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Cheer On Veterans and Military Riders at Tom’s Creek UMC

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On Sunday, April 30, 2017, starting around 9:30 a.m., Veterans and military from around the nation bike from Arlington, Virginia, to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as a way to show support for those wounded in military service to our nation. Some of the riders were wounded in service and have specialty bikes that allow them to bike, even though they have no arms or legs. Tom’s Creek UMC started cheering them on a couple of years ago as they passed by on Sunday morning. Last year, the event organizers asked Tom’s Creek UMC if they would be willing to take a deeper step into helping the riders on their long journey. They wanted to know if they could use their property, and if they would be willing to provide the volunteers to help feed and care for the riders, as a rest stop along the route. This was the best rest stop on their entire journey, so after last year, Tom’s Creek UMC is considered a sponsor of the event. This means they are canceling Sunday School and worship on that day, so they can support the riders and cheer them on. Tom’s Creek will also have a blue grass/gospel band, coming from Calvert County, to play patriotic music as part of the rest stop. They would like as many people from the surrounding communities as possible, to come and cheer on these brave warriors that have protected our nation and now need a boost to let them know their nation appreciates them!

So, come out on April 30 to Tom’s Creek UMC Promised Land property, off of Rt.140, at 10918 Taneytown Pike in Emmitsburg.

For more information about the bike ride organization, visit www.worldteamsports.org/events/face-of-america/.

Local Artist’s Work Soon Available in Home Goods Stores

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In January of this year, Art & Design by Valerie Zombro Nusbaum entered into a licensing agreement with Stupell Industries of Johnston, Rhode Island. Nusbaum has given Stupell permission to reproduce some of her watercolor paintings onto large canvas and to use certain specially-created images in other mediums. Home decor items and wall art featuring her designs will be available this summer at Home Goods stores across the country.

Stupell Industries has been in business for over forty years, and their CEO discovered Nusbaum’s art online through her Etsy shop. Nusbaum and her husband, Randy, started Art & Design in 2000. They’ve sold their work at art shows and craft fairs all over Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. In addition to her prints of her original watercolors, they offer wood crafts, homemade potpourris and sachets, polymer clay novelty brooches, and one-of-a-kind jewelry designs. Etsy shop has been open since 2011.

Noah’s Ark print, one of Valerie Zombro Nusbaum’s art pieces that will soon be showing up in Home Goods stores across the country.

 

U.S. Crossbow Club Holds Awards Banquet

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Grace Eyler

Crossbow_1On August 15, 2015, the U.S. Crossbow Club (USCC) celebrated its 2nd Annual Awards Banquet. Located on Tower Road in Thurmont, members from across Maryland, and as far away as Ohio, joined together to share stories of their crossbow hunting adventures, to display their mounted trophy animals, and to receive awards for their hunting and fishing accomplishments. Although these USCC members come from all walks of life, the one thing they all have in common is their passion for hunting, fishing, and their crossbows. Dennis R. Britton of Thurmont is the club’s founder and first president. He recalled purchasing his first crossbow at Jefferson Archery in 2008. At the time, Britton was sixty-five years old and could legally hunt with a crossbow, but after reading Maryland’s laws and regulations governing hunting with a crossbow, he found them to be biased, discriminating, and unfair when compared to other legal archery hunting equipment: (1) a crossbow hunter could only hunt on sporadic specified dates of the archery season whereas the traditional bowhunter could hunt every day of the archery season; (2) a crossbow hunter had to be at least sixty-five years old, while the traditional bowhunter had no age limits; and (3) a crossbow hunter had to be physically impaired whereas a traditional bowhunter did not. He recognized the laws and regulations prevented many younger and healthier hunters from having a choice of hunting weapons. A firm believer in equal rights and freedom of choice, Britton campaigned for a change that would benefit all sportsmen across Maryland, regardless of age or disability.

Britton started in Thurmont with a door-to-door petition to enlighten as many residents as he could about the uneven archery hunting laws. After collecting over 2,500 signatures, Britton then sent the petition to the Maryland Governor’s Office, The Department of Natural Resources, and key state senators. He thought 2,500 votes could convince Governor Martin O’Malley to reverse his way of thinking in an election year, and they did. Beginning with the 2010-2011 Maryland hunting season, crossbows became a legal archery hunting weapon for everyone, without limits or restrictions for the entire hunting season!

In September of 2010, Britton founded the Maryland Crossbow Federation to unite all Maryland crossbow hunters into a single voice, and to represent that voice in all legal crossbow matters.

Britton said, “Because of reputation and popularity, our membership has grown overwhelmingly and has spread into Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, Ohio, as well as Germany, Canada, and South America. On February 4, 2015, the Maryland Crossbow Federation became legally known as the U.S. Crossbow Club.

Today, Britton and his wife, Lucy, warmly welcome archers to the club’s headquarters and new crossbow range. The site has twenty Ironman targets, with no two targets being placed at the same elevation or distance. It is the only archery range in the state of Maryland to have permanent-placed straight in-line targets at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 yards, great for calibrating long distance scopes.

During the awards ceremony, Dennis reminded his fellow members that, “…Our mission as a club is to promote more crossbow hunting and shooting opportunities for everyone, without limits and restrictions, and to recognize each member for their outdoor sports accomplishments.”

The U.S. Crossbow Club (USCC) has the most extensive awards programs in the world.

Britton said, “We have awards for all Maryland and National big game species, in both fair chase and estate hunting conditions,” adding, “We are the first hunting organization to recognize our member’s fishing and crabbing talents, and also the first hunting organization to recognize our member’s harvesting of Maryland and National doe whitetail deer.”

The 2nd Annual All Awards Presentations ceremony began with the club’s Biggest Catch Award, where award recipients reminisced about their fishing stories.

Next, another unique award was presented: the Maryland-National Heaviest Whitetail Doe Award, which was created to (1) allow young whitetail bucks to mature; (2) create award opportunities to those that never see a mature whitetail buck; (3) help in managing our ever-growing whitetail deer herd; and (4) recruit and retain crossbow hunters.

Other awards included Hunter of the Year; Estate Hunter of the Year, for harvesting the most different species of big game animals; and the USCC Golden Arrow Award and Estate Golden Arrow Award, for harvesting the most big game animals of the same species.

After members received their awards, Lucy gathered everyone for a tasty barbecue lunch. Members dined and swapped stories of their outdoor adventures. As the afternoon progressed, members said their goodbyes, and are now looking forward to next year’s gathering.

For more information on the USCC, contact Dennis Britton at 301-271-7001 or at uscrossbowclub@hughes.net.

You do not have to be a Maryland resident or even a U.S. citizen to enjoy the benefits of being a U.S. Crossbow Club member.

Give Him a Home Where the Buffalo Roam

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James Rada, Jr.

Lewistown Elementary School student, Nik Contreras, hunches over a notebook, writing down figures for a loan he needs to buy a bison for his farm. Coming up with his total, he flips to another page and begins sketching a design for the corrals on his farm. It’s all part of his business plan.

Then the school bell rings and recess is over.

Nik is only nine years old, but he has a vision for his future, and it is centered around the huge shaggy animals from western lore, typically called buffalo.

“The settlers in the West knew about European buffalo, and, since bison looked like buffalo, that’s what they called them,” Contreras said.

A few years ago, Nik saw his first bison at a park in Virginia, and they captured his imagination. He liked their big heads and shaggy bodies.

He began drawing them in a sketchbook and searching for pictures on the internet of bison that he could use for models. He happened to click on one of those pictures, thinking it would enlarge, but instead it took him to the National Bison Association website.

He began exploring the website, learning more about bison and how to raise them for meat like cattle.

“People tell me why not raise cattle, but I say bison is better,” said Nik. “You don’t need to feed them as much. They can take care of themselves better than cows. You just need nice grass and water.”

Nik can tell you all about considerations for planning a ranch on which to raise bison. He continues researching them, because his plan is to eventually buy his own ranch.

His first step toward this goal is to buy his first bison. Many places around the country will sell bison at auction, just like a cattle auction. His research has allowed him to pick out an auction where he believes he can find the best deal. He has also found out that he can get an unsecured Rural Youth Agriculture loan for up to $5,000.

Now, he just has to turn ten, which will happen later this year.

Nik is now a junior member of the National Bison Association, and he also became the very first junior member of the Eastern Bison Association.

“They’re great people,” said Cindy Burnsteel, Nik’s mother. “They answer his e-mails and calls and treat him as they would any other adult.”

Since becoming interested in raising bison, Nik has attended different round-ups, visited a number of bison ranches, and even lobbied members of Congress about the benefits of bison meat.

“It tastes better than beef,” Nik said. “It’s a little sweeter. It’s also low in fat and cholesterol. You can use it to make a lot of things, like soup, tacos, and burgers.”

Nik even knows how he will raise the money to make loan payments and pay for the upkeep of his bison at a ranch. He is going to make bullwhips and sell them. It is a skill that he has been learning for quite some time, and he believes that he can make better ones than you can often purchase in stores.

Once the first bison he buys has had a few calves, he will sell it and raise the young ones. He will continue raising and breeding them, slowly growing his herd and his income until he has enough money to buy his first ranch. He figures that it will be in Michigan or Wisconsin.

Not surprisingly, he has also researched the places in the United States that have the best conditions for raising bison.

Bill Edwards of SB Farms in Hurlock, Maryland, and Nik Contreras are pictured, with bison bull, Captain Hook.

Bison-article-by-Jim

Photo Courtesy of Cindy Burnsteel