Deep Creek Lake MD News and Local Resources: Daily Notes

A perfect day at the lake yesterday! Today will change to rain with a chance of thunderstorms. A high of 69 and low of 51.

The Chamber is hosting their monthly Business After Hours this evening at The Greene Turtle in McHenry from 5:30pm – 7:30pm.

It’s Team Trivia Night at Mountain State Brewing Company in McHenry this evening from 6:00pm – 8:00pm.

Black Bear in McHenry is hosting their Karaoke this evening from 7:00pm – 11:00pm.

Congratulations to Garrett College baseball coach Eric Hallenbeck on reaching his 300th career win. A great guy and coach and a nice article on his reaching the milestone earlier this season.

The new Casselman Bakery at the Lake officially opened yesterday at the corner of 219 and Glendale.

Also, A Great Small Town has announced there will be a new record store and lounge in Downtown Oakland.

Mr. Matthew Paugh, Board President, recognized Teacher Appreciation Week, May 7 – 11, 2018, with a proclamation. Mr. Patrick Damon, GCEA President and teacher at Accident Elementary School, and Stephanie Lewis, Southern High School teacher, accepted the recognition on behalf of all teachers in Garrett County.

Yesterday turned out to be a beautiful day at the lake! Today will be a high of 71 degrees with increasing clouds. Chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight with a low of 57 degrees.

Congratulations to Sara Huelskamp of Northern Middle School.  Sara recently won the Award for Excellence in Civic Action and Engagement, sponsored by the Maryland Council for Social Studies.

Governor Hogan signed SB 445 into law yesterday. The legislation requires drivers to slow down and safely change lanes when approaching solid waste and recycling vehicles from behind.  industry. Makes sense to me.

Planning your Garden’ will be presented by the Garrett County Master Gardeners from University of Maryland Extension today. This class is free, but registration is required. It will be at the Friendsville Town Hall from 4:00pm – 5:00pm.

The Commissioners will be holding an Economic Development Forum this evening from 6:30pm – 8:30pm at the Garrett College Auditorium.  This event is open to all who wish to learn more about economic development and related efforts in the county.

The next open meeting of the County Commissioners will be held at 6:00pm on Tuesday, May 15th at Crellin Elementary School.

The fast-growing aquatic invasive plant hydrilla was first found in the lake in 2013 and DNR has been treating affected areas of the lake with an herbicide annually since 2014. 2018 planned treatment dates are as follows: June 4th and 26th, July 24th and August 21st.

The Mountain Maryland Writers’ Institute will kick-off its second year in Garrett County this summer, July 26th – 29th, 2018.  Workshops will be led by a variety of authors, historians, and storytellers and are designed to provide a nice palette of experiences and skills to attendees.  Learn more online at https://www.garrettcollege.edu/writers-workshop.php or contact Mike Logsdon at 301.387.3333 or michael.logsdon@garrettcollege.edu.

I keep hearing that the real estate market is looking better, and Railey Realty just sent some numbers that appear to back that up.  The average sold price of lake-oriented residential properties is up 10% from the previous year. Closed sales and new pending sales were also up from the five-year average by 23% and 14% respectively, while inventory is down 20%.

Landmark Bill Signed today by Governor Larry Hogan makes Maryland the 17th to have a statewide College Promise program. Starting in academic 2019, many low and middle-income students may attend community college full-time tuition-free.

Check out our online marketplace for the new boat and Seadoo listing (we had made an error on one of the listings).

The weather today will be partly sunny until about 3pm and then there is a chance of showers. A high near 66 and a low of 50 degrees.

There’s another Life After Forty-Five (L.A.F.F dinner this evening starting at 6:00pm, with location TBD. Contact Beth Colville at b.colville1974@gmail.com for more information.  The dinner is organized by Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church and is open to all.

There are some good programs for children and their parents today at the Oakland, Kitzmiller and Accident branches of the Ruth Enlow Library.

The search is over! The County Commissioners announced yesterday that Michael E. Hough has joined the County Government as the new Director of Economic Development. Formerly regional president at BB&T Bank, he will be relocating to Garrett County from Hagerstown.

Spring cleaning is really getting underway and that means increased loads of debris headed for the Garrett County Landfill. The county is reminding citizens that hauling debris to the landfill requires that your load be tarped to minimize the chance of litter or bulky items blowing off of your truck. There also fines for a lack of tarping.

Late spring is the prime birthing time for white-tailed deer and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds anyone who encounters a fawn to avoid disturbing it. While young deer often appear to be orphaned, in most cases, the doe is nearby feeding and will return to care of her young.

Do you Seadoo? Be sure to check out our online classifieds.  We have a newly listed Seadoo watercraft and a 2000 Supra boat listed for sale (under “Boats”) just in time for the Summer.

The End-of-the-Line Bookstore in Oakland opens for the 2018 season on Wednesday, May 23, at 11:00 AM. Open hours are Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. All books have been donated and are sold for $1 or less. All proceeds go to support programs of AAUW-Garrett Branch and Girl Scouts #55004 for their programs that support empowerment and equity of women and girls.

Maryland State Police McHenry Barrack is seeking assistance from the public of a malicious destruction of property that occurred off of Chestnut Ridge Road in Grantsville the evening of May 5th.  Unknown suspect(s) keyed a pickup truck between the hours of 10:00pm on the 5th to 9:30am on the 6th.  If anyone has any information regarding this case, please contact the McHenry Barrack and speak to TFC. Whetzel at 301.387.1101.

Here’s an awesome rainbow we captured near Ace’s Run Restaurant:

The weather today is expected to be mostly cloudy and some scattered showers this afternoon; a high of 61 and a low of 49.

Uh oh! Maryland State Police are seeking assistance from the public relative to a burglary that occurred in Swanton. Unknown suspect(s) attempted to break into a residence off of Swanton Road between the hours of 8:30am and 5:15pm on May 3rd.  Please contact the McHenry Barracks and speak to TFC. Whetzel if you have any information. Thanks.

There’s an experiential learning experience available at New Germany State park today, from 9:00am – 10:30am, weather permitting.  Meet at the Native Plant Garden and learn the difference between weeds and wildflowers and why it is so important.

The Garrett County Chamber will be holding the next Business After Hours on Thursday, May 10th from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at the Greene Turtle in McHenry.

May 12th will be Oakland Disney Day to celebrate and raise funds for 4-year old Bentley Blythe. There will be a parade through town starting at 3, Disney characters to interact with, Savage Road Band at the Mountain Fresh Farm Pavilion. Also, don’t forget about a spaghetti dinner at the Oakland Fire hall to also support Bentley.

Don’t forget Mom on Mother’s Day, which is this coming Sunday, May 13th.  Check out our Area Dining Guide for some great ideas on where to treat Mom for a memorable meal.  And, after that don’t forget to check out our Dining Specials.  Our advertisers offer some great weekday specials that change from time to time.

Did you know the outdoor recreation economy in Maryland already generates 109,000 direct jobs, $14 billion in consumer spending, $4.4 billion in wages and salaries, and $951 million in state and local tax revenue? The Maryland Outdoor Recreation Economic Commission is active and will likely be coming to Garrett County in the future.  We’ll keep you posted.

Need help with your PC/laptop?  Garrett College is offering a continuing education course on May 14th and 21st to provide help on maintenance, virus protection and troubleshooting. You can even bring in your own laptop.  Call 301.387.3069 for more information or to register.

WalletHub just released another cool study. This one is on diversity in US cities. A few at the top are in Maryland and the researchers used a number of diversity factors including income, occupation, industry and education to rank cities. Interesting stuff for us Garrett Countians and fellow Marylanders.

Another fantastic day at the lake yesterday! Today will be a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75 and a low around 51. Saturday and Sunday will have similar weather – chance of showers; a high in the mid 60s and lows in the high 40s.

It’s always a great time to adopt a pet that needs a new forever home.

Homeschoolers @ the Library will be held at the Oakland branch of the Ruth Enlow Library today from 2:00pm – 3:00pm. They have good presenters sharing enrichment activities.

This county is going to the birds. Literally. There will be a number of guided birding trips in the county this weekend for Birdfest.

The Friends of New Germany State Park are holding a meeting on Saturday at 9:00am at the Martin House (Rain or Shine). Anyone interested in becoming a member of the park’s volunteer team is encouraged to attend this quarterly meeting. The park also has a strong calendar of events for the month of May.

Cumberland residents and those living in the surrounding area, including Garrett County, now have one central location to complete their Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration and Maryland Department of Natural Resources transactions.

I had a hard time curating which events to share for this weekend due to the fact that there is so much going on. So, in addition to the few above please check out our events page for a variety of things to do.  Events range from the Garrett Community Band’s Spring Concert to a Lobster Dinner to the Race Up the Face, plus many others.  Have fun!

The County Commissioners will be holding their next public meeting on Monday, May 7th at 3:00pm.

Learn more about the Civil War and the Jones-Imboden Raid in Oakland, MD, and how it fit into the larger Civil War picture on the Wildfulness podcast.

Kitzmiller Head Start was visited by the Garrett County Health Department as a component of a mini-grant to promote wellness in the Center. Mike Wilburn and Heather Berg from the Health Department taught the Head Start students how to properly fit and wear their bicycle helmets and also gave them safe riding tips. Pictured from left to right are Skyler Byrd, Karlee Cummings, Ryleigh Sines, Olivia Stiles, Noah Sweitzer, Kaylee Sweitzer, and Terron Gank. Standing behind the bicyclists is Health Department staff member Mike Wilburn.

Such a beautiful day yesterday! Today will be partly sunny and a high of 79 degrees with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Low temperature of 61 degrees.

The Garrett County Business Hub is hosting a women’s networking lunch today at Noon at Ace’s Run Restaurant.

You are invited to attend the Early Care/Healthy Families advisory board meeting today at the Health Department from 4:00pm – 5:00pm. The purpose of the Advisory Board is to guide the GCHD Early Care Programs. Members of the board include early childhood providers, community representatives, and parents.

Governor Hogan has ordered the Maryland state flag be lowered to half-staff at sunrise, Friday, May 4th and returned to full-staff at sunset that day for Fallen Heroes Day.  This day honors fallen heroes who have lost their lives in service to our state during the last year. We thank them for their sacrifice.

The Property Owners’ Association of Deep Creek Lake Policy and Review Board recently met at the Discovery Center and presented updates on a variety of lake-related developments from goose hunting, to wake-boating to water quality monitoring.

Alice will be in the house! Make plans to attend the Alice in Wonderland play tonight at Northern High School at 6:00pm.

Sing your heart out at Karaoke with DJ Dubja this evening at the Black Bear from 7:00pm – 11:00pm. Go ahead, you know you want to!

Feeling fishy? There will be a meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in Philadelphia June 5th – 7th.

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that major hotel chains, including Marriott, are moving away from those little bottles of shampoo and conditioner in rooms.  Instead, they are providing large wall-mounted dispensers to reduce costs and waste, producing a backlash from customers. I am guessing we will not be seeing many wall mounted units at lake-area rental homes.

Check out this neat little custom print we had commissioned for fun! It’s available for sale on Etsy (but, FYI, we’re not affiliated with any sales).

After a really nice, sunny day yesterday, the weather for today will be more sun! A high of 67 degrees and a low of 45 degrees.

A dock has been recently listed for sale in our Online Marketplace… click here and expand the “Docks” category to see the photos.

Go ahead, chill a bit. The Adult Coloring Club meets every first and third Wednesday of each month from 5:00pm – 6:30pm at the Accident branch of the Ruth Enlow Library. It is designed as planned quiet time and it’s free.

Flower Power! The town of Oakland has 15 planters and 10 hanging baskets that need to be filled with plants for the summer and they are looking for sponsors. Contact Michelle Ross at Town Hall at 301.334.2691 if you are interested in being a sponsor or for more information.

There’s Unplugged Bluegrass at MoonShadow this evening from 6:00pm – 8:00pm. All invited to come and pick in an open and unplugged format.

Garrett County really has some great programs available for folks of all ages.  Here’s a photo of some proud young people from Mr. Damon’s kindergarten class at Accident Elementary School. They just completed the Garrett College Foundation’s “I Can Swim” program at the CARC.  Great job to all those who participated.

Bill’s Marine is holding their 44th “All Family Boat Show” from May 5th – 28th. Here’s a link to their site. They are the biggest in town, with a nice inventory.

Garrett County is updating its Comprehensive Plan to build its long-term plan and is holding a visioning workshop from 7:00pm – 9:00pm on May 18th at the Garrett College Special Events Center.

Generation West Virginia is an energetic and interesting organization dedicated to attracting, retaining and advancing young talent in West Virginia. I have written about them before and just heard they have a position open for a Fellowship Director.  Just thought I would share as it looks like an interesting position fairly close by.

WalletHub just completed another study that ranked states for “fun”. Based on an analysis of 26 factors, Maryland did pretty good:

• • 25th – Restaurants per Capita
  • 13th – Amusement Parks per Capita
  • 25th – Performing-Arts Theaters per Capita
  • 18th – Fitness Centers per Capita
  • 17th – Access to National Parks

After a sunny and warmer Monday, today’s weather will finally really warm up; sunny and a high temperature of 70 degrees and a low temperature of 51 degrees.

Today is May Day.  Did you know the day has two completely different meanings?  One, is for celebrating Spring and is recognized for many cultures.  The second, unrelated day, celebrates workers internationally. In the US, it started when workers in Chicago pushed for an eight-hour work day way back on May 1st, 1886.  A little trivia for you.

From Garrett County Department of Public Works – Roads Division: A slide has occurred on the road bank at Shallmar, specifically at the area of the cliffs. Warning signs have been placed in the area of the bank slide, and the public is advised to exercise caution and watch for debris. Call the Oakland County Roads Garage at 301-334-9337 if you have any questions.

Parents and grandparents, there’s a few good children’s programs at the various branches of Ruth Enlow Library today, plus there’s a new “Learn-Play-Grow Center” at the Oakland branch. These centers are uniquely designed spaces that enhance early literacy and academic potential and encourage the involvement of parents and caregivers.

The County Commissioners announced a partnership Friday with local municipalities for spring clean-up days, which will be scheduled by the individual towns, to assist residents with the cleanup and disposal of bulky items. Community groups or organizations that wish to clean-up areas along roadways, streams, and public lands where refuse has been illegally dumped may also apply for assistance.  Contact Kimberly Madigan at 301-387-0322 or kmadigan@garrettcounty.org for more information.

St. Peters Church in Oakland and their Senior Moments lunch group will be meeting this Wednesday at MoonShadow in McHenry on Bumble Bee Road. All are welcome. Contact Donna Cook at donna@garrettstpeter.com or 703-795-2198 (cell) for more information.

I know I have mentioned before, but I’m getting hungry: Garrett Trails announced yesterday that 22 local eateries will be represented at their 16th annual Taste of Garrett fundraiser on Sunday, May 6th.

Here’s a link to the state primary elections ballot for the June 26th primaries. I have included both Republican and Democrat ballots for Garrett County.

Katie’s 5K Race is held annually on National Trails Day in memory of Katie DeRosa, a local teen who was tragically killed by a vehicle while training for her freshman year of cross-country. This year’s race will be held at 9:00am on June 2nd at New Germany State Park.

Don’t forget to check-out the May edition Cover Story.

The weather for today will be sunny with a high near 56 degrees and a low near 42 degrees.

As we enter the warm weather selling season for lake properties, I thought I would mention this analysis of home listing features conducted by Zillow Research. Their scientific study of over three million home sales over the last few years identified some features that helped price or time-on-market.

Today is the last day to get your guesses in for our “Where Am I Contest“. Send us your guess — correct answers are entered to win a $25 Dutch’s At Silver Tree Gift Card!

Former long-time (and well-known) Allegany College of Maryland basketball coach Bob Kirk has passed away. His name is on the college’s basketball arena and physical education center.

The All Things Home Expo, presented by the Home Builders Association of Western Maryland will be at the Garrett County Fairgrounds on May 5th and 6th.

The Taste of Garrett fundraising event is coming again on Sunday, May 6th. From 4:00pm – 7:00pm.  This is always a great event that benefits Garrett Trails.

Don’t forget the Race Up the Face before the “Taste” celebration begins: A 400 meter length with a 124 meter (407 ft) ascent UP The Face (a black diamond ski trail).

The town of Grantsville will participate in the Maryland Pickers National Road Sale on Saturday, May 12th and the Garrett County Arts Council is taking donations to sell as a fundraiser. Your donations are tax deductible and they are especially interested in ‘artsy’ things!

How big a deal was it to create the Sideling Hill “cut” on I-68 that many of us drive through so often? It is a welcome sign that I’m on my way “home”! Here’s an image taken during construction in 1984 that puts the effort into perspective.

Showers likely today with a high temperature of 57 and a low temperature of 44. Saturday, showers in the morning then turning partly sunny but then back to showers through the night; low of 29. A slight chance of snow on Sunday with high temp of 44 and low temp of 32.

We will be updating the site to our May edition next Tuesday and we are looking for an awesome cover photo! Will you send us what you have? Also, don’t forget we are always collecting photos for our cover, our gallery and our featured photo of the month pages — email is best: info@deepcreektimes.com or tag us on instagram!

Here’s something different: Members and guests will gather to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of the Youghiogheny Glades Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Friday afternoon from 2:00pm – 3:30pm at the Oakland branch of the Ruth Enlow Library.

There’s too much to list going on around the lake this weekend. Go to our events page to learn more about concerts, book signings, wine tastings and tours, brunches, and disc golf competitions and more.

The Ruth Enlow Library announced Thursday that it received a donation to its Early Literacy program from the Community Trust Foundation (CTF) through the Crimson Shamrock Literacy Fund.  This will help the library add early literacy backpacks to its circulating collection as part of the library’s family engagement initiative. Way to go!

The Winter Mountain Fresh Farmers Market will be held in Community Action meeting room in Oakland Saturday from 11:00am – 1:00pm.

The Little Yough Summer Music Festival Committee is currently in the planning stage for its 22nd year! There are eight dates scheduled for this year’s lineup and it takes approximately $15,000 to break-even so they are looking for sponsors/donations. Contact Michelle Ross at mainstreetgoba@gmail.com for more information.

Technology meets the great outdoors:  The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is launching new mobile-friendly volunteer angler surveys, making it easy to turn a fishing trip into scientific research by submitting catch data right from a phone.

The Garrett County Board of Education (BOE) is in the process of developing a strategic plan for the school system and they is seeking feedback on the preliminary report of strategic issues from community members, including parents, staff, students and Garrett County residents.

Get out there and network!  The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille will be hosting the Chamber’s May Business After Hours on Thursday, May 10th from 5:30pm- 7:30pm.

So, what do Mah-Jongg, windmills, mazes, Gettysburg and churches have in common?  They are all topics in May’s Garrett Institute of Lifelong Learning programming.  Get more details at www.garrettcollege.edu/GILL.

The weather for today will be mostly sunny with a high of 57 degrees. Later tonight there can be a chance of rain and a low temperature of 42.

The Department of Natural Resources is now accepting reservations for camping at state parks.

For all you Sci-Fi buffs out there: The premier of The Avengers: Infiniti War at the Garrett 8 Cinemas takes place at a special time (7:00pm – 11:00pm) this evening. Be sure to check out other movies in our movie page as well.

Register of Wills Rita Watson and Hospice of Garrett Co. Inc. will co-host a free seminar, “Everything You Wanted to Know About Wills & Estates,” today from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at the Glade Mennonite Church.  For information, contact Donna Brenneman at 301-334-5151 or djbrenneman1@gmail.com.

If you are a painter, woodworker, photographer, musician, writer or just have a passion for the arts, you should consider attending The Garrett County Arts Council’s Art’s Connection at Smoke N Mirrors Gallery in Oakland this evening from 6:00pm – 8:00pm. Contact GCAC at 301.334.6589 for more information.

This just in for all you creative folks! Maryland Citizens for the Arts will present “Mind Your Business,” a legal and financial education workshop for artists on May 5th at Frostburg State University from 1:00pm – 4:30pm. This traveling event is a symposium to help the state’s creative class better navigate budgets, contracts, copyright laws, insurance, and more.

Here is the link you’ve been waiting for! The ????????World Championship Robotics Stream???????? #Garrett County Proud!

The Garrett County Workforce Development Partners Summit will be held May 16 from 9:00am – 12:30pm is an opportunity for to share the mission of your organization and learn more about other local workforce resources available.

Yesterday I gave a few facts about the Kentucky Derby.  Today I present the full report from WalletHub on the Nation’s most addicted states, along with some related facts.  The study estimates that American gamblers experience about $100 billion in gambling losses a year!  Want to know where Maryland ranks? Click here. I bet you can’t resist!

Today Samantha Funding The Arts sponsored The Save A Life Tour at Northern High School (yesterday was Southern High School). Students watch a very powerful video about drinking & driving and texting while driving and then get to use the simulators to experience reaction times while drinking & driving and texting while driving.

A Flying Scot sailboat has been recently listed in our Online Marketplace under “Boats”.

The weather for today will be mostly cloudy with a high of 55 and a low of 36 with a light wind; rain expected between 4pm – 10pm.

Give Blood! The Red Cross will be in McHenry today from 10:00am – 4:00pm collecting blood donations. Go to www.redcrossblood.org and type in Garrett College or call 1.800.Red.Cross to schedule an appointment.

Story time this morning starting at 11:00am at the Ruth Enlow Library Grantsville branch. There’s also a Homeschooler Series event at Granstville in the afternoon.

The Garrett County Job Fair will be held this afternoon from 1:00am – 5:00pm in the Garrett College CARC Gym.  This is open to all ages and has a variety of employers and positions.

It’s Special Pasta Night at Ace’s Run this evening starting at 4:00pm. A great all-female chef team will be cooking up great pasta dishes to benefit the American Association of University Women (AAUW).  There will also be some special guests and 10% of all checks, as well as all tips, will be donated to the AAUW Garrett chapter.

There’s a neat photography course being taught by Jessica Fike this evening from 6:00pm – 8:30pm (plus a second session May 2nd) at the College.  Registration is officially closed but I think you can still probably get in. Jessica is a very talented photographer and a great lady. Call the Continuing Education line @ 301.387.3069 for more information or to register.

It’s Open Mic Night #15 this evening at MoonShadow in McHenry from 6:00pm – 9:00pm.

Governor Larry Hogan announced 30,000 Marylanders will be served by a public-private partnership with Microsoft Corp. and Declaration Networks Group, Inc (DNG). This partnership will expand rural broadband access, especially, in Garrett County.

The exercise bike we have listed in the online marketplace has been reduced to $50…. check under “Exercise Equipment”!

While Maryland has a strong history in horse racing, nothing beats the Kentucky Derby for pure spectacle.  Here’s a few facts I found on the upcoming Kentucky Derby, courtesy of WalletHub.

• $209.2 Million – Total amount wagered on the 2017 Kentucky Derby.
• $500 to $1,000 – Price of a high-end Kentucky Derby hat (90% of female spectators wear hats).
• 120K – Number of Mint Juleps served over Kentucky Derby weekend, requiring 1K pounds of fresh mint and 60K pounds of ice.
• 522,000 – Number of cans of beer that will be consumed. 163,000 hot dogs will be eaten.
• $997.19 Million – Worldwide sales of thoroughbred horses in 2017.

I was going to get a new hat, but no-way at those prices!