Tuesday January 14

The weather for today will likely include rain, mainly between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. The high will be near 55, with a low of about 37. There will be a southeast wind of 8 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. For a national look here’s an update post from AccuWeather on a potential winter storm for the Northeast (with rain in lower states) this weekend. We will likely see a mix.

It’s Taco Tuesday again at Black Bear Tavern all day today.  You get two for $2, either soft or crunchy.  Check them out in McHenry and tell them Deep Creek Times sent you!

It’s shred day, it’s shred day!  What the heck is that you ask?  Well you can click here to find out and learn how to un-clutter for the new year! Hint: it is at the Oakland branch of the Ruth Enlow Library.

There’s a Tele-Townhall meeting this evening for all those interested in learning more about the 2020 census and the Maryland Fair Maps Act. It starts at 7:00 pm and you can learn more and register here.

Not trying to make a political point here at all, but the first state-sponsored Climate Leadership Academy starts February 20th, with registration closing the end of January and a class size limit of 75 individuals. The Maryland program is the nation’s first state-sponsored institution providing continuing education and executive training programs specifically designed for state and local government officials, infrastructure executives, and business leaders around climate change.

Well, someone must be living right! Ira Miller is turning 103 years young on January 27th!  His family has asked any and all readers to help him celebrate by sending Ira a birthday card.  His address is: Ira Miller, 1330 Glendale Circle West, Sarasota, Florida 34232  You can also ask Ira to send some sun up our way.

Have a great day folks and may you all live to see 103!

Monday January 13

The weekend had some interesting temperature shifts.  Saturday was in the mid-sixties, Sunday got back down to the 30s and was dreary with a little “spitting” precipitation.  Regardless, I saw tubers and skiers at the Wisp on both days. I guess there are no bad days on the slopes.  I certainly understand. There was also a power outage of a few hours on Saturday south of the 219 bridge and into the northern reaches of Oakland.

Today’s weather will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 50 and a low around 37. There’s a slight chance of showers Monday night in the wee hours.

Speaking of the weather, there was an interesting and challenging mix of weather across the mid-west and into Canada this weekend, with the lake-area being spared. High winds, rain, ice and multiple tornados were reported.  The cold weather will stay north early this week, but I wanted to make readers aware in case they were traveling by auto or air.

Thinking about getting your life and/or home a bit more organized in the New Year?  Here’s a simple suggestion piece from Zillow to get you started.  Some people resolve to get in better shape or get rid of troublesome credit card debt. Here’s a link to a study that found Maryland had average per-capita credit card debt of $4,228 to rank third among all of the states. Here’s a link to the study.  Interesting stuff I think.

Also at the state-level, but certainly impacting, and of use to, all at the lake, is the Department of Natural Resources January 2020 newsletter.  It covers such topics as trout stocking, turkey season, and a variety of other topics including 2020 being designated by Governor Hogan as the year of the woman.

This one hurts to report:  The sudden and unexpected passing of Paul Weiler on December 20 has deeply saddened the Deep Creek Watershed Board and advisors and many at the lake. Paul was a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, and served as its Project Manager following his turn as president of the Foundation. His kindness, analytical insights and tireless generosity will be greatly missed. Paul’s family would appreciate donations to the Deep Creek Watershed Foundation at www.deepcreekwatershedfoundation.org. I (Mike) have had the pleasure of working and interacting with Paul on a number of boards and committees and he was a gentle, kind, caring and talented man that will surely be missed.

Deep Creek Watershed Foundation

Paul Weiler

Friday January 10, Saturday January 11, Sunday January 11

The weather today will be cloudy with a high near 53 and a low around 47. South wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Saturday will bring a chance of rain, mainly after 10am. Overall, cloudy with a high near 60 and a low around 47. South wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high near 50 and a low around 37.

MaryMeBlogger shared this snowy overlook photo with us!

Mary Snowy Overlook at Deep Creek Lake, MD

The Maryland Board of Public Works yesterday unanimously approved more than $18.8 million in Rural Legacy Program grants for conservation easements in 18 counties. Funding from these grants will permanently protect more than 4,500 acres of working farms, forests, open space, shorelines, and wetlands — plus cultural and historic resources — throughout the state.

There are no 2020 easements in Garrett County but an area called “Bear Creek” is part of the Rural Legacy Program. Bear Creek is 31,457 acres protecting the Bear Creek watershed.

Enjoy fun (and free) gaming with Mountaintop Tabletop at the Grantsville Ruth Enlow Library. From 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.!

TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced today that its programs: Rural Business Innovation Initiative (RBII Fund), Builder Fund (Builder Fund), Seed Funds (Seed Fund) and Maryland Venture Fund (MVF) are now accepting applications for investments.

The Board of Garrett County Commissioners presented an overview of county projects, mandates, and projected costs as an annual county update on Monday, January 6, 2020.

The next Business Before Hours will be held on January 21, 2020. The keynote speaker will feature Dr. Daraius Irani, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Applied Research at Towson University giving an economic forecast. The event will be 8 am – 9:30 am in the Crawford Room at Wisp Resort.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces the opening of the winter turkey season, which runs statewide from January 23-25 for hunters who did not harvest a turkey during the 2019 fall season. Hunting hours are from one half-hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset. The bag limit is one turkey of either sex.

Thursday January 9

The weather today will be partly sunny, with a high near 36 and a low around 31. Southeast wind 9 to 14 mph.

Is this just Deep Creek in one winter photo?!

Deep Creek Lake, MD Winter

Did you know: Deep Creek Lake is just a short drive from “one of the greatest architectural triumphs of the 20th century” known as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater? Have you seen it in person?

The Fallingwater Institute invites students 8 to 13 years old to participate in its annual Gnome House Design Challenge — a program set up o work through the steps of the architectural design process like a real architect.

HART for Animals continues to work hard through grants and fundraising to help save the lives of homeless animals; they gave us some year-to-date numbers:
Low-Cost/No-Cost Spays & Neuters: 677
Rescue & Transports: 702
Adoptions: 297
Thanks to HART for Animals for all they do!

You may have a chance to get out on the cross country ski trails today! I know Herrington Manor State Park and New Germany State Park received about 5 inches of snow! Call the park offices to be sure they’re renting — Herrington Manor is 301 334-9180 and New Germany is 301-895-5453​.

Wednesday January 8

Dear readers: note that we have received a few messages to our page over the last few weeks that did not include contact information. If you are waiting for a reply from us, will you try again?

The weather today will be snow showers likely, mainly before 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28 and a low around 13. Windy, with a west wind 21 to 28 mph, with gusts as high as 49 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Be careful out there today!

Good Morning from Deep Creek Lake, MD

Take advantage of this fresh snow! ❄️Visit our new advertiser Deep Creek Ski & Snowboard Rentals!

What’s New Around Town

The Deep Creek Art and Wine Festival has announced the date for the 2020 festival! There won’t be a beer tent, but, they will have a football tent and local craft beers for purchase on tap!

Do you live or work in the City of Cumberland? The city is preparing its FY 2020 through FY 2024 Consolidated Plan to guide the use of approximately $1 million in federal funds; take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KSXYBCV.

Tuesday January 7

There is a Winter Weather Advisory in place today from now until 4pm today. Snow, mainly before 4pm. High near 30 low around 25. Total daytime snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible with overnight snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

The Garrett County Commissioners gave the Annual County Update last evening. The slide deck can be found here: http://bit.ly/36qPskx

Garrett County Economic Development, Garrett County Public Schools, and the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce have partnered to launch a new program called Virtual Job Shadow.

WHOA! Thank you to all of the HART Volunteers! These folks donated a total of 753 hours in the month of December and 11,478 total hours in 2019!

Purchase a Paw Print at any of the following DCT advertisers locations and help save homeless animals by providing emergency medical care with HART. Now thru Feb. 29:
Schoolhouse Earth
Trader’s Coffee House
Mountain State Brewing Co.
Black Bear Tavern
Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations and Sales

Maryland Department of Natural Resources crews stocked 4,350 trout last week in Deep Creek Lake.

Maryland Park Service registered 3,834 hikers participating in First Day guided hikes, while 1,152 people hiked 1,516 miles on their own — a grand total of 4,986 hikers. It was very cool! We were counted among the 38 at Herrington Manor State Park. And also, locally, there were 85 hikers at New Germany State Park and 5 hikers at Swallow Falls State Park.

Maryland State Parks First Day Hike

January 2020 Cover Story – Deep Creek Times

By: Mike Tumbarello

Happy January 2020 dear readers and welcome to the new decade – the 20s!  As our cover story for this month, I thought I would look back at the past decade and some of the big stories at the global, national and local (Deep Creek Lake area) levels.

This is certainly NOT meant as an all-inclusive look back and is provided more in the spirit of aiding all to take a deep breath and consider the past decade and what has transpired in our community, our nation and even globally and to perhaps introspect a bit as we consider the next decade. Certainly, influenced by my own experiences, geographic location and world-view, this is NOT meant to provide a political perspective or position in any way.  Deep Creek Times continues to provide completely apolitical content and this piece is no exception.

I am sure you can add more and we welcome your suggestions and nominations and will try to publish them as part of the February cover story.   Send any comments and suggestions to us by January 20th at info@deepcreektimes.com with the subject line of January Cover Story Comments. Thanks in advance and here goes.

Globally Speaking…

Well, globally it appears that ‘the only constant was change’ and on so many levels and in so many ways over the course of the past decade. We certainly live in changing, and in many ways, challenging times. Here’s my shortlist of the “biggest” stories globally over the last decade:

  • The (re)emergence of China as a global political, military and economic force, with all of the ramifications for global trade, harmony and the balance of power. China will likely continue to influence the world in many ways – positive and negative – in this decade.
  • The continued challenges in, and due to, various factors in the Middle East. While the cradle of civilization, the Middle East continues to be a geopolitical (and military) hot spot. From Syria, Iraq, and Iran to the less publicized challenges in Israel, Saudi Arabia and the general divisiveness and Petro-driven issues, this was a big influencer on the global scene.
  • A bit closer to home, the European Union has had some significant issues, the most visible being the on-again, off-again Brexit decision, the influx of refugees and the economic malaise of the area. Russia also continued to flex its muscles on the global stage.
  • On a positive note, the influence of technology, civil rights improvements, environmental policy changes, and many other outcomes continued to gain momentum, even if not uniformly across the globe.

Nationally speaking…

There’s lots to talk about here, but I will limit to a few of the big stories as I see them.

  • The county is divided, on many issues, and it does not seem to be getting better. There I said it.  Through the Obama years and during the Trump presidency, there are significant, painful divides that don’t show signs of letting-up. And, yes, this does impact us here on the mountain, as all of the global, national and local factors identified do.
  • The recovery from the great recession. Wow, the stock market has gone bonkers in the past decade and that has helped many feel more positive, spend more on consumer goods and real estate and feel more secure.  Hopefully, things will continue, but of course, there are no guarantees, and only time will tell.
  • The emergence of Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Apple and a few other tech giants as social “influencers” as well as tech behemoths. Along with social media, artificial intelligence, big data and a number of biotech developments, technology has become a huge part of our lives.

Around the lake…

It can certainly be argued that the many small experiences and interactions “in” and around the lake are what make the Deep Creek Lake area a special place to live, work and visit.  With that said, I offer the following list of “events” of the last decade as especially noteworthy:

  • The fracking debate and ban. After a contentious period that was certainly passionately debated and discussed, the state fracking ban was passed, putting the issue to rest.
  • The recovery of the local economy from the great-recession. While perhaps not “booming” like some areas of the state or country, Garrett County home values, sales, and tourism have recovered well.
  • Hurricane Sandy and the related closings and power outages. If anyone wonders what would happen if two feet of snow were to fall in October, before the leaves were off the trees, please ask someone about Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath around the lake.
  • The International Canoe and Kayak Championships came to the Adventure Sports Center on the mountain. This event, traditionally held in areas such as Prague, London and other “global meccas” helped reinforce the lake area’s reputation as a definite go-to destination for experiential and adventure sports.
  • The lake had a birthday and turned 90. One only has to look at vintage photos to see how the lake area has changed over the past decade and since its “birth.” This fact was complemented by the work of a number of local non-profits and citizens and also local, regional and state funding to better understand and improve the ecosystem.
  • A whole new set of commissioners. Elections came and went and the community and its various political components really “showed-up” and participated on a number of levels.  And, for the most part, this process went smoothly and with understanding and cordial relations from all involved, from candidates to voters.
  • The closing in the past year of the Verso Plant. While not “at the lake,” many Garrett County residents depended on the plant for employment and sales.  The greater community came through and has really rallied to help any displaced workers with training and other benefits.
  • A number of new entities, both for-profit and non-profit, have opened, including The Greene Turtle, Ace’s Run, Cashmere Clothing Co., Deep Creek Donuts, Deep Creek Lake Watershed Foundation, The Manor Steakhouse, Discount Duo, Glazed and Confused Donuts, Roots Yoga, the Cornucopia Cafe and others. And don’t forget the resurgence in Downtown Oakland, as perhaps best exemplified by the “new” locomotive at the Oakland B&O Museum.
  • At the risk of sounding a bit self-serving, I believe the Deep Creek Times People’s Choice Challenge is deserving of note here, as it was a celebration of all the people and institutions that make the Deep Creek Lake area a great place. Likewise, The Power of Possibilities continues to help entrepreneurs and want-to-be entrepreneurs succeed and contribute to the local community and economy.

So, there you have it.  A look back at the last decade at the lake and also a quick glance back nationally and globally, all from your little Deep Creek Times online e-zine! If you think I left something out, please don’t take it personally, and do send us any and all thoughts for us to include in next month’s Cover Story.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy 2020!

Mike

GCPS, Economic Development & Chamber Partner to Launch Virtual Job Shadow:

The Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS), Department of Economic Development and the Chamber of Commerce announced the launch of VirtualJobShadow.com, a new innovative online platform to be used by the teachers and students of both Northern and Southern High Schools. VirtualJobShadow.com will launch in both schools in January and is sponsored by Garrett County Economic Development.

The platform allows students to learn about hundreds of careers by viewing videos of people in those jobs. They can learn everything about a career from what a typical day is like, to education/training needed, to job pay, to future trends for that career and related careers. Students can also find out if there are internships, apprenticeships or jobs available in the career in our area.

Strivven Media, the creator of VirtualJobShadow.com, says the program provides students with hundreds of inspiring day-in-the-life videos that portray the realities of the 21st century workplace. Let your students learn first-hand from professionals about the skills, knowledge, and character they need to be successful.

VirtualJobShadow.com includes:

  • Massive video library covering thousands of careers
  • Career & Interest Assessments
  • Resume Builder
  • Postsecondary Plan
  • Goal Setting
  • Local Links
  • Access to Area Jobs, Internships & Apprenticeships
  • Lesson Builder – Assignments (Teachers)
  • Curriculum & Lesson Plans (Teachers)

“The platform, and especially the videos, give our students insights into careers that they may not even be aware exist. It’s job shadowing right from your desk with additional tools to take next steps if you find a career of interest,” said Nicole Christian, Chamber President & CEO. “The Chamber’s Workforce Development Task Force discovered the platform through another chamber and realized this would be so beneficial to Garrett County students who might not otherwise have job shadowing opportunities.”

Paul Edwards, Director of Secondary Education for Garrett County Public Schools agreed and decided that it would be a fabulous tool for teachers as well as our students. “The lesson planning component of the platform will allow teachers to give students assignments that can help them the students connect what they are learning in the classroom with real-life applicability. And the program is very simple for our teachers to implement and use in their classes.”

Every student in each high school will have a unique login and password for the program to maintain their same profile throughout high school. The students can mark careers that they like and have a history of the information they researched. They can continually update their goals, plans and resume so that they better prepared to for the next phase of their life after high school.

“I think our students and teachers are both going to enjoy using this program. It’s entertaining and educational, and we’re the only school system in Maryland offering it to our students,” said Edwards. “We continue to provide innovative educational opportunities here in Garrett County and the State is starting to take notice.”

The administration of the program includes reports to identify careers with the highest student interest and students that assess as a good match for certain careers. Potentially, the program could be used in the future to help match students with prospective employers that may be considering moving to Garrett County or for economic development to work with the school system to focus on certain skillsets that match job openings in the community.

“Companies locate where they have access to an available workforce and the VirtualJobShadow platform could help us in our economic development recruitment efforts by providing data to a prospect that shows an inclination by students towards jobs offered by the prospect,” said Mike Hough, Director of Economic Development. “We could also utilize the platform to work directly with the schools on assignments for the students to learn about specific careers based on jobs available in our community. It would open up a whole new connection between businesses, teachers and students.”

“The Chamber’s Workforce Development Task Force has been working for the past three years to address the workforce shortage in Garrett County and also looking for ways to encourage our young people to stay. Helping them learn about some of the amazing career opportunities available right here in Garrett County could have as significant impact,” said Christian. “We are so pleased that through our partnership with GCPS and Economic Development, we are implementing another new initiative to combat the ongoing challenges of our young people leave and a population that’s aging.

“We’re really excited to partner with the Chamber and the schools to offer this innovative program,” said Mike Hough. “Economic Development is more than just recruiting businesses or helping with expansions. It’s ensuring that we have the right environment that truly nurtures business growth and development.”

“This is a great new tool for our students,” said Laura Fike, Executive Director of Garrett Mentors and chair of the Chamber’s Workforce Development Task Force. “Helping connect students with career opportunities while they are in high school could be transformative for the young people in our community.”

The Chamber’s Workforce Development Task Force has also partnered with GCPS to implement the Work Ethic Diploma program and partnered with Garrett College to host a welcome reception and familiarization tours of the County for new Garrett College students. The Task Force is also working on workforce housing shortages and transportation issues. More information on the Workforce Development Task Force and their initiatives can be found on the Chamber’s website at https://www.visitdeepcreek.com/economic-and-workforce-development or by contacting Holly Lane, Project Coordinator for the Chamber, at (301) 387-6171 or holly@garrettchamber.com.

Monday January 6

The weather today will be cloudy then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 32 and a low around 25. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph.

Welcome back to the routine!

Zoe Spencer’s puppers says, “Happy New Year!”

Zoe Spencer New Years Dog at Deep Creek Lake, MD

The Annual Garrett County update will be presented tonight by the Garrett County Commissioners; the event will be immediately following the public meeting that begins at 4pm. Both meetings will be held in the public meeting room at the Garrett County Courthouse.

A portable hunting cabin has been listed for sale in our Online Marketplace. See the details and photos under “Miscellaneous”.

The Maryland State Police in McHenry are investigating a hit and run and looking for a silver Chevrolet Suburban or similar style SUV with damage to the driver’s side rear. It should be missing the fuel door, have a broken/missing driver’s side tail light, and have part of the plastic bumper cover broken off. Anyone with information is asked to call Corporal Doug Arnold 301-387-1101. Callers may remain anonymous.

The Garrett County Steps to Better Health Committee has announced Saturday, April 4th, as the date for the next Garrett County Health Fair and Family Fun Festival. The 2020 event takes place at the CARC (Community Aquatic & Recreation Complex) at Garrett College in McHenry from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

Friday January 3, Saturday January 4, Sunday January 5

My apologies for a late start this morning — one word: technology! Thank you for your patience!

The weather today will be rain with a high near 50 and a low around 35. Saturday will be occasional rain with the temperature falling to around 40 by 5pm. Rain and snow, becoming all snow after 8pm. Low around 26. Blustery, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Sunday has a chance of snow showers and will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 33 and low around 27. Breezy, with a west wind 16 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.

Vaughn (@15_335m on Instagram) shared this photo with us! Wow!

15_335m Snow at Swallow Falls State Park

All-day today is Hero’s Day at Wisp Resort! There’s a complimentary 1-day extended day lift ticket given to military, fire, police and rescue personnel (EMS).

Speaking of Wisp, don’t forget to send us A PHOTO OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF THE DECADE to be entered to win a 2-pack of all-day lift tickets! We must receive your photo by 11:59pm EST.

Tomorrow is a Buckwheat Cake dinner at the Swanton Community Center — beginning at 4pm until sold out. Take out available; call 301-387-9191.

The State of Maryland has raised the minimum wage to $11 per hour (for companies with 15 or more employees). Ultimately, the minimum wage will reach $15 in 2025.

The Maryland Heritage Areas Program is now accepting grant applications for heritage tourism and education projects located in Maryland’s thirteen heritage areas. Learn more here and attend one of the program’s workshops or webinars in January for detailed information about eligibility and the application process.

The Garrett County Commissioners have announced the public meeting agenda for their January 6th meeting. Note, the Annual County Update will be immediately following the public meeting.

It’s not too early to think spring! Here’s an article (from the Eastern Shore) on why to join a Master Gardener program. You can learn more about our local Garrett County program here.

Thursday January 2

The weather today will be increasing clouds and rain tonight. A high near 49 and a low around 42. Southwest wind 11 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

The New Year seems like it’s off to a great start! T. Wiltison captured this sunrise today:

T Wiltison Sunrise at Deep Creek Lake, MD

What are your New Year’s Resolutions? Mine is to see more of these amazing sunrises in person!

There are several events and entertainment acts coming up as January gets underway. Tonight, it’s a virtual open house for Pressley Ridge Foster Care. From 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm. They will be discussing their need for foster parents and how you can become a foster parent.

Our friend and colleague Mary Callis has joined the state-wide Maryland Humanities Board of Directors.

It’s flu season. I SAY, YUCK! Here is some advice from the Garrett County Health Dept: Flu season advice

Congratulations to John Anderes for winning last month’s “Where Am I?” contest! The correct answer was the Thayerville Fire Tower. Be sure to take your guess for January’s contest!

Flu Season Off To An Early Start

This may be the earliest start of flu illness in the past 10 years according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  And, cases may peak as early as December this year instead of January, some experts believe.

There is another different aspect to the flu this year. We usually see the A strain early and the B strain later in the season, but so far this fall, the B strain seems to be dominant, causing 60 to 70 percent of the illness.  It is unclear exactly what this means for the remainder of our flu season, but some experts predict we are in for a rough time of flu illness and flu-related hospitalizations.  Thus far, the U.S. southern states have been hit the hardest.

The B strain currently being seen nationwide is B/Victoria and the good news is that the current vaccine should protect against that strain.  “Flu vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk from flu and its potentially serious complications” says Scott Pauley, a press officer at the CDC.

“It is not too late to get vaccinated,” said Cindy Mankamyer, a nurse at Garrett County Health Department, “but remember it may take 10 to 14 days for the vaccine to develop its full protection in your system.”

The health department still has flu vaccine available for all ages, including high dose for seniors. Call 301-334-7770 or 301-895-5355 to schedule an appointment, or contact your doctor or pharmacy for information about influenza or vaccine.

Maryland Humanities Board Adds Garrett County Member

Maryland Humanities is pleased to welcome Mary Callis and Randy Ontiveros to the organization’s Board of Directors. Callis is the Executive Director of the Garrett Lakes Arts Festival (GLAF) and Ontiveros serves on the English faculty at the University of Maryland.  Callis resides in Garrett County and Ontiveros resides in Prince George’s County. They join 25 other volunteers in service.

Callis Named to the Maryland Humanities Board

In addition to the two new members, the Board of Directors includes: Cynthia Raposo (Chair), Montgomery County; Keith Stone (Vice Chair), Baltimore City; Dr. Scott Casper (Secretary), Howard County; James (Jim) Cornelsen (Treasurer), Charles County; The Honorable Ronald (Pete) Lesher, Jr. (Government Liaison), Talbot County; Allyson Black, Anne Arundel County;  Dr. Mary Kay Finan, Allegany County; Rian Hargrave, Baltimore City; Mary Hastler, Harford County; Mark Irwin, Montgomery County; Julia (Julie) Madden, Howard County; Tiffany McGhee, Baltimore County; Heather Mitchell, Howard County; Dr. Ronald Nowaczyk, Allegany County; Dr. Maarten Pereboom, Wicomico County; Jeanne Pirtle, St. Mary’s County; The Honorable Gale Rasin, Kent County; Thomas (Tom) Riford, Washington County; Dr. Nancy Rogers, Montgomery County; Carmel Roques, Howard County; The Honorable Stephen (Steve) Sfekas, Baltimore City; Jennifer Shea, Montgomery County; Guffrie Smith, Calvert County; Sharon Whitney, Anne Arundel County; and Jayson Williams, Baltimore City.

Wednesday January 1

Wednesday January 1

HAPPY 2020! May the new year be full of blessings for each and every one of our readers!

The weather today will be scattered flurries before 10am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 34 and a low around 28. West wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.

Thanks for checking in on this holiday morning — we have something special for you:
We will pick one random entry to win a 2-pack of Wisp Lift tickets! All you have to do is send us a photo of your favorite Deep Creek Lake, MD memory from the past decade! We will accept entries until 11:59pm on Friday, January 3, 2020.

The LaQuatra family shared their 2nd Annual “Polar Plunge” at Deep Creek! Our temperature guage was showing the lake was about 35-39 degrees! BRRRRRR!