Deep Creek Lake MD News and Local Resources: Daily Notes

It will be rainy and mild today with highs in the 50s. Freezing rain overnight possible. Tomorrow will be snow: up to an inch or two in accumulation with a temperature near 16 degrees. Sunday will be mostly sunny and cold with highs near 14.

MoonShadow in McHenry has music every day this weekend. Tom Batchelor Band, Day Old News and Dan Stevens on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Check them out.

Hey there Garrett County non-profits: The Maryland Department of Commerce, in partnership with the Maryland Nonprofit Development Center, is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations seeking short-term operational support. The Nonprofit, Interest-Free, Micro Bridge Loan Account (NIMBL) is an interest-free, micro bridge loan fund that provides funding up to $25,000 to qualifying nonprofits.

Wisp is hosting Their Rail Jam competition series for skiers and riders on Saturday afternoon, with cash and prizes. Registration required by noon.

The Deep Creek Lake Lion’s Club Blind Skier Program is coming up again and volunteers are always welcome! There will be four groups of visually impaired kids this year: Jan 30/31, Feb 6/7, 13/14 and 20/21. Call or email Chris Nichols at 301.616.7881 or dimesy23@gmail.com.

The band Red Hawk (J.B. Tenney, Jared Roy, Seth Young) with guest vocalist Juliana Warkentin will be throwing down some great tunes at Mountain State from Hendrix, Cream, Zeppelin, and others on Saturday evening starting at 9:00pm.

I will be teaching a credit class – Entrepreneurship – this semester at Garrett College. Still some room. The semester starts January 23rd. This class is adopted from one I developed and taught at Johns Hopkins on the critical things to undertake to help a start-up succeed. Contact me at mike.tumbarello@garrettcollege.edu if you have any questions. Call Admissions at 301.387.3044 to register.

Speaking of entrepreneurship, this year’s Power of Possibilities (POP) business plan competition is gearing-up. They have some nice workshops scheduled over the winter for those enrolled in the competition. This is the program DCT co-owner Sarah Myers and I co-founded in 2014. Under the new direction of Jodi McClintock, I am hoping this year’s programming will be the best yet! Contact 301.387.3069 for more information or to register.

The Garrett County Health Department extends an open invitation for Garrett County residents to attend the “Garrett County Gives Back” event on January 18, 2018, at the Garrett County Community Aquatic and Recreation Complex from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. for a community-centric event.

Remember lots of public and private organizations will be closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Have a great weekend.

It was actually a fairly nice day yesterday; I would even say it felt a bit warm at times. The weather for today will be mostly cloudy with a chance of rain in the afternoon and highs in the mid 50s.

Yesterday the Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the 2018 Annual Photo Contest. Last year almost 300 photographers (both amateur and professional) entered over 1,500 photos for awards and prizes. MD DNR will be accepting entries until August 31st.

By the way, based on the number and quality of photos submitted to Deep Creek Times by our readers, we think you talented folks should really consider submitting to the DNR contest. Some of the photos we receive are truly exceptional. Keep up the good work!

Congratulations to Tina Buckel on her recent retirement from the Garrett County Health Department!

The Pittsburgh Boat Show is coming up in a couple of weeks, the weekend of January 12th – 14th and the weekend of January 19th – 21st, and Bill’s Marine is offering free tickets (two maximum). Just email them at sales@billsmarinservice.com to find out more and ask for some tickets.

Garrett College just published their latest Continuing Education and Workforce Development catalog. You can call them at 301.387.3069 to ask for a paper copy to be mailed or go on the College’s website to find a PDF version.

Congratulations to Lazy Dayz Farms’ Crystal DeBerry and her son Dustin. One of their goats just gave birth to “quadruplets” to start the kidding season off right. Way to go DeBerry family!

From the County Government: If you are a customer of the Mt. Lake Park & Loch Lynn water system, please be advised that the system is experiencing water loss. Please conserve water for the next week and check for dirty water before doing any laundry.

Initial coin offerings, or ICOs, have become a popular way for companies in the blockchain and digital currency space to fund themselves. But, Maryland law firm Venable LLP says there may be some potential legal issues in the future based on what definition of “securities” comes out on top. A complex subject, but with all the news about Bitcoin and the fact that there are some serious crypto currency investors in Garrett County, we offer this link to a white paper on the subject. There will be a test!

Becoming partly sunny today with highs in the lower 40s; Southeast winds 5-10mph.

Story Time STEAM! Join Jessica Hook for a new take on children’s books with hands-on science and art! Can you really fit “10 Apples Up on Top”? Can you build an alphabet tree? Find out at this Allegany Arts Council presentation this afternoon in Cumberland. All ages welcome! Cost is $5 for members/$10 for non-members!

Herrington Manor State Park reports 3- 6 inches of crusty wet snow laying on the trails. Trails are not groomed. Ski rentals being conducted from the Park Office. Please contact them at 301.334. 9180 for the latest conditions and other up-to-the-minute information.

If you are planning an event (store specials, wine tastings, children’s activities, etc.) during Winter Fest, please let Michelle Ross of GOBA know as soon as possible and she will get it advertised with the other events. Michelle can be reached at 301.334.2691. Winter Fest will be held President’s Day weekend February 17-18.

HART for Animals has received a $5,000 grant from the Banfield Foundation that will be used for the emergency care of pets to owners whose income exceeds the WIC guidelines by a maximum of $10,000 a year; regardless of residency. “Neil’s Helping Fund” is named in honor of Neil, the clinic’s resident cat, who was a HART rescue.

Garrett College is holding a New Student Advising Day this Friday, January 12th. The Spring semester begins January 23rd and there is still room, and financial aid available, for new students. Contact the Admissions Office ASAP at 301.387.3044 for more information.

The Ruth Enlow Library will host a free TED Talk Screening and Discussion on Monday, January 29th, from 6:00 – 7:00pm at the Oakland Library. Registration is not required, but a courtesy call or email to Bonnie at 301-334-3996, ext. 0117 or bonnie@relib.net will let the library know the estimated attendance.

Here is a neat frozen DCL photo from our friend Rachel Miller:

An important closing note: Kevin and Jennifer Cuozzo, owners of A Touch of Class Limousines in McHenry, had a scary experience the other day. They came home to their beautiful Garrett County home to find their dishwasher on fire. If they had not come home at that time, who knows what would have happened. They asked me to spread the word to NOT leave your dishwasher on when leaving the house. I do sometimes and now I won’t!

The weather today will be partly sunny; low of 26 and high of 33 degrees.

The snow emergency plan for Garrett County was lifted at 7:30pm yesterday evening.

The Garrett County Health Department Early Care Programs invite you to participate as a member of their Advisory Board, which meets today at noon. 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.

There’s a live model drawing session this evening at Smoke N Mirrors Gallery and Studio in Oakland. Cost is $15 and preregistration and payment in advance is required.

The Office of Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has confirmed that the Governor has graciously accepted the invitation to be the keynote speaker at the annual PACE Breakfast on January 26th in Annapolis. State Comptroller Peter Franchot and US Senator Ben Cardin will also make remarks at this event. PACE is open to all members of the general public.

A new report by WalletHub ranks states from best to worst places to raise a family. WalletHub compared the 50 states across 42 key indicators of family-friendliness and Maryland came in at a surprising 27th place. Not sure I agree with the methodology but I will let you decide for yourselves.

The Garrett County Commission for Women (GCCW) is seeking nominations of outstanding Garrett County women for induction into the Garrett County Women’s Hall of Fame. Nominees should be women who have made outstanding contributions to Garrett County and are role models for tomorrow’s female leaders. Applications and information available from Carol Riley-Alexander at 301.334.8970 or email, criley@garrettcounty.org.  There are also downloadable forms on the Garrett County Commission for Women website.

The 438th Session of the Maryland General Assembly will convene January 10th, 2018. The session will last for 90 days and is scheduled to adjourn April 9th. The Governor’s budget is due by January 17th. Click Here for the complete schedule of the 2018 Legislative Session. To track legislation and stay up-to-date on legislative activity, go to http://mgaleg.maryland.gov.

Applications for current EMTs interested in the next paramedic program are now available. Applications for this 2-year program must be completed by May 31, 2018. For more information or application, please contact Doug Beitzel, Program Coordinator, at doug.beitzel@garrettcollege.edu or by calling 301-387-3772.

I went on an adventure yesterday: Behind the frozen Muddy Creek Falls at Swallow Falls State Park! It was spectacular!

After a cold and blustery weekend, the weather for today will be a winter mix. We have a winter weather advisory from 5am-7pm today and can expect 1-3 inches of snow and maybe 1/8 inch ice accumulation. The temperature will be a low of 26 and a high of 34. Stay safe out there!

The snow emergency plan for Garrett County was lifted as of yesterday morning. Still some icy patches on roads.

The LEGO Club @ the Library will be meeting this afternoon at the Kitzmiller branch of the Ruth Enlow Library from 4:30pm – 5:30pm. Contact Diane Kisner at 301.334.8091 or diane@relib.net for more information.

The weather may be cold but this video from HART for Animals will warm your heart!

Shepherd of the Hills church will be holding their latest Life After Forty-Five (LAFF) dinner on Tuesday, January 9th at Uno’s Restaurant, beginning at 6:00pm. All are welcome—bring friends!

HART had a busy month in December, with 742 spays/neuters; 484 rescues and transports, and 332 adoptions. Check out their January Happenings for information and events, as well as tips for you and your dog relative to the cold weather.

The first Chamber Business Before Hours of the new year is scheduled for Tuesday, January 16th, 8:00am in the Crawford Room at Wisp Resort. The topic will be an Economic Forecast with guest speaker J.D. Foster who is senior vice president, Economic Policy Division, and chief economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Our January photo gallery has several excellent photos from our readers!

The roads were pretty empty yesterday evening as the cold weather, snow showers and wind made travel hazardous in Garrett County. The weather for this weekend will remain cold. There is a windchill advisory through Saturday evening; a high temp of 1-degree with a wind chill of -29 today and winds gusting to 36mph. Tomorrow will be much of the same and Sunday will feel like a heat wave with a high of 26-degrees. Snow accumulations of less than an inch expected each day (today through Sunday).

The current weather conditions up and down the East coast have been caused by a “Bomb Cyclone” (really). According to the New York Times, the barometric pressure must drop by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours for a storm to be called a bomb cyclone; the formation of such a storm is called bombogenesis. Now you know.

It is Heroes Day at Wisp today! Military and rescue personnel receive free lift tickets and other specials for themselves and members of their immediate family. Check out the Wisp event calendar and/or call for more specifics.

The Stage Wisp Concert by blues artist Eli Cook has been cancelled for this evening and will be rescheduled to a later date.

The Winter Farmers Market scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) has been cancelled. The next Market will be held Saturday January 20th from 11:00am – 1:00pm indoors at the Mary Browning Senior Center in Oakland.

Garrett County Public Safety Communications has released the year-end totals for 2017:
Total incoming calls into the communications center- 42,471

Police Incidents
Garrett County Sheriffs Office- 12,011
Oakland City Police- 418
Maryland State Police- 1,349
Natural Resource Police- 78
Police Total- 13,856

EMS Incidents
Northern Garrett Grantsville- 659
Northern Garrett Friendsville- 370
Southern Garrett Oakland- 1,765
Bittinger Ems- 255
Garrett County EMS Mchenry- 1,108
EMS Total- 4,157

Fire Incidents
Deer Park Community VFD- 217
Deep Creek Volunteer Fire Company- 274
Oakland Vol. Fire Dept.- 331
Accident VFD- 183
Grantsville FireDept- 221
Kitzmiller Volunteer Fire Department- 73
Eastern Garrett Volunteer Fire Dept.- 288
Bittinger Volunteer Fire Department- 134
Bloomington Volunteer Fire Company- 141
Friendsville Volunteer Fire Department- 253
Gorman Fire Department- 99
Fire Total- 2,214

Allegany Arts Council is presenting Start to Finish, an interactive, studio-artist exhibition, this month. Participating artists will gather in the Saville Gallery in Cumberland to create original artwork using a range of method and media. Artists will be available while they work to speak with visitors about technique, answer questions, and provide demonstrations. While “off-the-mountain” check first to make sure they are open due to the weather this weekend.

The Ruth Enlow Library and Garrett County Family Support Services will co-host a free children’s Sensory Movie on Saturday, January 13th, from 1:00pm – 2:00pm, at the Oakland branch. This interactive program will include activities specifically designed for 3 – 12-year-olds who have Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, or other special needs that create sensory sensitivities. For more information, contact Susanne at 301-334-3996 ext. 0105 or skight@relib.net.

In case you haven’t already, you can sign up to receive school closing and alert text messages for Garrett County Public Schools.

So, the DNR offers a program called “Become an Outdoors Woman” … Here is a short story about one woman’s session in Deep Creek Lake for your snow day: “So that’s how I found myself on a sunny afternoon on Sept. 8 driving through a snow shower and wondering if I should have packed some long underwear.”

Frozen Muddy Creek Falls:

Photo by Mary Helen Spear

Looks like it will remain bitterly cold plus a bit snowy and windy today. Accumulations of about an inch with high temperatures of 7 degrees and winds gusting to 40mph.

We get our weather real-time from the Garrett College weather station. It is important to note that weather patterns – temperature, precipitation, wind, etc. – can vary greatly within our County due to the mountains and the lake. We heard various places across our county and nearby West Virginia (Canaan Valley) had temperature variances in excess of 30 degrees yesterday. Crazy!

It’s Team Trivia Night tonight from 6:00pm – 8:00pm at Mountain State Brewing Company in McHenry. You can compete for prizes with your team and it is all free.

We don’t and can’t give measures of ice thickness, but we thought we would share this recent photo taken from Brenda’s Pizzeria yesterday afternoon. Note the large “fissure” of seemingly open water and/or clear ice. There have been a number of these seen on the lake, even during this cold spell, likely due to movement of the ice mass and water under the ice. Think of plate tectonics and earthquakes. Please be careful.

Brookfield Renewable Partners, owner-operator of Deep Creek Hydroelectric, issued a reminder “strongly encouraging recreators to stay well away from the area of the dam and the powerhouse in the interest of public safety. There are inherent dangers and risks around waterways in general, and particularly near dams and hydropower facilities.”

The Maryland Economic Development Association is holding their Winter Conference focusing on legislative issues on January 11th in Annapolis.

The Deep Creek School of Real Estate is asking for input on timing for scheduling the first new agent class of 2018. It’s a 60-hour class open to anyone with the drive to soar.

A free session, led by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, will provide an opportunity to learn more about the FY 2018 grant program and the online application. The event will be held at the Chamber’s Visitor’s Center in McHenry on January 17th starting at 1:00pm.

Winter Fest is coming back to Oakland in February. Sculptures will be out downtown early on Saturday, February 17th and will stay out until they melt in August (just kidding). Contact Michelle Ross of GOBA at 301.334.2691 or mainstreetgoba@gmail.com to sponsor an ice sculpture.

Don’t forget to check out this month’s Cover Story on potential New Year’s Resolutions.

Stay warm…

Wind chills can be as low as 19 below this morning; partly sunny most of the day with the high temperature reaching 25 degrees.

We heard that nearby Monongalia County Schools (WV) are holding their first Arctic Academy Day today due to the cold temperatures. An interesting concept!

Herrington Manor State Park reports 6” of snow on the ground, with between 4” – 6” on the trails, which are not groomed. They have been renting ski equipment from the park office. Call them at 301.334.9180 to confirm and check up-to-the-minute conditions.

Congratulations to the family of little Steven Anthony Bunnell, the first baby of 2018 born at 6:26 a.m. on Monday, January 1st at Garrett Regional Medical Center.  He was delivered by Dr. Katie Shoe, and is the son of Abigail and Steven Dale Bunnell and is the Oakland couple’s first child.

The Maryland Handgun Qualification (HQL) class is being offered through Continuing Education and Workforce Development at Garrett College this Saturday, January 6th. The class runs from 9:00am until 2:00pm at the Northern Outreach Center in Grantsville. Call 301.387.3069 for more information or to register.

From guns to trucks: Garrett College is accepting applications for the next series of courses geared toward training individuals to obtain a commercial driver’s license. Training for both Class A (in 30 days) and Class B (in six days) will be provided. Class A training starts on January 8th (weekday session) or January 6th (weekend session). Class B training will be arranged to fit the individuals schedule. Contact Terry Beachy at 301.895.4700 or terry.beachy@garrettcollege.edu for more information.

Congratulations to Anne Horowitz on being named Civic Club of Oakland Woman of the Year. A member of the Civic Club since 2005, Anne and her husband Artie live in Oakland. Check out the full story of this interesting, accomplished and compassionate lady in the Latest News section of Deep Creek Times.

The Small Business Administration is accepting nominations for Small Business Week awards (April 29 – May 5) for a number of categories.

The emergency phone number for the Department of Public Utilities has changed to 240-442-1632. Please use this number for evening, weekend, and holiday water and sewer maintenance emergencies.

After a cold and snowy few days, the weather for today will be flurries this morning and then sunny this afternoon; highs of 10 degrees, At the time of posting, there is a 2-hour delay for Garrett County Public Schools and a wind chill advisory in effect until noon on Wednesday.

Happy New Year to all of our readers and their families! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and wish you health, happiness and success in 2018!

NOTE: We have published the Snowfall page to our site – it can be found on the home page next to the weather.

The Ruth Enlow Library begins its Winter Reads program today. It runs through March 31st and participants who read or listen to five or more books of their choosing, keep a log and write two short reviews will receive a free mug and a chance to win $25. Participants can also meet in early April to discuss reviewed books. This sounds like a great program to get through a Garrett County winter!

Note that the library has a new phone system and all extension numbers now include a zero as the first digit. The main number for Kitzmiller has also changed to 301-334-8091.

We have heard that Our Town Theater is holding auditions for the play “Silent Sky” on January 4th. We have not been able to verify that via their Facebook page or website and will report back when we know more.

Please be cautious with the ice thickness on Deep Creek Lake — it has just begun freezing and may not be thick enough to support weight in many places.

An ice rescue was called out near the Glendale Bridge on Sunday but was cancelled as the involved persons were able to exit the water. On the same day, Bob Carney captured these youngsters from Pittsburgh playing ice hockey on the Lake by Dutch’s at Silver Tree:

Here’s a tip from Garrett Department of Public Works as passed on to us from Property Owners of DCL: Due to the cold weather, Garrett Countians have been experiencing an increased number of frozen water service lines and water meters.  In an effort to help prevent frozen water service lines and water meters the Utilities Division encourages citizens to allow the cold water to drip from faucets.

Finally, look to our Deep Creek Times Cover Story for this month —  we have posted a checklist for our readers to reference as they consider New Year’s resolutions to make. This is a little different than the typical “eat-less, exercise more” and we encourage our readers to submit their resolutions (first name only will be cited) to share with other readers in an upcoming Daily Notes column.

Once again, we wish you all the very best in 2018!

The weather for the long weekend will be:
—Friday: A slight chance of morning snow showers then partly sunny, with a high near 16. Wind chill values as low as -7. Snow after 9pm could accumulate 1 to 2 inches.
—Saturday: Snow showers with a high near 20. Wind chill values as low as zero. West wind 8 to 18 mph.
—Sunday: A chance of snow showers, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 11.
—New Year’s Day: Partly sunny and cold, with a high near 9.

The colder weather has created a thin “skin” of ice on the lake, so ice fishermen will likely be out there soon once the ice is thicker and is safe. Please be careful.

Thanks to reader Terin H. for pointing out a potential error in our interpretation of the smoke alarm law (see Wednesday’s Notes). As of January 1st, home owners with 9v battery operated smoke alarms are required to upgrade to sealed 10-year long life sealed battery smoke alarms with a hush button feature regardless of the age of the 9v battery Smoke Alarm. There’s more in the law and it is a bit confusing, so please read the Fire Marshall’s press release or call them at 1-800-525-3124 for clarity.

Wisp is reporting 17 trails and eight lifts open as of yesterday with a base of 28”. They also are working hard and making snow to open East Ridge today.

Check out the music on Maple Street in Friendsville at Fred Fox’s Ken’s Irish Pub in Friendsville, MD. Crawford Family Values is playing there Friday evening from 8:00pm – 11:00pm. Terah Crawford is a local real estate agent and all around great lady that leads this special performance.

Try to stop by HART’s Fur Ball Casino at Dutch’s New Year’s Eve, with food, a silent auction and casino games. Goes from 6:00pm – 11:30pm this Sunday in the banquet room on the lower level. Proceeds benefit HART!

Wisp is also hosting a New Year’s celebration: House DJ Jazzy Jan will be playing a variety of music in the Main Lodge to keep all members of the family dancing from 8:00pm – Midnight.

Don’t forget, MoonShadow is having Box Era and a NYE party from 8:00pm-12:30am a $5/cover @9:30pm includes a champagne toast at midnight.

We previously mentioned the Deep Creek Lake First-Day hike but there are a number of local and state-wide First-Day Hikes planned for January 1st 2018, including Herrington Manor and New Germany.

The northern snakehead is a non-native species that has “invaded” the eastern waters of the state. One containment challenge has been its ability to “walk” between bodies of water. While not in the waters of western Maryland, we thought you might be interested in this story about a Wake Forest researcher studying the fish’s walking abilities.

According to MRIS and Mike Kennedy at Railey Realty, there were 181 homes for sale at Deep Creek Lake as of December 1st. There were 224 homes sold year-to-date with an average sales price of $526,542.

Thank you to Friendsville resident Pat H. for this icy view of the Yough River:

Yesterday was pretty cold, with the weather in Swanton at 8:00pm down to 4 degrees Fahrenheit. The weather for today will remain cold; partly sunny with highs reaching 14 degrees.

There was a sanitary sewer overflow of approximately 3,200 gallons on Lake Shore Drive on Tuesday afternoon, apparently due to a sewer tap breakage. The Department of Public Works responded to the problem and contained the leak and the Department of Health was contacted and deemed no public health risk from the situation.

Hungry? Well the critters at the Deep Creek Lake State Park Discovery Center are! Today at 2:00pm you can watch the animals at the Discovery Center as they eat their lunch. There’s also a participatory session on birds in the Science Room at 11:00am.

Speaking of the Discovery Center, they are holding their annual First Day Hike on January 1st. Those interested can meet at the Discovery Center by 10:00am for the 2.5-mile-long hike on the moderate-grade Beckman’s Trail led by Naturalist Will Williams. Dress for the weather and have a complimentary hot chocolate after the hike.

Herrington Manor State Park issued a ski report for cross country skiers yesterday. They reported that four inches of “extremely light fluff” fell overnight and into early yesterday morning, on top of the one-inch base. Trails are not groomed. There are no ski rentals as of yesterday. For more information call them at 301-334-9180.

Two Garrett County organizations received $2,500 from the Tucker Community Foundation through its annual Fall Grant Program. The Garrett Community College Foundation fund for student assistance received $1,500 and Garrett County Community Action free tax prep and financial education program received $1,000.

The Maryland Economic Development Association’s yearly legislative economic outlook conference is scheduled for Thursday, January 11, 2018 at the Governor Calvert House in Annapolis. Public and private sector leaders will share their thoughts on economic development related topics that will be considered during the upcoming 2018 legislative session.

The County Government has posted that Garrett County does not allow prepayments for property tax bills; however, they do allow overpayments. Any overpayment will sit as a credit on the customer’s account and be applied to any subsequent year’s tax bill. They do not pay interest on “overpayments. Please check with your financial advisor concerning the possible tax implications of making an overpayment.

Partly sunny today with some snow showers. High of 14 degrees.

Ever wonder what a hawk or eagle eats? Well, you can find out at the Discovery Center today at 2:00pm. You’ll learn about their individual stories and also facts about their species. There’s also a session with the Center’s roving naturalists starting at 11:00am.

We watched the newest Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi, on Saturday. A little “long” but the second half was action-packed. Good family entertainment for anyone interested in an indoor activity this week.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources just completed trout stocking in Garrett County, with both the Yough and Deep Creek Lake stocked. The DNR has also called our attention to the ban on felt-soled waders in state waters. It appears that the felt provides a “medium” for the transfer of an algae known as “Rock Snot” (yes, you read that right). A serious issue.

Gov. Larry Hogan has announced a series of new initiatives to spur job creation and economic growth in Maryland and further establish the state’s leadership in key STEM-related (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) industries.Hogan pledged to introduce new legislation in the upcoming session to expand on the More Jobs for Marylanders Act, which was passed in the 2017 session and went into effect June 1.

Netflix recently released a 6-part documentary hybrid series, aptly named Wormwood, on CIA biochemist Frank Olson’s mysterious and untimely death following his visit to Deep Creek Lake in the fall of 1953. Dubbed by the official CIA papers as the “Deep Creek Rendezvous,” this trip would turn out to be the central turning point in a major CIA scandal.

Smoke alarm law reminder: The law requires the replacement of any battery-only operated smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old with a unit powered by a 10-year sealed-in battery having a “Hush” button feature – ultimately affecting more than 800,000 Maryland homes with battery- only operated smoke alarms.  The effective date for this requirement to be completed by is January 1, 2018.

Partly cloudy, a low of 5 today and a high reaching 17. Chance of snow this afternoon and winds are 15-20mph and gusting to 40mph.

We Garrett Countians were fortunate to have a beautiful white Christmas yesterday. I drove down to Oakland to check on a friend’s chickens (long story) and just about everything but Sheetz and 7-Eleven were closed, with only a few cars on the road. We hope you were with friends and family and had a great holiday. We sure did.

This one’s for the birds! Actually, the Discovery Center is holding a session in the Science Room today showing how birds fly, see and hunt. This event is interactive and participatory throughout the entire hour. The event is free and starts at 11:00am. There’s also a session called First Impressions scheduled for 2:00pm.

Don’t forget to check out our local retailers for after-Christmas sales. I know Schoolhouse Earth has one, as does Bear Creek Traders.

The Ruth Enlow Library recently set new policies for the circulation of materials to patrons, to be effective as of January 2nd. Patrons may now check out up to 100 items at one time, with exceptions. All materials may now be checked out for three weeks, again with exceptions. They may not have updated their website yet, so ask at the library about the new policy.

We heard that the Garrett County/Deep Creek Lake episode of Lake House Hunters will air on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2018 at 6:00pm on HGTV. Be sure to check your local listings to confirm. We’ll share more when we can.

HART’s Fur Ball Casino is back at Dutch’s New Year’s Eve. Includes Hors D’oeuvres, silent auction and casino games. Goes from 6:00pm – 11:30pm this Sunday in the banquet room on the lower level. All proceeds benefit HART!

Just a suggestion for our readers: With all of the talk about the new tax law that goes into effect in 2018, it is easy to forget that there are things most of us can do to lower taxes this year. Perhaps talk to your tax advisor to discuss maximizing your 2017 deductions, before the rates go down.

Cloudy with a chance of rain today and tomorrow; highs in the high 40s to low 50s. Weather on Sunday and Monday will be cooler with a chance of snow showers both days. Sunday’s high will be 32 degrees with Monday’s high only reaching 22 degrees.

According to the American Automobile Association, over 100 million people will be traveling from Saturday through Monday. There will likely be a few storms present around the country, so check the weather. Garrett County appears right on the border, so we may be in for a mix or some snow.

‘Tis the season for giving. The latest World Giving Index shows that Americans are among the world’s most generous people, ranking No. 5 out of 140 countries. And, a recent study by WalletHub ranked Maryland second most charitable state. Way to go!

Looking to get a few last-minute gifts, or goodies for a holiday celebration? Please consider shopping local and please also support our advertisers. They are great locally-owned businesses with great, community-centered owners.

Here’s an interesting video and article from the Baltimore Sun on the debate going on around wind turbines in the Dan’s Mountain area (and elsewhere). It seems to me that energy, whether fossil or renewable, generates a lot of “discussion” these days. We are not taking a position at all, but we thought our readers would enjoy this article.

Bernard the Bear is a new symbol for drug and alcohol prevention in Garrett County. He is sponsored by the Garrett County Drug-Free Communities Coalition (DFCC) and can take messages to events throughout the county, making a fun interactive display including selfies and sometimes prizes. Learn more about Bernard the Bear on the Garrett County Health Department website.

We will back with a new Daily Notes on Tuesday, December 26th. We wish all of our readers and their families a safe, happy and joyous Christmas season.