Emmitsburg Commissioner Seats decided
September 30, 2009
Emmitsburg held thier election on September 29, 2009 for two commssioner seats. Mr. Clifford Sweeney will keep his commissioner seat and Joyce Rosensteel lost her seat to Mr. Tim O’Donnell. Congratulations to both winners! Emmitsburg holds an election every year for a commissioner seat. 2009 election was for two seats with four candidates.
Jared Snyder earns Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge
September 30, 2009
Jared Snyder earns Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge
Jared Snyder, age 12 of Thurmont and member of Boy Scout Pack 270 recently earned his merit badge with assistance from Chief Gregory Eyler of the Thurmont Police Department. As part of the requirements Master Snyder met with Chief Eyler to learn what he and his department does to prepare, respond, recover and mitigate in emergency situations in the community. Master Snyder was then required to develop a presentation outlining what he has learned to Pack 270. Master Snyder successfully completed the task and received his merit badge.
Officers Debord and Fitzgerald honored for DUI arrests
September 30, 2009
Officers Fitzgerald and Debord honored for DUI arrests
One hundred twenty officers received distinction for having made the highest number of DUI arrest within their respective departments for calendar year 2008 this past Sunday, September 27th during the eighth Annual DUI Law Enforcement Award presented by the Impaired Driving Coalition. The Coalition is compiled of approximately 300 members representing professional highway safety professionals, law enforcement, highway safety advocates as well as public and private sector agencies, businesses and associations. The Maryland Highway Safety Office is the proud sponsor of this annual award as it personally recognizes the sacrifice and commitment made by Maryland Officers from every part of the state. Two Thurmont Police Officers were recognized at this year’s event and received awards for their DUI enforcement within their jurisdiction. Officers Mark Debord and Daniel Fitzgerald were honored at this event which was held at the Carroll County Agricultural Center in Westminster.
“October” Questions of the Month
September 29, 2009
Special of edition of Thurmont World for Mayoral Candidates
September 27, 2009
The final three candidates will be interviewed this week on WTHU 1450AM. There will be two special editions featuring the unexpected mayoral candidate Rosie Bentz. Martin Burns will air Thursday, October 1st at 7:30 am and Rosie Bentz on Friday, October 2nd at 7:30 am. John Bean, candidate for commissioner will air Saturday, October 3rd at 9 am. All shows may be heard on wthu.org
Guess what?
September 27, 2009
This month readers will be spared my ponderings. Due to the elections and three seats up for grabs October 5th, I dedicated a large amount of space to the five candidates in Thurmont. I had the opportunity to interview the three commissioner candidates as well as two mayoral candidates. Please see “Breaking News” for all five of those interviews. Publisher Ponders will return next month just like a pesky fly. I will leave you with columnist Mark Smith Ramblings this month which appeared in the printed edition. Til next time-Peace!
Remembering Post 9/11 Bi-Partisanship Mark Smith
Upon reflecting recently of the 8-year anniversary of the tragic events of September 11th, 2001, I can vividly recall so many emotional memories that occurred that day. I remember when the news broke, and then broke again, and then again and again. I recall my initial reaction that this could be the beginning of WWIII and how scared I was of that actually happening. One thing I distinctly remember was the impromptu “God Bless America” sing along by both Republicans and Democrats together in Congress later that afternoon. I also can summon up the sentiment that this was going to be a “different America” now. Partisanship was less important; Patriotic unity was going to be what made our country resilient and strong after this horrific day. How long did that last? 6 months? A year, maybe?
The bickering between the political parties is now again full-blown. Democrats are too busy defending their newly elected President by continuing to live in the past and blame the Bush administration for the state of the union. Republicans are too busy attacking the current administration’s policies without offering any solutions to the existing problems this country is submersed in. Instead they choose to basically proclaim that President Obama and Josef Stalin are one-in-the-same.
Hey, I recognize the importance of the two political party system that we run on in this country. The balance of power HAS to be shifted back and forth for us to stay unified and be able to have the freedoms and liberties that makes of the UNITED States of America. If one set of beliefs and values is all we can rely on in our leaders, we essentially WILL be communists and/or socialists. If you look back in history, it has been proven that this is indeed the case. The Democrats seize control of the country for a while and then the Republicans will have it for a period of time. And back and forth, and so on and so on…
To me it is very frustrating to see the negative propaganda that is being put out by the Republicans these days. I am sent so many emails from my conservative friends that are intended to be humorous, comparing Obama to a socialist and a Nazi, and some other ones making disturbing references to his race. Regardless of how you voted this past November, one thing we all should be proud of as Americans is that as a society, we have escalated above the point where race is a factor anymore. I am so proud to see the next generations, which really are the ones that determined the outcome of this past election, do not even see the color of a persons skin when making judgments about leadership capabilities. Let’s not go backwards again and make race an issue here, please?
The boiling point for me was the bumper sticker I saw that read, “Obama lied; the economy died.” What exactly is that supposed to mean besides being an obvious retaliation the other bumper sticker about President Bush and the war in Iraq. What did Obama lie about? And again, please tell me how HE killed the economy? How can you kill something that was dead when you took it over? I distinctly remember how Obama wanted to make it clear during his campaign that there was NO quick fix to the mess our economy was (and still is) in. This is just a convenient opportunity to attack the man eight months in to his four-year term. Like Jerry Reed once sung in a not-so-famous song many years ago, “We’ve got a LONG way to go, and a short time to get there”.
And Democrats, can you please articulate how Obama’s policies are going to pull this country out of this mess without attacking the Bush administration, please? That’s all you hear from them. “We’re in this mess because the Bush administration did this or didn’t do that.” Please, let’s move forward. You got the power of the White House back, do something with it now instead of attacking the Republican party.
The message every year on September 11th is “We shall NEVER forget!” We will never forget so many things that happened that day, but that short-lived sense of bi-partisanship and unity I feel is long gone.
Adopt me Please!
September 27, 2009
Name: Stella-6178
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
Age: 9 years old
Gender: Female
Weight: 11.5lbs
Stella arrived at Frederick County Animal Control because her owner went into assisted living. She enjoys the company of people and can hold up her end of the conversation. Stella has been spayed and tested negative for feline leukemia and feline immune deficiency. Her adoption fee is $57.50.
Name: Waldo-6140
Breed: Domestic Medium Hair
Gender: Male
Age: 1.5 yrs
Weight: 7.9lbs
Waldo was relinquished to Frederick County Animal Control on June 24th; he was given up because his family was moving. It was reported that Waldo enjoys lying on a lap and that he lived with a dog and other cats. Waldo’s adoption fee is $77.50
Name: Rock-0819
Breed: Alaskan Malamute Mix
Age: 6 years
Gender: Male
Weight: 99lbs
Rock was relinquished by his owners because they both became unemployed and could not care for him. His owners reported that he has lived with another dog and four cats. Rock’s adoption fee is $72.50 and includes
Name: Braxton-1428
Breed: Cocker Spaniel/Lab Mix
Gender: Male
Age: 3 yrs
Weight: 51.6lbs
Braxton arrived at the shelter a victim of a divorce. He has lived with younger children and been around other dogs. Braxton’s adoption fee is $92.50 and will include microchip registration, a vet wellness visit, a rabies vaccination voucher and a county license.
A Cat by any other Name
September 27, 2009
A Cat By Any Other Name by D. “JB” Bramson
The word cat is used by almost all European countries. It is probably an ancient word derived from the Arabic word - guttah. The Egyptians are the people who domesticated cats.
The word for cat in various languages:
chat- French
gato- Spanish
gatto- Italian
katze- German
katt- Swedish/Norwegian
kat- Dutch
kottur- Icelandic
kot- Polish
kats- Yiddish
kata- Greek
guttus- Maltese
The origin of the word puss (i.e. pussy cat) is probably from Pasht, the early Egyptian cat goddess. The origin of tabby is the Turkish name utabi. Another word for cat in Turkish is kedi, hence kitty.
Cat Breeds
The oldest cat breed is the shorthaired which is descended from cats across Europe which were spread by Romans. In the 16th century, ships from the orient brought the tail-less Manx to the Isle of Man. At the same time, longhaired breeds (i.e. Angora) were brought to Europe from Turkey. Later, in the mid-19th century, the Persian breed, from Asia Minor gained popularity. In the late 19th century, the Siamese came from the Far East, the Russian Blue from Russia, and the Abyssinian from Ethiopia. In the 1930’s, the Burmese was brought to the U.S. In the 1960’s, the Sphinx, a naked cat from Canada, the Rex from Devon and Cornwall in England, and the Scottish Fold were all introduced. In the 1970’s, the Japanese Bobtail was imported to the U.S.
The Ragdoll is so named because when they are picked up, they hang limply like a ragdoll.
Cat Senses
Cats, like us, respond to four basic tastes: bitter, sour, sweet and salt. Cats do not have a strong sweet tooth. Their most powerful response to food comes from smell, not taste. A cat can learn all it needs to know about a food item without even trying the food. A cat’s preferred temperature for food is 86 degrees F, the same as its tongue temperature.
Cat Feeding Behavior- explaining food rejection/ finicky eater.
Some causes of sudden decrease in appetite:
1) a female who’s in heat
2) weather changes- increased heat and humidity
3) finding food/prey elsewhere(neighbor’s house, hunting outside)
4) location of food bowl- too sunny, too noisy, too much commotion
Food Variety mechanism- this was found in birds originally. It ensures not being dependant on one kind of prey in case it should no longer exist. This allows for switching diets in the home for a pet cat. Some cats stick to one food and one food only. They bond to that food and won’t even try another more tasty food (like canned). Even if given a variety of food, it will refuse one of it’s favorites occasionally. Most pet cats should not be allowed to eat whatever amount of food they want. They tend toward obesity and if they have a cushy, couch potato lifestyle, they require much fewer calories. If calories in are greater than calories out you get a fat cat. Portion control by owners is key.
Drinking Behavior
Cats will avoid the clean water source quite often because it has been treated with chemicals/chlorine. Alternatively, the odor from cleaning products used on water bowls can be a deterrent. Instead, cats like the natural organic odors of puddles and pooling water outside (ponds and bird baths).
Make sure to rinse bowls well after using detergents. Always have water available and do not give milk to cats. As cats get older, they get lactose intolerant. This leads to gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea.
There are actual water fountains made for cats too, since they often like running water.
Remember; if you give food, shelter and a loving home to your dog, it thinks you’re God. If you give food, shelter and a loving home to your cat, it thinks that it’s God!
Source: Cat Watching by Desmond Morris
Game Time with Dave
September 27, 2009
Hello again, its fall and it’s the busiest time of the year. NFL Football and MLB Baseball are in full swing; NBA Basketball is getting ready to start, and there are lots of local CYA football, and fall baseball and softball. So let’s get going!
LOCAL SPORTS
In local sports we’ll start with High School football where the Catoctin Cougars are rolling! The 9th grade team is 2-0; the J.V. team is 2-0, while the Varsity has opened up with a 3-0 start with 3 convincing wins over Liberty 28-6, N. Carroll 36-13, and S. Hagerstown 43-8. Great start Cougars, keep it going.
In CYA football action the teams are off to a very competitive start with the Pony team posting a 3-2 record, the J.V. a 1-4 record, and the Varsity a 3-2 record.
In other local sports news, Frederick Community College freshman and Catoctin graduate Sara Gartrell was named the National Jr. College Athletic Association player of the week for the week of September 7th 2009. Sara is having a great start to her college Volleyball career. She won the honor for her play at the Howard County College Dragon Invitational Tournament where she had 20 kills, 12 digs, 28 blocks and 6 aces on her way to making the All-tournament Team. By winning the player of the week nationally Sara has become the first FCC Athlete, male or female to ever win this honor! CONGRATULATIONS Sara!
In Minor League Baseball the Keys season ended with the Keys finishing the second half in third place, 13 games behind Wilmington. The Keys hope to rebound and get ready for 2010 with a new group of young players to get ready for the majors.
The 2009 Little League World Series was held in Williamsport, Pa. with Park View Little League from Chula Vista Ca. winning the Championship over Chinese Taipei 6-3. Congratulations USA!
NATIONAL SPORTS
The 2009 Major League season is winding down with 2 weeks to play and my beloved Orioles stand 34 games out of first place! Here are the division leaders as we head down the home stretch. In the A.L. the hated N.Y. Yankees are leading the East, while the Angels lead the West and the Tigers lead the Central Division. The Red Sox look to have the wild card sewed up in the A.L. In the N.L. the Phillies lead the East with the Dodgers leading the West and the Cardinals leading the Central Division. The Giants and Rockies are still battling for the N.L. wild card.
In NASCAR action, the field is now set for the final 10 races to decide the 2009 NASCAR Champion. Recent winners have been Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, and Denny Hamlin. Here are the top 12 drivers as we get NASCAR’S post season started.
- 1. Mark Martin
- 2. Tony Stewart
- 3. Jimmie Johnson
- 4. Denny Hamlin
- 5. Kasey Kahne
- 6. Jeff Gordon
- 7. Kurt Busch
- 8. Brian Vickers
- 9. Carl Edwards
- 10. Ryan Newman
- 11. Juan Pablo Montoya
- 12. Greg Biffle
In PGA action, there were no Majors, so nobody really watched as Tiger Woods won the BMW Championship.
In the U.S. Open Tennis Championships held in Flushing Meadows N.Y. recently, Roger Federer was upset in the Men’s final (but not as upset as Serena Williams, read later) by Juan Martin Del Potro 3-6, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 to win the 2009 Men’s grand slam Title. In Women’s action, Kim Clijster defeated Caroline Wozniaki 7-5, and 6-3 to win the Women’s Championship.
The NFL season kicked off with no big upsets in week 1, however, several key players have been injured to start the season, among players to miss games in week 2 are Troy Polumalu from the Steelers, Ladanian Thomlinson of the Chargers, Brian Urlacher of the Bears, and Donovan McNabb of the Eagles. The Mcnabb injury is tough on the Eagles because backup quarterback Michael Vick is suspended until week 3 and unable to play. This puts the Eagles in a real “dogfight” in week 2!
The NCAA College Football season has gotten underway and several high ranked teams have stumbled in the first 2 weeks, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Virginia Tech all have lost. Some surprising 2-0 starts belong to Michigan and Miami Fla. who beat 2 ranked opponents to jump into the mix.
The top 10 after 2 weeks are:
- 1. Florida
- 2. Texas
- 3. U.S.C.
- 4. Alabama
- 5. Mississippi
- 6. Penn State
- 7. Brigham Young
- 8. California
- 9. L.S.U.
- 10. Boise State
I’m rooting for Boise State to throw a wrench in the B.C.S. (bull crap system) used in the NCAA to determine a champion instead of the playoff system most fans want.
SPORTS IDIOT
This month’s Sports Idiot is Serena Williams, for those of you who missed it, during the Semi-Finals she was called for several foot faults, all were in fact violations. After her last one which resulted in her giving a point to her opponent to lose the match she went nuts. I’m paraphrasing, but what she basically said was she was going to take the tennis ball and shove it down the line judge’s throat. When confronted she denied threatening to kill the line judge. I’m no expert, but I bet it’s hard to breathe with a tennis ball in your throat. The biggest joke of this is she was fined 10 thousand dollars. She won 350 thousand dollars in the match. How many of us can act like that at work and be punished so little, what a joke!
IN MY OPINION
IN MY OPINION I’m sick of going to or tuning on an Orioles game and seeing the stands full of Yankee or Red Sox fans! Baltimore Oriole fans who sell or give their season tickets to Yankees or Red Sox fans are giving Peter Angelos (Orioles Owner) exactly what he wants! By giving or selling them to the visiting team you are putting the opposing team’s fans in the stadium to buy the 7 dollar beers, the 5 dollar hot dogs, etc. and Angelos makes his money. Money that he should use to pick up players to make the Orioles better, but he doesn’t, he puts that money in his bank account with the other gazillion dollars he has and quietly sits back and smiles as the O’s lose and he gets richer. O’s fans if you want to force Angelos to put a better product on the field tear up those tickets next time you don’t want to go to the game. Don’t give it them the enemy! If you want to see Angelos squirm let him see a Yankee vs. O’s series draw about 10,000 a game. Because In My Opinion if the Oriole season ticket holders stop giving their tickets to the opposing teams fans this will force Orioles ownership to put a team on the field that’s competitive! That’s a start. O’s fans have been looking for this for the last decade!
TRIVIA
Last month’s answer was Michael Jordan who has appeared on 63 Sports Illustrated covers to date. Second place is Muhammad Ali at 38.
This month’s question: On August 26th 1939 the first Major League baseball game was televised, what stadium hosted the game?
- A. Wrigley Field
- B. Fenway Park
- C. Yankee Stadium
- D. Ebbett’s Field
Bentz Interview
September 27, 2009
Question #1:
What was the determining factor in your decision to run for commissioner? (Or determining factor to run for re-election?)
After many people approached me I thought it would be a wise decision so folks would at least have a choice in the election for mayor.
Question #2:
What strengths do you feel you bring to the table?
I have very good organizational skills. I also delegate duties and get along well with people. I have held top offices in church, legion and the work place. I don’t have a temper and negotiate to accomplish satisfactory results.
Question #3:
If you were to implement a strategic plan, what would your ten year plan include?
I would like to bring harmony to the board and restore the town to a peaceful community and would like to see our electric cost decline and deep taxes livable. I would also like to see our sewer system upgraded to standard and some of our streets need paving.
Question #4:
What is your party affiliation?
The town government is a non partisan position. However, I am a liberal and trust worthy.
On the personal side:
Question #5:
How long have you lived in Thurmont?
I have lived in the condos on Cody Drive for 16 years. Prior to that we spent 7 years on Hillside Ave and 25 years in Creagerstown, which is all in the 21788 zip.
Question #6:
When voting in an election, what do you look for in a candidate?
Someone who is a good steward of ethics and advocates thrift. They should be ready to revise, recycle and respect their fellow colleagues to get the job done.
Question #7:
Who has been a mentor for you?
My best help comes from the Lord. My husband is my cheerleader and many people have influenced my life.
Question #8:
How would you describe Thurmont to an individual who has never heard of Thurmont?
Thurmont is small town US. It is located at the foothills of the mountain which make it a beautiful, quiet town. We have good schools, industry, a good senior center and many youth programs as well. It is also a fun place to live.
Question #9:
How would your best friend describe you to me if I did not know you?
They would probably say I am fun to be with, honest and hard working. I am good natured and God’s child.
Question #10:
What do you enjoy most to do in any spare time you may have?
Spare time? What’s that! I keep moving with one project after another. I really like my charitable work with the VA at Martinsburg. They really appreciate seeing people come.
And back to business:
Question #11:
What do you think is Thurmont’s greatest challenge in the next four years?
Sewer, electric and street paving
Question #12:
How do you think technology will streamline the town’s payroll expense resulting in a savings for the taxpayers? Email all mail and bills to those who have it and save postage. Use direct deposit for employees and make sure the employees are doing their jobs and utilize time effectively.
And now you have the last word:
I am not always good with words but I get the job done. I have had a wide range of jobs in my life and have never been fired from any of them. I am proud to be an American Citizen and thankful that I am free to decide and “I would like to run for mayor!” The American dream is to do the things in life which mean the most. I love this town and enjoyed being the Heritage Queen last year. It gave me an opportunity to be a good ambassador for Thurmont. We were received most agreeably in every town we went to. We had a great time attending the library opening, police building opening, gallery strolls and helping with Halloween in the Park and the Christmas tree lighting ceremonies. I just like people and keeping on the move. Elect me and I will show you my colors!
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