Deep Creek Lake MD News and Local Resources: Daily Notes

The weather for this weekend will be as follows:  For Friday we expect snow of from 1-3 inches, with a high near 32. Saturday is showing a chance of rain after 5:00 pm, with a high near 40 and winds from 5 – 14 mph.  Sunday has a chance of showers, mainly before 7:00 am, with a high near 54 and it will be breezy with a west wind of 17-23 mph. Sounds like there are definite opportunities for hitting the slopes.

Just heard that Bill Meagher is the “mystery man” that purchased the Subway Sandwich shop next to High Mountain Sports across from the lake on 219.  Bill owns Lakeside Creamery, Deep Creek Donut Factory and other area ventures and is a very good businessperson and a great guy.  We wish him well in his latest venture.

Shane Masters is playing at Moonshadow Friday evening.  Enjoy country music and some good food too starting at 8:00 pm.

Considered by many to be one of the best romantic musicals ever written, “She Loves Me” is playing at Our Town Theater this Friday and Saturday.

The Lodges at Sunset Village has some nice discounted rates for late Winter skiers, including $99/night (weekdays) and $149/night (weekends) lodging and ski packages.  They have some other March specials for Veterans and couples as well. Give them a call at 301.387.2227 to get specifics or to book.

This sounds like quite a sticky situation: There will be a Maple Syrup making demonstration on Saturday from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm at the Friends Store at Sang Run State Park.  Sounds interesting.  Maybe bring a pancake or two…

The Oakland Volunteer Fire Department is having their MEGA BASH this Saturday, from  Noon – 7:00 pm.  There will be over $33,000 in cash prizes! 185 chances to win, Drawings every 2 minutes and each ticket has two chances to win! Only 500 tickets will be sold! Plus, proceeds go to a good cause.  I have been to this in the past.  Good food and a fun environment. Bring a friend and see if you can win something.

There’s a LOT of neat things going on at and around the lake this weekend in addition to the above.  Go to our Events page to get additional information on music, educational and other cool opportunities to experience the Deep Creek Lake area.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources mid-winter waterfowl survey is part of an annual, nationwide effort to survey waterfowl on their wintering grounds to monitor local distribution and habitat affiliations. This Winter’s count showed 566,300 total waterfowl in the state.

Finally, don’t forget about our contest to win Wisp tubing and ski/board vouchers.  This week’s contest ends midnight Friday evening. Just send in a statement of what you like most about the Deep Creek Lake area to info@deepcreektimes.com and if your submission is randomly drawn, you win.  See Monday’s Notes for more details. Good luck.

Yesterday was cold with flurries, but the sun was out for a good part of the day and it was beautiful, with the reflection on the snow.

Today’s weather will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 26 and a low around 19. A chance of snow showers, tonight, mainly after 2am. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Do you have a vacant commercial building or site in Garrett County? Let the Garrett County Economic Development Department know and they will include your property in their ZoomProspector database. For more information, please contact Kim Durst at 301.334.1992 or kdurst@garrettcounty.org.

There’s another Women’s Networking Happy Hour this evening from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm at the Black Bear Tavern. Terah Beitzel Crawford is hosting the event.  You can find out more information on our Events page.

If Trivia is more to your liking, there’s Team Trivia at Mountain State Brewing Company this evening from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm. There are prizes given out for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams.

The Oakland branch of the Ruth Enlow Library will host a meeting of the Friends of the Library on Wednesday March 13th at 5:30 pm. The public is encouraged to join and to share ideas about how donations to “the Friends” should be used.

There is a meeting for Grantsville Baseball club tonight at Grantsville Elementary; for kids ages 4-12.

Be sure to get your tickets to She Loves Me: now playing at Our Town Theatre!

The March 19th meeting of the Greater Oakland Business Association is a morning meeting at the Oakland Community Center/Armory at 8:30 am. Brian Boal will be the featured speaker and will discuss the new changes to the tax code that may affect your business (and personal) taxes.  The event is free to members.  Contact Michelle Ross at mainstreetgoba@gmail.com by March 14th to RSVP or for more information.

Don’t forget that there is a Lions Information Night on Wednesday, March 20th from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm at Garrett College Auditorium (Bldg 700) 687 Mosser.  There will be door prizes, refreshments and a chance to learn more about and maybe join a local Lions Club. Contact Chris at 301.616.7881 for more information. I may actually attend to learn more myself.

Well, I am sad to have to put this in this Daily Notes, but it is important and may save a life:  The Garrett County Health Department just issued an overdose alert after learning that there has been a  recent increase in overdoses related to opiates in and around Garrett County. Garrett County Health Officer Bob Stephens stated that “while we are not certain what caused the spike… there has been an increase of overdoses in Maryland due to the presence of the powerful synthetic opioid drug fentanyl.” Here’s a link to the alert.

Yesterday was cold with flurries throughout the day. A slight chance of snow showers today before 2pm. Mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 14. Wind chill values as low as -11. West wind 16 to 18 mph. Tonight will be a chance of snow showers, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. Wind chill values as low as -4. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Wind chill advisory in effect until 11:00am today.

A group of MBA students at Frostburg State University is seeking information from employers and employees, both in paper format and digitally, to not only determine workforce needs in the region, but also to gauge the discrepancy between unfilled regional positions and unemployed regional workers. They are working with Garrett County Economic Development and other organizations to gain insight into these important workforce development issues.  Click here for more information and for links to the two surveys.

I bet you didn’t know today is Oreo Cookie Day?  Well it is and here’s some key facts for you to ponder and use to impress your friends and family: Oreo’s were first manufactured in 1912 and they are now available in over 100 countries! They are also the best-selling cookies in the world, with over $2 billion in annual sales.  So, go ahead and break your keto diet and have an Oreo today to celebrate.

There’s haddock at the lake!  Actually, cooked haddock at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Oakland for their annual Lenten Friday Fish Dinners.  It’s a good deal, goes to a worthy cause and you can even do take-out. Dinners are served 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm most Fridays (take-out open at 4:15). Contact Donna at 703.795.2198 or donna@garrettsstpeter.com for more information.

As a result of local eighth grader Caroline Argabrite’s award winning contributions to promoting literacy and integrating technology to help serve the organization’s mission, The Reading Station will receive a $10,000 prize from U.S. Cellular at 5:15 pm on March 21st at the Oakland U.S. Cellular store (13180 Garrett Highway). The public is invited to attend the event, enjoy refreshments, and learn more about the organization’s efforts to promote literacy in Garrett County. Nice Job Caroline!

I know we have some very engaged readers, especially when it comes to helping the lake-area succeed from an economic development perspective, so I thought I would mention that Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) is presenting a workshop downstate on March 22nd that has been created to provide participants with an introduction and overview of how Maryland practices economic development. Here’s more information on the workshop and registration.

ATTENTION ALL READERS: We have still have lift tickets (2), ski/snowboard rentals (2) and tube park (3) vouchers to give away!  We will bundle the two lift/two rental vouchers into one prize and the three tubing vouchers into another prize.  So, two (2) of our readers can WIN. If you want to enter, please complete this form or send us an email to info@deepcreektimes.com by Midnight Friday, 3/8 with your requested prize in the subject line AND tell us one thing you really like/love about the Deep Creek Lake area. We will randomly pick one winner in each category!

Check out this photo by Dot Sisler — Wisp looked pretty cool with the blowing snow moving off the mountain yesterday.

Continuous flurries and increasing cold yesterday.  Today’s weather will be partly sunny with a chance of snow showers, mainly after 4pm. High near 16 and wind chill values as low as -10. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Tonight, chance of snow showers will continue with a low around 6 and wind chill values as low as -11. West wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

We heard from our AccuWeather Reporting Station that, as of 7am yesterday, we had received 8 inches of snow for the month of March. And, it’s only March 4th. Hopefully our luck will continue and we will get more of the white stuff and continue downhill and cross country skiing into April this year. Speaking of skiing, Wisp was making snow and Herrington Manor State Park is currently grooming their trails. Herrington Manor is renting skis and snow shoes seven days a week when conditions are favorable. Call 301.334.9180 for information.

Here’s a photo of my twin brother all decked out for St. Patrick’s Day.  I know, I know, good looks really do run in my family. Anyway, he works at HART for Animals and he asked me to share a few facts they just sent our way via their March newsletter: HART volunteers donated a total of 781 hours in February and HART has performed a total of 82 spay & neuters, 68 rescues and transports and 41 adoptions YTD through  February. HART will be the recipient of the Greene Turtle’s “Funds for Friends” this Wednesday (and the first Wednesday of every month).  The Turtle will donate 20% of proceeds to HART, so check it out.

ATTENTION ALL READERS:  We have some vouchers for lift tickets (2), ski/snowboard rentals (2) and tube park (3) to give away!  We will bundle the two lift/two rental vouchers into one prize and the three tubing vouchers into another prize.  So, two (2) of our readers can WIN. If you want to enter, please complete this form or send us an email to info@deepcreektimes.com by Midnight Friday, 3/8 with your requested prize in the subject line AND tell us one thing you really like/love about the Deep Creek Lake area. We will randomly pick one winner in each category! Good luck!

The Town of Accident is holding elections for town officials today from 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Positions up for election include mayor and two town councilmen. Here’s more details for those that live in Accident.

It’s National Consumer Protection Week this week and the Maryland Insurance Administration is promoting consumer education related to their Rapid Response complaint program and other consumer-centered programs this week.  Click here for more details.

Dylan Jones and Nikki Forrester, publishers of Highland Outdoors, a digital and print publication, located in Davis, West Virginia will be presenting this evening at the Adventure Sports Colloquium at Garrett College starting at 6:30 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Oakland has received a lot of recognition over the years for its small town flavor, Autumn Glory Festival and for many other reasons.  Here’s a link to a a piece on The Discoverer Blog that places Oakland as the best small town in Maryland.  The piece also presents the author picks for best small town in each state. Way to go Oakland!

We had some frozen fog on Friday evening and some significant snowfall on Sunday, with a Snow Emergency Plan put in place by the State Police 2:00 pm Sunday afternoon. Today’s weather will be mostly cloudy with scattered snow showers until about 2pm. A high temperature near 19 and a low around 5 with wind chill values as low as -10.

We’ve gotten at least 6 inches of snow this weekend. GET OUTSIDE! 🙂

Here’s a semi close-up of the frozen fog or rime ice on a small tree on my property. It basically formed crystals and then “nodules” that kept layering on top of one another.

We are thrilled to have begun a relationship with Jay Ferguson, Owner/Associate Broker of Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations and Sales and 2018-2019 Realtor of the Year.  Jay is truly engaged in the community as well as the lake-area real estate market. You can check out Jay’s new page on Deep Creek Times right here.

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce has contracted with West Virginia University to conduct a survey of 2,400 county visitors over the next year in an effort to learn more about visitor demographic and usage profiles and economic impact. Data will be compared to findings from a similar survey done in 2009 to ascertain any changes.  I am looking forward to seeing the results when WVU issues the report.

This one is for all you veterans, as I know we have a number of retiree veteran readers: A few weeks ago, Governor Hogan declared 2019 the Year of the Veteran.  As part of that effort he is also trying to get legislation passed in this session that would exempt veteran pensions from Maryland state income taxes.  This could be huge for our retired veteran readers so I wanted to loop-around and make sure you were all aware of this.

ATTENTION ALL READERS:  We have some vouchers for lift tickets (2), ski/snowboard rentals (2) and tube park (3) to give away this week!  We will bundle the two lift/two rental vouchers into one prize and the three tubing vouchers into another prize.  So, two (2) of our readers can WIN. If you want to enter, please complete this form or send us an email to info@deepcreektimes.com by Midnight Friday, 3/8 with your requested prize in the subject line AND tell us one thing you really like/love about the Deep Creek Lake area. We will randomly pick one winner in each category and will also print some of the “what I like” statements in a future edition of Notes. Note: these vouchers are only good for this winter season, so if you are about to fly to Fiji for a month, you may want to pass! Good luck!

Congratulations to the Garrett County robotics teams! The FTC 2818 Team G-FORCE is going to World Championships in Detroit after winning the State Championship and FIRST Team 1629 is going to the CHS District Championships at George Mason University!

Here’s the quick list of March activities at the Deep Creek Lake State Park Discovery Center. They always have great indoor and outdoor experiential learning (and fun) things going on. We will also be including each one in our events section, as always:

Saturday, March 9th – 9:00 am- 3:00 pm Sang Run State Park –Maple Syrup Making Demonstration. 

Sunday, March 10th – 1:00 pm  Women with Wings  Join us for this special Women’s History Month program at our aviary.

Saturday, March 16th – 1:00 p.m  S.T.E.M. like a Girl Join us in the science room to discover hands on science exploration pioneered by women.

Saturday, March 23rd – 1:00 pm  Mosses and ‘Manders Hike  Learn basic moss identification and search for the salamanders that call the Appalachian Plateau home.

Saturday, March 30th – 11:00 am  Signs of Spring Hike   Join the Naturalist for a two-mile hike searching for plants, birds and animal activity that tell us it’s spring.

The weather for today will be a slight chance of snow and freezing rain after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 32 and a low around 29. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. Little or no snow accumulation expected. Saturday will be a chance of rain, snow, and freezing rain before 1pm, then a slight chance of rain between 1pm and 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36 and a low around 26. Sunday: snow with a high near 31 and a low around 19.

After judging hundreds of entries from throughout the state, the winner of the 2019 Maryland Arbor Day Poster Contest (for fifth graders) was announced yesterday and the winner is Lydia Secrist of Accident.  Our congratulations go out to Lydia and her school, which will receive 15 trees for planting. Here’s a photo of Lydia’s winning entry with state dignitaries, including first lady Yumi Hogan. Congratulations Lydia!

First Place Winning Entry with Dignitaries

Just heard that A Touch of Class Limousines is offering a special for this weekend of 20% off booking of any limousine for a minimum of four hours. Contact them at 301.698.2650 or 301.501.5466. Tell them you heard about it on the Deep Creek Times!

Maybe learn something new with March’s “Where Am I?” contest … I’ve tried to make it an easy one! 🙂 Congratulations are in order to Trish Y for winning the February contest.

Can you Fondue? The North Glade Inn is sponsoring a Fondue Night (chocolate and cheese) along with beer and wine on Saturday from Noon until 9:00 pm.  Here’s the link to event particulars.

The Allegany Arts Council is presenting Emerging Artists at their Centre Street, Cumberland gallery from 6:00 pm on March 2nd through March 23rd. The exhibit features artwork from elementary, middle and high school students representing Allegany County public schools in a variety of mediums – watercolor, collage, assemblage, pottery and more.

This one’s definitely for the birds…and bird lovers.  It’s the 6th Annual Garrett County Birdfest at the Deep Creek Lake State Park Discovery Center from 7:00 am 5:00 pm on Sunday (and other days).

We just heard from Tri-County Council that USDA Rural Development’s Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) Program is accepting applications through March 29th. These are competitive grants designed to support targeted technical assistance, training, and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas which will employ 50 or fewer new employees and have less than $1 million in gross revenue.

Here’s a special kind of rodeo for our young ones:  The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced the schedule for Youth Fishing Rodeos for 2019 and there are four rodeos in Garrett County, all in the month of May. Annually, youth fishing rodeos in the state connect about 6,000 young people with the Maryland outdoors each year, often providing the first fishing experience for our children.

The weather for today will be partly sunny, with a high near 37 and a low around 24. Snow likely, mainly between 1am and 5am. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Super Secret Tip for Readers: Be sure to keep a look-out in upcoming Daily Notes columns for announcements on some nice giveaways of activities at the Wisp. We have procured some nice vouchers for snow tubing, mountain coaster rides and other attractions. We will be running a simple contest to determine winners.  Stay tuned.

Need some tech help for your PC, laptop, tablet or smart phone?  The Grantsville branch of the Ruth Enlow Library is offering free help this afternoon from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.  Here’s the scoop! 

Did you know that each year the average American household spends $2,279 on real-estate property taxes plus another $440 for residents of the 27 states with vehicle property taxes.  Well, now you know.  Wonder where Maryland (or another state) falls on the spectrum?  Here’s a research report by WalletHub that has the answers for you. Hint: Maryland is neither among the highest nor the lowest…

It’s Team Trivia Night this evening at Mountain State Brewing Company from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm. Check this link out for more information.

This sounds interesting: Garrett College’s Continuing Education division is offering Local Wild, Edible & Medicinal Plants by the Season on March 5th from 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm at the Northern Outreach center in Grantsville. You will learn how to identify, harvest and prepare local, wild edible and medical plants by focusing on what is available in each season.  Common poisonous plants and proper foraging practices will also be discussed.  Call 301.387.3069 for more information and to register.

Since this is the last day of February, I thought I would leave you with a few bits of trivia.  First, February 1865 was the only month in recorded history without a recorded full moon. I am guessing werewolves were bummed.  Second, in 1827 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was incorporated. It was the first railroad in America offering commercial transportation of both people and freight. And, Garrett County has our own B&O Railroad Museum right in downtown Oakland.

Yesterday was cool and nice, but with some cloud cover.  When I was at Wisp in the afternoon I saw some folks boarding and skiing on the slopes.  Today’s weather will be mostly sunny, with a high near 48 and a low around 24. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. A chance of rain and snow before 2am, then a chance of freezing rain. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

There are some great lake-area photo opportunities available to us in the winter months.  Here’s a photo we received yesterday from Marcia C. showing the frozen lake and mountains on a brisk early morning.  Thanks for sharing Marcia. Nice work!

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now accepting public comment on the proposed 2019-2020 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons. The comment period continues until noon on March 15th.  This link has more information including timing for each of the respective seasons.

So, why do you live in Garrett County? Or, why do you have a second home here or visit?  You can give your opinions to some questions about what makes Garrett County, Garrett County and what are some of the challenges, at this evening’s Choose Civility session at the Ruth Enlow Library, Oakland branch from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. This event is free and open to all.

There’s Team Trivia at the Greene Turtle this evening from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm.  Fun game with 20 questions for each team, which can be of any size.

Media professionals Dylan Jones and Nikki Forrester, of Highland Outdoors magazine will co-present as part of the Garrett College Adventure Sports colloquium series on Tuesday, March 5th at 6:30 pm.  Their presentation will take place in Room 1013 in the Center for Adventure and Outdoor Studies (CAOS) building on the McHenry campus and will focus on the impact Adventure Sports has had on their careers, business and life. This event is open to all. Contact the Garrett College Adventure Sports office at 301.387.3330 for more information.

The Garrett County Steps to Better Health Committee has announced Saturday, April 13th, as the date for the next Garrett County Health Fair and Family Fun Festival. The 2019 event takes place at the CARC (Community Aquatic & Recreation Complex) at Garrett College in McHenry from 8:30 am until 12:30 pm that day.

Speaking of Garrett College, a number of GC students participated in the 21st annual Maryland State Police/Natural Resources Police Deep Creek Dunk this past weekend. The students raised $400 to support the athletes of Special Olympics Maryland. These are good “kids” doing good things so I wanted to recognize them here. In the first row (left to right), presenting the donation to Special Olympics Maryland are: Brandon Jackson, student activities manager at GC; Hannah Lowdermilk, Kendra Friend, Haley Lowdermilk, Sydney Friend, Alyssa Bahner, Katelyn Tasker.  Back row: Trevor Byler, Jeff Abel, Special Olympics Maryland; Brian Crowder, Patrick Duggan, Seth Adams. They look cold, but they are all smiling!  Thank you to the students and all the “dunkers” this weekend.

Yesterday was sunny and clear. Today’s weather will be partly sunny, with a high near 33 and a low around 20.

The Chamber’s Strategic Initiatives Task Force (SITF), which began in 2017, recently presented their findings to the Garrett County Commissioners.  Their report included recommendations, which you can view here, on long-term vision planning, broadband, housing and even expanding the number of commissioners from three to five. Interesting stuff and appears to make sense, if it can enable effective action.

The Mountain Fresh Farmers Market in Oakland is accepting vendor applications through April 1st for the Mountain Fresh Farmers Market 2019-20 season. The next membership meeting of vendors will be held Tuesday, March 12th, at 7:00 pm at the Extension Office at 1916 Maryland Hwy, Suite A, Mt. Lake Park.  Membership packets have already been mailed to those that were members in 2018.

View the new additions to our online marketplace: a dining table and chairs and a jet ski!

It’s Team Trivia Night at MoonShadow this evening from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm. They hold a few rounds of trivia, with teams of up to six people., competing for prizes and fun. They are also running happy hour during the games with drink specials. Here’s more information.

The Mountain Maryland Tech Network (MMTN) is holding their first meetup of 2019 this evening at the Cushwa Brewery in Williamsport from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm.  This Innovation and Brews event is a perfect way for technology entrepreneurs, tech-workers and want-to-be techies to meet other like-minded folks.  It is free but you have to register for the event.

Here’s a link to the February Maryland State Department of Education Bulletin. It includes information on a number of initiatives and programs, including college readiness. I include it because so much of our local educational efforts and effectiveness are impacted by state-wide pronouncements and programs.

There were widespread power outages yesterday morning – check out these graphics from Allegheny Mountains Weather Facebook page:

We had winds gusting to over 65mph overnight and the power is out this morning. Apologies for the delay in posting today.

Today’s weather will be sunny, with a high near 29 and a low around 17. Breezy, with a west wind 23 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph.

Sarah and I have been “blown away” by the many dozens of submissions for our February “Where am I Photo Contest.”  Sarah runs that particular effort but I have been peeking at responses and you folks definitely know our county!  You can click here if you have not submitted your guess yet and/or if you want to learn an interesting fact about a lake-area town. Check it out even if you don’t want to guess and see if you know the little trivia piece.

It’s Spirit Night at the Oakland Dairy Queen this evening from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm.  It’s a fundraiser for the local 4-H club kids. You can grab a bite of dinner, or just dessert, and help out our local children.

There will be plenty of LEGO blocks available today at the LEGO Club at the Oakland branch of the Ruth Enlow Library from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.  LEGO Club is designed for children ages four and older and features free building time with lots of building bricks. Children are encouraged to build a creation based on a new theme each month. My two cents:  This is a great way to get our children engaged in creative thinking, get used to “working” with LEGOs and also to give them a leg(o) up on entry into the county’s great Lego/Robotics leagues for STEM education preparation.

If you are looking for an adult and relaxing activity, you can bring your own Needlework project to the Kitzmiller branch of the Ruth Enlow Library from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm this evening to join others engaging in needlework. Whether you enjoy crocheting, knitting, cross stitch, embroidery, or lap quilting you are welcome to join library staff and others for an hour of relaxation and fun.

To celebrate the March 2nd birthday of Dr. Seuss, the Ruth Enlow Library has planned events at several branches featuring story reading and a free Dr. Seuss book for each child.  Here’s “the scoop” and please note that date and branch locations vary:

    On February 26th, the Accident library will host a Seuss-themed story time at 11:00 am including coloring pages, word puzzles, and more. These activities will also be available during branch hours as a walk-in program lasting until March 8th. In addition to a free book, children will receive Seuss-themed pencils with giant erasers. For more information, contact kcecil@relib.net.

    On Saturday March 2nd from 10:30 am to 11:30 am, families are invited to the Oakland library for a Dr. Seuss party. Children ages three to eight will enjoy a special reading by the Cat in the Hat, plus activities and crafts based on books by Dr. Seuss. For more information, contact julie@relib.net.

    Also on March 2nd, the Grantsville library will host walk-in Dr. Seuss activities including coloring and games. For more information, contact hannah@relib.net.

    The Cat in the Hat will read his story to children at the Kitzmiller branch on Tuesday March 5th at 10:30 am. Children will make a Dr. Seuss bookmark and receive a free hat and pencil as well as their free book. For more information, contact diane@relib.net.

Attention small, minority, women and veteran business owners interested in doing business with Maryland state agencies and also private companies in the Baltimore area:  The Governor’s Office of Small, Minority and Women Business Affairs is sponsoring a workshop you may be interested in on February 28th in Baltimore County.  Guest speaker will be Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford.  Here’s more information for you.

Here’s what frozen Deep Creek Lake looked like over the weekend thanks to @rnnr318 on Instagram:

Yesterday was “the great melt!” With temperatures in the 40’s and sunny, a lot of the snow melted, but there is still a nice base at Wisp (there were folks on the tube park and slopes and even a few ice fishing on the lake).  This weekend’s weather will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 40 and a low around 30. Saturday is a chance of freezing rain before 10am, then rain likely. Overall, cloudy, with temperatures holding steady near 39. Sunday will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 50 and a low of 23. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph and a slight chance of snow showers before 11pm.

The big story this weekend is the Maryland State Police Deep Creek Dunk for Special Olympics Maryland. today is preregistration and “Goosebumps, Grapes & Growlers” as well as local student dunks and tomorrow (Saturday) is “the main event” when hundreds of folks will take a dip in the (very cold) lake. And it’s all to help the 7,782 Special Olympics Maryland athletes who train and compete year-round.

If you are going to the Dunk, don’t be in a rush and get there in plenty of time.  If you are traveling on 219, North or South, near Garrett 8 and Arrowhead, expect delays/congestion, especially on Saturday late morning and most of the afternoon. Above all, please be courteous! Just thought I would remind everyone, as it gets a little hectic every year around this great event.

There is a new wood stove and a set of 8 dining chairs added to the furniture section of our online marketplace – check it out!

While many of us don’t think of February as prime fishing season, there are some opportunities for some nice “hits” even during these colder months, including from some trophy-size fish.  Here’s the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Fishing Report issued yesterday.  Note that they urge caution on the current ice conditions on Deep Creek and elsewhere. There’s lots of open water!

There is a lot going on in the area this weekend, from music to sports, fundraisers and nature education, so I suggest you go to our Upcoming Events section where you will find details on all of the events, including locations, directions and event-specific details. Have fun.

Congratulations to our friend, previous Garrett County resident, and local investor: Dorothy Andreas. Her book Streamline Success: Eliminate Chaos from your Service Business is now available for purchase! Dorothy is a seasoned business leader with great insight — she has started 9 businesses over the course of her career!

It’s almost time for Military March.  This is an annual promotion sponsored by Mountain State Brewing and the Chamber that provides discounts to active military members at various entities around the lake and in the county. Here’s the link to the Military March section on the Visit Deep Creek website.

Bats in the belfry?  Hopefully not.  But, here’s an interesting piece on squirrels in the attic (February is actually the prime season when they head to our attics) and create havoc.  This piece and additional links gives some practical insight and tips. Note: Erie Insurance is not an advertiser and we do not get a commission. Just trying to help our readers out during “squirrel season!”

Finally, I thought I would share the legislative priorities of the Community Development Network of Maryland, as they are strong supporters of our Garrett County communities and have some priorities that seem to align with those of the Deep Creek Lake area. Click here for a link to their site.

Have a great weekend folks!

Well, we received about four inches of snow yesterday, then a few hours of sleet and some freezing rain on top of that. Lots of local organizations closed and cancelled events.  Today’s weather will be mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 41 and a low around 26. West wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Speaking of snow, one of 2018 contest winners, Chuck C., used his Wisp passes to hit the slopes this past weekend! Here’s a photo of him and his “gang” with smiles on their faces. Glad you all had a great time!

Deep Creek Times Contest Winners

Speaking of Skiing, Herrington Manor State Park reports good conditions on their cross county trails, with about four inches of fresh granular snow and sleet down. Rentals are available seven days a week when snow conditions are favorable. On weekdays, when the Lake House is closed, rentals are available at the Ranger Station. Rental hours are 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. For more information and to confirm conditions and if they are open, call them at 301.334.9180.

You want Coffee? Books? Even More?  The Accident branch of the Ruth Enlow Library is hosting “Coffee, Books and More” this afternoon from 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm.  You will be able to relax with your fellow book lovers as the librarians and others share their latest reads. You just may discover a new favorite author or book.

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) will be holding their February “Cocktails and Convos” event at MoonShadow this evening from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm. This is as an informal get together for members and guests to meet and chat. They will also be collecting recipes for their cookbook fundraiser, so be sure to bring your favorite recipe on an index card to share and maybe be included.

Sarah and I founded and co-directed the Power of Possibilities (POP) initiative for the county and Jodi McClintock has now taken over and run with it, with continued success. Dozens of small businesses have been formed and helped by the POP effort, that includes mentoring, workshops, business plan competitions and regular conferences among other components, all designed to help build entrepreneurial spirit and success in the county. Here’s a link to an article on Discount Duo, last year’s business plan competition winner. Good stuff.

It’s Team Trivia night this evening at Mountain State Brewing Company from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm. House prizes are awarded for first, second & third places! Check it out and their great flatbread pizzas as well. 

There’s a Women’s Networking Happy Hour coming up on March 7th from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm at Black Bear Tavern in McHenry.  The host is Terah Beitzel-Crawford and here is the evite with more information and registration details. It is open to all women. Sorry guys.

Here’s some research that is just a little bit different: With Mardi Gras coming up, the personal-finance website WalletHub was moved to determine the most and least sinful states (based on their criteria) and they released the report yesterday.  Well, here’s a shocker, Nevada is most sinful.  Wonder where Maryland (or another state) falls in the ranking? Here’s a link to the full report. They certainly utilized some interesting criteria and I will let our readers decide for themselves if they would structure the methodology differently. Happy reading.

As I write these Notes Tuesday evening, there is no precipitation falling. But according to forecasts, that will be changing.

The weather for today will be snow, freezing rain, and sleet before 10am, then freezing rain and sleet. High near 32. Breezy, with a southeast wind 20 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 43 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime ice accumulation of 0.1 to 0.3 of an inch possible. Total daytime snow and sleet accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.

Tonight will be rain, mainly before 2am. Temperature rising to around 43 by 3am. Breezy, with a southeast wind 14 to 20 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

The snow emergency plan went into effect at 0600; Garrett County Public Schools, Garrett College and the Health Department are all closed today.

Don’t forget to check our weather center throughout the day today for a multitude of current data and forecasts.  We use multiple sources to provide what we think is the best “mix” of local insight for our area.  Here’s the link to our weather page. Our video cams also provide a real-time visual of conditions. I hope you all stay warm and dry!

There was a local meeting held recently regarding a new post office for Bittinger. The United States Postal Service send a representative to the area to conduct a listening session to gain citizen input on potential sites.  The Republican had a nice write-up on it.

Here’s a tip on TIPS: If you serve alcohol at events, this class (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) can help you learn more about maintaining a safe and responsible environment at your licensed events. In addition to gaining knowledge about the affects alcohol has on people, you can also keep updated on the legal responsibilities for servers of alcohol. The class will be held this evening at the Bloomington Fire Hall from 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm.

Also this evening at 5:30 is “A Thirst for Art” at MoonShadow, a belated “Galentines” event for ladies and girls that involves fun, painting and Camaraderie. Get more information here. And, bring a friend, sister, mom or daughter.

Garrett College is hosting the upcoming Garrett County Job Fair slated for Wednesday, April 24th from 1:00 pm. to 6:00 pm in the Garrett College CARC Gymnasium. The job fair is open to any employer expecting to hire employees within the next few months as well anyone looking for a full- or part-time position.

Here’s some sobering statistics on population decline in the state of West Virginia, as tabulated by Pew Research and reported by Generation West Virginia.  Garrett County has been flat population-wise for a few years, but W.V, appears to be experiencing a downward trend. West Virginia is a beautiful state, but I think they will need a more diversified and invigorated jobs foundation to turn things around. Many don’t realize that Garrett County “has” West Virginia to the west of us, to the south of us and to the east of us, so they are an important (and good) neighbor!

Yesterday was overcast, cool and windy, with some flurries in the afternoon. The weather for today will be mostly sunny, with a high near 30 and a low around 23. Snow likely before 4am, then snow, possibly mixed with freezing rain and sleet. Little or no ice accumulation expected. New snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

I hope you all had a nice, relaxing President’s Day Weekend. We sure did. The lake and environs were certainly abuzz with visitors and activities and all seemed in good spirits. While many of us look forward to warmer weather, there is still plenty of winter fun to be had around the lake. I am always enthralled when I see the the ice fishing “camps” spring-up on the ice. There has been a large concentration near the Deep Creek Lake State Park on weekends (visible from Glendale Bridge area).  If you know anyone fishing (and actually catching fish!) on the ice, tell them to send us a photo and we will share with our readers.

Speaking of the Summer, I thought our readers might enjoy this fun graphic from Blue Ridge Outdoors, a great publication for outdoor enthusiasts in the region. The graphic appeared in an article on the lake about eight years ago.  I uncovered it and thought I would share. Yes, that is me skiing down Wisp Mountain. Good eyes!

The Cindy’s Fund sponsored Cancer Support Group meets this evening from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the hospital boardroom. It is open to everyone – people with cancer, caregivers, kids, relatives, friends, anyone. They sit and vent and laugh and eat, etc. It’s very informal and comforting and open to all.

The Garrett County Board of Education will hold a Special Work Session on Monday, February 25th, to discuss the FY 2020 Operating Budget. The meeting will be held at Central Office in the Board Room. Public comment will begin at 4:00 pm after which time the Board of Education will meet in executive session until 4:55 pm. The Board of Education will reconvene for the public Special Work Session from 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm. Because this is a Work Session, times are approximate.

The Grantsville and Oakland branches of the Ruth Enlow Library will offer free one-on-one tech help with your laptop, tablet or smartphone on Thursday February 28th. An expert will help you overcome obstacles and get the most out of your device. Half-hour slots will be available at the Grantsville branch from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm and at the Oakland library from 4:00 pm -5:30 pm. Bring your own device or use the library’s computers. Please contact events@relib.net or call 301.334.3996 x0017 to request a 30-minute appointment. Here’s your chance to get some help with your new device.

The Mid-Atlantic Panel on Aquatic Invasive Species (MAPAIS) is offering a small grants competition to encourage interested groups and individuals to submit proposals for possible funding. All proposals are due in by 5:00 pm on March 11th.  Here’s a link to all the details. 

You can join Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) on March 22nd in Columbia for a one-day training session, Primer for Economic Development, that has been created to provide participants with an introduction and overview of how Maryland practices economic development. The course is designed for those who are new to economic development in Maryland and also strategic partners in collaborative industries.