Tastefully Speaking by Eleanor Crampton
June 18, 2010
Tastefully Simple, Inc. is a home business that offers easy-to-prepare gourmet foods that cater to today’s lifestyle. The company was founded in 1995 by Jill Blashack Strahan, Alexandria, MN.
Consultants for Tastefully Simple host tasting parties in their homes as well as in their guest’s homes. Party guests sample Tastefully Simple products. This gives the guest the opportunity to know which products they like before they buy. At these parties, recipes and entertaining tips are also given by the consultant. The company offers more than 30 standard and some 20 seasonal products, including seasonings, soups, breads, sauces, snacks, dressings, desserts, and beverages. Prices for individual products range from $4.99 to $9.99. All products are either open and enjoy or made with a minimum of two additional ingredients. Tastefully Simple products meet strict quality criteria. There are more than 28,000 independent consultants nationwide and more than 350 employees at the Alexandria, MN Headquarters. Consultants are independent business owners who enjoy unlimited earning potential and flexibility. They receive exclusive commissions from all sales, including online orders.
Tastefully Simple is a multiple award-winning company, including the Stevie Award for Women in Business Employer of the Year and Web Site of the Year honoree and Inc. 500 Hall of Fame winner. The company has also been ranked in the top 5 percent of companies nationwide in employee satisfaction for six consecutive years. Tastefully Simple is also a member of the Better Business Bureau and Direct Selling Association. If you are interested in hosting a Tastefully Simple party, purchasing Tastefully Simple products, or becoming a Tastefully Simple consultant, contact local resident Sonya Collins at 240-674-5062 or sonyacollins224@comcast.net/. You can also view what products are offered by checking the website at http://www.tastefullysimple.com/web/scollins.
Spot light-Alexander’s Electric by Eleanor Crampton
June 18, 2010
CALL ALEXANDER ELECTRIC
Do you have an electrical problem? Are you building a home, garage, barn, or building that needs electricity? Do you want to update the electricity in your home, garage, barn, or building? If so, call Alexander Electric at 301-271-2580 for a free estimate. Carl Alexander has been an electrician for 27 years. He also works on emergency backup generators.
Carl worked in the Montgomery County/DC area for 19 years. Tired of traveling “down the road,” Carl started Alexander Electric in 2002. Alexander Electric’s hours are Monday-Friday from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm. Living in the Thurmont area all his life, Carl presently lives on Wigville Road with his wife Lily, son Tyler, and two stepsons-Kenny and Robbie.
What is part-time & full-time under new health care reform
June 18, 2010
What does health care mean for small business? by Vickie Grinder
Health Care Reform will have a major impact on all small business and large business effective 2014. The biggest concern among businesses seems to be if they are considered a small or large business which is the determining factor in employer health care for their employees. First let’s examine the employer mandate: the requirement that certain employers either provide an affordable package of essential health coverage to all full time works or pay a per-employee penalty. What mandates full-time? Large employers are defined under the health-care law as those with fifty or more full-time-equivalent employees. A small employer is a business with fewer than fifty full-time-equivalents is exempt from the law’s health coverage requirements and penalties. Full-time is anyone averaging at least thirty hours per week in any given month. Part-time is defined as a person who averages fewer than thirty hours a week in any given month. Employers are not required to provide health care coverage or pay penalties for part-time employees. Beginning January 1st, 2011, employers will be required to disclose the value of health benefits provided by the employer for each employee’s health insurance coverage on the annual W-2 form -this mandate for all businesses. Check with your accountant or visit irs.gov for more information on stipulations for your business.
Thurmont Postal Branch Food Drive
May 12, 2010
The Postal Service is conjunction with the National Association of Letter Carriers recently held its annual Food Drive. The Service would like to thank the entire Thurmont community for their tremendous support and caring for those in need. All of the food which was collected stays in the Thurmont community to support the Thurmont Food Bank. We thank all of our carriers and office staff for their great effort in collecting the food left at the mail boxes.
L-R front row: Susan Hurley, Donna Bailey, Jody Hahn, Laurin Spahr & Brenda Woelfel
L-R back row: Mike Brannon, Steve Geer, Keith Delauter, Kevin Carter & Gary Fourson
Can you spare a dime? Editorial by Vickie Grinder
May 1, 2010
With legislation over halfway through there is little chance the proposed “Dime Tax” bill will pass; The Lorraine Sheehan Health and Community Services Act of 2010, House bill 832. This Act would increase alcohol taxes by a dime per drink in the state of Maryland creating an estimated $214 million in new revenues. This revenue would throw 15% to the Development Disability Support Fund, Addiction treatment & Prevention Fund and the remainder to the Mental Health Care Fund. Supporters of the bill say millions would be directed to help save lives by reducing alcohol abuse and underage drinking. Alcohol abuse is a serious problem and those who admit they have a problem should receive help. But it seems once again the consumer will take the hit on an evening out or staying in if you consume alcohol. Dropping a dime on a drink may not sound like much but this equates to a devastating 700% tax. Dining out or visiting your local bar will cost an additional dime a drink, and at the liquor store that’s an extra $2.40 on a case of beer. With Maryland restaurants and bars experiencing flat or decreasing sales, is this a good idea given the state of the economic conditions where more consumers are dining in anyway? This dime tax if passed could cut consumption of alcohol by as much as five percent in the hospitality industry which will certainly translate into loss for jobs and income for an industry who faces doors closing everyday throughout the state according to The Corridor Business Journal. Not to mention the additional administrative costs on the businesses to comply with proper reporting. Some members of the General Assembly did say “now is not the time to place an extra burden on social business or residents.” Seems law makers most certainly have kept their promises by not raising taxes; they are incurring taxes on what we buy. A new poll released on March 4th reveals 72% of Marylanders support alcohol tax and majority want lawmakers to make an exception to no-new-tax pledge and increase alcohol tax this year; seems 72% of that poll has not looked at the current unemployment percent. I contacted Delegate Paul Stull (R) about proposed House Bill 832 and was told this will probably not be voted on until 2011. The intention of the bill is noble but “dropping a dime” should not target a particular industry or consumer. Statistics from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health says raising the tax to the equivalent of about 10 cents per drink would pay huge dividends. By their estimate: 14,987 fewer cases of alcohol dependence, 37 fewer deaths (many of them traffic-related), 13 fewer rapes, 316 fewer assaults, 21 fewer robberies, 67 fewer incidents of severe violence against children and 19 fewer cases of fetal alcohol syndrome each year. No argument there, however, if everyone’s health and safety are truly the interest of our law makers then why not revisit the Eighteenth Amendment forbidding the manufacture, sale, import, consumption or export of intoxicating liquors. According to lobbyists this bill will pass in 2011 but with midterm elections this year, seems lawmakers seeking reelections do not want to vote on any tax increase! But no doubt after they are reelected you will be dropping that extra dime on a drink. What’s next? An extra tax on diapers? Don’t laugh, if this House Bill 832 were to pass and consumption decreases where would they get the extra funds?
Unforgettable… that’s what you are! by Vickie Grinder
January 27, 2010
Have dogs taken on a different role in society? Oh yea! Fido has become an enormous role in our everyday family lives like never before. With that said pet portraits are popping up on walls everywhere. I recently discovered Nancy Houston; Surgical Assistant at Catoctin Vet Clinic is also a talented artist. Nancy has been painting for twenty five years and her specialty? Dog portraits. Ms. Houston tells us, “I’ve been painting for about 25 years. “I studied under Dennis Blalock at the Firedrake Studio here in Thurmont.” “He was a great mentor and is a dear friend.” Nancy has always wanted to be an artist, and says jokingly, “that is why I am a vet assistant!” Ms. Houston comes from a long line of painters. Her grandfather was a painter and was entranced by his studio from a very young age. “I used to go in and pretend I was painting by mimicking his strokes on a canvas with a dry brush.” Nancy added “I really just wanted to do what he did; his pieces were so vibrant and exciting.” Needless to say a vet surgical assistant coupled with artisan abilities would contribute to a natural extension of her pet portrait passion. Nancy commented it was a natural extension of the course of her life-similar to that of a marriage between her two passions. “I love to paint dogs, doing what dogs do; it’s the best of both worlds.” You can stop by Catoctin Vet Clinic, 4 Paws Place in Thurmont, to view several pieces of Nancy’s work on display. Interested in getting “Man’s (And female) Best Friend” portrait painted? Select that special Fido photo and Nancy will bring the picture to life as a memorable keepsake for years to come! A portion of the price of the portrait is donated to pet charities. Nancy may be contacted at 301.271.0156 or nancyzoo91@comcast.net
It’s Tax Time!
January 27, 2010
It’s Tax Time!
Melissa Wetzel, CPA, P.C. is offering several discount programs when preparing your tax return. This year Melissa will be offering free electronic filing. Melissa says this helps ensure her clients get their refunds in a timely manner, and that her filing will ensure your tax return will be entered into the IRS data base promptly and correctly. Another option is her $1 per canned food item (up to $5) brought to office when she prepares your tax return. What a great way to help others! Melissa Wetzel also offers a referral program where she will send you a check for $20.00 to any client who refers three new clients to her office. My favorite option is the “Patronize local business” discount. When you visit Melissa to have your taxes done, you show Melissa a receipt that is dated within the last two weeks from an independent business from Emmitsburg, Thurmont, Taneytown or Fairfield Business and she will take $2 off your tax return. This does exclude supermarkets, fast food chains and gas stations. Helping local businesses can help you as well. Melissa’s office will also be selling baked goods for the Non-Profit Organization, EOPCC (Dr. Portier’s Office), during tax season to help raise money for their cause. Melissa says, “Whether I am doing your taxes or not, people can stop by to purchase baked goods for this much needed cause.” She will be selling baked goods from February 10th through
March 31, 2010. Why take a chance on your tax return when you can have the return professionally prepared at an affordable price. Melissa offers not only individual tax returns but businesses as well. She also specializes in consulting, payroll taxes and notary services. Melissa Wetzel, CPA, P.C. is located at 301 West Main Street Emmitsburg, MD or contact her at 301.447.3797. Her hours are Monday through Saturday (Tuesday’s and Thursday’s late afternoon through evening).
Food Bank Has Busiest Year Ever in 2009!
January 27, 2010
Food Bank Has Busiest Year Ever in 2009!
2009 was a very busy year at the Thurmont Food Bank and I’d like to thank everyone who helped make it possible to feed so many people in our community. There were 404 households registered at the Food Bank and each family can receive food twice a month. All together the Thurmont Food Bank gave out food to these families 2,514 times. If you include Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas food, we served these households 2943 times. This takes a lot of time and many, many contributions from the community. Over $60,000 worth of food was donated to the Food Bank in 2009 and this was supplemented by generous financial contributions that made it made it possible to purchase food and basic hygiene supplies for so many households. We estimate that our volunteers worked approximately 1737 hours, but I think this number is actually much higher! Volunteers collect food from area stores and organizations. They also organize, shelve and distribute food as well as keeping up the paperwork and helping to raise funds. It’s amazing how much work goes on behind the scenes to provide each bag of groceries.
People often ask who comes to the Food Bank. Of the 404 households registered to receive food most were from Thurmont with some from Sabillasville, Rocky Ridge, Lewistown, Creagerstown and Graceham. Some families visited once and some came each month. Sometimes people come only once or twice when they were desperate but then we have several elderly, chronically ill, and/or disabled people who rely on the food bank on a regular basis. There are also quite a few families with unemployed or under-employed breadwinners who ask for food until they can get back on their feet. If you know anyone who needs help providing food for their household please let them know they can come to the Thurmont Food Bank located in St. John’s Lutheran Church (next to the Fire Station)on Tuesday from 6 p.m.- 7:30p.m. or Friday from 3:30p.m. to 5:00p.m. Recipients must bring a valid i.d. showing they live in one of the areas listed above.
The Thurmont Food Bank is run by the Thurmont Ministerium but it’s definitely a project that requires the help of the whole community and we appreciate all the support we receive. Special thanks go out to St. John’s Lutheran Church that allows us to house the food bank in their social hall; to the Jermae community that does a food drive every week; to the Town Hall employees who provide a collection spot for non-perishable food; to the schools and organizations who do food drives; to our local stores, especially Food Lion and Weis who help us purchase food at reasonable prices; to all the churches that collect food and to all the volunteers, organizations, and members of the community who help out in any way.
Many, many thanks!
Pastor Sally
Thurmont Ministerium/ Thurmont Food Bank
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