFD new administrative officers: Secretary Karen Stull, Assistant Secretary Mary Frances Bostian, Treasurer Lena Stull, and President Donald Stull, Jr.

Lewistown VFD new line officers: Deputy Chief Vicky Martin, Assistant Chief Scott Martin, and Chief Wayne Wachter, Jr.

Photos by James Rada, Jr.

Rocky Ridge Volunteer Fire Company Holds Annual Banquet

By Maxine Troxell On February 27, 2017 · Add Comment · In Community News

Grace Eyler

On January 26, 2017, Rocky Ridge Volunteer Fire Company (VFC) members and their families came together to reminisce and recognize their achievements from the previous year. The banquet was held at the New Midway Volunteer Fire Company.

Rocky Ridge VFC President Dale Kline began his review of 2016 by recognizing the members who passed away in the previous year, and called upon Pat Riggs to join him to lead a memorial prayer.

Betty Brown, born on September 27, 1933, was the last surviving charter member of the Rocky Ridge Fire Company’s Auxiliary that began in 1955. She spent her time serving food to participants at the “Penny Bingo Games.” Through the years, Betty helped with banquets, dinners and the carnival. She passed on July 20, 2016, at the age of eighty-three.

Edna “Libby” Myers grew up in the Creagerstown area, but spent much of her time in Rocky Ridge. She operated her own hair salon, “Libby’s,” out of her home, located next to the fire company. Libby joined the Auxiliary in 1969, and became a member of the fire company in 1984. Libby even volunteered her time in-between appointments at the salon. She made homemade goods for dinners, banquets, and the carnival, but was most known for her “Chocolate Pudding Pie, made from scratch.” In 2008, she was recognized as an honorary member of the Auxiliary. She passed on December 18, 2016, at the age of ninety-four.

After Pat’s touching speech and memorial prayer, Pr. Jim was welcomed to provide a memorium.

President Kline then spoke proudly about the company, “This company has been in service for sixty-seven consecutive years, serving the Rocky Ridge community and surrounding areas very well.” He spoke about the many activities the company hosts each year, including the annual carnival; country butchering; Ridgefest; a Halloween party; and a community favorite, Santa’s Detail. Smaller benefits include bingos and gun raffles on a more frequent basis.

President Kline gave special recognition to the butchering volunteers. “I used to think these guys were doing it to be helpful, now I understand they come over just to eat!” he said with a smile and the entire audience laughed, admitting that he had been there to eat, too, and, “It is very, very good.” For this year’s butchering, they expect at least five hundred people to pass through for fresh meats and breakfast line.

Kline recognized Company 10 members who weren’t in attendance as fill-in for Rocky Ridge. He also recognized the Maryland State Fire Association, calling upon President Mike Davis to introduce his table. Also in attendance was Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner. Gardner said, “You really exemplify the idea of people helping people… you save the tax payers of Frederick County a lot of money through volunteerism and fundraising.” Also in attendance were Frederick County Councilmen Bud Otis and Kirby Delauter.

President Kline invited the President of the Auxiliary, Betty Ann Mumma, up to join him. “It’s just so good, as we all support each other and everything pretty much works out in the end. We are fraternal friends, and I think that is all that matters in this life,” said Mumma. She then presented Kline with a check in the amount of $20,000 from their fundraising efforts in 2016.

Linda Northrup and Bonny Hurley came forth to provide 2016’s awards. The first award presented was “Outstanding Junior Award.” The ladies mentioned that before this person became a volunteer for the company, she was already volunteering her time every Saturday night at Bingo. The award was presented to Brianna Kaas, who volunteered 64 hours of her time at various activities in 2016.

Next, the “Charles Mumma Firefighter of the Year Award” was presented to Paulette Mathias, who has been a member of the company since 1984. She was recognized for her work on several different committees, helping with the annual butchering, Holiday House Tour, and spaghetti dinners.

The “Robert Albaugh Outstanding Volunteer Award” was established because Robert loved all components of the fire company. In order to receive this award, a volunteer must be a member for at least three years and also work off of LOSAP system. This year’s recipient has been a member since 1994 and treasurer of the auxiliary since 1972. Having donated 382 hours during 2016, Betty Lee Mumma received the once-in-a-lifetime award.

Ronnie Eyler was presented the “Honorary Member Award.” He has volunteered for thirty years with the company, serving in many committees, as well as serving a previous vice president for the company. Ronnie, being a recognized driver for the company, has even been privileged to utilize the Model A Fire Truck.

Vice President Denny Mathias and Secretary Paulette Mathias presented the Five-Year Pin awards to: (5 years) Jerry Free and Steve Myers; (10 years) Franklin Free, Robert Free, and John Reese; (15 years) Debbie Eyler and Patsy Wetzel; Shirley Brown, Robbie Eyler, Jamison Mathias, Theresa Kaas, Clarence White, and Wilton Smith (20 Years); Tom Myerly (30 Years); James Willard and James Glass (40 Years); and Barry Burrier (45 Years).

Luke Humerick presented awards to the Junior Fire Company for volunteer hours. Humerick stated, “They’re a bunch of hard working kids; they are willing to help whenever we ask. We couldn’t ask for a better group to jump in and give a hand.” Those recognized were: Jolene Mathias (21 hours), Jacob Dolly (28 hours), Josie Kaas (55 hours), Breezy Combs (88 hours), Brianna Kaas (64 hours), Wayne Lewis (61 hours), Heather Hurley (54.5 hours), Robert Albaugh (57 hours), Hunter Hurley (43 hours), and William Kaas (38.5 hours). The tiniest of the junior company, Devin and Blake Youngermen, recieved an award as well.

Chief Alan Hurley provided company statistics and presented this year’s Chief Award. “This year, I started a little something to recognize our top ten firefighters.” He recognized Matt Moser (178 calls), Alan Hurley (155 calls), Bonny Hurley (140 calls), Christina Hurley (134 calls), Luke Humerick Jr. (99 calls), Kevin Albaugh (97 calls), Leon Stover Jr. (95 calls), Kerri Gasior (77 calls), Craig Hovermale (58 calls), and Wesley Burrier (53 calls). Steve Orndorff was recognized for being Top Responder for the Fire Police. The all-volunteer fire company tended to 233 emergency calls, totaling 1,300 volunteer hours over the year. The highest volume of calls occurred on Thursdays (a total of 38) and the busiest month for the company was November, with 31 calls.

President Dale Kline closed the ceremony by presenting the President’s Award. Dale reminisced about working with the recipient of the award for forty-five years. He said, “When I was nineteen, he [recipient, Dennis Mathias] was probably twelve or thirteen and was already on the fire trucks, learning how to pump water and so forth.” Kline then asked for Vice President Dennis Mathias to stand. Kline recognized that Dennis’ family, from parents down to grandchildren, have volunteered their time with the company.

Rocky Ridge’s Volunteer Fire Company is always looking for new recruits, however, it’s very clear that instead of joining a company, it’s really a family of volunteers working together for the greater good of Rocky Ridge.

(left) President Dale Kline presents Vice President Denny Mathias with this year’s President Award.

(below) President Dale Kline receives a check from President of Ladies Auxiliary, Betty Ann Mumma, in the amount of $15,000.

Photos by Grace Eyler

Emmitsburg Volunteer Ambulance Company Holds Annual Banquet

By Maxine Troxell On February 27, 2017 · Add Comment · In Community News

Allison Rostad

As another year has come and gone, Emmitsburg Volunteer Ambulance Company acknowledged their past year’s accomplishments at their annual banquet and awards ceremony, held January 28, 2017, at 7:30 p.m., in their social hall. Members, family, and special guests enjoyed a catered meal provided by Bollinger’s Restaurant, with background music DJ’d by John Zeigler prior to the evening’s speakers and presentations.

Emcee of the night, Eric Stackhouse, introduced special guests of the evening. Guests included members of surrounding companies; Mayor Don Briggs, who gave his appreciation to members when announced; and Eric Smothers, president of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association; among many others. Smothers began the evening identifying the importance of volunteers, “We’re the frontlines of our homeland security…you never know what’s coming to your front door, whether it’s a mass shooting, a major fire, or a horrific accident. Our volunteers are the first showing up to answer that call.” Nearly 93 percent of the nation’s Fire, Rescue, and EMT departments are volunteer, and 2,000 volunteers are in Frederick County, alone. Wishing the company well and much success in the upcoming year, Smothers turned the audience back over to Stackhouse who proceeded to introduce 2017 re-elected president, Mary Lou Little.

“We had another very successful year of fundraising,” Little addressed the audience as she took stage. Emmitsburg Volunteer Ambulance Company had been fundraising strictly through bingo for the past several years. The successes from their weekly bingos and their sporadic special bingos have not only helped to raise well over $300,000, but they’ve been able to reinvest money back into the Community. In 2016, they were honored to donate to the Eric Latini Memorial Ride Scholarship Fund, Emmitsburg Community Heritage Days for their fireworks, Emmitsburg Community Food Bank, The Lions Club Christmas food baskets, The Seton Center Outreach Program, and The Angels Above Scholarship Fund for Mother Seton School.

Selling over 1.3 million game tickets during bingo, Little said has helped pay the bills tremendously. “We continue to chip away at our mortgage. We started this building payment at $2.3 million dollars. We’re now in the $1.5 million dollar range,” Little enthusiastically congratulated supporting members. The ambulance company will continue fundraising through bingo again this year in the hopes to keep continual success.

Stackhouse and newly-elected 2017 Chief Amber Zimmerman took the stage together to give an overview of the past year’s stats and accomplishments, as well as the goals for the year ahead. Stackhouse noted that of the twenty-eight company members, there had been a combined 11,000-plus volunteer hours given, not including meeting hours for 2016. With a significant rise in calls run in 2016, of 1,056 total calls, volunteer hours were necessary, and the ambulance company’s members showed up not only willingly, but happily.

To meet the predicted increase of call volume for the current year, Zimmerman announced the planning phase for a “good neighbor” policy between the company and the National Training Academy. “The academy has graciously extended the offer to have qualified and licensed providers from the state of Maryland to assist us in answering the calls during their stay in our beautiful town,” Zimmerman shared with the audience.

The company also looks forward to implementing an official mentor program to help newcomers adjust, learn, and grow within the company. They’re also looking forward to replacing Ambulance 269 for a new, up-to-date, state-of-the-art ambulance, to better respond to calls and transport patients.

The evening brought several award presentations. Linda Miller was presented the Donald B. Bower Humanitarian Award. Pam Ellison received the President’s Award. The Jamie Eyler Volunteer of the Year Award was given to Chad Zimmerman. Seth Delarchic was awarded the Top Responder for Frederick County. Rookie of the Year was Ashley Grimes. Nicki Burriss received the Driver of the Year Award and Lisa Eichelberger was presented the EMS Provider of the Year Award. The Chiefs Award was shared between Amber and Chad Zimmerman.

Top Responders for the 2016 year were Amber Zimmerman, Chad Zimmerman, C.N. Burriss, Brandon Murdorff, Lisa Eichelberger, Rose Mercandetti, Rose Latini, Eric Stackhouse, John Ruppel, Brandon Burriss, and Ashley Grimes.

2017 Administrative Officers: (from left) Linda Miller, Vicki Long, Pam Bolin, Eric Stackhouse, and Mary Lou Little. Not pictured: Beth Ruppel.

2017 Operational Officers: (from left) Brandon Murdorf, Lisa Eichelberger, Ed Little, Chad Zimmerman, Eric Stackhouse, and Amber Zimmerman. Not pictured: Beth and John Ruppel.

Hello, Lovely…

By Maxine Troxell On February 27, 2017 · Add Comment · In Business News

Deb Spalding

Rebecca LaChance of Rebecca LaChance Art & Photography has opened a studio at 5B East Main Street in Thurmont. This studio is not what you think it is. It is a special space where you can go to participate in a luxurious, artistic experience that is intended to uncover your true essence and personal story. Each client becomes a “model for a day.” The end result is a single photo, or selection of photos, that portray an artistically captured peek into your soul.

The experience starts when you meet with Rebecca for a consultation, during which, she will be on a mission to determine the scope of your project and develop her plan to create the most beautiful portrait of you that you’ve ever had. The next time you meet, you are truly the “model for the day,” complete with gown, professionally applied makeup, and professionally styled hair for your photo shoot. The shoot may take place in the studio or outside.

The photo shoot and all of these luxurious services lead up to the grand finale: the REVEAL!

“The end results are Captured Essence Portraits that display your deepest strengths. These will be treasured by family members for generations,” explained Rebecca.

Finally, the portraits that each customer selects will be printed by a master printer on fine paper and framed by a master framer for a gorgeous presentation.

A Thurmont resident, Rebecca came to the area twenty-five years ago because of military service. After practicing as a registered nurse and earning not only a Ph.D. in Health of the Community/Health Policy, but also a minor in Health Economics, she started her professional artist career as a painter and spent a number of years as a landscape photographer. Today, she finds her greatest pleasure in helping women, and sometimes men and children, feel good about themselves. She assures us, “Women are the same here as anywhere. I’m showing you the beautiful art that lies within you.”

In May, Rebecca will invite community members to take part in a photo walk. For the walk, it doesn’t matter whether you have a cell phone, point-and-shoot camera, or a fancy camera, she’ll teach you to use the camera to get the photos you want. She also offers business classes and mentoring for artists and photographers. Details will be shared when available.

It’s time to take part in your own lovely, luxury journey that culminates with you, a work of art. There’s more to see and learn with, and about, Rebecca LaChance. Visit her website at www.rebeccalachanceartphotography.com or call 240-203-7794 to schedule your consultation.

Rebecca LaChance opens Rebecca LaChance Art & Photography studio on Main Street in Thurmont

Local Subway Sub Shop Celebrates 20th Anniversary

By Maxine Troxell On February 27, 2017 · Add Comment · In Business News

Deb Spalding

Few readers are unfamiliar with the Subway sub. Subway’s menu is easy to grasp and the process of creating each sub is custom, as each customer picks every part of the sub, from the bread to the meat, veggies, and condiments. Always yummy, Subway has improved the quality of their products one by one over the past few years in keeping with nutritional trends, as well as introducing new limited-time special flavor sub and salad options. There’s always something new at Subway, along with the option to build it your way.

“We have the biggest menu anywhere and great prices, but people are the most important part of our business,” expressed owner, Dean Biller. He shared that his customers are great and his staff members are like members of his family. His family that also includes his eleven-year-old daughter, who he claims rocks his world. “I have really good managers and staff who I value greatly. Happy crew means happy customers.”

Dean also operates a recording studio and plays bass in the band, Beyond Empty. They’ve played at the Ott House a few times. Emmitsburg Subway’s assistant manager, Ashley Maccabee, is a drummer in the band, as well as a drum instructor at the Let There Be Rock School in Frederick, Maryland. Beyond Empty plays a variety of music, ranging from Led Zeppelin to the Stone Temple Pilots.

Dean’s Subway adventure began when he, who resides in Westminster, Maryland, had his eyes open for a business opportunity. Formerly a Ford mechanic, Dean had been in food service since 1981, while working for Kraft. Dean and his wife and business partner, Lyn, noticed a Subway store for sale in Emmitsburg in late 2001, and, liking the franchise, decided to purchase the store soon after, in 2002. Emmitsburg Subway was previouly owned and operated by Terry Gladhill and her business partner Linda. They opened the store in 1997. Soon after taking over in Emmitsburg, the Billers planned a sister store in Thurmont. That location opened in 2005. About their Subway business venture, Dean said, “It’s been fun…it’s been challenging.”

Subway also caters. At the time of this interview, Dean and his team had just delivered four hundred subs for an event. “My focus is on the people and the value.”

Online, at subway.com, applications for employment and remote ordering can be found. The Emmitsburg and Thurmont Subway stores are open Mondays through Thursdays, 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.; Fridays, 7:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.; Saturdays, 8:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.; and Sundays, 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. The Emmitsburg Subway is located at 101 Silo Hill Road in the Silo Hill Shopping Strip; the Thurmont Subway is located at 224 North Church Street in the Thurmont Plaza Shopping Center.

Dean can be contacted directly by emailing catoctinsubway@yahoo.com, and he invites you to stop in for a sub.

See their spring specials in their advertisement on page 42.

Emmitsburg Subway staff members pictured from left are Kim Ruby, Josh Cornish, Dean Biller (owner), and Ashley Maccabee.

Emmitsburg

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