Military March promotion offered
From The Garrett County Republican
McHENRY — The Deep Creek Lake area and Garrett County salute the nation’s heroes with a Military March promotion.
The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is offering discounts for military members on its website, visitdeepcreek.com. The promotion runs from March 1-31, non-holidays.
Nineteen businesses are participating in the promotion offering military discounts on dining, shopping, lodging, party and event rentals, heating & cooling, veterinary services and products, flooring, printing services and wireless services.
“The Military March promotion is a terrific way for military members to save on a trip to the Deep Creek Lake area and Garrett County,” said Sarah Duck, vice president of tourism & marketing for the chamber. “We are proud to honor our nation’s heroes with discounts from a wide variety of our area’s businesses.”
The Military March Promotion includes offers from Advanced Heating & Cooling; Bear Creek Traders; Blue Moon Rising; Cashmere Clothing Co.; Christmas Chalet; HART for Animals; Joint Training Facility; Long Branch Saloon & Motel; Master Craft Printers; MoonShadow; Mountain State Brewing Co.; Perkins Restaurant & Bakery; Riggleman’s & Sons Flooring; Savage River Lodge; Ski Cove #3; Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales; the Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille; The Tourist Trap; and US Cellular.
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Garrett teens to compete in finals of 'Fishing University' show
From The Garrett County Republican
DECATUR, Ala. — The television show “Fishing University” will feature two Garrett County teens, Jett Miller and Derek Kleppinger, as they fish for college scholarships in the “Make ME a Star” competition finals.
The team of two made it to the finals, beating out more than 500 other teams of two across the country after making the most social media posts about their fishing adventures.
The team of Miller and Kleppinger will fish against a two-student team from Kentucky, and have the opportunity to win four-year tuition scholarships from Bethel University, as well as a $10,000 cash scholarship for food and books if they finish in first place, or a two-year tuition scholarship if they finish in second place.
Kleppinger and Miller are both sophomores at Southern Garrett High School.
Kleppinger’s earliest memories of fishing were around age 5 with his dad at a family pond, as well as at Broad Ford Lake.
“My dad and grandfather both fish, as well as my sister, Rachel, and grandmother,” Kleppinger said. “I am fairly new to our high school team, but Jett and I won the second competition we were in, so I am ‘hooked,’ so to speak. And, Joe McClosky, who attended Southern Garrett, won this same competition in 2016 and is now a senior at Bethel University, where he has excelled in his fishing career, as well as about to graduate from college.
“I have enjoyed this experience and really appreciate our coaches who are so supportive,” continued Kleppinger. “My other hobbies beside fishing are learning and playing the guitar, biking, video games and recreational boating. My favorite subjects in school are science and history. I like science because it makes you think and question things, and history because I enjoy learning about the past.”
Kleppinger has worked at Patterson Boat Co. and as a dock attendant to help support his fishing hobby — buying his rods, reels and other fishing gear.
“I am so thankful and appreciative to my parents, Michael and Theresa Kleppinger, for allowing me to participate in fishing,” he said. “I am very excited over this opportunity, but a bit nervous too as I think about all the millions of people that will watch this show, and what’s on the line — fishing at the collegiate level, which would be a dream come true! Although I plan to major in engineering, fishing will always be a huge part of my life.”
His teammate, Miller, also started angling at an early age.
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Sock monkeys are a labor of love for Ida Maust
Gradually, she began making more for birthdays and other gifts as needed. Then she started teaching the nursery-aged Sunday School class at her church about 30 years ago. She started making sock monkeys to give to her students on their birthdays, and continued this for as long as she taught the class.
Maust said she’s not sure how many monkeys she has made over the years, but estimates that it is somewhere between 400 and 500.
“I don’t know how many I made each year,” she said. “I know one year I made 80, when I gave each of my children and grandchildren one for Christmas, but that’s been a good many years ago now.”
She has been trying to make one for each great-grandchild when they turn 2 (which included three last month.)
The current count is nine children, 36 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, with three more on the way.
Maust and her husband, Elmer, were married 47 years before he died in March 2002.
In the early days, she bought the socks locally, but then wasn’t able to find them at stores. She used regular socks that didn’t have the red heels for awhile until she was able to get them again. Today, she buys them by the box online.
“Sometimes I just got socks that were brown or gray or something that would look nice for a monkey,” she said. “I like these better because it’s what they were intended for.”
She said she doesn’t feel bad about cutting the socks up to make monkeys for children.
“I still get a lot of socks and give them to organizations when they need them,” she said.
Maust slowed down on the sock monkey making during some years, especially when she was busy with Garrett County Hospice, working as the volunteer coordinator.
Now 86, Maust went through some changes in her life in the last two years. It began with a knee replacement in July 2019.
To read the full article click here.
Oakland B&O Museum in need of volunteers
OAKLAND — The Oakland B&O Museum is ready for the summer, but the lack of volunteers is preventing it from being operated on regular hours.
Oakland Councilman Terry Helbig, who is also chairman of the museum’s committee, said at Monday’s meeting that the historic railroad station needs people to donate time toward keeping the museum open.
Helbig said the regular roster of volunteers consists mostly of senior citizens, some of whom have health issues — and they are in the high-risk category for COVID-19. Because of that, they have been reluctant to return to the station, which had delayed reopening until permitted by Gov. Larry Hogan’s recovery plans.
Helbig himself manned the station over the weekend, hosting a couple dozen visitors.
To read the full article click here.
$5 million in federal funding announced for Garrett airport
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Rep. David Trone, all D-Md., have announced $16 million in funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation for airport infrastructure improvements in Western Maryland.
Garrett County Airport will receive $5,035,688 for the expansion of its apron.
The project will expand the existing general aviation apron to 10,100 square yards to meet Federal Aviation Administration design standards. The grant will fund the final phase, which consists of construction.
An intent to fund this project was previously announced by the secretary of transportation on May 15, 2019.
Hagerstown Regional Airport-Richard A. Henson Field will receive $6,304,480 for the rehabilitation of its main runway, while Frederick Municipal Airport will receive $4,662,770 for the relocation of a taxiway.
Funds authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which waived local cost-share requirements for federal airport grants through FY2020, will help cover state and local funding obligations for the projects.
“These airports provide a vital connection between Western Maryland and other parts of our state and region. They have continued to serve communities and local economies despite facing significant financial challenges in recent months,” said Cardin, ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. “Improving and upgrading Maryland’s public infrastructure will be critical for our recovery from the downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. I will continue to fight for investments like these throughout our state.”
“The Hagerstown Regional Airport, Frederick Municipal Airport and Garrett County Airport serve as crucial connecting hubs, support local jobs, and create economic opportunity. This investment will go a long way toward keeping critical infrastructure modernized so that all our airports can continue providing top-notch service,” said Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “We will keep working to bring federal resources to Maryland’s transportation infrastructure given the vital role they play in local communities like these in Western Maryland.”
To read the full article click here.
Fireworks displays set for Independence Day weekend
OAKLAND — With COVID-19 putting a damper on many summer events, it’s not holding back a pair of mainstay fireworks displays in Garrett County.
Fire on the Mountain
Fireworks will light up the sky July 4 as the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce presents the annual “Fire on the Mountain” Fireworks Display.
The display is set to begin at dark. The fireworks are launched from the top of the Tubing Park at Wisp Resort. Prime viewing locations include the Scenic Overlook on U.S. 219, Wisp Resort, local businesses in McHenry, and from boats on the lake, particularly around McHenry Cove.
For any location from which you choose to view the fireworks, remember to practice social distancing.
Wisp Resort is the associate sponsor.
Supporting sponsors are Deep Creek Shop n Save; Huey’s Ice Cream; Bear Creek Traders; Perkins Restaurant and McHenry Beverage Shoppe compliments of Hugh Umbel and Ray Shurg; Ledo Pizza, Pasta & Pub; Property Owners’ Association of Deep Creek Lake; and Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales.
Contributing sponsors are Railey Realty, Railey Vacations and Silver Tree Marine LLC.
To read the full article click here.
Community Action coordinates food donation sites
OAKLAND — The Garrett County Joint Information Center is directing all questions and local offers of donations related to COVID-19 to Garrett County Community Action.
The non-profit has been appointed to manage all local contributions related to COVID-19 such as homemade face coverings, food assistance, volunteer sign-ups and cash donations.
Community Action has announced six separate food drives throughout the month of June.
Nonperishable food will be collected, with the first date today, June 8, at the following locations:
• Pine Grove Church of the Brethren:
June 8 3-7 p.m.
June 11 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
June 15 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
June 18 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Bloomington Volunteer Fire Department:
June 19 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Friendsville Volunteer Fire Department:
June 20 10 a.m. to noon
To read the full article click here.
Garrett County permits vacation rentals to reopen
OAKLAND — Garrett County officials on Thursday lifted the order that closed vacation rental properties, but with a number of restrictions and warnings.
Following Gov. Larry Hogan’s Wednesday announcement of the first phase of his reopening plan, the county commissioners voted to amend their state of emergency declaration to allow the use of rental units effective immediately.
County Health Officer Bob Stephens also rescinded his March order on the rental units.
“Garrett County has been very blessed to have low numbers of infections, and we are in fact the lowest … in the state,” Stephens told the commissioners. “We are all still at some risk. There will be new transmissions from time to time. Our goal in all of this is to limit the spread of COVID-19.”
Commission Chairman Paul Edwards said the reopening of rental units comes with orders for both property owners/managers and the guests.
“The county, in consultation with the Garrett County health officer, have agreed that the order the health officer of March 27, 2020, closing all TVRU (transient vacation rental units) and vacation rental properties … is hereby rescinded, and that is subject to the provisions of the executive order and guidance of the office of legal counsel,” Edwards announced.
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