Nature Trail in the works at Thurmont Library

The Thurmont Regional Library, in collaboration with the Catoctin Forest Alliance, Thurmont Green Team, Town of Thurmont and Frederick County School’s SUCCESS program, has a nature trail in the works. The trail will be located at the Thurmont Regional Library.

When asked by the library to establish an ADA trail, the SUCCESS program representatives knew that this project would fall into the overall objectives of the program. The SUCCESS program is a secondary transition/vocational education program designed for students 18-21 years of age with disabilities. For the past six years members of this program have worked on several other projects with Cunningham Falls State Park, Gambrill State Park and the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society.

This nature trail will be part of the trail system for the town of Thurmont and will tie into the ADA Trolley Trail behind the library. So far, pre-work has been done including marking/flagging the trail and clearing out the trail. The group still needs to remove some additional invasive species before construction may begin. Along the 1/8 mile, ADA accessible trail would be native plants, shrubs and flowers, two butterfly habitats, a barred owl box, bird houses and bat boxes.

The proposal for the trail includes using crushed stone for the path, however Commissioners advised looking into asphalt instead. Chief Administrative Officer Jim Humerick proposed this project be sent to the county for possible Capital Improvements Program funds.

Speed monitoring program officially adopted

Thurmont’s Board of Commissioners voted to approve an ordinance to implement speed cameras within the town’s school zones at their February 15 meeting. Last month, Police Chief Greg Eyler brought a proposal to the Board of Commissioners to install speed-monitoring cameras in the school zone. The Board voted to approve the cameras, but before installing them and continuing forward with the program, needed to pass an ordinance.

Commissioner Marty Burns, who stood strongly opposed to the implementation of this program, brought up the hours of operation listed in the ordinance. Instead of having the cameras running from 6 a.m. – 8 a.m. Burns urged the Board to consider changing the hours of operation from one hour before school to one hour after school ends. Commissioner Bill Buehrer countered by recommending a trial period for a few months, in order to evaluate the number of violations that occur during each hour. If the hours need adjustment after the trial period, the town could vote to do so.

The Board voted to leave the hours as is, operating Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.. The hours can be changed in the future if necessary. Three cameras will be installed, one at each school in town.