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Plans for 66th Annual Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show This September

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The Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show committee met recently to begin planning the 66th Annual Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show. The show will be held at Catoctin High School, 14745 Sabillasville Road in Thurmont, on September 9-11. Officers elected at the meeting were: President—Rodman Myers, Vice President—Cheryl Lenhart, Secretary—Karen Myers. Committee members, representing the sponsoring organizations of the Thurmont Grange, Catoctin FFA Chapter, and the Catoctin FFA Alumni & Supporters are: Bob Valentine, Sue Keilholtz, Robert Wiles, David Harman, Niki Eyler, Ray Martin, Carol Long, Cathy Little, Chip Long, Bobby Myers, Denise Valentine, Amanda Dennis, Helen Troxell, Nancy Wine, Patty Johnston, Jim Barth, Kay Barth, Andrea Mannix, Amy Jo Poffenberger, Barry Burch, Daniel Myers, Dallas Hassel, Danny Whetzel, Eric Troxell, Jennifer Martin, Kolton Whetzel, Matthew Dellinger, and Tyler Wolf.  

Entry of exhibits will take place in the new gymnasium and agriculture department area on Thursday evening, September 8, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. (note the new start and end time), and on Friday, September 9, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Commercial exhibits may be set up on Friday, September 9, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. The show opens to the public at 6:00 p.m.  

This year, the Friday night Opening Ceremonies Program will begin at 6:30 p.m. (note the new start time for program), with the community organizations flag ceremony, followed by the 2022-2023 Catoctin FFA Chapter Ambassador announcement. The annual Baked Goods Auction will begin immediately following the program at approximately 7:30 p.m. The Grand Champion and Reserve Champion cakes, pies and breads will be sold at 8:00 p.m. 

On Saturday, September 10, the show is open from 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.   Activities include a Market Goat, Beef, Sheep & Swine Fitting and Showing Contest, from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in the agriculture center area. The Pet Show will be held at 10:30 a.m. outside at the front of the school, and prize money will be mailed to the winners by November 15, 2022. 

Entertainment events on Saturday, September 10, at both 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. in the auxiliary gym, will include a martial arts demonstration by the Thurmont Academy of Self Defense; at 2:00 p.m. in the auditorium, the Linda Elower Studio of Dance will have a performance; and at 6:00 p.m., Richard Troxell, Thurmont native and tenor soloist, will have a musical performance in the auditorium. All entertainment and events throughout the weekend are free.

The 48th Annual Catoctin FFA Alumni & Supporters Market Goat, Beef, Sheep & Swine Sale will be held on Saturday night, September 10, at 7:00 p.m. in the agriculture center area. All buyers are welcome to attend and purchase animals at the sale, which are exhibited by 4-H and FFA members.  

On both Saturday and Sunday, the petting zoo will be held in the agriculture area, and there will also be face painting and pony rides.

On Sunday, September 11, activities begin in the agriculture center area at 9:00 a.m. with the Dairy Goat Show, followed by the Dairy Cattle Show.   The Decorated Animal Contest will begin at 11:00 a.m., with prize money to be awarded to participants.

The 37th Annual Log Sawing Contest will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the agriculture center area, with categories consisting of two-person women’s team, men’s team, men and women’s team, and a children’s division.  

A Pedal Tractor Contest (for children ages 5-10) will be held at 12:00 p.m. in the agriculture center area tent. At 1:00 p.m. will be the 41st Annual Robert Kaas Horseshoe Pitching Contest near the softball field.

Additional activities throughout the weekend include food trucks and food stands, the Thurmont Regional Public Library’s annual book sale, Quilt & Afghan Show, and Thurmont area historical photos by John Kinnaird.

Exhibits must be removed on Sunday, September 11, from 3:00-5:30 p.m. (note the new deadline to pick up items). Winning exhibitor’s prize money will be mailed by November 15, 2022. 

If you would like to be a new advertiser in the Community Show’s booklet, please contact Rodman Myers at 301-271-2104 to obtain advertising information. Past advertisers should have recently received letters for this year’s advertisements, with a May 17, 2022 deadline. By early August, the Community Show booklets will be available in local Thurmont, Emmitsburg, and surrounding area businesses. New and all residents of our community are urged to enter exhibits (no entry fee) and be a part of the Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show, the largest community show in the State of Maryland. Departments include: Fresh Fruits, Fresh Vegetables, Home Products Display, Canned Fruits, Canned Vegetables, Jellies & Preserves, Pickles, Meats, Baked Products, Sewing & Needlework, Flowers and Plants, Arts, Paintings & Drawings, Crafts, Photography, Corn, Small Grains and Seeds, Eggs, Nuts, Poultry & Livestock, Dairy, Goats, Hay, Junior Department, and Youth Department.  Please visit their website for updated information at www.thurmontemmitsburgcommunityshow.webs.com.

The Community Show is sponsored by the Thurmont Grange, Catoctin FFA Chapter, Catoctin FFA Alumni & Supporters, the Maryland State Grange, and the Maryland State Agricultural Fair Board.

63rd Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show’s Opening Ceremonies and Entertainment

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Opening Ceremonies Will Honor Three Local Organizations

The 63rd Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show’s opening ceremonies will be held at Catoctin High School on Friday night, September 6, at 7:00 p.m.  The evening will begin with the 43rd Annual Community Organizations Flag Ceremony, with approximately 30 local organizations participating.  This year’s program will honor the 50th anniversary of the Seton Center in Emmitsburg, and the 100th anniversary of the Edwin C. Creeger, Jr. American Legion Post #168 of Thurmont and the Francis X. Elder American Legion Post #121 of Emmitsburg. At the end of the evening, the 2019-2020 Catoctin FFA Chapter Ambassador will be announced.    

The Seton Center in Emmitsburg provides emergency assistance with rent and utilities; financial literacy education; job search and support; case management; information and referrals; access to dental health care; life skills workshops; and Getting Ahead in a Just-Getting-By World program, which teaches people self-sufficiency, finance and budgeting, and how to create a sustainable way out of poverty.

The Seton Family Store is very popular with a selection of quality items; the support of the Family Store helps the outreach programs operate. The Seton Center relies on the generosity of donors and funds from the store to continue helping our neighbors in need. Honorees from The Seton Center are Kelly Overholtzer; Sister Roberta Treppa, D. C.; Kenneth Droneburg; and Melissa Miller. 

The American Legion organization was founded in 1919 by Veterans returning from Europe after World War I, and was later chartered as an official American patriotic society that carries on the tradition to support Veterans, families, and their community. The Legion continues to volunteer in patriotic service of mutual help to our Veterans and has touched virtually every facet of American life; and, to this day, they carry on the objective to serve the community, state, and nation. 

Honorees from Emmitsburg’s Francis X. Elder American Legion Post #121 are: Thomas E. Hoke, Edward E. Lingg, Martin R. Williams, Paul J. Sutton, Sanford R. McGuire, and Kevin Cogan. 

Honorees from Thurmont’s Edwin C. Creeger, Jr. American Legion Post #168 are: Sidney A. Wolf, James L. Mackley, Alvin L. Hatcher, Rick L. Hall, Robert H. Brennan, and Edward A. Gravatt.

The Linda Elower Studio of Dance will also be honored for their 50th anniversary during its Saturday, September 7 performance at 1:00 p.m. 

The annual Community Show Baked Goods Auction will begin immediately following the program, with the Grand Champion Cake, Pie, and Bread being sold at 9:00 p.m. Bidder number registration is on the auditorium’s stage, so come on out and support the 63rd Annual Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show!

In conjunction with many other Community Show events and activities, on Saturday, September 7, the Thurmont Grange will serve a roasted turkey and country ham buffet dinner in the Catoctin High School cafeteria, from 3:00-7:00 p.m. Prices are: Adults—$14.00; children under 12—$7.00, and children under 5—$5.00. Carryout dinners are $15.00. On Sunday, September 8, at noon, the Catoctin FFA Alumni will serve a chicken bar-b-que dinner in the Catoctin High School cafeteria. Prices are: Adults—$10.00; under 12—$7.00. Carryout dinners are $11.00.

Community Show’s Entertainment Showcases Local & International Talent

Don’t miss the performance of Thurmont’s Gateway Brass Ensemble on Saturday, September 7, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Thurmont’s Gateway Brass Ensemble was formed in September 2017, under the direction of Morris Blake. The Gateway Brass Ensemble is very unique, in that it blends contemporary sounds with the traditional brass genre. The Gateway Brass Ensemble members span many generations, which makes this group’s talent shine!

Richard Troxell will perform in the auditorium on Saturday, September 7, from 8:00-9:00 p.m. Richard Troxell’s beautiful lyric tenor voice has been thrilling audiences in leading roles in opera houses and on concert stages around the world, among them are The Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Los Angeles Opera, Washington Opera, Houston Grand Opera, San Diego Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Australia in Sydney, Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari, L’Opéra Comique Paris, Opéra Monte Carlo, Théâtredu Capitôle de Toulouse, Opéra National de Montpellier, Vancouver Opera, Opéra de Montréal, Teatro de la Maestranza de Sevilla, Teatro del Lago Chile, National Theater for the Performing Arts Beijing, National Theater Taipei, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Philadelphia, and the Portland Opera. His vocal artistry and powerful stage presence set him apart, and his ability to connect with audiences has made him a favorite.

Richard’s recording credits include his latest two solo CDs, So in Love with the Tom Lawton Trio, Classic Broadway with the Czech National Symphony under the baton of maestro Steven Mercurio, the role of Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly for the Sony label, the role of Beppe in I Pagliacci for the Deutsche Gramophone label under the baton of Georges Prêtre, the role of Christian in Cyrano de Bergerac for the Deutsche Gramophone label, the role of Galieo in Philip Glass” Galileo Galilea for the Orange Mt. label, and numerous recordings for the Milken Archive of Jewish Music on the Naxos Label, including Masada by Marvin David Levy with the Berlin Radio Symphony and his first sold-out solo CD Wonderful World. Richard Troxell is from Thurmont, where he started singing at the age of four, along with his parents, belting out Broadway tunes at Lions Club benefits and singing hymns in the church choir. He graduated from Catoctin High School in 1979. He received his operatic training at the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He currently resides in the countryside of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with his wife, dancer/choreographer Lisa Lovelace, and their two sons, Wilder and Shane.

When not performing, he enjoys spending time with his family, cooking, motorcycling, hiking, and long-distance bicycle riding.

The Catoctin Mountain Boys will be performing in the auditorium on Sunday, September 8, from 1:00-3:00 p.m.  

Enjoy Catoctin’s local talent in the Catoctin High School auditorium during the 63rd Annual Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show! 

The Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show offers free admission and free parking. For more information, please visit www.thurmontemmitsburg communityshow.webs.com.

The Catoctin Mountain Boys (from left), Shane Swope, Bob Brown, Joe Brown, Dave Lingg, and Adam Brown, perform on September 8, 2019, at the 63rd Annual Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show.

Richard Troxell and CHS Students Give Awesome Concert

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Deb Spalding

The evening of November 15, 2014, was one to be remembered, as Thurmont native and international tenor, Richard Troxell, returned to his alma mater, Catoctin High School (CHS), to present—along with current students of the CHS music program—a world-class concert to benefit the Catoctin High School music program and the Thurmont Senior Center.

This benefit concert included operatic works in several different languages that Richard has sung in different characters, including “Quanto e bella” from l’eslier d’amore, “La Donna e mobile” from Rigoletto, and “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables, as well as some show tunes and classics. Richard framed his concert around two universal elements that he experiences everywhere. “The first is love… I see everywhere I go, every country I am in, from Chili to Israel, from Taiwan to Beijing, from Italy to France to Canada to the United States. Everywhere I go, I see love… People wanting to be in love, I see people in love, and I see people who love has messed them up so much… The other thing I always see is music. It’s in every person’s life… It’s on your cell phone, on your alarm clock, when you wait on the phone to the cable company, it’s on everything… It’s a trillion dollar industry,” said Richard.

 The concert was peppered with Richard’s stories about love and music. He shared humorous personal stories about his childhood loves, and stories about how love changed as he grew into an adult.

Richard identified other CHS graduates who became famous in the entertainment business, including Neal (Angleberger) Coty, a singer-songwriter who now resides in Nashville; Susanne Mentzer, a mezzo soprano from Thurmont; Michael Gray, a drummer with the Lee Brice Band (he performed during this concert, along with the CHS band); Ann Perry, Dale Webster, Jimmy Rickard, Mickie Late, and many others. He acknowledged former teachers and mentors with gratitude. 

Richard taught a masters class to CHS students the day before the concert. CHS soprano soloist, Katelyn Claxton, said, “The concert was awesome and the masters class was amazing! We are really lucky to have had Mr. Troxell teach us.”

Claxton, Diana Burch (alto) and Taylor Zentz (soprano) also presented solos, and Cody Horman performed a guitar solo. The Jazz ensemble was joined by noted performers.

Music and Band teacher, Mr. Z (Zamostny), presented Richard with an honorary Tri-M National Music Honor Society life membership at CHS.

Special thanks was extended to piano accompanists Dr. Kathleen Taylor, Christine Merki, and Windy Schmidt. The evening’s financial sponsors included His Place Auto Repair, Mrs. Gail Frantz, and Mrs. Karen Graf (in loving memory of her husband.)

Richard chose this concert to officially release his new CD, So In Love. One dollar from every sale will benefit the CHS music program and the Thurmont Senior Center.  If you would like to be a donor to the CHS music program, please visit www.catoctincougarband.com.

“It doesn’t matter what kind of music we enjoy. We’re all connected,” expressed Richard.

 

Richard Troxell and his Russian accompanist took their bow with the CHS choral ensemble and bands at the end of the benefit concert at Catoctin High School.