Deep Creek Lake MD News and Local Resources: Daily Notes

The weather today will be partly sunny, with a high near 77 and a low around 62. Southwest wind 7 to 9 mph. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon through the night.

Congratulations to my niece, Allison! ❤️She has a “drive-thru graduation” tonight from Broad Ford Elementary School! Congratulations to all Broad Ford Bobcats and all Garrett County graduates!

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced Wednesday that the order requiring the closure of non-essential businesses will be lifted at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 5th. This is the beginning of Stage Two of his Roadmap to Recovery plan.

St. Peter’s Church wanted to share that a couple from the church will be saying the Rosary on the front steps of the Church this Friday, June 5th at 3:00 pm. Feel free to join them.

The nearest Makerspace has just received grant funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission in the amount of $200,000. With this investment, the Board, in concert with Allegany College of Maryland, will prepare 14 workers/trainees for careers in metal fabrication and manufacturing. Follow this link to view the full press release.

Make your guess in this month’s “Where Am I?” contest!

Our MD Licensed and USDA inspected friends at Double Oak Farms want you to get your fresh beef! Delmonico, T-Bone, Sirloin, Skirt, & Cube Steaks, Chuck, Sirloin Tip & Rump Roasts, Ground Burger in very limited quantities, etc! Also, they are still taking orders for future butcherings!

Here’s the live stream of the most recent Garrett County Public School meeting.

The Ruth Enlow Libraries of Garrett County remains the only library system in the state offering curbside service.

Yesterday turned out to be a nice day, if a bit windy.  Today’s weather will be mostly sunny, with a high near 79 degrees. Breezy, with a west wind 17 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. There will be scattered thunderstorms and showers after 5:00 pm, with a low of about 62.

Here’s a nicely “framed” photo taken yesterday afternoon showing the sun and clear weather, as submitted by Ed O’Connor.  Nice job Ed and thanks for submitting.

A nice day at the lake

The 2020 Mountain Fresh Farmers Market Summer Season (Saturdays and Wednesdays) is happening!  The market is taking place today from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the pavilion by the town parking lot in downtown Oakland!  Check out the fresh veggies and other goodies for sale.  You can also go here for more information including guidelines to follow at the market due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here’s a housekeeping item:  We have been a bit delayed in getting out the Ace’s gift cards to winners of our photo contests, etc.  The reason has been due to the changing work environment due to the coronavirus.  I just got some Brenda’s Pizzeria cards instead (Ace’s is still closed) and will send those out instead so we can get you taken care of.  Just wanted winners to know I didn’t forget them. So, basically, the gift card is (almost) in the mail!

June is National Safety Month. With the U.S. devastated by the coronavirus pandemic this year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2020’s Safest States in America  Here’s some interesting factoids for you:

Key Stats

• South Dakota has the fewest murders and non-negligent manslaughters per 100,000 residents, 1.36, which is 8.4 times fewer than in Louisiana, the most at 11.37.
• New Hampshire has the fewest thefts per 1,000 residents, 12.75, which is 2.8 times fewer than in New Mexico, the most at 35.55.
• New Jersey has the most law-enforcement employees per 100,000 residents, 473, which is 2.2 times more than in Washington, the fewest at 211.
• Delaware has the lowest share of high school students who were bullied online, 10.10 percent, which is 2.1 times lower than in Louisiana, the highest at 21.20 percent.

To view the full report and see Maryland’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/safest-states-to-live-in/4566/

Here’s a really nice sunset photo submitted a few days ago by Diane Defibaugh.  Nice work Diane and thanks for sharing.

Sunset at Deep Creek Lake

Be safe, happy and healthy dear readers…

Yesterday was a little on the cool side, but was a gorgeous day at the lake! Today has a slight chance of showers before noon, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the early afternoon and again in the evening. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72 degrees and a low around 63.

Speaking of the weather, we just got the statistics in for May from Glenda at GRMC.The average daily high temperature in May was 64 degrees, with an average low of 45.4. Rainfall was at 5.22 inches and yes, we even had a total of one inch of frozen precipitation during the month of May. Thanks Glenda.

The results are in and Deep Creek Lake WON!  FishingBooker, an online platform that matches fishing guides with anglers seeking a guide, just announced the best fishing spots in the state of Maryland and Deep Creek Lake came in first place!  Here’s the link. And, that’s no fish tale…

One more interesting feel-good fact from the FishingBooker study: According to FishingBooker, their recent study found that the majority of people (at least those they sampled) will still be traveling this year, but with one major difference. Over 55% out of the 353 people questioned answered that they plan on traveling closer to their homes. That bodes well for Deep Creek Lake area establishments and bookings.

The Garrett County Health Department just announced that the entire prevention team in the Health Education and Outreach division has been certified as community health workers (CHW). Community health workers are the frontline staff for public health and are often a member of the community they serve, which enables them to act as a liaison between health and social services and the public. CHWs facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competency of service delivery. Nice job and congratulations to all!

Good news regarding COVID-19: Staff and residents of Goodwill Nursing Home and Assisted Living in Grantsville were tested on Wednesday and Thursday of last week in conjunction with the state initiative to test all long-term facilities in the State. The facility tested 348 residents and staff and all tests were negative. That really is good news!  Thanks for all your efforts folks.

Maryland Humanities has awarded $515,000 in funding for 100 Maryland nonprofit organizations ($5,150 per organization) through their CARES (coronavirus relief) Act Emergency Relief Grants Fund. The Garrett County Historical Society and Garrett Lakes Arts Festival (GLAF) were the two organizations in Garrett County that received funds. Congratulations to both of those deserving organizations.

Happy June 1st folks!  The lake area was certainly alive with activity this weekend, and the weather certainly cooperated.  Today will be sunny, with a high near 64 degrees. and with a calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Tonight will have increasing clouds and a low around 49.

Speaking of the weather, Bob Doyle, local season/sky expert and professor emeritus at Frosturg State University, tells us that summer officially begins on June 20th. Summer is the season with the the longest sunlit days with the shortest mid-day shadows.  Actually, summer offically arrives in Oakland at 5:44 pm that day!  Set you watches!

Thanks to Dee Dave for submitting this photo of two locals during feeding time by the lake.  Nice photo and thanks again Dee.

Feeding at the Lake

Sarah covered this in the weekend version of the Daily Notes, but I thought I would reiterate that a number of local establishments have opened their outdoor dining facilities as provided for in the Governor’s latest guidelines. We have added the outdoor dining to our COVID-19 restaurant resource guide and here are the spots able to offer outdoor dining right away (please be patient as this is new and just began, with the order coming effective on Friday):

• Black Bear Tavern
• Deep Creek Funzone (formerly Smiley’s)
• Dutch’s at Silver Tree
• Greene Turtle
• The Honi-Honi
• Mountain State Brewing Company
• UNOs

And speaking some more about food, Jean and I ventured to Alpine Lake Resort (just over the border in Terra Alta) for some carry-out Saturday night.  Here’s a photo of the results.  Really tender and tasty ribs at a nice price and just a short trip from Oakland area.  We really try to support all our local restaurants and businesses and hope our readers will too.

Great Carry-Out

The Baltimore Sun reported 763 new cases of the coronavirus and 21 more deaths yesterday as Baltimore’s mayor and Maryland’s governor voiced concern that protests in the city and elsewhere could lead to a surge in new cases. The additions bring Maryland to 52,778 total cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. As of Sunday, 2,411 people have died due to complications from the virus. While the world seems to get crazier, I am glad I am here in good, old Garrett County.

Please send us photos of you and your family out and about using natural or man-made amenities around the lake.  These could include: boating, kayaking, hiking, nature, golf, family action photos, plants, animals, outdoor dining, shopping, art, etc.  Send them to info@deepcreektimes.com  and we will do our best to publish them as the lake activity continues to increase in coming weeks.  Thanks in advance.

Have a great week folks…

The weather today will be partly sunny with a high near 74 and a low around 54. A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Some storms could be severe. Southwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Saturday will be mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 66 and a low around 44. Sunday will be sunny with a high near 60 and a low around 39.

The Maryland Governor has approved outdoor dining as of 5pm today. Restaurants must:

• Ensure patrons are appropriately distanced with no more than six people seated at a table, with the exception of members of the same household.
• Ensure patrons are seated at least six feet away from each other, except for households seated together.
• Use single-use disposable paper menus or sanitize reusable menus between each seating.
• Sanitize outdoor tables and chairs between each customer seating.
• Train staff in the current CDC COVID-19 health and workplace guidelines.
• Begin screening procedures including daily temperature checks of all staff.
• Ensure staff wear masks or face coverings when interacting with other employees or patrons.

We have added the outdoor dining to our COVID-19 restaurant resource guide and here are the spots able to offer outdoor dining right away:

• Black Bear Tavern
• Deep Creek Funzone (formerly Smiley’s)
• Dutch’s at Silver Tree
• Greene Turtle
• The Honi-Honi
• Mountain State Brewing Company
• UNOs

Please be patient with all of our eateries this weekend: the Governor’s rules are new and may take some major adjustments and growing pains.

The Deep Creek Lake Watershed Foundation has published its current & future projects pertaining to Deep Creek Lake & the surrounding watershed.

“Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh and Maryland Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles today announced the filing of a suit in federal court against the owners of the Luke Paper Mill for seepages into the North Branch Potomac River that threaten public health and the environment.”

License-free fishing days are this summer on June 6, June 13, and July 4 — you don’t need a fishing license, trout stamp, or registration.

After receiving and reviewing public input, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has selected the state’s 2020-2021 migratory game bird hunting seasons. These selections are now awaiting final approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

What a dramatic sunset captured by Betsy Potts! WOW:

The weather today will be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers; thunderstorms are also possible after 1pm. A high near 77 and a low around 64. Southeast wind 13 to 16 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

The Maryland Governor has announced additional openings as part of the Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery Stage One — all of the below activities with specific restrictions and precautions:

• Outdoor Dining Permitted
• Outdoor Youth Sports and Outdoor Activities at Day Camps
• Outdoor Pools
• Drive-In Movie Theaters

The state tourism office has put together fun Maryland-centered activities for when you’re at home. Download Maryland Mad-Libs, Old Line Bingo, Free State Scavenger Hunt, Maryland Statue Challenge, This or That, Maryland Style, Maryland virtual backgrounds, choose “Only Three”, Maryland Bucket List, Choose Your Maryland Quarantine House or virtual Maryland Jigsaw Puzzle here.

The state office also has free travel brochures to view or you can request a hardcopy. Deep Creek is in our hearts but this is good material for planning other family vacations.

Several grant awards, totaling over $1.7 million, were approved by the Maryland Board of Public Works. This funding will be used to expand local broadband infrastructure to over 1,300 local addresses.

There are a total of 10 COVID-19 cases in Garrett County; no new cases thus far this week.

“Anglers are enjoying some very good fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass in Deep Creek Lake.” – May 27 Maryland Fishing Report.

l’aurait shared this sunset at Deep Creek Lake, MD with us. WOW!

Yesterday was a nice day – warm and sunny.  Today will start off cloudy, then gradually become mostly sunny, with a high near 72 degrees and a low in the wee hours of around 61. Southeast wind 6 to 8 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Here’s a really cool photo submitted by Noah Farberow taken this weekend in Hazelhurst Cove.  The light is just tight on this one!  Thanks Noah!

Hazelhurst Cove

Just heard that New Germany State Park is now accepting applications for three cabin cleaners and one visitor services attendant. These are full-time or part-time, seasonal positions. Candidates must apply by June 10th at JobAps.com/md. Please spread the word if you know of someone looking for a seasonal position in a very nice, natural setting.

And, speaking of state parks, the annual State Parks and Trails Passport is now available ($75 for in-state residents, $100 for out-of-state) and grants unlimited day-use admission and boat launching at state parks, and a 10 percent discount on state-operated concessions and boat rentals. This year’s pass will arrive in a self-contained packet with a detachable hang-tag, and will be valid for a full year from the month of purchase. Our 75 state parks include more than 900 miles of trails for biking, hiking and horseback riding, as well as unique water access and camping facilities.

The Allegany Arts Council is now accepting applications for its 2020-2021 grants program. The program, made possible by County Arts Development funding of the Maryland State Arts Council, supports non-profit organizations and individual artists in the creation of activities, programs and placemaking efforts which champion the arts in our community.  Grant awards are for activities, programs, projects and operations which occur between July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021. Please review the eligibility and guideline information prior to applying. Information, along with the grant applications themselves, can be found by visiting our website. The deadline to enter is June 30, 2020.

Here’s a summary of a good idea from Judy Carbone and Lori Richards, homeowners at the lake.  They compiled and mailed a postcard to second homeowners at their primary address.  I wanted to share because it was innovative thinking and is for a good cause – helping non-profit organizations impacted by COVID-19.  Please check it out and give if you can.  Thanks for the good work Judy and Lori.

Local, state and national organizations are providing assistance to Garrett County residents experiencing difficulties
at this time. Friends of Deep Creek Lake have compiled a directory of some of the organizations accepting financial donations to support their efforts …and information on how to donate. Please give generously.

Garrett County Community Action Committee, Inc.
The County Emergency Management Office has asked Community Action to take a
lead role in coordinating donations, including cash, food and household items, volunteer services, transportation, masks, and specific needs associated with COVID-19.
How to Donate: www.garretthealth.org/community

The Garrett County Public Schools Foundation
The Foundation helps the Garrett County Public Schools provide over 800 meals to
students. GCPS is currently providing three meals a day to anyone under 18, through
15 sites throughout the County. How to Donate: By check payable to The GCPS
Foundation. Send to P.O. Box 11, Oakland, MD 21550. 301-501-0190.

The House of Hope
The House of Hope is a non-denominational, non-profit “network of concern” for
those in need in Garrett County. It operates four free food banks in the County.
How to Donate: Send check to P.O. Box 24, Oakland, MD 21550 or online
www.houseofhopegc.org

The Maryland Food Bank
The Maryland Food Bank distributes food to eligible soup kitchens, food pantries,
and shelters throughout the State. In Garrett County, it operates through the Oak
Park Church of the Brethren. How to Donate: www.mdfoodbank.org. Click “Donate”

The Dove Center
The Dove Center is a private non-profit organization providing safety, advocacy, and
counseling to individuals affected by domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
www.gcdovecenter.org. How to Donate: www.gcdovecenter.org/ways-to-give

It’s In The Bag
Serving Garrett County Public Schools, this program fills backpacks with food to send
home with children on the weekends, coordinated by St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church.
How to Donate: By check to It’s In The Bag, P. O. Box 303, Oakland, MD 21550.

United Way of Garrett County
The United Way has established COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to provide
micro-grants to local nonprofits to aid with food, shelter, medical co-pays, and supplies. How to Donate: www.cuw.org/garrett/ or send a check to P.O. Box 394,
Oakland, MD 21550.

Western Maryland Red Cross
The Red Cross faces a severe blood shortage in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Monetary donations are also needed. How to Donate: www.redcross.org/local/maryland-delaware/donation or call 1-800-435-7669.

Other organizations needing your help:
• www.governor.maryland.gov/marylandunites • www.211md.org

Compiled by Garrett County volunteers Judy A. Carbone (judy@corgi-cottage.com) and Lori Richards (tolori@verizon.net).
DCC postcard 1.indd 1 5/

After a great Memorial Day weather-wise, the weather for today also looks really good. The day will start with patchy fog before 9:00 am. After that, mostly sunny, with a high near 76 degrees and a low around 57.

The warm weather this weekend has (finally) caused the trees and shrubs to go into (almost) full bloom. Here’s a close-up photo taken by Joe Vitek of one of those blooms.  It’s not only a nice photo, but also a reminder to pause and take in the “little things” around the lake.  Thanks for sharing Joe.

The Mountain Comes Alive

The Deep Creek Lions Club Meshach Browning coloring contest has received a number of entries (23 to-date to be exact), with the talent of the artists very evident.  Check out this video for the story and a sampling of entries.  Thanks for sharing to fellow Lion Chris Nichols.

With all the nice weather and the relaxation of restrictions all over the country, it looks like a lot of people took advantage of the holiday to go to the beach, mountains, pools or just get some fun outside time under their belts.  The lake area was certainly busy this weekend. I know there is concern among some about increasing cases due to the openings and I also know it is an uncertain, tricky balance between various factors. Let’s hope for the best and be positive, as we are all in this together.

Here’s a nice photo taken by Lisa Nichols this weekend while she was kayaking in Meadow Mountain cove.  Those clouds sure are cool looking.  Thanks for sharing Lisa!

Kayaking on Meadow Mountain Cove

On Sunday, the Baltimore Sun reported that the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state had dropped from 1,320 to 1,290 since the prior day. That is good news. 

Testing late last week at a Garrett County nursing home facility uncovered seven new cases (four residents and three out-of-state staff), which brings our county total number of known cases to 10. Interestingly, all seven, from various age groups, were asymptomatic. Additional test results for the facility are still pending, with 188 negative results received for residents and staff so far.  That is very good news.

While Saturday’s weather was wonderful, yesterday’s was cloudy, cooler and rainy.  Today will start with patchy fog, then turn mostly cloudy, gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 76 degrees and with a low around 59.

Happy Memorial Day!  Memorial Day is considered the most solemn holiday in the nation as we honor our fallen military heroes.  Originally started as Decoration Day to honor our Civil War fallen, it became a federal holiday in 1971.  And, while it has become somewhat of a rite of passage as the beginning of the summer season, we should all remember its origin and true meaning. That seems especially fitting as the nation continues the battle with COVID-19.

Michael McGovern, Director of Operations at Alpine Lake Resort, just over the border in West Virginia, shared the following photo and insight, from Alpine Lake’s annual Missing Man setting to honor our military fallen. They are not able to set up this year due to the pandemic, so sharing here and on other social media is appropriate and appreciated. Thanks for sharing Michael!

Missing Man Table at Alpine Lake Resort

Here’s an explanation of the symbolism that Michael sent over:

I salute all of our fallen, thank all of our veterans for their service and wish all of our readers a peacful, happy, healthy and thoughtful Memorial Day.

The weather today will be showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 3pm; a high near 65 and a low around 53. Saturday and Sunday look to be good: partly sunny, with isolated showers; highs around 70 and lows around 55.

Many of us are looking forward to kicking-off the Deep Creek summer in a traditional way but please remember while many restaurants are open, it is for carryout only. You must cover your face when inside any retail or personal service establishment and group gatherings are limited to 10. Vacation rentals are open, and visitors are welcome here (there’s no longer a 14-day quarantine request), but the county and rental companies request that renters attempt to be as self-sufficient as possible.

We wanted to also note, the Deep Creek staple, the Honi-Honi Bar is not open per the governor’s orders. Their lawn is not open and docks are not in the water.

There are a lot of new guidelines for everyone to deal with but the lake is open. You can definitely still have a good time in Deep Creek it just may look a little different this year. And, let’s all be kind.

Our local community response to COVID-19 has been nothing short of amazing. Here’s the volunteer coordinator, Courtney, sharing more:

In case you didn’t see it yet, this month’s cover story is on that same volunteer program.

Here’s the photo guide to the Common Maryland Snakes

WFWM Radio is playing all of the DelFest favorites this weekend (since the annual festival was canceled)

Our Deep Creek Lake temperature gauge is a good place to get a general idea of the Lake’s surface temperature. This morning, the water’s surface and the air temperature are close.. who’s going for a swim?!

We hope you have an opportunity to celebrate Memorial Day and honor our fallen service members. Take care!

The weather today will be cloudy, with a high near 56 and a low around 51. Rain likely, mainly after 2pm. Southeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

We enjoyed a spectacular sunset last night — Gena Sweeney captured it for us!

SO, food is on my mind: is 9am too early to be thinking about lunch?

The Manor is offering a takeout special this week and for Memorial Day. Tonight is spinach and parmesan stuffed chicken. NY Strip, Petit Filet with Crab and Cream Sauce, and more. See the details on their website.

Alpine Lake Resort’s Lakers Lounge has also reopened to offer curbside pickup. See the full limited menu and hours here. Um, one word to say here: RIBS.

Black Bear Tavern is back, too! Carryout today 12-8. They have one-price-fits-all Quarantine Cocktails for $7: The drinks you’ve been missing like a Black Bear Lemonade, José Margarita, Jack & Pepsi, and Bloody Marys.

There was a reminder of the local order for employees and customers to wear a face covering when inside any business.

Jay Ferguson shares that the extremely limited availability of rental docks isn’t likely to change any time soon — consider a lot with an exclusive slip as the only 100% guarantee for a slip each year.

The May 20 Fishing Report from MD DNR: “Anglers at Deep Creek Lake report that the walleye are biting well in the evenings on a variety of lures, but jerkbaits tend to top the list. Retrieving and then pausing seems to get the most strikes. Smallmouth bass are starting to be found in the spawning areas close to shore and aggressive males are striking a variety of lures.”

Yesterday was a bit dreary, with a little rain in the afternoon.  Today will be cloudy, with a high near 53 degrees and a low of about 41. It will also be quite breezy, with an east wind of 20 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph.  Batten down the hatches!

Garrett College held their 48th commencement this weekend. Due to the coronovirus, it had to be held virtually, but that doesn’t diminish the great accomplishments of the almost 100 graduates.  I want to give a shout-out to the special award winners, including two stellar students Merlon Devine and Aryssa Corby that I had the pleasure of teaching.  They are both smart, hard-working and great individuals. Good luck to all the graduates!

On a negative note, the Sun reported yesterday that Maryland announced 1,784 new COVID-19 cases — a single-day high for the state — and 60 new deaths from the coronavirus Tuesday, as the state reached past 40,000 confirmed infections while reaching the cusp of 2,000 confirmed fatalities. Please be safe…

To identify which states have the fewest coronavirus restrictions, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 11 key metrics.  To view the full report and find out where Maryland ranks, click here.

Don’t forget that the Mountain Fresh Farmers Market is open on Saturdays.  There are special requirments due to the pandemic, so please click here in advance for special order and participation requirements.

That’s all for today folks.  Be safe and be happy!

Yesterday was somewhat dreary, with limited periods of sun.  Today will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 56 degrees and a chance of showers throughtout the day and evening. East wind from 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20% and the low will be around 40.

Wow! Most high school students volunteer just enough to reach the required number of service learning hours, but Madison Prudnick isn’t like most students.  Madison volunteered for more than 700 hours at Partners After School @ Oakland during her 4-years at Southern High School. We wanted to thank and congratulate Madison on her stellar efforts and wish her our best as she begins her college career at Mount. St. Mary’s University in the Fall.

We heard from reader Patti M. with a question as to the status of Autumn Glory this year. The short answer is, we do not know at this time.  I have been asking around about that event and others and it appears leaders are taking a “wait and see” approach to making a final call. I think we all hope events such at Autumn Glory, Art and Wine and others are held, but we will have to wait for an answer as managers of those events process available information and make a decision. We will let you know as soon as we find out.

The Garrett County landfill, located at 3118 Sang Run Road, will be closed on Monday, May 25th for the Memorial Day holiday. Note, the six county collection sites will be open from 7:00 am – 6:00 pm that day. Also, full-service Saturdays at the landfill will resume for the season this Saturday. The scales will be open 8:00 am – 3:30 pm. You can contact Dave Baker at 301.387.0322 with any questions.

The Greater Oakland Business Association (GOBA) has some messages they shared with us yesterday:

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the GOBA Board has decided to postpone their Annual Dinner to later in October. It will be conducted as normal with a PowerPoint of the year in review and the celebration of any Oakland Business Milestones. The Asa McCain Spirit of Oakland Award will also be presented at this time. Sign ups for the annual dinner will come out with the Asa McCain Spirit nominations and voting information later in the year.

The GOBA Event Committee has decided to postpone the Kick Off to Summer Event, initially scheduled for June 20th, 2020. The committee will be meeting soon to come up with additional approaches for “events” downtown. Standby for more information about this event towards the end of the summer or perhaps some virtual events happening sooner.

There have been some questions “around town” relative to COVID-19 case reporting.  To address those questions the County issued a press release yesterday with explanations for any changes/deviations and I am repeating it here verbatim in case any readers have questions:

Why You Might See County COVID-19 Numbers Go Up and Down – By Garrett County Joint Information Center Team

If you have been watching the numbers on the Maryland COVID-19 Data Dashboard over the last few days you have seen the numbers for Garrett County go up and back down several times. There are many reasons why the numbers could change.

First of all, the numbers on the map are preliminary. In fact, below the map it says, “All data are preliminary and are subject to change based on additional reporting.” In Maryland, the numbers on the map are generated from a database where all the COVID-19 tests are reported. Once a positive case shows up in the database, staff at the health department for the county where the positive case is assigned begin to investigate the case.

Here are some of the issues that may cause a case to be assigned to the wrong county:

• An incorrect address may have been recorded at the testing site and reported to the state.
• The patient may have two different homes, in two different states. Research is needed to determine which is the primary residence.
• Sometimes a person is tested a second time, and the case needs to be removed to avoid counting it a second time.
• The automated system may mistakenly assign a case to the wrong county.

Why is it important to get it right? Because the county of primary residence is responsible for contact tracing, the process that finds close contacts of a positive case and lets them know that they need to quarantine so they don’t spread the virus if they have been infected. When a case needs to be transferred to another county, or another state, there is often a delay of a day or two before the case is changed on the map. Once the preliminary investigation is completed, the testing results are counted in the county of primary residence.

Key staff at both the local and state level are paying close attention to, and immediately investigating, any positive COVID-19 results. Information is shared across county and state lines as necessary to protect residents and health care workers in this ongoing pandemic, while safeguarding the privacy of anyone testing positive for COVID-19.

Another question many are asking is why the data doesn’t show up for any Garrett County zip codes. Again, the explanation is under the map, where it says, “Data for ZIP codes with 7 or fewer cases are suppressed.” None of the Garrett Counties zip codes show up in the reports, because the county does not have any zip codes with enough cases to show up on the list. The zip codes for low number locations are not reported to prevent specifically identifying a positive case within a small community.

Accurate COVID-19 information is critical to the community. Please visit the Health Department COVID-19 Dashboard at garretthealth.org/covid-19-information/ for current and accurate information about the situation.

The weather this weekend was great, especially on Saturday.  Lots of folks out on and around the lake.  Today’s weather holds a 30% chance of showers, mainly after 10:00 am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66 degrees and a low of around 48. Southeast wind 7 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph (higher in the evening).

My wife Jean was one of those out on the lake this weekend.  She took this photo from our kayak while out on Beckman’s cove.  Good job Jean.

Jean Tumbarello Barn on Beckman’s Peninsula at Deep Creek Lake, MD

Here’s another nice photo submitted by reader Mary Freese.  Thanks Mary and great job!

Beautiful Sky

According to state health officials, the number of coronavirus hospitalizations in Maryland — the main statistic Governor Hogan used to justify lifting a statewide stay-at-home order Friday — dropped by 40 patients as of Sunday. I believe Garrett County is at seven confirmed cases and our low numbers will hopefully continue.

Theater on the Lake (TOTL) just announced that there will be no summer season this year.  That is a bummer, but understandable, as they are impacted by the coronavirus issue like so many arts institutions. They definitely plan to be back in 2021 and are planning some virtual video recap efforts for this summer.  We’ll let you know when we know more.

Gone phishing?  Actually, you do not want to be involved on either side of the phishing hook! Even as we deal with so many global, national and local challenges related to conronavirus and other things, there are bad people out there trying to trick you.  I have had some training on this and I can tell you it is a growing threat and can be very serious.  What am I taking about you ask?  Go here to take a quiz on phishing, which is basically online trickery that obtains personal information from the victim.  Do it!

Here is some important information to share, understand and follow and as I know there has been some significant public discussion, or maybe I should say debate, since these changes were announced, I am including verbatim from the press release issued Friday by the Joint Information Team on behalf of the Health Department and County Government:

Safer-at-Home Advisory Replaces Stay-at-Home Order – By Garrett County Joint Information Center Team

As Garrett County moves into Stage One of Governor Hogan’s Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery process on Friday, May 15, at 5:00 p.m., the Stay-at-Home order is replaced by a Safer-at-Home public health advisory. The Governor strongly advises Marylanders to continue staying home as much as possible, especially older and more vulnerable Marylanders. Individuals who can work from home should continue to do so. Maryland citizens should continue wearing masks in indoor public areas, retail stores, and on public transportation. Additionally, Marylanders should continue practicing physical distancing, keep washing their hands often, and frequently sanitize high-touch areas.

“We are moving from what I would call government-imposed restriction to personal responsibility,” said Garrett County Health Officer Bob Stephens. “It is all of our responsibility now to protect our neighbors, our family, and our friends through things like social distancing, washing our hands, wearing face masks, and limiting our travel within the community.”

Of note in the Governor’s Order from May 13^th is the fact that gatherings of greater than 10 people for social, community, recreational, leisure, and sporting are prohibited. Retail establishments may open at no more than a 50% capacity according to fire code. Also allowed to open with this capacity limit, and by appointment only, are beauty salons and barber shops. The following are to remain closed:

• Senior centers
• Restaurants and bars, except for take out or delivery
• Fitness centers
• Theaters
• Bingo halls
• Bowling alleys
• Miniature golf
• Social and fraternal clubs
• Tattoo parlors
• Tanning salons
• Massage parlors

For more information on Governor Hogan’s Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery go to bit.ly/md-stage-one.

Have a great week dear readers!