(9/2019) Autumn Highlights the Bounty of Our
Agricultural Heritage
The cool days of autumn are right around the corner!
That means it’s time for community shows. These longstanding traditions are a
great time to bid on some tasty baked goods, watch the FFA students show their
livestock, and catch up with old friends!
This year’s festivities kick off with the Thurmont &
Emmitsburg Community Show from September 6th through the 8th at Catoctin High
School. This is the largest community show in Maryland! The 2019-20 Catoctin
FFA Chapter Ambassador will be announced Friday evening. There will be special
recognition of two important community institutions, the American Legion, which
is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and the Seton Center, which is marking 50
years. The weekend is full of fun family activities, including log-sawing and
peddle tractor contests.
The following weekend is the start of the 157th Great
Frederick Fair. Bring the family to see the animals, enjoy the rides, food, and
fun. More importantly, help to promote agriculture in Frederick County! Fair
Day on September 20th is an excellent opportunity to educate the next
generation about our rich agricultural history.
Once the fair wraps up, there is still one more
opportunity to display crafts, food, and animals. The Glade Valley Community
Show takes place from September 25th through the 27th at Walkersville High
School.
Powered by the Sun!
Frederick County is powered by the sun and leading the
way on renewable energy! A few weeks ago, we commissioned a new solar array at
the Reichs Ford Road Landfill that will generate enough renewable energy to
supply nearly 20% of the county’s general electric usage.
We are using that electricity to power seven
county-owned facilities, including the building that houses the Emmitsburg
Library, Senior Center, and Town Offices. The coolest part is that our electric
buses are being charged using solar energy from the array. That means the buses
are running on 100 percent renewable energy! We are the only county in the
region doing this.
The array is also providing power for Winchester Hall,
the Frederick Senior Center, the landfill's scale house, and two additional
public libraries: the C. Burr Artz Library and the Urbana Regional Library.
With 7,776 panels sitting on nearly 14 acres, we expect
the solar array to produce more than 3 ½ million kilowatt hours of electricity
a year. For the next 20 years, we can access the renewable power at a fixed
rate, saving the County between $248,000 and $500,000. TESLA Energy is
responsible for the operation and maintenance of the array.
The project is a win-win-win for Frederick County! We
are using a closed section of the landfill that can't be used for other
projects. TESLA paid to construct the array. And taxpayers are saving money on
the cost of energy.
This project ensures that Frederick County is poised
for a bright future for generations to come!
Vote for Adventure
Two Frederick County communities are in the running to
be named top spots for adventure. Cast your vote in Blue Ridge Outdoors’ 9th
annual Top Adventure Towns showdown. Thurmont is competing in the Small Town
category, and the City of Frederick is in the Medium Town category.
Some of the activities that the contest features are
hiking to Cunningham Falls, bicycling through covered bridges, soaring through
a zipline course, picking fruits at Catoctin Mountain orchard, and walking
along Carroll Creek Park.
The contest runs through September 23rd. Winners will
be featured in the November issue of Blue Ridge Outdoors. You can cast a vote
every 24 hours by going to http://contests.blueridgeoutdoors.com/.
Whether you enjoy exploring outdoors, in a library, or
at the local fair, September in northern Frederick County promises fun for
everyone!
