Deep Creek Lake MD News and Local Resources: Daily Notes

I’ll begin this weekend’s edition with the “end” in mind.  Specifically, the sunset, as captured and submitted by reader Mark Richards.  Nice job Mark and we appreciate your sharing  your photo with us all.

Sunset at the Lake

Here’s the weather for this weekend: Friday will be partly sunny, with a high near 76 degrees and a calm wind. Friday evening will be mostly cloudy with a low around 60. Saturday we have a slight chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 2:00 pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 77 degrees and a calm wind. Chance of precipitation Saturday is 60%. Sunday we have a slight chance of thunderstorms, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8:00 am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Remember, you can always get up-to-the-minute weather, including forecasts, on the Deep Creek Times weather section, which we believe provides the best combined weather information for this unique mountain area. You can get there from here and it is “on” 24/7, 365 days a year.

As mentioned in previous Daily Notes and elsewhere on this site, the 2020 Deep Creek Times Peoples’ Choice Challenge has launched and is in-progress.  We got tons of nominations and will be releasing the names of nominees and a related fun contest for our readers to support and recognize all of our nominees. No voting this year.  You show your support for our nominees by visiting their location (inside or out) and taking a photo.  Winning photo entries will win $$$$.  More details to follow next week.

2020 People’s Choice Challenge

Get out!  No, really get outside and check out the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Park Quest photo and other contests in their August Park Quest issue. These contests look like a nice way to get outside, experience nature and have some fun as well.  This edition also has a piece on Monarch Butrerflies and creating habitat for them.  Ours are back munching on our milkweed and will then be taking flight for Mexico later in the year.  Here’s the link!

Don’t forget about the National Road and Town-Wide Yard Sale this Saturday in Grantsville.  Before you go up to Grantsville you can go to the Mountain Fresh Farmers Market in Oakland for some fresh goodies. And, don’t forget all of our natural wonders, cool places and retailers and restaurants to visit.

Finally, my two kitties asked me to share this one.  Next week is National Dog Week (yes, my cats celebrate diversity and love everyone).  Here’s a list from Trupanion, a leading pet insurer, based on registrations this year: Top 10 dog names for 2020:

1. Luna
2. Charlie
3. Bella
4. Bailey
5. Cooper
6. Daisy
7. Lucy
8. Milo
9. Max
10. Coco

The weather yesterday was just about perfect, with lots of blue sky and boats on the lake.  Today will be sunny, with a high near 75 degrees and a light southeast wind of 5 to 7 mph. This evening will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 58.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources had this to say in their latest Fishing Report issued yesterday: “Deep Creek Lake has much to offer in regards to fishing this week. Largemouth and smallmouth bass can be found relatively shallow at dawn and late in the evenings near grass and shoreline structure. As the day progresses they will move into cool shade under floating docks and moored boats or go to deep grass beds. Bluegills can be found near docks and grass beds, trout will be holding deep along the dam face.”

Good news: On August 8th, the president made available up to $44 billion from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to Americans who have lost wages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday, the state of Maryland agreed to administer a lost wages program for its citizens who are unemployed due to COVID-19. FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor approved Maryland for a FEMA grant under this program, which will allow Maryland to provide those unemployed due to COVID-19 $300 per week on top of their regular unemployment benefit.  FEMA will work with Maryland Governor Hogan to implement a system to make this funding available to Maryland residents.

Received another request to spread the word about the Deep Creek Art & Wine Festival Wine & Weekend Raffle going on now!  This is a replacement fundraiser for the annual Art & Wine Festival event and is an important fundraiser for both HART for Animals and Garrett Lakes Arts Festival (GLAF). Here’s the link for more information and to purchase a raffle ticket.

The rains pretty much held-off yesterday.  Today will be mostly sunny, with a high near 73 degrees. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon and then east in the evening, which will be partly cloudy with a low around 54.

The Mountain Fresh Farmers Market will take place today in downtown Oakland from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.  Lots of fresh and homemade goodies.  Congratulations also go out to the winners of the nice market baskets on Saturday.

The Garrett County Health Department is offering free drive-thru community COVID-19 testing without the need for an appointment or a doctor’s order in Oakland on Wednesday, August 26th. The event will be held in the parking lot between the Health Department and the Mountain Laurel Medical Center at 1025 Memorial Drive from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon.

The Health Department has also been updating their dashboard on COVID-19 and has issued a revised version, as per this press release issued yesterday afternoon. As of yesterday afternoon, the county had 58 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 55 of those released from isolation and a 7-day positivity percentage of 1.6%. Here’s a link to their dashboard page.

I read a great phrase by author Peggy Noonan in an article in the Wall Street Journal the other day. With the pandemic, educational uncertainty, political battles, etc., etc. all around us the past few months, Noonan said that “America is a Coalition of the Worried.” While not everyone is worried, a lot of us are. And, I for one am glad I am in Garrett County during these “interesting” times.  The beauty, relative isolation and natural social distancing here at the lake is calming and rewarding. Just a thought…

And, speaking about chillin’ at the lake, here’s a photo of Coby Price relaxing during a pontoon boat ride on the lake a few days ago.  Coby is definitely one happy pup and looks totally at peace.  We thank Jessica Price for submitting this great “action” photo of Coby.

Coby Enjoying the Lake

And speaking of Garret County and it’s beauty and serenity, here’s a neat photo taken by Robert Paine of a cloud formation (that looks like cotton) floating above the lake on Monday.  Thanks for sharing Robert and nice work.

Clouds Over the Lake

Yesterday was a nice day at the lake, with just a little cloudiness in the afternoon.  Today, we have a slight chance of showers after 11:00 am and chance of showers in the evening.. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74 degrees. West wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20% today. The evening will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 55.

Here’s a nice photo submitted by Bill Schmdt of a little bear having a snack.. According to Bill, the photo was taken not far from the bridge over the Yough at Swallow falls. Even though the bird seed was 15ft up, realized he/she could snag the rope to bring it in. Smarter than the average bear! Only has one ear, so Bill’s daughter nick-named him “Uno.”  Hmm, I bet he would like some Uno’s pizza for dinner too!

Hungry Time!

Way back in early July we reported a rabies case in the county.  An organization involved in animal removal and problem prevention reached out and offered this link to their information on rabies so I am sharing it here. I am certainly not an expert on rabies (or problem animal removal) so I thought I would share here for our readers to review.

Garrett Regional Medical Center (GRMC) just announced the addition of a new board-certified general surgeon to Garrett Surgical Group, Jonathan E. Tannebaum. Dr. Tannebaum graduated from Jefferson Medical College and completed his surgical residency at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. He has worked as a general surgeon for eleven years at several hospitals, including Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY, Warren General Hospital in Warren, PA, and most recently at Olean General Hospital in Olean, NY. We welcome Dr. Tannebaum to the area!

Here’s the results of an interesting study by WalletHub on community college systems and state rankings.  With college costs increasing, community colleges offer a great low cost alternative.  Maryland came in third and Virginia and West Virginia community college systems also placed in the top 20 nationally.  There’s also a link to a ranking of individual colleges as you read down the piece. The study evaluated 698 individual colleges on 18 key metrics to come up with the individual and state rankings.

Dave Yoder, Grounds Chairman for the Springs Historical Society is looking for some volunteers this coming Saturday, August 22nd in the afternoon, to help paint some of the historical buildings.  Unfortunately, the society has cancelled their festival this year due to the pandemic, but they are using this time to improve their holdings and you can help.  Contact Dave at 817.229.0185 or at daveyoder@verizon.net.

Thanks to fellow Lion Chris Nichols for letting me know that Tip Jar is actually a lottery game in West Virginia. 🙂 If you are wondering what I am talking about, go to Monday’s Daily Notes and see the photo at the gas station.  I also realized I mispelled Keyser on that very same post! It was late. I was tired. And, yes I know how to spell it, just a typo. Go Keyser!

The weekend, especially Saturday, was wettter and cooler.  Today we have a chance of showers before 8:00 am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2:00 pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 73 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Tonight will be partly cloudy, with a low around 56.  I definitely sense a turn toward fall in the air…

Do you think they want tips?

Speaking of the Southern part of the county, I urge all new residents, second homeowners and visitors, to check-out the Northern and Southern parts of our beautiful county.  There’s some nice country landscapes, interesting little towns and some serious history all over.  You can take a nice drive some day if you want to explore.  And, whether you travel around or stick by the lake-area, don’t forget to take and share your interesting photos of people, places and wildlife.  Send to info@deepcreektimes.com and we will do our best to publish.  Thanks!

The final Deep Creek Lake hydrilla herbicide treatment this summer is scheduled to take place tomorrow. Treatment is always subject to change due to weather conditions. During the treatment process, boaters are asked to stay clear of the treatment boat while it is underway so that the proper dosage of herbicide can be administered. Once applied, there are no recreational restrictions associated with the herbicide. Please also steer clear of diver flags (and divers) during the treatments.

Whoot hoot for this announcement!  A pop-up style movie theater is planned at the Oakland Town Parking Lot. The Mayor and Town Council of Oakland, the Oakland Heritage Community Foundation, Inc., and the Greater Oakland Business Association (GOBA) are gearing up to host ‘Little Yough Family Flicks’ a series of outdoor movies. The series will kick off Friday, August 21st, at 8:30 p.m. with the 2019 film ‘Playing with Fire’, sponsored by Mountain Laurel Medical Center, weather permitting. The Little Yough Family Flicks is a rebranding of the formerly known Oakland Pocket Park Movies. The name has changed but the fun, family evenings will remain the same.

Family Movies Coming to Oakland

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is once again seeking nominations from Chamber members for Honorary Golden Ambassador. This award recognizes an individual that has done a lot to support and promote tourism in our county.  Nominations are due by September 11th. If you are interested in nominating someone for this distinction, please download the Golden Ambassador Nomination Form at visitdeepcreek.com/53rd-annual-autumn-glory-festival or contact Sarah Duck at the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce at sarah@garrettchamber.com or 301.387.8746 to receive a nomination form.

Have a great Monday dear readers…

The weather today will be partly sunny with a high near 76 and a low around 62. East wind around 8 mph. A chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight. Saturday will be  showers, mainly after noon. High near 69 and a low around 60. East wind around 8 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Sunday will be mostly cloudy, showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. High near 69 and low around 59.

The Official DCL 95th Birthday Party is Saturday at 12-noon.

Be sure to stop at the Farmer’s Market tomorrow from 10am – 1pm: To name a few items available for purchase, there are patty-pan squash, eggplant, a variety of tomatoes, and lots of kinds of peppers, including sweet banana peppers, poblanos, and jalapenos. Peaches, apples, and sweet corn. And, more zucchini!

Garrett County Public Schools has been awarded a grant from the Maryland State Office of Rural Broadband to provide hot spots for at-home, virtual learning. Please apply for a hot spot if you currently do not have internet access, or if you feel your internet access is not sufficient for virtual learning.

At Deep Creek Lake, largemouth and smallmouth bass can be found feeding in the shallower areas during the early morning and late evening hours near grass and shoreline structure….. A variety of topwater and soft plastic lures work well in these areas… Crankbaits, grubs, and jigs work well in the deeper water and whacky rigged worms flipped under docks can get a lazy bass to pick up a bait. Bluegill can be found hanging around docks, with yellow perch, walleye, and bass deep along grass edges. Crickets and worms work well for bluegills. Drifting live minnows is a good bet for working the deep grass edges.

The Maryland Department of Commerce announced a third round of emergency relief funding will soon be used to assist local 501(c)(6) nonprofits. Approved applicants can receive up to $10,000 in grant funding — applications will be available on the OneStop portal beginning August 17 and will be accepted through August 24 at 5pm.

The Office of the Attorney General has received information that businesses in Maryland have been receiving a letter entitled “2020 Certificate of Good Standing Request Form” — this letter is a SCAM.

Regional Maryland colleges are joining together for a capital projects event.

The Breeding Bird Atlas of Maryland and the District of Columbia is a five-year project documenting local breeding bird populations. If you find a nest—whether it’s in the backyard or the backwoods—you can contribute to the project. Visit the department’s Breeding Bird Atlas website to learn how to get involved or to explore the data.

“Voting” for the third annual People’s Choice Challenge will begin on Monday! Stay tuned!

The weather today will be partly sunny, with a high near 76 and a low around 63. Scattered showers and thunderstorms mainly after 10am.

The Board of Garrett County Commissioners will not conduct a Public Meeting on Tuesday, August 18, 2020 as previously announced.  The next scheduled Public Meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 8, 2020.

Crellin Assembly of God is holding their annual Biker’s Sunday event this Sunday, August 16. There will be a bike blessing and a pig roast. Contact Paster Russ Hauser for more information at 301-334-3867.

Today kicks off Deep Creek Lake’s 95th birthday celebration!

Stop by Double Oak Farms for your sweet corn fix! ???? The self-serve stand is open daylight to dark for $5/dozen, $20/bushel, and $.50/ear. Located at 3118 Bittinger Rd Swanton, Md 21561, across from Lees Corner Market.

The Garrett County Department of Economic Development has made COVID-related reopening signage available for printing.

There is still an opportunity to place your order with Lebanese Taverna for DELIVERY to DEEP CREEK — they will be stopping by tomorrow (Friday) with the orders. Details here.

Local law enforcement officers are planning a crackdown on speeding motorists and traffic violators in Oakland soon. Oakland City Police, along with the Sherriff’s Department and the Maryland State Police are being asked by the Mayor and Town Council of Oakland, MD to enforce the rules, regulations, and laws in place against those violating laws in and through Oakland.

Did you capture the sunset last evening? It was a spectacular view — here’s a photo from Brenda’s Pizzeria with no filter:

Yesterday was another nice day at the lake, great temperature and sunny.  Today we will have patchy fog before 9:00 am and scattered showers and thunderstorms after 2:00 pm and into early evening.  The temperature will reach about 80 degrees, with a low around 65.  Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Well, on a national level, and no, not talking about Joe Biden’s VP pick, the Big 10 and Pac-12 conferences have cancelled their fall football season. 🙁 They are hoping to play in the spring.  This is perhaps one more sign of a “new-normal” at least for the short- and medium-term. Obviously, player and personnel health is a much more important factor, but I will miss what I am guessing will be no college football in the fall.

The Mountain Fresh Farmers Market will be at the Pavilion in downtown Oakland today from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.  Check out all the goodies and remember to follow the safety guidelines during the pandemic.  Here’s the scoop on everything.

Lebanese Taverna, a well known restaurant in the DC area is taking orders for pickup at the lake this friday between 2:00 and 2:15 (by the Garrett 8 movies).  I hear they have great food and Jean and I will be ordering for sure.  Something different and a different model for them delivery-wise I am sure.  Here’s the link for more information and to order.

Speaking of new, we are pleased to welcome a new advertiser and business to the lake area.  Ileana Evans, owner of AMS Consulting and Design, is a recent transplant to Garrett County from California and she has a lot of experience in design and construction (residential and commercial).  Give her a call if you need some design help or construction. Here’s her information:

New Business in the County

Don’t forget to check out the Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine raffle for wine and weekends at the lake. The ticket price goes to help GLAF and HART for Animals and the prizes look awesome. Here’s the link.

Here’s an interesting tidbit for readers working from home at the lake and elsewhere.  The Washington Post reports that a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research showed that the average workday lengthened by 48.5 minutes in the weeks following pandemic-related lockdowns and stay-at-home orders and that the number of meetings increased by 13 percent!

And finally today, here’s a historical tidbit: Over the nine years (1933 – 1942) the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) operated in Maryland, there was an average of twenty-one CCC Camps in the state at any given time, with 15 of these camps sponsored by the State Board of Forestry and located in State Forests and State Parks. Yes, there were CCC camps in Garrett County and they also did work in the state parks at the time.  Here’s some cool insight into these regimented, military-like camps in western Maryland along with some photos.

Yesterday, as forecast, it turned out great weather-wise at the lake.  Today we have a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4:00 pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83 degrees and a low of 65. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

This week a bunch of dedicated folks are trekking, mostly on-foot, from Wisp to the Eastern shore as part of the 2020 Maryland Trek.  They started Sunday from Wisp, all in an effort to raise money to help children with cancer.  Last year they raised $100,000 through pledges.  Here’s the site link.

Here’s a link to the August Habitat News from NOAA that wraps up their July Habitat Month efforts.  There’s some good embedded links to stories around the nation, including one on Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.

The Garrett County Health Department has received positive COVID-19 results for three additional persons, bringing the current county total positives to 54. The new cases included a male in his 20s, a female in her 20s and another male in his 40s. The next community testing opportunity in Garrett County is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26th, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm in the parking lot between the Health Department and Mountain Laurel Medical Center at 1025 Memorial Drive, Oakland. For more information, call 301.334.7770 or 301. 895.3111.

Heard from the Springs Historical Society, which this year because of Covid-19, have cancelled the Springs Folk Festival. However, they are taking the opportunity of this down year to make needed improvements to the property and are setting up painting days. I will send more information when I know more.  I am thinking they will be looking for some volunteers for their efforts and we certainly support them.

I am going to bet that you didn’t know that Alaska has the lowest share of childbirths with low birth weight, 5.85 percent, which is 2.1 times lower than in Mississippi, the highest at 12.12 percent.  Well, the latest WalletHub study analyzed dozens of factors to determine the best and worst states for new borns and their parents.  Where did Maryland land in the rankings? Well, go here to find out and see the full report.

The weather for today will be sunny, with a high near 83 degrees and a light south wind. The evening will be partly cloudy, with a low around 64.

The weather was beautiful and the lake (and the lake-area) was busy this weekend.  This nice photo provided by Eric Willams taken from Wisp supports both of those statements.  Thanks for the great photo Eric.  Much appreciated.

The Lake as Viewed From Wisp

Took a drive to Morgantown yesterday and we came upon a terrible accident scene on Eastbound 68.  As I write this Sunday evening, both directions are still closed hours after we passed the scene. It was a tractor trailer and I believe involved a fatality. Hopefully, all of our readers are safe and were not caught up in the many hours of road closures. FYI, if I68 is ever closed, you can always come back to Garrett County via Eastbound route 7, which will take you down into Terra Alta and then into Oakland.  That’s what we did to get back to Swanton.

I have heard that the lake level has been lowering, as is usual for this time of year. My HOA board just decided to add a section to two of our three dock clusters to push them out a bit more.  Please be aware of shallow spots, especially as summer progresses, and of course, depending on rainfall and lake drawdowns.

Yesterday, the Baltimore Sun announced that Maryland reported eight new COVID-19 related deaths and 922 new cases. I know this is a contentuous subject among some, but I believe that mask wearing and social distancing will go a long ways towards getting us all out of this national mess. I have certainly seen an increase in mask use among individuals at local retailers of late.  Keep it up…

Sarah mentioned a job opening at the Ruth Enlow Library in Daily Notes last week.  They have another opening now as well, for a library assistant. It is for 16 hours per week at the Ruth Enlow Library in Oakland.  Starting pay is $13.50/hr. You can pick-up an application at any location of the Ruth Enlow Library in Garrett County.  Applications are due by August 21st.

Here’s a nice photo taken by William Heinz of the sunset over Penn Cove.  Thanks for sharing William! I like the way the trees, homes and lake all “combine to black.”

Penn Cove Sunset

The weather today will be mostly cloudy with a high near 76 and a low around 59. Isolated showers, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon. Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high near 77 and a low around 58. Sunday will be sunny with a high near 80 and a low around 62.

The Livestock Expo and Sale continues today and Saturday. Stop by to appreciate the hard work of the kids and don’t forget the delicious “fair” food!

The Ruth Enlow Library is hiring an Associate.

The most recent local COVID-19 update has the total count of positive cases at 51.

The next community testing opportunity in Garrett County is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, from 8:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the parking lot between the Health Department and Mountain Laurel Medical Center at 1025 Memorial Drive, Oakland. This free testing will be without the need for an appointment or a doctor’s order.

The Barn at Lake Shore is a local VRBO (vacation rental by owner) that, unfortunately, won’t be renting for the remainder of 2020 due to the coronavirus. Everyone’s fingers crossed for 2021.

Lake Title, LLC is the newest addition to Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales, a full-service Deep Creek Lake real estate and vacation rental company. Offering competitive rates, it is one more way that they are making transactions smoother for buyers and sellers.

Glazed and Confuzed Donuts is open from 7 am until 2 pm Thursday through Sunday in the summer! Here is their menu:

The fishing report from the MD DNR Deep Creek Lake, a mix of large yellow perch, walleye, and smallmouth bass can be found along deep grass edges by drifting minnows.

GCPS is pleased to announce that their JumpStart 20-21 summer program is now in full swing.

The Board of County Commissioners for Garrett County adopted a resolution to designate Garrett County as a Second Amendment Preservation County.

Take the “Create Your Own State Park” Summer Challenge to Turn Your Home into a State Park.

The weather today will be mostly cloudy with a high near 73 and a low around 60. A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 4pm.

I have a chance to go golfing in Oakland today. This is the first I’ve been in a few years …  wish me luck!

Thanks to Ren Nazareno for the sunrise photo this morning:

The Paycheck Protection Program application deadline is looming – August 8.

Remember to take your chances on the “Wine & Weekend Raffle!” (since this year’s Art & Wine Festival has gone virtual)

Due to the pandemic, the Loar Auxiliary Gift Shop (at Garrett Regional Medical Center) is remains closed to the public.

The Garrett County Farm Bureau is continuing the Livestock Expo and Sale this week at the Garrett County Fairgrounds. There were 100 market swine, 38 market lambs, 56 market beef, and 44 market goats registered to show and sell this week.

Also, several “fair food” booths are open:

Dairy Bar: Wednesday-Saturday 2pm – 8pm
Northern Garrett Athletics: Wednesday-Saturday 6am – 10pm
FIRST Robotics Team 1629 GaCo: Wednesday-Friday 11am – 5pm, Saturday 11pm – completion of sale
Oakland Rotary French Fries: Wednesday-Friday 11am – 6pm, Saturday 3pm – 11pm

Friendsville Library announces monthly Enrichment Packets with crafts and educational materials for enhanced learning opportunities for pre-school & school-age students. ALL STUDENTS MUST Register: Call 301-746-5663 or email Friensville.SRC@relib.net.

Our lake camera has a bird’s eye view of the lake this morning:

Yesterday was windy, but overall very nice, if a bit cooler.  Today we will be mostly cloudy through mid-morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 75 degrees. West wind 5 to 7 mph. Increasing clouds, with a low around 58 in the evening.

Wishing a Happy 42nd Anniversary to my wife Jean. She sat in front of me in senior English class, I asked her to the prom, she said yes, and the rest, as they say, is history!  Getting up the courage to ask her to the prom was the best decision I ever made! Life is good.

The Deep Creek Lake Lions Club offers an annual program for visually impaired campers as one of our signature service activities! Last week, we brought visually impaired kids and their families to the area for camping, boating and fun! Cudos to my colleagues that did a great job (as ususal) with this wonderful event.  And, cudos to all of our donors throughout the year whose donations support this great effort.  Check out this link for more information and photos! 

Yesterday I mentioned the new 20,000 square foot spec building in the McHenry Business Park. I just heard that availalble building services include propane gas, broadband, and high-capacity electric.  There is also planned space onsite for additional expansion of the building. In addition, Garrett County Economic Development may provide interest-free leasehold improvement loans up to $10 per square foot.

Don’t forget that the Mountain Fresh Farmers Market is open today at the pavilion in downtown Oakland from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.  They always have good, healthy goods and it is a nice environment.

And, before or after you go visit the farmers market, take a few minutes to nominate your favorite local organizations, professionals, products, services and places in the 2020 Deep Creek Times Peoples’ Choice Awards.  Nominations close soon!  Just. Do. It. Now.

Here’s a link to some important and interesting information from the American Health Care Association and the National Association for Assisted Living. It shows a state-by-state breakdown of COVID-19 testing positivity rates among the general population. Check it out!

The Health Department will be holding two by-appointment immunization clinics for students in need of these vaccines for school entry.  The first clinic is August 18^th from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the Health Department location at 1025 Memorial Drive, Oakland.  The second clinic is August 28^th from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the Grantsville location at 28 Hershberger Lane.

I heard from fellow Deep Creek Lake Lion Ed King that he is planning on holding a yard sale on August 22nd.  He will have some good stuff at his place at 680 State Park Road in Swanton.  You enter the garage from Toothpick. Tell Ed Mike at Deep Creek Times sent you and you will WIN…well nothing… but it got your attention, and Ed will be impressed that I sent someone his way!

Yesterday was beautiful and the rain held off, at least in Swanton.  Today we have a chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 11:00 am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 72 degrees. In the evening, showers and thunderstorms are likely before midnight, then a slight chance of showers between midnight and 1:00 am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60.

Speaking of the weather, here’s the official July weather summary for Garrett County as submitted by Glenda Chandler of Garrett Regional Medical Center:  The average high temperature for the month was 85 degrees, with an average low of 62.5 degrees and 3.79 inches of rainfall recorded. Thanks Glenda!

Garrett Regional Medical Center (GRMC) has opened a new primary care facility on Wolf Acres Drive in Oakland. Garrett Family Medicine will provide comprehensive primary care services for people of all ages, from infants and children through those in need of geriatric care. The new practice is located in the same building that previously housed the primary care practice of Dr. Daniel Miller, who recently retired

The Garrett County Health Department received a positive COVID-19 result for one additional person, bringing the current county total to 46. The new positive COVID-19 case is a male in his 30s who has symptoms and is isolating at home.

Heard yesterday that the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association has postponed the fall and winter high school sports seasons due to the pandemic.  I know there will be a lot of dissapointed student athletes (and parents and fans), but this is not at all surprising based on the current situation.  I heard that from a news feed from the Baltimore Sun, but the release was not up yet on MPSSAA site last evening when I wrote these Notes. 

Here’s a link to the August newsletter from the Maryland State Department of Natural Resources.  Some good content for all and some nice photos as well.

The MEDCO spec building located in the McHenry Business Park adjacent to the Garrett County Airport, is now available for lease. The building consists of 20,000 square feet of flex space, and tenants may be able to choose to rent all or part of the space (from 5,000 to 20,000 square feet).