Deep Creek Lake MD News and Local Resources: Daily Notes

The weather today will be mostly sunny with a high near 32 and a low around 20. Northwest wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Saturday and Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high near 33 and a low around 17 and a high near 34 and a low around 19, respectively.

Here’s the Jet Stream pattern for the weekend:

Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh will host a virtual consumer protection forum with U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen today March 5th at 12pm. Attorney General Frosh and Senator Van Hollen will discuss common COVID-19 related scams, answer questions from Marylanders, and provide details on ways consumers can identify and protect themselves from scams.

The group that gathered outside of St. Peter the Apostle Church last year to say the rosary is about to resume on March 19, 2021. Last year they said the Rosary each Friday afternoon at 3:00 pm and they will maintain that schedule this year.

Effective Monday, March 8, 2021, all Garrett County Government buildings will reopen to the public. Note the following guidelines are in place: *Face covering is required *Social distancing must be maintained *Appointments are strongly encouraged (walk-ins may not be permitted)

According to the Garrett County Health Department, there are 1,844 Confirmed Positive Test Results for Garrett County Residents and 60 COVID-19 Related Deaths for Garrett County Residents (as of March 4).

Save the Dates for upcoming Lions Club events!
-Boat Auction Saturday, June 12th
-Boat Parade Saturday, July 3rd
-Poker Cruise Sunday, Aug 15th
-Meshach Browning Pioneer Challenge Saturday, Aug 28th

Savage River was recently stocked with 2,500 golden and rainbow trout.

The 17-year Brood X cicadas are coming in May and June. Millions of cicadas are likely to rise from the ground around mid- to late May and stick around for two to four weeks. During that time, they’ll breed and leave behind the next generation, which will surface en masse in 2038.

The weather today will be isolated snow showers before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37 and a low around 13. Northwest wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

We’ve been having a good bit of sun and it has been really great! But, here’s a funny meme I saw online yesterday ????
The Civic Club of Oakland has rented the Farmer’s Market Pavilion in downtown Oakland for the first annual Everything and Anything Goes Flea Market, Yard Sale, and Maker’s Market on Saturday, May 1. Any vendor can reserve a table under the pavilion roof for $25/table and only $15 for an uncovered spot (bring your own table) if you pre-register by April 24. Prices go up after that date, to $30 for a spot inside the Pavilion (if available) and $20 for an outside spot. For more information and registration, please contact us at gfwc.oakland@yahoo.com or visit our website at www.civicclubofoaklandmd.com.

The Maryland State Police are looking for High School Seniors interested in a career with law enforcement. A virtual recruiting event being held on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at 10 a.m. Those interested in attending the event, email your contact information to msp.cadetrecruiting@maryland.gov and login information will be provided at that time.

Maryland State Parks are also hiring locally for seasonal positions at Herrington Manor/ Swallow Falls and Wolf Den Run State Parks. Click here to apply.

Also, the County United Way is hiring a Community Resource Development Manager. The position is a paid position with CUW to help our local Garrett County United Way organization. Please submit a resume via email to michele@cuw.org. no later than March 12th.

From the Maryland Department of Tourism: “In Maryland, we love our birds! From our major league baseball and football teams, the Orioles and Ravens, to the literary genius of Baltimore’s Edgar Allan Poe to wildfowl art in our museums, birds are woven into the very fabric of Maryland heritage and pride.” Learn more about birding in Maryland.

It’s FAMILY NIGHT at Alpine Lake Resort! Just 7 miles from Oakland, the Evergreene dining room is open to the public! Just $25 to feed 4 from 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm.

There’s still a bit of snow on the ground — get outside! 🙂 Here’s a photo I took when fat tire biking yesterday (Do you follow us on Instagram?)

The weather for today will be sunny, with a high near 46 degrees and with a west wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Tonight we have a chance of rain and snow showers before 2:00 am, then a chance of freezing rain, and then a chance of snow showers and freezing rain after 3:00 am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 28.

Whoot hoot, spring is here. Well, sort of. March 1st marks the first day of meteorological spring, but astronomical spring — which is more widely regarded as the start of the season — is still about three weeks away. Meteorologists recognize spring as spanning March, April and May for consistency’s sake in weather record-keeping and also based on temperature trends in the U.S.

Here’s a neat photo of the lake showing the mist touching the lake in the morning hours.  It is a recent photo taken and submitted by Ainsley Benton.  Thanks for sharing Ainsley.

Misty Lake

Purchase a Paw Print and help a homeless animal. Each paw print you purchase supports Mocha’s Fund, which provides emergency medical care to homeless animals rescued by HART. The fund covers issues such as broken bones, infections, malnutrition and many other problems. Check out the list of businesses and buy your prints now through March 31st! Look for the Paw Prints around town at local businesses including: Deep Creek Beverage, Dutch’s, Moonshadow, Mountain State Brewing, Schoolhouse Earth, Taylor Made and Black Bear.

Congratulations to coach Dennis Gibson, the men’s basketball team head coach at Garrett College. Coach Gibson, earned his 700^th career win on February 24^th, with a double-overtime 107-100 victory against arch-rival Allegany College of Maryland on the road at Bob Kirk Arena. For the past 36 years, Gibson has served as the head men’s basketball coach, golf coach, and athletic director for Garrett College. Quite an achievement for Dennis and the college!

The Maryland State Board of Education will host a special meeting onThursday, March 4th at 4:15 pm. The meeting will be conducted virtually.  Members of the public will be able to hear the audio and see presentations in real time via livestream: http://marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Pages/meeting-agendas/2021/2021-03-04.aspx. The agenda is available at: http://marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Pages/meeting-agendas/2021/2021-03-04.aspx.

The Appalachian Laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) will host Dr. Rob Dunn, North Carolina State University, to discuss his latest book, Delicious: The Evolution of Flavor and How it Made Us Human. The event, which is part of the Lab’s Watershed Moments Community Learning Series, will take place on Thursday, March 25, at 6:30pm on Zoom. Registration for this event is required. To register, visit https://www.usmf.org/robdunn/.

Yesterday was VERY windy. The weather for today will be sunny, with a high near 36 degrees. West wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. This evening will be mostly clear, with a low around 25. West wind around 8 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

The Deep Creek Lions Club just experienced another great year hosting their Blind Skier program for area youth interested in experiencing the thrill of downhill skiing.  The club just held three programs in February and will be holding their guide appreciation event this evening.  Here’s a photo of some of our members, guides and skiers.

DCL Lions Blind Skiers Participants

Hey there fisherpeople:  By my rough count, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has placed over 40,000 trout in the state’s lakes and streams, including in Garrett County.  These fish, along with others, are just waiting for anglers to try their luck at catching them.  Here’s a link for you to learn more.

And, speaking of the Maryland DNR, campers looking to reserve a campsite on Maryland’s public lands can now use the Department of Natural Resources online reservation system to book one of 18 primitive sites at Savage River State Forest’s Big Run campground in Garrett County.

The results for USA Today’s Best Recreational Trail are in! The nearby C&O Canal Towpath finished eighth in the voting, and the adjoining Great Allegheny Passage finished ninth. Here’s the scoop.

Authorities are investigating numerous acts of vandalism at Broadford Lake Park. The incidents occurred in January and February. Oakland City Police were alerted that structures in the park were spray painted with obscene pictures, words, and identifying names like “Tay-Tay” and “DJ”. It is estimated the damages to the park total several thousand dollars. A reward is being offered for any information leading to an arrest. Please contact the Oakland Police Department at (301) 334-2100 or oaklandmdpolice@gmail.com with any information.

March is Here!

Well folks, we made it to March and things are looking-up on a number of fronts and spring is just around the corner.  In case you were wondering, March is the third month of the year and named after Mars in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. I have been told I may have a bit of Martian in me (you know, the ancestry.com thing) so I am looking forward to an especially good month!

Yesterday was rainy, with some localized flooding. Today, expect rain and snow showers before noon, then a slight chance of rain showers between noon and 1:00 pm. The temperature will be falling to around 35 degrees by 5:00 pm. West wind 9 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Tonight, we have a slight chance of snow before 9:00 pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 16. Northwest wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

The Garrett County Commissioners will be having their open meeting today at 4:00 pm.  It will be held virtually.  Here’s the agenda and directions on how to connect.

March is Women’s History Month and was set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history. In 1980, a consortium of women’s groups and historians successfully lobbied for national recognition. In February 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th 1980 as National Women’s History Week. In 1987, Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as “Women’s History Month.”

Check out the March Cover Story which will be posted today.  The article discusses a technologically enabled effort designed to prevent human trafficing.  The non-profit effort was co-founded and is run by Mark Clookie, a Swanton resident with 33 years as a sworn law enforcement officer. After you read our Cover Story be sure to check out the Prevention Now webite at www.prevention-now.org. This is a very important undertaking and worth the read.

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce invites all Chamber members to join them virtually on Wednesday, March 10th at 11:00 am for our March Marketing Roundtable: Garrett County Heritage Tourism Economic Impact Study. This is a virtual event. Nichole Parker with Parker Phillips will present the findings of their Economic Impact Study completed at locations around Garrett County from 2019 – 2020.  That should be interesting.  Free to attend but limited to Chamber members. Register here. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Duck at sarah@garrettchamber.com or 301.616.1129.

COVID-wise, Maryland providers have administered 1,306,944 total doses of COVID-19 vaccines, and 93.8% of all first doses received from the federal government. The state is averaging a new record of 34,228 shots per day. My wife Jean is now volunteeering at the vaccine site in McHenry and as I expected, our Health Department has their act together and it was well run, with hundereds of vaccine shots administered on Friday, which was her first day as a volunteer.

Have a wonderful Monday and rest of the week dear readers…

The weather today will be a chance of rain and snow after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 37 and a low around 32. Light east wind becoming southeast 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph. Snow and sleet likely before 1am, then a chance of freezing rain and sleet — little or no ice accumulation expected and less than a half inch of new snow and sleet accumulation possible. Saturday will be mostly cloudy, rain likely, mainly before 1pm. A high near 49 and a low around 37. Sunday will be showers with a high near 51 and a low around 33.

Check out the cabin rental styles from Railey Vacations:

More than 50 years after a B-52 bomber carrying two nuclear bombs crashed into Big Savage Mountain in eastern Garrett County, a virtual event was held by the George’s Creek Regional Library to memorialize the lasting legacy of the crash. Video, maps and other information about the crash can be found at https://buzzonefour.org/.

Here’s your reminder that the Garrett County Commissioners next public meeting is March 1 @ 4:00 pm.

AYCE FISH DINNERS are happening tonight at Alpine Lake Resort! Just 7 miles from Oakland in WV, from 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm

The weather today will be mostly cloudy then gradually becoming sunny with a high near 35 and a low around 21. West wind around 9 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

The Garrett County Sheriff’s Office is reminding all citizens to be aware of scams being conducted in the area. Recently a citizen was contacted by phone, and text messages, stating that they would cause harm to the person’s family if they did not send money. The money was requested to be sent via Money Grams: do not send money via Money Grams, Green Dot cards, etc to unknown individuals.

Daniel Egtvedt, of Oakland, was arrested without incident Feb. 13 in the area of Boy Scout Road for his role in the January 6th capitol riots according to a statement Monday by Maryland State Police.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is taking steps with the Paycheck Protection Program to further promote equitable relief for America’s mom-and-pop businesses.

Garrett College Board is seeking nominations for outstanding contributor.

Progressive Maryland is opening applications for its 2021 Spring Cohort of the Maryland People’s Leadership Institute.

It’s sort of last minute but the Maryland Tourism Office will be doing a photoshoot today at Wisp Resort! Get in touch with Wisp (855-990-0262) for more details!

Today we have a slight chance of showers after 1:00 pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 51 degrees (Wow!) and southwest winds 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Tonight we have a slight chance of rain and snow showers before 11:00 pm, then a slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. West wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

The Leigh Friend Solar Project is a new 3.2 megawatt DC (MWdc) community solar project located in Friendsville. With 9,300 ground-mounted solar modules, the project generates enough clean, renewable solar energy to power the equivalent of 405 homes per year. Here’s a photo for you, which is beautiful, but also a bit ironic, as it shows dense clouds over the solar panels.  Great new addition to the area and one more step toward environmental sustainability.

Leigh Friend Solar Project

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that a 90 year old woman in Seattle walked three miles each way in the cold and snow to get her vaccine so she could be comfortable and see her two great-grandchildren. Oh, I forgot to mention that she had a hip replaced a year ago. Way to go Fran Goldman!!!!

The Garrett County Health Department announced yesterday that they have received the delayed shipment of vaccines. In related news, the Health Department has been notified of additional deaths due to COVID-19 complications this week, bringing the total county deaths to 60 persons. “Each death from COVID-19 complications is sad, and we offer condolences to their loved ones,” said Garrett County Health Officer Bob Stephens. “The age range for deaths in Garrett County is from 18 to 102, with the average age being 81. Sarah and I send our condolences to the families of the victims.

I heard a rumor yesterday that a coffee shop is going in on Alder Street in downtown Oakland.  Great news and we will let you know when we get additional, verified information.

We have covered the recent donation of Water Quality Meters for the lake by the Deep Creek Lake Watershed Foundation.  Here’s a photo of a DNS biologist deploying one in the lake a few months ago.  Should help provide some perspective on the size of the meters.

Tourism accounted for 10% of the global economy before the pandemic, but it has been hammered since. When 200 tourism experts, owners and officials in 70 countries were asked in January about the prospects for recovery in international tourism in their country, 68% said Q4 of ’21 or ’22.  When asked when they expected international tourism to reach pre-pandemic levels, 84% of the same group said 2023 or later! I have said it before, but the Deep Creek Lake area is very well positioned for continued tourism and success.

As of Monday, the State of Maryland official report shows that Maryland providers have administered 1,087,086 total doses of COVID-19 vaccines, and 98.3% of all first doses received from the federal government. The state is averaging 27,604 shots per day. As of yesterday, 16.3% of Garrett County residents have received their first dose of vaccine, and 6.97% have received both of their doses. In comparison, the state rates are 12.36% for the first dose and 6.05% for second. Thanks to our Health Department and all involved for their great work on getting the vaccines administered!

The Lodges at Sunset Village has a special 72 hour sale going on through Friday for 2022 Winter Season rates!  They are guaranteeing the lowest rates if you book now.  Here’s more info on this top-rated destination or you can call them at 301.387.2227.

Yesterday’s weather was “interesting,” starting with snow and then transitioning to rain, very windy before turning back to snow in the evening. The snow emergency was lifted at 3:00 pm yesterday. Here’s a photo I took yesterday morning of my front yard.

Icicles and snow

The weather for today will include rain showers, snow showers, and freezing rain before 1:00 pm, then rain, possibly mixed with snow showers. Patchy fog before noon, with a high near 37 degrees. West wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Little or no ice accumulation expected. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Tonight will be partly cloudy, with a low around 30. West wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

In 2021, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fishing and Boating Services adopted a new catch and release regulation for brook trout in all put-and-take trout management waters, as well as all waters east of Interstate 81. These efforts will help protect our native brook trout.In order for this regulation to be effective, proper identification of trout species is necessary. The department would like your help. Please take this anonymous short survey to test your trout identification skills.

Today’s  meeting of the Maryland State Board Education will begin at 9:00 am and the agenda and materials are available at:
http://marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Pages/meeting-agendas/2021/2021-02-23.aspx There will be no public access to the Nancy S. Grasmick State Education Building, 200 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.  Members of the public will be able to hear the audio and see presentations in real time via the livestream.

Pastor Tom at St. Peters in Oakland has announced that the parish is participating in Giving Tuesday today to advance the success of Catholic Ministries. Don’t miss out on this chance to make a difference in the life of St. Peters parish and in the lives of neighbors in need who are supported by the ministries of the Archdiocese. Learn more or make a gift now or send in the envelope that was mailed to parishoners.

Staying connected! That’s what the Partners After School (PAS) @ Oakland is doing with its programming this school year. When the COVID-19 crisis hit, virtual programming was the answer. The Oakland online program meets virtually with students three times a week for one hour each day. Thanks to the Garrett County Public Schools Meal Program, the staff of PAS @ Oakland have been able to pick up and deliver food to all their students each week along with a packet of materials and supplies for the activities for the following week. This is also allowing the staff to touch base with the parents to see how they are doing and to offer any resources they may need.

The County Commissioners will be holding their next public meeting on March 1st. The meeting will be Live Streamed at https://www.facebook.com/garrettcountygovernment/
Agenda session times are approximate. Note that the Board of County Commissioners may close a portion of this public meeting and move into Executive Session to comply with a specific constitutional, statutory, or judicial requirement that may prevent public disclosure about a particular proceeding or matter.  Here’s the agenda and additional specifics for you.

We had a cold and white weekend, with yesterday being clear, sunny and very bright with the sun reflecting off the snow and ice. Today expect rain and snow, becoming all rain after 1:00 pm, with a high near 37 degrees. South wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. Tonight we have a chance of freezing rain before 10:00 pm, then a chance of snow and freezing rain between 10:00 pm and 4:00 am, then snow likely after 4:00 am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Here’s a great photo taken by Jenael Falcao on Friday evening, February 19th as she was winding down her skiing at Wisp.  It really captures the conditions and the beauty of the mountain even in the evening hours.  Thanks for sharing it with us Janael.

Wisp Up-Close in the Evening

The Garrett County Health Department, along with many other locations across the country, continues to wait for vaccine delivery because of nationwide weather delays. A shipment is not expected to be received until at least today. Because of the delivery delay, the COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at the MEDCO Building in the McHenry Business Park scheduled for today has been cancelled and all appointments are being automatically rescheduled for March 8th at the same time as the original appointment. No patient action is required and call or check the website for more up-to-date information.

We covered this in part last week, due to the Property Owners’ Association of Deep Creek Lake donation of funds for a water meter to the broader program for five water meters to be donated by the Deep Creek Lake Water Shed Foundation (to the DNR).  This is a VERY important undertaking by the Watershed Foundation as it will provide short- and long- term water quality monitoring at five additional locations around the lake.  Click here for the full story and see the photo below of a water quality meter.  We all owe a big thank you to the Watershed Foundation and all that have supported them in this effort.

New Deep Creek Lake Watershed Foundation Meter Design

Sarah covered this last week, but I thought I would share again in case anyone missed it: From a LawnStarter report “many of the best vacation rental home cities are near attractions in greater Appalachia”. Over half of Americans plan to travel in 2021, and more than a third will stay in a vacation home or homeshare rental during the winter and spring. Get here: Deep Creek Lake is proving to be an excellent location for a vacation home. The rental market at and around the lake is rockin’ it!

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced winners of the annual fifth-grade Arbor Day poster contest. Three schools in Maryland that are home to the top winners will benefit with tree plantings this spring.  One of the winners was in nearby Flintstone, in Allegany County.  Yabba dabba doo for these students… All winning poster entries are posted online. Check them out as the work is very impressive.

Just heard that the always popular fish dinners and fish dinner takeout at the St Peters in Oakland parish hall for Lent have been cancelled this year.  They hope to resume next year.

All branches of the Ruth Enlow Library will be reopening for in-person service at normal hours as of Monday, March 1st. Masks will still be required for all patrons five years of age and up, and social distancing rules remain in effect. Books may only be returned through the book slots and late fees will resume after April 1, 2021. Find more information at www.relib.net.

Have a great Monday and rest of the week dear readers…

The weather today will be snow and freezing drizzle likely before 4pm, then a chance of snow between 4pm and 5pm, then a chance of snow and freezing drizzle after 5pm. Patchy fog after 11am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 27 and a low around 11. Light west wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph and could gust as high as 21 mph. Little or no ice accumulation expected. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. Saturday will be mostly cloudy with a high near 18 and a low around 7. A chance of snow, mainly before 2pm. Wind chill values as low as -3. West wind 9 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Sunday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 32 and a low around 23.

The National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC has issued a hazardous weather outlook for Garrett, Allegany, Highland, Grant, Mineral and Pendleton counties: Today and Tonight Wind Chill Advisories may be necessary for the higher terrain. There is a slight winter storm threat late Sunday night and Monday. If the threat materializes, there may be travel disruptions.

The Garrett County Health Department announced that the Vaccination Clinic scheduled at the MEDCO Building today (February 19, 2021) in the McHenry Business Park has been cancelled due to delayed shipments of vaccine from the federal government. All appointments will be automatically rescheduled for March 3 at the same time as the original appointment. No patient action is required.

Additional COVID-19 resources:

• Up-to-date county COVID-19 data and other information is available on garretthealth.org.
• If you have COVID-19 like symptoms, schedule a testing appointment at the Health Department by calling 301-334-7697.
• Free COVID-19 testing is available (with or without symptoms) on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the MEDCO Building in the McHenry Business Park, unless otherwise announced. Pre-registration is recommended. Visit garretthealth.org for more information.
• For all other COVID-19 related questions, or to report a COVID-19 compliance issue, call the local COVID-19 Hotline number at 301-334-7698.

GoGarrettCounty.com is a county-wide initiative designed to highlight local resources and connect our community. Earn prize points by watching videos and exploring articles about things in your community that could help you or someone you know. Save or spend your prize points in the handy shopping area (located in the top right corner) on great rewards!

New businesses are being formed at a phenomenal rate ever since the pandemic gripped the US in the middle of last year. Data from the US Census Bureau reveals that there were more than 4.25 million new business applications last year, up more than 20% on the year before.

Do you have your own or are you looking to start a small business? Tri-County Council for Western Maryland (TCCWMD) is offering businesses located in Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties low interest financing through Summit Financing Solutions Revolving Loan Fund Program. Loan amounts range from $10,000 to $500,000 with terms up to 15 years.

Visit Dutch’s for Weekend Dining (today, tomorrow and Sunday) from 11:30 am – 9:00 pm. Also, tonight is AYCE FISH DINNERS from 4 – 9pm!

Oakland Youth Baseball and Softball League – Tryout and Signup is Saturday and Sunday.

A way to celebrate Black authors and their books during Black History Month is also on Saturday: Black Representation Matters (Online) from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm.

The weather today will be snow. High near 25 and a low around 24. East wind 5 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible and nighttime snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

The snow emergency plan was implemented this morning at 2:00am.

Note the following government and COVID-19 sites are closed today due to inclement weather:
-Garrett County Health Department offices (including all clinics)
-COVID-19 testing at the Health Department and the MEDCO Building in the McHenry Business Park
-Garrett County Circuit Court
-Garrett County Courthouse (but all County offices are open remotely via phone and email)

Today isn’t the best day for a road trip but you can sit back and virtually plan your adventure along Maryland’s scenic byways. There are two right here in Garrett County.

The Red, Blue & Green trails at Herrington Manor State Park were last groomed on February 16th. Get out and take a long lunch break if you can…  I went cross country skiing at Herrington Manor last Friday and it was absolutely perfect.

Participating in the Tucker Community Foundation’s Run For It event has become a tradition in supporting the Kalie Hostutler Ashby Academic Achievement Fund at Garrett College. Through this event, $2,682.39 was raised in honor of the late Kalie Hostutler Ashby and to provide textbook scholarships to GC students.

I worked with Kalie and I hold many fond memories <3

From a LawnStarter report “many of the best vacation rental home cities are near attractions in greater Appalachia”. Over half of Americans plan to travel in 2021, and more than a third will stay in a vacation home or homeshare rental during the winter and spring. Get here: Deep Creek Lake is proving to be an excellent location for a vacation home.

Be careful out there! Here are the current local road condition cameras:

The weather for today will be partly sunny, with a high near 25 degrees with wind chill values as low as zero. Light and variable wind.Tonight expect snow, mainly after 2:00 am. Low around 21. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. Dress for very cold conditions!

With the cold, icy weather yesterday, we were placed under a snow emergency plan, which is now to be lifted. The snow emergency plan requires motorists to operate vehicles that are equipped with snow tires as designated by the manufacturer or equipped with chains. Studded tires are allowed from November 1st through March 31st.

Oakland mayor Jay Moyer administered the oath of office to Police Academy Graduate, Patrolman Bryson Bittinger at a special ceremony at Oakland City Hall on Friday, February 12th. Bittinger, the son of Bill and Nichole Bittinger, grew up in Oakland and graduated from Southern Garrett High School in 2017 before earning an associate’s degree from Garrett College.  Congratulations Bryson.

Here’s a simple, nice shot of a deer in the snow, as submitted by Dot Sissler.  I guess deer like cleared roads/paths just like we do.  Thanks for sharing Dot.

Deer on the Path

The Property Owners Association of Deep Creek Lake has announced a donation of about $15,000 to the Deep Creek Watershed Foundation for the purchase of an additional Water Quality Meter. The Foundation is funding the purchase of four meters which will bring the number of permanent meters in the lake to eight. The ultimate goal of DNR is to have a meter in every cove. The meters measure water temperature, salinity, conductivity, pH, depth, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and chlorophyll (which is a measure of algal biomass). The permanent placement of the meters will allow continuous rather than “snapshot” monitoring of water quality. That is great news on many fronts and we thank the POA and the Watershed Foundation for their great work on this.

More detailed information on the lake and water quality can be found at the DNR website “Eyes on Deep Creek Lake” – http://eyesonthebay.dnr.maryland.gov/dcl/deepcreeklake.cfm. There is also detail available on the Deep Creek Watershed Foundation site which includes a PowerPoint presentation to the Foundation Board in April of 2020 entitled “DNR’s Continuous Water Quality Monitoring Project at Deep Creek Lake” by DNR Biologists Julie Bortz and Christine King, see – https://www.deepcreekwatershedfoundation.org/water-quality-testing

And, in case anyone is wondering why the lake’s water quality is so important, here’s just a few of the reasons. High quality clean water provides:​

• Protection of property values and investments for you and your family for many years to come.
• Carefree swimming, boating, water-skiing, and more.
• Healthy habitats for a wide variety of fish and other aquatic creatures.
• A clean lake for residents and visitors alike to enjoy which, in turn, supports Garrett County’s reputation as a great place to visit and live.
• A strong foundation for continued community small businesses and economic stability, including a strong tax base.

The importance of the lake to our quality of life and to Garrett County’s success cannot be underestimated!

With many students continuing their education remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic and BLS data showing a correlation between higher education levels, higher income and lower unemployment rates, the personal-finance website WalletHub yesterday released its report on 2021’s Most & Least Educated States in America, as well as accompanying videos. In order to determine the most educated states, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 18 metrics that examined the key factors of a well-educated population: educational attainment, school quality and achievement gaps between genders and races. Maryland performed very well.

How educated is Maryland? (1=Most; 25=Avg.):

• 25^th – % of High-School Diploma Holders
• 10^th – % of Associate’s Degree Holders or College-Experienced Adults
• 3^rd – % of Bachelor’s Degree Holders
• 2^nd – % of Graduate- or Professional-Degree Holders
• 6^th – Avg. University Quality
• 18^th – Racial Gap in Educational Attainment
• 1^st – Gender Gap in Educational Attainment

For those of you who like to get into the details, you can see the full report here: https://wallethub.com/edu/e/most-educated-states/31075

Finally today, a plug for a friend, executive chef Larry Roby. Larry has been accepted into a national Favorite Chef competition. The winner will be featured in Bon Appetit magazine, and will also win a cash prize. The event will be helping feed the hungry, so if you know or wish to support our local chef, please vote and pass this along to as many as you can.  Voting starts today.  Here’s the link: https://favchef.com/2021/larry-roby

For today, snow is likely, mainly after 1:00 pm. Mostly cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 21 by 5:00 pm. West wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. Tonight, we have a chance of snow before 1:00 am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 9. Wind chill values as low as -1. West wind 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

As if the pandemic has not confined us enough, now some of us are experiencing an ice jail!  Thanks to Russ Dijak for submitting this photo of icicles that resemble the bars on a jail.  Nice photo Russ. Let me out…

Ice Jail

With all the snow, Wisp is really booming and busy.  We continue to hear reports of visitors arriving at Deep Creek Lake planning to ski, snowboard or tube and being disappointed due to all of the slots already being reserved. If you are coming out to the area and wish to partake of Wisp’s great amenities, plan in advance and reserve your spots.  Just a tip. Here’s the link to their site.

After many years of advocacy, last week Maryland Department of Housing & Community Development released a statewide housing plan with maps for every are of the state prepared by the National Center for Smart Growth and Enterprise Community Partners. Here’s the Link to the Full Report.

Virtual Community Development Day will be held in Annapolis on Wednesday starting at 11:30. They want to hear from folks in all counties to ensure an equitable recovery across the state of Maryland at all levels and to help partners secure the resources to provide badly needed services throughout Maryland. Join them for a short virtual program with representatives across the state! Last chance to register here and note that only registered participants will receive program link.

A good friend of mine, Patrick O’Brien, mentioned this to me and I said I would include in Notes.  I am definitely NOT preaching here as we at Deep Creek Times celebrate and support ALL religions.  This looks interesting and informative as it will include inspired testimonies from three men imprisoned overseas for their religious beliefs. It is a virtual and free event to be held on March 5th at 6:30 pm. You can find more information and register at VOM.org/event.

Here’s a great photo form another friend, Clint Bradley, which does a great job showing the winter wonderland we are living in these days.  He took this shot from his bedroom window on Saturday.  If you are not in town this week, this gives you a great idea of what you are missing.  Thanks Clint for the great photo.

Winter Wonderland

I will add that if any of our readers have special non-profit events, religious or otherwise, please send to us at info@deepcreektimes.com and we will do our best to mention it in Notes and elsewhere on the site as space and time allow.

On a more secular note, my wife and I just finished watching the six seasons of Longmire on Netflix.  It is a “PG-rated” series with beautiful mountain scenery (sound familiar, only in Wyoming) about a small town sheriff and his team and community.  It also includes a fair amount of insight into native American culture and life.  Just a suggestion if you are looking for something…