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From the Mayor – Thurmont

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Mayor John Kinnaird

We are fast approaching the end of the year, and each year seems to pass quicker than the one before. I know that this year has been good to me, and I hope it was good for you as well. With Christmas just a few weeks away, Karen and I want to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Christmas in Thurmont is coming up on Saturday, December 2. Be sure to stop downtown and register the kids for the many gifts and prizes. Santa will be at Mechanicstown Square Park to meet with all the children, parents, friends, and pets. The day will include free photos with Santa, horse drawn wagon rides, a story with Santa at the Regional Library, and fun and prizes for everyone.

This time of year brings with it colder weather, employment slowdowns, and all the seasonal difficulties many of our neighbors face. Please keep the less fortunate of our community in mind this winter by helping support the Thurmont Food Bank, Thurmont Clothes Closet, Seton Center, and other local charity organizations. Your donation of food, clothes, or cash can help bring joy to a local family.

I want to thank Catoctin Colorfest Inc. for the generous donations they made to our community this year. Their donations totaled $20,676.80 and included $1,500.00 each to the Guardian Hose Company, Thurmont Community Ambulance Company, and the Thurmont Police Department. Catoctin FFA received $1,146, and $4,500 to Catoctin High School Scholarships. The Thurmont Food Bank received $3,400. Other beneficiaries include $1,000 to the Trolley Mural Project, $5,000 for improvements in Community Park, $325 to the Library, and $200 for flowers and decorations in our parks.

You might have noticed that the sidewalk project on Moser Road is nearing completion. This project will improve pedestrian safety on the road and allow easy access to the Regional Library. Improvements to the Frederick Road intersection will help turns onto Moser and the narrowing will help control speeds. This project is a joint effort of the Town of Thurmont and Frederick County.

The recent Town election has returned Commissioners Hooper and Burns to office and yours truly to the office of mayor. I appreciate the opportunity to serve our community for another term, and I look forward to working with our residents, town staff, and the commissioners, as we work together to make Thurmont a great community.

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

Graceham Moravian Church Marks Five Years of Meals “Served With Grace”

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The Graceham Moravian Church recently marked five years of serving a free “First Monday” community meal through its Served with Grace ministry. The congregation began offering the monthly meal in October 2012. Different groups in the congregation prepare and serve the meal on a rotating basis, supported by a number of people who help out every month. Groups that have assisted include Graceham’s Joint Board members, Sunday School classes, teachers and the Christian Education Committee, Women’s Fellowship, the Youth Mission Team, Bells of Grace Handbell and the Hosanna voice choirs. Others from the community that have assisted include members of the Catoctin Area Civitan Club and Trinity United Church of Christ.

The average number of meals served per month over the past three years has been 95; and to date in 2017, the average has been 107. Each month, a main course is served, with one or more side dishes, a salad bar, and a variety of desserts. The church maintains a garden that supplies much of the produce used for the meal. Some of the favorites are chili, pasta with meat sauce, bread pudding, and pickled beets, made with a recipe of Graceham’s Director of Christian Education Joanne Fuss, who also coordinates the meal. Once a year, the meal is catered and fried chicken is served, using donations received. Donations for the meal are appreciated but not required or expected.

Members of the community, the congregation, extended family and friends, are among each meal’s guests. “We begin each meal with prayers of thanksgiving and intercession for those who are sick or in need, and we always give thanks for the community that has been formed around the tables at the Served with Grace meals,” said the Rev. Sue Koenig, pastor of the Graceham congregation. “It is a great blessing to us to be able to offer the meal and to see how God works to bring us together. People have come to know and care for one another. They ask about those who are not present, and they welcome those who come for the first time.”

A monthly newsletter, Between Meals, is prepared for the Served with Grace community, which includes highlights of church activities and contact information for local ministries, such as the Thurmont Food Bank, the Thurmont Ministerium’s special services, the Catoctin Community Medical Fund, the Thurmont Clothes Closet, the Seton Center, and the Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs. The free First Monday Served with Grace community meals are open to all. The December meal will be served on December 4, 2017, from 5:30-7:00 p.m.