|
Gas Station Reopens After Temporary Closure Due to High Gas Prices
 Bernie Sweeney has been pumping gas in Thurmont for 33½ years. As the owner of the owner of Direct-To-You gas station on the corner of Emmitsburg Road and North
Church Street in Thurmont, he’s seen prices fluctuate over the years, but never like this. This month he had to close his gas station for seven days because the cost of gas was just too high. The price was too high for his pumps which will only go to $2.999 and also for Bernie to
purchase. “It was going to cost me $3.50/gallon to buy the gas wholesale and Sheetz was selling it at the pump for $3.29/gallon,” explained Bernie. “It was just too much to charge my customers - I didn’t want to gouge the public - so I just closed up for awhile,” he said.
Luckily for all of us, gas prices went back down a little and Bernie got a better deal so he could open back up. We get a better deal for awhile, too, because Bernie’s pumps still don’t go up past $2.999, although he does have the parts now to
upgrade the pumps. As of press time he was only charging $2.999 for all three types of gasoline and larger gas stations were well over $3.00. Hopefully, for everyone gas prices will go down and he won’t need those parts!
Thurmont’s Halloween in the Park Planned for October 22nd
Thurmont’s annual Halloween in the Park will return this year at at the Community Park on Frederick Road on Saturday, October 22 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
This year’s event is planned to be the best one yest and will feature a new haunted hay ride, a special area just for ages 6 and under, a trick or treat station, a costume contest and much more! Kids of all ages will enjoy visiting the “haunted
library”, going “shopping” along the “haunted boutique row” and tasting a few “incredible edibles”. There will also be face painting, games and crafts.
There will be free food and refrehsments and prizes for the best costume. Entertainment will be provided by ESP Dance Studio and local Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts will be helping with the event.
This community event is free of charge, however a canned food collection will be made for Thurmont’s Adopt-A-Town Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.
Halloween in the Park is sponsored by the Thurmont Parks Commission. Volunteers and donations are needed. The next planning meeting will be held on October 3 at the town office. Call the town office at 301-271-7313 for more details.
More information on this event will to follow in the October 15 issue of The Catoctin Banner.
Schools Welcome Hurricane Victims,
Coordinate Support
Frederick County public schools are welcoming students from areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. To get the children in school quickly, FCPS is following enrollment procedures for homeless students. After the students are enrolled, local
schools and pupil personnel workers will assist with obtaining the necessary paperwork. In addition, the Frederick County Health Department has offered assistance with physical exams and immunizations, where needed.
FCPS has decided not to take a “one-size-fits-all approach by electing any single activity for all schools” when it comes to coordinating local contributions for relief, says Superintendent Linda Burgee. “Rather, we have left it up to each
school and its community to determine participation and generate their own ideas for ways to support others. Some of our schools and departments have come up with very creative ideas and have already begun to collect supplies and money.”
Locally, most of the Catoctin feeder pattern schools are coordinating their efforts and are participating in Maryland Kids Care. Recommended by the Maryland State Department of Education, this statewide initiative encourages schools to collect
pennies and more throughout September to donate to a special American Red Cross fund. As of press time, Thurmont Middle School has already collected over $700.00 in this penny collecting project. Together the schools hope to donate one large check.
In addition to raising funds for Maryland Kids Care, the Catoctin High School student service learning advisory board will be helping to collect back packs for the relief efforts.
Thurmont Elementary and Primary Schools are collecting school supplies.
For more information on local school relief efforts, please contact your local school.
Thurmont Organizing Relief Effort
The town of Thurmont is asking interested citizens to join a committee to help design a Katrina Relief Effort.
The current plan is to adopt a town of similar size to Thurmont and help with them with their recovery in any way possible. Volunteers will be needed to help organize the committee, gather donations locally, possibly travel to the affected area
to help with reconstruction and other ways to help support the adopted town.
Any questions, ideas, comments or to volunteer your help write to: KatrinaRelief@thurmontfirst.com or by calling the Thurmont town office at 301-271-7313.
Smart Codes Seminar Held in Thurmont
The Thurmont Economic Development Council sponsored a Smart Codes Seminar on September 6, 2005 at the Cozy Restaurant in Thurmont.
The seminar is led by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and is designed for professionals who want to understand more about the Maryland Building Rehabilitation Code.
The focus of the seminar was on how to apply the Maryland Building Rehabilitation Code to residential, commercial and mixed use rehabilitation projects and illustrated this through hypothetical case scenarios. For more information on this
seminar or for upcoming seminar dates visit www.dhcd.state.md.us.
The seminar is held periodically throughout the state of Maryland and is one of many such programs to be sponsored by the Thurmont Economic Development Council.
Student Helps Others
T his summer, after reading about someone who took the initiative to help others in need, Christina May, of Thurmont, was inspired to reach out to
others in her own community.
After meeting with her church pastor and her mother, Christina developed the idea to hold a fundraiser to benefit area students. She worked with her mother Tricia, Pastor Dave of Lewistown United Methodist Church, and Thurmont Lions Club members
Shirley Long and Joyce Anthony to hold a yard sale. Christina then worked with the Catoctin CASS office to purchase school supplies for local students.
Catoctin CASS Coordinator Debbie Wivell reports that this year the program assisted 40 students with school supplies through this one person’s effort to make a difference.. “This was a wonderful collaboration between Lewistown United Methodist
Church, Thurmont Lions Club, and Catoctin CASS and it all began with an idea from a child who wanted to make a difference,” said Ms. Wivell.
Thurmont Lions New Officers
Members of the Thurmont Lions Club began their new year with the election of new officers and directors.
 Sam Miller will be the new Thurmont Lions Club president. Mr. Miller transferred to the Thurmont area four years ago from the Cockeysville-Timonium, Md. area
where he served twice as their Lions Club president. Sam Miller is shown above in the center with retiring president Shirley Long and Past District Governor “Och” Ochoa.
Other new officers include 1st Vice President Susan Favorite, 2nd Vice President Paul Cannada, 3rd Vice President Terry Frushour, Board Secretary Joyce Anthony, Barbara DiCarlo Membership Secretary, Treasurer Robin Keeny, Assistant Treasurer
Douglas Favorite, Tail Twister William Willhide and Lion Tamer Donald Keeney. Named to the Board of Directors were Frank Dardanell, Eugene Long, Michael Irons, and Past District Governor Ochoa. William Reckley will serve as Membership Chairman.
|
