From the Mayor
Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs
The 60th Annual Thurmont and Emmitsburg Community Show was again a phenomenal success. Adding to the attentiveness was that it was also the weekend of the fifteenth year since the 9-11 attacks. To the occasion was brought a keenness of being with friends and family. Many times we take for granted the things that are so important, but not that weekend. It seemed, like during the immediate aftermath of 9-11, that we were absorbed with not only being with family and friends, but strangers also, those new friends that are only one smile away.
The Mount community again took special time to remember alumni lost on 9-11: Andrew J. Alameno, 1986; Anthony E. Gallagher, 1983; Elizabeth C. Logler, 1991; James F. Murphy, IV, 1993; and Kevin J. Murphy, 1983. Also relatives of alumni: Edward A. Brennan III, Christopher Clarke, Alan Linton, Mark McGinly, John F. Rhodes III, and John Swaine.
Four years ago, I asked Ray Barnes, now Frederick County Board of Education Executive Officer, to tour Emmitsburg Elementary School with me. I, like many up this way, felt the school needed some upgrading. I know patience is a virtue, but every year I visited the school to speak to fourth graders, it seemed nothing was being done. Then, this summer, there was a noticeable change in activity at the school. First, site lighting was being enhanced. Twenty LED lights and poles were being installed. Fourteen were replacements for the original 20-foot poles and six were installed at new locations. As we know from our experience from replacing our street lighting with LED lamps, the lighting provides fuller coverage, more light, and uses less wattage. Less wattage converts to energy cost savings. Also, the LED fixtures have a life expectancy of more than twenty years, so there is more savings to be had with less bulb replacements.
Then, large equipment containers began to show up (AC/heating equipment) with two air handlers for the gym and kitchen; new cooling and chiller; five roof-top heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) package systems. With the new equipment came new building automation for temperature control and operational timing. The final touch was to replace all ceiling tile in the school. Not done yet: next summer the roof will be replaced. Cost to date is $1.5 million. Thank you, Board of Education.
The official opening of Seton Center, Inc. Outreach was held on September 9. Among the dignitaries attending were County Commissioner Otis and County Executive Gardner. Every town has a pulse and the Outreach Center is a beacon. Being there conjured up thoughts of what Robert Frost wrote, “taking the path less traveled and that has made all the difference” and that of St. John Paul II, “in each of us is a soul which is the seed of eternity.” Think about that. Helping those in need often is the path less traveled and to our souls it will make all the difference, and that is a part of eternity.
The 35th Annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend is on October 8-9, 2016, a national tribute to all firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year. Please welcome our 6,000 guests to the area for that weekend.
The walkway along East Lincoln Avenue, connecting Creamery Road and South Seton Avenue, was open in time for school openings at Emmitsburg Elementary and Mother Seton School; at times the walkway seems like a boardwalk, with people strolling up and down it. Again, this is the eighth sidewalk connection made in the last four years. We are on our way to becoming a walkable community.
From the Mayor
Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird
As I write this column, it is hard to believe that the first day of fall is upon us! Many I have spoken to recently lament the passing of summer, and look glumly forward to early sunsets and cooler weather. Summer is generally thought of as the season of great activity, be it work, gardening, or vacation, but this fall brings lots of activities for our residents, as well as many public improvements.
We will be hosting Colorfest on October 7-9. Great crafters, yard sales, delicious food, close friends, and all the visitors that Colorfest attracts, join together to make a very enjoyable weekend. Be sure to plan your Colorfest days and take advantage of the free bus service, ready to whisk you to the center of all the activities.
October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Thurmont is once again raising awareness and funds to help fight this devastating illness. We encourage residents to purchase pink light bulbs for their porches; this year, we will also have pink pinwheels to diplay in support of this great cause.
The Think Pink 5K Fun Run and Walk will be held at the Eyler Road Park on Saturday, October 22. You can register online or stop at the town office for more information. This year, the Board of Commissioners will be sporting pink shirts at our meetings, and we will be attending the 5K event to cheer everyone on. All funds raised will be donated to the Patty Hurwitz Fund at Frederick Memorial Hospital.
As everyone must be aware of by now, the Moser Road Bridge is in the process of being replaced. To date, the improvements are very evident, with a new footbridge crossing Hunting Creek and the recent completion of the new supports and bridge deck. The project is scheduled to be completed by early December, but I hope we will see the bridge open for traffic prior to that date. Be sure to watch for regular updates on my Facebook page. There will be a ribbon-cutting for the new bridge, and everyone is welcome to attend to see the completed bridge.
We are in the beginning stages of installing a second football/lacrosse field at the Eyler Road Park. This project has been several years in planning and will be completed this calendar year. Plans are to let the field sit for a season to establish the turf.
The town is also installing a new pumping station to service the McDonalds area waste water customers. This facility is being upgraded with a new sump and pumps. Service will not be interrupted during this upgrade.
The Water Company recently installed switching gear at one of our main wells, so the pumps can continue to operate during an extended electric outage. The well is equipped with a large diesel generator and the necessary electric equipment to isolate the well from the rest of our electric system.
In the next month or so, we will be starting on a new public works building to house our fleet of electric service trucks. The new building will house the bucket and pole trucks in one handy location. An additional feature of the new facility will be indoor storage for road salt. While thinking about the Electric Company, I want to thank the residents on the Tippin Drive circuit for their patience during the recent service outage. A major underground feeder line failed and needed to be replaced. Our electric crew ran a temporary line to restore service while the new line was installed. I want to thank our electric, roads, water, and waste crews for working together to resolve this outage.
I thank you for reading my article and invite you to join me and the Thurmont Board of Commissioners in the meeting room for our weekly town meetings that are held on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.
Please call on me if I can be of any service at 301-606-9458, by email at jkinnaird@thurmont.com, or on my Facebook page.