Jan 15, 2019
Yesterday started with some flurries and finished with a little freezing rain as the temperature cooled. Today’s weather will be patchy freezing fog before 9am. Partly sunny, with a high near 25 and a low around 21. Tonight west wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph and snow showers after 2am.
When it comes to better heart or lung health, diabetes education and prevention as well as empowering yourself to eat healthier, Garrett Regional Medical Center (GRMC) has multiple outpatient programs to help people make healthier choices and improve their health and lifestyle in 2019. For more information about these services, please call 301.533.4000 or visit the GRMC website.
For a Tuesday, there’s a lot to do at and around the lake today and this evening. Check our Events Section for a number of programs, including ones at the library, high school basketball and team trivia.
Here’s an interesting site that lists government job openings in the State of Maryland. There’s quite a few and a number in Garrett County. They even show salary ranges, which is cool to see if you are into that kind of stuff (like me). Check it out and spread the word.
So, what is in the background of Sarah’s video below?
Note that there is a date change to Jan. 23rd at 10:00 am for the ribbon cutting at the regional behavioral health center at Garrett Regional Medical Center. Congressman Trone will be joining for the opening that day. You can call 301.533.4178 to RSVP or for more information on this important new facility.
The County Commissioners have announced their next Public Meeting to be held on January 22nd at the County Courthouse. The public section of the meeting begins at 4:00 pm (approximate) and will include a discussion of amendments to the County Floodplain Management Ordinance. You can see the entire agenda here.
Check out this January episode of Maryland Public Television’s Farm and Harvest series. You may see some familiar faces from the FSU Appalachian Lab in this episode.
OK, so we all know that winter has definitely arrived in Garrett County. Which leads me to a piece on snow blowers: Here’s a list of safety tips provided by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) for you and/or a family member to review to make sure all goes well after the next snowfall. I am going to bet that you didn’t even know that there is an Outdoor Power Equipment Institute. Now you know.
Jan 15, 2019
Is losing weight or just making healthier choices one of your New Year’s resolutions? Garrett Regional Medical Center urges individuals who want better health in 2019 to utilize their vast array of outpatient programs that aim to improve health, wellness and quality of life. Specifically, GRMC offers outpatient programs in cardiac and pulmonary rehab, diabetes education and nutrition counseling.
GRMC Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehab Center works with individuals who may have experienced heart failure, a cardiac event, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), pulmonary hypertension, lung or heart transplant as well as other lung and heart conditions. The team works with patients to lessen their symptoms, while also implementing strategies to improve heart and cardiac health, ability to perform daily tasks and overall well-being.
“While some of our patients are often reluctant about starting cardiac or pulmonary rehab, they quickly build up confidence, see tangible results and realize we are there to help in all aspects of their lives,” said Miranda Savage, RN, BSN, supervisor of the GRMC Cardiac Pulmonary Rehab Center. “The patients often attribute their success to the fun they have during their session where it doesn’t feel like working out but hanging out with family and having a good time.”
The workout sessions may include walking on the treadmill, cycling, resistance activities and using free weights. Patients also receive education and counseling about their particular cardiac or pulmonary condition, including healthy lifestyle changes, nutritional counseling and access to other resources with the goal of lessening their symptoms and reaching wellness individualized goals.
Type 2 Diabetes is one of the most preventable yet also one of the most prevalent and chronic diseases in the United States. GRMC offers diabetes education programs for Type 1, Type 2, gestational and prediabetes as well as insulin pump training. GRMC’s Diabetes Education Program puts a great emphasis on Type 2 prevention since according to the Centers for Disease Control one out of three adults has prediabetes and nine out of ten do not know they have it.
“We have multiple class offerings throughout the year and we want to continue to elevate the importance of diabetes prevention for people in our community” said Mitzi Wiltison, RN, who is the certified diabetes educator of GRMC’s Outpatient Diabetes Program. “Our class participants will often experience improved blood sugar control, weight loss and overall well-being. I find it really gratifying to help give our patients the tools they need to manage their overall health and quality of life.”
Additionally, GRMC offers Outpatient Nutrition Counseling to help patients understand current eating habits, set realistic goals and follow a personalized nutrition plan. A referral for these services is required by a health care provider. Some private insurances may cover nutrition counseling for conditions such as obesity and heart disease.
According to Ruth Chisholm, GRMC’s registered dietitian and nutritionist, “Medicare and most insurance policies cover nutrition counseling for diabetes and kidney disease and we want folks to take advantage of this benefit to help them better manage their conditions.”
When it comes to better heart or lung health, diabetes education and prevention as well as empowering yourself to eat healthier, GRMC has multiple outpatient programs to help people make healthier choices and improve their lifestyle in 2019. For more information about these services, please call 301-533-4000 (TTY: 301-533-4146) or visit the GRMC website at https://www.grmc-wvumedicine.org/.
Jan 14, 2019
We had a very nice, snowy weekend at the lake. Really beautiful. Today’s weather will be cloudy, with a high near 28 and a low around 19. West wind 6 to 8 mph.
I had the pleasure of attending the regional robotics competition for middle and high school students at the college on Saturday. They had a great turnout and three of the four finalist teams were comprised of Garrett County students. STEM education is alive, well and growing in the mountains of Garrett County. Well done to all the students, parents, coaches and judges that made the event such a success.
Just heard that the Maryland Park Service is eliminating several dozen park-unique social media accounts, consolidating its messaging on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram into single accounts, much to the chagrin of some park goers who like and want park-specific information. Here’s a link to an article on the Baltimore Sun’s article that explains more.
I just saw this article on rural innovation that talks about the economic diversity between different rural regions and the impact of entrepreneurship and broadband among other topics. Not a long piece and if you are interested in such things, might be of value to you. As always, no political or editorial position intended.
We are sad to report on the passing of two local area residents: Leon “Shep” Beitzel, 31 year member of the Bittinger Volunteer Fire Department, and 92 year old Abe Kaufman, a local carpenter that resided in the Pleasant Valley area of Garrett County and that worked on many lake-area homes. Rest in peace gentlemen.
Here’s an interesting article on which Maryland counties brought in the most Airbnb guests in 2018 and how much was earned by hosts across the states. Garrett County looks to have some significant activity, which is not surprising based on all we have to offer.
Jan 11, 2019
Lots of wind and snow yesterday without much accumulation, but very cold and a very low wind-chill. Today’s weather partly sunny, with a high near 25 and a low around 18. Saturday will be snowy, mainly after 1pm. A high near 27 and a low around 22. Southeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible. Sunday will be chance of snow, mainly before 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 28 and a low around 21.
Note that the State Police have rescinded the Snow Emergency Plan in effect for Garrett County effective 9:00 pm Thursday evening.
Friday is 2019 4-H Day at the Wisp Resort, with some really good deals on snowboarding, skiing, tubing and other activities. But, they say that tickets should be purchased by January 9th, so I am not sure if you can still get the deals. I recommend giving them a call after you check the site. Check here for more information.
Matt Fields is playing at Black Bear Tavern Friday evening from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm. Matt Borror and Derek McCauley are playing at MoonShadow, also on Friday evening, from 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm. Both those venues have great food, service and libations and both are in McHenry.
Each year, teams compete in local, state and national FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics competitions. The ultimate goal is to earn an invitation to the World Championship in Detroit Michigan in April. This year, Garrett County’s G-FORCE is acting as the host team for the Mountain Maryland FTC Qualifier. The event will be held in the CARC at Garrett College Saturday, and is sponsored by GEARS Inc. If you want to see some really cool and smart kids and some really interesting robots, come on by and check it out on Saturday.\
The Ruth Enlow Library and the Garrett County Family Support Services are co-hosting two events that provide interesting sensory experiences for teens (Teen Zone in the morning) and special needs children age 3 – 12 (Sense-A-Tion in the afternoon) on Saturday. Very interesting and potentially helpful experiences for our young folks.
On Saturday evening, you can see Buffalo Run at MoonShadow and Dustin McCray at Black Bear Tavern. Black Bear also has a DJ starting at 10:00 pm. Check them all out on our events page here.
The Property Owners’ Association of Deep Creek Lake, an advocacy, communication and lake support organization, has posted their latest newsletter which also has information on online dues renewal. They do good stuff on a number of fronts and deserve our support. Here’s the link to their latest newsletter.
Speaking of organizations that work to help all of us protect and preserve the lake and watershed, the Deep Creek Watershed Foundation has issued their first newsletter. You can see their newsletter at this link. Note that their holiday and New Year message is also linked on our home page here. Please check them out if you are not aware of who they are and what they are doing and give them any and all the support you can. Thanks!
On Sunday, there is Bingo at Mountain State Brewing Company from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Always fun and they have great pizza and other stuff.
Gobble, Gobble! The Maryland Department of Natural Resources offers hunters who did not bag a turkey in the fall another chance, as the winter turkey season runs statewide from January 17th – 19th.
Jan 10, 2019
Yesterday was cold, snowy and windy and the State Police implemented their Snow Emergency Plan at 12:30 pm yesterday afternoon. Today’s weather will be snow showers, mainly before 4pm. High near 18. Wind chill values as low as -4. Breezy, with a west wind 20 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of around an inch possible during the day and less than a half inch tonight.
Speaking of the weather, we are hoping Wisp gets a nice boost from this snow. It is amazing how much everything in our lake-area economic ecosystem is related. More snow = more skiers = more lodging guests = more business for our local entrepreneurs = more jobs. A simple yet powerful “formula”.
I was speaking to a well-respected local entrepreneur in the tourism industry yesterday and I was surprised to hear that the federal government shutdown may be starting to be felt a bit here at the lake. She explained that there have been some rental home cancellations in the past few days. That will then likely trickle down to restaurants and other establishments. It makes sense, but I hope it stays at a minimal level for the good of all impacted.
Deborah Carpenter, Garrett County Director of Planning and Land Management, has been awarded the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Recognition Award for her work in support of issues important to Maryland counties. I have had the pleasure of working with Deb on some initiatives and know she is very deserving and we are fortunate to have her as a member of Garrett County Government. Congratulations!
Speaking of Garrett County Government, the Commissioners are looking for three individuals to serve on the Garrett County Ethics Commission. The primary duty of the Ethics Commission, is to develop procedures and policies for the processing of complaints to make appropriate determinations regarding complaints filed by any person alleging violations of Garrett County Government Code of Ordinances – Chapter 34: Ethics. Here’s the press release that came out yesterday.
All that Jazz: We just heard from Lisa Nichols that the Oakland Jazzercise Center is holding a New Year Membership Sale. Join-up with any on-going membership (month-to-month, three months, six months or 12 months) and January is free! You can also choose to start-out with a one-month unlimited class pass for just $35. You choose which sale works best for you. I have a number of friends that belong and they love it.
The popular Women’s Networking Luncheon is now expanding to include a Women’s Networking Happy Hour. The first event will be held at the Black Bear Tavern on January 17th from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm. Here’s a link to the invitation with more information.
The Chamber of Commerce is inviting all in-county Chamber member businesses to participate in their Military March discount promotion during the month of March. They do this every year, so if you are an active or retired military keep your eyes out for the specials, and we will try to share as well. If you are a local Chamber business, you can send the details of your deal to Sarah Duck at sarah@garrettchamber.com no later than Thursday, January 24th.
Jan 9, 2019
Late yesterday afternoon some ominous clouds rolled in, followed by winter lightning, then the wind came. The weather for today will be snow showers. The temperature falling to around 22 by 5pm and low around 16. Breezy, with a west wind around 22 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible today and 2 to 4 inches possible tonight.
Congratulations to Northern Garrett High School senior Bradie Moore, who has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Garrett College next season. We wish him and the college great success in coming seasons. Go Lakers!
The Oakland branch of the Ruth Enlow Library is holding their monthly S.T.E.A.M. Kids today from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm. This is for children six and older and allows children to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math- related activities.
We just heard from Justin Liller at Railey Realty that a marketing consultant will be holding a free marketing seminar for small business owners at Railey in their conference room Friday, January 11th from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm as part of a state-wide “tour.” Message the Liller Facebook page to register.
Schoolhouse Earth in Friendsville and their sister store, Gourmet and More, in McHenry are holding their After Christmas sales with 20% to 60% off select items. Both places are really unique and fun to just go in and browse. And, don’t forget it’s Senior Night tonight at Dutch’s and Locals Wednesday at Mountain State Brewing Company. Check out those and other dining specials at our Specials Page right here!
If you are looking for something different to do this Saturday, and maybe take the kids or grand kids to, consider this one: GEARS Inc. and Garrett College will be hosting the 2019 Mountain Maryland FTC Regional Robotics Qualifier at the CARC. I was at last year’s event and there are some VERY smart and talented kids that participate at this event, including seven teams from Garrett County. Click here for the schedule and more information.
We just heard that State Troopers from the McHenry Barracks are investigating a malicious destruction of property and theft that occurred between January 1st and 2nd at the Maryland Welcome Center off westbound Interstate 68. Anyone with information should contact Trooper First Class Whetzel or the Duty Officer at 301.387.1101. Ironic and sad that someone did damage to the welcome center don’t you think?
Jan 8, 2019
Yesterday was cooler, but clear. Today’s weather will be a chance of showers, mainly after 10am. Overall, cloudy, with a high near 48 and low around 25. Southwest wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph. Rain showers likely before 1am, then a chance of rain and snow showers between 1am and 2am, then snow showers likely after 2am. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Garrett County Public Safety has announced a Winter Storm Watch: Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches possible from today through Thursday afternoon. Highest amounts on the ridge tops.
There are two programs for children on today at Ruth Enlow Library, both at 10:30 am. One is at the Kitzmiller branch and the other is at the main library in Oakland. You can find out more on our Events page or the library’s classes/events page.
The Office of Small Business Regulatory Assistance is holding a short webinar this afternoon regarding the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act where you can learn about sick and safe leave – and ask them questions directly. The seminar runs from 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm. Send them an email to mike.pantelides@maryland.gov if you would like to attend this presentation. You will receive an invitation and instructions on how to sign on.
The Garrett County Behavioral Health Authority is collecting feedback about mental health and substance abuse services and resources in Garrett County. You can find out more here or go directly to the survey here. It only takes three minutes to complete.
Team Trivia is on for tonight at Mountain State Brewing Company from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm and also Trivia Night at MoonShadow this evening from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Check out either one for good food, libations and fun.
Garrett County Public Schools have a planned 3-hour early dismissal tomorrow (Wednesday January 9) for staff development. If there is a delay or if there is no school the staff development will be cancelled and not made up.
There is still time to submit your work for the 2019 Allegany National Photography Competition & Exhibition. This year, you may submit your photography in three categories – black and white, color, and a NEW category, experimental!
The first Business Before Hours of the new year is scheduled for Tuesday, January 15th, at 8:00 am in the Crawford Room at Wisp Resort. The topic will be an Economic Forecast with guest speaker R. Andrew Bauer, Senior Regional Economist and Deputy Regional Executive at the Baltimore Branch of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank. I have heard Andrew speak and it is always very informative at the local, state and national level.
We just heard from Jamie and Rayetta of Deep Creek Catering; they have recently purchased the Jubilee restaurant in Friendsville.
Jan 5, 2019
Garrett Regional Medical Center welcomed Cailyn Dawn Miller as the first baby of 2019 born at 12:20 a.m. on Tuesday, January 1.
She was delivered by Ken Buczynski, MD of Wellspring Family Medicine. Cailyn weighed in at 6 pounds, 15 ounces and was 18.5 inches long. She is the daughter of Craig and Cortney Miller and she is joined by her siblings, Logan, Lexi and Cole. The Miller family resides in Grantsville, Md.
“We were surprised for her arrival on New Year’s Day as we were expecting her later in the week,” said the mother, Cortney Miller.
The nurses and staff of GRMC’s maternity suite celebrates the tradition of welcoming the first baby each year by preparing handmade items and collecting donations for the New Year’s baby. The team presented a gift basket that included items from Book Market, Broken Road Associates, Browning’s Shop N Save, Deep Creek Pharmacy, Denny’s Restaurant, GRMC and the Family Centered Maternity Suite, Green Acres, Gregg’s Pharmacy, Loar Auxiliary Gift Shop, Madalyn Hoffedtiz, Mindy Bernard Photography, Simon Pearce, Smart Style, Uno Pizzeria & Grill and Zion Methodist Church.
Garrett Regional Medical Center congratulates the Miller family and extends warm appreciation to the local businesses and community organizations that donated to the gift basket.
GRMC is a 55-bed, acute care facility serving the healthcare needs of Garrett County, Maryland, and the surrounding communities in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It includes a four-bed Intensive Care Unit, a 10-bed Sub-Acute Rehabilitation Unit, family-centered Maternity Suite, and a 13-bed Outpatient Surgical Unit with a four-bed Surgical Suite. With a staff of 400 professionals, GRMC is one of Garrett County’s largest employers. Additional information about GRMC can be found at its Web site: https://www.gcmh.com/.
Jan 5, 2019
The weather for today will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 35 and rising to 44 by 5am. Southeast wind 14 to 16 mph gusting as high as 28 mph. Some rain can be expected overnight. The outlook for the week is that we will get several inches of snow possible Tuesday night through Thursday in the higher elevations.
The State Department of Natural Resources announced that approximately 3,700 hikers took part in the state park system’s “First Day Hike” New Year events across the state. The hikers attended 36 hikes at 32 locations and collectively covered over 8,000 miles. Check out the link for more information and to see the numbers at Garrett County parks. A great way to start off the year.
After being under the weather for a few days, I went out Saturday afternoon to run some errands and got a haircut at Lake Salon in McHenry (under Black Bear Tavern). It was the first time I was in there and it has a very nice atmosphere and Jennifer the cosmetologist did a nice job on my hair and all were friendly. I’ll be back.
The first Haley Farm Wellness Retreat of the year is scheduled for January 18th and I hear there are only eight spots left! Haley is a very dedicated and talented health expert (nutrition, training, etc.) and I am sure Haley and Kam have a great program planned with much knowledge and good vibes available.
The Lodges at Sunset Village has a “Stay HERE, Ski FREE” promotion underway. Stay one weekend night and receive a ski pass for the following day. Stay one weekday night (Sun-Thurs.) and receive two ski passes for the following day. The Lodges has some really nice, unique facilities and can be reached at 301.387.2227.
The Norther High School girls Basketball team is home this evening and facing Allegany. If you are looking for something fun, inexpensive and a little different, come on out and cheer on the home team this evening.
If Needlework is more to your liking, the Ruth Enlow Library Oakland Branch is holding their weekly Needlework session starting at 6:00 pm and all are welcome to do any kind of needlework.
If you are interested in attending the inauguration of Governor Hogan and Lieutenant Governor Rutherford in Annapolis on January 16th, you can find information here. It is free and open to all. If you go, please give the governor and lieutenant my best regards!
Jan 4, 2019
Today will be cloudy with a chance of rain, mainly after 5pm. High near 46 and low around 39. Saturday, rain likely, mainly before 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41 and a low around 35. West wind around 18 mph. Sunday will be partly sunny, with a high near 38 and a low around 30.
Calling all our fishermen and women: Preseason trout stocking has begun!
You can sign-up here for daily location updates, grab your rod and reel, and head out for some post-holiday rest and relaxation. Go for it!
Moonshadow has some good music scheduled for every day this weekend. They have Freddie and Josh on Friday evening at 8:00 pm; Kelly Lynott on Saturday also at 8:00 pm and Andrew Tuck on Sunday at Noon. The
Black Bear Tavern and Restaurant also has some nice events planned this weekend, starting with Jason Shaw at 6:00 pm on Friday, Rob Zuzin at 6:00 pm on Saturday, with Ladies Night and DJ Thoro starting at 10:00 pm on Saturday evening.
The Accident Branch of the Ruth Enlow Library has a
Board Gaming Event on Saturday from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Check it out and meet other board enthusiasts.
Good news passed on from our friend Chris Nichols of the Deep Creek Lions Club: The Meshach Browning Trail System is now open! Over six miles of trails with a good mix of level wide trails and narrow, challenging tracks. At the trailhead are interpretive signs about the life and times of Meshach Browing, an early settler of Garrett County. Thanks to all involved in making this latest addition to the Garrett County trail system a reality.
There are some nice events planned for January in and around Frostburg and you can find them at the Frostburg First events page here. There’s always something going on around the lake, but I am including these just in case something happening in Frostburg in the near future catches your eye. We got you covered!
Jan 3, 2019
Yesterday started off misty but turned into a decent, though overcast, day. Today’s weather will be cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 36 and a low of 28. West wind 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
This article from the Maryland State Department of Natural Resources, Native Birds Need Native Plants, shows us which native trees and shrubs are preferable if we wish to attract birds to our land. It also presents the results of research that shows the correlation of native plan biomass with bird attraction. Sounds a bit esoteric, but it is not.
I am not sure if there’s a Women’s Networking Lunch at Ace’s Run today. They’re usually start at noon on the first Thursday of the month and include a nice lunch and plenty of time to exchange cards and meet new people. Why not stop by and check it out and if there is not an event, stay for a nice salad or burger.
The Oakland Mt. Lake Park Lions Club had another great year of living and giving in 2018. Here’s just a few of their accomplishments:
- They enabled visual screenings for 753 children from eight elementary schools and six Head Start centers
(6 months to 4 years old). Seventy-five of those students were referred for additional screening
- They donated nearly $11,000 in financial support for members of our community with vision
needs
- They donated funds to over 40 non-profit/social service/educational organizations in the County. All of these
organizations give back to our community
- They participated in a fundraising drive to assist The House of Hope’s 40th Annual Food Drive
Thanks, Lions for all you do every year and for all you will do for our community and its citizens in 2019 and beyond!
The Allegany Arts Council is hosting an interesting workshop for photographers on January 9th: Shooting Raw and Digital File Management.
The Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) is holding their Winter Conference in Annapolis on January 10th. Here’s a link to the agenda for our readers.
It’s Locals Night at Dutch’s this evening and it’s Prime Rib Night at Moonshadow. And, I heard Bear Creek Traders has a nice Christmas sale going on. Just sayin’…
Jan 2, 2019
The weather for today will be cloudy, with a high near 40 and a low around 31. A chance of rain before 2am, then a chance of rain and snow with little or no snow accumulation expected.
We just heard from Terry Helbig at the Oakland B&O Museum that the museum had a record number of visitors in 2018. The figures for 2018 surpassed the 2017 visitation (of 6500) and came in at 8348. Terry attributes the increase to the great work of volunteers, donors and the new 1920 Baldwin locomotive. Congratulations to all involved in this great community asset. Well done.
Congratulations to Fran M who has won our December “Where Am I?” contest. Make sure you get over to the page to enter your guess for this month’s quiz!
The Department of Natural Resources invites all to celebrate 2019 in the Great Outdoors. They are offering deals on their 2019 calendar, which includes photos from their photo contest winners, as well as their magazine. Check out their New Year’s message for information on those and more on enjoying the outdoors in 2019.
Congratulations to James Mullenax, the newest member of our Deep Creek Times team, who we just contracted with to help maintain our events, movies and other content. Please keep sending in your announcements and events to us at info@deepcreektimes.com and congratulate James if you see him around town. Welcome aboard!
The County Commissioners have released the agenda for the January 7th commissioners meeting starting at 3:00 pm in the courthouse. The agenda includes sessions on the Ruth Enlow Library’s Choose Civility Campaign as well as an administrative update from the Department of Planning and Land Management.
St. Peter the Apostle Parish is looking for gently used, clean coats to provide warmth to those in need in Garrett County. If you wish, you may also provide gloves, hats, scarves, or even a brand new coat. The drive will run through January 7th and can be dropped off at the parish office in Oakland. Items will be distributed during the January Food Connect on January 9th and at the January Community Supper on the 14th.