Currently viewing the category: "Featured Articles"

James Rada, Jr.

Kountry Kitchen has come a long way in 40 years, and the food continues to please customers.

Sherry Myers was just a freshman in high school when her parents opened Kountry Kitchen in 1984 on Water Street in Thurmont. It was not a large restaurant, but it served delicious food.

“The original restaurant fit into our dining area out front now,” Sherry said. The only heat came from a wood stove in the center of the room.

Kountry Kitchen was a family operation from the start, with Pat Ridenour, Sherry’s mom, doing the cooking. Sherry’s grandmother worked as the dishwasher. Sherry and her father, Roger Ridenour, worked part-time.

The original recipes for the meals were family recipes from Sherry’s mom and grandmother.

The business was so successful that Roger had to leave his full-time job to work in the restaurant, and the couple bought their building in 1986. As its reputation grew, so did the business, adding space and upgrading its equipment.

Through it all, Sherry worked in the family business. Even before Kountry Kitchen had opened, Sherry had been learning the restaurant business from her mom. Pat had worked as a line cook at Gentleman Jim’s in Emmitsburg. Sherry would go there after school, and when she was done with her homework, she would help her mom and learn what she did. Sherry was a trained line cook while she was still in her teens, without even realizing it.

“She [Mom] was so good at what she did, I just wanted to be like her,” Sherry said.

She saw first-hand how hard running a business was, but she appreciates the work her parents did to build a strong foundation for Kountry Kitchen. The customers do, too.

“The customers become like family,” Sherry said. “We have regulars who will eat two or three meals a day here.”

The Myers purchased a chicken broaster in the early 2000s and developed a recipe that leaves the chicken crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The Broaster Company awarded Kountry Kitchen the Broasted Chicken Award in 2005. MSN has also named the restaurant as the “Best Hole in the Wall Chicken in Maryland.” MSN praised the chicken, writing “It’s got a thin, smoother coating than most fried chicken, letting the meat be the star.”

Sherry said that a few months back, a family on vacation from Wyoming made a special stop in Thurmont just to try out the chicken.

Pat and Roger retired in 2019, and Sherry and Rob bought the business in late 2019. Of course, they didn’t realize that it would soon be the worst time in modern history to operate a business that depended on customers walking into the business.

The pandemic hit the following year, closing businesses for months, and only allowing them to gradually reopen. Many businesses couldn’t deal with the losses and closed up.

Sherry and Rob rolled with it, though, and even tried to help out. With schools also closed because of the pandemic, they began offering students in the area breakfasts and lunches. They were serving around 125 meals a day.

“We felt like we needed to do something to keep the children fed who depended on those school meals,” Sherry said.

They made it through those trials, though, and have continued growing and being part of the Thurmont community. They also have continued to garner awards and rave reviews for their food, customer service, and community spirit.

In 2022, they purchased a van that would allow them to cater special events with Kountry Kitchen’s crowd-pleasing food.

On February 15, 2024, Kountry Kitchen held an open house all day with hors d’oeuvres, mug and shirt giveaways, and a drawing for a monthly breakfast for two. It was all in celebration of 40 years in business with many more expected.

by James Rada, Jr.

Thurmont

Commissioners to Address Blocked Sidewalks

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners are looking to amend the town code to address obstructions to the sidewalk because of construction and renovation. Currently, there is nothing in the ordinance that addresses this problem. The proposed changes are based on the Walkersville town code and would require workers to get a permit when they expect to block the sidewalk. The permit would allow the sidewalk to be blocked for up to 10 business days, or it would have to be taken down. The problem is seen as a safety issue because pedestrians are having to walk in the street to get around scaffolding.

New Streetlight Approved

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners approved the purchase of 85 LED streetlights to complete the Gateway subdivision. The town received three bids and approved a low bid of $59,415 from Catoctin Lighting.

The town also released a statement about concerns raised from the earlier installation of streetlights in the subdivision. Upon investigation, it was discovered that although the town and contractor believed they had purchased lights that had the same wattage and lumens as the ones they were replacing, the manufacturer had made changes that altered the lights. The town and contractor were not aware of this change.

Most of the funding comes from a Maryland Smart Energy Communities Grant for $53,010. The remaining amount will come from the streetlights line item in the electric budget.

Emmitsburg

Extended Office Hours

Beginning in March, the Emmitsburg Town Office will be open 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. This is a six-month trial to see if residents who are working during normal business hours and can’t get into the office to take care of business will make use of the extended hours.

Budget Gets Minor Restructuring

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners voted to move the home departments for three positions, which will move the benefits and taxes associated with those positions out of the water and sewer funds. This will make those budgets smaller, but it will increase general fund expenses by a similar amount. This means there will be no net difference.

The changes are:

    Move the office coordinator from the water fund to the finance department.

    Move the town clerk from the water fund to the finance department.

    Move the town manager from the sewer fund to the legislative department.

The changes will shift $96,702 from one department to another.

Town Accepts Rutter’s Pump Station

The town voted to take over the new Rutter’s pump station, which Rutter’s built to handle the needs of the new store on East Main Street. The advantage for the town is that the new station was built with enough capacity to also handle any new development across the street from the Rutter’s store.

Mayor Takes Issue with the County

Mayor Frank Davis was critical of Frederick County government during a recent town meeting. As the town prepares to implement its back-flow preventer cross-connection program, “All of a sudden, Frederick County wants to be involved in this project, so they can charge for a permit,” Davis said.

Davis said that conversations with plumbers and town staff have shown him that this is not something that should require a county permit, and the valve can’t be tested, so an inspection would be useless.

“I just see it as a money grab for the county,” Davis said.

Commission and Committee Appointments

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners recently appointed Dale Sharrer as a full member of the planning commission, effective February 20, 2024. They also appointed Leslie Frei to the sustainable communities workgroup, with a term running from February 12, 2024 to February 12, 2029.

Emmitsburg

Mayor Frank Davis

As the winter months are flying by, we are starting to plan for warmer weather. We are in the planning stage for an improved farmers’ market. We are still looking for new vendors and are excited about the return of last year’s participants.

Softball and baseball will again fill our parks with regular league play, as well as several large weekend tournaments. This is not only good for our youths who participate, but it is a bonus for our local businesses. On any given weekend, hundreds of fans can be found walking our streets and patronizing local shops and eateries. Thank you to the Thurmont Little League for bringing baseball back to Emmitsburg.

Plans are shaping up for our community garden, which is located beside the Emmitsburg Community Center on Cedar Avenue. Local resident Jack Deathridge will again take the lead with his crew, willing to expand the footprint of last year’s garden to accommodate new gardeners of all ages.

Spring sports are in full swing at Mount St. Mary’s University, and it is worth the trip to check them out. Both men’s and women’s teams are going to be extremely competitive, so check out the Mount’s website for schedules.

Town staff is working hard on updating our comprehensive plan. Workshops have been held over the winter months, with the final gathering on March 25 at the town office. The workshop will begin at 7:00 p.m.

We have openings on several committees, and we need you to become part of our team. Please visit the town website at emmitsburgmd.gov for more information or contact the office at 301-600-6300.

Beginning March 11, the town office will extend its office hours. The office will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, for your convenience.

Finally, as I approach the end of my first six months in my new position, I want to thank you for your support. While we may have had different opinions and ideas on how to govern our town, everyone has been polite and respectful. Many of you have stepped forward to serve on committees and continue to be an important part of the success of the town. Please give me a call or visit me in the office to share your ideas or just for a chat.                              

Thurmont

 Mayor John Kinnaird

Here we are in March already! Winter will soon be behind us, and things will start getting green. My favorite flowers are daffodils, and this spring, I think we will see daffodils popping up all around Thurmont, thanks to the Thurmont Green Team. I hope everyone enjoys the amazing range of colors that bloom in early spring.

The North Church Street project is coming along on schedule. As with every large public works project, there are traffic delays and some inconveniences for residents. We appreciate everyone’s patience! The work from Woodside Avenue to Rt. 15 is expected to be completed by late April, while the work from Rt. 15 to Catoctin High School (CHS) will be completed during summer vacation at CHS. This project is one of the largest single infrastructure projects we have done in several years and will address several issues. Most residents are unaware of the infrastructure buried beneath our streets and sidewalks. These systems, as with all others, have a working lifespan, and the water and wastewater lines are reaching their useful ends. Over the past several years, we have been addressing I&I (inflow and infiltration) issues in our wastewater system. Much of the pipes on North Church Street are terra-cotta, and over the years, the joints have separated. These pipes can let a lot of wild water into the system, and every gallon of that has to be treated. The new wastewater lines will help eliminate much of that water. The water lines also need to be replaced with new pipes with fewer changes in pipe size and the elimination of a few bottlenecks. This project is being funded with American Rescue Act Funds. Once this work is completed, the SHA will be repaving the entire roadway.

Work has been ongoing on the new softball field at East End Park. This project is funded through Program Open Space grants. The field features lights for night games and should be ready for regular play early this fall.

The tennis court at the Community Park is being removed and replaced with a new court, lights, and fencing. The court will feature tennis and pickleball markings. Work has commenced on the renovation of the playground at the entrance to Eyler Road Park. The new equipment will feature a Cougar theme! Both of these projects will be completed before Memorial Day. I want to thank our Parks Department for the amazing work they do maintaining our parks and getting them ready for spring!

Good weather will bring out lots of kids and adults walking, running, and riding bikes or skateboards on our sidewalks and trails. Please drive responsibly, and be aware of everyone sharing the road and using our trails and walkways.

On a personal note, I recently spent some time at Frederick Health Hospital. I want to thank all the doctors, nurses, and support staff whom I had the privilege of meeting while there. We are very fortunate to have such an outstanding medical facility at our doorstep.

As always, I can be reached at jkinnaird@thurmont.com or by phone at 301-606-9458.

I hope everyone has a wonderful March!

Woodsboro

Burgess Heath Barnes

Happy March! The first month of spring has arrived and, hopefully, this brings more sunshine and warmth. As they say, March winds and April showers will bring May flowers, and I am ready for them and warmer weather.

I attended the annual Maryland Mayors Conference last month in Annapolis. I always enjoy this conference, as we often hear details of how pending legislation in Annapolis will affect our municipalities, in either a positive or sometimes not-so-positive way. Last month, we had to change our monthly town meeting to February 20, instead of the typical second Tuesday of the month, due to some unforeseen circumstances.

The February meeting was quiet, as we are still awaiting the new bid proposal from the town hall builder to see if we can get the bid down to the amount the town can easily afford. We are very confident, with some cuts that we have made, that we will get it down to the dollar amount we are looking for. We also discussed the next event in town, which is the annual Easter Egg Hunt that is hosted by the Town of Woodsboro and the Woodsboro Volunteer Fire Department. The Easter Egg Hunt will be held this year on March 30 at 2:00 p.m. in the town park. All children are invited to attend this free community event.

There were some issues with the lights at the basketball and tennis courts, as the line was accidentally cut off when the lights for the skating park were installed. They have been repaired, and all is working well now. Thank you to the Woodsboro Volunteer Fire Department for adding water to the pond while it was frozen to smooth it out. It was so nice seeing the frozen pond and the sledding hill being used so much this winter with all the snowfalls we have had and the cold temperatures that froze the pond.

As always, I encourage everyone to support Glade Valley Community Services (GVCS) if you have clothes or food donations, as they are always in need of items for members of the community. For more information, please contact GVCS by email at gvcs.inc@verizon.net or call 301-845-0213.

If you have any questions, concerns, complaints, or compliments, please feel free to reach out to me at hbarnes@woodsboro.org or by phone at 301-401-7164.

Woodsboro town meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. In addition, planning and zoning meetings are at 6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the month, as needed. If you have an item for the agenda, it needs to be submitted 14 days before the P&Z meeting. The current location for meetings is the St. John’s United Church of Christ, located at 8 N. 2nd Street, Woodsboro, MD 21798. The public is always invited to attend.

Richard D. L. Fulton

A great many people in North Frederick County are likely unaware as they go about their daily business or endeavors, that beneath their feet rests the vestiges of an ancient continent that, like the legendary Atlantis, was ultimately destroyed and lost to time.

This particular Atlantis existed during a period of time presently classified as being Late Triassic in age, which occurred some 220 million years ago when one sole continent existed… a continent, dubbed Pangea by geologists.

During this period of time, Pangea was in its “death throws” and was in the process of breaking up, due to the movement of the continental plates beneath it. That breakup led to the formation of a number of subcontinents, resulting in the end of Pangea around 200 million years ago.

But, in Rocky Ridge, one can still walk the ancient shoreline of one of Pangea’s great lakes that existed before its demise and even explore the lake bottom of this huge lake, dubbed Lake Lockatong. 

At the height of this lake’s existence, Lake Lockatong sprawled from Rocky Ridge through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and into New York State. Some geologists believe that this great lake covered an area equivalent to the presently existing Lake Tanganyika in Africa, at some 20,000 total miles in size. 

Over millions of years, the sediments that had been deposited at the bottom of this lake in Rocky Ridge, as well as those of the associated mud flats, solidified into shale, and today provide a “window” into what times were like in Rocky Ridge when it was part of Pangea.

The most dominant vertebrate that abounded on the ancient mudflats of Rocky Ride was, without a doubt, a foot-long lizard called Rhynchosauroides, an animal that is believed to have been an ancient ancestor of the tuatara, which only exists today in New Zealand. 

Hundreds of tracks of this lizard have been found in the Rocky Ridge mudflats, along with rare body impressions made when the lizards rested on the mud in shallow water. 

Another rarer cat-sized reptile that wandered upon the mud flats is classified as dicynodonts, a group thought to have been extinct long before the Rocky Ridge mudflats were formed. It is generally believed that mammals evolved from this group of reptiles.

The Rocky Ridge Rhynchosauroides shared their environment with millepedes (also known today as thousand leggers) and prehistoric crickets and beetles, whose trackways lie scattered among the layers containing Rhynchosauroides tracks. One specimen was found revealing the body impression of a Rhynchosauroides surrounded by fossil cricket tracks!

The shale from the lake bottom found in Rocky Ridge revealed complete fossil fish, fish scales, coprolites (fossil excretion), fragmented bones, and the track of an as-yet unidentified aquatic reptile.  There was plenty of food for these creatures in the lake, as their remains have been found with a multitude of freshwater clam shrimp, snails, and clams.

One particular Rocky Ridge site revealed that an immense conifer forest had existed at the time in proximity to the lake shore, and its branches, complete with leaves, were found in an eddy that had apparently formed off the lake and which was also loaded with freshwater clam shrimp.

Dinosaur tracks have yet to be found in the Late Triassic Rocky Ridge deposits, but dinosaur tracks were collected in the 1800s in a flagstone (rock intended to be used in walkways) that had been quarried only a few minutes away, outside of Emmitsburg. 

A geologist—now retired—identified a layer of green shale in Rocky Ridge that would be the layer most likely to produce dinosaur tracks, but that layer has yet to be excavated.

Because every fossil recovered from the Late Triassic Rocky Ridge sites is new to Maryland and/or new to science, access to one of the richest sites is now presently restricted and is located on private property.

The Camp Letterman Story

Richard D. L. Fulton

On July 1, 1863, a massive and deadly storm descended upon Gettysburg, with the thunder being provided by more than 600 cannons and the fierce lightning being the result of the firing of more than 140,000 rifles.

The storm was caused by the violent convergence of the Union Army of the Potomac, under the command of General George G. Meade, and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, under the command of General Robert E. Lee.

By the end of July 3, the fields of Gettysburg had become littered with more than 50,000 dead and wounded—the highest number of human casualties that have been sustained by American forces in a single battle before, during, or since the engagement at Gettysburg. 

Many of the wounded and dying were housed in local homes and churches, impromptu field medical tents, and at a special military medical compound known as Camp Letterman. However, in the case of the Confederate Army, its casualties who had not been abandoned or captured on the field were loaded aboard wagons to commence with their painful trek back to Virginia.

Camp Letterman was ordered to be established on July 4, the day after the battle had subsided, by Assistant Adjutant General Seth Williams. The facility was to be named Camp Letterman, in honor of Doctor Jonathan Letterman, Medical Director for the Army of the Potomac, according to Gettysburgdaily.com.

The site selected was situated along York Road, just east of Gettysburg, near the east of the site of the present Giant grocery store shopping center, and had consisted of some 80 acres in extent.

The property involved was then known as the George Wolf farm, which had been selected, according to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, because the farm was located on high ground, with “abundant spring water, and (located in) close proximity to the York Road and Gettysburg Railroad.”

The portion of the farm utilized was not yet cultivated at that time and contained a significant stand of trees, which provided an abundance of shade for the encampment. Surgeon Henry Janes served as the doctor in charge of Camp Letterman.

Further, nurse Sophronia E. Bucklin, author of In Hospital and Camp: A Woman’s Record of Thrilling Incidents Among the Wounded in the Late War, noted that there were 500 “large hospital” tents erected in the camp (of which, she wrote, had even increased in number over time)” in rows with well-trodden, dirt walkways, established to minimize the mud. Each tent could house 12 patients, as noted by Battlefields.org (American Battlefield Trust).

Torrential rain fell in the wake of the battle, adding to the misery contained within the sprawling field hospital. As an aside, Bucklin noted that during heavy rain, “muddy rivulets (flowed) through our tents, (and we were) obliged in the morning to use our parasol handles to fish our shoes from the water before we could dress.”

The National Museum of Civil War Medicine (NMCWM) further stated on its website (civilwarmed.org) that the hospital included “a dead house, embalming tent, cemetery, cookhouse and warehouse tents.”

Some 400 individuals, consisting of military staff and volunteers (including the U.S. Sanitation Commission and the U.S. Christian Commission), served at the encampment.

Npshistory.com noted, “Doctors, nurses, hospital stewards, ward surgeons, wound dressers, and night watchmen worked dawn to dusk every day.”

The NMCWM further noted that soldiers who had improved, but were in need of additional care, were transported by rail to hospitals in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia.

The Gettysburg Times noted in a story they published on September 2, 1949, that Camp Letterman had treated more than 20,000 Union and Confederate casualties.

Bucklin wrote that more than half were Confederate casualties, which she had described as having been “grim, daunt, ragged men—long-haired, hollow-eyed and sallow-cheeked.”

Feeding the casualties and staff was at first a very unpleasant experience. 

Bucklin wrote that, initially, “Hunger only made edible the wretched food which was spoiled in its long-heated journey over the dusty road from Washington.” 

However, the camp was soon supplied with a new kitchen, along with ”monster” stoves and huge cauldrons.

Bucklin noted that one of the primary rules of conduct required of staff and volunteers was that the Confederate casualties were to be treated equally as those of the Union, further noting that many Union soldiers had remarked on how well they had been treated by the medical staffs in prisoner-of-war camps, in which they had found themselves in the South.

Bucklin further wrote that one individual employed for helping the wounded in the camp had been discharged because she “refused to give food or aid or drink” to any of the Confederate wounded, “regarding them as wanton murderers of her beloved husband.” 

Intolerance was not tolerated in the hospital camp.

More than 1,200 of the casualties perished at the camp, according to Michael Mahr, an education specialist at the NMCWM.

Bucklin noted that “many more of the rebels died than of our own men.” Further noting that, in one instance, “of the twenty-two rebels who were brought into my ward at one time, thirteen died, after receiving the same care that was given to our men.”

Amputations of severely damaged arms and legs were not uncommon in the camp. Emergingcivilwar.com noted on its website, “Removed limbs would either be discarded and buried on site, or sent to the Army Medical Museum in Washington, D.C., as a specimen for study.”  

Matthew Atkinson, Gettysburg National Military Park (npshistory.com), further wrote that a letter written by Union soldier Frank Stoke to his brother had stated, “Those who die in the hospital are buried in the field south of the hospital…The dead are laid in rows with a rough board placed at the head of each man… The amputated limbs are put into barrels and buried and left in the ground until they decomposed, then lifted and sent to the Medical College at Washington.”

Camp Letterman was dismantled in November 1863. Emergingcivilwar.com wrote on its website: “In November 1863, Camp Letterman all but vanished from the visible landscape. Union dead were exhumed and either sent to family or buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetery (except for the bodies of black Union soldiers who had died in the camp, since black soldiers were not permitted at that time to be buried in the National Cemetery).”

Today, a roadside marker denotes the general location of the medical encampment. The marker was a “wide, upstanding piece of granite with a metal tablet” and was the first “Great Rebellion”-related marker installed east of Gettysburg. The monument was placed within the woods in which the camp had been located. 

Highly recommended to the reader is Sophronia E. Bucklin’s fascinating account, published in her book, In Hospital and Camp: A Woman’s Record of Thrilling Incidents Among the Wounded in the Late War, which is accessible in its entirety online at Library of Congress website.

For a more definitive account of Camp Letterman, refer to “War is a hellish way of settling a dispute” by Matthew Atkinson, Gettysburg NMP, at npshistory.com.

Submitted by Joan Bittner Fry

This article came from The Telephone News, VOL. VII, No.18, and was published by Bell Telephone Co. of Pennsylvania, The Delaware & Atlantic Telegraph & Telephone Co, The Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co, The Diamond State Telephone Co, and The Central District and Printing Telegraph Co.

At that time, telephones were in their infancy. This publication gave information to employees of how to work together and how to share knowledge of their job with fellow employees, stating that “with our company there is no occasion for the ‘keep it under your hat’ habit.” This publication was for all employees, whether in the Plant Department or the Collection Department.

There were 16 pages with 30 photos throughout of the Blue Ridge Summit and Waynesboro areas, giving updates on underground cables and conduit installations in specific areas.

The Blue Ridge Mountains Resorts

Suppose—just suppose, remember—it is a hot Friday afternoon in late August. You, a humble telephone man, are sweltering in your office. You are almost all in. As you are about to give up the day’s work in despair, a friend drops in. He notes your wilted look. It is the psychological moment.

“What’re you going to do over Sunday?” he asks.

“Can’t imagine. Simmer, I reckon.”

“Never,” he shouts. “Get your grip and your golf sticks and come with me. You’re going to Blue Ridge Summit.”

Bang! Down comes the desk lid.

Blue Ridge Summit

Was there ever a clever combination of words? Blue—that’s plain enough. Even to the most unimaginative mind, it suggests its complement: skies. Ridge brings the picture of a green-treed mountain. Summit speaks of a high place, the top o’ the world, a place where breezes blow both day and night. “Blue Ridge Summit,” then, sounds well to you.

Let this be your introduction to “The Mountain.” You go. And what do you find?

Let us see:

High at the top of a giant ridge, just where Pennsylvania meets Maryland: where the air is pure, the water is crystal and the sky is azure; there, to locate it absolutely sans superlatives, there you find the Blue Ridge Mountains resorts.

There are a number of communities in the region; Monterey, Blue Ridge, Buena Vista, Pen Mar, and Blue Mountain are the most popular. Just a mile or two down the mountainside nestles the live little borough of Waynesboro—9,000 souls, and the heart of the vicinity.

And best of all, the region is only two hours away from Baltimore, three hours from Washington, and four or five from Philadelphia.

So, after a two-hour train ride, first through fertile valleys and farmlands, then up the gradual ascent of the mountains, you step from your Pullman into a cool, green bower through which the sun’s last rays are sloping. Your hat comes off instinctively. The breeze is playing tricks with your emotions and with your hair.

Blue Ridge Summit has come true. That first night you sleep the sleep of a man without a care. It is almost too good to be true. In the morning, shortly after “jocund day stands tiptoe the misty mountain tops” (Shakespeare), the horses are brought around. You mount and follow your guide down a broad, well-kept avenue. Automobiles are in evidence at intervals up here, but horses seem to have the call.

Probably the first thing that strikes your eye is the character of the “cottages that border you on the right (Monterey Lane). Each has its own perfect setting of flowers and greens. Comfort, convenience, and luxury speak from their every line, from the garage at the telephone loop entering the eave.

Presently, on the other side of this same avenue you approach a golf course, tennis courts, baseball grounds, and finally, a typical country cub house.

“The Monterey Country Club,” your friend explains as you canter past. For a moment, you are tempted to give up the ride and try out the fairway of the golf course that stretches out level before you, almost as far as the eye can reach. But your friend persuades you that it is better to postpone this pleasure until later—he has other things in mind for this morning.

Then comes a sharp turn to the right, a winding, easy climb, and step by step, you mount to the famous Monterey Terraces. As you ascend, each summer home seems to outdo its neighbor. At last you have reached the highest point of the terraces; you halt your horses for a moment, and your friend points to a mountain gap far across the checkerboard valley.

“Gettysburg Gap,” he says. “Look sharp near the mountain to the right, and you’ll see the spires and monuments of Gettysburg itself. Probably no other of the many views you may obtain will give you such a thrill as this very one. There, nearly 30 miles away, sparkle the granites and marbles of the historical battlefield. High above them, you can dimly see the towers of its churches and of Pennsylvania College, where perhaps, you have had friends, or it may be where you have attended school.

Twisting here and there throughout this particular neighborhood there is a strange looking grass-grown ditch that looks as if it might have been meant for a railroad cut at some ancient date. And that, it transpires, is exactly what it is. It is the remains of “The Old Tapeworm Line.” If this is going back a little too far for your memory of historical affairs, you will probably inquire further into the details of that interesting case and you will learn something like this:

 The Tape Worm Line was an idea of Thaddeus Stevens, Pennsylvania’s “Grand Old Commoner.” About 1835, while he resided in  Gettysburg, he conceived the idea of building a railroad to start at Gettysburg, run down through Franklin County and then turn south, tapping the richest parts of the southern counties wherever it was found advisable and convenient. Stevens, it should be remembered, had extensive interests in Franklin County. This probably accounts for the aggressive way in which he stood sponsor for his railroad proposition through many years of discouragement. The State finally granted him a large appropriation to take up the work. It was at the time of the great craze for internal improvement and development, and immediately upon receipt of sufficient money, the managers of the railroad began work all along the proposed line. They worked lustily, no doubt, and spent just as freely. Results followed rapidly; that is, negative results. Their funds were soon exhausted, the development boom collapsed, the State refused further aid, and operations ceased. History tells us that not a mile of the railroad was completed. The long, worm-like depressions in the vicinity of Monterey and Blue Ridge Summit certainly bear out the statement.

Mason and Dixon Line

A wide detour is now made. “I want to show you a little stone that has a rather interesting history,” says your guide. A sharp gallop and you come to the spot, dismount, and step probably half a dozen paces into the dense woods at the left of the road. Your friend turns sharply, places his hand on an upright wire cage about four feet high and points to the ancient looking stone within it.

“See that stone?” he asks. “This is a crown stone of the famous Mason and Dixon Line. The crown stones are placed at intervals of five miles; plain ones mark every intervening mile. On the southern side, you can dimly see Lord Baltimore’s coat of arms, and on the opposite side, the more familiar insignia of your own William Penn. I suppose I hardly need to explain their significance.

“This stone,” he continues, “is one of a great number shipped to this country from England about 1767 for the very purpose they now serve. They were unloaded somewhere along the Delaware line. Two young Englishmen by the name of Mason and Dixon then made the historic survey which later came to mark a commonly accepted boundary between north and south. Many of these stones had to be carried up the steep mountain paths on the backs of mules—one stone to two mules, securely strapped between them. At that time, they tell me each stone was at least four and a half feet out of ground. As you see, they are now within a few inches of the surface. Why? For the simple reason that lately they have become so interesting to visitors that everyone who came to see them considered it his or her duty to chip off a piece of the stone as a memento of the occasion.”

“Uncle Sam had to step in to prevent their total destruction, and a few years ago, he set about replacing the same old stones, and at the more exposed locations, he covered them with iron wire cages just like this one. A re-survey of the Mason-Dixon Line was also made about six or seven years ago. It was found almost absolutely correct. It runs through the heart of the Blue Ridge resort region. One of these stones stands a few hundred feet south of the Blue Ridge Summit Station; another can be found within a few feet of the Pen Mar Station. And that is the story of the little gray stone.”

Luncheon over, you naturally want to get back to that golf course, that is, if you’re a devotee of the sport. It is a corking little nine-hole course of something more than 2,000 yards. It is fairly well-filled with players, and as you take your stance, something tells you the wind in the air of this place is going to stretch out your every drive to its greatest and straightest length. As you follow your ball, you learn a little more of the Monterey Country Club. In the first place, it is kept up entirely by the cottagers and through private subscriptions and nominal dues. Any member or his guest has all the numerous pleasures and privileges of the club. It is modern in every respect. There is a well-appointed tea room for the ladies and every afternoon you will find a large representation of the colony seated there chatting and sipping their beverages, while they watch golfers or tennis players out in the open. Few mountain resorts can boast of such a well-managed institution.

It is Pen Mar in the evening, of course. Here is another interesting name for you. If I am not mistaken, half its charm comes from the fact that nine people out of ten discover its derivation for themselves. Pen from Pennsylvania, you see; and Mar from Maryland—meaning, of course, that the place is located partly in one state and partly in another. Assuredly, it means also that it is a spot where pleasure-lovers from both commonwealths convene. This park, you learn, was formally opened on the 31st of August just 33 years ago. The famous 5th Regimental Band of Baltimore officiated on that occasion. This year the anniversary of the date was recognized and celebrated in splendid style.

Pen Mar is becoming more of an all-year resort every season. At the present time, there are about 100 cottages, opened mostly by neighboring cities and from Waynesboro. The splendid order maintained in the vicinity has had a great deal to do with this steady growth. In the very beginning, Maryland legislature made a wise provision: that no intoxicating liquor could be sold within a certain distance of the park. Besides, it is well policed. Good order is insisted upon. At the dance pavilion, where you will hear the best of orchestra music from 11 A.M. to 11 P.M. daily, sons and daughters of the most respected and most prominent citizens for miles around safely gather. On special occasions, as many as 15,000 people visit the park in one day.

This completes your day, and a big day it was. You retire with the conviction that cities are good enough to work in, but that a mountain top is the one place to enjoy life.

The next day is Sunday according to our imaginary schedule, and in keeping with the day, you are glad to learn that the plans are to drive quietly over the sometimes steep but always well-kept mountain roads in the vicinity of Pen Mar and Buena Vista.

Buena Vista Springs has a mammoth hotel, a colony of cottages, and a reputation for entertaining distinguished guests. A great many Washington officials, including foreign ambassadors and their suites, have the Blue Ridge habit. It is rather remarkable to note that when they once spend a season at this resort, they usually come back for more. This year, the Japanese ambassador and his elaborately outfitted staff constitute the main attraction for the curious.

Near Pen Mar is the picturesque freak of nature known as the Devil’s Race Course. This is a long stretch of greenish rocks with absolutely no vegetation growing between or on them. At one time, it probably was the bed of a mountain stream. Now, by some strange phenomenon, the rocks are on the surface and the water is underneath. You can hear it rushing through its subterranean channels. Another feat of the race course, one not so pleasant to contemplate, is the fact that the rocks are infested with snakes of several kinds and all sizes, Rattlers, however, seem to be in the great majority.

As you climb on up the mountain you presently come to the observatory at High Rock. It is a three-story structure and rises about 40 feet above its rock foundation. They say it is necessary to anchor it to the rocks by massive bolts in order to preserve it during the gales that blow at this high point. It is about 2,000 feet above sea level. As you stand there looking, first into Pennsylvania and then into Maryland, you feel that it has been aptly named “the place of perpetual breezes.” Straight down below the observatory falls a precipice nearly 200 feet deep. About 1,000 feet below, the railroad winds its sinuous course down the mountain. The valley, broad and checkered, lies beyond. Your guide points out to you the steeples of Chambersburg, 24 miles away. Then, he turns and shows you the cluster of buildings that is Hagerstown, just about as far in the opposite direction. The blue peaks of the Appalachian Mountains skirt the horizon and form an entirely fitting background for the picture.

There is just one higher spot than this. It is known as Tip Top Tower, and is located on the summit of Mt. Quirauk, 2,500 feet above sea level. From this altitude, you can see, on a clear day, into 22 counties of the four states of Maryland and Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The locality has special historic charms, for in the late war, the two opposing armies met time and again at one point or other within sight of Mt. Quirauk. Further back than that in the Revolutionary War, savages and Hessians, imported from across the sea, trod the same ground on which you now stand.

Monday morning you start down the mountain side to bustling Waynesboro. This town is the industrial center of all the surrounding country. As an indication that this is not mere flattery, let me tell you that in the borough of 9,000 inhabitants, there are about 900 telephone stations. The percentage of development will strike you at a glance as being rather exceptional in a community of this size.

Thus, your weekend comes to a close. You have enjoyed yourself, learned a number of things, and missed a number of interesting points, no doubt, and you return to your work pleased mentally and refreshed physically. As you take your seat in the comfortable train and coast easily down the side of the mountain, two things are firmly settled in your mind. First, that the Blue Ridge Mountain region is an ideal pleasure and rest resort; and second, that Waynesboro is a thoroughly alive community both from the telephone man’s point of view and from that of any other business man.

The Timeless Tale of Dave and Margie Harman

Alisha Yocum

Dave and Margie were married on June 22, 1958, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Sabillasville.

Dave and Margie Harman, married 65 years.

Photo by Alisha Yocum

David (Dave) Harman was working at ACME Market near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, when he first met Margie Lantz, his now wife of 65 years. Margie’s sister and brother-in-law, Laura and Frank, worked at the ACME store in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, so the first time Dave met Margie was when she was tagging along with Laura and Frank on their visit to the Gettysburg store.

Soon thereafter, Laura and Frank transferred from the Waynesboro store over to the store near Gettysburg.

“We were holding a one-year anniversary celebration at the store [Gettysburg] when Laura and Frank brought her along to help with serving goodies. I suppose it was fate that day. I may have made a few extra trips by the table to get some cookies and punch,” said Dave, with a grin on his face.

Margie’s sister and brother-in-law working at the same store would lead to more opportunities to spend time with Margie, as Dave was invited to family events, like Margie’s 16th birthday party. Dave remembers driving from Gettysburg to Sabillasville in his 1949 Plymouth on his first visit to see Margie. Unfortunately, Dave stopped to get directions to the Lantz’s house, but no one knew who Walter Lantz was. This was because Margie’s dad went by the nickname “Buck,” and no one in the community knew him by his given name, Walter. It wasn’t until Dave’s second attempt to visit Margie that he was successful in finding her family home.

In that same 1949 Plymouth, they would drive to their first date at the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg. In a few short years, Dave and Margie, who were 22 and 19 years old, would be married on June 22, 1958, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Sabillasville, followed by a reception at her parent’s farm right down the road. Margie remembers the old farmhouse being full of people and all the wonderful food her mom made for the reception.

The newlyweds would only have five short months together before Dave was drafted into the United States Army. After completing basic training and radar school, Dave was one of five from his unit who were selected to stay behind rather than go to serve in the Korean War. He was stationed at Ft. Carson in Colorado. On their first anniversary, Margie and Dave once again hopped in the Plymouth and drove across country to Colorado Springs, so Dave could report for duty. While there, Margie found a job working for Mecca Hotel. The Harmans remember fondly how kind and nice everyone was in Colorado, and they enjoyed family coming to visit them to see popular tourist sites like Pike’s Peak.

In December 1960, Dave was discharged, and he and Margie made their way back to Maryland, where they lived temporarily with Margie’s parents until they could find a place of their own. However, life had different plans, and Margie’s father soon fell ill, so the two decided to stay and help work on the family farm.

At that time, Margie’s family ran a dairy operation, which back then meant milking by hand. Dave had some experience working on a farm, but he learned a lot from the Lantz family. Dave would work his job at ACME Market during the day and work the farm in the evening—many times, still plowing fields at 11:00 p.m.

Dave said his father-in-law told him the Thurmont Bank was looking to hire, and he said, “When your father-in-law speaks, you listen.” Dave interviewed for the job and was hired to handle loans before being promoted to head bank teller and then to bank manager, eventually retiring after 32 years with the bank.

During these years, Margie continued to do farmwork and raise their two sons, David Jr. and Mark. Soon, the family, with their two sons, would switch from dairy to beef cattle.

Today, Dave and Margie don’t spend as much time doing farm chores, but their two sons have kept the farm going. 

After 65 years of marriage, the Harman’s advice is “Agree to disagree.”

Dave said, in marriage, you are going to have differences of opinions. For them, there were many times that they did not always agree, but he said they worked through things and eventually came to an agreement.

The Harmans can’t recall any big challenges over the years, but Dave attributes this to not making a big deal out of things. Even though both have been through health challenges, they continue to take care of each other.

“God willing, we hope we can enjoy a few more years together,” said Dave.

by Helen Xia, CHS Student Writer

Groundhog Day 2024: What Will Punxsutawney Phil Say?

Groundhog Day has ascended to notable popularity, becoming both an anticipated holiday and a popular saying. It is thought that how a groundhog emerges from its burrow on February 2 determines the upcoming weather conditions: If the groundhog glimpses its shadow and scares itself back underground, then there will be six more weeks of winter. On the other hand, if the groundhog doesn’t see its shadow, then there will be an early spring.

Alongside this holiday, “Groundhog Day” has become a common idiom—largely thanks to the movie Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray—encapsulating the sensation of déjà vu, where the same situation seems to repeat itself. (Get the joke in the title now?)

Groundhog Day carries with it a fascinating backstory. In multiple cultures, the beginning of February, which falls between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, holds much societal value. For instance, Celts in Western Europe celebrated Imbolc on February 2, a festival welcoming the spring season. As Christianity circulated across the continent, Imbolc evolved into Candlemas, a religious gathering involving Christians bringing candles to church to symbolize light and warmth for the winter season.

Even during Candlemas, participants endeavored to predict the forthcoming weather. It was believed that if the sky was clear and sunny on Candlemas, then winter would persist for 40 days longer. If the day saw clouds and rain, then the end of winter was near. It may seem outlandish for there to be such extensive apprehension about the dawn of spring, but back when agriculture was the dominant moneymaker of the region, the weather reflected the health of crops and, consequently, the people.

So far, there has been no recognition of groundhogs. How did they get caught up in this? Animals began playing a role in this meteorology when Germans started populating areas formerly occupied by the Celts. Initially, they believed that animals such as the bear and the badger awoke from hibernation on February 2; if those animals observed their shadows, then six more weeks of winter would follow. When German speakers immigrated to the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries, they brought their legends to Pennsylvania, where the native groundhog substituted the other species. The groundhog, also known as the woodchuck and whistle pig, was more prevalent in this location.

The first official Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, can be credited to Clymer Freas, a regional newspaper editor, who promoted the idea to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club—a collection of businessmen and groundhog hunters. It transpired on February 2, 1887, when the first designated Punxsutawney Phil emerged from its den. Unsurprisingly, what commenced as a local tradition developed into a national festivity. Nowadays, every February 2, tens of thousands of visitors flock to Punxsutawney—a cozy town home to about 6,000 individuals—to attend Groundhog Day events.

Considering Punxsutawney Phil is an adored mascot of sorts now, it may be startling to learn that, in the earlier Groundhog Day celebrations amid the 19th century, it was customary to consume the groundhogs after their weather forecasts! Specifically, in 1887, groundhog meat was served as a specialty dish during the “Groundhog Picnic.” Don’t fret—that hasn’t happened in a while!

Although waiting each year for Punxsutawney Phil’s fateful news delivery is quite the pastime, it’s worth mentioning that his success rate isn’t the most commendable. According to the National Climatic Data Center, the groundhog is accurate only about 40 percent of the time. Moreover, Phil’s guesses are skewed highly in favor of continued winters: As of 2023, Phil has predicted 107 extended winters and merely 20 premature springs!

Regardless, the groundhog remains a treasured character, and he has inspired several similar weather prognosticators, including New York City’s Staten Island Chuck. Allegedly, since 1981, Staten Island Chuck has been right 80 percent of the time, outperforming the original Punxsutawney Phil! (Is it ever possible to surpass the original, though?)

Despite how Punxsutawney Phil is typically cited as a single entity, speculators claim there has been a lineup of groundhogs to accept this title to date—groundhogs can only live for up to 14 years in captivity, unfortunately. However, as articulated on the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s website, there has been one Phil kept alive by a secret “elixir of life.” Sounds pretty irrefutable to me!

As I’m writing this article, there is still no promise of what Phil’s prediction will be this year. Statistically speaking, I wager that Phil will point to another six weeks of winter—there’s an 84 percent chance I’ll be right, drawing from Phil’s previous trends. I’ll be back to see if I’m correct!

According to a Survey by AKC Pet Insurance, They Do!

A survey conducted by AKC Pet Insurance in 2023 surveyed 1,000 dog and cat owners in America. The study found that 55 percent of single Americans prefer to stay at home with their dog or cat than to go out for Valentine’s Day!

Not too shocking, considering our furry friends love us unconditionally, even if we are grumpy; are always happy to see us; don’t talk back; don’t judge us; never argue with us on what to watch on TV; and, let’s face it, they are just more fun to cuddle.

The survey also found that 46 percent of single pet owners prefer to date someone who owns a dog or a cat. Not surprisingly, 55 percent of those surveyed said they would not want to date someone who dislikes dogs or cats. One in five respondents who were in a relationship said they would more prefer to spend time with their pets than their partners, with one in four stating they would rather cuddle with their pets than their partners.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), pet purchases are one of the fastest-growing areas of spending on Valentine’s Day. From 2010 to 2020, people purchasing gifts for their pets grew from 17 percent to 27 percent, translating into an increase from $450 million dollars spent to $1.7 billion.

According to Rover.com, 85 percent of people surveyed said they will spend up to $50 on Valentine’s Day gifts for their dogs—one in three of those people said that amount was the same amount they will spend on a partner. In addition, 25 percent of people stated that they will take their dog on a date on Valentine’s Day.

The survey also concluded that pets take the top spot with couples, too, with many couples preferring to plan dates that involve their pets, such as a hike or a walk in the park, and that these activities can help couples strengthen their relationship bond.

 

Richard D. L. Fulton

The Gettysburg Battlefield served as the home to America’s first all-black Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp in 1939, whose recruits helped in making improvements to the old 1863 former combat site of a fierce and brutal war.

The CCC was established in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of his “New Deal,” a conglomerate of measures initiated by the president in his efforts to address the ongoing “Great Depression.”

The CCC was established in order to provide skill training, work, clothing, and food for what would, at the height of the program’s existence, involve some three million participants (300,000 recruits and the balance thereof being individuals employed in related roles). Participation was limited to unemployed, unmarried men, ranging in age from 18 to 25. Participants were paid $30 per month, of which $25 was sent to each participant’s dependent (if any). 

Numerous CCC camps were established throughout the nation and its territories.  The War Department managed the program and provided the camp officers. 

Black participation was limited to 10 percent, and these participants were allocated to (usually) all-black camps under the command of white officers. Of the three million enrollees (the National Park Service [NPS] maintains the number was two million), only about 200,000 blacks were accepted into the CCC.

The CCC focused its labor force on improving primarily public lands, forests, and parks, which, due to the amount of tree plantings and landscaping work in which they were employed, led to the participants being called “Soil Soldiers.”

The CCC established two camps on the Gettysburg battlefield. The first camp was located in 1933 in Pitzer Woods (in the field behind the site where the General Longstreet monument stands today) and designated it NP-1. The second camp was located in McMillan Woods in 1934, on the western slope of Seminary Ridge, taking its access off West Confederate Avenue, and designated it NP-2.

After the Pitzer Woods camp had been abandoned in 1937, the last remaining CCC camp, McMillan Woods, was about to make history when it was announced in late 1939 that the camp (which then housed about 198 recruits) was to become the first all-black camp in the country, which included the officers.

As the transition of the McMillan Woods camp to be an all-black camp became a reality, the camp’s first black commander, 1st Lieutenant George W. Webb, reported for duty on November 12, 1939.  

Types of work performed by the CCC (including the work of the recruits of Pitzer Woods and McMillan Woods) on the Gettysburg Battlefield included (as amassed via several newspaper sources and others, principally the NPS):

    Cleaning existing battlefield wells and installing casing to existing wells that lacked them;

    Improving/installing water pipelines (to help improve water distribution to the battlefield facilities and battlefield farms, and for drinking fountains);

    Installing new fountains and fire hydrants,

    Constructing stone bridges over battlefield creeks;

    Establishing and/or improving foot-paths, trails, and bridle trails;

    Groundskeeping, including planting and pruning trees, cutting and hauling wood, removing stumps, and lawn maintenance;

    Erecting 25 miles of stone walls and installing iron fencing (after having removed “modern” fencing);

    Snow shoveling as needed, and assisting on and off-site with any help needed regarding flood and fire control efforts;

    Reconstructing earthworks and other battle-related features and cleaning monuments:

    Resetting grave markers in the National Cemetery; and

    Engaging in countless tasks as needed, including serving as battlefield guides during the 75th Battle of Gettysburg anniversary celebrations in 1938.

Despite all the contributions the recruits at the McMillan Woods camp had made by improving the Gettysburg battlefield during their occupancy, it was decided to close the camp in 1942. The Gettysburg Times reported on March 6, 1942, that a telegram emanating from the CCC’s regional headquarters in Virginia stated, “Due to further reductions in CCC camps” that the McMillan Woods camp had been “approved for abandonment on or about March 15.”

Camp Commander Webb had left for reassignment in August of 1941. The camp commander at the time of the closure was Lieutenant Philip Atkins.

There’s no doubt the demand for troops to serve in the fight against the Germans and Japanese had readily depleted the number of adult males that might have otherwise been available for CCC service.

Although the buildings of the CCC camp were abandoned, the structures would remain to address additional projects as needed.

In January 1944, the McMillan Woods camp, which had been abandoned for over two years, saw renewed life as hundreds of trainees out of Camp Ritchie arrived on a secretive mission preparatory to D-Day operations.

These were the men of the Mobile Radio Broadcasting company, a quasi-military propaganda force that had come to be collectively referred to as the “Ritchie Boys.”  Upon occupation by the Ritchie Boys, the camp was renamed Camp George H. Sharpe (also known more simply as Camp Sharpe, and less known by its more formal name, Psychological Warfare Training Center).

Leon Edel, a member of one of the Mobile Radio Broadcasting companies, noted in his book, entitled The Visitable Past: A Wartime Memoir, that the camp had not weathered well during its two years of abandonment. He wrote that the old CCC barracks appeared as though they had been built and “were filled with dust and cobwebs. The windows looked as if mud had been smeared across them. Mice and rats had left their deposits.”

Arthur H. Jaffe, captain of the Second Mobile Radio Broadcasting Company, described in his History Second Mobile Radio Broadcasting Company, December 1943-May 1945, that Camp Sharpe was “rugged and barren,” noting that, “The company was quartered in former CCC barracks that were surrounded by a sea of mud. The wind whistled through gaps in the walls while four stoves tried in vain to keep up the room temperature.”

The old CCC camp was again abandoned in 1944 after the Mobile Radio Broadcasting companies were dispatched to Europe in time to participate in D-Day.

But the camp would not be re-abandoned for long. Due to the tremendous drain on manpower, agriculture in Adams County and throughout the country was imperiled due to a lack of available help to manage harvesting and canning food products. Through the exhaustive efforts of local and county farming associations, such as the Adams County Emergency Farm Labor Committee, help was on the way via the War Department, and in the form of hundreds of German prisoners of war.

A tented camp was initially established along Emmitsburg Road to hold 400 prisoners towards the end of June, but the intent was to transfer the prisoners (as well as a few hundred additional POWs) to the McMillan Woods CCC camp. So, in November 1944, the twice-abandoned camp was re-occupied… this time by former enemy combatants (a second prisoner of war camp was established nearby, fronting on West Confederate Avenue and housing an additional 400 German prisoners).

After the end of World War II, the Germans were repatriated (sent home), a process that was not actually fully completed until July 1946.

The final demise of the old CCC camp, which had certainly experienced its share of making history and/or participating in the making of history—from serving as the home to the first all-black CCC camp to serving as the training site for propaganda units bound for Europe in World War II, to housing ultimately some 800 German POWs to assist in saving local agriculture—came in September-October 1947.

The (Hanover) Evening Sun reported on September 25, “Termination of the Adams County Emergency Farm Labor program and the request of the National Park Service (NPS) to restore the grounds now occupied by Camp Sharpe presents an opportunity for farmers to have first consideration in the disposal of the buildings and equipment and it may be possible to salvage buildings in such a manner that reassembling will be possible.”

On October 9, all of the camp buildings (which by then had amounted to some 22 buildings), and all of the remaining furniture contained within them, along with stoves, plumbing, and electrical fixtures, were auctioned off, fetching a total of approximately $8,700, according to the October 10 edition of The (Hanover) Evening Sun.

Photo Courtesy of the National Park Service CCC recruits work on various projects on the Gettysburg battlefield.

Separated in Life, Segregated in Death

Richard D. L. Fulton

Orange flags denote where the previously unknown locations of bodies buried in the cemetery have been found.

It is believed that over 400 individuals were buried in the Lincoln Cemetery.

Photos Courtesy of the Lincoln Cemetery Project Association

There are few sites in Gettysburg that better illustrate the days of a two-tiered system of “citizenship” than the Lincoln Cemetery on Long Lane in Gettysburg.

More than 160 years ago, more than 91,000 troops in the Union Army of the Potomac, under the command of General George G. Meade, collided with more than 70,000 troops in the Confederate Army of Virginia, under the command of General Robert E. Lee, on July 1-3 in 1863.

In the wake of the engagement, the Union forces sustained more than 22,000 casualties (of which 3,126 were killed), while the Confederate forces suffered about the same in the numbers of casualties, of which 4,400 were killed. By the end of the three days of battles, about 30 percent of the total forces engaged by both sides had been killed, wounded, or reported missing.

The white Union soldiers killed in the battle had the “luxury” of being interred in the Gettysburg National Cemetery. As for the Black Union soldiers who served during the Civil War and died in the war or died later in life after the end of the war, they were not permitted to be buried in the National Cemetery.

Thus, Black soldiers (and the preponderance of Blacks, in general) were compelled to establish their own cemeteries.

One such cemetery is located on Long Lane in Gettysburg and is known as the Goodwill Cemetery (also known as the Lincoln Cemetery). The cemetery was established in 1867 by the Sons of Goodwill “for the burial of the colored citizens of Gettysburg,” according to a historic bronze placard at the site. The Sons of Goodwill founding officers included Lloyd F.A. Watts, Basil Biggs, and Owen Robinson, among others, according to the Lincoln Cemetery Project Association (LCPA).

The Goodwill Cemetery was also called the Lincoln Cemetery after the site was acquired by the Lincoln Lodge 145, a Black Elks Lodge, according to Savannah Labbe, a Gettysburg College student, whose research paper, “Separate but Equal? Gettysburg’s Lincoln Cemetery,” was published in The Gettysburg Compiler (The Gettysburg Compiler is written and edited by students and staff of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College).  The lodge ceased caring for the cemetery in 1934. 

The commemorative plaque also states, “Interred in this burial ground are 38 ‘United States Colored Troops’ (USCT), veterans of the Civil War, who were denied burial in the Gettysburg’s National Cemetery.”

Also interred in the cemetery, according to another historic marker located at the cemetery, “are many of the town’s earliest Black residents, reinterred when the town’s ‘Colored Cemetery’ was cleared in 1906 to provide space for new houses.”

After the Lincoln Lodge 145 ceased caring for the cemetery, various citizens and citizen groups provided care for the cemetery over the years, but eventually the gravesite fell into disrepair and overgrown, and was subjected to vandalism, according to The Sons of Goodwill/Lincoln Cemetery Digital History, citing Betty Dorsey Myers’ Segregation in Death: Gettysburg’s Lincoln Cemetery (Gettysburg: The Lincoln Cemetery Project Association, 2001).

In 1999, the Lincoln Cemetery Project Association (LCPA) was established to oversee the management and care of the cemetery, under the leadership of Myers, who was then the historian and chair of the organization. According to the LCPA, the organization established a new  board of directors in 2013 “to continue this important work and take action to save the cemetery from further deterioration.”

During her tenure, in addition to all her efforts, along with that of the organization as a whole, Myers had directed the cemetery gates to be locked in an effort to prevent further vandalism.

For additional information, or to donate to aid the organization in its efforts to continue with the maintenance of the Lincoln Cemetery, visit the LCPA website at lincolncemeterygettysburg.org.

by James Rada, Jr.

Thurmont

Chicken Ordinance Forms Available

The Thurmont Town Office now has the forms needed for people with existing chickens in their yards or who want to start keeping them. Those with existing chickens must have them registered by March 1. If not, and they have more than six chickens or a rooster, they might have to remove them. Chicken owners will also have to register their chickens with the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

Downtown Trash Cans to be Replaced

The Thurmont Commissioners approved a bid of $23,576 to replace and install 13 new trash cans in downtown Thurmont. Playground Specialists, Inc. was the low bid of three and will do the work. The town also has a grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development of $22,500, which will cover most of the cost. The remainder will be paid by the town out of the town’s park impact fee fund. The old trash cans will be repurposed in town parks and along the Thurmont Trolley Trail.

Property Assessments Increase Dramatically

The Thurmont Commissioners acknowledged that property assessments in the region increased an average of 31 percent. The commissioners urged residents to appeal their assessments and take advantage of any tax credits available to them, especially the Homestead Property Tax Credit. These things may either lower the property assessment or mitigate some of the property tax owed. More information on the available credits that can be considered is available at the Thurmont Town Office.

Emmitsburg

Commissioners Approve Fiber-optic Internet in Town

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a franchise agreement with Shentel/Glo Fiber to provide a fiber-optic high-speed Internet network in town.

The 15-year agreement also has options for three five-year renewals of the contract. The contentious point for the agreement was wording of the amount of the franchise fee. It is 5 percent of the cable revenues, which is the maximum the FCC allows to be charged. It is paid by the residents who have cable services on the network. The town wanted to be allowed to charge more if the FCC raised its limit. Shentel/Glo Fiber had no problem with that, but it did not want to be charged more than Comcast, which is the other Internet provider in Emmitsburg.

The commissioners agreed 4-1 on the changes proposed by town staff, with Commissioner Jim Hoover voting against the agreement.

Town Approves New Parking Meters

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a plan to replace 125 aging parking meters in town with new smart meters with coin and card payment options. The replacement is needed because the person who currently repairs the meters is retiring and replacement parts for them are no longer available. In addition, it was discovered that the current meters may be up to 15 minutes off in either direction.

An additional proposal to add additional meters on the west end of town was voted down.

Much of the cost will be paid for with a USDA Community Facility Grant for up to $31,100. The town will pay the grant’s match when the new cost is calculated.

Power Failure Postpones Some Commissioner Items

During the Emmitsburg January town meeting, the building had a power failure partway through the meeting. Although the emergency generator came on, it could not supply all the power the building needed. Because of this, the meeting was cut short, and the remaining items were moved to the February town meeting.

Emmitsburg

Mayor Frank Davis

Welcome to the winter of 2024. Mother Nature has given us the opportunity to evaluate the recently enacted Snow Emergency Plan, and we are pleased with the results. We still encountered vehicles that failed to move from the streets, and with this, we ask for your help. If you have someone in your neighborhood who failed to move their vehicles, please offer them a friendly reminder. They can obtain the necessary information regarding the policy on the town webpage or give the office a call at 301-600-6300.

During our recent snow storms, a group of Mount Saint Mary’s University students were out in the community shoveling walks and driveways for our citizens. The students took it upon themselves to reach out to their neighbors and lend a helping hand. I want to thank the students for having a positive impact on our community.

The Emmitsburg Town Council voted to replace all existing parking meters on East and West Main Streets. After much consideration and dialog, a decision was made not to add additional meters in other areas of the town. I want to thank our citizens for their input and the town council for investing time in research and communicating with our constituents.

The council also approved a contract with a company to provide internet, video, and phone service to Emmitsburg. Shentel will begin designing their system to give you an option when it comes to phone and Internet service. This will in no way affect your current Comcast service. It now just gives you options. For more information on Shentel, please visit their website.

The installation of new streetlights in the downtown area should begin on January 28. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the town office.

Please feel free to contact me at mayordavis@emmitsburgmd.gov, and I will do my best to respond within the same business day.

Thurmont

 Mayor John Kinnaird

Mayor Kinnaird is out of the country and unavailable to write his Mayor’s message for this edition. His column will return next month.

Woodsboro

Burgess Heath Barnes

Brrrrrr! It has been a cold new year so far with some actual snow for the first time in three years! I hope everyone has remained safe, and if you enjoy the snow, I hope you have had a good time in it. Personally, I am ready for spring, and it cannot get here quickly enough for me.

This last month was quiet in town. With the winter months, there has not been a lot going on, so it has given us some time to focus on a few projects. I will be attending the annual Maryland Mayors Association Conference from February 29 to March 1 in Annapolis. During this time, I hope to hear about the status of funds availability and different initiatives that may be coming out of this year’s state legislative session and budget.

On January 10, the town clerk and I met with the architect for the town building and the potential construction company representative from Sanbower Construction. We had a very productive meeting and discussed many things that could be removed from the original plans for the town hall. Several things can be modified, and I feel very optimistic that we will get the total cost down to the amount that we are comfortable with and able to afford to pay. The goal is to have a new number before March’s town meeting to present to the council. I was also able to get numbers for the loan from Woodsboro Bank, and the numbers came out in the range of the budget we have, so financing options are looking good if we get the total cost in the range with what we can comfortably afford. I also started the paperwork process for the $400,000 grant promise that we received from the state in 2022. Things are looking very promising, and exciting things are coming to our town.

We were able to get the lights, as well as the safety and trick rails, up around the skatepark. I have also been in conversation with the contractor to get the bathroom started, to be built on the disc golf/stage side of the park. We plan to get that underway this spring and, hopefully, have it completed sometime in late summer.

As always, I encourage everyone to support Glade Valley Community Services (GVCS) if you have clothes or food donations, as they are always in need of items for members of the community. For more information, please contact GVCS by email at gvcs.inc@verizon.net or by calling 301-845-0213.

If you have any questions, concerns, complaints, or compliments, please feel free to reach out to me at hbarnes@woodsboro.org or by phone at 301-401-7164.

Woodsboro town meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. In addition, planning and zoning meetings are at 6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the month, as needed. If you have an item for the agenda, it needs to be submitted 14 days before the P&Z meeting. The current location for meetings is the St. John’s United Church of Christ, located at 8 N. 2nd Street, Woodsboro, MD 21798. The public is always invited to attend.

The Catoctin Banner is Set for Transition

Deb Abraham Spalding

I wear a ring that is inscribed with the saying, “Life is happening for us.” This concept has been my motto for several years and reminds me of my belief that our purpose in this life is to learn lessons that allow each of us to become resilient, loving, and kind. When I started my business, an errand service, after resigning my position as Recreation Superintendent with Frederick County Government in August 2002, I didn’t realize that life was happening “for” me.

I knew I was doing good things for others and I felt good about that, but I believed I could do so much more – and make more money. Quickly, I learned that being good at managing recreation programs and volunteers in a service industry is completely different than earning enough revenue to survive in my own business.

Fortunately, life “was happening FOR me.” I just didn’t know it yet because my business wasn’t earning a profit! The nice salary I left at the county didn’t follow me. My business was called Errands Plus. I was shopping for people, taking them to doctor appointments, organizing for them, and unwittingly asking for too little compensation. I had a little office/store in Thurmont where lots of people were driving by, but very few were stopping. I was advertising my business in The Banner.

One day, my dear friend Steve Trout reached out to me and asked if I would put my errand service in the lobby of his grocery store, Jubilee Foods, in Emmitsburg. I accepted – convinced that more people would patronize the store since they were now walking by instead of driving by. From the lobby of Jubilee, the community shaped my future. They wanted a copier, then a color copier, then business cards – along with grocery shopping, and errands. Errands Plus became Errands Plus Copy Center.

While acting as a courier for Lori (Smith) Zentz, the then-publisher of The Banner, I offered to help her with the publication. I had designed and published The Recreater brochure when I worked at the county and soon, I added publishing to my list of business services as I burst into a new role as The Catoctin Banner’s publisher.

Next, my store’s name was shortened to “E” Plus Copy Center since I was doing more printing and less errands. “E” stands for “everything,” by the way. That’s right. I was doing everything PLUS!

Soon, Grace Eyler graduated from Catoctin High School and became my team. I met Grace when I worked at the county. She was a participant in one of my afterschool programs at Thurmont Middle School. Today, I most thank Grace for her support of me, for becoming the first member of my team, and for being my rock every step of the way! She learned everything I knew (plus some) and was willing to commit to the business to help it grow.

New members of my team joined and today, I believe that E Plus and The Catoctin Banner have THE most talented writers (Banner Team), contributors and advertisers (Banner VIPs), and readers (Banner Fans) in the whole world! I’m serious!

If The Catoctin Banner publication was a ship, it would be a Catoctin cruise ship docked in the sunny and warm Bahamas! It’s sunny and warm with all good news that’s presented in a way that celebrates our residents, our successes, our history, our progress. It’s where to find “where the party is being held” with the most comprehensive calendar of events for our area. The whole community “shares their good news” to make The Catoctin Banner come to life every month. It’s an important part of our lives.

I didn’t succeed with The Catoctin Banner and E Plus (now E Plus Graphics and Promotions) on my own. Life happened “FOR” me by presenting me with talented team members. Early on, James Rada, Jr. joined the team as a contributing writer and editor and George W. Wireman (deceased) contributed his journalistic talents to solidify its foundation. Michele Tester joined as the publication’s talented layout artist, and Maxine Troxell created and maintains its web presence. Blair Garrett joined on as a journalist, and John Nickerson, a.k.a. Gnarly Artly, created the Banner’s masthead logo and contributes the monthly cartoon.

The Banner Team grew with very talented columnists – Valerie Nusbaum, Denise Valentine, Buck Reed, and poet (deceased) Frances Smith. My mother, Barbara Abraham (deceased) and her sister Joan Fry volunteered to edit each edition and even helped with distribution.

A host of contributors shared their unique perspectives including Jeanne Angleberger, Dr. Thomas Lo, Michael Betteridge, Carie Stafford, Lisa Cantwell, Jayden Myers, Ana Morlier, Ava Morlier, and Helen Xia. Jack Davis tackles the bulk of the distribution and most recently – it’s been years now – Richard Fulton joined our Team as a journalist. There are more people who served as part of The Catoctin Banner Team. I can’t properly recall all of our team members over the years and for that, I apologize here. Likewise, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge and thank the postal carriers at our Thurmont, Emmitsburg, Sabillasville, Rocky Ridge, and Cascade Post Offices for delivering The Catoctin Banner in every kind of weather all of these years!

With all of these individuals handling their part, I can boast that The Catoctin Banner is blessed with a talented and knowledgeable team!

This January edition is my last as the leader of the Banner Team and I pass my keyboard to a new publisher for the February 2024 edition.

Welcome Alisha Yocum! Born and raised in the Catoctin region, she attended our local schools and participated in local sports as a youngster. She brings with her over 15 years of experience in non-profits where she has managed publications, membership, and marketing for multiple associations. Yocum and her husband, Justus, live in Sabillasville with their two children, Eli and Bryce.

Yocum says she is honored to carry on the mission of The Catoctin Banner by sharing the good news in the Catoctin community. “Being born and raised in this community, I have experienced first-hand all the goodness of the people and organizations that call this area their home,” said Yocum.

You’ll already find Yocum entwined in the community through her volunteer roles where she serves as member of her church council, President of the Board of Directors of Sabillasville Environmental School, Secretary of the Catoctin Youth Association (CYA) Football and Cheer, and actively involved in Thurmont Little League and CYA Basketball. Yocum hopes to use her community connections to keep growing The Banner and make it a “go to” place for businesses and non-profits to promote their services and events.

I believe Yocum will grow this publication to a new potential from which we’ll all benefit.

I am grateful to each and every person who has touched me through this publication over the years. I most greatly acknowledge our Catoctin Banner VIPs – our advertisers! And as we do every month, we thank you, Banner Fans, for reading The Catoctin Banner and we urge you to continue to support the community through this publication by patronizing its advertisers and mentioning their ads in The Catoctin Banner when you do. It is because of our VIPs (advertisers) that The Catoctin Banner exists. I extend a sincere thank you to every advertiser for your continued support!

Life is happening FOR us, folks! Isn’t it exciting? My most recent motto is, “If you don’t do it, you won’t do it.” I’m cheering us all on!

The History of the Publication

The Banner can trace its roots back to 1995 when Lori (Smith) Zentz was asked to take over the newspaper publication from Art Elder at the Chronicle Press in Emmitsburg. From there Lori printed her first issue of The Banner with a new mission, which was to provide a friendly source of community news and information for residents of Thurmont and surrounding communities; and to promote a sense of community pride and spirit. Smith Zentz quickly grew the paper from 8 pages to 20 pages and added spot color blue print. Even as a small community newspaper, she covered national news like when Thurmont Elementary School was the media hub for the Israeli Peace Talks at Camp David in 2000. There, she and the team of writers met reporters from all over the world. They even went to the White House to report the local Challenger League playing baseball on the White House lawn and had a tour of Marine One.

 In 2000 the name of the publication changed to The Catoctin Banner and she continued growing and fulfilling the mission of the publication. In 2007, Zentz transitioned the publication over to Deb Abraham Spalding, who has also put her own touches on the paper for the past sixteen years.

Banner VIP Advertisers

The Catoctin Banner has relied on the support of its advertisers to keep providing a source for community news. The Catoctin Banner would like to thank the following advertisers who, once they started advertising, never stopped. Some have been advertising continuously for over fifteen years!*

*Affordable Self Storage, Baker Tree Services, Carriage House Inn, Catoctin Church of Christ, Catoctin Dental, Catoctin Mountain Flooring, *Catoctin Mountain Orchard, *Catoctin Veterinary Clinic, Charis Realty-Kelsey Norris, Climb Properties-Sandi Burns, D&J Auto Body, Delphey Construction, Doug’s Auto Body, Dynamark Security Centers, Dynamic Automotive, Emmitsburg Tattoo, Frederick County Parks & Recreation, Fort Ritchie Community Center, Frederick County Chimney Sweep, Frederick County Paving, Gary the Barber, Gene’s Towing, Getz Computers & Communications, Graceham Moravian Church, Harriet Chapel, Here’s Clyde’s Family Hair Care, *J&B Real Estate, Jubilee Foods, Keymar Outdoors, KLS Home Improvements, Long & Foster-Ginger Greene, Los Amigos Restaurant, *Main Street Groomers, Main Street Upholstery, McLaughlin’s Energy Services, Melissa M. Wetzel Accounting, Mick’s Plumbing and HVAC, Mike’s Ag Fence Repair, *Mike’s Auto Body & Towing, *Mountain View Lawn Service, Nails By Anne, Nusbaum & Ott Painting, Nutritional Healing Center, Ott House Pub, Palms Restaurant, Pondscapes, Quality Tire and Auto, Re/Max Results-Kim Clever, Real Estate Teams-Little & Moore, Scenic View Orchards, Senior Benefit Services, Slater & Slater PC, Spike’s Auto Care & Tire, Squeaky Clean, Staley’s Onsite Services, Thurmont Ambulance Company, Thurmont United Methodist Church, and Tracy’s Auto Repair.

This list does not diminish the advertising of new and less frequent advertisers who rely on this publication to share their services and news. We thank you, too. If you own a business or run non-profit services or events, please reach out to be a part of the Catoctin community’s favorite monthly publication, The Catoctin Banner!

Deb Abraham Spalding (right) will be transitioning The Catoctin Banner to a new publisher, Alisha Yocum (left) with the February issue.

Pictured above is Alisha Yocum (right), with her family, Eli, Justus, and Bryce.

Covers from the past issues of The Catoctin Banner are showcased above

Maryland’s Ancient Dogs

Richard D. L. Fulton

Long before humans traversed the plains and forests of Maryland, and millions of years before the Chesapeake Bay even existed, there were the “Bone Crushers.”

This Maryland version of The Land That Time Forgot occurred some 12 to 20 million years ago, when the Atlantic Ocean had made a major incursion into Maryland in the form of a large bay (referred to as the Salisbury Embayment). The shoreline of this bay, which stretched from west of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, rejoined the main oceanic shoreline in the Philadelphia area.

This was during a period of time referred to as the Miocene Epoch, when the Maryland waters were patrolled by 50- to 60-foot sharks in search of whatever they needed to kill in order to sustain their growth and size.

But “Bone Crusher” was not a shark. It was a dog (in fact two different species of dog), that were members of a group scientifically known as Borophaginae, which literally translates from Latin to “gluttonous eater.” Specifically, the two species of bone crushers that have been recovered from the Chesapeake Bay fossil deposits have been tentatively named Cynarctus marylandica and Cynarctus wangi.

In Maryland, only a few teeth of the Cynarctus have been recovered from the escarpments along the western shores of the Chesapeake, known as the Calvert Cliffs. While these cliffs are primarily clay, marl, and sand beds deposited in the oceanic Salisbury Embayment, occasionally, the remains of land animals are found whose teeth and bones had been washed into the ocean via rivers and streams in which proximity the animals had lived and died.

The Borophaginae, Cynarctus included, received the nickname “bone crusher” because the teeth of the animals were clearly adept at smashing the bones of their no-doubt sometimes sizeable prey—whether live-killed or scavenged—to smithereens, presumably to gain access to the marrow. Modern hyenas have similar teeth for crushing bones.

It has been generally held that climate change (during which period of time the climate was becoming more arid) taking place during the Early Miocene Epoch resulted in the reduction of lush vegetation, which in turn, resulted in the expansion of grasslands. 

Because this change in habitats likely impacted the proliferation of plant-eating prey of the carnivores, the “fine art” of bone crushing evolved to allow these carnivores to extract more nutrients from each kill than that faced by carnivores of lusher times. Modern-day hyenas, who developed similar teeth, also live in an arid climate.

“In this respect, they are believed to have behaved in a similar way to hyenas today,” according to the primary author of a research paper discussing one of the new Cynarctus species, Steven E. Jasinski. Jasinski is a paleontologist and zoologist, employed by the Department of Environmental Science and Sustainability at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

Maryland’s bone-crushing Cynarctus were not big dogs, having apparently been about the size of a coyote. Also, researchers believe that Cynarctus may not have depended entirely on meat and bone-crushing for their diet, but may have also added insects and even plants to their diet, according to futurity.org. Futurity.org  published a synopsis of the research paper, describing Cynarctus on their website, noting “Despite its strong jaws, the researchers believe C. wangi wouldn’t have been wholly reliant on meat to sustain itself.”

Some other attributes had been deduced from crushed bones and coprolites (excretion) found at fossil sites outside of Maryland, bearing traces of the Borophaginae. It may have been possible that Cynarctus was a social pack hunter (like modern-day wolves), and that bone-crushing served as a social activity for the pack.

In addition, coprolite pile clusters have been found in areas inhabited by Borophaginae, which would suggest they were left as territory markers, also according to a research paper published by multiple researchers, including Xiaoming Wang.

Cynarctus existed for about 5.7 million years, becoming extinct by the end of the Late-Miocene or the early stages of the period of time that followed.

Painting: An artist rendition of a member of the Borophaginae. Painted by Charles R. Knight, 1902, Public Domain.

Illustration of a Cynarctus Skull

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Richard D. L. Fulton

Residents of the Emmitsburg area were probably not shocked at reading the news regarding the great blizzard of March 1-2, 1914, that “Emmitsburg was in the midst of the severest portion of the storm…”

But, in fact, the destruction was ultimately countywide, so much so, that the March 3 The (Frederick) News reported that only the Walkersville, Libertytown, Woodsboro, and Ladiesburg had sustained “very limited damage to speak of.”

The News reported on March 2, “Frederick and the county were visited by one of the worst storms last night and today in the history of this section,” adding, “fierce northwest winds up to 60 miles per hour were prevalent throughout the night and into the following morning, noting that the wind howled with a fierceness which was probably never known before in this part of the county.”

Temperatures were reported to have reached a high of 23 degrees during the day and attained a low of 11 degrees at night, not including wind chill factors.

The blizzard virtually impacted the greater upper Mid-Atlantic. The News stated in their March 3 edition that 15 lives were lost in New York, and five lives were lost in Philadelphia due to the snow and wind, and that the railroads were “badly crippled.”

In Frederick County, authorities began to assess the damage after the storm subsided post-morning on March 2. The News reported on March 3 that the degree of damage estimated to have occurred on the day of the storm “exceeds any estimate that was yesterday given.”

Emmitsburg, the newspaper reported, “was cut off from telephone communications with Frederick” during much of the height of the storm, noting that “houses were unroofed and four or five barns were blown down.”

Additionally, the roof of the Emmitsburg High School was blown off and a gable was “blown in,” the newspaper noted, adding that plastering had been badly cracked and that “it is felt the walls have been rendered unsafe.”

Other area educational institutions damaged were the Cattail Branch Run School, which had a gable driven-in and the roof torn off, and the school house at Brenman’s was nearly a “total loss.”

Two hotels were damaged in Emmitsburg, including the Hotel Spangler and the Hotel Hinddinger, mostly in the form of windows having been blown in. In addition to widespread chimney damage and the loss of portions of slate roofs in town, the roof was also torn off the Emmitsburg Broom Factory, according to The News.

In Thurmont, a portion of the roof of the United Brethren Church was lost, and the end of the high school was blown in, according to the March 3 edition of The Baltimore Sun, which further noted that when the school’s wall was blown in, the bricks “crashed through the floors to the basement, demolishing desks and twisting part of the structure…”

The Baltimore Sun also reported that the Thurmont Town Hall and (a grain?) elevator were damaged, as well as various other structures and out-buildings, and that a barn was also destroyed, killing a number of the livestock.

Countywide, some 100 barns were destroyed in the blizzard, along with the deaths of dozens of livestock. In total, more than 136 structures were damaged, according to the March 4 issue of The News, amounting to an estimated $200,000 in damages. The newspaper reported there were some impacted communities that had not as yet reported their losses.

Amazingly, there were few deaths, some estimates ranging from one to three.

No figures were published in the newspapers regarding the depth of the snowfall, but the average received by the Upper Mid-Atlantic was two feet or more of snow.

Most of the damage appeared to have been caused by the persistent high-wind velocities.

The old Emmitsburg hotel, known as the Spangler Hotel in 1914, weathered out the
blizzard, sustaining damage mainly to the windows.

Hoffman’s Market Closes

Deb Abraham Spalding

Should auld acquaintences be forgot? We don’t think so!

Hoffman’s Market has closed and its building has been sold, but local children of all ages in Thurmont remember stopping at the market across from Thurmont Middle School and purchasing subs, sodas, and penny candy. These memories will not be forgotten.

“We’ve seen a lot of kids grow up,” Michelle Hoffman said. She added, “Little kids who used to come in from the elementary and middle school now come in with their own kids.” The Hoffmans themselves have had four generations of Hoffmans grow up in the store. The youngest is now three years old.

“It’s bitter sweet,” Sharon Hoffman said when she closed the door to customers at 5:00 p.m.on December 12, 2023, after almost 37 years in business.

She and her late husband Reno opened Hoffman’s Market at 405 East Main Street in 1987. The market was known for scrumptious deli sandwiches. “We make them fresh every morning. We pick good meats and my daughter, Michelle, makes them,” Reno Hoffman explained to The Catoctin Banner in 2009.

Recently, Thurmont’s mayor John Kinnaird shared, “Other than a short time as a hair dresser shop this has been a community general merchandise store. I remember first going there with my parents when we moved to Apples Church Road in 1961. Generations of kids have stopped here after school at what was known as the East End Grocery to grab some penny candy, an ice cream bar, or some soda pop. Charlie Hobbs ran the store for many years and I also remember Pinky Ambrose having it for a time. Everyone probably remembers when it was known as the ‘Purple Store.’ Lots of memories for sure!”

The Hoffmans sold the building at auction in November and on December 12, they held a customer appreciation day for customers to stop in for a sandwich, a piece of cake, and to talk about old times. Then they prepared the sale of the store’s inside contents at an auction the upcoming Saturday.

When asked if they felt Reno would approve of the sale and closing of the store, Sharon said, “The last thing he told me was, ‘Sell that damn store!’” If you knew Reno, that’s just the way he would say it. He was ornery and loved by many. The market was for sale several times before Reno passed.

In the store, it felt as if Reno’s spirit was still around. Michelle said, “We heard him yesterday several times. He was making his presence known!”

The Hoffmans hold their customers and community in high regard. Sharon said, “Thank you for all the wonderful years of kindness, patronage, and friendship. We’ve made a lot of friends that we consider family.”

Note: The Hoffmans have been long time supporters of The Catoctin Banner.  The market served as a distribution point where readers could pick up a copy of our latest edition. We are grateful.

Michelle Hoffman (left) is shown with her daughter Nicole Wentz, and her mother Sharon Hoffman on December 14, 2023 preparing the market’s contents for public auction Saturday, December 16, 2023.

Photo by Deb Abraham Spalding

December 12, 2023, was Customer appreciation Day at Hoffman’s. Pictured left to right are Karen Kinnaird, John Kinnaird, Sharon Hoffman, Michelle Hoffman, Kinsley Wentz, Bradley Wentz, and Nicole Wentz.

Courtesy John Kinnaird

Customers miss Reno Hoffman. He was ornery but sweet with a tell-ya-like-it-is manner. Here he is pictured in an August 2009 Catoctin Banner photo. He passed away October 19, 2021. He and Sharon were married for 56 years and purchased the former Anna’s Market building in 1987.

Photo by Carie Stafford

The Hoffmans handed out 2024 calendar keepsakes to visitors.

by Helen Xia, CHS Student Writer

There are a few commonplace practices during this time of year—or should I say, “new year?” We’re all familiar with New Year’s resolutions, but there are far more traditions to this rousing new beginning. After all, it only comes once every 365 days!

Beyond watching the Times Square Ball Drop and buying plane tickets to visit family, there are traditional New Year’s meals, too, including lentils, cornbread, and noodles—something I didn’t know until recently. Lentils symbolize good luck and abundance, for they expand greatly in size when cooked. Cornbread? Well, it’s gold in color, which equates to prosperity. The meanings behind these foods are more straightforward than you might think. Can you guess why noodles are consumed for New Year’s? It’s because the noodles are long, which represents living a long, fruitful life.

There are several amusing New Year’s superstitions as well, from opening doors and windows to avoiding chicken and lobster. Cracking windows and doors open supposedly releases the aura of misfortune and welcomes the new year. Why skip the chicken and lobster? Chickens have wings, and you don’t want your good luck flying away! (Even though chickens can’t really fly…) Comparably, lobsters move backward, giving rise to the superstition that eating them will cause you to also move backward in your progress. Hitting the ground running doesn’t help if you’re running in the wrong direction!

What would you do if you woke up to a pile of broken glass at your doorstep? You wouldn’t cheer with delight, I’m sure. In Denmark, the larger the pile of shattered dishes, the more luck it represents. Neighbors and friends throw kitchenware at each others’ doors, hoping to bring their loved ones the best upcoming year. Evidently, some traditions are region-specific—I don’t think this tradition would translate well where I live.

Is broken glass more concerning, or is an onion dangling from your front door worse? In Greece, it’s tradition to hang an onion outside your door for New Year’s, because it allegedly brings fertility and growth. The context behind this is how onions can reproduce asexually through bulbs.

How cute are we to create these endearing folklores for ourselves to celebrate special occasions!

There are countless traditions for New Year’s, alone. One can only wonder how many things are done simply because it’s tradition. When pondering this, I usually think about eating mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving and decorating evergreen conifers for Christmas. However, could some traditions ever be harmful to society?

If you’ve read the classic short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, then the answer is clear: Yes, it’s possible for tradition to be detrimental. A classmate put it well: “[Some] traditions are the epitome of peer pressure. We do things because we see other people doing them, so we [subsequently] feel the need to do them too. If we always blindly follow what other people are doing, then we might fail to recognize when something is corrupt.”

Takeaway: Unlike what the title of this article suggests, it’s important to constantly question yourself.

Why do we have traditions in the first place? Is there a point? Although tradition has the potential to be damaging, to many, it’s closely linked to their identity. “[We have tradition because it’s] the preservation of culture,” my friend explained. “Also, it [gives us a sense of] purpose.” Indeed, what better reflection of an individual than their actions?

To some, tradition serves as motivation. “I think tradition is what keeps a group of people going forward [and shows] how far they have come,” another student shared. This is a perspective I hadn’t considered before; rather than focusing solely on the practices themselves, we can utilize traditions as milestones, especially taking into account how most traditions are exercised at particular times of the year.

Furthermore, tradition can serve as a relieving break amid something as spontaneous and, oftentimes, isolating as life. As my friend elaborated, “[The point of tradition is] to get family together and to spend time together. I feel like it is one thing that doesn’t change, you know? It is one thing that will always happen and that family will always do together.” With doings such as family dinners, exchanging presents, and celebrating relationships of all kinds, traditions undoubtedly illuminate the beauty of interpersonal connection. On that lovely note, are you planning anything to celebrate New Year’s? Perhaps reading this newspaper can become a tradition for you—not just for January, but for every month of the year! (We would certainly appreciate it!) We assure you that, unlike frantically cleaning your house and opening your windows every day, this tradition will not feel like a chore

by James Rada, Jr.

Thurmont

Town Moves to Twice-a-Month Meetings at Least Temporarily

The Thurmont town meetings will switch from weekly to twice a month for the next three months. At that point, the mayor and commissioners will evaluate the impact of the change and decide if it should continue.

For January, the meetings will be on the second and fourth Tuesdays. In February and March, the meetings will be on the first and third Tuesdays.

The goal is to have meetings where a lot of work for the town can be accomplished without creating undue meetings that town staff and others need to attend. However, additional meetings can be held if needed. The town charter only requires that the commissioners meet monthly.

The town may also survey residents to see if they have a preference to how many meetings the town holds.

New Leadership at the Thurmont Police Department

With the retirement of Police Chief Greg Eyler from the Thurmont Police at the beginning of December, new officers were needed to lead the department. At two separate town meetings, Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird swore in new Chief Dave Armstrong and Dep. Chief Jerry Morales.

Town Receives a Clean Audit

Mike Samson and Alison Burke with Zlenkofske Axelrod, LLC, presented the results of the annual independent audit of Thurmont’s financial statements for Fiscal Year 2023. Samson told the mayor and commissioners that Zlenkofske Axelrod, LLC, gave the town an unmodified or clean opinion, which is the highest rating that can be given. The auditors had no difficulties performing the audit or had any disagreements with the management.

Town Considering Reopening Facebook Page To Comments

The Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners are considering how to best interact with the public via social media. The mayor and commissioners had made the town’s Facebook page information-only and closed to comments when too many inappropriate comments and personal attacks were left in the comments.

Commissioner Marty Burns brought the topic up with the board again, wanting the comments turned back on. “I stood before the mayor and board before. I think constituents have a right to freedom of speech, even speech I find reprehensible,” Burns said.

The board was split on the matter, with both those against and for reopening the page to comments seeing the advantages and disadvantages.

Mayor John Kinnaird suggested leaving the town page information-only and creating Facebook pages for the commissioners that would be open to comments. The difference is the latter does not reflect poorly on the town if inappropriate comments are made, but it would create more work for town staff to monitor the new pages.

Commissioner Bob Lookingbill suggested sending a survey to residents to get their thoughts on the matter before making a decision. 

Town Celebrates 10 Years of Gateway to the Cure

Economic Development Manager Vickie Grinder recently told the Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners about the town’s 10th Annual Gateway to the Cure efforts. The town has been raising funds in October for the Patty Hurwitz Breast Cancer Fund. Events include a 5K race, golf competition, Zumbathon, offering parking at Colorfest, and selling pink light bulbs.

The first Gateway to the Cure in 2014 raised $3,000 for the fund. This year’s donation was $24,500, bringing the town’s 10-year total to $163,500. The money stays within Frederick County and goes toward direct patient care.

Woodland Ave. and Water St. Paving Project Approved

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners approved $88,133 from its Highway User Revenues to have Woodland Avenue and Water Street repaved and widened in areas. This is a joint project with the developer of Hammaker Hills. It is being done with a change order to work that C.J. Miller is already doing in town. Because the company is already working, it will save time and money for the town. The entire project costs $147,547 and is expected to be completed before winter sets in.

Colorfest Made Nearly $20,000 in Donations to the Town in 2023

Catoctin Colorfest President Carol Robertson made a presentation to the Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners, announcing that besides the benefit town organizations get from selling or offering services during Colorfest weekend, Catoctin Colorfest, Inc. made $19,780 in contributions to organizations this year.

The contributions included: $2,500 to the Thurmont Ambulance Company; $5,000 to the Town of Thurmont for a new PA system in Community Park; $6,500 in scholarships; $150 so the Thurmont Food Bank volunteers could enjoy a dinner; $5,000 in $25 local gift cards for the food bank to distribute; $275 to the Thurmont Food Bank; $70 for 3,000 bags to be used at the Thurmont Food Bank; an FFA donation; and a Christmas in Thurmont donation.

“It’s amazing how the municipality as a whole benefits from Catoctin Colorfest, Inc.,” Mayor John Kinnaird said.

Emmitsburg

Town In Danger Of Losing Parking Meter Grant

The Town of Emmitsburg may lose $31,100 in grant funding to replace the parking meters in town if the commissioners cannot reach a consensus about what needs to done and when. The project would replace 125 coin-only parking meters in town and possibly add 20 new metered spots with new smart meters with coin and card payment options. The replacement is needed because the person who currently repairs the meters is retiring and replacement parts for them are no longer available. In addition, it was discovered that the current meters may be up to 15 minutes off in either direction.

The town obtained a USDA Community Facility Grant for up to $31,100. The grant requires a town match to make up the difference of roughly $30,000 when the total cost of the project is calculated.

The commissioners began disagreeing over whether the monthly charge for the new meters was worth it, whether the income will cover the salary of the staff member who handles parking enforcement, whether the income would help the commissioners purchase property for a town parking lot, and if 20 new meters along West Main Street should be installed.

Commissioner Cliff Sweeney tried to break the log jam by making a motion to accept town staff’s recommendation. The motion failed 3-2.

Because no decision was made to move forward, the town is in danger of losing the grant because of a USDA deadline that requires the grant to be spent by a certain date. However, the commissioners tabled the decision, and town staff is seeking to see if the deadline can be extended to relieve some of the pressure.

Expect Stricter Enforcement Along West Main Street

During the Emmitsburg Commissioners’ discussion about approving the new parking meter bid, one bone of contention was whether 20 new meters should be installed along West Main Street where there are currently none.

Arguments for and against were made. It was said the meters would help businesses along Main Street. Others said it would penalize residents of West Main Street or equalize the treatment of residents along West and East Main.

At one point, Commissioner Valerie Turnquist argued that the meters weren’t needed because the town code already prohibited parking at unmetered spots along the street for more than two hours, and she read from the code. This seemed to come as a surprise to some of the commissioners, and town staff admitted that it wasn’t being enforced because it had been misinterpreted.

However, because Turnquist had pointed out the law, town staff said they would need to start enforcing it because it is in the code. This means cars parked in unmetered spots along Main Street can remain in the spots for up to two hours. Otherwise, they can be ticketed at any time 24/7.

Town staff will post the parking limitation with signage on the street and let residents know through other means.

It was also discussed that perhaps the parking ordinance is outdated and needs to be reviewed. If the commissioners go this route, it could still take months to go through the legislative process before changes are made.

New Grant

The Town of Emmitsburg recently received a Department of Housing and Community Development Assistance Grant – Main Street Improvement Grant for $10,000. The money will be used to purchase and install four directional wayfinding signs for downtown. Once state representatives sign the agreement, the project can begin.

Appointments Made

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners made the following appointments during its December town meeting:

Shannon Cool to the Parks Committee, with a term of December 5, 2023, to December 5, 2025.

Sandy Umbel to the Parks Committee, with a term of December 5, 2023, to December 5, 2025.

Steve Starliper to the Parks Committee, with a term of December 5, 2023, to December 5, 2025.

Amanda Ryder to the Parks Committee, with a term of December 5, 2023, to December 5, 2025.

Dale Sharrer to the Planning Commission as an alternate, with a term of December 5, 2023, to December 5, 2028.

Emmitsburg

Mayor Frank Davis

It is hard to believe the holiday season has passed by so quickly, and for the next month, I will still be dating documents 2023. With another year behind us, I hope we can all look back on our accomplishments and find the good in last year.

Things are changing in the town office. The biggest change is the hiring of two new employees. Joshua Snyder is our newest addition to our water and sewer department. Josh comes to us with over 10 years of experience in this field and will be a terrific addition to our talented crew. We would also like to welcome Kimberly Mondshour to our office staff. Kimberly has accepted a position as our accountant and brings a wealth of experience to this vital position. Please help welcome both of our new employees to Emmitsburg.

Construction is well underway for our new Sewer Lift Station on Creamery Road. This project is being tackled by Conewago Construction Company. Please be cautious while traveling around the construction site.

At times, the winter months can keep you searching for things to do with your family, so don’t forget about Mount Basketball. Both the women’s and men’s teams are playing at an extremely high level and are exciting to watch.

The town is exploring options pertaining to parking issues and meter upgrades. Conversations are running high, and there are many opinions, both positive and negative, regarding future needs. I can assure you, that the commissioners are listening, exploring options, and will decide what is best for our town—not only for now but also in the future.

There are two workshops scheduled for the town council in January and February. On January 22, we will review and discuss the financial status of the town. The February 12 workshop will be the start of identifying future projects and setting priorities. Citizens are invited to attend in person or watch on Channel 99.

Please remember that all streets in the town limits are now snow emergency routes. This means that when the snow emergency plan is enacted by the Maryland State Police, parking is prohibited on ALL streets. This will enable road crews to plow and open roads more quickly, efficiently, and most importantly, it will ensure access for emergency vehicles into your neighborhood. All town parking lots are available for off-street parking. Additional parking is also available in the 100 block of South Seton Avenue, next to Chronicle Press. If anyone has transportation issues with getting their vehicle to one of these locations, please contact the town office BEFORE the snow begins. Please be responsible and pre-plan for severe weather.

As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. We are open to suggestions to make Emmitsburg a great place to live.

Please feel free to contact me at mayordavis@emmitsburgmd.gov, and I will do my best to respond within the same business day.

Thurmont

 Mayor John Kinnaird

Welcome to the New Year! Karen and I hope that everyone has an amazing, healthy and happy year ahead. We are looking forward to another great year!

The new year brings with it the continuation of water and wastewater infrastructure replacement on North Church Street from Boundary Avenue to Catoctin High School. This project will upgrade all water, wastewater, and service lines on the entire stretch of road. Work started at the intersection of Sandy Spring Land and headed toward Catoctin High School. In the coming weeks and months workers will be addressing the other end of the project area. This effort will resolve many issues along the road caused by additions to the system and multiple upgrades.

Residents will also see wastewater line work to Rte. 77 from Old Pryor Road to Park Central Road beginning on Jan. 4th. This project is being completed by the State of Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Environmental Services. I’m The work will improve the wastewater lines first installed between Thurmont and the State Park back in the late 1960s into the early 1970s. There will be well marked detours set up during this project that will use Rte. 550 and Foxville Deerfield Road. Work should be completed by the end of May.

On a personal note, Karen and I will be travelling to Great Britain for a couple of weeks. We plan on visiting friends and family in London, and the city of my birth, Aberdeen, Scotland. The first part of our trip will see us visiting London, Lands End at the Southwest coast before heading north to John O’Groats at the northern most point on the British Isle. In between we will drive through Wales, visit Yorkshire, stop at the historic Auld Alloway Kirk made famous in Robert Burns’ Tam O’Shanter. We will be spending a couple of nights with friends on the Isle of Skye, a night in the wonderful North Seaside village of Pennan and then a few days in Aberdeen with cousins. Hopefully while in the Highlands we will get to see the Northern Lights! We will then return to London via Ripon and spend the last two days in Windsor.  You can follow our adventure on my Facebook page.

We will miss all our family and friends while on vacation, and we will be looking forward to returning to Thurmont.

Woodsboro

Burgess Heath Barnes

Happy New Year! It is hard to believe it’s 2024, but a new year has arrived. I hope it’s a happy and blessed year for all and that you all had a wonderful holiday season.

On December 16, the Town of Woodsboro teamed up with the Woodsboro and New Midway volunteer fire departments to participate in a Santa run that lasted several hours and covered many streets and roads in the town of Woodsboro and areas of New Midway. The response that we received from not only the young ones but people of all ages was wonderful, and we will be doing it again next year. Playing Santa is always rewarding and magical, seeing the joyous looks on the faces of the children.

At the town meeting on December 12, 2023, we reviewed the seven bids from contractors to build the town hall. We all were a little shocked, to be honest, and are back to making some changes. We have a budget of about $900,000, with the $400,000 that we were able to secure from the state for the building, but the bids came in between $1.7 million and $2.3 million. We are in talks about how we can make some changes and get the building into our price range. I also reached out to our county- and state-elected officials to request additional financial assistance. At the time of this article being written, I have not heard back. We are working diligently and going to get the building built; it just may not be the exact style we had planned.

Lights are going up around the new skate park that is being used by the community, and we are very pleased that this project was able to happen. I encourage parents to have their children wear helmets when utilizing the skate park to avoid unnecessary accidents.

As always, I encourage everyone to support Glade Valley Community Services (GVCS) if you have clothes or food donations, as they are always in need of items for members of the community. For more information, please contact GVCS by email at gvcs.inc@verizon.net or call 301-845-0213.

If you have any questions, concerns, complaints, or compliments, please feel free to reach out to me at hbarnes@woodsboro.org or by phone at 301-401-7164.

Woodsboro town meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. In addition, planning and zoning meetings are at 6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the month, as needed. If you have an item for the agenda, it needs to be submitted 14 days before the P&Z meeting. The current location for meetings is the St. John’s United Church of Christ, located at 8 N. 2nd Street, Woodsboro, MD 21798. The public is always invited to attend.

James Rada, Jr.

Inflation rising. The Middle East in turmoil. Sections of the U.S. witnessed a solar eclipse. Paul McCartney played in groups that had one of the top songs of the year.

And so it was when a 23-year-old Greg Eyler became a police officer with Thurmont in 1979, and so it is as he retires on December 1, after 44 years as a police officer, the last 18 of which were as the chief of police of the Thurmont Police Department.

“It’s time,” Eyler said. “I’ve been here 18 years, which is really unheard of for a police chief.”

Eyler is believed to be the longest-serving police chief in Thurmont; although, for some reason, no one is able to verify the service dates for Chief Herman Shook, who happened to be the chief who hired Eyler as a police officer in 1979.

It was Eyler’s dream job. He grew up on Church Street in Thurmont and would see Thurmont Police pass by while he was out playing ball with his friends.

“I always heard and saw that they did a great job, and that’s what I wanted to do.”

Eyler graduated from the Montgomery County Police Academy in August 1979. He served as a police officer in his hometown until November 1980, when he transferred to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.

As a sheriff’s deputy, he trained in many areas over his 25 years with the sheriff’s office. In September 1990, he was the first ever to receive the Department Commendation for Valor. He attended and graduated from The FBI National Academy in 1994. He retired from the sheriff’s office as a major in 2005.

He retired because then-Mayor Marty Burns and Commissioner Bill Blakeslee visited him to ask if he would consider becoming Thurmont’s chief of police. He thought it over for about a week before he accepted.

“I like challenges,” Eyler said. “This was a challenge, and I never regretted any of it.”

When Eyler took over as chief, the Thurmont Police Department had seven sworn officers and two civilian employees. They worked out of 500 square feet at the back of the old town office building.

“We had an I-bolt that went through the wall to the outside,” Eyler said. “That’s how we held our prisoners.”

Today, the department has fourteen sworn officers and six civilian employees in a modern building on East Main Street.

While Eyler and the department had many achievements during his tenure (see sidebar), he is most proud of how he improved the relationship between the police, the citizens, and the town staff.

“They did not get along back then, but you need to because that’s how you solve crimes when you all work together,” Eyler said.

He encouraged his officers to get out in the community and get to know the people they were protecting. As they did, respect between the community and the department grew.

As he prepares to retire, Eyler has no regrets.

“I think I did everything I could for the town, and they were appreciative of that,” Eyler said. “I’m a hometown boy, and this is what I wanted to do here in the town of Thurmont: Make this department one of the best that I can and make this town as safe as I can.”

Eyler has no plans for retirement. “I’m going to do what my wife, kids, and grandkids tell me,” he said.

He knows retirement will require an adjustment, beginning when he gets up in the morning and has to decide what to wear since his closet is full of uniforms. “I think I have to go shopping now because I don’t have anything to wear,” he said.

“Chief Eyler has served our community and the residents of Thurmont in an exemplary manner.  I can’t thank Greg enough for his professionalism and dedication to the Town of Thurmont. Our residents’ safety has always been his highest priority, and for that, we are sincerely thankful and appreciative,” said Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird.  

Lt. David Armstrong will succeed Eyler as the new chief.

Mayor Terry Best swears in Thurmont’s newest Police Officer in 1979.

Chief Herman Shook welcomes Greg Eyler to the Thurmont Police.

The Town of Thurmont listed a number of achievements of the Thurmont Police Department under Chief Greg Eyler’s leadership when it announced his retirement after 18 years as the chief of police. During his years as chief, he has:

Initiated and managed the design, construction, and transition to the current TPD headquarters.

Expanded the department from 7 to 14 authorized sworn police officers and 6 civilian employees and expanded the Department training program to include specialized training.

Created and implemented a Detective/Investigator Position, Narcotics Detection K-9 Program, and Code Enforcement Officer Program.

Developed the TPD Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Values Statement, website, and social media account.

Expanded and redesigned the TPD vehicle fleet and department logo.

Developed and implemented first-ever Department Rules and Regulations and Job Descriptions for all employees; civilian and sworn; TPD’s first Disaster Plan for potential terrorist incidents and weather-related incidents; Special Operation Plans for Active Assailant Response, Police Involved Shooting Response, and COVID Response Plan.

Implemented state-of-the-art technology systems to allow for integration with other police agencies, including mobile data computers, in-car video cameras, LPR (license plate readers), E-TIX software, and body-worn cameras.

Enhanced community policing efforts by providing training from The Mid-Atlantic Regional Community Policing Institute for all sworn personnel. 

Created and implemented a TIPS line for anonymous tips from citizens and Thurmont’s automated speed monitoring program.

Joined the National Child Safety Council, which provides educational material relating to drug and alcohol issues, senior citizen scam assistance, missing and exploited children, and school safety.

Presented and received approval of the first-ever departmental pay scale and LEOPS program.

Coordinated, implemented, and managed Response Plans for large events, including G8 Summit, demonstrations, rallies, and the annual Colorfest event.

Expanded community outreach programs to include National Night Out, Safety Pup, traffic-calming initiatives, bicycle safety, and child safety seat installations.

He is a member of the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association, The Maryland Municipal Police Executive League, and the FBI National Academy Associates.

He has been recognized as CHS Distinguished Graduate for Public Service; Lions Club/Shumaker Roofing Officer of the Year and received the Enforcement Commendation medal presented by The Sons of the American Revolution.

During his tenure, the Town of Thurmont has been recognized as one of the safest communities in Maryland numerous times.

Catoctin High School recognized its graduates who have gone on to find success post-high school during its 8th Annual Distinguished Graduates Induction Ceremony on November 21.

Principal Jennifer Clements welcomed the students and guests, expressing pride in the school’s plentiful distinguished alumni.

The Catoctin High School Distinguished Graduate Organization was formed in 2015 to honor alumni in the areas of academics, arts and humanities, athletics, business, and public service.

This year’s alumni were honored for achievements in academics, public service, and arts and humanities, who have made a difference in the state or nation.

The ceremony also recognizes former Catoctin High staff who have had a significant impact on students.

Susan Weaver was one of the Former Catoctin Staff Member Inductees. She worked as a school counselor for 32 years, about half of that at Catoctin High School. She also coached JV basketball, varsity volleyball, and softball. She also worked at the ticket gate with colleagues, officiated athletic events, and enjoyed pep rallies. Susan recently moved to Delaware and enjoys biking the Eastern Shore bike paths, golfing, walking on the beach, and has recently started playing pickleball.

Brian Persse (Class of 1999) was the Public Service Inductee. He is a senior analyst with the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, where he leads high-visibility audits of the National Highway Traffic Safety and Pipelines and Hazardous Materials administrations.

Jeff Barber (Class of 1994) was the Business Inductee. After graduation, Jeff pursued a career in farming and construction. He started Playground Specialists Inc. in 1998 at the age of 22. Through the past 25 years, while keeping the company located in Thurmont region, Playground Specialists has installed large custom playgrounds all over the region, totaling almost $250 million in revenue, and becoming one of the leaders throughout the world in the recreation market. He also opened Thurmont’s first ice vending machine, Twice the Ice, and purchased Maple Run Golf Course.

William Delawter (Class of 2004) was the Athletic Inductee. As a sophomore at Governor Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick, he pitched on the state champion baseball team before transferring to finish his high school career at Catoctin the following year. He continued playing baseball at UMBC at the Division 1 level.

He has been named a Frederick County’s Player of the Year, earned a spot on the Brooks Robinson All-Star Team, was a Team Maryland Selection, a JUCO All American, UMBC Pre-Season All-American, and 1st Team All-Region, just to name only a few. In 2009, Will was inducted into the Chesapeake College Hall of Fame.

Will earned an associate degree from Chesapeake College and a bachelor’s degree on a full scholarship to UMBC, where he played baseball at the Division 1 level. He also obtained his master’s degree from Frostburg University.

He is now a teacher at Whittier Elementary School, but he has been an assistant baseball coach at Catoctin High since 2015.

Jeff McAfee (Class of 1982) was the Arts and Humanities Inductee. After graduating Catoctin High in 1982, Jeff started working for the State of Maryland in the division of Maryland Environmental Service as a Water Plant Operator for 10 years. From there, he moved to the Maryland Park Service and worked at South Mountain Recreation area as a Park Technician for 11 years. Jeff then transferred to Maryland Wildlife Division and is currently a Wildlife Technician.

Robert Viti is the second Former Catoctin Staff Member Inductee. Robert started his educational career as a Social Studies teacher at Dundalk Middle School and eventually transferred to Frederick County Public Schools, where he continued teaching Social Studies. He then became an assistant principal with Frederick County Public Schools and eventually landed at Catoctin High School, where he also took the role as Behavior Support Specialist. In 2016, he was inducted into the Frederick County Soccer Hall of Fame. He is also a lifetime member of the National PTA, as well as an honorary chapter FFA member of Catoctin High School.

Distinguished graduates are shown (left to right) Susan Weaver, William Delawter, Jeff McAfee, Robert Viti, Brian Persse, and Jeff Barber.

Photo by Keith Bruck

Richard D. L. Fulton

Readers of November 27, 1897, issue of The Baltimore Sun, were greeted by this: “A fire, which at one time threatened to sweep away the whole town of Taneytown, Carroll County, began this evening (November 26) about 7 o’clock (p.m.)…”

Those who resided in the Taneytown area at large were likely already aware of the blaze, as the reflection of the flames in the sky and the rising smoke were reportedly seen as far away as Emmitsburg, and Hanover, Pennsylvania, more than 15 miles away, according to The Democrat Advocate.

Although the cause of the costly fire was never ascertained, a number of newspapers, large and small, reported on much of the details of the event, which The Advocate summed up in their headline, “Taneytown Narrowly Escapes Destruction.”

Three factors aided in the spread of the flames:

    The majority of the businesses and homes in Taneytown at the time were wooden-framed structures, as was the case in most of the rural Mid-Atlantic towns and communities dating back to their founding. Trees were common then. Bricks were more expensive.

    The second issue was the lack of a water supply system and its associated pipeline infrastructure. Construction of a waterworks had been previously begun, but had not yet been completed, according to The Baltimore SunThe Democrat Advocate noted that, fortunately, there was plenty of water available (mainly in the form of local wells, but …

    The third factor contributing to the spread of the fire came into play – Taneytown did not have a “regularly organized” fire department at the time that could have delivered and utilized the water from the wells.  As a result, The Baltimore Sun reported, “every citizen responded to the call for help,” no doubt through the employment of bucket brigades, wherein people form a chain, passing buckets of water hand-to-hand from the source of the water to where it is needed, and then passing the empty buckets back to the wells.

While, as previously stated, the cause of the fire was never determined during, or in the wake of the inferno. Where it began was known almost immediately.

According to The Democrat Advocate, the fire started in a wooden “hay packing warehouse,” belonging to Tobias H. Eckenrode around 7:45 p.m. on the evening of November 26. The Baltimore Sun, which gave the time of the fire as having been 7:00 p.m., also stated that the warehouse was also storing hay, grain, and other items at the time of the fire.

Destructive fire was no stranger to Eckenrode property in Taneytown. In 1889, a blaze broke out in his coal and lumber sheds, fanned by high winds, according to The Baltimore Sun. That fire was also described as posing a threat to the town, as well as to the warehouse, which was ultimately leveled by the 1897 fire.

As far as the 1897 blaze, the Baltimore newspaper reported that “in a short while both warehouse and the adjoining buildings were in the flames.” So quickly was the fire gaining ground and potentially threatening the town, that help was sought to combat the fire from as far away as Littlestown, Pennsylvania (whose fire department reportedly arrived by 9:00 p.m.). The Baltimore Sun, however, reported that by the time the Littlestown hose company arrived, the fire was essentially already under control, although a “number of the buildings were still in flames.”

The Democrat Advocate reported that it was clear from the start that the Eckenrode warehouse was “doomed,” and, thus, the citizens endeavored to protect nearby property,” further noting the intensity of the heat had quickly spread the fire to a building housing the local newspaper.

The Democrat Advocate further reported that local authorities had also sought help from the Hanover firefighters but were told the Hanover firemen could not take their apparatus out of Hanover “without the permission of the burgess, and before he could be found, the last train had departed.”

Also arriving were multitudes of interested observers. “Great crowds of people from the vicinity and surrounding county were at the fire, as the blaze could be seen for (10-15) miles (in all directions).” The Advocate reported that “the flames were fierce, leaping high in the air.”

The next notable structure which had succumbed to the inferno was a wooden, three-story building, belonging to E. E. Reindollar, which contained the office and printing operations of The Carroll Record, according to The Sun.

All of the newspaper’s machinery, lead type, and other equipment were destroyed in the fire; arrangements were subsequently made by Editor P. H. Englar with The Frederick News to publish The Carroll Record in their offices, until The Record’s office in Taneytown could be restored, The Sun reported. The Record had only been in business for about four years.

From the building that had housed the newspaper, the fire had quickly spread to Stanley Heaver’s saddler shop, a dwelling owned by Eckenrode and was being rented by Josiah Snyder, and a double dwelling owned by John Davidson.

The fire was essentially declared under control before midnight, The Sun stated. Most of the fire-fighting effort was the result of citizen volunteers, who had extinguished the worst of it by hauling water from wells, before Littlestown firefighters could arrive at the scene.

Damage to the buildings that were affected by the flames amounted to some $20,000, by early estimates, but the value of the business and personal contents of each of the buildings that had burned remained undetermined at the time, according to several newspapers. Those included (according to The Sun):

The loss suffered by the burning of the Eckenrode warehouse, which included a dwelling, other structures, and the stored grain and hay, was given as being $8,500, of which only $5,600 was covered by insurance.

    The loss of the Carroll Record Printng Company(the newspaper) and the saddlery shop amounted to $5,000. The loss of the contents of the newspaper was listed as $2,000, of which only $1,000 was insured.

    F. S. Stakey’s cigar shop (located in a building owned by Stanley Reader) sustained an estimated $900 in cigar stock, of which $500 was insured.

    John Davidson’s dwelling, including contents, sustained a loss of $4,000, of which $3,400 was insured.

Other buildings in the town were also damaged by the fire, but their sustained damages were “very slight.”

That there were no noteworthy injuries or deaths associated with the fire-fighting effort was remarkable, given that it was largely brought under control by citizen volunteers.

But five miles out of Taneytown at Bruce Mill Junction, another devastating fire had destroyed Hammond’s Mill, located along Little Pipe Creek, on December 3, only a week after the Taneytown fire.

The outcome was not so fortunate. 

Miller George Biehl was last heard from when he was calling for help from within the burning building.

According to The Democrat Advocate, “After the fire, his bones were found in the ruins of the mill and taken to his residence… They were interred later.”

  Richard D. L. Fulton

“Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite.”  How many readers have heard that often-spoken form of good night over the decades?

It can actually be kind of humorous… until it’s not.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), all consider bed bugs a public health pest, even though the creatures are not known to spread or transmit diseases.

Nevertheless, an infestation of bed bugs can adversely impact the quality of life.

What Are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are insects belonging to a family of insects that feed upon mammalian blood—that of bats, birds, and notoriously, humans, depending on the species. 

Because bed bugs do not fly, they tend to rely on a means of transportation such as on clothing and furnishings involving cloth as part of their effort to promulgate the species.

Britney Bishop, formerly of Adams County, spending 16 years in upper hotel management in the Gettysburg area, to serving as hotel operations manager in Pasco County, Florida, provided much insight regarding the “nature of the beasts.”

Bishop said bed bugs can lay from one to five eggs each day, and may lay up to 500 eggs within a lifetime.

“If you see an adult, it means they have been there for quite a while, as it takes a bedbug 21 days to reach maturity,” Bishop said, adding, “Bed bugs can live four to six months.”

Detecting Bed Bugs

Finding and correctly indentifying an infestation early is important. The EPA suggests various ways to determine if bed bugs are present:

    Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by bed bugs being crushed.

    Dark spots (about this size: •), which are bed bug excrement and may bleed on the fabric like a marker would.

    Eggs and eggshells, which are tiny (about 1mm) and pale-yellow skins that nymphs shed as they grow larger.

    Live bed bugs.

Also, the EPA lists a number of places where bed bugs can be found:

    In the seams of chairs and couches, between cushions, and in the folds of curtains.

    In drawer joints.

    In electrical receptacles and appliances.

    Under loose wallpaper and wall hangings.

    At the junction where the wall and the ceiling meet.

    In the head of a screw.

Treating Bugs in the Single-Family Home or Office

Aside from contacting a qualified exterminator, some measures can be taken at home and/or office to combat a bed bug infestation. Healthline.com suggests the following:

    First and foremost, if bed bugs are detected in the home, contact a qualified exterminator.  In the interim, healthline.com suggests washing bedding and clothing in hot water for 30 minutes. Then, put them in a dryer on the highest heat setting for 30 minutes.

    Use a steamer on mattresses, couches, and other places where bedbugs hide.

    Pack up infested items in black bags and leave them outside on a hot day that reaches 95°F (35°C) or in a closed car. In cooler temperatures, it can take 2 to 5 months to kill sealed-up bugs.

    Put bags containing bedbugs in the freezer at 0°F (-17.78°C). Use a thermometer to check the temperature. Leave them in there for at least 4 days. For additional guidance, visit healthline.com.

Treating Bed Bugs in the Multifamily Residences

Multifamily residences can include apartment buildings, townhouses, hotels, and dorms.

Using hotels as an example, Bishop said a hotel she managed in Florida employed the following to deal with bed bugs:

Preventive measures were taken in the form of weekly, random inspections by a licensed exterminator (hotels would generally have a higher turnover of occupancy than an apartment complex or dorms, thus possibly requiring more frequent inspections).

Housekeeping was educated to report potential bed bug activity to management.

In addition, Bishop said, that guests will report possible bed bug activities that all other measures might have missed or that occurred between exterminator inspections.

“Employing an exterminator to perform routine inspections is the first line of defense,” Bishop stated.

For additional information, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at epa.gov, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at cdc.gov, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at usda.gov.

by Helen Xia, CHS Student Writer

I’ve always found it amusing how there is no apparent “Thanksgiving season.” We transition from carved pumpkins and spider webs to Christmas songs and garlands as soon as Halloween ends. In stores, shelves quickly go from bags of trick-or-treating candy to candy canes and gingerbread men. With brands adopting festive packaging and wrapping products in green and red foil, Christmas is linked closely to consumerism.

The materialistic aspect of Christmas never quite dissipates. It begins early—children pen letters to Santa and circle images in magazines for what they want to receive under the tree. Unlike most other occasions, the holiday season never loses its splendor with time. Adults, too, are excited to snag deals on Black Friday and embellish their homes with decorations. It must be something in the air.

Christmas shopping is far from inexpensive! Forbes expects holiday sales to top 957 billion dollars this year, and this incredible total will likely only increase as each year’s spending outdoes the previous year by around 4 percent. Most of this money goes toward gifts, constituting 65 percent of Christmas spending. 20 percent goes toward gift cards and vouchers—perfect presents for those who claim not to want presents. On an individual level, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), Americans spend an average of 997 dollars each Christmas.

Businesses understand well how receptive consumers are to supplementary spending during the holidays. Stores are promoting Christmas shopping earlier and earlier with each passing year, it seems. Companies release seasonal products and offer holiday discounts, all while playing Christmas tunes to encourage gift-giving. (Did you know “Jingle Bells” was originally a Thanksgiving song?)

Interestingly, some claim this commercial tendency diminishes the magnificence of Christmas: What used to be special and short-lived now lasts for two months, and the excessive commercialization of the holiday causes it to feel more like an obligation or a chore, as opposed to a merry tradition.

Although many report feeling stressed about holiday shopping, usually, delivering and accepting presents “[activate] pathways in the brain that release oxytocin, which is a neuropeptide that signals trust, safety, and connection” (American Psychological Association). Not only do gift-receivers feel rewarded, but gift-givers do, too! Perhaps this shared essence of generosity is what’s floating in the air amid these times. Gift-giving has undoubtedly become an integral characteristic of Christmas.

Speaking of presents, it may be challenging to identify what to give a teenager. I am one and still struggle to purchase the perfect gift for my friends. Therefore, this month, I decided to ask peers what they think the best and worst gifts to receive are!

Multiple individuals prioritized the usefulness of their presents. “I guess my worst Christmas present would have to be a bow my dad bought,” somebody answered. “It was a pretty sick bow that had some cool arrows, but where am I going to use a bow? My best Christmas present would have to be [the] viola I have now. [I named it] Charlotte.”

Comparably, a friend explained, “I would say the best is practical things. This year, [I’d like] things for college, clothes, shoes, or electronics. The worst is things I wouldn’t use, like makeup. That’s a tough question, though.”

Another overarching theme within the sample population was how students spotlighted the amount of thought invested in their gifts. “I think the best are sentimental or handmade gifts. I don’t think there are any ‘worst’ gifts, but I would say clothes because that’s more boring.”

This is where I fall when it comes to presents as well. Nothing beats a heartfelt, handwritten card alongside something functional and fun to try, from a gift card for an unfamiliar restaurant to a new perfume.

A few emphasized the surprise element behind the gifts. “The best gift you could receive is a puppy because who doesn’t love puppies? I can’t really think of the worst gift you could get. Maybe something underwhelming like coal, but then again, coal is pretty useful sometimes.”

Some appreciated the versatility of their gifts. “Money would definitely be the best—you could use that for anything,” someone shared. “Pencils would be the worst for me.”

On the flip side, interestingly, several respondents weren’t fond of receiving cash for Christmas. “I think money is more of a birthday gift than a Christmas gift,” somebody remarked. Another commented, “Money is one of the worst gifts I could receive. My mom ends up taking my money.” Similarly, another friend revealed, “I’d say money or a gift card isn’t something I like because it’s not meaningful. [The] best would be jewelry and stuffed animals because you can keep [them] forever and they’re more meaningful.”

There you have it: some input from teenagers like myself about what they prefer receiving as gifts. Evidently, we all like different things, which adds to the thrill and difficulty of gift shopping. Rest assured: As long as the gift was given with love, we will be grateful! The saying “It’s the thought that counts” has never been so true (and has never felt so comforting)!