Mother Nature Is Unsettled” Photos of the Vigilant Hose, Harney Ince the Inception of Winter, the Berries
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NEWS-JOURNALEmmitsburg VOLUME 4, NO.1 • WWW.EMMITSBURG.NET • WWW.MYFAIRFIELD.NET • FEBRUARY 2012 NEWS Fire Companies recognize volunteers “Mother Nature is unsettled” Photos of the Vigilant Hose, Harney ince the inception of winter, the berries. and the Rocky Ridge Fire Compa- region has seen little snow, the “I’ve got several people telling nies award banquets. Page 40 S most noteworthy to date having oc- me the forsythia are in full bloom. curred January 22 when a mere two Things are happening. I’m not sure Highland looking at to three inches of snow fell. where the sap is at, especially in the potential development A 61 home development may be in While the scene presented as a re- peaches,” he stated. “I’m sure if I cut the works for Highland Township. sult of that snowfall may have pro- a stick and brought it in, I’d bet it’d Page 4 duced postcard scenery for a couple bloom in a few days. I hope it gets of days, it did little to contribute to back to being winter.” the cash registers of ski and snow-re- He continued, “I don’t like this COMMENTARY lated enterprises in the area. weather right now. It doesn’t look Words from Winterbilt Liberty Mountain Resort and like [winter weather] is coming right The three parts of common sense Conference Center has been in full away. I guess I’m a little concerned, as it relates to government and swing thanks its skillful snowmak- but there’s nothing you can do about politics. Page 10 ing staff and some extra help from it.” mother nature. While the skiing industry can Down Under Local fruit growers are concerned overcome some difficulties and Statesmen who love their duty for that the extended warmer weather make its own “weather,” as such, service are needed - not politicians followed suddenly by freezing tem- and the area’s fruit crop appears se- While the official start of Maple Sugaring is still a month away, the who cannot see past the blinkers. peratures could affect tree bud devel- cure, the lack of winter precipitation Page 11 unsettled weather has some trees already dripping sap from opment, resulting in fewer budding continues to impact the local econo- broken branches. Freezing temperatures at night produce tasty on trees when spring does arrive. my in other ways. ‘Sap Sickles’ for the enjoyment of early morning risers. ARTICLES However, fruit scientist Jim Sch- Zurgable Brothers Hardware may The Book of Days upp, with the Penn State Fruit Re- have to store much of its winter it was tough. No winter, no busi- casting a weary eye at plants in their The history of fortune telling with search and Extension Center in Bi- stock if something doesn’t change in ness. We still have plenty of shovels, gardens that seem ready to sprout. cards. Page 13 glerville, said, “We’re fine. It wasn’t the coming month or two. and Ice Melt,” Mark stated. “Win- “Mother Nature is unsettled – she warm enough long enough and “We have had no winter,” owner ter Coveralls are already on sale at 25 seems reluctant to let go of fall – and In the Country didn’t get cold enough fast enough” Mark Zurgable said. “It was alright percent off.” anxious to hurry spring,” noted one Maple sugaring - sweet, all nat- to affect future bud formations on here for a couple of days [during the “We’ve still got a lot of winter Master Gardener. Even the birds are ural, and soon available at a tree the fruit crop trees. January snow event] and we sold a ahead of us, but it’s time to start confused, forcing gardeners to be near you! Page 15 Richard Black, co-owner along shovel or two and some Ice Melt, thinking spring [sales stock] around vigilant of activity in nesting boxes with Patricia Black of Catoctin but nothing else.” here,” he noted, adding that the lack lest eggs get laid months before they The Master Gardener Mountain Orchards, is still keeping “Unfortunately,” he said, “that’s of winter weather related sales “just should. While spring is still a ways off, gar- his fingers crossed. Catoctin Moun- the way it goes. November and De- ties money up. This day and age, Mother Nature is indeed unset- dening classes are blooming all tain Orchards maintains about 100 cember for us really felt bad. Be- that makes it tough.” tled and always keeping the region around. Page 20 acres of apples, peaches, plums and tween the economy and the weather, Gardeners are also concerned and guessing as to her next move. History The Chronicles of Emmitsburg – 1908 interviews with the ‘old tim- Lavender Festival to change format ers’ of the town at the time. Page 24 he three-day long Lavender “Concept (the Lavender Festi- TFestival, held annually in the val) was our idea,” Wadja stated. Mount Creative Writers Fairfield area, will no longer be a “We thought that it would be a We challenged our creative writ- three-day event beginning in 2013. great plant to introduce in the area, er to spin a tale around an old Leap According to Tom Wadja, who and we wanted simply for people Year tradition – she didn’t disap- runs the event with his wife Mad- to enjoy themselves for a couple of point! Page 39 eline, the festival, which will be days.” held June 15, 16, and 17 this year, While he and his wife are the JOURNALS but will become a one-day event in backbone of the success of the The Retired Ecologist 2013. event, they do not operate the 2012 is only 6.284% gone as I write The event has been held at the show by themselves. “Manpower this, but already it is shaping up as Wadjas’ Willow Pond Farm, 145 takes about 30 people a day to pro- a complicated year. Page 14 Tract Road, since its inception vide,” he noted. “We have a lot of more than a decade ago, when it volunteers to go out and help us.” Cold War Warrior was founded in 2000. Attendance at the annual event Thousands gather every year for the Willow Pond Lavender Festival Spies like us? Military intelligence “The Lavender Festival will go generally brings in about 3,000 in Germany in the 1960s. Page 26 on this year as it has in the past, as during the three-day weekends. the American Colonies by the col- Editor’s Note: Tom Wadja wrote the a three-day event,” Wadja said. “It “We draw from a 50-mile radi- onists for primarily medicinal pur- “Cold War Warriors” column for Four Years at the Mount was decided to do one more three- us, and from other states such as poses, he stated. December and January issues of the A look through four sets of eyes at day event in order to “go out with Florida, Ohio, Michigan and New For additional information regard- Emmitsburg News-Journal. Wad- a day in the life of a Mount Student. a bang, not a whimper.” York,” he said. “It’s a very well- ing the Lavender Festival, visit the event ja served as a diplomat to the feder- Page 32 “We founded the festival about known event.” web site at palavenderfestival.com, or al State Department and retired to 11 years ago, and pretty well The event features plant sales, lav- contact the Wadjas at (717) 642-6387. grow lavender in Fairfield. Simple Servings pushed it along while we were ender product sales, food prepared Some simple, delicious, and younger,” he said. “None of us are by a professional chef, half a dozen PRE-SORTED healthy recipes to get you moving getting any younger and next year lectures each day on growing laven- in the right direction. Page 36 STANDARD we’re cutting the event back to one der and its medicinal and cooking U.S. Postage Postal Customer Complementry Corner day.” uses, and a dozen outside vendors. PAID Beginning in 2013, the event Admission is $8 over 12 years of age. A look at the sugar that Americans Westminster, MD will be held only on the Saturday Lavender, which is native to the consume and its effects on the Permit No. 94 body. Page 4 before Father’s Day. Mediterranean, was introduced in 2 | EMMITSBURG NEWS-JOURNAL | FEBRUARY 2012 NEWS & Cub Scouts for conducting the Letter to the editor “Scouting for Food” program in ear- aving turned the corner into a club), consistently and generously do- ly November, providing an early start Hnew year, the Board of the Em- nate to help us support our commu- to holiday giving. Emmitsburg mitsburg Food Bank would like thank nity’s needy families, as do the staff The Emmitsburg Lions Club and NEWS-JOURNAL the people of Emmitsburg and Rocky and classes at the National Emergen- the Knights of Columbus donate each 1 East Main Street Ridge. The last three years brought cy Training Center and the Federal year, as do the North County Demo- P.O. Box 543 economic challenges to all of us, and Emergency Management Agency. crats & Friends, Curves of Thurmont, Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727 many of our neighbors and friends The Emmitsburg Business and Pro- Weis Market in Thurmont , and our Office Number: 301-471-3306 Fax: 301-447-3057 struggled with job loss, the rising costs fessional Association, through their very own Jubilee Foods, are generous www.emmitsburg.com and www.emmitsburg.net of food, fuel and utilities, and empty “change for food” program conduct- donors.