Deep Creek Lake MD News and Local Resources: Daily Notes

The weather for today will be scattered rain and even snow this morning changing to light rain this afternoon. Highs in the mid-40s.

The Ruth Enlow Library has three interesting events going on today, including a LEGO Club meeting in Kitzmiller, a Community Conversation session in Grantsville and a talk on the Bayeux Tapestry in Oakland.

Speakers Brooke Neel, Henry Scully & Steve Clark will provide an informative presentation on the Flight 93 Memorial features and updates, educational programming, the Visitor Center and Learning Center. The event is free at the Springs Museum/Folk Meeting House at 1711 Springs Road in Springs, PA starting at 7:30pm tonight.

On November 10^th, Governor Hogan announced that that all military veterans, including residents and nonresidents, will be granted free admission and entrance to the network of 72 state parks managed by the Maryland Park Service. There are currently 414,000 veterans living in Maryland.

I attended a wonderful Veteran’s Ceremony at the Veteran’s Park on Saturday 11/11 at 11:00am. Note the frigid temperatures had the fountain half-frozen.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office is sharing information about a recent recall of portable fire extinguishers manufactured by the Kidde Corporation. There have been almost 400 reports of problems related to these Kidde fire extinguishers and Kidde has recalled almost 38 million fire extinguishers due to alleged malfunctions. Remember to check your numbers if you have a Kidde.

Saw a number of fishermen in boats out on the lake in the mild weather on Sunday. According to the Maryland Department of Natural resources, the focus is on walleye, smallmouth bass and yellow perch along steep rocky shorelines and deep grass.

We breathe in the clean, crisp Fall air here in Garrett County, consider the fact that India’s Delhi residents are facing a serious smog “event.” CNN reports that breathing air in Delhi is the equivalent of smoking 44 cigarettes a day!

I went to Kitzmiller over the weekend and saw the Apple Maps car …. wish I could have gotten a photo!

Chance of snow this morning (there are already flurries in some places) and unseasonably cold highs in the 20s. Winds could gust up to 35mph. Tomorrow will be partly sunny with a low of 25 and a high of 32 and Sunday will be chance of rain and snow – low of 32 and high of 43.

We salute you! A heartfelt thank you to all the men and women that have served their country, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Garrett College is holding their annual Remembrance Day Roll Call on today in the auditorium from 7:00am – 4:30pm. This year members of the community will read the names of our men and women who died in Afghanistan and Iraq in the past decade.

Here’s our list of local restaurants offering Veterans Day (November 11th) discounts, including:

• Denny’s: (Nov 10) Free Build Your Own Grand Slam from 5:00am to noon
• IHOP: (Nov. 10) Free Red, White and Blue pancakes from 7:00am-7:00pm
• Perkins: (Nov 11) You can enjoy a complimentary Magnificent Seven Breakfast
• Uno’s: (Nov 11) Enjoy a free entrée or individual pizza (with an entrée or pizza purchase of equal or greater value.)
• Green Turtle: Nov 11) Offer valid for a free item up to $12 or $12 off on a more     expensive item

*Check participating locations before you go and note that you will probably need your ID Card or DD 214 for each of these*

Oakland will be holding a Veteran’s Parade tomorrow at 10:30am in Downtown.

On Saturday, from 2:00pm – 4:00pm, Our Town Theatre and Ruth Enlow Library will co-host a Canteen at the Theatre. The Canteen will begin with a Presentation of the Colors, with the American Legion’s Color Guard, and the service songs will be played to honor each branch of the armed forces, followed by a reading of “letters home” and other programming.

Anybody know who belongs to this doggie that was found at the intersection of 495 and North Glad on Thursday? If so, please call the Garrett County Animal Shelter at 301-334-3553.

Just heard that the WMXA Cash Bash scheduled for Saturday evening at the Oakland Elks Lodge has been rescheduled to January 13^th

Moonshadow in McHenry has concerts by The Tonehounds, Mateo Monk and Jason McDonald this weekend.

Garrett County Public Schools Superintendent Barbara Baker plans to seek feedback from parents and the community regarding the strategic planning for the future success of the school system. See the link for the complete schedule.

Some tidbits (giblets?) for Thanksgiving table conversations: According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, an adult turkey has between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers. And, turkey droppings tell a bird’s sex and age. Male droppings are j-shaped; female droppings are spiral-shaped. The larger the diameter, the older the bird. Now you know!

The Rural Maryland Council will host its biennial summit “Bridging the Divide: Strengthening Rural and Urban Communities” on Friday, December 1, 2017 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Annapolis, Maryland.

A new community organization, HABco, is holding a Monday Morning Mojo event on November 20 from 7:30am-9:00am. This event intends to create an opportunity for coffee, collaboration and motivation among creatives, entrepreneurs and community leaders. This event is $10 per person and limited to the first 20 participants.

Mostly cloudy turning partly cloudy this afternoon; highs in the mid-40s with wind around 10mph and gusts up to 20mph.

The Women’s Networking Group had a great meeting at Ace’s Run yesterday. Keep up the good work – and networking – ladies!

For you dedicated leaf peepers, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources reports that there are still some parts of Maryland where the fall foliage is just now peaking. I think I’ll stay in beautiful Garrett County all the same…

Ken’s Irish Pub in Friendsville is presenting Jason Shaw with Brandon Kling on percussion, this Saturday (11/11) at 8:00pm. They will be mixing in one of the greatest rock stars of all time, Tom Petty!

Here’s an interesting fact: According to the American Immigration Council, 15.2% of Marylanders were immigrants in 2015. That’s almost a million individuals. In addition, 11.3% of the population were native-born Americans who had at least one parent that was an immigrant.

Cancel that! A Touch of Class Limo reports that they had a few wedding cancellations for this weekend and that they are offering discount pricing on some great vehicles. Call them at 301.698.2650 or email them at info@atouchofclasslimosuines.com.

Do you know of a business that deserves recognition for making an investment in Garrett County? Honor their work and the project by submitting a nomination that demonstrates how the company has influenced your community while transforming the lives around you. This event is sponsored by Maryland Economic Development Association and the deadline for nominations is December 8^th.

Partly sunny this morning turning to partly cloudy but warmer with highs in the low 40s.

Important reminder for our readers: Potomac Edison is planning a power outage today that will impact customers in the McHenry and Oakland areas between 9:00am – 9:15am. This is an outage for construction/repairs. In the event that it needs to be rescheduled for weather, they will move it to Thursday, November 9th from 9:00am – 9:15am.

Lots of interesting programs today for kids and adults at the Ruth Enlow Library branch locations throughout the County.

One more reminder: Women’s Networking Lunch @Ace’s Run at 12pm today!

Maryland Matters recently shared a LTE with more information on the Garrett County College Tuition Program that was followed up with a response from Dr. Bernard Sadusky Executive Director of MACC (Maryland Association of Community Colleges). The “promise” program is an excellent program for our community!

Congratulations to my colleague Max Hill on his election to the town council of Loch Lynn Monday. Way to go Max!

We have heard of some local restaurants offering Veterans Day (November 11th) discounts, including:

• Denny’s: (Nov 10) Free Build Your Own Grand Slam from 5:00pm to noon
• IHOP: (Nov. 10) Free Red, White and Blue pancakes from 7:00am-7:00pm
• Perkins: (Nov 11) You can enjoy a complimentary Magnificent Seven Breakfast
• Uno’s:  (Nov 11) Enjoy a free entrée or individual pizza (with an entrée or pizza purchase of equal or greater value.)
• Green Turtle: Nov 11) Offer valid for a free item up to $12 or $12 off on a more expensive item

*Check participating locations before you go and note that you will probably need your ID Card or DD 214 for each of these*

In 2013 Brett Simpson entered into and completed what is considered to be one of the hardest bike races in the world, Tour Divide. Simpson is scheduled to give a presentation as part of the Adventure Sports colloquium series on Tuesday, November 14 at 7:00pm in room 1013 in the Center for Adventure & Outdoor Studies (CAOS) building at Garrett College. Call 301-387-3330 for more information.

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and since Americans collectively spend nearly $200 billion per year on obesity-related health costs, the personal-finance website WalletHub yesterday released its report on 2017’s Fattest States in America. Interesting fact: Maryland ranks 24th.

The Governor’s Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs is offering two programs on government procurement and related topics in Crownsville on November 28th. It’s a drive but government contracts can really help any business grow.

Be careful out there: It will be a high of 37 and low of 31 today with a chance of freezing rain in the afternoon. Winds up to 15mph.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families of the shooting in Texas on Sunday.

Calling all real estate investors and artists: Don’t forget to attend the A&E District Explained meeting this evening at the Penn Alps restaurant in Grantsville. You’ll learn all about the benefits of buying or renting real estate in the Grantsville and Oakland Arts Districts.

Remember to mark your calendars for Wednesday’s Women’s Networking Lunch at Ace’s Run from 12pm-1pm sponsored by the Garrett County Business Hub. The cost $15 to cover the cost of lunch.

Health is in the news:

The Board of Garrett County Commissioners will be holding its semi-annual Board of Health meeting during the monthly Health Planning Council on Thursday, November 16, 2017 beginning at 8:00 am in the Health Department Conference Room. Interested persons may contact Robert Stephens, Health Officer at 301.334.7700

Maryland Health Connection Open Enrollment is available until December 15, 2017. More on how to enroll and the information needed can be found on the Health Connection website.

Garrett Regional Medical Center scores high on recent ratings of hospital safety in Maryland. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is a public service provided by The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit organization.

How sweet it is. A class on Wilton Candy making will be offered by Garrett College Continuing Education and Workforce Development in Grantsville on Wednesday, November 15, 6:30pm – 8:30pm. To register for this course, persons may contact the CEWD registration desk at 301-387-3069.

While many flowers are finished blooming by the fall, pollinators like bees, butterflies, moths, wasps and flower flies are still out foraging for food. This late group of pollinators also includes the monarch butterfly, which needs nectar to fuel its southward migration. See some examples of “late bloomers” that provide nectar at this time of the year.

Our rural County is home to many, many dogs and dog lovers, including Mike and Sarah. For you dog lovers out there: Today is National Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day. Give your dog a big hug and we’ll talk again tomorrow…

It will be cloudy this morning and highs in the upper 50s falling to the upper 40s by this afternoon. Chance of rain is 90%.

The public Commissioners Meeting is this afternoon at the Oakland Courthouse.

According to just-released figures from the Chamber of Commerce, Garrett County saw an 11% increase in county accommodations collections in August 2017 over August 2016, a 53% increase in heads on beds and an 8.3% increase in sales tax collections. According to the Maryland Office of Tourism, Garrett County’s increases even outpaced Maryland’s tourism growth, with State tax revenues specific to tourism increasing by 4.1%, while Garrett County grew tourism sales tax revenues 6.8%.

Congratulations to the Oakland Fire Department for a great Gun and Cash Bash on Saturday. I had a great time introducing a downstate buddy to a little Garrett County culture. Great prizes, great food, great people all for a great cause.

Congratulations are also in order for friend and colleague J.R. Kearns, Director of the Garrett College Library. JR’s law review article on the legal history and religious practice of snake handling was cited by the prestigious journal The Encyclopedia of American Civil Rights and Liberties.

The town of McHenry, including the Deep Creek Lake area has been named by TripAdvisor as one of America’s 18 America’s 18 Best Fall Foliage Getaways by the Water.

A big THANK YOU to Helen and Walter Atwill, Garrett County residents since 1986, who celebrated their last day as volunteers at Garrett Regional Medical Center (GRMC) last week. The Atwills, both in their 90s and married 72 years, have donated well over 8,000 hours to the hospital over the last 26 years!

Helen and Walter Atwill at the reception desk on their last day at GRMC

Lots of insight into the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ progress and programs on their website, including Secretary Belton’s November Letter. http://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2017/11/01/secretarys-message-november-2017/

Part-time Garrett County resident and Deep Creek Times reader, Alice, shared her guest room decor with us! After a recent move into a new part-time home on the other end of the state, the “DCL Room” just had to be set up first!

The Garrett County Arts Council and Grantsville Arts & Entertainment committee will host a public meeting at Penn Alps Restaurant Tuesday evening at 6:00pm to explain the benefits of renting or purchasing property in the A&E District. They will also explain the tax benefits to artists in the district. All are welcome to attend.

The weather for today will be chance of rain, highs in the low 60s; winds gusting to 25mph. Saturday is rain likely and 54 degrees while Sunday looks like chance of rain and 62 degrees.

There’s an Advanced Weaving Class this Friday, Saturday and Sunday where previous students of Ann Jones can take their knowledge to the next level with an intro to reading and planning drafts that you will then weave. Various projects and materials with lots of handouts. There is a fee and we don’t know the times, so act early Friday if you are interested.

The Swanton Community Center is holding an All You Can Eat Buckwheat Cake Dinner this Saturday, Nov 4th. It will be the last one until 2018!

Party with the Oakland Walmart on Saturday from 1-4 p.m. at the “Toys that Rock” event. Take your kids to play with top toys and take selfies with Santa. FREE.

November is Native American Heritage month and the Deep Creek lake Discovery Center is celebrating with some great programs this weekend. The Discovery Center is open every Friday – Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm this month.

Smoke N Mirrors Gallery and Studio in Oakland is hosting dream interpreter Rose Gordy this Saturday at their free Dream Workshop from 2:00pm – 4:00pm.

Maryland’s craft beer industry had an overall economic impact of $637.6 million and supported or created 6,541 jobs in 2016. This is according to an economic impact study conducted by the Bureau of Revenue Estimates that was released during the Reform on Tap Task Force meeting held Wednesday, Oct. 25.

As I write this there are a whole lot of very talented Civic Club of Oakland ladies in my basement hand crafting their entry tree for November’s Festival of Trees. It always takes a lot of effort, but the outcome is magnificent and the cause is a great one – the Dove center.

A skunk in the northern end of Garrett County recently tested positively for rabies. There was an altercation between the skunk and a domesticated duck. Persons with questions should call the Garrett County Environmental Services at (301)-334-7760.

Oh my! A Night of Mayhem, Mystery and Murder will be held at Dutch’s to benefit HART for Animals on November 14th, from 6:00pm – 9:00pm. Cost is $65. Call 301.387.7729 for reservations.

Deep Creek Lake, the Wisp and I68 were “inventions” that shaped our County, its economy and people. Fast Company magazine lists the following top five inventions that shaped the workplace: Otis Elevator (1858), Five-day workweek (1908), Rolodex (1966), Casual Fridays (1966) and finally, the Cubicle (1968) … (from their September issue)

Cloudy; chance of showers 50% but warmer with highs in the mid 60s.

We hope you like the new look we implemented yesterday? Just a little change for now, with some new features coming in the future. We have totally rebuilt the technical platform Deep Creek Times is running on, so it should be more reliable and faster too…

MoonShadow is hosting “Community Night” and offering a rock painting event – you supply the rocks, they will supply the paint from 6:00pm-9:00pm tonight.

The Fort Detrick Alliance and Hagerstown Community College are hosting a Technology Showcase on November 9^th starting at 4:30pm. The featured speaker is George Davis, CEO of Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO).

That was a close shave… Did you know it is “No-Shave November?” No-Shave November is a web-based, non-profit organization devoted to growing cancer awareness and raising funds to support cancer prevention, research, and education.

Also, as we previously reported, the Garrett County Sheriff’s Department is participating in No-Shave November to raise funds for their Christmas gifts program.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources invites young hunters to hone their skills with the help of an experienced adult during two Youth Waterfowl Hunt days: November 4, 2017 and Feb. 10, 2018. There are licenses and regulations involved so you’ll want to learn more before hunting.

Important note for our readers: Potomac Edison is planning a power outage that will impact their customers in the McHenry and Oakland areas on Wednesday, November 8th between 9:00am – 9:15am. This is an outage for construction/repairs. In the event that it needs to be rescheduled for weather, they will move it to Thursday, November 9th from 9:00am – 9:15am.

President Trump has nominated a top aide to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to be the next U.S. attorney for Maryland. Robert Kyoung Hur, 44, has worked since June as principal associate deputy attorney general under Rosenstein, the top federal prosecutor in Maryland from 2005 until his appointment this year to the No. 2 post in the Justice Department.

The Ruth Enlow Library will host a lecture about the 900-year-old Bayeux Tapestry by artist and designer Dolores M. Andrew. The lecture is scheduled for Monday, November 13 from 6:00pm – 7:30pm at the Oakland Library and is free and open to the public. To register for this event contact Bonnie at 301.334.3996 x0117 or bonnie@relib.net.

Speaking of art, the Allegany Arts Council has a lot going on in the coming months, from gallery exhibits to performances. Chris Sloan and his team do a great job.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the terrorist attack victims in New York City today. Mike is originally from New York and is glad to be in safe, peaceful Garrett County during these crazy times.

Pickleball play and instruction will be at the Oakland Community Center gym (old armory) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in November from 3:00pm to 5:00pm beginning today. The CARC in McHenry will also continue to offer play times on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

Bingo night this evening to benefit HART for Animals from 6:00pm – 9:00pm, at the Mountain State Brewing Company.  $5 per game benefits the HART Animal Center’s Adoption Wing. Win prizes PLUS save 30% on all flatbreads! Contact information: call 301-387-3360 or email paula@hartforanimals.org

The County Commissioners have announced the date and time for their next public meeting. It will be held November 6^th at the Courthouse in Oakland.

The Maryland Handgun Qualification (HQL) class is being offered through Continuing Education and Workforce Development at Garrett College. The class runs from 9:00am until 2:00pm on Saturday, November 11, at the Southern Outreach Center in Oakland. Call 301.387.3069 for more information.

Take your medicine. Safely. Three Americans a minute call a poison control center because they’ve made a major mistake with their medication dosage or type. Plus, those with addictive “tendencies” can start out taking pain pills too often. We just heard about an innovative solution available at pharmacies all across the nation and thought we would share with our readers.

Play it loud and proud! Northern Garrett marching band placed 15th and Southern Garrett marching band placed 16th at the Atlantic Coast Championships this past Saturday. Northern scored 88.075 and Southern scored 87.450. What an awesome accomplishment for our kids!

Mountain Maryland PACE will be held again at the Loews Annapolis Hotel on January 25 and 26. PACE is an important part of making Maryland’s political leadership aware of the needs and the specific requests of Allegany and Garrett Counties.

A new video was just released sharing more about the Downtown Jubilee event that was held July 2017. This first-year event was focused on celebrating the charm of our small town Oakland, MD. It is planned again for July 6, 2018.

Mostly cloudy today; highs in the upper 40s. Wind around 15-25mph with gusts up to 40mph.

The Snow Emergency Plan was in effect overnight beginning at 2130 on 10/29/17 and was just recently lifted at 0820 hours this morning.

What a beautiful sight this morning. Oakland looks to have gotten about 4 inches of snow:

Take a look at each of our webcams to see the snowfall around the county.

Fall Farmers Market: Fresh and seasonal produce, baked goods, and other items will be for sale in the LaVale library parking lot today starting at 1:00pm.

Tonight is Trick or Treat sponsored by Residence Life at Garrett College: Admission is 1 non-perishable food item per family. Food item(s) can be dropped off at Garrett or Laker Hall. All donations will be given to the Students in Need Group (SING) food pantry on campus. There will be games, crafts, costume contents by age group, trick-or-treating, and family fun! For more information, contact Amanda Johnson at 301-387-3163 or amanda.johnson@garrettcollege.edu.

Congrats to Mary Callis and the whole GLAF team. The Ballet Theater of Maryland’s production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ballet Sunday afternoon was a great success and very well received by all in attendance, especially the little ones.

There was an attempted kidnapping of a five-year-old boy in Cumberland Saturday. The boy is safe and the kidnapper has been apprehended.

Successful Rural Broadband Launch: A Garrett County initiative began ahead of schedule, bringing residents in Garrett County closer to broadband accessibility. This was one of two pilot programs established by the governor Hogan’s June 2017 executive order creating an Office of Rural Broadband to improve connectivity for economic and public safety purposes, with a focus on communities that have largely been ignored.

The Maryland State Police McHenry Barrack is searching for the owner of construction equipment items that were found on Friendsville Road (MD Route 42) between Friendsville and McHenry, during the week of 10/23/2017. Anyone that has lost construction equipment during this time frame is asked to call the MSP McHenry Barrack at 301-387-1101.

The Garrett College workshop on Grant Writing has been rescheduled to Monday, November 13 and Wednesday, November 29th, in room 102 of the GIEC building on campus.  It runs from 6:00pm-8:30pm each evening and will be taught by Cherie Krug. Call 301.387.3069 to register.

Mostly sunny today; highs in the upper 60s. Some rain showers expected over the weekend — highs in the 50s for Saturday and ….brrrr…. highs in the upper 30s on Sunday.

Don’t forget to visit the Mountain Fresh Farmers Market in Oakland on Saturday. It is their last Saturday of the season. They do plan on having some Winter Markets…

A Touch of Class Limousine is holding their weekly wine and beer tasting tour event from 12:00pm – 4:00pm on Saturday.

I had a very interesting meeting Friday as part of The Greater Cumberland Committee Education Work Group. We had an interesting discussion led by Dr. Diane Romaine of Frostburg about prescription drug abuse issues and what is being done in the medical community to combat this epidemic. This is a huge problem even for rural, peaceful Garrett County.

The 2017 Wild Turkey Observation Survey Summary shows turkey reproduction in western Maryland was slightly below average, but high enough to maintain the population at previous levels. The Fall Turkey hunting season begins October 28th and ends November 4th.

On the other end of the spectrum, a Care2 Petition with over 119,000 signatures is seeking to put an end to Maryland’s black bear trophy hunt, which ran through Thursday in Garrett, Frederick, Washington, and Allegany Counties.

The Ruth Enlow Library and Garrett County Family Support Services will co-host a teen sensory and social event on Saturday, November 4, 10:00am – 11:00am, at the Oakland Library. This interactive, sensory friendly program will include activities specifically designed for teens that provide adaptive experiences based on multiple learning styles.

Garrett County is featured for “Building a Culture of Health in Appalachia” in the October edition of ARC in Focus as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation award recipient.

Last and definitely not least are all of the cool Halloween festivities being held in the area. Note we have added a few…

10/27 – Trick or Treat Night
Downtown Kitzmiller @6:00-8:00pm

10/28 – Trunk or Treat
GCC Technologies @noon-3:00pm

10/28 – Free Family Fall Festival
Deer Park Community Building @6:00pm-9:00pm

10/28 – Halloween Party
Long Branch Saloon @9:30pm-12:00am

10/28 – Halloween Party
Black Bear Tavern @10:00pm-1:00am

10/30 – Trick or Treat Sponsored by Residence Life
Garrett College Residence  @6:00pm-9:00pm

10/31 – Trick or Treating in the Towns
Oakland @6:00-7:30pm
Mt Lake Park @5:30pm-6:30pm
Loch Lynn @5:30pm-6:30pm
Grantsville @5:30pm-7:00pm
Friendsville @5:30-7:00pm
Accident @6:00pm-7:00pm

10/31 – Crossroads Family Fun Friendly Fantastic Fall Festival
Crossroads Church @5:00pm-8:00pm

10/31 – Still Brewing Band
MoonShadow @7:30pm

Mostly cloudy & foggy turning mostly sunny today; highs in the upper 40s.

It happened. First snow of the season in the air last night:

Join fellow artists, woodworkers, musicians, writers and folks that have a passion for art at this month’s Garrett County Arts Council’s Arts Connection event. This month’s event will be held today at the B&O Train Museum in downtown Oakland from 6-8pm… come hangout! (FREE)

Congratulations to Ed Friend Sr. (paper) and Wayne Boarder (online), the winners of the GOBA 50/50 raffle. Congratulations are also in order for Laura and Mark Stutzman, who worked tirelessly to create, launch and promote the raffle.

October 28th is Garrett County’s Drug Free Communities Coalition “Take Back Day,” where County citizens can bring in over-the-counter and prescription medications to McHenry Police Barracks, Garrett County Sheriff’s office and Oakland City Hall.

Plenty of good fishing at Deep Creek Lake and throughout the state for all of you anglers.

How about Garrett County? Amazon.com Inc.’s open competition for its “second headquarters” location, expected to cost over $5 billion and take 20 years to compete, drew bids from 238 cities and regions, domestic and international.

There are two pairs of skis newly listed in our online marketplace. Check ’em out!

Remembering our local and national military: On November 10th, Garrett College will take part in a nationwide effort to honor American service men and women who died in Iraq and Afghanistan during the past decade by holding a Remembrance Day National Roll Call in the auditorium located on the McHenry campus.  The event starts at 7:00am and runs into the afternoon. Contact Kathy Fauber at 301-387-3057 or kathy.fauber@garrettcollege.edu for more information or if you would like to read names.

Cool today; highs only in the mid-40s. Partly sunny and then chance of a scattered shower this afternoon.

The last Wednesday Mountain Fresh Farmer’s Market session of the season will take place today at the pavilion downtown Oakland from 10:00am-1:00pm.

Our Town Theatre’s Costume Shop, located on the second floor of The Backstage building at 105 E. Center Street in Oakland, offers costume rentals for all ages and a range of sizesfor any occassion (including Halloween). Options include traditional store-bought costumes as well as vintage clothing at a cost of $5 per outfit. Open tonight from 4:00pm-6:00pm.

Are you a wedding vendor (or do you want to be a vendor) creating weddings in Garrett County or the surrounding areas? Tonight the non-profit Garrett County Wedding Professionals group is holding an educational session on “Bridal Shows 101” at Chanteclaire Farm from 6:00-8:00pm.

Garrett County may be in Appalachia, and may even share some of the problems, but we truly have it good compared to some other Appalachian communities, especially relative to medical services and mental health care access.

The Maryland State Department of Health just reported the number of drug and alcohol-related overdose deaths by county for the second quarter of 2017. Garrett County has had 2 opioid deaths in the past 12 months.

On Saturday, October 28th, the 1994 Laker men’s basketball team, which won Garrett College’s first state and Region XX championships, along with three former athletes and a coach will be inducted into the college’s Athletic Hall of Fame. There are other activities planned as well for the Hall of Fame weekend.

The Maryland Procurement Technical Assistance Center (MD PTAC), is presenting their “Maximizing Government Opportunities” open house and training on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 in Hagerstown, MD.  The session is for those companies seeking to learn more about the federally funded resources available to businesses to pursue Government contracts at the Federal, State and Local levels.

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is looking for member businesses looking to host a Business After Hours event in 2018.

Mostly cloudy this morning; slight chance of showers and highs in the upper 50s. Not as windy today but we could experience gusts up to 25mph.

There’s nothing to say about this:

The Lion’s Club Annual Halloween Parade tonight at the former Oakland Armory on 8th Street starting at 6:30pm or the First People’s “Trunk and Treat” in Grantsville starting at 5:30pm at the Grantsville Shopping Plaza. See below for some other ghoulishly fun Halloween activities.

Well, the four-day long Maryland bear hunting season started yesterday and a number of bears have already been harvested. The Maryland Department of natural Resources also cautions that this is the time of year when black bears are most active as they seek calories for their winter hibernation. Please be careful and follow the DNR’s tips.

Mary Callis of the Garrett Lakes Arts Festival (GLAF) says there are still some tickets left for Sunday’s performance of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow with the Ballet Theater of Maryland. The event is this Sunday, starting at 2:00pm at the Garrett College Auditorium.

Allegany County has decided to replace their 14 year old tourism website www.mdmountainside.com and is seeking proposals for a new site.

Friendsville Library Quilters raised $4,120 in the raffle for their outstanding quilt this year – “Wildflowers of Garrett County – A Community Quilt!” The winning ticket is Karen Mager! Proceeds from this raffle benefit the Friendsville Branch of the Ruth Enlow Library.

The Friends of Deep Creek Lake have a brief, educational presentation on DCL funding and the need for securing state financial support that they would be interested in giving to local organizations or groups. Contact FDCL if you would like a presentation at contact@friendsofdcl.org.

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce’s next Business Before Hours will feature Andreas Weissenborn, Director of Research & Analytics at Destinations International, who will present national and Maryland state tourism trends on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 at Wisp Resort.

Here is what we know for Halloween events in the area:

10/24 – First People’s Trunk or Treat
Grantsville Shopping Plaza @5:30-7:30pm

10/24 – Lion’s Club Halloween Parade
Oakland Armory @6:30pm

10/26 – Halloween at the B&O Train Museum – Arts Connection
Historic B&O @6:00pm

10/27 – Trick or Treat Night
Downtown Kitzmiller @6:00-8:00pm

10/28 – Free Family Fall Festival
Deer Park Community Building @6:00pm-9:00pm

10/31 – Trick or Treating
Oakland @6:00-7:30pm
Mt Lake Park @5:30pm-6:30pm
Loch Lynn @5:30pm-6:30pm
Grantsville @5:30pm-7:00pm
Friendsville @5:30-7:00pm
Accident @6:00pm-7:00pm

10/31 – Still Brewing Band
MoonShadow @7:30pm