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Tuscany’s Pizzeria Opens in Emmitsburg

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Blair Garrett

Emmitsburg’s newest restaurant has officially opened its doors, giving patrons a piece of Italy, one slice at a time.

Tuscany’s Pizzeria and Italian Ristorante on the square in Emmitsburg made its grand entrance on February 23, with Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs helping to unveil the town’s newest family-owned business.

The ristorante is owned and operated by a tight-knit team, and they’re excited to start dishing out authentic Italian meals to locals who are itching for a new great place to eat.

The shop is run by owner Cesar Ramos and four brothers, all who play their part in making Tuscany’s into a hopefully thriving business.

“We wanted to give people a place in town they could stop by and enjoy and see if we could give people what they want and deserve,” Ramos said.

Owning a restaurant runs in the family for the Tuscany’s.

“Most of my family has been running restaurants since the 1980s,” Ramos said.

That experience offers Ramos and his team something to lean on while they get everything moving at full capacity.

They’ve absorbed as much information as they can to be successful, and that hard work looks like it’s paying off already.

“Since we moved to this country, we’ve been working with a family who has taught us everything about this business,” Kelvin Martinez said.

Tuscany’s offers a variety of Italian favorites, but their specialty is in their pizza. They’ve got over a dozen styles of gourmet pizzas, with each option as unique as the next.

The new ristorante takes over the shop where Stavros Pizza used to be, with the hopes to continue to bring great pizza to the people of Emmitsburg.

“We want to give people something different and something new from what this restaurant used to be,” Ramos said. “We come in with a new name, new ownership, new menu, and new ingredients. We’re trying to give people the best we can do.”

The team is offering a variety of foods that are sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. Between the assortment of hot subs, Sicilian pizzas, and house favorites, it’ll be tough to narrow down which specialty meal you like best.

Despite only being here a short time, the crew at Tuscany’s already feels a connection to this town.

“We’re Catholic, so we would come to town sometimes to see Mount St. Mary’s soccer and basketball games, and we support them,” Kelvin Martinez said. “We would always see this town and we really liked it, and the people are always very nice, too.”

Catch Tuscany’s Pizzeria at the square in Emmitsburg to try out some of their specialty dishes.

You can find more information online through their Facebook at: facebook.com/TuscanysEmmitsburg.

Enrique Martinez, Kelvin Martinez, Cesar Ramos, and Yusthin Martinez represent Tuscany’s Pizzeria, the newest restaurant in Emmitsburg.

Photo by Blair Garrett

From the Mayor

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Thurmont  Mayor John Kinnaird

Winter has arrived! Please keep an eye on your elderly or disabled neighbors during this time of the year. With the recent cold weather, they may not be able to get out for groceries or to clear their walkways. I also ask that everyone helps the Thurmont Food Bank with donations of nonperishable food, toiletries, diapers, or cash. The Thurmont Clothes Closet is in need of warm clothing for all ages. Also, keep your pets indoors if possible during the brutally cold days and nights; if you can’t bring them indoors, be sure to provide them with shelter, clean bedding, plenty of water, and fresh food.

With the recent snow, our plow crews have been hard at work clearing the streets. When snow is in the forecast, please move your vehicle off the road if possible. This will allow our plows to clear the streets from curb to curb. This is especially important in our residential cul-de-sacs. I also recommend not cleaning the end of your driveway until our trucks have cleared the roadway; this way, the trucks will not plow your driveway shut every time they pass. When driving around Thurmont and on other roads, please give the snow plows ample room as they do their job.

You may have noticed the work being done on the Rt. 15 bridge over Rt. 77 at the west end of Thurmont. This State Highway project will replace the deck on the northbound Rt. 15 bridge. There will be lane closures on Rt. 15, and you may experience lane closures on Rt. 77 during construction. There will be flagmen directing traffic on West Main Street (Rt. 77) when there are closures. Be sure to follow their directions.

The Thurmont Planning and Zoning Commission is continuing the Master Plan and Comprehensive Zoning update. If you are interested in this process, be sure to attend the meetings in person or tune in live on Cable 99 or online at Thurmont.com. The P&Z meets the third Thursday of each month in the Town Office Meeting Room at 7:00 p.m.

New playground equipment has been installed in Woodland Park. There is a large piece with rope ladders, bridges, and three slides. There are also several smaller exercise pieces, new benches, and covers for shade. Be sure to stop at Woodland Park and check out the new playground equipment.

The Board of Commissioners recently approved the purchase of right of ways that will allow a connection from the Thurmont Community Park from West Main Street. This will eventually incorporate a pedestrian/bike bridge over Hunting Creek, allowing a connection between Community Park, residents on West Main Street, and the Gateway Trail. The Gateway Trail is a cooperative effort between the Federal and State Parks and the Town of Thurmont. This will allow hikers and bikers to access the trails in both parks and our Trolley Trail. We are working to get the Trolley Trail extended to Catoctin Furnace as part of a loop trail from Thurmont to Catoctin Furnace, across Rt. 15 and up Catoctin Hollow Road to the State and Federal Parks and then back to Thurmont.

The Maryland Board of Public Works recently approved Project Open Space funding for several park projects in the Town of Thurmont. These projects include a new baseball/softball field at East End Park. This will include the design and construction of a new regulation-sized baseball/softball field to include fencing, backstops, dugouts, a gravel driveway, and a parking lot. The project will also include a stormwater management system and an ADA-compliant walkway. A second project will install new athletic field lights for the new baseball/softball field. The proposed outdoor recreational lighting system is designed to perform its intended function, be energy efficient, and minimize light pollution. The third project will see the construction of an ADA-compliant asphalt walking trail at East End Park.

Please contact me at 301-606-9458 or by email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com with any questions or comments about these projects or anything else to do with the Town of Thurmont.

Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs

Here we are, a new year, 2022, duly anointed there to enfold, there onto judgment, hopefully, a blissful repletion be ours. To that goal, we seem to be tracking well. A “big snow” event is now behind us. It has been a dry fall into winter period. Snow is good for replenishment of the water table, as its tendency when melting is to slow seepage into the ground and less is lost to runoff. Irishtown Road is complete enough to accommodate two-way traffic on and off Brookfield Drive, a decade after opening to one-way out. From permit applications and conversations, with the 19 proposed houses along Irishtown Road, 10 homes have been placed under contract.  

To the questions of no masks, masks, shots, boosters, variants, what is medicine, the role of science, and discovery. Why the back and forth? From Stephen Hawking’s, The Brief History of Time, “…redefining the goal of science: our aim is to formulate a set of laws that enables us to predict events only up to the limit set by the uncertainty principle… On many occasions we have increased the sensitivity of our measurements or made a new class of observations, only to discover new phenomena that were not predicted by existing theory and to account for these we have had to develop a more advanced theory.” Knowledge is frustrating, as it is a never-ending progression. With every question comes more questions. This adds credence to the old axiom, “When you think you know, you don’t know.”

At the town’s regularly scheduled monthly meeting, Deputy Ben Whitehouse was honored for his six years of service to the town as a resident deputy. He is moving on to other responsibilities within the sheriff’s department. Ben once went into a building fire and led people out to safety. Thank you, Ben, for your service. Also announced at the meeting were several changes on the planning commission. Joyce Rosensteel stepped away from her 20 years of public service as an elected member of the town council and later as an appointed member of the planning commission. Thank you, Joyce. Well done. It has been a pleasure to work with you over the years. Lured by a fellowship grant at Harvard, Dr. Bernard Franklin is relocating to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has resigned from his appointment to the planning commission.

To the two vacancies on the commission, Kevin Hagan moved from being the alternate to a regular member, and Amy Boehman-Pollitt is a new member. Terri Ray, a former employee of the town, has accepted the invitation to be an alternate on the commission. Terri Ray is an exceptional person. Her warm voice greeted us all as the former receptionist and office manager. After over six years with the town, Terri has accepted a position in the accounting field with one of our local organizations. Thank you, Terri, for your service to the community and best to you for the bright future that lies ahead for you.   

Now on to Lent and budget preparation for the upcoming 2022-2023 town fiscal year.

Town Hall Report

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by James Rada, Jr.

Thurmont

Commissioner Liaison Appointments Made

For 2022, Mayor John Kinnaird appointed the following town commissioners to serve on the various Thurmont commissions and committees:

•    Wayne Hooper — Mayor Pro Tem, Addictions Committee, and Special Activities Committee.

•    Bill Buehrer — Board of Appeals and Economic Development Committee.

•    Wes Hamrick — Parks Commission and Thurmont Ministerium.

•    Bill Blakeslee — Police Commission and Thurmont Senior Center.

•    John Kinnaird — Planning and Zoning Commission.

Town’s County Capital Budget Requests

In recent years, Frederick County Government has asked municipalities for local projects they would like the county to fund. For Fiscal Year 2023, the Town of Thurmont is asking Frederick County to fund the following things for Thurmont:

•    $25,000 for Thurmont Senior Center operation.

•    $180,000 for the sidewalk on Moser Road, from the wastewater treatment plant to Jermae Estates.

•              $50,000 for asphalt on Old Pryor Road.

Emmitsburg

Emmitsburg Fields Stay Free To Use

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners voted to continue a no-fee policy for town ball fields use that has been in effect for two years. However, town staff is exploring maintenance options and how the town and sports leagues can share maintenance costs if no fee is charged.

Some towns ask sports leagues to provide basic field maintenance for the free use of the fields. Brunswick is one local municipality that does this, according to Town Manager Cathy Willets. Currently, the town pays all maintenance for the fields, which amounted to more than $10,000 last year.

Commissioner T.J. Burns was also concerned that when the new regional park opens along Motter Station Road, it could attract teams away from the town fields, so the town needed to make it attractive to use its fields.

Community Deputy Recognized

The Town of Emmitsburg recognized the six years of service Frederick County Sheriff’s Deputy Whitehouse gave the town. Board President Tim O’Donnell said Whitehouse had “consistently gone above and beyond” in his service to Emmitsburg as a community deputy. Whitehouse was promoted within the sheriff’s office and will no longer be working as a community deputy.

Former Commissioner Rosensteel Recognized

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners issued a proclamation recognizing Joyce Rosensteel’s 20 years of service to the town as town commissioner and a member of different committees in town.

Appointments Made

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved the following appointments to town commissions:

•     Kevin Hagan as a regular member of the planning commission, with a term of January 18, 2022–January 18, 2027.

•     Amy Boehman-Pollitt as a regular member of the planning commission, with a term of December 10, 2021–July 2, 2022.

The commissioners also accepted the resignation of Dr. Bernard Franklin from the planning commission, effective December 10, 2021.

Frederick Health Partners with Mount St. Mary’s University on New Healthcare Facility

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Frederick Health, the largest healthcare provider in Frederick County, is pleased to announce the groundbreaking of a new, top-of-the-line facility in Emmitsburg. This facility—which will be built and operated in partnership with Mount St. Mary’s University—will provide award-winning local care to residents of the area, as well as staff and students of the university.

This facility will offer a wide range of healthcare services, focusing on prevention, treatment, and the overall wellness of the community. Urgent care, primary care, lab, imaging/X-ray, and other important medical services will be offered once the facility opens next year.

The development and construction of this facility will continue to improve access to quality care in the northern parts of Frederick County.

 “The construction of the new Emmitsburg facility is yet another way of increasing access to the award-winning care provided by Frederick Health. These kinds of improvements help our neighbors and community grow healthier together,” said Tom Kleinhanzl, president and CEO of Frederick Health.

The facility, which broke ground in October 2021, is expected to open to the public in the middle of 2022. It will be the 23rd facility within Frederick Health’s expanding network. Currently, the healthcare system includes Frederick Health Hospital, Frederick Health Medical Group, Frederick Health Employer Solutions, Frederick Health Home Care, and Frederick Health Hospice. The healthcare system also has more than 100 providers, 17 specialties, and multiple locations across the county. The system has several ambulatory-care locations, the freestanding James M. Stockman Cancer Institute, two urgent care locations, and the Frederick Health Village.

“Bringing care to residents of the northern part of Frederick County is extremely important. As our county continues to grow, we must ensure that all Frederick County residents can receive quality medical treatment,” added Kleinhanzl.

Frederick Health was pleased to partner with an institution with nearly 215 years of history in the community. Under this partnership, Mount St. Mary’s University graciously donated the land upon which the facility will be built. This facility, which will be open to the general public and operated by Frederick Health, will also serve as the university’s new student health center.

Mount St. Mary’s first entered into a strategic healthcare partnership with Frederick Health in 2018, allowing for expansion and improvement of health and wellness services for students and student-athletes. Since that time, the two organizations have worked to strengthen their partnerships, with the goal of bettering healthcare access to the community.

“We have been very pleased with our partnership, which has become even stronger during the pandemic and was a major factor in our ability to have students living and learning on campus last year,” said Mount St. Mary’s President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D.

University leadership echoed the benefit of expanded services to the northern part of Frederick County.

“As part of our commitment to our students’ and the local community’s health and well-being, the partnership has evolved to further improve services to our students and help bring needed healthcare services to Northern Frederick through this healthcare facility,” stated Trainor.

With over 3,300 employees, Frederick Health provides a full spectrum of healthcare and wellness services to support its mission to positively impact the well-being of every individual in our community.

From the Mayor

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Emmitsburg

Mayor Don Briggs

Lots of things to unwrap in our town Christmas stocking for 2022. To add to the Christmas decorations adorning the square are the new façade improvements on the building on the northwest corner. From the impetus of becoming a state-recognized sustainable community leading to downtown upgrades, now the properties on three corners of the square have benefitted from grants offered through the town.

The construction work along Irishtown Road (I know, I am tired of talking about it, too) is moving closer to completion. On more than one occasion, the contractor has said the delays have been because of the opacity of the rock. The impermeable nature, the igneous rock family, of the rock bed along Irishtown Road has caused the installation challenges of water and sewer lines. This groundwork could not be accomplished through dynamiting but only by more tedious labor-intensive drilling. 

The Boys and Girls Club after-school program has grown its student body. This is a much-needed program for the community. There have been discussions about providing a before-school program if it can find the volunteers.    

The long-awaited Rutter’s store is moving along to a now-scheduled completion and opening in late summer 2022.

Federal Stone, which is relocating to Emmitsburg, is still planning for groundbreaking spring 2022 off Creamery Road east of U.S. 15 for their new home, a 50,000 sq. ft. office-warehouse.

The repairs to Brookfield Drive caused by construction traffic are scheduled to be completed in spring 2022. There is the possibility for the development of the Emmit Ridge II single-family subdivision off Irishtown Road. The development process could begin in spring 2022. With the development will come the long-awaited second entrance into Northgate.

In a town December podcast, Mount President Tim Trainor confirmed that the Mount, in partnership with the Daughters of Charity, will open a Professional Health Graduate School in town. The school will occupy a two-story wing of the Basilica. The initial focus of program offerings will be a graduate Physician Assistant degree. The first class of 40 students is planned for September 2023. Other graduate programs planned for later include one for applied behavior analysis and another for athletic training, and the possibility for several more.

The Frederick Health and Mount St. Mary’s Partnership medical facility is now under construction and planned to open in the summer of 2023. The facility services will be available to the entire community.

Major infrastructure projects continue with a pump station upgrade $1,000,000+/-, water clarifier $800,000+/-, and DePaul Street water line $1,000,000+/- scheduled for 2022.

Wonderful to have a town Christmas tree lighting again. Holding to the tradition of the first Monday evening of December in front of the community center, defiant to and humbled by a winter mix, those in attendance stood their ground to join the caroling offered by the raised voices of the Christ’s Community Church children’s choir and music of the Mount St. Mary’s flute ensemble. From there, a short scamper walk to the Carriage House Inn for Christmas music, free hot dogs, cookies, hot chocolate, hayrides, and meeting Santa. Thank you.

Even with COVID-19 out there, we will move forward to add to our wonderful life here. Happy New Year.

Thurmont

 Mayor John Kinnaird

Happy New Year! I hope that 2022 brings everyone some relief from the last two years of uncertainty and worry. COVID-19 continues to cause widespread sickness, and I recommend that everyone get a vaccination or the booster if they can. The Frederick County Health Department offers free testing, vaccinations, and boosters at several locations throughout the county. A list of locations and times is updated regularly at this web address: https://health.frederickcountymd.gov/629/COVID-19-Vaccine.

The Town of Thurmont fiscal year begins on July 1 each year, and with the arrival of January 1, we find ourselves halfway through the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year. I am happy to report that Thurmont is in sound fiscal health. We are on track with our budget projections, and the next two quarters should be as on-target as the first two.

The town recently received the results of our 2020-2021 audit by Zelenkofske Axelrod LLC, Certified Public Accountants. The audit found no issues with our bookkeeping, accounting practices, and record keeping. I credit our accounting staff and CFO Linda Joyce for this clean audit. Due to the diligence and hard work of the accounting staff, all the financial records are held to the highest standards of Governmental Best Accounting Practices. 

I know we have not seen any snow yet, but we all know it is coming. Please drive carefully on our streets when we are experiencing snow or ice. Our snow crew is made up of workers from all of our departments, and they are always at the ready to tackle any snow event.

When it does snow, please keep the following thoughts in mind. If you can, please park your vehicles in your driveway to keep the streets clear for the plows. Streets with no cars can be plowed to the curb and will be passable as opposed to streets with cars parked on the curb. Be sure to leave the snow at the ends of your driveway until after our plows have completed their work. It can be aggravating for residents when the snowplow comes back around and plows your driveway shut. I experience this issue with my sidewalk every year! Speaking of sidewalks, snow must be removed from all sidewalks within 24 hours of the cessation of any fall of snow, sleet, or freezing rain, or within 36 hours when the accumulation exceeds eight inches. The owner, tenant, occupant, lessee, or person responsible for a lot or part of a lot abutting a paved sidewalk shall remove or cause to be removed any snow and/or ice from the abutting sidewalk for a width of three feet, or the width of the sidewalk, whichever is less. These regulations can be found in Thurmont Code, Chapter 84 Property Maintenance, http://thurmont.com/DocumentCenter/View/1827/Chapter-84—Property-Maintenance-2020.

The year 2022 will see some much-needed water and sewer infrastructure projects, including the replacement of mains and laterals on North Church Street. We expect to start the bidding process for this project in the early spring. There will be work on several stormwater basins on Frederick Road and some upgrades to our high-pressure water system. Improvements are on the way to several parks through Project Open Space Funding, and a new softball field is in the works for the East End Park.

The Planning and Zoning Commission is still working on the Master Plan and Comprehensive Zoning updates. If you are interested in this process, please keep an eye on the P&Z Agenda published available on the town website in advance of their monthly meeting. Due to a large amount of project review, the month of January will have two P&Z meetings.

Please contact me at 301-606-9458 or by email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com with any questions, comments, or suggestions.

Town Hall Reports

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by James Rada, Jr.

Thurmont

Commissioners May Adjust Colorfest Fees

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners reviewed the costs and revenues the town incurred during the 2021 Colorfest. The town had $25,707 deficit, which was the greatest loss since 2014. The town works to balance the income it receives from permits and fines against the costs of signs, security, labor, sanitation, and transportation. Since these numbers can’t be projected accurately, these numbers can vary greatly, but the amount of the deficit seems to have surprised the commissioners. A large contributor to the revenues was that there was a significant decrease in vendors. Surprisingly, various speakers told the commissioners that COVID seemed to have little direct impact on the numbers. Other health issues among vendors, vendors going out of business, and making other plans for that weekend were mentioned.

Commissioner Bill Blakeslee suggested increasing the fee that the town receives from each parked car from $2.00 to $4.00 and raising the parking cost from $10.00 to $15.00 a vehicle. This would allow the town to receive, perhaps, another $18,000 while not costing the vendors more of their profit.

They also will adjust some of the costs to see what money can be saved there. They plan to re-examine the issue later this month.

Stormwater Ordinance Introduced

The Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners introduced a stormwater management ordinance required by the Maryland Department of the Environment. Much of the discussion around the proposed ordinance centered around what sorts of discharges were illegal and what enforcement authority the town had, such as entering and examining private property.

Town Receives a Clean Audit & Gateway to the Cure Donation

Mike Samson with Zlenkofske Axelrod, LLC, presented the results of the annual independent audit of Thurmont’s financial statements for Fiscal Year 2021. He 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 nor had any disagreements with the management.

Economic Development Manager Vickie Grinder recently told the Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners about the town’s 8th Annual Gateway to the Cure efforts. This year’s events pushed the amount of Thurmont’s donations to the Patty Hurwitz Breast Cancer Fund to over $100,000. The 2021 donation was $18,000. The money will stay within Frederick County and go toward direct patient care.

“I brag about you everywhere. I tell everyone what a great town you are and how supportive you have been to our efforts, and we just appreciate it very much,” Hurwitz said.

Emmitsburg

Town Will Conduct a Connection Fee and Rate Study

The USDA told the Town of Emmitsburg that its current rates for water and sewer don’t appear to be enough to sustain the projected growth and maintenance on the system. Most municipalities will update their rates every three to five years. Yet, it has been at least 15 years since Emmitsburg conducted a rate study. The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a bid of $35,000 to have NewGen Strategies & Solutions in Annapolis conduct a study of the town’s water rates, sewer rates, and connection fees. Although not the lowest bid, NewGen had excellent references and extensive local experience.

Town Receives a Clean Audit

Michelle Mills, CPA with Deleon and Stang presented the results of the annual independent audit of Emmitsburg’s financial statements for Fiscal Year 2021. She 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.

Board of Appeals Appointments

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners accepted the resignation of Ronald Lind from the Board of Appeals, effective October 12, 2021. They also appointed Levi Esses as a regular member to the Board of Appeals for a term to run from December 7, 2021, to February 17, 2023, and appointed Scott Frager an alternate to the Board of Appeals for a term to run December 7, 2021, to January 11, 2024.

Town Sets Price for 303 West Lincoln Avenue

Having declared that 303 West Lincoln Avenue has no public use, the Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners had the property appraised. The recommended listing price for the property is $625,000. The town is expected to negotiate first with the current building occupants, Christ Community Church, to sell the property. If an agreement can’t be reached or the church is not interested in continuing to use the property, it will be placed on the market.

From the Mayor

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Emmitsburg

Mayor Don Briggs

As if queued with the changing colors of fall, and a wink from a reluctant fall, all permits in hand, the long-awaited start of construction of the Rutter’s store has finally begun. Many months after getting town approvals, site work has started and moving at a rapid pace to take advantage of the mild weather.

Another solemn and appropriate Veteran’s Day observances were held by the VFW Honor Guard with a 21-gun salute tributes at the American Legion, the Doughboy, and five area cemeteries. The commemoration is celebrated on the anniversary of the end of World War I, Armistice Day, when hostilities with Germany ended at the “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.” The honor guard holds the salute ceremony on only two occasions every year: Memorial Day and Veterans Day. It has been an honor to stand with them over the last 11 years on these occasions, and I look forward to doing the same next year.

Irishtown Road upgrades will be delayed now until late December to early January 2022. The contractor hit rock. Again, the completion of upgrades will include leveling out a crest on Irishtown Road and enhancing safer conditions for driver visibility, accommodating the opening of Brookfield Drive onto Irishtown Road to two-way traffic, and bringing Ryan Homes building 19 single-family homes on the last remaining lots in the Brookfield subdivision. Thank you for your patience.

The Seton Center and local churches are seeking our charity to contribute gift cards from local grocery stores to share our blessings with our neighbors for holiday meals. Please contact your church or the Seton Center. They have a sizable list of those in need.

Please join us on Monday, December 5, at 6:00 p.m. for the town Christmas tree lighting in front of the Emmitsburg Community Center. From there, walk to the Carriage House Inn for Christmas music, free hot dogs, cookies, hot chocolate, hayrides, and to meet Santa.

On Saturday, December 11, the Lions Club will host meeting Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus at Vigilant Hose Company Activities Building on Creamery Road. The event is open to all, at no cost, featuring photos with Santa Claus, hot dogs, and hot chocolate from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Later that day, the American Legion will hold a ham and turkey raffle from 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Heads up, the town has been awarded a grant for (license) tag readers. The readers will be positioned along thoroughfares around town.

Our town has been blessed over the last year with grants, building restorations around town and on the square, four new businesses (and more on the way), getting Ryan Homes back building, upgrades to Irishtown Road, and welcoming new families.

Don’t want to forget, from Lib and me: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thurmont

 Mayor John Kinnaird

Thurmont’s Annual Gateway to The Cure was a great success this year, with over $18,500 being raised to help support the Patty Hurwitz Breast Cancer Fund and the good work at the Frederick Health Hospital and its partners. I want to thank each and every resident of the Town of Thurmont for helping us realize another banner year for this great annual event. Those who participated in the many events, including the Golf Tournament, 5K Fun Run, pumpkin decorating, as well as everyone who purchased light bulbs, pinwheels for the garden, t-shirts, hoodies, and the other items, should be very proud for helping with this year’s effort.

The Town of Thurmont recently held elections, and I am pleased to have been reelected as mayor. I want to congratulate Commissioner Wayne Hooper on his reelection and Bill Blakeslee on his election as a new commissioner. I look forward to serving the residents of Thurmont for this four-year term, and I will be working closely with the Board of Commissioners to continue the work we have at hand. Funding from the American Recovery Act and the recent infrastructure funds will be put to good use in Thurmont. Our plan is to invest the majority of the Recovery Act funding in our water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. One of the first projects we will be working on is the upgrade of water and wastewater lines on North Church Street. Important upgrades to many of our stormwater management facilities will also be completed. It is my hope that the recent infrastructure funding will help us with much-needed street repairs. I will also keep pushing for the reinstatement of 100 percent of the important Highway User Revenue, so we can apply those funds to our streets. Thurmont and all other Maryland communities saw drastic cuts in our HUR funding several years ago, and our streets have suffered from these cuts. HUR funds come directly from gas taxes, user fees, and license and registration fees. We continue to pay these fees, and yet the HUR funds are still not back to the level they were 12 years ago.

With Christmas and winter upon us, I encourage everyone to support our local food bank and Clothes Closet. Many of our neighbors are not as fortunate as we are and would benefit greatly from your generosity during this season. The Thurmont Food Bank depends on community donations and would appreciate donations of nonperishable food, toiletries, baby products, or cash. The Clothes Closet would appreciate your donation of warm winter clothing for both adults and children. Winter is especially hard on families and warm clothing is a must. Your donations can help bring much-needed joy and comfort to local families.

Christmas in Thurmont is well underway, and I hope everyone has had a chance to participate in some of the festivities. The Frederick County Society of Model Engineers is hosting an amazing model train display at 21 East Main Street. There are also pop-up shops offering great gift ideas at 21 East Main Street. I want to wish everyone good luck in the Christmas Decoration Contest—they always put a lot of effort into it! I think that Santa, the Grinch, Frosty the Snowman, and, hopefully, Buddy the Elf and Jovie will be making appearances at the Square in Thurmont, so girls and boys can drive past and wave to their friends. A big “thank you” to Thurmont businesses, organizations, and volunteers for helping make Christmas in Thurmont a success.

I want to remind everyone that free COVID-19 vaccinations and testing are available at the Thurmont Town Office every Friday evening, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. All three current vaccinations are available, as are the boosters. Members of the 104th Area Support Medical Company of the Maryland Army National Guard stationed at Camp Frederick, Reisterstown, have been assisting with the vaccinations, and I want to thank them for helping our community. Appointments or doctor’s orders are not required for the vaccinations or testing. This service is made possible through the Frederick County Health Department and the Town of Thurmont.

Karen and I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Year’s. We look forward to what the New Year will bring. See you in 2022!

Please contact me at 301-606-9458 or via email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com with any comments, questions, or concerns.

Town Hall Report

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by James Rada, Jr.

Thurmont

Commissioners List ARA Projects

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners listed the projects they will fund with the $6.7 million the federal government is providing the town from the American Recovery Act. Many of the projects that the town had hoped to fund weren’t eligible under the new law, such as roads, electric, and sidewalk projects. The main focus of the funds was to be used for wastewater and water infrastructure projects.

These are the upcoming ARA projects for Thurmont:

•    Replace water and sewer mains on North Church Street. The state is also expected to repave the street once the project is completed. ($163,000 for engineering and design; $136,000 for inspection services; and $2.8 million for construction).

•    Replace the water main on Pryor Road and tie into Hillside Circle. The commissioners had planned to fund this using an already approved state loan. They will have to decide whether to use the ARA funds for an additional project or to repay the loan ($470,000 for engineering, design, and construction).

•    A water pumping station on Radio Lane ($80,000 for engineering and development, and $820,000 for construction).

•    MS4 upgrades to stormwater facilities ($120,000 for engineering and development, and $1.1 million for construction). 

•    Accounting software upgrades to allow online payments ($175,000).

•    Expansion of the town office ($50,000 for engineering and development, and $262,800 for construction).

•    Repair of stormwater catch basins on Frederick Road ($30,000).

•    Repair of sewer lines near well 7 ($18,000).

•    Storm drain repairs in Jermae Estates. This is completed and the town is asking for reimbursement ($17,385).

•    Economic development assistance for businesses affected by COVID ($300,000).

•    COVID-related wastewater and electric payment arrears ($50,000).

•    Repair to sewer laterals ($500,000).

Board Approves Bridge Analysis

The Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners approved $8,500 to have ARRO Consulting, Inc. study the bridges on Boundary Avenue and North Altamont Avenue to see if there are any structural integrity deficiencies. The bridges are starting to show some wear.

Emmitsburg

Problems With Pump Station

Emmitsburg Town Manager Cathy Willets told the Emmitsburg Commissioners that the pump station “can no longer keep up with these high flows” during the November town meeting. During October, the station treated an average of 889,000 gpd, while using 231,882 gpd. That means that the station was having to treat three times as much “wild water” as normal wastewater. The additional flow was due, in large, part to Tropical Storm Ida and another heavy rain event weeks later.

Another problem that continues to plague the plant is residents who flush rags into the system. The town had to hire a contractor to come to the plant to remove rags and grease from the system after staff had already removed five garbage bags of rags and grease by hand. Because these items aren’t removed during pumping, they are clogging the system. The town has tried to alert citizens to the problem, but it has not yet helped.

Mount Students Still Causing Partying Problems

The Emmitsburg Community Deputies still continue to receive complaints about Mount St. Mary’s University students living in town who are disturbing residents with their partying. The students have been warned in the past about carrying open alcohol containers in town and drinking in public. The deputies told the commissioners that they need to “escalate to the next level” their efforts to curb the problem.

Committee Appointment

Bernard Franklin was reappointed to the Emmitsburg Citizen’s Advisory Committee to serve a two-year term until September 3, 2023.

Town Declares Properties Not Needed

The Emmitsburg Commissioners declared two pieces of property the town owns as “no longer needed for a public purpose.” The properties are at 303 West Lincoln Avenue (now used as Christ Community Church) and 16715 Creamery Road (three acres of the water treatment plant property). This decision allows the town to set a sale price and sell the properties if the commissioners should choose to do so.

From the Mayor

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Emmitsburg

Mayor Don Briggs

Was it protracted summer or second spring? There was no break in the weather to accommodate a resurgent Indian summer. Our plants and foliage (along with Lib and I) enjoyed the opportunity to rebloom and grow. Then, finally the feel of fall swept in for a morning walk in mid-October. It is time. Time to close out gardens and restock compost bins with fallen leaves.

I greeted 25-plus members of Gettysburg Walking Club (GWC) down for a walkabout and lunch at the Carriage House Inn on a beautiful day. Thank you, Dee Conley, a town resident GWC member, for bringing business and exposure to the town.

Maryland Department of Planning reported census data from 2010 to 2020 reflected the population of Frederick County increased 16.4 percent. As a result, our Northern Frederick County Council District 5 will be redistricted to include precincts from a more-populated adjoining district. We live in the largest district, but also the least populated. The goal of the election board was, “to bring the proportion of the county’s population within each council district to as close to 20 percent as possible. The proposal would bump the District 5 proportion from less than 18 percent to more than 19 percent and decrease the District 2 proportion from more than 21 percent to 19.5 percent, changing it from the most populous district to the second least populous.”

I was honored to attend and speak at the groundbreaking for the Frederick Health—Mount care facility. The facility will serve not only Mount students but also residents of Northern Frederick County. The facility will be located on the university land at the corner of Annandale Road and Old Emmitsburg Road, across from the School Security office. It is much-needed and an important part of enhancing the town and Northern Frederick County social infrastructure. In addition to primary care, blood testing and special testing (i.e. mammary exams) will now be available more conveniently in our “neck of the woods.”

So, what is this MS4 that keeps coming up at town meetings? Well, welcome to the governmental proclivity for what sometimes feels like bloated self-defining program acronyms. MS4 is not a British spy intelligence agency. MS4 is “Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System.” Fundamentally, it addresses the concern of protecting the cornucopia the Chesapeake Bay affords us. President Obama, through executive order, elevated the necessity to protect the bay. All of Maryland, except a small sliver of western Garrett County, is included with parts of six states and the District of Columbia in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

“MS4 Permit is a permit administered by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to carry out the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, implemented by the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA). The NPDES program aims to restore and protect the U.S. waterways. To meet these requirements, MDE issues MS4 permits with the aim to reduce and eliminate pollution because of rainfall runoff. Frederick County is in its fourth generation of the NPDES – MS4 permitting going back to  1997.”

The Seton Family Store plans to hold a Christmas Craft Fair & Open House on Saturday, November 27, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Free Wi-Fi connection and electricity is available to stands. There are limitations, indoor spaces, caps on categories (e.g., number of jewelry artisans). Spaces are offered on a first-confirmed basis. Interested handmade artisans, crafters and/or food vendors wanting to register for spaces, please go to www.SetonCenter.org/Christmas. Cut-off for applications is the close of business on Saturday, November 13.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving with family, and get ready to set the table for Christmas.

Thurmont

 Mayor John Kinnaird

Thurmont is holding elections for Mayor and two Commissioners the day after I wrote this article. I look forward to serving with the newly elected Commissioners, as we work together to make Thurmont the best it can be!

Colorfest has come and gone for another year, and considering we missed last year, it was a great success. I hope all our nonprofits did well this year. All of our churches, civic groups, Scouts, the Guardian Hose Company, the Thurmont Ambulance Company, and others depend on Colorfest for a large portion of their annual income. Next year, things should be back to normal and Colorfest will be back again.

The Skate Board Park is now open and is an extremely popular place! I want to thank the members of the Thurmont Skate Park Commission for their hard work to help this become a reality. A special thanks to Stacie Zelenka and Kiersten Dugan for their amazing guidance in getting the park up and running. Finally, thanks to everyone that helped by making donations, the Thurmont Board of Commissioners for their full support of the project, and Jim Humerick for staying on top of everything while this dream came to life.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! If you are traveling for Thanksgiving, please be careful. I encourage everyone to consider making a donation to the Thurmont or Emmitsburg Food Banks so that our less fortunate family, friends, and neighbors can enjoy a happy Thanksgiving dinner.

Christmas in Thurmont is coming up fast. Keep your eyes open for more information about our Christmas tree lighting, the annual train display, the Christmas decorating contest, and other fun holiday events.

Please remember that every Friday evening, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., the Frederick County Health Department is offering COVID-19 vaccinations and testing at the Town Office. They are set up in the parking lot and typically have the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. If you are eligible, they will also administer boosters.

If you have any questions, comments, complaints, or compliments, I can be contacted by phone at 301-606-9458 or via email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com.

Town Hall Reports

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by James Rada, Jr.

Thurmont

Public Hearing on Master Plan Update

The Thurmont Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the draft update of the Thurmont Master Plan on December 2 at the town office. The purpose of the hearing is for the planning and zoning commission to receive comments on the proposed update that the members will consider before approving an update and submitting it to the Mayor and Board of Town Commissioners for adoption.

New Commission Members Sworn In

Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird swore in Viktor Kraenbring and Frankie Thorton to the Thurmont Police Commission to serve three-year terms. Kinnaird also swore in Kraenbring to serve a five-year term on the Thurmont Planning and Zoning Commission.

CDBG Project for Medical Center

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners approved submitting a project for the Catoctin Medical Center for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. If approved by the state, the grant would fund the replacement of the rear entrance ramp and the installation of a new ADA-compliant ramp for the front entrance of the center. These ramps would benefit about 70 percent of the visitors to the center and cost around $151,425. The grant is a pass-through grant and does not cost the town anything.

Emmitsburg

Regular Office Hours Resumed

The Town of Emmitsburg has resumed its regular office hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Appointments are required to meet with staff members, and face masks are required for anyone visiting the office. Water and sewer bills and other documents for staff can still be placed in the black drop box.

Board Designates American Rescue Plan Funds

The Town of Emmitsburg is expected to receive $3.1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. The town received the first installment of these funds in July, and the second payment will be received within the next year. The funds can only be used for certain projects, including water and sewer infrastructure projects.

The Emmitsburg Commissioners unanimously voted to use the first installment funds of $1.57 million to help pay for the town’s new water clarifier and pump station projects. The money will be used to cover shortfalls in both projects.

The cost of the pump station is currently estimated at $3.7 million. The new station will replace the existing pump station on the west side of Creamery Road. The water clarifier to help the water treatment plant is estimated to cost $2.36 million.

Wipes Clogging Pumping Station

Emmitsburg Town Manager Cathy Willets told the commissioners that the town sewer system is having problems because of flushable wipes and sanitizing wipes clogging the wet well at the pumping station. If this problem continues, it could lead to expensive repairs at the pumping station.

Ground Broken for New Health Center

Frederick Health and Mount St. Mary’s University broke ground on October 15 for a new healthcare facility in Emmitsburg. The center will treat Mount students and staff and local residents with prevention and other wellness services. The center is expected to open in June 2022. The project began with a partnership between Frederick Health and Mount St. Mary’s in 2018. The university donated the land for the project, while Frederick Health will operate the building. The center will also serve as the university’s student health center.

Commissioners Sworn In and Board Reorganized

Re-elected Town Commissioners Tim O’Donnell and Clifford Sweeney were sworn in to office during the October town meeting.

Mayor Don Briggs also recommended the following board positions for commissioners: Tim O’Donnell—President, Cliff Sweeney—Vice President and Citizens Advisory Committee Liaison, T.J. Burns—Treasurer, Joe Ritz III—Planning Commissioner Liaison, and Frank Davis—Parks and Recreation Committee Liaison. The commissioners unanimously approved the recommendation.

Deputies Trying to Address Mount Student Problems

Frederick County Deputy Jason Ahalt told the Emmitsburg Town Commissioners that there has been a definite “uptick” in problems with Mount students, primarily student athletes, who are living in town. The problems tend to come from the parties in homes after athletic events. Ahalt said the problems are being addressed, but the commissioners are trying to find more effective means of dealing with the problems.

Town Hall Reports

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by James Rada, Jr.

Emmitsburg

Rutter’s Breaks Ground

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Rutter’s store on MD 140 was held on September 13. Work is expected to begin this month. The 8,400-square-foot store is expected to bring around 50 jobs to the area. Besides the convenience store, the site will also include diesel and gasoline fuel pumps, a truck scale, and truck and car parking spaces. It is expected to open in the second half of 2022.

Stormwater Study Contract Awarded

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners reluctantly awarded a contract of $33,578 to the University of Maryland Environmental Science Center to conduct a stormwater utility feasibility study. This is part of the federal mandates municipalities are being required to do, and the commissioners complained that it is placing an unneeded strain on the town’s budget.

Town Charter Repealed and Replaced

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners repealed the town’s charter in September and replaced it with one that had been updated and corrected for grammar and style issues. Although it did not contain major substantive changes, one that garnered discussion among the commissioners was a change from requiring a one-year residency in town to run for town office to one month. This is based on a recommendation that the longer requirement was likely unconstitutional.

Slaughter Appointed to Committee

During the September town meeting, the Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners appointed Sandy Slaughter to serve on the Citizen’s Advisory Committee. Her three-year term will run until September 7, 2023.

Arbor Day Event at Myers Community Park

The Town of Emmitsburg is hosting an Arbor Day event at Myers Community Park on October 2 at 9:00 a.m. Seven new trees will be planted. The public is invited to attend. Bring a shovel and help. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will also hold a tree-planting demonstration.

Town Receives $400,000 to Plant Trees

The Town of Emmitsburg received a $400,000 grant to plant 26 acres of trees near the town’s wastewater treatment plant. The trees will be planted on land donated to the town by Daughters of Charity.

Thurmont

Town Election This Month

Thurmont’s town election will be on October 26 at the Guardian Hose Activities Building at 123 East Main Street in Thurmont. Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., as citizens choose who will serve as mayor and in two commissioner positions. Anyone in line when the polls close will be allowed to vote.

To learn more about the candidates, you can attend the candidates’ forum hosted by the Thurmont Lions Club at the town office. It will be held on October 6 at 7:00 p.m. If you have questions you would like asked, contact Mark Long at Mark.Long999@gmail.com no later than October 4.

Town Makes Donation to Senior Center

The Town of Thurmont recently made a $33,000 donation to the Thurmont Senior Center to help them continue providing activities and services for the town’s elderly.

Town Replacing More Utility Poles

The Town of Thurmont had planned on replacing six utility poles in town, but recently discovered that three more were in need of replacement. The additional poles are in Woodland Avenue and Moser Road. The town added the poles to the outstanding RFP for the six poles. The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners awarded a contract of $56,500 to AUI Power in Elkton to replace nine utility poles in town.

Check for Tree and Shrub Compliance

The Thurmont Police are asking residents to check to make sure their trees and shrubs are in compliance with town ordinance. Limbs must be no closer than 9 feet above sidewalks and 15 feet above streets. Otherwise, the limbs must be removed.

O’Donnell and Sweeney Win Re-Election In Emmitsburg; Kinnaird Unopposed For Mayor In Thurmont

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James Rada, Jr.

The Town of Emmitsburg held its municipal election on Tuesday, September 28. Cliff Sweeney, Liz Buckman, Rosario Benvengi, and Tim O’Donnell ran to fill two commissioner seats.

During the election, residents cast 269 ballots. O’Donnell was the top vote-getter with 182 votes, followed by Cliff Sweeney with 174 votes. Former commissioners Buckman and Benvengi received 98 and 63 votes, respectively.

On the same day, the Town of Thurmont held its nominating convention in the town office to decide on who would be running for the mayor and the two commissioner seats open this election.

John Kinnaird was the only person nominated for mayor, so it is expected he will be elected for his third term as mayor of Thurmont.

Long-time Commissioner Wayne Hooper will be seeking re-election as a Thurmont Commissioner. He will be joined in the race for the two commissioner seats by Christopher Stoutter, Mickey Blank, Sabrina Massett, Olen Gunn, Janice Guillory, and Bill Blakeslee.

Commissioner Marty Burns is retiring after 24 years of service to the town and won’t be seeking re-election.

The Thurmont town election will be held on October 26 at the Guardian Hose Company activities building at 123 East Main Street in Thurmont. The polls will be open from 7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Anyone in line when the polls close will be allowed to vote.

Absentee ballots for this election will be available on October 8, and the close of business on October 19 is the last day to make an application for an absentee ballot.

The winners of the election will serve four-year terms.

Looking Back

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More Accomplishments of HARNEY UNIVERSITY

by James Rada, Jr.

During the early part of the 20th century, the highly successful Harney University was known for the many great achievements of its faculty. If it was to be believed, the reputation of the school outshone any other college in the country.

If it was to be believed. Which it wasn’t.

The faculty, as it were, consisted of Jacob Turner, Jerry Overholser, Daniel Shorb, and Bill Snyder, who met regularly at the Slagle Hotel in Emmitsburg. The staff would have also had to include Sterling Galt, editor of the Emmitsburg Chronicle.

The adventures of the Harney University faculty wasn’t an attempt to fool readers of the newspaper. The stories were too outrageous to be believed. It was a way to inject humor into the news and bring a smile to faces of readers.

Here are some of the fantastical achievements of Harney University and its faculty.

January 24, 1913: The Khedive of Egypt sent Dr. Dan Shorb a wireless message that consisted of four lines of gibberish made up of letters (some upside down) mixed with numbers (including fractions) and a few odd characters. Translated, the message was supposedly talking about how the parcel post system in Egypt was so successful and required so many camels that the manufacturing of camel-hair brushes, camel hair shawls, and “camelopards” had ceased.

July 25, 1913: Harney University now had a War College, which the federal government was consulting over how to handle tensions with Mexico. The recommendation of the War College was that seven airplanes loaded with molasses be sent to the border, along with troops from Zora, Four Points, and Poplar Ridge, who would be armed with 800,000 rounds of Limburger bullets.

According to the Emmitsburg Chronicle, the plan was simple. “The molasses will be released from the aero-planes, about 100 tons from each machine. This will have the same effect on the enemy as tangle-foot flypaper has on flies. When the opposing forces are rendered incapable of marching or standing erect, Limburger bullets will be discharged at them at a rate of 10,000 a second. Death will be instantaneous due to the smell of the cheese. An important feature of this mode of warfare is that death will be so horrible that no further recruiting will be possible—no one will enlist in the Mexican army.”

August 8, 1913: Jacob Turner was appointed the chair of snakeology at the University of Harney. He wanted to offer a correspondence course in snake charming. “The professor now has 28 snakes of different varieties fully trained and he says he has no difficulty in making them do anything he asked. In the collection, there are two copperheads which he has taught to dance the tango and a black snake taught to walk the slack wire blindfolded,” the Chronicle reported.

September 12, 1913: Twenty-seven men, under the direction of Dr. Jerry Overholser and Dr. Daniel Shorb from the University of Harney, built an airship underwater. “The main feature of the engine, which is of the complex eccentric type, is the simplicity of the duplicidentate. The meta centre articulates with the friction real and top burtons on the warping chock. This flutes the suction pipe in such a manner as to lap joint the back gear. The lubricator, connecting with a center balance spring, throws the pinch cock under the carburetor, at the same time opening the muffler cutout near the nephoscope. This feeds the silo juice through the bunghole and sparks the fifth wheel near the gunwale. The cloud anchor, which is regulated by a heliograph, is so adjusted on the pinochle deck that it releases automatically from the whiffletree, making it possible to stop and remain stationary by putting on the reverse clutch while going at the rate of 184 knots a second.”

They planned to take the ship on a test flight from the Popular Ridge standpipe to the Eiffel Tower, stopping for lunch at the Sandwich Islands.

September 27, 1913: Dr. John Glass of Harney University came out against the Federal Reserve issuing smaller bank notes. Instead, he had a formula using rubber and yeast that he wanted currency printed on. He told the Emmitsburg Chronicle, “Expandable bills will allow local residents to stretch their dollars further, allowing more to be bought with each bill.”

October 15, 1915: James Arnold and Howard Harbaugh went hunting with Shorb and brought back a Gnukokukua Hen, three Aviskovis Hawks, and a Night Heron, which were supposedly displayed in the Chronicle’s front window.

October 8, 1915: Daniel Shorb of the “Board of Strategy, of Harney University” invented a rapid-fire noodle soup gun for the French Government. The gun fired noodles to entangle the legs of enemies and feed them when they were your prisoner. The French ordered five million of them and awarded Shorb the Order of the Imperial Soup Ladle and granted him a lifetime pension of 450,000 francs annually. He was also working on a macaroni tent that would both feed and shelter prisoners.

December 12, 1918: George Sanders sued the Emmitsburg Motor Car Company because the company sold a car to Rebecca Shorb, who then proceeded to get into an accident with Sander’s horse-drawn wagon. The Chronicle reported, “Mr. Sanders, citing evidence recently published by the University of Harney that women’s brains did not have sufficient capacity to master the art of driving, feels that the Emmitsburg Motor Car Company should not have sold Miss Shorb the car. ‘By selling a car to a woman,’ Mr. Sanders said, ‘they have endangered all hard working men who have to use the roads to make a living, and thus are liable for any damage they produce. Women should stick to their proper roles—namely cooking, cleaning and taking care of youngins, and leave complex tasks that require thinking to men.’”

The building drawing is from the Emmitsburg Chronicle and supposedly showed the Harney University Science Hall that Dr. John Culp, Professor Emeritus of the Science of Pingpongology, presented the university.

From the Mayor

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Emmitsburg

Mayor Don Briggs

With heavy hearts, the southern Adams County, Northern Frederick County community mourn the loss of Battalion Chief Joshua D. Laird. He gave his life in the line of duty at a residential fire in Ijamsville on August 11. Chief Laird was a 21-year veteran of Frederick County Fire and Rescue. He resided with his family in Carroll Valley, Pennsylvania. As a further bond, the family is a part of the Mount family. The viewing and funeral memorial service were held at the Mount athletic arena. 

Recently, Northern Frederick County lost another dear friend, Tom McFadden, a former superintendent of Catoctin Mountain Park. I first met Tom in the mid-80s at a Rotary Club luncheon. In not too short a measure of time, I was a volunteer. Soon, Lib and I were founding members of the Catoctin Area Mountain Park Resources, Inc. (CAMPER), a nonprofit organization set up by Tom. Initially, we worked on clearing trails for President Reagan to ride. My role expanded to the shared leadership duties of a newly formed park horse patrol. The responsibility of the patrol was to assist in assuring safe passage for visitors. Patrol members were holstered with then state-of-the-art “walkie-talkies.” Horses and tack were kept high on the mountain at the Misty Mount stable near Camp David, the Presidential retreat. Unlike today’s less-inviting identification, back then there was a simple roadside sign: “Camp David.” Once, I took a photograph of a visiting student from Nigeria by the sign. It was a special time and an honor to be a part of the park, absorbed into the mountain’s palette of wildlife, birds, mountain laurel, ferns, and a broad cooling canopy of hardwood trees. 

The Irishtown Road construction started in mid-August. The intention was to not shut down the road and have flag-men there to assist the traffic flow during construction. However, in a more-encompassing perspective for the safety of workers and vehicular traffic, there will be road closures. Soon, there will be two-way traffic off Irishtown Road to Brookfield Drive. This is a vital connection needed to balance expanding town traffic flow. The timetable is fluid, but the intention is to wrap up road construction by mid-fall. With the road project will come 19 homes built on the south side of the road to finish out the Brookfield subdivision. So, another segment of town connectivity will be completed, with sidewalks and lighting in front of the homes. Think about it, in the not-too-distant future, with the completion of the proposed Emmit Ridge II subdivision and finally a second entrance to Northgate, there will be a second east–west sidewalk connection through town.

Under the long list of taking things for granted…40 years ago, we might have laughed at the thought of buying water or at the possibility of a water shortage in the area. But, once again for many reasons—development, weather changes—the town has implemented phase 1 voluntary conservation restrictions.

The town has issued its permit for development of the Rutter’s site. It is our understanding that the permit from the county is being processed.

Envision Frederick held its monthly meeting in Community Park on Saturday, August 28. I welcomed visitors and was a panel speaker.

The town pool will close after Labor Day weekend (September 6). From all reports, a good season was had by all.

Praying that our students can get back to school this fall in an orderly and comfortable way. They are our present; they are our future.

Thurmont

 Mayor John Kinnaird

I am very pleased to announce that the contract for installing the new skate park has been awarded. Construction should start within two months. This has been a very interesting process that began with a group of teens approaching the Board of Commissioners about getting a skate park in Thurmont. Since then, we acquired Project Open Space funding to help finance the project, and the members of the Skate Park Commission have raised about $15,000 in donations to help with the funding. The park commission has also played a part in designing the park and made a recommendation for the selection of the contractor. The skate park will be located at East End Park. Be sure to keep an eye open for the groundbreaking ceremony.

The Frederick County Health Department is offering COVID-19 testing and vaccinations at the Town Office parking lot every Friday, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. You can also get the booster shot if you qualify with medical issues. At this time, you must use the same vaccine as your original shots. I believe Frederick County will be expanding the booster shot to everyone else within the next two months. Check the Frederick County Vaccination page for vaccination clinic locations, times, and the vaccinations available at www.health.frederickcountymd.gov/629/COVID-19-Vaccine.

The Town of Thurmont will be holding elections this fall for mayor and two commissioner positions. Here are dates to keep in mind as the elections approach.

September 28, 2021—Nominating Convention at 7:00 p.m. at the Thurmont Municipal Offices.

September 28, 2021—Last day to register to vote in the election. You must register at the Municipal Offices before the close of business at 4:00 p.m. on September 28.

October 8, 2021—Absentee ballot applications will be available.

October 19, 2021—The last day to make an application for an absentee ballot. You must apply at the Municipal Office before the close of business at 4:00 p.m. on October 19.

October 26, 2021—General Elections to be held at the Guardian Hose Company Activity Building, 123 East Main Street, Thurmont. Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Persons in line at the time of closing will be permitted to vote.

For more information contact the Town Office at 301-271-7313. I encourage everyone to get out and vote!

Colorfest for 2021 is in the planning stages, and permits will be available soon. After last year’s cancellation, I hope that this year will be a huge success. Many of our local non-profits, churches, Scouts, organizations, the Guardian Hose Company, and the Thurmont Community Ambulance Service depend on Colorfest for much of their annual income. We will follow Maryland COVID-19 recommendations in place at the time.

I hope everyone has a great September. As always, I can be reached at 301-606-9458 or by email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com with any questions or comments.

Looking Back

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THE MAGNIFICENT HARNEY UNIVERSITY

by James Rada, Jr.

Note: This is the first in a series about the “achievements” of Harney University.

Emmitsburg is known for being the home of Mount St. Mary’s University, but for a while, another nearby university regularly made the newspaper with stories of great innovations in science and technology that its learned professors developed.

That university? The esteemed Harney University.

Never heard of it? That’s not surprising since despite all of the achievements credited to its faculty in the Emmitsburg Chronicle, the university didn’t exist…at least not as an educational institution.

A group of residents met regularly at the Hotel Slagle and came up with unusual stories that the newspaper published.

The faculty, as it were, consisted of Jacob Turner, Jerry Overholser, Daniel Shorb, and Bill Snyder, who met regularly at the Slagle Hotel in Emmitsburg. The staff would have also had to include Sterling Galt, editor of the Emmitsburg Chronicle. Whether the group came up with the goings-on at the university or it was something Galt did alone is not known.

What is known is that the stories provided readers of the Chronicle a lot of smiles and laughs in the early 1900s.

Here are some of the fantastical achievements of Harney University and its faculty.

October 7, 1910: The Harney University football team won a game against a team from Pigs Misery. The game was played on Musk Rat Field, which was a gift to the university from Dan Shorb. Shorb was listed as a former professor of “Propaeduetics and a John Glass lecturer on the Theory of Aviation.” The newspaper reported that 11,000 people attended the game and seven different bands played between quarters. One player named Murky Suds made a daring play. “This professional in a daring dash of 90 years with eighteen men on his neck, dislocated the goal post and tore away the gunwale and three hatchways on the port side of his physiognomy,” according to the Emmitsburg Chronicle.

March 15, 1912: Roald Amundsen was the first person to reach the South Pole. The Emmitsburg Chronicle disputed his claim, saying that Dr. John Glass and Dr. Bill Snyder of Harney University had found the pole two years earlier at 3 a.m., “brought it back to Harney, and preserved it in alcohol.” The paper went on to further note, “Dr. Glass is not even willing to concede that Amundsen got to the farthest point south unless he is able to produce the lawn mower which Dr. Snider left on the front lawn under the cherry tree near the house which they lived while in those southern parts.”

November 15, 1912: Dr. Dan Shorb received the election returns using an intricate machine so that “long before the telegraph instruments of the county had ticked the news, Prof. Bushman, who had his airship anchored on the prairie dog house nearby, was on his way to Emmitsburg with bushel baskets filled with the correct information,” according to the Chronicle. He also claimed not to need his wireless device to get the returns from Thurmont, Harney, and Jimtown. His eyesight was so good, “He simply looked over the shoulders of the clerks, from his private office at Pigs Misery, and wrote down the results. Some slight difficulty was experienced in reading the tally sheet at Poplar Ridge, owing, the doctor said, to a bad wick in one of the lamps at that place,” the Chronicle reported.

November 29, 1912: President Woodrow Wilson was planning on appointing Dr. John Glass and Professor Dan Shorb of Harney University to help revise the tariff code on codfish balls. “Clarence Buckingham, brother of the Duke of Buckingham, will also revise the tariff on dill pickles. In an unrelated note, Col. Stonebottle, one of the most prominent citizens of Emmitsburg, painted his overalls on Saturday,” the Chronicle reported.

December 13, 1912: The Harney University faculty held a pinochle tournament, competing for a trophy. It had been a dill pickle in 1911. “The trophy this year will be a loving cup filled with spinach, presented for this event by the Young Lady Society for the Prevention of the Use of the Denatured Alcohol and Strawberry Shortcake,” according to the Chronicle.

The Slagle Hotel where the esteemed faculty of Harney University met to discuss matters of world-changing importance.

Town Hall Reports

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by James Rada, Jr.

Thurmont

End-of-Year Budget Amendments Made

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners approved nine adjustments to the Fiscal Year 2021 budget, totaling around $158,000 in additional funding and $48,651 in transfers from other funds. Most of the amendments reflect grant funding that was received during the year and the town match required of the grants. The transfers show that for a town investment of $48,651, it received an additional $158,000 in improvements.

Stormwater Management Projects Approved

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners will pay Arro Consulting $134,385 for retrofit design engineering of five stormwater management facilities the State of Maryland is requiring. The project will be paid for with money from the general fund.

Thurmont Boulevard Study Progresses

The plan for Thurmont Boulevard has been on the books for about 30 years, although little progress has been made on the project. The new road would relieve some of the traffic on Moser Road and Frederick Road and support development in the southern end of Thurmont. The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners approved using $53,300 in street-impact fees to continue the preliminary engineering study. The goal is to be ready to move forward with the project when a developer gets a project approved that needs the road.

Additional Park Projects Possible

The State of Maryland provided Frederick County with $6 million in local parks and playgrounds infrastructure funding. The money will be split 50/50 between the county and municipality for near-shovel-ready projects. The town needed to submit a wish list to the county of possible projects for the funding. These include: sealcoating the Thurmont Trolley Trail, building the Gateway Trail pedestrian bridge to connect Community Park to West Main Street, the new East End Park baseball field, and Eyler Road Park field lighting. The town also plans on submitting some lower-priced projects in case sufficient funding for the larger projects cannot be obtained.

Emmitsburg

Town Office Open for Walk-ins

The Emmitsburg Town Office is now open for walk-in service at the front desk. You can pay water/sewer bills, obtain fishing permits, make park pavilion reservations, all in person. Office hours are 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Friday.

Per Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner, the following guidelines will be enforced: (1) face masks are required in the building, (2) only the service window will be open to the public, and (3) appointments are required to meet with town staff outside of regular front desk services.

You can also attend town meetings in person. Face masks are required throughout the town meetings.

ADA Curb Contract Awarded

The Emmitsburg Town Council awarded MIM Construction the contract to make the town’s sidewalk curb’s ADA-compliant at street crossings. The contract is for $623,028.50, but with allowances for change orders, it is not to exceed $705,893. The project is funded with a $685,893 Community Development Block Grant, a $10,000 town cash match, and a $10,000 town in-kind match.

Logging Contract Awarded

The Emmitsburg Town Council awarded Tipton’s of Union Bridge the contract to log forestry stand 10. The town will receive $75,100 for the timber. Ninety percent of the funds will go to the water fund, and 10 percent will be used for trail maintenance to repair and damage the logging might cause.

Concern for Bypass

Emmitsburg Commissioner TJ Burns expressed concerns about the southern bypass included in the town’s comprehensive plan. Although the project is not happening in the near future, the town and the owner of one of the properties needed for the bypass have talked about annexation.

Burns’ major concern is that the town would have to maintain the road and supply the electricity for a future traffic light on South Seton Avenue to create a way for non-town residents to get around the town.

“There’s a lot of things the town is on the hook for to create a loop around for non-residents.”

Mayor Don Briggs added his reservations, saying that it would hurt commerce downtown. However, he added that the bypass has been on the books around 14 years, and it is no closer to happening.

Town Planner Zach Gulden added that there are many hurdles to leap before it would become a reality. All the property owners would have to want their properties annexed. The town council would have to agree to the annexation. Town residents could vote against the annexation, and the Maryland State Highway Department would have to approve the connections to two state roads. Any of these could derail the project.

From the Mayor

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Thurmont

 Mayor John Kinnaird

Here we are in the month of August; time flies when you are having fun! I hope everyone had a great time at the Guardian Hose Company Carnival. Be sure to watch for upcoming events at both Guardian Hose Company and the Thurmont Community Ambulance Company. I know they are planning car shows and other events for the upcoming months. They will also be out in full force at Colorfest. Both of these great organizations need our continued support!

The Thurmont Skate Park is getting closer to reality with the public request for bids on the project. The town has secured $40,000 in funds to help with the construction, and I know the Skate Park Committee has been hard at work collecting donations. Once the design has been approved and the contract awarded, we will be planning a groundbreaking ceremony at the Skate Park grounds at the East End Park. Be sure to watch for upcoming details and join us as we kick off this wonderful project.

Frederick County recently received $6 million in parks improvement funding from Federal Recovery Funding, and the municipalities in Frederick County will be sharing half of that funding. We have submitted several projects that are shovel-ready and expect to be able to move forward on several of them as soon as possible. We will keep you updated.

As many are aware, the Federal American Rescue Plan has allocated funds to the state, county, and municipal levels. These funds are to be used for a very narrow set of circumstances, with most of the funds targeted at infrastructure repair and improvements. The Town of Thurmont has received $3.78 million to be invested in the first phase of this program. It is our intention to focus on several important water and wastewater projects. These will include the replacement of water and sewer lines on North Church Street from the railroad bridge to Rt. 15, much-needed repairs to the water service line on West Pryor Road, improvement to several Storm Water Management facilities to bring them up to current MS4 requirements, and several water service items to help improve water flow and availability. The Thurmont Board of Commissioners will be discussing these projects during upcoming meetings.

Finally, I want to remind everyone that the Frederick County Health Department is offering free COVID-19 vaccinations every Friday afternoon, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., at the Thurmont Municipal Offices at 615 East Main Street. I want to thank the Frederick County Health Department for making the vaccinations available to the residents of Thurmont and Northern Frederick County. I also want to thank everyone that has received a vaccination and to encourage those of you that have not received a vaccination to think about doing so. The vaccine is one of the best ways to slow the spread of COVID-19!

As always, I am available for comments or suggestions at 301-606-9458, by email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com, or via Facebook..

Emmitsburg

Mayor Don Briggs

The State of Maryland COVID-19 State of Emergency has been lifted. Governor Hogan made the announcement at the Maryland Municipal League (MML) late June conference. Maryland is back in business. For the most part, all COVID-19-related mandates have ended. Masks in places of worship, restaurants, and stores are optional.

Looking to the future with the experience of losing over 500,000 citizens to COVID-19 is the not included 93,000 drug-overdose-related deaths, of which approximately 70,000 were related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Let us reach out and talk to people. We are in this community together, not alone.

After the governor’s announcement, the town requested that Frederick County Government, our landlord, allow the town to reopen the office to the public. County buildings are now open. The request was granted with certain restrictions. We must all wear masks in public areas of the building. Ordinary transactions, paying bills, licensing, etc., will be handled at the receptionist service window. If you need specific attention with a staff member, it will be by appointment only. Office hours are 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Friday.

Gym use will commence Sept. 1. Groups interested in using the gym should contact the town. Like in pre-pandemic times, there will be a meeting in September to work out sharing the gym. Please contact the town for the date and time of the meeting.

June closed out with yet another grassroots Community Heritage Day success. Other communities have their special events but this is Emmitsburg’s. The events, displays, parade, and fireworks combine to make it a unique day. Lots of elbow grease in this one. Lions Club members, businesses, town staff. Congratulations and thank you. Comparatively the 4th of July was quietly celebrated in our hearts with flags out, and visitations to the new businesses in town. The smoothie shop and comic book and more shop in the strip center by Jubilee and the ice cream stand (soon to be Dairy and possibly bakery shop) on E. Main Street. Coming soon is a pizzeria at the Stavros location on the Square (with, I have been told, the Stavros pizza recipe).

Quietly, a major investment in the downtown is taking place. On the building facing the square in the northwest corner. Total rehabilitation of interior, electrical, plumbing, and windows. Renovation is planned to be completed in mid-August.

Four wayside historic exhibits were dedicated on the last day of June. On East Main Street, the John Armstrong long rifle maker home. On South Seton Avenue, the train terminal, the fire museum glass etching, and the Mother Seton’s White House. This brings us to a total of eleven waysides. Another set is in the works that will include tributes to St. Euphemia grade school on DePaul Street and the free school on West Lincoln Avenue. Please enjoy your walkabouts.

I attended the opening of the “Seton Family Treasures” museum on the lower level of the Basilica. Very attractive presentation with informative historical displays. Congratulations.

And congratulations to the Catoctin State Championship baseball team.  What a group of young men! Winning two state championships within 18 months is an incredible achievement. A third championship most likely could have been won in basketball, too, if not for the pandemic.

As I mentioned in the previous article, Emmitsburg is one of the top 10 most beautiful, charming small towns in Maryland, and also known as “Green Town” over the last decade. The goal has always been to reduce expenses, cost, and waste through the use of renewable energy. By implementing, we contribute to the sustainability of the fragile balances in our ecological systems.

Lots of walking, park use, baseball, and disc golf is an overwhelming success.

We have gotten some rain, but “droughts are out there,” so please water the yard and plants at night or early mornings. 

Back to school soon. Please be vigilant in watching out for children walking to school or to catch a bus.

Ceremonies Held at Four New Wayside Exhibits in Emmitsburg

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The Town of Emmitsburg held ribbon-cutting ceremonies at each of four new wayside exhibits on Thursday, July 1, 2021. These new signs comprise phase three of the future historic walking tour for the town: the Armstrong Long Riffle exhibit (121 East Main Street), Emmitsburg Railroad exhibit (300B S. Seton Avenue), Frederick County Fire and Rescue Museum’s Volunteers Glass Etching exhibit (300B S. Seton Avenue), and St. Joseph’s House exhibit on the grounds of Seton Shrine (339 S. Seton Avenue).

The Maryland Heritage Area Authorities are partially sponsoring the project through grant funding.

Pictured from left are Mayor Briggs, Liz Shatto (Executive Director, Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area), Claire Bodine (The National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton), and Frank Schmersal (Fire Museum Curator).

Photo by Madeline Shaw

Town Hall Reports

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by James Rada, Jr.

Emmitsburg

Face Mask Restrictions Loosen at Town Pool

The Emmitsburg Commissioners voted not to require face masks be worn inside the bathhouse at the town pool this season. However, pool personnel may still be seen wearing masks as they interact with visitors.

Town Approves Agreements to Move Irishtown Road Work Forward

The Emmitsburg Commissioners approved a Road Transfer Memorandum of Understanding with Frederick County for Irishtown Road and approved Brookfield Lots 1-19 Irishtown Road project’s right-of-way, temporary grading easement, and public works agreements. These agreements allow the town to take over Irishtown Road so that housing developers can move forward in bringing the road up to town standards.

New Committee Members Named

The Emmitsburg Commissioners re-appointed Wendy Walsh (term ending February 2, 2022), Wayne Slaughter (term ending October 15, 2022), Tricia Sheppard (term ending July 15, 2023), Will Sheppard (term ending July 15, 2023), and Conrad Weaver (term ending July 15, 2023) to the Citizen’s Advisory Committee for two-year terms.

Kevin Hagan was appointed to a five-year term as an alternate to the Planning Commission ending June 7, 2026.

Pavilion Bid Approved

The Emmitsburg Commissioners approved a bid for a small pavilion in the E. Eugene Myers Community near the bandstand. Green Sites, LLC, of Elkridge will build 8 x 8 foot pavilions for $12,750. Program Open Space funds will pay for this project.

Town Applying for Federal Assistance With USDA Rural Development

Emmitsburg is eligible for federal assistance from the U.S Department of Agriculture Community Facility Disaster Grant Program. Town staff identified $285,500 in public works equipment purchases that could be made under the program. If the funding is approved, USDA will pay 55 percent of the costs, leaving $128,500 for the town to pay.

Thurmont

Trail Paving Bids Approved

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners unanimously approved a bid to pave the Eyler Road Park Trail and Thurmont Trolley Trail Extension. Town staff will do the grading and stone work on the projects, and American Asphalt Paving Company in Baltimore will do the asphalt overlay for $47,835 ($15,000 for the Trolley Trail and $32,835 for Eyler Road Park Trail).

Water and Sewer Main Work Approved   

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners approved a bid of $163,000 to have Arro Consulting of Frederick do the design and engineering work to replace the water and sewer mains along North Church Street. The project will be paid for with budgeted funds in the water budget and surplus funds in the sewer budget. Chief Administrative Officer Jim Humerick said he hopes the town will be able to reimburse those expenses with the federal American Recovery funds Thurmont is expected to receive.

Thurmont Gets Program Open Space Funding

Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird updated the commissioners on the amount of Program Open Space funding the town would receive for projects this year. Frederick County municipalities had $771,860 in funding to divide among municipal park projects, with half designated for acquisition and half for development. Thurmont received $125,000 in acquisition funding, which is the amount it sought, and $40,000 in development funding, which was $3,750 short of what it sought. The funds will provide a 75 percent match to town funding for multiple projects.

A Day in the Park Returns

Thurmont’s summer park program, A Day in the Park, is returning this summer and will run July 26 through July 30, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, in Community Park. Enrollment will be limited to 30 children. The town will also offer an alternative program if parents don’t want their children participating in in-person activities.

From the Mayor

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Emmitsburg

Mayor Don Briggs

June has been special with the swiveling three-season weather experience. The next generation of homeowners are now settling in throughout the town. Included are the families purchasing the new homes that will finish out the Brookfield subdivision. Their settlements started in June and are queued throughout the summer and fall. With the completion of the buildout in the subdivision will come the completion of the necessary upgrades to Irishtown Road to permit opening Brookfield Drive onto Irishtown Road to two-way traffic. The road work is expected to be completed before Labor Day.

To our new neighbors, welcome to Emmitsburg, a place settled in pre-Revolutionary War times. Indeed, history has been very kind and generous to us. Our heritage includes Main Street being a primary western migration route for the early settlers. The place where master craftsman John Armstrong made signature Kentucky Long Rifles at the turn of the nineteenth century. Later, to where thousands of Union soldiers encamped and were nourished before moving on to Gettysburg. The town is the seat of mercy from which the Daughters of Charity went the ensuing days to tend to those wounded in the Battle of Gettysburg.

To the prestige embodied, the town, being recognized as a National Register of Historic Places, has picked up the monikers of “Fire Town” and “Green Town.”

It is left to wonder what those who formed our history would say to a town being a regional leader in the use of renewable energy. What we did eight years ago is where most of the country must go. The town has an electric car, four electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, solar-powered algae control at the town lake, and 94 percent of our town government energy needs are provided by renewable solar power. But, they still would recognize a quiet town idyllically set amid a natural balance of mountains, farmland, and streams absorbing what comes their way. Earlier this year, Emmitsburg was recognized as being one of the top ten most beautiful small towns in Maryland.

Today, unlike in the past, residents go about their “day to days” amidst their daily scurries and interactions at our restaurants, three museums and four archives, the world’s most visited fire house: Vigilant Hose Company, the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine and Basilica, the Homeland Security/Fire Academy facility, the Fallen Firefighters Memorial, the Grotto of Lourdes, and Mount St. Mary’s University, hosting over 400,000 visitors a year. All cylinders running 24/7/365. We welcome you, as we do the streams of returning university students, alums, firefighters, and winter-season skiers on their way to and from the nearby Ski Liberty.

Our history is harrowed deep from what those before us did and left. Like them, we are day-in, day-out committed to growing the quality of life in Emmitsburg.

 Emmitsburg is a great place to live, work, and visit. Join us. Your choice, step back in time, follow the wayside exhibits or step into the future forward in a regionally recognized sustainable leading community. Embody it; let its place speak to you.

Maybe this is your first experience of the Emmitsburg annual Community Heritage Day festivities and parade, do not stop now, go to the pool, farmer’s market, library, dog walk, or just step out your front door and take a leisurely walk.

To all: Best wishes for a wonderful 4th of July.

Thurmont

 Mayor John Kinnaird

First, I want to congratulate the Catoctin High School Cougars Baseball Team for their 1A State Championship win. We are all extremely proud of this amazing accomplishment!

We will see the 2021 Guardian Hose Company Carnival in Thurmont on July 6-10. After over a year of COVID-19 cancelations, it will be great to get back to the GHC Carnival. Be sure to get out and enjoy the amazing selection of food, rides, games, and entertainment. Karen and I are looking forward to attending and meeting friends and family for a great evening. I will be providing several all-you-can-ride tickets for kids during the carnival; be sure to check my Facebook page each day of the carnival for details.

As we all know, Governor Hogan has lifted the State of Emergency for Maryland residents and businesses as of July 1. This action removes the remaining restrictions on masks, gatherings, and social restrictions. Please note that individual businesses can still request face masks. With the help of the vaccination, we are past the most critical months and can look forward to decreasing cases of COVID-19. The Town of Thurmont and the Frederick County Health Department are offering free COVID-19 vaccinations every Friday evening, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Town Office parking lot. Please take advantage of the free vaccinations if you have not already received a vaccination.

The Thurmont Skate Park is getting closer to reality! I recently acquired $40,000 in Open Space Funding for developing the skate park. We had requested $43,750, and I was extremely pleased to bring home 40K! I want to thank the teens and adults in the Skate Park Commission for pressing forward with this project. They have secured financial support from many donors. They are also selling T-shirts and raffle chances on two amazing skateboards. There has been a skate park booth at the Main Street Farmers Market where you can buy chances and shirts, make a donation, or chat with the kids. Project Open Space Funding comes from the State of Maryland through Frederick County. The County is awarded funds that the County can split with all the municipalities. Municipal leaders gather and decide how the funds are invested. Each municipality can request funds for the acquisition of park property and funds for development. The funds are generally split equally between acquisition and development; this year, there was almost $400,000 available for each. I was able to get acquisition funding for two properties we are considering.

The Town of Thurmont welcomed two new businesses to Main Street on June 19. KTS Mental Health Group opened its Thurmont practice at 5B East Main Street. They specialize in children and family mental health. Cuddles Cat Rescue opened at their new location at 3 East Main Street. Cuddles Cat Rescue is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to humanely reducing the feral and stray cat population in the Thurmont area.

School is out for summer, and our kids will be out and about playing and visiting friends. Be sure to be on the lookout for kids crossing our streets or riding bikes and skateboards. They are not always aware of their surroundings, so we need to be extra careful while driving. The kids are out having fun, so let’s take the extra time necessary to make sure they stay safe.

As has been the practice for many years, the Thurmont Board of Commissioners will have only one meeting in July. The meeting will be on Tuesday, July 27, at 7:00 p.m. The regular schedule of weekly meetings will resume on July 27. Please feel free to contact us during July. The Town Office and staff will be operational on their regular schedule the entire month.

I hope that families going on vacation this month have a great time. We all need some time off and the opportunity to get away for a few days!

Questions, comments, or suggestions? Please call me at 301-606-9458 or contact me by email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com You can also follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/john.kinnaird.3.

Mason Dixon Mixin Has Grand Opening in Emmitsburg

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Blair Garrett

Emmitsburg has a new face in town, with Mason Dixon Mixin shaking up how we see sweets.

Mason Dixon Mixin’s grand-opening weekend kicked off with a bang on Saturday, June 19, putting a new spin on healthy gourmet shakes.

Excited first-time customers packed the house, eager to try some of the team’s fun new drinks.

From energy teas to decadent red-velvet smoothies, the variety of options is vast and there is something for the whole family. With over 40 flavors to enjoy, you may never run out of sweet options to perk up your morning.

The group prides themselves on making picturesque smoothies and drinks with health-boosting effects, and Emmitsburg’s premier juice bar is ready to take off. All of their smoothies are under 250 calories, have 24g of plant-based protein, are low in sugar/carbs, and have 21 essential vitamins and minerals in them. They are nutritious and delicious!

Mason Dixon Mixin is located at 101 Silo Hill Road in Emmitsburg. You can catch them throughout the week, from 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

Mason Dixon Mixin has a hugely successful grand opening, giving Emmitsburg a much-needed sweet-treat shop. Pictured is owner Kelly Moreland (right) with Joyce Kidwell (left).

Photo by Blair Garrett

Heart and Soul

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written by James Rada, Jr.

A new serial fiction romance story for your enjoyment

6: A Life to Live

Margaret Rosensteel walked home to the family farm west of Emmitsburg. She walked in a daze, stunned at what Mrs. Sachs had said to her about not being able to see Caleb Sachs. How could Caleb’s mother say Margaret wasn’t good enough for her son? Margaret was a good person. She and Caleb were just friends. Well, maybe there was more there, but they hadn’t explored the possibility. They hadn’t the chance. Everyone was against them. Did they see something between her and Caleb that they didn’t see?

Margaret hadn’t taken an interest in a boy in quite a while. She avoided those feelings. Her interest in Caleb had just snuck up on her, but it seemed like she wasn’t the only one with a destiny, at least according to Mrs. Sachs.

Dinner was quiet. No one said much except for the younger children. Margaret’s parents kept looking at each other. After dinner was finished and the dishes washed, Margaret’s parents called her into the parlor.

“We need to talk to you about a decision we’ve made,” Samuel Rosensteel said. Margaret’s mother laid a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “But first, we want you to know that we think nothing inappropriate happened.”

Inappropriate? So were her parents now going to come out against her and Caleb?

Her father said, “That’s right. We know you’re a good girl, but nothing can come of this relationship between you and Caleb Sachs.”

“What relationship?” Margaret asked. “I admit I like him, but we only met for the first time at the dance.”

“Well, that’s fine. Then this shouldn’t be a problem for you. Your life has been committed to God, so we have decided to send you to the sisters early.”

Margaret jumped up. “What?”

“You are getting to the age where boys can turn your head. Your brothers and sisters certainly seem to think you’ve taken an interest in Caleb. Sending you away now will avoid that problem.”

Margaret nodded. “I understand… but I’m not sure I want to go.”

“That’s why we’re sending you away. You’re letting your emotions get the better of you.”

Margaret shook her head. She stood up and left the house for a second time today without a word. Outside, she ran off into the fields. She didn’t know where she was going. She didn’t care. She just wanted to get away.

When she tired of running, she started walking until she reached Gettysburg Road. She turned south and headed into town. She saw St. Joseph’s Church and went inside.

It was dim, except near the front of the church where candles burned. She walked up to the first pew, genuflected, and slid into the seat. Then she bowed her head and prayed. She needed help. She didn’t understand what was going on, not with Caleb, not with everyone else. What should she do?

Rosa Sachs walked upstairs to Caleb’s bedroom. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, staring out his window. He wasn’t looking at anything in the street, just staring off into the distance.

“Caleb, how are you feeling?” Rosa asked.

Caleb looked over his shoulder. “I’m sore, but I’ll be fine.”

“We should call the sheriff.”

“Why? I don’t know who did this to me.”

“I think you do.” She paused. “Even so, I know who they were. We can’t go around letting men beat up children.”

“How do you know?”

“That girl you’re mooning over came to see how you were.”

Caleb stood up. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because she’s not the girl for you. I told her the same thing I told you. She’s not Jewish, so she won’t be marrying you.”

Caleb shook his head. “You’re putting the cart before the horse.”

“I am not.”

“I don’t know what life has in store for me. It’s not like I’m on a train going along a fixed path where the destination is the most important thing. I want to enjoy the journey and explore my life.”

His mother scoffed. “And you want to explore it with that girl? She’ll lead you in the wrong direction.”

“How do you know that? How do you know what my life is going to be? It’s my life, and I don’t know. You’re no better than her brothers. They tried to scare me off. You tried to scare her off. What is everyone so afraid of? That we’ll be happy?”

“Happy? You will be miserable. Both of you. That’s what we want to help you avoid,” Rosa said.

“I like her. I like her a lot. I want to spend time with her. I don’t know if I love her, but I suspect I might. If not now, certainly in the future.”

“And what has that brought you? A beating. Arguments with your mother who loves you.”

“Neither of which I caused.”

He sat back down and stared back out the window. Rosa stared at him for a few moments more and then turned and left.

Caleb walked into a church for the first time. Only a few people filled the pews, and he quickly found Margaret near the front. He walked up the aisle and sat down next to her. He said nothing because it looked like she was praying.

She finished and looked up.

“Caleb, what are you doing here?”

“I figured you might be here after what my mother said to you.”

Margaret frowned. “Not just her. My parents want to send me to sisters early.”

“Because of me?”

She nodded. “Are we wrong?”

“Does it feel wrong?”

She shook her head. “No.”

He took her hand in his. “Then I don’t think it’s wrong. It’s not easy, but no one has had it easy since Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden.”

“But everything is so confusing now. It seems like everyone is against us.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder.

“I saw you praying,” Caleb said. “Did it help?”

“Not yet.”

“I want you to know that I won’t hold you back from your promise, but while you’re still free, I want to be with you and get to know you better. I want to have lots of wonderful memories to look back on and comfort me after you leave.”

“But it would break my heart,” Margaret said.

“And mine, too. I think that will tell me it’s worth it. If you were to leave, and I felt nothing, it would be like I had nothing invested in our relationship. I’m willing to hurt for a long time if it means I can be truly happy for a short time with you.”

She stared at him, her eyes glistening with tears. She nodded. “Yes.”

He smiled. Then he leaned down and kissed her. He pulled back, smiling.

“I said what I needed to say. I’ll leave you to your praying now,” Caleb told her.

He got up and left the church.

Father Harmon stood up from the pew where he had been sitting and doing his own praying. He walked over to where Margaret sat. She looked up, a bit startled.

“Forgive me, Margaret. I didn’t want to intrude.”

“You heard me talking with Caleb?”

He nodded. “Yes. Well, the young man has stated his intentions. Now the decision is yours.”

“What should I do?”

He motioned to the pew. “May I sit?”

“Please.”

The priest sat down and leaned against the back of the pew. “You have two admirable choices: Become a Daughter of Charity and be married to God or become a wife and raise a family in faith.”

“We haven’t talked about marriage. We barely know each other.”

“That may be true, but if it is, why does the decision trouble you? Your choice would be between an honorable life of service and a relationship you don’t think will last.”

“I don’t know how my life will be if I stay for him, but I do know what it will be like with the sisters.”

Father Harmon nodded. “Do you believe in Jesus?”

“Yes, Father, of course.”

“Well, he was a Jew. So loving a Jew must not be a sin, and I know your particular Jew. He is a good boy from a good family. If you were not committed to the sisters, your family might not worry.”

“But his family…”

Father Martin nodded. “Yes, that could be a problem, but those types of problems often resolve themselves, particularly when grandchildren come along.”

Margaret gasped. “Father, you have me married with children, and I don’t even know if I love him.”

“Then you need to decide that.”

“But would it be fair to get involved with him and then leave him?”

“Would it be fair to commit yourself to the Daughters with unresolved feelings? You must make that decision. That is why we are given life on earth, to make decisions and hopefully make the correct ones.”

Hot Weather Safety Tips for Our Furry Friends

Give them plenty of fresh, clean water. Pets can get dehydrated quickly. Make sure they have some shade. Your pet needs to have a shady place to get out of the sun and take a break from the heat. Don’t over-exercise them. When it’s hot out, shorten your walk or make sure you give your best buddy breaks in the shade during exercise. Keep them indoors when it’s extremely hot. Maybe take your walk in the evening when it cools down a bit. Your furry friend will thank you. It’s important to know the symptoms of overheating in pets: excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor, or even collapse. Symptoms can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea, and vomit, along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees.

And, of course, never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle in the summer heat.

Our pets love being with us all the time, even when it’s hot and uncomfortable for them outside. They will never complain! So, let’s make sure we keep them safe and happy outdoors during the summer.

From The Mayor

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Emmitsburg

Mayor Don Briggs

With each spring comes not only warmer longer days but also preparation of the next year’s town budget. The town fiscal year does not run concurrent with a calendar year. The next year budget period, 2021-2022, starts on July 1 and ends June 30. The different cycle gives the town, like most towns and cities, time to prepare during the closing months that is generally a time of slower activity barring another pandemic. The town has a General Fund account, and separate Enterprise Funds for water and sewer that must come to a performance balance between revenues and expenses. Coming through a pandemic affected year at times presented challenges to our resources to meet expected services. We bent but did not break. Thank you to the staff with their years of public service experience.

Traditional graduations are beginning to, yes, happen. A gold rush. Masks are being shed. Opportunities to attend graduation are opening for more people to attend. I attended the Mount St. Mary’s University 2021 class graduation. It was held outside at Waldron Stadium. The graduation was broken into four parts, two on Saturday and two on Sunday. Masks were optional, noticeably social distancing was reduced. The stadium was near capacity with family members and friends of graduates.

On the last Saturday of June, as is the tradition, the 39th Annual Community Heritage Day will be held in the Eugene Myers Community Park. Starting time is 9:00 a.m. for a full day of games, crafts, music, food, free swimming, open disc golf tournament, and biking event. The parade down W. Main Street and South Seton Avenue is planned to start at 5:00 p.m. Then, back to the park for more activities. Fireworks start at 9:45 p.m. Thank you to the Lions Club and other volunteers for putting the celebration together. As always, thank you to the town staff for all the behind-the-scenes work, and the town businesses and residents for donations. Every year, the town budget supports funding for the fireworks.

Over the last two years, the town has been bombarded with interest in the development of property within the town corporate boundary and properties identified within the current town comprehensive plan approved growth boundaries. Within our town limits, there are about 24 remaining lots in Brookfield, including lots facing on Irishtown Road. That is all the new homes projected to be completed this year. There is a yet-to-be-approved 48-unit subdivision along Irishtown Road that may start this fall, potentially delivering homes in 2022. There have been some discussions on annexations, but none are in the planning process.

This year, Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 31. A special day, “honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.” Look for the flags in the cemeteries you may per chance pass by. They stand for a lot.

Flag Day is the quiet observation celebrated annually on June 14. The event is held interchangeably by the towns of Emmitsburg and Thurmont, alternating every other year. American Legion, VFW, and American Veterans (AMVETS) from both towns co-host the event. This year, the commemoration will be held in Thurmont. The observance was officially noted by proclamation by President Woodrow Wilson in 1917. The flag design was adopted by second Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. In 1949, Flag Day was officially recognized but not as a federal holiday by Congress. This is the one event where old flags may be burned. The Boy Scout troops from each town do that for us.

Happy Fourth of July. It’s finally, summer, a well-earned one it will be.

Thurmont

 Mayor John Kinnaird

With the recent and unexpected changes to masking requirements, we may feel like jumping back into life with both feet. Even with these new changes, we still need to think about our family, friends, and neighbors. The new rulings allow those who have been vaccinated more opportunities to get out and mix with others. Those who have not been vaccinated are asked to continue wearing masks at this time. As we move forward, many who have been vaccinated may continue to wear masks; please do not be critical of their decision. Those who have chosen not to get vaccinated should be sure to follow the guidelines when interacting with others. It has been a tough year, and it looks like we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. At this time, it is important that we continue to follow the guidelines and help ensure the safety of our family, friends, and neighbors.

I am happy to announce that the Guardian Hose Company is planning their 2021 Carnival for Tuesday, July 6 through Saturday, July 10. The carnival will be open from 5:00-10:30 p.m. If you are like me, I am looking forward to the great food, fun games, and getting to see family and friends. Sadly, there will be no parade this year. The Guardian Hose Company Carnival will be held at the GHC Carnival Grounds, 123 East Main Street, Thurmont. Parking is available at the Boundary Avenue entrance. Be sure to come out and support the Guardian Hose Company Carnival.

The Thurmont Community Ambulance Service will be holding its carnival from Tuesday, June 1 through Saturday, June 5. There will be entertainment each evening, with plenty of good food, rides, games, and raffles. A nightly buffet will be available for $15.00 and will be served from 5:00-7:00 p.m., daily. Entertainment includes the Taylor Brown Elvis Show on Tuesday, Open Road Band on Wednesday, Full Effect on Thursday, The Rock and Roll Relics on Friday, and Borderline on Saturday. The Thurmont Community Ambulance Service Carnival will be held at the Thurmont Event Complex, 13716 Strafford Drive, Thurmont. I will see you there!

This fall, we will be having Colorfest on October 9-10! Be sure to keep an eye out for more information as we finalize plans for this long-standing community event. Colorfest is the single, biggest fundraising opportunity for our local churches, civic organizations, and non-profits. The past year has been a difficult time for many organizations, and I hope Colorfest will help kick-start their fundraising.

I want to remind everyone to sign up for the Town and Main Street newsletter. We are switching to an electronic version soon, so be sure to sign up now. Email kschildt@thurmontstaff.com and ask to be added to the email list. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose. Print copies of the newsletter will be available at the town office and other locations.

Again, it is important that we continue to follow the COVID-19 guidelines and help ensure the safety of our family, friends, and neighbors.

I can be reached by cell phone at 301-606-9458 or by email a jkinnaird@thurmont.com.

Town Hall Reports

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by James Rada, Jr.

Emmitsburg

For more information on the Town of Emmitsburg, visit www.emmitsburgmd.gov or call 301-600-6300.

Budget to be Approved in June

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners is expected to approve the budget for Fiscal Year 2022, which starts July 1, this month. The $1,907,086 budget shows a 2 percent increase. The property tax rate of 36 cents/$100 assessed value is the primary funding source for the budget, and it remains the same.

Town staff had budgeted $275,000 for two community deputies, but contract from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office arrived shortly before the budget presentation for $298,000 (an 8.5 percent increase). Because this was unforeseen, staff will need to adjust other areas of the budget, particularly capital projects, to make up the difference without increasing the overall budget.

In some of the other highlighted areas of the budget, streets will increase 7 percent, trash collection will increase 5 percent, and parks and recreation will increase 1 percent.

Commissioners Approve New Trash Collection Contract

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners has approved a three-year contract with Republic Services in Frederick for trash removal. The bid amount was for $5.74/unit/month, $145 per dumpster collected, and $.55 unit/occurrence.

Town Election Laws Updated

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to approve changes to election laws updating such things as times of election, various deadlines for absentee voting, and filing deadlines. Commissioner Joe Ritz, III, voted against the changes because one change would have candidates listed alphabetically, rather than by who filed first, which has traditionally been the case.

Commissioners Approve Sewer Agreement with Rutter’s

The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a public works agreement with M&G Realty and SPT Land, who are developing a site for a new Rutter’s store. The agreement outlines what is expected before the town will accept a new sewage pump station and associated sewer infrastructure. The agreement was accepted on the condition that a minor modification might need to be made if the developers request it.

Thurmont

For more information on the Town of Thurmont, visit www.thurmont.com or call 301-271-7313.

Town Preparing to Approve Budget

The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners are expected to approve the budget for Fiscal Year 2022, which starts July 1, this month. The $4,480,309 budget has $4,301,747 in expenditures and $178,562 in the capital budget. This is about $18,000 less than the FY2021 budget. The property tax rate of 29.92 cents/$100 assessed value is the primary funding source for the budget, and it remains the same as it has for the previous two years.

New Ball Field Plans Presented

ARRO Consulting presented the preliminary plans for a new baseball field in East End Park to the Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners recently. The field is needed because as Thurmont Little League grows it is becoming harder to accommodate games and practices in town.

Thurmont Chief Administrative Officer Jim Humerick told the commissioners, “Last year, if they would have had a complete season, Thurmont Little League were prepared to play in Emmitsburg because all the fields were full down here.” He used Program Open Space funds to have the engineering work done.

Besides two ball fields, the plan includes a 24-foot-wide access drive, walkways, and 37-spot parking lot. The projected cost for construction is almost $262,000 with the plan for Program Open Space funds to pay for it. There is also a planned future expansion for a multi-use field.

Colorfest Returns

After being canceled last year due to COVID-19 restrictions, Colorfest will return on October 9-10 this year. The festival attracts over 100,000 to Thurmont during the weekend, so it was impossible to maintain social distancing last year. The festival is a major fundraiser for many local organizations, and the Colorfest organization donates to many groups and funds a local scholarship.

Chief Administrative Officer Jim Humerick said he was happy to be planning for it, even if conditions change that might cause the need for cancellation.

The town pays for security, transportation, trash, and sanitation. They pay for these services with vendors and parking permits. Because things are still unknown, attendance might be down, which could lead to the town not bringing in enough money to cover its costs.

“Colorfest is so critical to a lot of our local organizations, our churches, our scouts, our service organizations like the Lions Club; we need to get back into it and take the chance that we may come up short this year,” Mayor John Kinnaird said.

He worries that if the event was canceled two years in a row, visitors and vendors might not return.

Heart and Soul

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written by James Rada, Jr.

A new serial fiction romance story for your enjoyment

5: Warnings

Caleb Sachs could see Emmitsburg in the distance as he drove his wagon along the dirt road. He’d spent the day making deliveries for this father to some farmers outside of town. His father offered the service, but it fell on Caleb to make the deliveries when the orders came in.

Caleb didn’t mind it so much on a day like today, warm and sunny. It was the wintry days or rainy ones that made him miserable, although he doubted much could have made him miserable today.

He was head over heels… what? In love? He wasn’t sure about that, but he definitely liked Margaret Rosensteel more than any other girl he had ever met. She understood what he was feeling, and she had had a great sense of humor. It didn’t hurt that she was also pretty.

He was so lost in his thoughts, he let the horses drive themselves back to town.

Two men on horses rode up on either side of the wagon and stopped the horses.

“What’s going on?” Caleb said. Then he recognized the two men as Margaret’s older brothers, Jack and Paul Rosensteel.

“We need to talk,” Jack said.

“Then ride along beside me. I need to get home,” Caleb replied.

The older men didn’t let go of Caleb’s horse, nor did they start walking alongside the wagon.

“People saw you and Margaret on the hill north of town yesterday,” Jack said.

Caleb shrugged. “So? We did nothing wrong. We were right out in the open where anyone could see us.”

“You need to stay away from her,” Paul said. “She has bigger plans for this life than being with a cheating shopkeeper’s son.”

Caleb wasn’t sure what angered him more: that these men had called his father a cheater or that they thought Caleb wasn’t good enough for their sister.

“I’d say that’s for Margaret and me to decide. It’s none of your business.” He picked up the reins and clucked at the horses, but the Rosensteel brothers held onto them.

“She’s our sister, so that makes it our business,” Paul told him.

“I’m not talking about this with you,” Caleb said. “Now let go of my horses.”

Jack poked Caleb in the shoulder. “We aren’t going to talk with you about it. We’re warning you. Stay away from Margaret.” He poked Caleb again, and Caleb knocked the hand aside.

“Get out of my way,” he said.

Caleb reached out to slap Paul’s horse on the rump so that Caleb could get the wagon moving. Paul grabbed his arm and yanked, pulling Caleb off the wagon. Caleb fell onto the road as Paul laughed. Caleb jumped up and pulled the bigger man off his horse.

“Not so funny now, is it?” Caleb said.

Jack rode his horse around the wagon and kicked Caleb, sending him sprawling. Then he jumped from the horse. Jack grabbed Caleb by the shirt and punched him in the stomach and the face.

“Some people just have to learn the hard way,” Jack said.

Paul jumped up and landed a few punches of his own. Caleb tried to defend himself, but these men were taller and heavier than he was. He hit back, but his punches didn’t seem to hurt them. They pounded him to the ground, and Caleb rolled under the wagon to shield himself.

The brothers mounted their horses, and Jack said, “You’ll get more of that if you don’t leave her alone.”

Then they rode off.

Caleb hoped he could sneak in the back of the store and up to his room before anyone saw him. His mother happened to be retrieving something in the back room when he came in.

“Caleb! What happened?” She rushed over to him. “Are you all right? Do you need a doctor?”

Caleb shook his head. “I’m fine, Mother. I just came out on the wrong end of a fight.”

“A fight! Why were you fighting? With whom?”

She grabbed a towel off the shelf. She pumped water into the sink, then soaked the cloth, wrung it out, and wiped at Caleb’s face.

He tried to shake off her ministrations. “It doesn’t matter. I just want to lie down for a little while.”

He could name Jack and Paul as his attackers. What good would it accomplish? They might get in trouble, but how would that make Margaret feel? Word would get out about him and Margaret, and it might damage her reputation or get her in trouble with her father.

“Who were you fighting?” his mother asked.

“It doesn’t matter. Some of the boys were roughhousing, and things just got out of hand. I landed my own punches.”

He hadn’t, but it made him sound like he was just as much to blame. His mother couldn’t get his attackers in trouble without getting him in trouble.

He walked upstairs, holding the towel to his face.

Margaret was kneading dough in the kitchen when her brothers came in. They were in a good mood, laughing and kissing their wives on the cheeks. They washed their hands in the sink and sat down at the table.

“You will not have to worry about that Jew boy distracting you from your calling anymore,” Paul said.

Jack elbowed his brother and glared at him.

Margaret paused. This did not sound good. “What are you talking about?”

Jack and Paul looked at each other.

“You might as well tell her. You let the cat out of the bag,” Jack said.

Paul grinned. “We gave Caleb Sachs a message to leave you alone. I think he understood.”

Margaret hefted the dough and considered throwing it at her brothers. “What did you do?”

Jack shrugged. “Nothing permanent.”

Margaret remembered how her brothers had handled the situation with Caleb’s friends at the dance. They were too eager to fight. She slapped the dough onto the table. Then she washed her hands and pulled off her apron.

“You’re not done yet,” her mother said.

“I need to go into town,” Margaret told her.

Paul said, “Don’t let her go, Mother.”

Margaret spun around. “If you did what I think you did, you had better hope the sheriff doesn’t come for you.”

“What are you talking about?” her mother asked.

“I think they beat Caleb up like they did to his friends at dance.”

“Oh, Margaret, they’re grown, married men. They know better than that.”

Margaret rolled her eyes. “Didn’t you hear what I said, Mother? They beat up Caleb’s friends at the dance. They like to fight.”

She hurried out of the house and nearly ran to town. Margaret found the store on West Main Street and walked through the door. She saw a middle-aged woman behind the counter. She must have been Caleb’s mother.

“Hello, I’m looking for Caleb,” Margaret said.

“He can’t see anyone right now.”

“I wanted to see if he was all right.”

“All right? What do you know about what happened to him?” Mrs. Sachs asked.

“Nothing for sure, but I think my brothers may have attacked him.”

“Who are you?”

“Margaret Rosensteel.”

Mrs. Sachs nodded. “Let me guess. You’re the girl who Caleb has been so interested in?”

“We met at the dance Friday.”

“I definitely do not agree with what your brothers did, but they were right in one respect: You and my Caleb can’t be together.”

Margaret felt her cheeks redden. “We’re not together.”

“Yet. Your brothers must see it in you. I can see it in Caleb. There’s more than a healthy interest. Look at what happened to him because of you. I’m sure you are a very nice girl, but you aren’t Jewish.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing except that your children would not be Jewish. When Caleb marries, it will be to an appropriate woman. Now I think you had better go.”

Margaret’s shoulders sagged. She had thought it was only her family that wanted to keep her and Caleb apart. Was what she and Caleb wanted so wrong?

…to be continued next month