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Annual Picnic Held in Sabillasville

Band at Sabillasville picnicThe annual Sabillasville Picnic was held in Sabillasville on Saturday, August 15, 2015. The Bluegrass Chapel Band strummed out old hymns and folk songs while residents relaxed, mingled, and enjoyed ice cream and other goodies.

This long-time annual event is hosted by St. John’s United Church of Christ in Sabillasville, and is held on the church’s picnic ground located off of Harbaugh Valley Road.

Church volunteer, Joan Fry, sent in these diary entries made by the late Annie Harbaugh of Sabillasville:

August 17, 1935

“This was a beautiful day for the picnic in Bittner’s meadow. We did not go until evening.”

August 20, 1938

“This was a beautiful day for Sabillasville Picnic.”

August 17, 1940

“At 11:30 a.m. 70 degrees and still it rains. This is three days of rain already. This was to be the day for the Sabillasville Picnic.”

August 21, 1948

This was a threatening morning for the community picnic at Sabillasville. The crowd was slim in the daytime but at the festival there was a large crowd.

The Bluegrass Chapel Band entertains the crowd at the annual Sabillasville Picnic, held August 15, 2015.

EVAC Back in Full Operation

The Emmitsburg Volunteer Ambulance Company (EVAC) worked very diligently for fifteen months to meet all the county standards and was placed back in full operation on May 16, 2015. They welcomed six new career staff into their station family with a cookout and a “Welcome” cake for each shift. They have settled in nicely, and their volunteers and career staff are working very well with one another.

EVAC was presented the Zembower Memorial Training Award in June at the annual Maryland State Fireman’s Association (MSFA) convention in Ocean City, Maryland. This award is presented to the company with the best average of training hours in a single year. This is only the second time the Maryland state traveling trophy has been awarded within Frederick County, and EVAC is extremely proud to house it this year.

Company President Marylou Little said, “We worked our tails off in 2014-2015 to not only meet, but to exceed Frederick County’s standards set forth. We welcomed two new members to our family of EMTs this year, and look forward to several more volunteers completing their National Registry EMT status. We have four new members starting the EMT course and wish them great success. We look forward to continuing the best EMS care for you, our Emmitsburg community and surrounding areas. If you are interested in joining our team, please visit us at Emmitsburgems.net or stop by for an application for free training.”

Who Will Be the Thurmont Volunteer of the Year for 2015?

The Thurmont Lions Club is now accepting nominations for the 2015 Volunteer of the Year. Nominate an individual who is making a difference in the lives of others—working with children in the schools, helping at the food bank, a member of a service organization or church, a special neighbor who is always there to help whenever needed, and so on.

The volunteer service work must be done in the area zip code 21788. Forms are available at the Thurmont Regional Library, Thurmont Town Office, online at www.thurmontlionsclubs.com, or by contacting Lion Joyce Anthony at jananny@comcast.net.

Nomination forms are due no later than October 1, 2015. Send your completed nomination form to Thurmont Lions Club, ATTN: Joyce Anthony, P.O. Box 306, Thurmont, MD 21788 or email to jananny@comcast.net. Thurmont Lions Club members are eligible to be nominated with the stipulation that the majority of the volunteer services considered for the award must be performed outside of related Lions Club community service.

The recipient will be announced at the 2015 Make a Difference Day Reception on October 24, 2015.

Sharon Burd Retires

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Lindsay Brandt

Sharon-Burd-USEWhen the residents of Sabillasville, Maryland, travel to their local post office, they won’t be seeing the familiar face of their resident postmaster, Sharon Burd, kindly waiting to help them. Sharon Burd (pictured right) of the United States Postal Service retired from her post on September 28, 2014, after almost thirty-one years. “I like working here, because you get to see all local people you know every day,” said Burd.

Burd has been the postmaster at the Sabillasville Post Office since 2006. She started working for the United States Postal Service in 1983, and after working in both Frederick and Hagerstown, she wound up at the Sabillasville location when the post opened in 2006.

Burd grew up and attended school in Upstate New York. She met her husband, Dick, while in school, and they became high school sweethearts. As young high school students, they are pictured on the cover of their year book holding hands. Their family grew to include their five children, sixteen grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. They relocated to Sabillasville, because her husband, who was in the U. S. Navy, was stationed in the area.

Before working for the USPS, Burd taught classes part-time at the YMCA in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. In addition, for a span of twelve years, she volunteered her time as a Brownie and Girl Scout leader in Sabillasville, while also teaching Sunday school at St. John’s United Church of Christ, also located in Sabillasville.

Burd already has big plans for her retirement. She wants to continue the renovation of her 100-year-old house, and to cross a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum off of her bucket list. She plans to visit the museum with her sisters.

Burd has three sisters and three brothers. Though they reside at various points across the United States, she remains close with her siblings by talking with them each week by phone. She even had a recent surprise visit by her brother, who was in the area during a business trip from New York. She was working around the house and the doorbell rang, revealing her brother. They were able to spend some time together before they went to watch her grandson play football.

Her daughter, Shannon (Burd) Brown, said, “She worked nights for twenty years. She hardly slept, but she did all of this stuff. She is a very good mom, always doing fun stuff. I’m glad she’s my mom; I definitely got lucky in the mom category.”

Daughter, Pamela (Burd) Beard, said, “My mom had an outstanding career with the United States Postal Service. I remember how excited she was to become the postmaster at the Sabillasville Post Office. She was always courteous and professional to all customers. She provided customer service with a personal touch.” Pamela’s daughter and Burd’s granddaughter, Camelia Beard, expressed, “I really enjoyed going to work with my Grandma. I saw the importance of good customer relations. People came to the Sabillasville Post Office from all over the area. She did a great job.”

Her role of mother doesn’t just apply to her actual family. Her coworkers at the Post Office noted how she always said that they were her kids, too. “She worries about us from the time we leave to go on the road until the time we get back,” said Pam from the Sabillasville United States Post Office.

Throughout the years, Burd would bring eggs from her chickens to share with her employees. They even stenciled “Burd’s Eggs” on the cartons.

“It’s going to be sad after all this time,” Burd said.  Her coworkers in Sabillasville, including Pam, Davie, and Jay, stated that she was very easy to work for, adding, “We are going to miss her.”