Thurmont
Mayor John Kinnaird
Mayor John Kinnaird was unable to submit his column for this month.
Emmitsburg
Mayor Frank Davis
This month, I want to dedicate my article to the Daughters of Charity.
This year marks the 50th anniversary celebration of the canonization of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. The next several months are full of unique events and exhibits at the National Shrine, located at 333 South Seton Avenue in Emmitsburg. On September 14, the actual day that marks the anniversary, the public is invited to join in mass and other special activities. This beautiful facility is a must-see for those who have never taken the opportunity to visit. Their website, setonshrine.org, offers a full schedule of events.
Where would Emmitsburg be without the Daughters of Charity? Recently, I had the privilege of spending the afternoon chatting with the sisters about the past, the present, and the future of both the town and their organization. At one point during our visit, the sisters shared with me the many locations around the world they served, the many different vocations they exhibited, and how they have touched millions of lives. The one thing they all had in common was Emmitsburg. Telling their stories made reality sink in and brought me to that question: Where would we be without the Daughters of Charity?
Some of you have either been lifelong residents of Emmitsburg or have lived here for an extended period and know their history. However, some of our newer residents to Emmitsburg and the surrounding communities might be unaware of their positive impact. I can never capture everything, but I want to share what I can personally remember during my lifetime.
As a youngster, I can remember in the mid-1960s seeing a massive building built on South Seton Avenue. We would watch the big construction equipment moving around the site, as the building kept getting bigger and bigger. We had never seen anything like this in our small town, and as kids, did not know what to make of it. On the other hand, the community sure did. Local restaurants were full of construction workers. There was a buzz amongst the grown-ups about job opportunities and how the town would grow. When construction was finished, all those things came to fruition. The building was the largest building in Frederick County and carried that distinction until the construction of the Toys “R” Us warehouse in Frederick. Well, guess what, Toys “R” Us is out of business, but our Daughters are still here. Thousands of residents have found jobs over the years, and the sisters became town residents.
For many years, the Daughters operated St. Joseph College, now home of the National Emergency Training Center. In 1973, the college closed and sat empty with nothing more than a security guard patrolling the area. Several years later, a new buzz started around town: the possibility of the federal government buying the property and opening the National Fire Academy. Again, the hopes of more jobs, increased business revenue, and town growth were on the horizon. Emmitsburg was in competition with several other sites around the country, but the deal in Emmitsburg seemed to fit the bill, and the price was right. Again, the Daughters scored a win for Emmitsburg.
There are so many things we have taken for granted, like Mother Seton School, the Seton Center, Saint Catherine’s Nursing Home, Saint Joseph High School, and now, the site of DePaul Village Apartments. Even now, as their order is shrinking in size, the Daughters are still looking out for Emmitsburg. While not needing all of their massive buildings, their business decisions still have Emmitsburg at heart. They have added much-needed senior housing to one wing and have contracted with Mount Saint Mary’s University and Seminary to expand their curriculum.
I could go on and on because I have found this is the easiest column that I have ever written. But I think you can see the big picture. The Daughters of Charity have been a main player in making Emmitsburg what it is today. I ask again: Where would we be without the Daughters of Charity?
Woodsboro
Burgess Heath Barnes
I am very excited to announce that we had a very productive and transparent budget hearing meeting on April 1. We had 38 residents in attendance, which was wonderful, and it created great dialogue from multiple voices. I presented a general fund budget that allowed us to put in money for street repairs and to purchase a new town truck, all without raising tax rates. We were able to do this due to us being frugal with the residents’ tax dollars. I have worked hard over the last four years to bring in grants and funds so that we could ensure that we would not have to have tax increases locally, and we were able to do that. As far as the water and sewer budget I presented—a budget without any increases—after discussion among the commissioners and town residents’ input, the commissioners decided to make a 5 percent increase, which will equal out to about a $34.00 per year increase per household. Our water and sewer budget is always extremely tight and has to be run separately from the general fund budget. The reason it is so tight is the town runs a full plant with just 467 hookups. Towns larger than us run theirs with 2000 hookups, etc.
The April meeting was also the nomination meeting for the upcoming elections. Elections will take place on May 10 between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. The voting location is the United Church of Christ, located at 8 N. 2nd Street in Woodsboro. The candidate nominated for burgess is Heath Barnes. The candidates nominated for the two open commissioner seats are Jesse Case, Denise Hahn, and David Williams. Two of the three will be elected. Although I am the only one on the ballot for burgess, I humbly ask for your vote, as there appears to be a possible write-in candidate. If you cannot vote on Election Day, you can vote absentee at the town office until May 2.
On April 12, the Woodsboro Volunteer Fire Company and the Town of Woodsboro hosted their annual Easter Egg Hunt. The egg hunt was once again wonderful, and it was great seeing so many from the community and the excitement on the children’s faces. It looks like next year we will have to up our egg count even higher, as the hunt continues to get bigger each year!
Mark your calendars for May 25, as the American Legion in Woodsboro will once again host its annual Memorial Day Parade. This is always a good time for the family, so bring the whole family out and enjoy a parade.
Woodsboro Days will be October 18 this year. I am looking for one to two people who would be willing to help plan and organize Woodsboro Days with me. For the last three years, I have tried to do it almost alone, but it has gotten too big for one person to do it by themselves.
As always, I encourage everyone to support Glade Valley Community Services (GVCS) if you have clothes or food donations, as they are always in need of items for members of the community. For more information, please contact GVCS by email at gvcs.inc@verizon.net or by calling 301-845-0213.
If you have any questions, concerns, complaints, or compliments, please feel free to reach out to me at hbarnes@woodsboro.org or by phone at 301-401-7164.
Woodsboro town meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. In addition, planning and zoning meetings are at 6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the month, as needed. If you have an item for the agenda, it needs to
be submitted 14 days before the P&Z meeting. The current location for meetings is the St. Johns United Church of Christ, located at 8 N. 2nd Street, Woodsboro, MD 21798. The public is always invited to attend.