Deep Creek Lake MD News and Local Resources: Daily Notes

Yesterday morning had some rain showers but the day turned out to be nice.  This weekend’s weather will be partly sunny, with a high near 76 and a low around 63. Chance of showers and thunderstorms as we go into the evening. Saturday and Sunday will both be mostly cloudy, with a high near 73 a low around 61. Showers likely in the afternoon — chance of precipitation is 60%.

First, a reminder that voting is now open for the Deep Creek Times People’s Choice Challenge. Check out the nominees provided by you, our readers, in the four categories and vote for your favorite Deep Creek Lake area experience, service, product and professional in 40 categories.

The Maryland Workforce Legal Services Division of the Legal Aid Bureau, Inc. will be holding office hours in the Garrett College Southern Outreach Center/Oakland Armory Building today from 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm. Services will be brief advice, information, counseling, and referral on issues such as child support, consumer rights, and tenant rights.

You can join a naturalist at Herrington Manor State Park on today at 1:00pm for a Stream Investigation and learn about all the critters that live in or around a stream. This is open to all ages and is free.  Wear shoes that can get wet!

Friendsville Days are here again!  The 38th annual Friendsville Days Celebration is this Friday and Saturday and includes FREE entertainment, food, games, and more for the whole family.

Award-winning pianist Lura Johnson will be performing solo at Penn Alps Saturday evening at 7:30pm in the Great Hall as part of the Music at Penn Alps music series.

It’s a bird.  It’s a plane. No, it’s a meteor shower coming this Saturday evening, with viewing at the Discovery Center at 9:00pm.  They will have telescopes available and we all need to hope for clear skies.

Garrett College Community Education is looking for a part-time piano and/or voice teacher to provide private lessons at their Oakland location at the Old Armory. If you are interested, or know of someone, contact Terry Beachy at 301.387.3750.

Speaking of the College, there are still slots open for the Fall semester for degree or non-degree credit students.  Lots of great courses and teachers in a variety of disciplines and scholarship funds and advising days available. Call admissions at 301.387.3044 to talk to an admissions counselor.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced it will be issuing an additional 50 black bear hunting permits this year — a total of 800. The hunt will run from October 22nd through the 26th.

Garrett Lakes Arts Festival is presenting the award-winning band Bumper Jacksons at Wisp Resort at 6:00pm Sunday evening.

Lots of other events of all kinds going on this weekend, too. Check them out in our Upcoming Events section.

Laurie Kowaleviocz-Moran shared this photo of the Deep Creek Lake State Park with us – doesn’t it look perfect?

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

The weather for today, after a cloudy and rainy day yesterday will be partly sunny, with a high near 76 and with a low around 62. Small chance of showers this morning.

Yesterday we mentioned that Hot Dogs for Hospice event would be today at the Oakland branch of First United Bank and Trust — that’s great, you can get your fix but, we also need to mention that the event is from 10am-4pm at the Oakland First United Operations Center, too!

The Chamber is having an “impromptu Business After Hours” tonight at Simon Pearce. You will have a chance to meet Simon himself and enjoy food, drink and networking as well. Contact Holly Lane at (301) 387-6171 for more information or to register,

We had several new items added to our Online Marketplace yesterday: a boat and some neat antique furniture. Check it out!

We thought we would take a different approach to the majority of our Daily Notes today and focus on news related to the 2018 Deep Creek Times People’s Choice Challenge.

We completed our nomination period yesterday and we were, frankly, blown away by the response from our regular readers and the community at large. We had over 2,750 individual nominations in the two-week nominating period! WHOA! Thank you!

Voting takes place now through September 8th.

Sarah has diligently gone through all of the nominations received and they are each queued up for our regular readers and members of the community to vote for their favorites. You can go here to see the nominations received in our four categories plus a bonus question:

• SERVICES
• PRODUCTS
• PROFESSIONALS
• EXPERIENCES

Some categories only received a few nominations, with others received many! We have intentionally listed the nominations in alphabetical order to be fair and want to stress that other than alphabetical order, there is no other factor driving listing order.

So, here’s your chance to look over the nominees and to vote for your favorites in each category. You may vote for as many nominees as you wish to, but we request you are limited to one vote per device per day.

You can vote on our site or print and mail to us at our PO box if you prefer. Just make sure your votes are received by midnight September 8th.

Please spread the word to others in the community as we all come together to recognize and celebrate these outstanding experiences, service, products and professionals that make our community a great place to live and visit!

May the People’sChoice win!

Today’s weather will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 79 and a low around 65. Chance of showers and thunderstorms is 60% after noon.

There are traditional crafts all day today for free and hayrides available at Sang Run State Park for $2 per person.

Calling all bookworms! The Grantsville Ruth Enlow Library is holding their summer reading club session today from 11am-12pm.

The Deep Creek Lake Discovery Center usually has something pretty cool happening in the summer — today the coolness is learning about all kinds of pollinators at 11am and learning about their aviary birds at 2:00pm! Check it out!

Reach out to Debbie Granger Miles on Facebook (or reply to us) if you know the people in these photos:

Today’s weather will be mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm. A high near 79 and a low around 66.

Today is a great day to hike: Learn a little history about Swallow Falls State Park park and its interesting environment that surrounds it! This guided trail hike begins at 11:00am and meets at the Swallow Falls Campstore. (Appropriate footwear is recommended.)

And/or, join one of Herrington Manor’s Naturalists on a hike into an area known as Cranesville Swamp, “A window into an ice age’s past”! This hike is about two miles with a 10-minute drive to the location. Meet at the Herrington Manor Ranger Station. (Appropriate footwear is recommended.)

Meet at Herrington Manor Ranger Station at 5:00pm to join the Naturalist for some great fun learning to navigate with a compass and map; geared towards beginners of all ages. Rain or shine.

The Maryland Department of Tourism has released the most recent Maryland Tourism Monitor report; patrons at the Maryland Visitor’s Centers has gone up over 16%. Click through to see the full report.

Local Garrett County resident Mark Stutzman recently designed a stamp for the United States Postal Service — note the launch of the stamp design in the linked video from the National World War I Museum and memorial in Kansas City, MO (design revealed at 18:00 minutes).

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations from Chamber members for Honorary Golden Ambassador (a person who has contributed to tourism in Garrett County). Contact Sarah Duck at 301.387.8746 to receive a nomination form.

Don’t forget to nominate your favorite services, products, experiences and professionals in the first-ever Deep Creek Times People’s Choice Challenge! Nominations close tomorrow and voting will begin…. may the People’s Choice win! ????

The weather today will be isolated showers and thunderstorms with a high near 81 and a low around 66.

Spend your day by the water today at Deep Creek Lake Discovery center; fishing and aquatic adventures await (beginning at 10am!)

Or, learn dutch oven cooking over at Sang Run State Park today. Free!

Lastly, you can learn about ‘Bug, Spiders, and Beatles: Oh My!’ presented by the Garrett County Master Gardeners‘ at the Oakland Ruth Enlow Library tonight at 6pm.

Garrett College has been approved to offer an addiction’s counseling degree program beginning this fall.

What’s New Around Town you ask? …a few things.

The 2018 Deep Creek Art, Wine and Beer Festival is quickly approaching September 8, 2018 and this Garrett County signature event is still in desperate need of volunteers! If you are able to volunteer, it is required you pre-register at www.deepcreekwinefest.com (click on the word “Volunteer!” in the middle of the page). For more information, contact Judy Carbone at 301-387-7729.

For you Baltimore / Washington residents, in case you haven’t heard, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has voted to grant Columbia Gas Transmission a certificate to begin construction of the natural gas pipeline under the Potomac River in Washington County.

The Friends of Deep Creek Lake Board is working hard to determine if there is a problem with wake boats at the Lake. They have outlined the detailed instructions on the process of filing a complaint and the follow-up if you see a wake boat issue.

We hope you had a wonderful fair week last week – here is a photo of the Power Wheels kids demolition derby on Saturday night taken by Lauren Beitzel:

Weather today will be rain showers, heavy at times, with a  high near 70 and a low around 62. Saturday will be partly sunny, a chance of showers, with a high near 78 and a low around 62. Sunday looks to be sunny, with a high near 80 and a low around 64.

The the last two days of the fair are here! $15 admission for the rides, entertainment and track shows: Here is a condensed schedule (for a complete schedule, find the link in our events guide):

Friday: Exhibit Barns open 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

–

3:30pm
Pee-Wee Swine Show
Show Ring

–

5:00pm
Engineering Skill-A-Thon Awards Program
Outdoor Stage

–

6:00pm
Costume Animal Parade
Show Ring

–

7:00pm
Cow Patty Bingo
Show Ring

–

7:00pm
MUD BOG
Race Track

–

7:00pm
JASON MICHAEL CARROLL – Musical Entertainment
Ag Heritage Hall

–

Saturday: Exhibit Barns open 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

–

10:00am-2:00pm
Livestock Olympics

–

2:30pm
Youth Awards Program
Show Ring

–

3:00pm
4-H, FFA Livestock Sale
Show Ring

–

6:00pm & 8:00pm
4 & 8 Cylinder DEMOLITION DERBY
Race Track

–

7:00pm & 9:00pm
Gospel Harmony Boys – Musical Entertainment
Ag Heritage Hall

The “Pop-Up” Farmer’s Market is in McHenry tonight from 4pm-7pm and tomorrow from 2pm-6pm (by Slopeside Market).

Enjoy your Friday night after the Fair Mud Bog ($15 admission) with Matt Fields the one-man-band at Black Bear Tavern from 6pm-10pm (no cover charge).

Tomorrow there is a volunteer meeting at 9am for the Friends of New Germany; go ahead and get involved to help enhance, maintain and support New Germany State Park!

Have you ever heard of a “VolunCation”? A kind mother and daughter duo volunteered over 35 hours each at HART for Animals while on vacation at Deep Creek Lake.

Also, tomorrow morning is a demonstration of the “tatting” jewelry making technique by Carolyn Groves. The demo is free and will be held at The Gallery Shop in Oakland from 11am-1pm.

There is a lot going on this weekend – be sure to check out our events page.

More than 400 young Marylanders celebrated their graduation from the Conservation Jobs Corps Friday after six weeks of job training, conservation education, hard work and fun. The Maryland Conservation Jobs Corps is a summer program that provides opportunities for students ages 14-17 to complete hands-on projects throughout the Maryland Park Service.

Have you seen the Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area virtual tours? These were done by our co-owner Sarah and her business Curb Appeal Marketing. Here is the virtual tour for the Casselman Inn:

The weather today showers and possibly a thunderstorm with a high near 69 and a low around 63.

Woohoo! The 62nd Annual Garrett County Agriculture Fair continues with $15 admission for rides, track events and musical entertainment.

Exhibit Barns open 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

9:00am
4-H, FFA Open Dairy Breeding Goat Shows
Show Ring

–

11:00am
Pedal Tractor Pull

–

1:00pm
Adult, 4-H, FFA Beef Breeding
Show Ring

–

1:00pm-11:00pm
Rides Open

–

2:00pm-10:00pm
Ag Play Area Open

–

2:00pm
4-H and FFA Beef Showmanship
Show Ring

–

6:30pm
Market Beef Show
Show Ring

–

7:30pm
Gas and Diesel Truck Pull
Race Track

–

7:30pm
LITTLE TEXAS – Musical Entertainment
Ag Heritage Hall

*from the Garrett County Agriculture Fair schedule and subject to change

Take a ride over to Sang Run State Park and participate in Dutch Oven Demonstrations today from 11:00-12:30pm. There will be free samples!

Enjoy an afternoon of Adult Coloring at the Grantsville Library from 3:30-5:00 PM. This program is free and designed as a quiet time for adults to enjoy a relaxing afternoon and all supplies are provided. To register contact Kim at 301-895-5298 or kim@relib.net.

Tonight’s Pocket Park Movie is Star Wars: The Last Jedi sponsored by Taylor Made Deep Creek Vacations and Sales. Beginning at 8:00pm at the Mountain Fresh Pavilion in Downtown Oakland.

4H kids can stop in and get your free donut from Glazed & Confuzed Donuts today through Sunday — Just show your wrist band and you can have any toppings you want on your donut!

The new display steam engine has been delivered to Oakland as of yesterday:

Happy August! The weather today will be showers and thunderstorms likely with some of the storms possibly producing heavy rain. High near 74 and low around 64.

Be sure to stop by the Mountain Fresh Farmer’s Market today from 10am-1pm and get your tomatoes and other farm-fresh goodies! Last week, we shared the market’s poll on the preferred way to eat tomato sandwiches — the results are just about even between mayo and Miracle Whip. See the full summary here.

Bzzzzz, Bzzzz, come see what all the buzz is about at the Deep Creek Lake Discovery Center at 11:00am.

The Garrett County Fair continues today – $10 admission for all rides, shows and track events:

Exhibit Barns open 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

–

9:00am
Dairy Show – Adult, 4-H & FFA
Show Ring

–

11:00am
Baby Crawl
Outdoor Stage

–

11:45am
4-H, FFA Horse and Pony Judging
Horse Barn

–

1:00pm-11:00pm
Rides Open

–

1:00pm
Pedal Tractor Pull

–

1:00pm
Open Class Horse and Pony Judging
Horse Barn
–

2:00pm-10:00pm
Ag Play Area Open

–

2:30pm
Yough 4-H, FFA Horse/Pony Grooming and Showmanship
Show Ring

–

3:00pm
Draft Horses
Horse Barn

–

3:30pm
Swine Showmanship
Show Ring

–

7:00pm
Heavy Weight Tractor Pull
Race Track

–

7:00pm
Swine 4-H, FFA – Market Show
Show Ring

–

7:00pm & 9:00pm
CARSON PETERS – Musical Entertainment
Ag Heritage Hall

The winner of July’s “Where Am I?” contest is Steve P. CONGRATULATIONS, STEVE!

A new public-private partnership has been initiated to prevent invasive species at Deep Creek Lake. The effort will bring forward a robust zebra mussel monitoring plan which will utilize a combination of water quality sampling and visual surveys to look for the possible presence of the invasive species at DCL.

A Garrett County man was charged with animal cruelty after complaints on the living conditions of his livestock and dogs.

A Vibrant Economy Open House will be held on Monday, August 13 and will focus on matters relating to economic development, infrastructure and transportation and give the public an opportunity to share in the planning process and the way you see the county growing.  The information that is gathered through this meeting will be influential in the development of the Comprehensive Plan.

Just a quick reminder about our Deep Creek Times first-ever People’s Choice Challenge! We are accepting nominations for your favorite services, products, professionals and experiences until August 8. The voting period will begin on August 9, 2018.

The weather today will be mostly cloudy during the day with showers and thunderstorms expected mainly after 4pm. A high near 71 and a low around 65. Southeast wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

94-year-old Neil Wolfe remains missing from Loch Lynn Heights, Maryland. Mr. Wolfe was last seen Thursday evening at Browning’s Shop ‘n Save and could be driving a light gray 2008 Chevrolet Impala. If you have any information or have seen him, please call 911.

Congratulations to Emma Rush as she was recently crowned the Garrett County Farm Queen!

The fair continues today with admission only $10 for all rides, attractions and entertainment:

Exhibit Barns open 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Senior Citizen’s Day- FREE Admission with proof of age (60&up until 5pm; seniors ride free until 5pm)

–

10:00am-12:00pm
Senior Citizen’s Activity

–

11:00am
Pet Show

–

1:00pm
Adult Breeding Goat, 4-H & FFA Breeding Goat
Show Ring

–

1:00pm-11:00pm
Rides Open

–

2:00pm-10:00pm
Ag Play Area Open

–

2:30pm
4-H Robotics Challenge
Outdoor Stage

–

4:00pm
Goat – 4-H & FFA Showmanship
Show Ring

–

4:30pm
Still Kickin’ Cloggers
Ag Heritage Hall

–

7:00pm
4-H & FFA Market Goat Show
Show Ring

–

7:00pm
GARRETT COUNTY FAIR BARREL BA$H
Race Track

–

8:00pm
SURRENDER DOROTHY – Musical Entertainment
Ag Heritage Hall

*from the Garrett County Agriculture Fair schedule and subject to change

Check it out: Railey Realty just posted their blog on the Top Things to Do In August in Deep Creek Lake.

Coming up on August 5 to 11, 2018 is the 5th annual Maryland Trek to benefit Just In Power Kids, Inc. This 7 day, 329 mile journey across Maryland is a combination of hiking marathon distance plus biking each day and begins at Wisp Resort. This trek is on track to raise $50,000 for kids healing from cancer. You can join in for some or all of the journey or donate – more information can be found here on the Maryland Trek website.

High Country Creamery recently earned high honors at the American Cheese Society Competition in Pittsburgh, PA. Earning 2nd Place was “Trailhead” a Green Peppercorn Cheddar and winning 1st Place was “Sparky’s Fury” a Hot Pepper Cheddar.

Overall, the state of Maryland came in 8th place in a recent WalletHub study on the states with the best schools.

A big congratulations to 8-year old Lily and her lamb Lightning: winning Grand Champion Showman and Grand Champion Market Lamb at the Garrett County Fair!

The weather today will be a day of showers and thunderstorms likely: high near 71 and a low around 63.

The Garrett County Agriculture Fair is happening today — $10 admission includes rides, entertainment and track events:

Exhibit Barns open 10:00am – 10:00pm

–

12:00pm
4-H and FFA Livestock Skill-A-Thon

–

1:00pm-11:00pm
Rides Open

–

3:00pm
Adult Breeding Sheep, 4-H & FFA Breeding Sheep
Show Ring

–

4:00pm
4-H, FFA Sheep Showmanship
Show Ring

–

4:00pm
Custom Car Show
Upper Parking Lot

–

5:00pm-7:00pm
Horsemanship Contest
Horse Barn

–

6:00pm
4-H Fashion Review
Outdoor Stage

–

7:00pm
4-H & FFA Market Lamb Show
Show Ring

–

7:30pm
Rick K and the All Nighters – Musical Entertainment
Ag Heritage Hall

–

8:30pm
Cow Patty Bingo
Show Ring

*from the Garrett County Agriculture Fair schedule and subject to change

Could your organization use a mini-grant? The Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area is holding an overview of the mini-grant program via webinar today at 3:00pm. Learn about successful past projects and the application procedures for your own potential mini-grant. Contact Jen Durben, Heritage Area & Groups Director at 301-387-5238 to register.

The inaugural Barrel Ba$h will be held tonight (and tomorrow) at the Garrett County Fairgrounds track (horse barrel racing). Pre-entry has been waived – riders may register up to two hours before the event. $500 dollars added each night and $100 to the fastest time. Entry fee $35 dollars per class.

Maryland State Arts Council’s folklife program, Maryland Traditions, recognizes outstanding stewardship of Maryland’s living traditions. Each year, three awards are made in the categories of person/people, place and tradition. Nominations are due TODAY Monday, July 30.

This weekend’s weather will be showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon and evening with a high near 74 and a low around 59. Saturday will be mostly sunny  with a high near 74 and a low around 56. Sunday will be mostly sunny with a slight chance of showers after noon with a high near 74 and a low around 60.

The Loch Lynn railroad track crossing is now open for traffic!

The first pop-up farmer’s market of the season in McHenry will be held this evening from 4:00pm- 7:00pm and Saturday from 2:00pm-6:00pm near Slopeside Market. The address is7825 Sang Run Road, McHenry 21541 if you need your GPS.

Fair Week officially starts tomorrow!! Want to enter something in the fair? Check out the Premium Book for details — page 57 discusses the Agriculture categories, page  77 begins the home arts details, and page 187 is the school arts information (to name a few). Indoor exhibits are entered Saturday, July 28th from 10am-4pm and market animals and horses are entered Sunday, July 29th from 9am-4pm.

The Art Tour Open House event is this weekend – sponsored by the Garrett County Arts Council, there are over 10 artists opening their studios for visits this weekend from 10am-4pm both Saturday and Sunday.

Check out our What’s New Around Town page — there is a new building at the Mountain Fresh Farmer’s Market and a new coal car has been delivered to the B&0 Railroad Station.

On Tuesday July 31 at 10:00am, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Deep Creek Watershed Foundation & Brookfield Renewable will be announcing a public/private partnership to work to prevent the invasive zebra mussels from entering Deep Creek Lake.

Recently, 25 pieces of Asa Stanton original work were restored thanks to funding provided by the Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area. Throughout his life, Asa was often referred to as “Garrett County’s Artist in Residence”.

According to Tri-State News, Megan Shaffer was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Shaffer was found guilty in March of this year and sentenced yesterday in Garrett County for the January 4, 2017 death of Alexander Stevens. She is also listed as a defendant in a suit filed by Stevens’ father to stop Shaffer from receiving about $188,000 as beneficiary of an Alexander Stevens’ investment account. The date for that trial is August 24th.

Nearby West Virginia University has been selected as first site to launch an innovative clinical trial for Alzheimer’s research. Ali Rezai, M.D., director of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, will lead the initiative in collaboration an Israel-based medical technology company.

THIS. IS. DEEP. CREEK. LAKE. MD:

Good Morning!

Mike is on vacation for the next few days, so I (Sarah) will be taking over the note writing…. ENJOY! ????

Today’s weather will be mostly sunny, with a high near 78 and a low around 64.

The local State Parks each have several pretty cool-sounding activities happening today:

Join the naturalist at Sang Run State Park to learn how you can grow and harvest veggies in a small space from 11:00am-1:00pm. Meet our friend Smokey the Bear at the Deep Creek Lake Discovery Center; from 1:00-3:00pm. And/or, play a fun-filled game of Tree Jeopardy at Herrington Manor State Park beginning at 6:30pm.

Take the whole family to Downtown Oakland this evening for the Pocket Park movie beginning at 8:00pm. Tonight’s movie is Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle sponsored by Rob Michael – State Farm Insurance.

There is a new Garrett Grower’s Cooperative Farmer’s Market that will be held weekly in McHenry! The market will be set up on Friday’s from 4:30 to 7:00pm and Saturday’s from 11:00am to 5:00pm at High Mountain Sports next to Slopeside Market.

Yesterday was interesting with clouds and pockets of rain in a few areas but overall a very nice day. The weather for today will be a chance of showers with thunderstorms likely after 1pm. The high temperature near 70 and the low temperature around 63; winds can gust as high as 21 mph.

First United Bank and Trust will be holding a Blood Drive at their Operations Center in Oakland today in conference rooms one and two from 9:30am – 3:00pm. This drive is open to employees as well as the general public. You can register at www.redcrossblood.org by entering FirstUnitedOakland to schedule an appointment.

Just heard that the Mountain Maryland Writers’ Institute at Garrett College has been cancelled.  It was scheduled to run from Thursday – Sunday at a variety of locations in the county. That’s a shame as it was a really strong program.

The Science Room at the Discovery Center at Deep Creek State Park is open all day today for fun activities geared to exploration, learning and fun.  The Discovery Center is a nice place to visit on a rainy day or any day.

Don’t forget that the nomination forms for Garrett County’s Most Beautiful Person are still available online.  Anyone can nominate an exceptional volunteer in the county that deserves recognition through August 24th.

A recent reader pointed out that we had only shared the unofficial primary election results thus far so here is a link to the 2018 official results — the key contested race was for District 3 Commissioner: Fred Fox had 828 votes, Bob Gatto had 1,221 votes and Jim Hinebaugh won with 1,302 votes (a margin of 81).

Here’s a link to late July and early August events at New Germany State Park. NGSP and our other parks are a wonderful asset for our community.

Speaking of state parks, here’s a listing we just received for activities at Herrington Manor and Swallow Falls State Parks for activities later in the week. Some nice activities for the whole family: