Deep Creek Lake MD News and Local Resources: Daily Notes

Spent a few days last week in the San Diego area.  Beautiful area and got to see whales and sea lions, but it was great to get home late Saturday evening, even if it was in the middle of a snow storm. Today will be partly sunny, with a high of 40 and a low of 34 degrees.  There is a chance of showers over night.

Speaking of San Diego, here’s an “aerial photo” I took while out there.  Send in a guess of what/where you think it is a photo of for a chance to win some Deep Creek Times “bling,” including a DCT shirt (limited sizes available). Send in your guess to info@deepcreektimes.com with “Mike’s Photo” as the subject. We will pick one random winner and let readers know who won next week. All entries due in by this Friday, and you do NOT have to guess correctly to win.

What is this?

Life as we know it continues to change, at least in the short term, due to the COVID-19 virus and the health measures put in place to combat the disease and its spread.  As I pen this post late Sunday afternoon I just learned some states are considering restaurant and bar closures in an effort to limit the virus’ impact.  That sounds prudent, but I am also concerned about the impact of many recent measures on small businesses.  Hopefully, this crisis will be “under control” in the near future. Sarah and I offer our good wishes to all those that have or know someone that has the virus. Be safe.

OK, since this is the Deep Creek Times I guess I should cover some news items about the Deep Creek Lake area, so here goes…

All Ruth Enlow Events are canceled…..

The Ruth Enlow Library will be open this morning at the Main Library, Accident, and Grantsville branches until about 1:00pm. This is the opportunity to come in and get materials because all branches will be closing after that; tentatively reopening on Monday, March 30. Programs through April 15 will remain cancelled or postponed. For those of you who need Wifi access, you will be able to get access outside the building.

Garrett County Public Schools will offer free meals to any child 18 and under beginning Wednesday.

Children must be present to receive the to-go meal and the bag lunch will consist of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fruit cup, fresh fruit, fresh vegetable and milk. Yogurt or a cheese sandwich will be available for children with peanut allergies.

The meals will be distributed weekdays at the following locations:

• Dennett Road School, 11:30 a.m. to noon.

• Liberty Mews, 11 to 11:20 a.m.

• Crellin, 57 Crellin St., 11:35 to 11:55 a.m.

• Oakland Town Parking Lot, 12:10 to 12:30 p.m.

• Deer Park, 198 Frank Custer Drive, 12:45 to 1:05 p.m.

• Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, 10:40 to 11 a.m.

• Hickory Environmental Center (Northern Middle’s bus loop), 11:20 to 11:40 a.m.

Friendsville Elementary School, noon to 12:20 p.m.

• Grantsville Elementary School, 12:40 to 1 p.m.

• Loch Lynn, 319 Roanoke Ave., 11 to 11:20 a.m.

• Kitzmiller Community Park, 290 W. Main Street, Kitzmiller, 11:45 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.

• Bloomington Park, 12:30 to 12:50 p.m.

Any questions can be directed to the Food & Nutrition Services Office at 301-334-7652 or 888-262-2792.

Well, I think I am going to “wing-it” here, so if you like wings, you have two choices of local venues for some great wings this afternoon and evening.  Both Black Bear Tavern and Lakers Lounge at Alpine Lake Resort are having wing nights this evening. You can check out both on our events page.

On another note, we heard from the Manor Steakhouse late last evening that they will be closing for two weeks as a preventative measure relative to the virus.  I think it is wise to check schedule of any venue before going to verify that they are open for business.

The Board of Garrett County Commissioners will not hold their Public Meeting and Community Presentation on Tuesday, March 17th as previously announced. This cancellation is due to Governor Hogan’s orders regarding the COVID-19 situation. The next Garrett County Commissioner Public Meeting will be scheduled at the Garrett County Courthouse Public Meeting Room – Monday, April 6th at 4:00 pm with the Community Presentation immediately following the Public Meeting.

To help with the social distancing needed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, the Garrett County Chamber’s Business Before Hours scheduled for March 17th has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 21st. If you have already registered and still plan to attend, you are set. If you registered and are unable to attend on the rescheduled date, please contact Holly at 301.387.6171 for a refund or credit towards a future event.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources just announced some changes declared in an executive order from governor Hogan due to the COVID-19 virus.  These include a 30 day grace period for license and permit extensions, limits to meeting sizes, improved cleaning of facilities and the cancellation of some firearms and other classes.  Here’s a link to the newsletter for more specifics.

Have a great Monday folks…

The weather today will be mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 54 and a low around 28. Breezy, with a west wind around 22 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Saturday will be Increasing clouds with a high near 42 and a low around 30. Rain and snow likely, becoming all snow after 11pm. Sunday has a chance of snow before 8am and will be partly sunny with a high near 42 and a low around 26.

Wow. The global actions that are being taken right now amid COVID-19 really are unprecedented.

Here locally, Garrett County Public Schools (as part of the State of Maryland) will be closed Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 29 at a minimum.

Garrett College is extending spring break to March 29 and all courses (except some field courses) will begin online delivery March 30. Also, college events, as well as events scheduled to be held at the college, anticipating more than 50 participants will be cancelled through Sunday, May 3rd.

The Garrett County Government is currently operating on a normal schedule but requesting. appropriate steps to limit contact such as scheduling appointments for citizen services, maintaining appropriate distance with interactions, and disinfecting work areas regularly.

We are quickly combing our events and entertainment calendars to be sure we let you know if events are cancelled. Especially in light of the current events, be sure to check with organizers to be sure events are still a go.

Stay safe, everyone!

When I get overwhelmed, I find my peace by spending some time outside. This was my view last weekend at Swallow Falls:

The weather today will be partly sunny, with a high near 60 and a low around 50. South wind 5 to 8 mph. Showers tonight; mainly after 9pm.

I feel a little crazy and anxious this morning with the COVID-19 news changing and updating seemingly by the minute. While there are no reported cases of COVID-19 in Garrett County, we are feeling the effects of the social distancing strategies that are being used to help control the spread of the virus. I’m not an expert but the “distancing” is a strategy to mitigate infectious diseases.

According to the Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association (MPSSAA): Unfortunately, recent developments have forced all entities to determine the Boys and Girls State Basketball Championships (which are scheduled to be played on Thursday, March 12th  through Saturday, March 14th) to be held in a “closed gym” format. The games remain at Towson University and the University of Maryland-College Park.

Also, I’ve heard that nearby Frostburg State University and West Virginia Universities are modifying their academic calendars through some cancellations around spring break and offering online classes.

Garrett College has not made a decision but advised students via an email:

1.) to bring all relevant course materials home with them when they go on spring break in case they have to finish the academic year through online methods;

2.) that they will receive notification through their official student email if Garreett does move to an all-online format to complete the semester; and

3.) to stay home until they are healthy again if they become sick over the spring break.

I thought this graph was interesting–a different kind of alcohol is being searched:

Amazon has been proactive in trying to limit bad sellers as much as possible — they claim to have removed over 1 million products for price-gouging or making false claims about coronavirus.

Sorry that today’s notes have a single focus but it’s what’s on my mind.

Local events are still on! Adult Book Club today in Accident from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm and at the Cornish Cafe Book Club from 12:00pm – 1:00pm.

Team Trivia is tonight from 6:30pm – 7:30pm at Mountain State Brewery! And one unique one for you, Cards at Cashmere is tomorrow from 3:00pm – 7:00pm.

The weather today will be mostly cloudy, isolated showers, with a high near 49 and low around 40.

This photo was shared with us by Christopher Adams. I love to see folks out enjoying our beautiful natural resources (even kayaking in the snow!)

Rumor has it that there is more snow on the way. As of today, the snow accumulation total for the year is 57 inches. Last year was 57.40 for the year.

Over the late-winter and early spring, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has stocked 4,500 trout.

The Maryland Insurance Administration has released information on the approved COVID-19 Emergency Regulations.

Children’s Hour is a Story Time program designed for preschoolers ages 3 and up. Today in Oakland from 10:30 am to 11:30 am and Grantsville from 11:00am to 12:00. Also, Lego Club will be held in Kitzmiller …all ages welcome!… from 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm.

Lastly, going on at the library today is the Friends of the Library Meeting. Tonight in Oakland from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The monthly meeting of the Friends of the Library, a group of volunteers dedicated to supporting the mission of the Ruth Enlow Library in the community. New members are always welcome!

The weather today will be showers. A high near 53 and a low around 35. Breezy, with a southwest wind 16 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.

Here’s a kayaker from over the weekend taking on Swallow Falls:

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is putting out a call to all wildlife and cooking enthusiasts to submit their favorite recipes featuring Maryland species for possible inclusion in a cookbook.

Here’s a fun little quiz to see how much you know about Maryland!

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce’s special Vietnam Trip Preview Presentation originally scheduled for today has been RESCHEDULED for Wednesday, May 12 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. The Chamber has changed the departure date of the Vietnam trip to February 18-28, 2021. Contact Nick Sharps at nick@garrettchamber.com or calling (301) 387-5237.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is seeking qualified applicants to fill the newly established Retail Crab Buyer seat on the Blue Crab Industry Advisory Committee.

At the get to know Mary Elizabeth Garrett with AAUW tonight, Bernadette Low will be speaking with us about Mary Elizabeth Garrett. Mary Garrett is the daughter of John W. Garrett, the namesake of Garrett County. At the Green Turtle from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

Tonight is the first of five classes on How to Drugproof Your Kids with the Garrett County Health Department from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

The weather today will be mostly sunny with a high near 59 and a low around 46. West wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Showers likely over Monday night into Tuesday morning; new precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Congratulations!

The Southern Garrett Boys Basketball team is going to States! Also, Jacob Brenneman won the Maryland State Wrestling Tournament in the 113-pound weight class!

Courtesy of Jason Shaw – SGHS Band Director: “The Southern Garrett RAM BAND is about to play their 6th game this week! We will be heading back to STATES for basketball and we need your help! The band would like to be able to get hotel rooms after the games Friday night and need your financial support  … we are able to secure funds for transportation … If you can contribute, checks should be made payable to Southern Garrett High School. If you have questions, please contact the school at (301) 334-9447. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! GO RAMS!!!”

Two more cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Maryland; all cases are in Montgomery and Harford Counties at this time.

The Maryland Attorney General is warning Maryland residents to be on guard against scams involving COVID-19. Scammers are attempting to sell bogus health products that claim to prevent or cure COVID-19, and using fake emails, texts, and social media posts about COVID-19 as a ruse to steal money and personal information.

The Town of Oakland’s Election is today from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. There are three council members are to be elected.

Check out this video (especially at 2:33) where the Lieutenant Governor visits Western Maryland State Parks. He even taps a maple tree.

A Retail Crab Buyer seat is open on the Blue Crab Industry Advisory Committee. This person will represent seafood dealers that participate in the blue crab bushel basket market. More information and the application can be found here.

It’s Wing Night at Black Bear Tavern tonight! YUM!

The weather today will be rain and snow showers becoming all snow after 4pm. High near 36 and a low around 23. West wind 8 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half-inch possible. Overnight snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. Saturday has a slight chance of snow showers before 9am then mostly cloudy through mid-morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 37 and a low around 24. Sunday sunny with a high near 55 and a low around 37.

The Board of Garrett County Commissioners are considering a resolution to recognize Garrett County as a Second Amendment Sanctuary County. This is a measure taken by local-level governments to express its commitment to the Second Amendment; the rights of all United States citizens to keep and bear arms. The Board of Commissioners will accept comments on this topic through March 20, 2020. Comments may be sent to gccomments@garrettcounty.org or addressed to the Board of Commissioners, 203 South Fourth Street, Oakland, MD 21550.

The Appalachian Regional Commission is launching “Envision Appalachia: Community Conversations for ARC’s New Strategic Plan”. There will be a series of community listening sessions in the region but you can also offer your input through a quick survey.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources crews stocked 2,400 trout in the Casselman River in Garrett County.

Bittinger VFD AYCE Wings (and fries) will be held tonight March 6 with dine-in from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. $15 per person.

Watch some serious skiing and boarding in the Governor’s Cup Race – Slalom Squirrel Cage — all day March 7 at Wisp Resort.

Enjoy your day and the entertainment happening all weekend!

The weather today will be mostly sunny with a high near 46 and a low around 33. A chance of snow showers tonight with little or no snow accumulation expected.

Looking ahead to tomorrow we are expecting some accumulation; maybe as much as 4-6 inches of snow within the next 48-hours.

Marvin Geovany Mejia shared his lake view from this weekend with us!

A great article from Ohio shares the Deep Creek Lake area by season.

Congratulations to Clark Frazee for being selected as the random winner in February’s “Where Am I?” contest. Have you made your guess for March?

FYI: The reduction (from 6% to 5%) but industry expansion (including professional services) to sales tax that was proposed to help cover the costs of the Kirwan Commission’s educational overhaul has not been approved by lawmakers. There is still a sales tax expansion to certain services up for consideration in this session.

From the Garrett County Board of Education: “This morning, March 5, 2020, at 12:35 AM, Maryland State Police notified Garrett County Public Schools that a bomb threat against Northern High School had been reported to them. At that time GCPS emergency personnel were immediately deployed to the school to coordinate with law enforcement. The police K-9 units arrived to scan the high school to ensure the safety of all students and staff. At 5:30 AM the entire school was cleared. There is no need to adjust start times or bus schedules for today. There will be an increased police presence at Northern today and tomorrow.”

I am on the board of the United Way of Garrett County and I know first-hand the work that is done here in Garrett County to help folks out of poverty. Many of us have more than one cause that is close to our hearts but UW focuses on helping LOCAL families with matters related to education, financial stability, and health. Currently, we are only at 50% of our campaign goal so, if you are so inclined, we are still collecting donations.

Following the deadly and destructive tornadoes in Tennessee early Tuesday morning, an outbreak of severe weather continued to pummel portions of the United States Tuesday evening. Around the lake, today will be mostly sunny, with a high near 45 and a low of around 28 degrees. West winds of 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.  Increasing cloudiness over night.

Thanks to our friends at Garrett Regional Medical Center.  They just sent over their official rain and snow measurements for the month of February.  The offical numbers for February are 2.54 inches of rain and 13.8 inches of snow.  The average high temperature-wise for the month was 44.8 degrees and the average low was 23.8 degrees.  Thanks folks!

Speaking of the weather, I think a lot of us (me included) hope for it to either snow a lot or to STOP raining.  Here’s a neat photo submitted by Chris Nichols that shows the regional snow cover on March 1st as presented in a US National Weather Service satellite photo.  As usual, we are in that little “finger” that drops down into Garrett County. If you look closely, you can see the state line delineations and if you look really closely, you can see me waving from my front yard…

3/1/20 snow cover

The Manor Steakhouse asked us to spread the word about their St. Patrick’s Day special. They are planning a fun evening with delicious Irish Cuisine and special Irish drinks! Call them for Reservations at 240.488.1104.  Keep your eyes on our Upcoming Events and Dining Specials sections for upcoming, additional events and special St. Paddy’s dining deals.

Speaking of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, I heard it has really gone to the dogs!  Well, at least at HART for Animals it has.  See this photo for proof:

Other than embarrassing this poor fellow (or is it a lady?), HART has been up to some really good “stuff,” as usual.  Through February 2020 year-to-date, HART has performed/enabled the following – Low-Cost/No-Cost Spays & Neuters: 133; Rescue & Transports: 111; and Adoptions: 40  And, HART is celebrating MICRO CHIP MARCH by offering $10 savings this month! Why micro chip your pets you may be asking? Well, the American Humane Association estimates over 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the U.S. every year. 🙁  A micro chip is a simple product of our high-tech age. Click here to read the findings of a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Just as forecast, it was warmer and rainy yesterday.  Today we will have occasional showers throughout the day, with a high temperature of 53 degrees and a low of 33 degrees.

March is Women’s History Month!  What started as Women’s History Week in 1978 in Santa Rosa California is now celebrated the whole month of March.  Here’s some additional information for you.

March is Women’s History Month

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce invites all Chamber members to the next Marketing Roundtable event which will feature updates on the town of Mountain Lake Park. The meeting is Wednesday, March 18 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm in the Chamber conference room. Mayor Don Sincell will also provide an update on the upcoming Chautauqua events coming to the town in the Summer.

Since 1939, Leader Dogs for the Blind has operated one of the world’s most respected and innovative guide dog programs and is heavily supported by the donations from Lions Clubs around the world. The Deep Creek Lions Club is sponsoring a benefit dinner for this cause on March 30th, from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.  Please join us and you’ll enjoy a great dinner, hear an inspirational talk from a recipient of a Leader Dog guide dog and help support this great organization. Clink here for more information.

To celebrate and support Women’s History Month, WalletHub just released a report on the “Best and Worst States for Women” that uses their unique methodology that includes voting percentages, poverty rates, incomes, etc. to rank all the states.  Massachusetts came in first and Louisiana last.  Where did Maryland place you ask? Well, click this link to see the full report, methodology and how we ranked.  Hint: We did fairly well.

St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Oakland is serving fish dinners for Lent again this Friday, from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm in the Parish Hall.  Jean and I ate there last Friday and they were good, with lots of community spirit filling the room.  Cudo’s to all the volunteers at the church that made it all possible.

Have a great Tuesday folks…

Happy month of March folks.  I hope February was good to you.  After a “brisk” weekend, with lots of activity at Wisp and the area, the weather for today will be warmer, with a high of around 52 and a low of around 41.  The day will also be windy, with gusts up to 28 miles per hour possible and it will likely include some rain, mainly after Noon.

Don’t forget that the online Polaris system at Ruth Enlow Libraries will be down for three days, starting today.  This is due to the expansion of their collection due to a “merger” of sorts with the resources of other Western Maryland library systems. They will be integrating the systems. You will still be able to check-out items but they request that you not return items during this time.  Here’s some more information.

The Commisioners are holding a public meeting and community presentation this afternoon at Garrett College.  The session starts at 5:30 pm and will be held in room 111 of the GIEC (100) building on campus.  I heard their last meeting in Grantsville a few weeks ago was standing-room-only and that there was some impassioned discussion.  Here’s the agenda for today’s meeting.

We have a GREAT lake here in Garrett County, but perhaps we should be extra happy that it is not one of the Great Lakes.  After several years of above average rain and snowfall in the region – last year was the wettest on receord – homes and infrastructure have suffered in the tens of millions of dollars of damage due to rising and record water levels on the Great Lakes.  Severe shore erosion and “monster” waves are forcing some to abandon or relocate their homes to safer ground.

Finally, here’s an important public service announcement (PSA) we were asked to run by a mysterious “individual” that appeared on my doorstep this weekend. Here you go…

Public Service Announcement

The weather will be a chance of snow showers today, mainly before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28 and a low around 12. West wind around 18 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Saturday will be a slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 24 and a low around 18. Wind chill values as low as zero. West wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high near 46 and a low around 36. What a wild weekend!

There was a big swing as seen recently on our temperature gauge.

But, look at this beautiful snow this morning:

Did you know? Garrett College has rolled back the tuition rate to make college more affordable for students.

There is a beautiful wood and metal coffee table that has been listed in our Online Marketplace. Check it out!

Buyer and Seller Beware: Phishing scams are getting more creative and widely circulated on the internet. Please beware of odd-sounding offers even as it relates to our local Deep Creek marketplace. We had a fraudulent buyer contact a customer on our site – there is not much we can do but remind our loyal readers to be cautious!

The Military March Promotion includes special offers from A Touch of Class Limousines; Bear Creek Traders; HART for Animals; MoonShadow; Mountain State Brewing Company; Railey Vacations; Suites at Silver Tree; Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales; The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille and Wisp Resort. To redeem the offers, military members simply need to show a valid military ID when purchasing.

The Maryland Park Service has openings at several facilities around the state. View the online jobs site for more information (scroll to seasonal positions and click the individual park listings for specific descriptions).

Maryland Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division found that the Allegany County business, Cash-N-Go, was making illegal consumer loans with interest rates of 360%. The final order requires Cash-N-Go to pay over $ 2.2 million in restitution to Maryland consumers and a $1,200,750 penalty to the State of Maryland.

The Mt. Fresh Winter Farmers Market is Saturday morning from11:00 am – 1:00 pm. In the Community Action Building Conference Room. They’ll have fresh produce, winter storage veggies, baked goods, meats, eggs, jams & jellies, baked goods, crafts, and more!

Leap Day at the Greene Turtle – 29¢ wings ALL DAY!

Entertainment such as Kelly Lynott at Black Bear Tavern, Paul Burger at MoonShadow, Ladies’ Night feat. DJ Thoro at BBT!, Eli Helbig & Brunch at MoonShadow

Remember the Ruth Enlow Library System online systems will be down for maintenance March 2, 3, and 4. You can still check out books with your physical library card.

The weather today will be snow showers. High near 23 and a low around 20. Breezy, with a west wind around 24 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible and night-time snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

A Winter Weather Advisory is in place until 12pm today (Thursday) and, at the time of writing, the Snow Emergency Plan is in effect.

The rumors are not true — WIsp Resort IS making snow! Most of their trails are open and 24 of 39 groomed.

Gena Sweeney shared her “wake-up” view with us:

The first measurements are showing that we received about 3″ of snow overnight. The schools are closed and we have a snow day!

Applications for the fall paramedic program are now open. An Associate’s (AAS) Degree is also available for current paramedics. See the Garrett College story about the program.

Our little community has news to share on the recent coronavirus news: “We want you to know that there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Maryland or neighboring states, but now is the time to prepare,” said Cindy Mankamyer, Communicable Disease Nurse at the Garrett County Health Department. “Since this virus is known to spread by respiratory droplets, much like seasonal influenza, frequent hand-washing with soap and water or alcohol-based gel, coughing or sneezing into a tissue, and avoidance of touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands are proven strategies.”

Also, the Garrett County Health Department is offering a drug prevention program for parents and/or caregivers of children grades 5-12 called “How to Drug Proof Your Kids”. This free class begins on March 10th. To register call 301-334-7730 or 301-895-3111.

Plan for tomorrow’s Friday Night Game Night at Garrett College. FREE from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.

An interesting event is coming up this weekend at nearby Alpine Lake — Paint ‘n Sip tomorrow, Friday, February 28 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Choose one of two paintings or a holiday ceramic figure. $35 per person includes a glass of wine in the price.

Seems like we have had a number of days this season with a mix of snow and rain and today/tonight will fit into that category.  We will start with some rain in the afternoon, with a high of 51 degrees, but then get to a low temperature of around 22 degrees. We will have evening winds 8 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. The rain during the day will turn into a mix and then go over to snow after midnight, with an accumulation of one – three inches possible.

The weather is part of a larger storm system coming to the northeast and we will be getting our precipitation as part of a “southern extension” (note the light blue “finger”) coming down right through Garrett County.  Here’s what it looked like last evening as predicted and mapped by AccuWeather.

Weather System

The Department of Natural Resources has announced the winner of the Arbor Day Poster art contest and it was a student in Sykesville that took home first place. Pretty impressive.  Wish I had that kind of talent.

MD DNR Arbor Day Poster First Place

There’s a home school program this afternoon up at the Grantsville Library starting at 2:00 pm and led by noted naturalist and great speaker, Kevin Dodge.  The session is called: Salamanders and Frogs and Snakes, Oh My!

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce announced that The Rooster’s Nest will be hosting the next Business After Hours on Thursday, March 12th from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm at their 12336 National Pike location in Grantsville. I know Sandy, the owner, who was one of my (very bright, hard-working) students at Garrett College and she has put a lot of effort into achieveing her dream of owning her own restaurant. I will, unfortunately, be out of town that day, but stop by if you can and tell her Mike sent you. She deserves our support.

Finally, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is supporting a joint resolution proposed by the Maryland General Assembly that will move the state closer to controlling the invasive blue catfish population by establishing commercial harvest.  Native to the Mississippi River basin, blue catfish were introduced to the mid-Atlantic in the 1970s. Since then it has exploded in population and range, and can now be found throughout Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River watersheds. Blue catfish are a significant threat to the ecosystem because of their rapidly increasing populations and capacity to consume significant amounts of native species.  They are NOT at Deep Creek Lake, but thought I would share as this is important to all Marylanders. https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2020/02/25/department-of-natural-resources-urges-congress-to-address-rules-hindering-market-for-invasive-blue-catfish/