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From the Mayor

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THURMONT

Mayor John Kinnaird

It is hard to believe that we are halfway through 2024! It seems like just lastmonth it was cold and wet, and now here we are in one of the hottest summers on record. Please be careful when we see temperatures in the mid and upper 90s and high humidity. Young children and the elderly are especially susceptible to heat induced issues, including heat stroke. Be sure to keep hydrated, stay indoors if possible, and do not over-exert yourself. Also, keep in mind, our four-legged friends are also suffering when the temps get above 90 degrees.

Summertime also means that our children are on summer break. Kids will be out on their bikes, skateboards, or running and playing. Please be on the lookout for children as you drive, as they may not always be aware of their surroundings and cars as they are playing. Driving the speed limit and watching for our younger residents will keep everyone safer this summer.

Major changes are being made at the Community Park Tennis Courts. The old courts have served us well and are in the process of being replaced with entirelynew court surfaces, nets, fences, lights, and markings. Please be patient as this work progresses.

A major remodeling is underway at the Thurmont Bank Building on the Square! This work will include the creation of new commercial spaces on the first floor and several apartments on the second and third floors. This project has been a long time coming, and we have all watched as several proposals were made but never materialized. The Thurmont Bank Building is the centerpiece of our community, having stood on the corner of West Main and Water Street since 1891. The bank was established by Samuel Birely and Van Osler in 1889 and served our community for several generations. During the time since 1891, the bank became a National Bank and actually issued its own currency for a short time. Many will remember the apartment on the upper floors and the people that occupied them, including our beloved teacher, Ethel Crawford. The bank remained in local hands for most of its life, but in later years, it changed hands several times, eventually becoming a branch of the Bank of America. Eventually, Bank of America closed smaller, less productive branches, and our bank was closed. The property sat vacant for several years and was eventually auctioned. I tried to get our Board of Commissioners to purchase the building at auction and it sold to an investment firm in Florida for a little over $200,000.00, which was a true bargain for such a substantial and historic building. They, in turn, sold it to a couple that had ideas of opening an ever-changing list of small businesses in the property. The building was completely gutted, making the renovation a major project. Everyone remembers the anticipation, then let down, as plans were revealed and then scrapped several times due to the cost of remodeling. The building is now owned by a local company, and they are getting ready to completely rebuild the interior. As I noted, the first floor will have commercial space and the upper floors will once again be apartments. I look forward to the completion of the long-awaited renewal of this Thurmont landmark. Karen and I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer.

Do you have and questions, comments, or suggestions? I can be reached by cell phone at 301-606-9458 or by email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com.

Emmitsburg

Mayor Frank Davis

Town Approves Parking Lot Bid

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a bid for the construction of a 10-space parking lot at Rainbow Lake. The work also includes a stormwater management bioretention facility, asphalt pavement, site restoration, landscaping, and other related items. Superior Facilities Management was the low bidder and won the contract for $125,558.69. Funding comes from Program Open Space and LPPI grants that require a 25 percent town match.

Multi-user Trail Bid Approved

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a bid to build a multiuser trail on town property. It will be in the Rainbow Lake watershed area. The proposed red loop trail will be 2.8 miles long. The trail needs 1.5 miles redesigning and 1.3 miles of damaged trail relocated. The relocation will also add .2 miles to the trail, bringing the total length to 3 miles. Greenstone Trailcraft of Frederick won the contract for $89,620. Funding comes from a Program Open Space grant that requires a 10 percent match.

Sitework Approved for New Restroom/Concession Stand

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a bid for the sitework for the new pre-fabricated restroom/concession stand in E. Eugene Myers Park. Ox Construction of New Windsor won the bid for $79,950.

Grant Awarded

The Town of Emmitsburg was recently awarded at $3,179.33 TRIPP grant. The grant requires a $1,589.67 match and will allow the town to advertise itself as a tourism destination in the 2025 Destination Gettysburg and 2025 Visit Frederick guides.

Woodsboro

Burgess Heath Barnes

Happy Independence Day, aka 4th of July. I hope each of you has a safe holiday with family and friends. If you celebrate with fireworks , please use caution, as the weather has been hot and things can be dry.

At our June 11th meeting, we had more town residents in attendance than we have had at a meeting in my tenure as burgess. This was to be expected with the voting for the budget, but it was also nice to have that many people in attendance, as we were to be voting on moving forward with the town hall

building or not. The meeting started with a discussion about the town hall.

Initially, when we sent it out for bids several months ago, the lowest bid came in

at $1.6 million, and the builder we chose came in at about $1.8 million. This was out of our price range, so we sent it back to the builder and asked for cuts. The new proposal came in at $1.4 million. With the $400,000 that I secured in grants from the state during Governor Larry Hogan’s last year in office and taking out

$200,000 from town reserves. This would require us to take out an $800,000 loan from Woodsboro Bank, with about a $4,500-$4,700 per month mortgage payment. After a lively discussion, it was tabled until the end of the meeting, as a few council members were not comfortable with the cost. When we restarted

the discussion, the council was still at a standstill. I gave my opinion that the longer we waited, the more expensive it would become. Several comments came in from the public, and one said let’s poll the audience. At that point, we asked, and 17 of the 22 in the audience raised their hands in favor. At that point, Commissioner Eckenrode made a motion to move forward. Commissioner Rittelmeyer seconded the motion. Commissioner Cutshall and Commissioner Case voted no. At that point, it was a 2-2 vote. Per town code, the burgess would

break the tie. I voted yes, and the town hall project was approved. The builder has told us we should be in the building by late spring 2025.

At the monthly meeting, we also discussed some issues we are having with the wastewater plant. We have plans in place to fix some issues that are happening; however, we have also been hit with a surprise resignation of our town water and sewage plant operator, with his last day being August 31, 2024.

We are currently actively seeking his replacement. We are running a 20-year wastewater plant that was put in 22 years ago. Unfortunately, the town did not have a strategic plan in place for the replacement of it in 20 years, which is, unfortunately, why we had no choice but to increase water and sewage rates.

If we had not received $974,000 in the American Rescue Plan funds, where $750,000 of it went to the water plant, we would be in worse shape than we are. With the additional funds, we should hopefully be able to get all things completed in the next 12 months.

On July 4th, there will be a free event in the park with amateur singers, open to the public to sing along, with food trucks and activities. This is put on by town resident Joe Williams. This is not an event that is put on by the town, but it is nice to see the park bandshell being used for events. All are welcome to

attend.

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 ar e 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 St. Johns United Church of Christ, located at 8 N. 2nd Street, Woodsboro, MD21798. The public is always invited to attend.

Community Difference Maker

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Dottie Davis

Nominated by: Phyllis Kelly

At 91, Dorothy (Dottie) Davis acknowledges that she is not as active as she once was, but her dedication to the Emmitsburg community remains unwavering. Born and raised in Thurmont, it was after marrying her late husband, Alan Davis, that she moved to Emmitsburg, where she still resides in the home they purchased together.

Dottie credits her husband as the one who got her actively involved as a volunteer. He volunteered as a firefighter with the Vigilant Hose Company, and Dottie became a member of the Ladies Auxiliary, which she has been a member of for over 40 years. As life progressed, soon her son and grandson would volunteer their time in the fire company as well, which meant the family spent a lot of time at the fire hall. In fact, Dorothy even served as president and treasurer for many years.

Dottie’s commitment to the community didn’t stop there. She fondly recalls the day her husband came home and announced, “We just bought The Palms.” The couple owned the restaurant on Main Street in Emmitsburg for 19 years, until Dottie sold it after Alan fell ill and passed away. Owning The Palms was a dream come true for Alan, and during their tenure as business owners, they continued to give back to the community. They ensured the volunteer firefighters were well-fed during emergencies. And it wasn’t just the firefighters that Dottie took care of. At the time, they had many students from Mount St. Mary’s working for them at the restaurant. The couple became like a second set of parents to many of the students who were far away from home.

Dottie became an honorary member of the Mount St. Mary’s Class of 1963, in recognition of all she did for the students.

Over the years, Dottie also served as Chair for numerous breakfasts and dinners at Tom’s Creek United Methodist Church in Emmitsburg.

Her friend, Phyllis Kelly, nominated her for her unwavering love of Emmitsburg.

“Dottie has dedicated her life to the good of the town through many volunteer efforts,” said Kelly.

Despite Dottie’s humility, claiming she hasn’t done anything significant, she cherishes the small-town atmosphere and loves to see how the whole community comes together anytime someone is in need.

Dorothy (Dottie) Davis has been an active volunteer in the Emmitsburg community for decades.

Emmitsburg Starts Local Soccer League

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James Rada, Jr.

Despite the popularity of youth soccer in the north county area, it can be difficult at times to get children to practices outside of the Emmitsburg area, particularly if the parent is returning home from work in Frederick, Hagerstown, or some other distant location.

Although Catoctin Youth Association Club practices in Thurmont, a group of parents is trying to form a youth league based in Emmitsburg.

“We think there’s enough interest in the area to make it a worthwhile program,” said Andy Crone, one of the parents working to form the league.

Currently, a lot of children are participating in leagues in places like Frederick, Taneytown, and Smithsburg. To have a league in Emmitsburg that many of them could even walk or ride a bike to would allow them the opportunity to play soccer that they might not have now.

Trone said the league is hoping to start with 40 children from pre-kickers up to U12. They may not be able to form a team at each level, but that is the goal so that children can grow up playing soccer in the local league, which will be called the Catoctin Mountain Futbol Club.

Parent Carlos Valerio of Emmitsburg has been working with the group forming the league. He told the Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners that the league’s biggest need is places to play and practice. They would like to use the field behind the Emmitsburg Community Center and fields at Emmitsburg Elementary School to play their games.

Open registration will be in July, with the goal to start playing a fall season that begins in August.

“We are open to partnerships with other leagues, and we’re reaching out to other areas to be part of games and tournaments,” Trone said.

When the parents presented their idea to the Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners earlier this year, they were met with interest and support. Mayor Frank Davis said it was a great idea that the parents had put a lot of thought into.

Jesse Ensor of Rocky Ridge supports the idea of an Emmitsburg soccer league. He has children who have to travel to Smithsburg to play.

“The main idea is to provide another option for another rec program and start to bring other rec programs to town,” Crone said.

Looking Back

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An Isolated Town Arrives in the 20th Century

Although Catoctin and South mountains aren’t the largest mountains in America or even the Appalachians, their crooks and crannies provided land where isolated communities sprung up. One of these communities was Friends Creek, west of Emmitsburg in Frederick County.

“Friends creek dashes musically over its rocky bed, dropping frequently into quiet pools, the ideal home of the trout. Close in on each side crowd stern, densely-wooded mountains, forming a pocket, typical of hundreds of similar localities through the entire range of the Appalachian chain,” the Frederick News reported in 1922.

Despite the towns and cities within a reasonable distance from the small community, Friends Creek remained in a bygone era even as the region moved into the 20th century. It was made up of 25 to 30 homes that were not much more than one- to four-room cabins. Each home was filled with large families and multiple dogs.

“The people make a living by tilling little patches of ground cleared off on the less precipitous slopes of the hills and by hunting and fishing. In the summer many of the men go out into the fertile valleys not far away and work on the large farms,” according to the newspaper. “In the winter their chief reliance is on hunting and trapping, and it is whispered that further back in the mountains ‘the moon shines bright upon the moonshine distillery…’”

Few of the residents were literate, and most had such basic math skills that when they dealt with people from the outside world, they needed someone to help them.

“Stubborn in his resistance against what he considers the iconoclasm of modern civilization, standing firmly upon the ways of his forefathers, regardless of their retarding effect upon his own development and comfort, retaining the customs and folklore of past centuries, maintaining an austere and cheerless religion, filled with queer superstitions peculiar to isolated mountain people…,” according to the Frederick News.

But the newspaper noted that by 1922, the modern world had finally started creeping into Friends Creek. Beulah Weldon and Margaret E. Newman were given the credit for easing Friends Creek into the modern world. Weldon was the community’s teacher and Newman was the graduate nurse.

Both of them were also trained social workers associated with the Henry Street Settlement. The Henry Street Settlement was an organization that had formed in 1893 in New York City to provide social services and health care to needy New Yorkers.

However, Weldon and Newman saw that Friends Creek was in need, and they believed they could help.

Newman told the newspaper, “My principal motive in leaving New York and coming here was to help the country children, the native Americans, to get a better share of what is due them. In New York there are fine schools, which are almost swamped by the children of recent immigrants, eager to learn, but remote regions such as this are permitting the children, many of whom are direct descendants of Revolutionary war heroes, to grow up in ignorance. The truth of this terrible proportion of illiteracy among our native-born population was brought home forcibly to men, as to many others, by the revelations of the draft records made during the last war.”

The Frederick County Board of Education supported the women’s efforts. They had built a decent schoolhouse in the community, but they had trouble finding a teacher to work there for any length of time. The Frederick News said the that the reason for this was, “The mountain homes, swarming with children, with no possibility of securing a private room, the meagre and unvaried food and the general isolation did not appeal to young school ma’ams: in fact, no boarding place could be found, and it was not within the power of the Board of Education to furnish a home.”

Even when a teacher could be found for the school, attendance was low. The average attendance was only 8 to 10 pupils, which led to the school being closed intermittently for lack of students.

Newman and Weldon arrived in Friends Creek in the summer of 1919. Newman had learned of the community from her father who had bought land in the area with the plan of planting an orchard. He had often told his daughter he wished something could be done for the people.

The women found a place to live in Friends Creek due to the generosity of Dr. Howard A. Kelly of Baltimore. He bought a rustic home on 53 acres for $300 and allowed the women to live there. They moved in and slowly made improvements to the property over the years when they had time. They also kept a small garden, cows, horse, poultry, sheep and “a flivver,” which is slang for cheap car.

It took time for the community to accept the women, but over three years, they helped the people of Friends Creek make significant problems. Interestingly, the religious leaders were resistant to the changes. The community had two religious groups; Pentecostals or “Holy Rollers” and the “Church of God.”

The Holy Rollers, in particular, were against the changes. The pastor was said to have told his congregation “if the Lord intended them to read and write the Holy Ghost would teach them,” according to the newspapers.

Weldon and Newman persevered.

Weldon started holding school with two classes: those who had attended school and those who hadn’t. At first, the latter class was larger than the former. As the children quickly learned, attendance improved. Eventually, all the children, except those in one or two families were attending school.

Another issue they dealt with was the health of the children. When Weldon and Newman arrived, only 12.5 percent of the children were at a normal weight. The remaining children were underweight. Newman started visiting homes and speaking with the families about nutrition. Since most of the students did not bring a school lunch, the women started a school lunch program.

“As there was no place but the schoolroom to  cook the food the distraction was found too great and this was given up, but the teacher and nurse take daily with them to the school a gallon of rich milk from their own cows, which is given to the children who seem to need it most. Few of the families in the settlement own a cow,” the Frederick News reported.

Through diligent efforts, by 1922, 80 percent of the children in the community were at a normal weight.

Weldon and Newman also dealt with problems of poor clothing that was held together by safety pins, snakes, tuberculosis, dental health, and even farming conditions.

It was hard work, but Friends Creek and its residents eventually joined the 20th century.

LEAD Technologies Inc. V1.01

The original Friends Creek Church of God, built in 1868. It was one of two churches in the Friends Creek community in the early 20th century in Frederick County.

Town Hall Reports

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by James Rada, Jr.

Thurmont

Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Approved

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners adopted the budget for Fiscal Year 2025 by adopting the constant yield real estate tax rate of 29.87 cents per $100 of assessed value of the property. The constant yield rate is the rate needed so that the town collects the same amount in taxes as the previous year, even if the assessments increase.

The new budget amounts to $5,311,658 in the general fund.

Also, although property taxes will remain flat, water and sewer rates will drastically increase in July, and electric rates will begin to fluctuate in January 2025 as the town moves to month-to-month rates that will hopefully net a lower overall rate for customers.

Commissioners’ Priorities for POS Money

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners recently reviewed their priorities for Fiscal Year 2025 Program Open Space funds. Mayor John Kinnaird noted that the fund pool is smaller this year. This could make it more difficult to get needed funding, depending on what the other municipalities in the county are seeking.

The Town of Thurmont is seeking:

$10,000 for a new pavilion, tables, and grills at Carroll Street Park.

$7,500 for a new scoreboard for the new East End Park softball field.

Solar lighting for the Eyler Road Park walkway—$13,000 for the front loop only or $26,000 for the entire loop.

If fully funded, these projects, under the current 90/10 match requirements, would need $4,350 in town funding.

Sewer and Water Rates Could Increase

After a review of the adequacy of water and sewer rates to generate the funds needed to operate, it has been recommended that the rates need to increase by at least 11 percent. The Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners plan on holding a workshop about the rates and investigating the situation further.

Town Makes Annual Contributions

The Town of Thurmont recently presented checks to different organizations in town that provide needed services to town residents. The donations were:

•   Guardian Hose Co. – $30,000

•   Thurmont Community Ambulance – $30,000

•   Thurmont Food Bank – $6,000

•   Thurmont Ministerium – $1,000

Appointments Made

The Thurmont Police Department recently welcomed its newest police officer, Eduardo Alfonso Ballesteros, whom Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird swore into the department.

New members were also appointed to the Thurmont Parks and Recreation Commission with staggered terms to avoid having to appoint the entire commission at once. The new members of the commission are:

•   Amie McDaniels (term expires May 7, 2028).

•   Jim Robbins (term expires May 7, 2028).

•   Keith Myers (term expires May 7, 2028).

•   Carl Weber (term expires May 7, 2026).

•   Wes Hamrick (term expires May 7, 2026).

Emmitsburg

New Soccer League Proposed

A group of citizens approached the Emmitsburg Mayor and Board of Commissioners with a proposal for a new municipal soccer league. Andy Crum, who spoke to the board of commissioners, said that having a sports program in town is something the town has been missing. They submitted a proposal to the town for how the league could be established. It is still in the early stages with the organizers looking for town input and support for the league.

Town Approves Deputy Contract

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the Fiscal Year 2025 contract for law enforcement services with the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office. The new contract is for $349,806, which is 18.22 percent higher than the previous contract. This includes a 6 percent increase to the deputy pay scale, along with the associated benefits. There is also an increase to the vehicle maintenance rates and fuel costs.

New Park Bathroom/Concession Stand Approved

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners had to approve a new contract with South-Midland for a new pre-fabricated bathroom/concession stand in the E. Eugene Myers Park that will be located near the disc golf course and the ball field. The building is 23’4” x 19’-4” x 9’ high and is precast. The cost includes the delivery to the site.

The board previously approved a cost of $217,124 at the March 4, 2024, town meeting. However, it turned out that cost was no longer valid. The new estimate was for $239,531, which the board approved.

Budget Transfers Approved

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved the transfer of excess general fund money from the Fiscal Year 2023 budget. The town had a surplus of $446,287 that was transferred to capital improvement projects.

Excess revenue of $243,104 in FY 2023 with interest generated $110,000 additional revenue, and real estate taxes/local income taxes generated at $88,000 additional revenue.

The expenses for FY 2023 were also $203,182 less than anticipated.

Commissioners Get a First Look at the Budget

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners got their initial look at the Fiscal Year 2025 budget. The real estate tax will remain the same at 34 cents per $100 assessed value. Highway User Funds are up, but State Aid to Police will be decreasing. The budget also includes a 2 percent cost-of-living increase for employees, which is below average. It also includes two potential new positions: a town operations specialist and a water and sewer operator.

The proposed general fund budget is $2,525,468, a 16 percent increase over the current year. The proposed general fund capital projects budget is $143,347 with $889,944 to remain in balance.

The proposed stormwater management fund is $26,889, a 459 percent increase over the current year.

The proposed water fund is $215,570, a 1,945 percent increase. It should be noted that this fund will lose money this fiscal year.

The proposed sewer fund is $215,146, a 395 percent increase. It should be noted that this fund will lose money this fiscal year.

From the Mayor

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THURMONT

Mayor John Kinnaird

On Saturday, May 11, Karen and I attended the remembrance ceremony for Commissioner Bill Buehrer. The gathering was held at Stauffer’s Funeral Home on Opposumtown Pike in Frederick and was well attended. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people there that I knew. Since Bill and I were not social friends, I had the chance to meet many of his and Colleen’s relatives, personal friends, and business associates. Bill and I spent a considerable amount of time together at town meetings and municipal events. He was a true fan and great supporter of Thurmont, and he is missed dearly.

There was no formal service, but Colleen invited anyone to get up and talk about their experiences with Bill and share a humorous story about him. Several got up to speak and told us how Bill had befriended them and how nice a guy he was. After some thought, I got up to the microphone to share my amusing Bill story. But, first, I gave a little background on how Bill and I met. We met sitting in the back row at the town office while attending town meetings. As those who have been here long enough will remember, they were a pretty raucous and discouraging affair. We sat through some pretty bad meetings, and after an especially difficult stretch of meetings, we both told each other that we were going to run for office. There were several things we disagreed with, one being the effort to silence public comment during town meetings, and another was how residents were treated during the meetings. One of the biggest issues we saw was that there was a three-to-two vote on almost everything that came to a vote. Sadly, the majority vote was not always for the good of the community but rather was a vote to railroad something or as a spiteful or vindictive measure. Bill and I ran and were both successful in our campaigns. I proudly served with Bill for 12 years, every one of which was immensely productive for our community.

Now, to my funny story about Bill. We never agreed on everything, but we could each easily have a laugh at the other’s expense. One time, he was upset with me about something, and he couldn’t think of anything to say other than, “At least some of us know how to shine our shoes.” I remember looking at him and asking what the heck that meant! Then, I pointed out that I was dressed in my typical work attire of a workshirt, work pants, and work boots. I also pointed out that he was dressed in his work clothes: a suit, tie, and shiny shoes. I asked him what the difference was, and he couldn’t tell me! We parted good friends that evening, as we did every day we saw each other.

Some people thought Bill was tough or that he could be hard-headed. I know Bill was a real softy on the inside. I remember the evening when he announced that Governor Hogan had been diagnosed with cancer. Bill got all choked up just talking about it. Bill suffered from cancer, and we spoke about it often. One day, I bumped into him at the radiation therapy lab at Johns Hopkins, and we both spoke at length about our battles with cancer. Any doubt regarding the size of his heart should have been squashed if you paid any attention to how much of himself he poured into the Gateway to the Cure Cancer Fundraiser every year. We would not have been as successful without Bill’s unwavering support and hard work.

I, for one, miss Bill immensely.

Emmitsburg

Mayor Frank Davis

The month of May seems like a blur, but it gave me the opportunity to experience a different side of the mayor’s position.

On Saturday, May 4, I was honored to deliver the welcoming address to the families of 226 firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty. Having the time to talk with the families and hear their stories was an experience that will stay in my heart. It also brought back the memories of 25 years ago when our town honored one of our own. Terry L. Myers, a 33-year member of the Vigilant Hose Company, died while battling a brush fire. His name is permanently etched in stone at the Fallen Firefighters Memorial on the campus of the National Emergency Training Center.

On May 21, I attended the graduation ceremony for the Catoctin High School (CHS) Class of 2024. As I watched each student receive their diploma, I could picture how each one will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the world in the years to come. I am proud to be a CHS graduate and amazed by the teachers and staff who continue to mentor our students year after year. Success starts with great leadership, and Catoctin High has been blessed with Principal Jennifer Clements. I have personally witnessed her dedication to improving our school and her daily interaction with the students. GO COUGARS!!

A few months ago, I mentioned a new phone app that we would be launching to better communicate with you daily and, more importantly, in the event of an emergency. “My Emmitsburg” is up and running, and we will continue to add new features and information to keep you informed of the happenings of the town. This app can be downloaded from the Apple or Google store, or you can scan one of the many barcodes around town. If you need assistance, please contact the town office.

Some upcoming events for the month of June will include a youth baseball tournament held the first two weekends of the month. This will bring hundreds of players and spectators to town, so please graciously welcome them to our community. Flag Day is June 14, and the Francis X. Elder American Legion Post 121 will be holding a ceremony at 7:00 p.m. in Community Park off Chesapeake Avenue. To finish out the month is our Emmitsburg Community Heritage Day celebration on June 29. Please visit the website at emmitsburgevents.com for a list of events and activities.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns related to town business, please reach out to me and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Woodsboro

Burgess Heath Barnes

Greetings and welcome to summer. Summer is my favorite season. With summer, also comes children being out of school. I urge you to use caution as more children will be out and about enjoying their summer break and may not always be aware when they are crossing the street, etc.

At our May 2nd meeting—held earlier in the month so that we could meet the minimum of 30-day notice of giving out the budget before voting on it—we had a quiet meeting. I would like to thank the Woodsboro Volunteer Fire Department for accommodating us and allowing us to use the facilities at the last minute, as our regular meeting place was being used.

Our June 11th meeting will be busy; we will be voting on the upcoming budget. Although not a lot of changes were made, a few had to be made to accommodate the ever-changing rise in prices for our water and sewer. I am also happy to announce that we have received an adjusted building cost proposal for the town hall. I will be presenting that to the council, along with financing options from Woodsboro Bank to be voted on. The hope is that we can make this new proposal quote work, and we will finally be starting the much-anticipated town hall.

We had several exciting events in Woodsboro during May. The first was the celebration of Woodsboro Banks’ 125th anniversary. They are the oldest locally owned bank in the county, and the ceremony brought elected officials and members from government offices from across the county and state to Woodsboro for the celebration. In addition, long-time bank employee JR Delauter was able to secure a historic plaque for the building from the Frederick County Landmarks Association. It is very exciting. The building that houses the headquarters was built in 1901, and at one time, was the home of the opera house, the post office, and many other things, as well as the bank. The first artisan farmers market was held at Trout’s grocery store on May 19, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., moved due to rain. The annual Memorial Day parade, put on by the American Legion, will be held on Sunday, May 26. It is a wonderful event for our town. Thank you in advance to all who participate in the parade or come out to enjoy it.

We did sign a contract, as requested by multiple town residents, with a new street sweeper company. We are going to begin having them sweep four times a year, but we may increase to six times per year based on the need.

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 gladevalley.org@gmail.com 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.

Emmitsburg New Business and Development Briefs

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The following are the statuses of new businesses and development coming to Emmitsburg from the town planner’s report:

Federal Stone (Creamery Road, east side of US 15) — Under construction.

Seton Village — The applicant is seeking planning commission approval of a subdivision plat to convert two condominium units into two recorded lots. The planning commission approved the plan unanimously, and the plan is awaiting signatures.

Emmitsburg Distillery (East Emmitsburg Industrial Park II Lot 4) — An updated improvement plan has been submitted and reviewed. The town engineer and staff will meet with the developer again to discuss.

Christ Community Church (Creamery Road) — The site plan for review has been approved. The improvement plan is pending.

Mount St. Mary’s University E Wing Improvements (South Seton Avenue) — Updated Plans, including lighting plans, have been received and reviewed. They are awaiting signatures.

St. Joseph Church (North Seton Avenue) — The planning commission unanimously approved the improvement plan for the installation of a ramp that meets ADA standards.

Rainbow Lake Parking Lot — The project is being reviewed by Frederick County.

Emmit Ridge — The town engineer and town staff are reviewing the sketch plat. There is an ongoing discussion regarding the setback requirements.

Development Pipeline/Applicant Interest

Frailey Property Annexation — A potential developer is interested in developing the portion of the property within the town boundary before annexing and developing the rest of the property.

Rodney McNair Property Annexation — Town staff is awaiting an annexation application.

Vigilant Hose Company to Place New Tower 6 in Service at Planned Dedication

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No doubt, many Emmitsburg residents and business owners have already noticed the community’s newest fire and rescue vehicle traversing area roadways while being used for driver/operator training in recent weeks. Solely due to wonderful ongoing community-wide support, the men and women of the Vigilant Hose Company (VHC) are proud to announce that a Dedication Ceremony for the new Tower 6 (pictured above) is scheduled for Monday evening, June 3, at 6:00 p.m.

Members of the public are welcome to join with VHC personnel and their families for a time-honored fire services tradition of a “Push-In” event, where all interested can together “push” the new vehicle into the stationhouse at 25 West Main Street.

Featured on the new Tower 6 is a unique graphic (pictured above) of a Pull-Tab with a Serial Number that represents the actual purchase price of the Tower, a Bingo Card, and a “6 of Hearts” playing card, symbolizing the three most community-supported fundraisers that made it possible for VHC to pay for Tower 6 outright upon delivery. Manufactured by Pierce Manufacturing of Appleton, Wisconsin, and purchased through Atlantic Emergency Services near Hagerstown, the new rig replaces the original Tower 6 originally placed in-service in 1995.

Tower 6 features include a 100’ aerial platform, an Enforcer Chassis, an Allision 4500 6-speed automatic transmission, a full complement of ground ladders, a stokes rescue basket, and dozens of specialty tools and accessories necessary for all manner of emergency calls.

The entire Emmitsburg community is encouraged to stop in to see the new vehicle, plus to also be on the lookout for it heading to and from emergency calls and training details.

Additional photos of the Tower 6 can be seen on the VHC website at vhc6.com and on VHC’s Facebook Page.

Town Hall Reports

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by James Rada, Jr.

Thurmont

Town Considering Adjusting Water and Sewer Rates

Chris Simms with Smart Utilities Management talked with the commissioners about the need to raise water and sewer rates in town.

The town’s water rates haven’t been adjusted since 2012, and the water system is starting to run at a deficit as the capital reserves in the enterprise fund have been used. In 2023, the fund just covered costs, and this year, it will have a $200,000 deficit.

Increasing costs due to inflation are the reason that the need to adjust the rate is happening.

Simms suggested increasing the rate by 15 percent for the fiscal year 2025, with possible increases of 15 percent in the next two years, if needed, to bring the budget back into line with where it needs to be.

A 15 percent increase to rates would increase the average home’s water bill by $10 a quarter and a $15 per quarter increase in the average sewer bill. This means that the average homeowner’s bill will increase by a total of $100 a year.

New Police And Commission Members Sworn In

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners recently swore in new Thurmont Police Officer Kevin Eyler. They also swore in new planning and zoning commission members, Grant Johnson, as a regular member, and Vincent Cover as the alternate member. Their term will end on March 5, 2029.

Town Approves New Bonds

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners voted recently to allow the town to issue bonds not to exceed $2.4 million to pay for needed infrastructure improvements.

Emmitsburg

. Water Treatment Plant Clarifier and Dam Engineering Bids Approved

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a bid for the construction of a water clarifier at the water treatment plant on Crystal Fountain Road. Conewago submitted the low bid of $2,329,561. It was 7 percent lower than the town engineer’s estimate and 6.07 percent lower than the second-lowest bid.

In a somewhat related action, the commissioners also approved a bid for engineering services on the Emmitsburg dam, which is required by the Maryland Department of the Environment. After two inspections of the dam, MDE required six things that the town needed to do to bring the dam into compliance. CPJ of Silver Spring won the contract with a bid of $72,426 and will perform all the compliance items MDE requires. Town staff was impressed by the depth of the inspection that CPJ’s performed.

Two-hour Time Limit on Parking Removed and Meter Fees Increased

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners voted to remove the two-hour parking limit on Main Street, which will now allow vehicles to park for 48 hours on the street without needing to be moved.

The commissioners also voiced to increase the parking meter fee to 25 cents for a half hour and 50 cents for an hour.

Citation Box Removed

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners voted to remove the red citation box at the old town office on East Main Street. According to town staff, the box is not being used, and there are alternate ways for citations to be paid, such as using the black citation box at the town office or mailing the payment to the office.

Rainbow Lake Pump House Bridge Replacement Approved

The bridge at the Rainbow Lake pump house has been found to be structurally flawed and hazardous. According to a safety report, it is no longer straight and shakes when walked upon. This will hinder work at the pump house because it can’t be used, especially to carry heavy items across.

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners voted to hire PlasTech in Baltimore to replace the bridge with a new one made of a Fiberglass material and has a life expectancy of more than 50 years. It will also be fitted to the valve house and concrete structure of the dam. The cost of the contract is $160,959.

New Bid Approved for Depaul St. Water Line

Although the Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a bid to replace 2,340 feet of an 8-inch iron water line, that contractor withdrew its bid. This required the commissioners to award the bid a second time. Besides the water line, fire hydrants will be replaced, the pavement and side will be replaced, and traffic will need to be managed.

Huntsberry Brothers was awarded the contract for $1,217,250. It will be paid for with funds from three different grants.

From the Mayor

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THURMONT

Mayor John Kinnaird

May is here, and nature is treating us to a spectacularly colorful show! I love seeing the mountain as the green leaves appear at the bottom and rise to the top over a few weeks. The amazing weather will also bring out bike riders, hikers, skateboarders, and runners. Be sure to give plenty of right-of-way for our neighbors and guests as they enjoy the great outdoors.

This month, I want to thank our community volunteers. Thurmont has several citizen commissions, including Planning & Zoning, Board of Appeals, Police Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Thurmont Addiction Commission, Ethics Commission, and Thurmont Green Team. Positions on these commissions are filled by community volunteers. Each and every one of these volunteers serves our community by sacrificing their free time to attend meetings and events, and they are deserving of our thanks and gratitude. Openings on all the commissions are advertised, and members are selected to serve for a term that averages four years. I encourage everyone to please consider applying for these positions as they are available. Being a volunteer not only helps our town, but the act of serving the community can be personally satisfying.

Recently, the Thurmont Police Commission, Woodsboro Bank, and Thurmont Police Department sponsored the Community Shred Event. The shred event is held twice a year at the Thurmont Police Department. Residents can bring as many as five boxes of personal, medical, business, financial, service, and other paper records to have securely shredded at no cost. Members of the Police Commission, Woodsboro Bank employees, and Police officers help by unloading boxes and placing the documents in the large bin before it is dumped into the shredder. Residents don’t even have to get out of their cars, but they are welcome to park and observe their papers being shredded if they desire to do so. As part of this biannual event, residents are encouraged to bring along a cash or nonperishable food donation for the Thurmont Food Bank. All the individuals helping with this event are also volunteers!

The Thurmont Green Team sponsored its annual Greenfest with the help of the Thurmont Regional Library. Last week’s Greenfest featured 28 tabletop displays, with crafts and educational material for various ecological and conservation topics. The Greenfest had over 600 attendees and was a great success. The Town of Thurmont received our eighth straight Tree City USA award during the Greenfest. A large part of this award comes from the hard work of volunteers who help plant trees and flowers in Thurmont. Several hundred trees have been planted by volunteers, including school children, Scouts, adults, and Green Team members. You may have noticed the beautiful daffodils that sprung up around town this spring, which were also planted by Green Team volunteers! The Green Team also helps with invasive plant control and flower gardens on our Trolley Trail. Thurmont has always enjoyed a beautiful green canopy; the efforts of these volunteers will help ensure our community has trees to enjoy well into the future.

Thurmont is fortunate to have several wonderful organizations that work hard to make our community the best possible place to live in Frederick County. The Thurmont Lions Club sponsored the Annual Easter Egg Hunt in Community Park. The Lions have held this spring event for more than 80 years! The Lions Club holds many events throughout the year to raise funds for its many community projects. I attended the Thurmont Grange #409 Annual Awards ceremony, where they recognized several residents for their continued support of agriculture in the community. The Grange named the Thurmont Kountry Kitchen as business of the year for their support of local children during the pandemic and their fundraising efforts for our neighbors in need. I also attend events sponsored by Thurmont Scouting. We have an amazing Scout organization that educates children in outdoor activities, sporting events, and valuable guidance so that the Scouts grow into productive, considerate, and well-rounded community members. The Scouts also hold a yearly drive to collect toys for Toys For Tots. This joint venture with the United States Marine Corps helps provide Christmas gifts for many less fortunate children in our region.

There are many other groups and associations that work selflessly to improve the lives of our residents and make our community the best it can be.

These volunteers have many reasons for doing what they do. Every one of them helps because of a deep-seated desire to improve the lives of others. They don’t expect much in return, but we, as a community, owe all of them a great deal of gratitude for their sacrifices. Again, I would like to thank the members of the town commissions and all the members of our many community organizations for all they do for our community. You may not always be thanked for your service—and, unfortunately, there are those who are critical—but each of you should be assured that the majority of our community appreciates your hard work and commitment.

I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful month of May. As always, I can be reached by phone at 301-606-9458 or by email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com.

Emmitsburg

Mayor Frank Davis

As we are halfway through the spring season, it is the time of year to work on your list of chores that have built up over the winter. You also need to take time and enjoy other activities, and May is full of things to do.

On May 3-5, we will, once again, host the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service. This will bring families from across the country to Emmitsburg as part of the healing process from losing a loved one in the line of duty. Please help me welcome our guests and make them feel at home during their visit.

The Emmitsburg Eagles PTO will be hosting a Spring Festival on May 4 at the E. Eugene Myers Community Park. There will be vendors and activities for the whole family.

The Emmitsburg Lions Club will hold a Chicken BBQ at the VHC Activities Building on Creamery Road on May 4.

The Vigilant Hose Company will hold its much-anticipated Annual Spring Fling at the Activities Building on Creamery Road on May 11.

Mount Saint Mary’s University will hold its 2024 graduation ceremony, which will bring family members of the graduates to celebrate this exciting event, on May 11.

Please check the organization’s social media sites for more details.

I am excited that we are kicking off our new Citizen Alert and Notification Application. Please visit the town website at www.emmitsburgmd.gov for more information.

Finally, I know many of you have experienced water issues during the last 30 days, and we appreciate your understanding. We have had several incidents that contributed to low pressure and brown water. The fire hydrant system was used for a fire incident, along with annual hydrant flushing and flow testing. We experienced two water main breaks and a malfunction with a pressure-reducing valve. We are taking steps to minimize these disruptions and will continue to upgrade our water system to reduce the effects to your homes and businesses.

I will be out and about walking the neighborhoods daily, and I hope to meet and chat with you to talk about your thoughts on our great little town.

Woodsboro

Burgess Heath Barnes

Greetings and happy May. This is one of my favorite months as we transition into the summer. I always personally associate the Memorial Day Holiday with the beginning of the fun summer months.

At our April 9 meeting, we were joined by the builders who are going to build nine townhouses on Second Street. He informed us that construction will begin before the end of the year, and once started, will go up rather quickly. As far as the town hall update, we are awaiting the updated rate proposal from the builder to take a vote on it with the council. We are hoping that we will have these numbers to present at the next meeting.

Our May meeting will be held on Thursday, May 2, at 7:00 p.m., instead of the usual second Tuesday of the month. Due to scheduling conflicts with council members and the importance of the May meeting, we moved it to accommodate. We are hopeful that at the May meeting, we will have a town hall updated bid proposal to bid on. We will present our fiscal 2025 year budget proposal to the council, which will then be voted on for approval at the June 11 meeting. Per code, the budget has to be given to the council at least 30 days before taking a vote on it, so that is why the meeting was moved to earlier in May.

Some upcoming exciting happenings are going on in Woodsboro. The first will be the artisan farmers market to be held at Trout’s Grocery Store on May 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The second will be the annual Memorial Day parade that is put on by the American Legion and will take place on Sunday, May 26, at 1:00 p.m.

Mary, our town clerk, is in negotiations with another street sweeper company since the one that we were using disappeared without notice. We have heard the concerns from residents regarding the buildup along the streets and gutters.

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.

Town Hall Report

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by James Rada, Jr.

Thurmont

Parking Option Explored

Parking in downtown Thurmont has become a problem, with the municipal parking lot regularly filled to capacity. Thurmont Economic Development Director Vickie Grinder and Commissioner Bill Blakeslee investigated possible solutions to the problem and came up with a promising solution.

They reached an agreement in principle with the American Legion to turn the empty field beside the Legion hall into a parking lot. The town would develop and maintain the parking lot, which would create an additional 40 to 50 parking spaces. The Legion would still own the land and carry the liability insurance for the parking lot. The lots would then be available for both as a municipal lot and for Legion activities.

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners believe the solution is worth pursuing. They directed Chief Administrative Officer Jim Humerick to get estimates on what it would cost to build the parking lot.

Commissioners Take Action On Sidewalk Obstructions

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners voted to revise the municipal code to stop homeowners from allowing the sidewalks on their property to be obstructed without a special permit from the town. Failure to do so will now result in a civil fine. The issue arose because a home in town kept scaffolding up for an extended period of time, forcing people, including school students, to walk in the street to get around the property.

The changes also make the property responsible for keeping the sidewalk in reasonable repair. Failure to do so will also be a civil infraction and fined.

YMCA Bringing Programs to Thurmont

Interest in bringing the Frederick County YMCA to Thurmont began in 2019, and it looked like it would happen in 2020, but then COVID hit and shut down just about everything. Since then, the YMCA has had to rethink how it delivers programming to underserved areas of the county. They developed a program called “Y on the Fly,” which is a mobile program that can bring equipment into an area and essentially create a pop-up YMCA.

In the coming months, the YMCA has a set of programs coming to Thurmont. A painting and drawing class will be held at the Thurmont Regional Library. A running club for children 7-12 years old will be held in the Community Park. A health class that talks about not only exercise, but also sleep and cardiovascular health, will be held in the library. In addition, the YMCA will also sponsor a one-day basketball skills clinic for children, ages 8-14.

The feedback from these classes will help the YMCA staff evaluate the need for and types of programming in Thurmont.

Sludge Pumps for the Wastewater Treatment Plant

Thurmont’s wastewater treatment plant has aging sludge pumps, one of which failed recently. At the request of Superintendent Randy Eyler, the Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners voted to authorize $30,000 for the purchase of two new pumps for the plant.

Contract Awarded

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners awarded a $147,500 contract to Clean Cuts Lawn Care of Cavetown to cut the grass on town property for 2024 and 2025.

They also awarded Superior Facilities Management Services in Gaithersburg a $141,898.25 contract to replace the Community Park tennis courts.

Emmitsburg.

Town Receives Clean Audit

Michelle Mills and Addie Blickenstaff, CPAs with Deleon and Stang, presented the results of the annual independent audit of Emmitsburg’s financial statements for Fiscal Year 2023. They gave the town an unmodified or clean opinion, which is the highest rating that can be given.

However, the auditors did note some adjustments that needed to be done with the reports.

The material adjustments needed were in the capital projects, sewer, and water funds. This was because money paid with grant funds is not requested for reimbursement until the project is complete. Because of the time delay, it causes a mismatch sometimes between grant revenues and expenditures. The auditors recommended that the town review its policies to see if a more timely billing for grants can be done.

Two other adjustments were needed with the sewer fund that the auditors identified as an oversight during the financial close process.

Depaul Street Waterline Replacement Contract Awarded

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners awarded a contract to replace 2,340 feet of 8-inch waterline, replace the fire hydrants and copper water services, restore the asphalt pavement and concrete sidewalks, and traffic control along DePaul Street to W.F. Delauter & Son. Theirs was the low bid of $849,220.63. The project will be paid for with funds from three different grants.

Trash Contract Awarded

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners awarded a three-year trash service contract to Republic Services of Frederick. Republic will collect trash from approximately 1,142 units in town, weekly, and dispose of it in the landfill. In addition to curbside pick-up, Republic will also provide bulk-item curbside pickup twice a year and a roll-off dumpster for yard waste and discarded Christmas trees. The cost of the contract was $117,252, annually.

Change In Plan for New Park Restroom/Concession Stand

Upon recommendation from town staff, the Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners rejected the bids received for building a pre-fab restroom/concession stand building at E. Eugene Myers Park. It was found that if the town purchased the building directly from Smith Midland, it could save the town around $70,000. Although the town still needs to bid for the site work, the submitted bids included a mark-up from the bidders. This is roughly the amount the town will save by working directly with the manufacturer.

The commissioners voted to spend $217,124 to purchase the building from Smith Midland. They also voted to request bids for the site work, which is expected to cost around $50,000.

Robert Seton

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Grandson of an American Saint

Richard D. L. Fulton

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton was the first native-born American to be canonized) declared a saint by the Catholic Church), which was achieved on September 14, 1975, under the auspices of Pope Paul VI.

Seton, who resided in Emmitsburg from 1809 up until the time of her death from tuberculosis on January 4, 1821, at age 46. Her remains are presently interred within the Basilica of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg.

The story of her life is legend—documented in many written accounts and books as such that it not be elaborated further upon herein—but perhaps a great deal less has been written about her descendants. This story is about one of her descendants, grandson Robert Seton.

Elizabeth Seton was born Elizabeth Bayley on August 28, 1774, in New York City, to parents Dr. Richard Bayley and his wife, Catherine Charlton Bayley.

She married William Magee Seton, a wealthy New York shipping entrepreneur on January 25, 1794, and the couple had five children: Anna Maria, William, Richard, Catherine, and Rebecca. William Seton subsequently died from tuberculosis on December 27, 1803, in Italy.

Prior to William Seton’s death, his health had declined due to the pressures resulting from the stress of his having suffered financial ruin in New York, and the family had moved to Italy, according to the Maryland State Archives.

Elizabeth Seton’s son, William, and his wife, Emily Seton, had nine children, one of whom was Robert Seton, who was born in Livorno, Provincia di Livorno, Toscana, Italy, on August 28, 1839. Robert Seton was one of seven of William and Emily Seton’s nine children who survived into adulthood.

Seton spent his childhood at his parent’s 51-acre estate, “Cragdon,” in Westchester County, New York. The estate was acquired by Emily Seton in 1840 upon the death of her father, Nathaniel Prime. The couple soon converted the estate into a working farm, according to the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Today, much of the estate is preserved within Seton Falls Park. The “falls” was actually constructed by William and Emily Seton.

In 1850, Robert Seton enrolled at Mount Saint Mary’s College in Emmitsburg. According to encyclopedia.com, he studied at the Mount for two years before departing with his parents to Pau in southern France “where he continued his schooling.”

After his mother, Emily Seton, died in France in 1854, he continued his studies in Europe, and in 1857, studied theology and Canon law in Rome, graduating in 1867 with honors from the Accademia Ecclesiastical (also known as the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy). In 1865. Seton was ordained under the title of patrimony (ordained clerk).

In 1866 Seton was advanced to the rank of private chamberlain to Pope Pius IX, and in 1867 he was honored with the title of prothonotary apostolic. As a result, Seton became the first individual from the United States named to these two titles.

After securing his Doctor of Divinity degree from the Roman University of Sapienza, Seton returned to the United States, where he served, beginning in 1876, as the rector of Saint Joseph’s Church in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Seton returned to Rome in 1901 and was subsequently appointed Archbishop of the titular See of Heliopolis in Phoenicia by Pope Leo XIII in 1903.

In 1914, Seton returned to Emmitsburg to the former home and burial place of his grandmother (in Emmitsburg) and other family members (in the nearby cemetery at Mountain Saint Mary’s). The (Baltimore) Sun reported in their October 14, 1914, edition, “Archbishop Seton… came to (Emmitsburg) Maryland, as he said, to die and be gathered with his people.” The newspaper further noted that, upon his arrival in Emmitsburg, “(Seton) has established a headquarters at Mount Saint Mary’s College.”

However, he was not to die in Emmitsburg. Instead, less than a year later, he told The Sun (published in their August 18, 1915, issue) that he had decided to move to France “to spend the remainder of his life,” and to be buried where his parents had been buried in France. He stated that one of the main reasons for returning to France was to “try to alleviate the sufferings of the soldiers brought back from the fighting…”

Seton still did not achieve his final objective of passing away in Emmitsburg. Upon retiring in 1921 overseas, he returned to the United States and died in 1927 at the College of Saint Elizabeth, Morris Township, New Jersey, and was buried in the Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Newark.


Sketch of Archbishop Robert Seton (1839-1927); Source: National Cyclopaedia of American Biography,1893.

Town Hall Reports

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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.

From the Mayor

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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.

Town Hall Reports

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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.

From the Mayor

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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 Blizzard of 1914

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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.

Town Hall Report

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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.

From the Mayor

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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.

Dr. Olu Keeps Emmitsburg Smiling

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James Rada, Jr.

Dr. Olumide (Olu) Bolarinwa (pictured right) used to drive by Emmitsburg Family Dentistry on his way to go skiing at Liberty Ski Resort. It caught his attention because he was a fellow dentist. He then got to know Dr. Timothy Bringardner, and the two became friends.

So, when Dr. Bringardner retired, it wasn’t too surprising that Dr. Olu took over his practice even though he had a practice in Mt. Airy.

Under Dr. Olu’s care, the Emmitsburg Dental Center has been thriving, and it continues the tradition of patient-centered dentistry that Dr. Bringartner started.

Dr. Bringardner retired in January 2023 after nearly 40 years as a dentist. Dr. Olu took over at the end of February 2023.

He still lives in Mt. Airy with his family and takes the back roads to get to Emmitsburg. “I was already used to the drive because I would come this way to ski, so it doesn’t feel far and I enjoy the views on my drive,” Dr. Olu said.

Dr. Olu is a Nigerian immigrant. He came to America in 2006 and attended Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine at Boston University to get licensed as a dentist in the U.S. He obtained his DMD in 2016. He also received a Master’s in Global Health and one of several residency trainings in Dental Public Health, both at the University of California, San Francisco (USCF).

He wound up in Frederick County because he fell in love.

“I met my wife there (Boston University),” he said. “She was studying for her Ph.D. She had grown up in Mt. Airy, and she liked it there.”

He wound up taking over a practice in Mt. Airy, so when he took over Dr. Bringardner’s practice, he had prior experience and knew what to expect. This made it easier and helped make the transition more seamless for the patients.

Besides general dentistry, he also performs extractions, implants, child sedation, and other procedures.

While dentistry has become his calling, Dr. Olu didn’t always want to be a dentist. He wanted to be a professional soccer player. He still enjoys playing the sport, but when he was a young man in high school, his parents had to set him straight.

“They told me that while they weren’t opposed to me playing soccer, it wasn’t a career,” Dr. Olu said. “They said not a lot of people become professional soccer players, and I needed something I could make a living at.”

Being an obedient son, he looked at where his strengths were with his academics (the sciences), and started to look into medicine, eventually settling on dentistry. It is a decision that has benefitted not only him, but his many patients.

The Emmitsburg Dental Center is located at 101 S. Seton Avenue in Emmitsburg. For an appointment, call 301-447-6662.

Photo by James Rada, Jr.

Business Briefs

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Emmitsburg New Business and Development Briefs

The following are the statuses of new businesses and development coming to Emmitsburg from the town planner’s report:

Federal Stone (Creamery Road, east side of U.S. 15) — Groundbreaking for this project was held last month.

Village Liquors & Plaza Inn (Silo Hill Parkway) — A preconstruction meeting is pending.

Seton Village — The forest conservation and delineation applications were received, and town staff are reviewing them.

Emmitsburg Distillery (East Emmitsburg Industrial Park II Lot 4) — Town staff are reviewing the site plan and improvement plan applications. Staff are waiting for the applicant’s response to their comments. The planning commission reviewed the application last month.

Development Pipeline/ Applicant Interest

Frailey Property Annexation — The DRB Group has expressed interest in developing this property with single-family homes/duplexes.

Emmit Ridge — The DRB Group has expressed interest in developing this property with single-family homes.

Rodney McNair Property Annexation — Town staff is awaiting an annexation application.

Town Hall Reports

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by James Rada, Jr.

Thurmont

New Commissioners Sworn In

Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird swore in newly elected commissioners Marty Burns and Bob Lookingbill during the November 4th town meeting to serve four-year terms.

Connection and Impact Fees Raised

The Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners raised impact fees for the town, and they are expected to increase the connection fees. Connection fees are the cost new development pays to connect to the town’s water and sewer systems. The impact fees are fees that new development pays based on the development’s impact on various things in town. The fees must be spent on the items they are paid for.

The new impact fees are:

Water — $3,935, up from $2,885.

Wastewater — $5,575, up from $2,275.

Sewer Pumping Station — $1,000, up from $250.

Roads — $2,760, up from $1,500.

Parks — $1,840, up from $1,000.

The proposed connection fees that the commissioners are expected to pass are:

Water — $4,145, up from $2,500.

Sewer — $5,065, up from $2,500.

Easements Released

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners voted to release easements the town holds on two parcels because they are no longer needed for a public purpose. The easements were on a property on Clark Drive and the Mountain Gate Business Park. The property owners will now have the property with encumbrances.

Emmitsburg

Appointments Made

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners unanimously appointed former mayor and commissioner Jim Hoover to fill the unexpired term for the commissioner seat that was left vacant when Frank Davis was elected as Emmitsburg mayor during the recent town election.

The commissioners also appointed Patricia Galloway as a member of the Emmitsburg Planning Commission, with a term running from November 6, 2023, to March 1, 2026.

Board Reorganized

In a change from years past, rather than putting forth recommendations for which board members should serve in which positions, Mayor Frank Davis allowed the board to decide among themselves which roles the board members would serve.

President: Amy Boehman-Pollitt

Vice President: Jim Hoover

Treasurer: Valerie Turnquist

Parks and Recreation Committee Liaison: Tim O’Donnell

Planning Commission Liaison: Valerie Turnquist

Citizens’ Advisory Committee: Jim Hoover

Town Gets Some Water Fund Relief

Emmitsburg received almost $3.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act money in two payments in 2021 and 2022. It is money designated to help towns and states deal with losses due to the COVID pandemic. Town staff determined that it lost $300,000 from one of its largest water users, FEMA, during the COVID restrictions. Town staff proposed using $300,000 from the ARPA money to fund operating and maintenance costs in the water fund for fiscal year 2024. The hope is that it lessens the impact of the water rate increases the town needed to make recently.

From the Mayor

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Emmitsburg

Mayor Frank Davis

My first few months as mayor have passed quickly. It has been busy and I’m constantly learning something new. The behind-the-scenes operations that keep our town running are impressive. I have gained a new appreciation for the workload and time required to meet the needs of our citizens. Sometimes, it may seem like your concerns are not being heard, but I can assure you that is not the case. Our team, both employees and elected officials, are here to listen and will do our best to respond to these concerns promptly.

I would like to welcome Jim Hoover to the Emmitsburg Board of Town Commissioners. Mr. Hoover is a former mayor and town commissioner and will bring a wealth of knowledge to the council. Mr. Hoover will fill the remaining 11 months of my vacated commissioner term. I would also like to thank all the citizens who expressed an interest in the position; it is evident how many people truly care about making a difference.

Over the last month, I attended many meetings and met many new people, but two events stand out. I was invited to Emmitsburg Elementary School to take part in “Starts with Hello Week.” I was able to meet and speak with each student as they arrived to begin their school day. Their smiles and handshakes were a fantastic way to start the day. I also had the opportunity to speak with the fourth-grade class of Mother Seton School. I spent time speaking about what it was like to be mayor. As most of you know, kids of that age keep you on your toes, and you never know what the next question might be. My time spent interacting with those students gives me hope that the future is bright and there are good things to come.

Be on the lookout for a groundbreaking around Creamery Court. Federal Stone (currently located in Thurmont) is scheduled to begin construction of their new building in the first part of December. The construction process should take about six months, with hopes of moving into their new home in July of 2024. In addition, the remaining building lots on Creamery Court have been sold and are in various phases of pre-construction.

Please check the town website for holiday hours, as they may change in the month of December. Even with the reduced hours, know that we have staff on call, and I can be reached if there are emergency situations.

Let us cherish family and friends this holiday season. From my family to yours: Best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very happy New Year!

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

Christmas is upon us, and Karen and I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years!

On December 1, Thurmont Police Chief Greg Eyler retired from the Thurmont Police Department. Chief Eyler served our community for 18 years and in those years, he brought the department from a small town force to a professional police department. Greg began his police career right here in Thurmont, under the guidance of Chief Herman Shook. He moved on to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Department, where he came up through the ranks and retired as a Major before returning to the Thurmont Police Department. During his time here, our department has grown in size and moved into a new headquarters building. His leadership brought new technology, an increase in the number of sworn officers, and a new standard of community policing. One of the chief’s most recent accomplishments was instituting the switch to a dedicated retirement benefit for his officers. His service has created a police department that our community is very proud of, and we all thank him for his service. We wish Greg and Brenda all the best as they head off on a new adventure in life.

Please consider donations to the Thurmont Food Bank and Clothes Closet in the coming weeks and months. The winter months bring additional hardships to our friends, neighbors, and family members who are less fortunate than ourselves. Donations of non-perishable food, decent cold weather clothing, or cash to these organizations can make a real difference in the lives of many.

It is with great sadness that I talk about the death of former Thurmont Commissioner Bill Buehrer. Bill lost his battle with cancer last Wednesday. I have known Bill for about fourteen years, having met him while attending Thurmont Town meetings. We sat in the back row and shared our thoughts on the future of the town. Bill ran for office in 2011 and was elected as commissioner of the Town of Thurmont. Commissioner Buehrer was extremely proud to serve our community and would often state that Thurmont was the best municipality in Frederick County. He truly believed that we live in the best town possible and worked hard to make sure our residents received the best possible municipal service. As a commissioner, he was very supportive of all events in town and volunteered to help at many of them. He was proud of the sense of spirit in our community and was active in Economic Development, Main Street, and was an active supporter of the Gateway to the Cure fundraising. Bill was very supportive of all of our staff and police officers and helped ensure they got the equipment necessary to do their jobs professionally.

It was my pleasure to serve with Bill over the past 12 years. We did not always see eye to eye on every topic, but we worked to do what was best for our community. Bill and I found ourselves at the radiology department at Johns Hopkins, where we both underwent radiation therapy for our cancers. He was keenly aware of how impactful illness could be on families and was very considerate of those impacted by cancer. This is why he was such a dedicated supporter of the Gateway for the Cure campaign. We spoke often about our illnesses, and he had a very encouraging and positive outlook. I am sorry to see Bill pass, but I will be forever grateful to have known him. Karen and I send our deepest condolences to Bill’s wife Colleen and their family.

Here are some thoughts from others who served with Bill.

Former Commissioner Wes Hamrick:

“It was my honor and privilege to first meet Bill several years ago when I was hired as a staff member with Stauffer Funeral Home. He and his wife, Colleen, recently transferred from South Carolina to work the pre-needs and aftercare for the Stauffer Funeral Home. I instantly connected with both of them. Bill, along with prompting by Colleen, convinced me to run for commissioner. It was their encouragement, faith in my ability, and support that I made the decision to run.

For 10 years, I served with Bill. His personality and that of the other board members provided a nice balance on the dais. Although Bill could have a sometimes gruff and tough-minded exterior, underneath was a very kind and gentle spirit. He truly had the heart of servitude for his community and only wanted the best for Thurmont.”

“The next to the last time I saw Bill was at my last meeting as commissioner.  I went to each one and hugged and thanked them for their support and for the privilege of serving with them. Since Bill sat at the furthest end of the dais, he was the last one for me to thank. We hugged and he held on to me and we said I love you to each other. He truly was a gentle bear in the truest sense. He will be missed and my prayers are with Colleen and his family.”

“May God keep you in His protective arms, my friend.”

Commissioner Wayne Hooper:

“Bill loved our community and served with the best interest of Thurmont at the heart of his work. He was always quick to say that Thurmont is the best municipality in Frederick County, and he truly believed it was.”

CAO Jim Humerick:

“I think Bill was a man of great integrity who loved Thurmont. I sincerely appreciate his support of the town employees and our endeavors to improve operations over the years.”

CFO Linda Joyce:

“I am sorry to hear about Bill. I would like to mention he was receptive to moving the town forward and embraced positive change.”

Economic Development Manager Vickie Grinder:

“I will always remember and love Bill for his compassion and support for the Gateway to The Cure campaign. He was a driving force for the Gateway To The Cure Golf Classic, and was a huge reason for its success. Even when he wasn’t feeling his best, he was always there to help with the tournament, no matter the task he was given. Bill was also a huge supporter of all of our Thurmont small businesses and their owners and could be found patronizing them all. I will greatly miss him and his ambition to bring home a larger check each year for our Gateway to The Cure for the Hurwitz Breast Cancer Fund. I sure hope he is looking down and smiling because this year was the largest total collected in our 10-year history of the campaign. I will miss you, Bill.”

Comments, concerns, or compliments? I can be reached at 301-606-9458 or at jkinnaird@thurmont.com.

Woodsboro

Burgess Heath Barnes

I hope each of you had a very happy Thanksgiving with family and friends. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Blessed New Year. If you can volunteer at a place in the community or help with Christmas for a family that doesn’t have the resources, I encourage it. I promise you; it is very rewarding.

On November 4, 2023, we opened the bidding process for the new town hall. Within three days, we had six contractors reaching out with interest in bidding on the project. All prospective bids are due in the town office by noon on December 4, 2023. All received bids will be presented to the town council on December 12, 2023, and a vote to select the contractor will take place at the January 9, 2024, town meeting. We are all very excited about this next step in getting the construction of the town hall started soon.

As many noticed, water bills for this quarter went out late. This was due to 12 residents not having completed the water meter change upgrade. Billing could not be completed until all were updated. The town had to spend extra money and bring in a new plumber on October 20 to complete these final 12 upgrades, as the contractor’s time in town was only for September. We have finally completed the upgrade. This will make billing much smoother; in January, we will be able to start taking electronic payments, which has been a request for a long time now.

Santa Claus (aka the burgess) will make an appearance at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 17, riding around town with the Woodsboro Volunteer Fire Department. This year, we will be going down all the town streets and possibly up toward the New Midway area as well. After the Santa run, at approximately 3:00 p.m., Santa will be back at the firehouse for pictures until 4:00 p.m. All are welcome to come out and say hello.

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.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.

Emmitsburg New Business and Development Briefs

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The following are the statuses of new businesses and development coming to Emmitsburg from the town planner’s report:

Federal Stone (Creamery Road, east side of U.S. 15) — A preconstruction meeting was held on October 18.

Village Liquors & Plaza Inn (Silo Hill Parkway) — A preconstruction meeting is pending.

Seton Village — The subdivision application has been received. The town is waiting for the forest conservation application.

Emmitsburg Distillery (East Emmitsburg Industrial Park II Lot 4) — The site plan and improvement plan applications have been received.

Development Pipeline/ Applicant Interest

Frailey Property Annexation — A meeting has taken place with a potential traffic engineer for this development of single-family homes/duplexes.

Emmit Ridge — Interest in developing 48 single-family homes.

Rodney McNair Property Annexation — Residential and Neighborhood Commercial potential zoning.