Stavros Pizza Returns

Grace Eyler
The community was devastated in July 2015 with the passing of Bev Koontz, owner of Stavros Pizza in Emmitsburg. When the local pizzeria had abruptly closed, customers were saddened that they not only lost someone so involved with the community, but their favorite meals as well. The question that remained, would Stavros ever re-open and live up to Bev’s standards?

When the Dorcus family, owners of Dorcus Construction based in Thurmont, heard the grim news, they, too, were devastated. Ian Dorcus said, “ We hoped there was something we could do.” His family, like many others, had been customers of Stavros for thirty years. Sure enough, they were able to revive the family tradition by re-opening the local business in March of 2016. The Dorcus family purchased the business in January and began in February to prep for the business to re-open.

Ian recalled, “In the beginning, it was the calm before the storm.” Once word got out about Stavros being open, the first few hours were slow, then a rush hit where customers waited for as long as two hours just to get their hands on a fresh pizza pie. Ian and his staff struggled to keep up with the high demand. After business leveled out, the average wait became the standard fifteen to twenty minutes. Staff wrote wait times on a dry erase board at the counter to let customers know what to expect.

As you enter Stavros, you’ll notice that not much has changed. Upon walking into the dining area, the quaint pizzeria still boasts the scent of fresh Italian food, as well as the original seating, signs, and arcade games in the back. There are even some of the same friendly staff faces as before. “For the most part, everything is still the same. The same sixty seats, same table cloths and same traditions Bev started,” Ian said. The only noticeable difference is a little fresh paint and bright accent lighting.

Manager, Ian Dorcus, is new. Ian retained management skills from his family’s company, but his experience in pizza-making goes way back.

A big question that struck our community with the re-opening of the restaurant is THE question: Would the recipes still be the same? The answer is yes! The same sauce, ingredients, and even the signature cheese on top of the toppings. “We are doing our best to preserve everything the best we can, but there are still some learning curves to overcome.”

As the Dorcus family does their best to preserve Stavros legacy, we can look forward to some new things in the future, including a corporate lunch program, specialty pizzas in the evening, and even deliveries to Emmitsburg and some of Thurmont.

For customers who are health conscious, you can be assured, that Stavros is already utilizing organic vegetables from local farms in Frederick.

Another added feature is the convenience of online ordering. Visit www.Menufy.com to place your order and pre-pay through the online ordering service. Please note that during busy evenings or weekends, the online ordering feature may not be available, but call-ins and walk-ins are always welcomed. You can also check out Stavros’ local specials on Facebook.

“We want everyone to feel welcome. We love getting to know people, a name for a face,” Ian said fondly about the reoccurring customers who come in, have lunch or dinner, watch TV, or just converse with staff.

Stavros and its staff members look forward to serving their local community as one big family. It’s safe to say, Stavros is here to stay.

Pictured (left to right) are Justin Messner, Marrie Sanders, Wade Stuffle, Ian Dorcus, Aubrey Iaea, and Katie Kingsford.

Sewer Pumps Get Optimal Power to Run

James Rada, Jr.
The best way to save energy is to use only what you need. For Emmitsburg, that means not to bring in more power to its sewer pumps than is needed to run them at their optimal levels.

It sounds like a simple idea, but energy saving devices in America focus on running equipment with less power while ignoring the fact that often more power comes into the equipment than is needed. Not only is that excess power wasted, but it causes the equipment to run hot.

By the middle of this month, Emmitsburg will have installed the Powerstar Voltage Optimization System at its sewer pumping station. Once it is installed and running, Emmitsburg will be the first American entity using the system.

“What it is, is a device that goes in front of the fuse box and turns back excess electricity,” said Emmitsburg Zoning Technician Jerry Muir.
The Powerstar System is expected to save the town a couple thousand dollars annually in reduced energy bills for the third-largest town-owned power user.

“If it works the way it should, we expect to start seeing savings in June,” Muir said.

In its efforts to reduce its energy costs, town officials had decided to perform an energy audit, but the vendor who they had hoped to get to perform the audit brought up the idea of using a system developed in Europe. Powerstar has been used successfully over the past decade in Europe, but hasn’t made its way to America yet.

Rejecting excess power that doesn’t have to be paid for is the biggest selling point of the system. However, because only the needed amount of power comes into the sewer pumps, they will run at optimal efficiency.

“When you get too much power into the equipment, they can run hot,” stated Muir.

This increases the maintenance needed on equipment and can reduce their useful life. When equipment gets just the amount of power it needs, it doesn’t run hot and maintenance needs are reduced. This creates some additional savings.

Town staff believed that the Powerstar System was just what they needed to accomplish their goals. They approached the Maryland Energy Administration seeking a grant to purchase three systems for the town.

“They turned us down,” Muir said. “They said the technology was too new without proven returns.”

Although the results that the system was getting in Europe didn’t convince the Maryland Energy Administration, it did convince town staff. They found $17,000 in the budget to purchase one system.

If the system performs as advertised, they will budget for additional systems in the future; but hopefully, by then, they will be able to get a grant.