The family-oriented event is a favorite among members of the extensive Carroll County running community. The 5K course follows old, paved golf cart paths that meander along a stream past trees in their colorful fall costumes through a lovely, natural environment. Walkers are welcome. A participant can either run the 5-kilometer course; or walk 3 kilometers and enjoy some of the most picturesque views in the Mid-Atlantic region. In addition to the great photography opportunities, Wakefield Valley is quickly becoming a birdwatcher’s paradise.

According to Carroll County Food Sunday Executive Director Caroline Babylon, proceeds from the race help support the Food Sunday milk voucher program, along with its other supplemental nutrition efforts for the Carroll community. (Babylon is this writer’s wife. She is one of two part-time employees of Food Sunday, I am one of the more than 70 volunteers.)

According to the Food Sunday website, https://ccfoodsunday.org/, “Food Sunday’s mission is to provide emergency supplemental food weekly in a way that enhances human dignity.” Food Sunday distributes a weekly grocery package, based on household size, that is meant to supplement food needs. It includes meat, eggs, bread, canned and boxed foods plus milk and fresh vegetable vouchers.

Food Sunday has been providing supplemental and emergency food assistance to the Carroll County community since 1982. According to a recent interview with Babylon, “The number of families served has increased steadily since the summer of 2023, when the average was 371 per week. It is now over 400 per week, and in August 2024 we served over 500 families per week. There is a very real need for food right now in this community.” Many of our fellow community members are struggling and the demand for the services provided by social-safety net services such as Food Sunday is high.

Babylon reports that Food Sunday “served 1,788 unique households throughout 2023. Six hundred ten of those were new families to the service. Food Sunday provided 605 families with a complete Thanksgiving meal and provided Christmas hams to 513 families…”

The annual Milk Run is one of the best fundraisers for Food Sunday. Along with the increase in the demand for the food services that Food Sunday provides has come an increase in the organization’s expenses. Food Sunday operates solely on volunteer donations and does not accept government stipends – except for a helping hand from the Carroll County commissioners and from the county government, which provides the organization with space to operate in the Distillery Building on Railroad Avenue in Westminster. Last year Food Sunday spent $515,987 on food to distribute.

Over the years the leadership of Food Sunday has become known for out-of-the-box thinking, with creative approaches to the services it provides. One of Food Sunday’s most innovative efforts is the milk voucher program. According to information provided by Food Sunday, the food bank “provides vouchers with a dollar value predicated upon family size that can be redeemed with the purchase of any milk product at participating local grocery stores. The grocers are then reimbursed for the redeemed vouchers by Food Sunday. This program allows [the food bank] to provide liquid protein without the logistical challenges of stocking and distributing milk.”

“The milk voucher program gives funding to families to purchase the milk of their choice,” according to Food Sunday. “They can get whole milk, 2%, chocolate and even almond or coconut milk as part of their weekly diet. The voucher program uses 7 stores throughout the county, including Weis, Millers, Kenny’s, Martins, Jiffy Mart, Penny Mart and Victory Mart. Many thanks to those stores for participating. Families can purchase the milk of their choice in the location they choose.

“Milk is a difficult product to handle in a food pantry,” reports Food Sunday. “It is heavy. It goes out of date quickly. There are many different types of milk. The milk voucher program lets the clients have milk choices.”

Food Sunday reports: “Since 2022 we have expanded the milk voucher program by providing our vouchers to other pantries throughout Carroll County, which broadens the receipt of milk to all parts of the county. In 2023 we redeemed milk vouchers totaling approximately $125,000.”

In 1982 Dominic Jollie encouraged the religious community to collect food at Sunday services that would be distributed through a countywide food bank network that was incorporated as Food Sunday. According to Jollie, “To know hunger exists and to do nothing is the shame and bane of human life.”

In Westminster, Food Sunday can be found at the Citizens Services Building, 10 Distillery Drive: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 10-11:15 a.m. and 1-2:15 p.m., and Saturday: 9-11:15 a.m. In Eldersburg, it is located at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 915 Liberty Road, every Wednesday, 10 a.m. to noon. In Taneytown, it is at Trinity Lutheran Church, 38 W. Baltimore St., every Thursday 9:30-11:15 a.m.

The entry fee for the Milk Run is $36. The cost for students, and members of the Eldersburg Road Runners or the Westminster Road Runners’ Club, is $21. For more information, email ccfsmilkrun@gmail.com or visit the Milk Run’s Facebook page or ccfoodsunday.org.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. His Time Flies column appears every Sunday. Email him at kevindayhoff@gmail.com.

Pappalardo died at her home in Westminster on Aug. 22. She was 92.

On Tuesday, Carroll Community College paused to pay its respects to Pappalardo, a charismatic, visionary leader who stepped up at a critical moment in county history to lead a collection of faculty members and students, supported by a series of forward-thinking elected officials.

Pappalardo served as the second president of Carroll Community College. She started her career at the college on Aug. 25, 1988, as Director of Student Services and later as Executive Dean and Director of Student Affairs. Pappalardo was instrumental in the development of the extensive campus in Westminster.

According to information researched by Lisa Slappy, the college’s chief communication officer, Pappalardo arrived “when the College was operating out of two trailers and the Robert Moton [School on Center Street in Westminster.] … Under her leadership as the Executive Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, Carroll became an independent college in 1993.”

According to the third president of the college, Dr. James D. Ball, “In 1994, after the College became independent under President Joseph Shields, and opened the Washington Road Campus, she was promoted to Executive Vice President of Planning and Student Affairs, and in July 1996 she became Executive Vice President for Learning and Instruction.

“Upon the retirement of Dr. Joseph Shields in 1999, she was appointed as the second president of the college. After completing a 15-year tenure she retired in 2014 at the age of 83…”

“During Pappalardo’s tenure as President, the physical campus on Washington Road in Westminster grew significantly, thanks to her tireless effort to obtain funding for the growth of the College,” reported Slappy. “In 2002, The Robert Annis and Phyllis Barrett Scott Center…, the Business Training Center, and the Life Fitness buildings were completed. The Nursing and Allied Health building was completed in 2004. The K building, with additional classrooms … opened in January 2010…”

“Under Dr. Papalardo’s stewardship, this college blossomed into a beacon of opportunity and excellence. Her unwavering dedication to education, commitment to student success, and tireless efforts to expand our programs and services have left an indelible mark on all of us,” said Dr. Rose Mince, the current president at the college.

“The college would not be as successful as it is today without Faye’s dedication, leadership, and vision,” said Dave Bollinger, Carroll Community College trustee.

“Our entire community is saddened by the passing of the greatest advocate for the College,” said Ball, according to information provided by Slappy. “Every student, past, present, and future, has Faye Pappalardo to thank for contributing to their success.”

Taneytown City Council member Diane Foster joined the college’s Board of Trustees in 2012. On Tuesday, Foster shared, “(Pappalardo) immediately put me at ease with her warm professional manner… I remember her saying to me that ‘she lived for the college.’ … I will always hold a special spot in my heart for this gracious lady.”

“Dr. Pappalardo was the consummate professional,” said Steven Wantz, executive director of the college foundation. Pappalardo was “revered in our community. Despite her soft-spoken demeanor, people listened intently to her… Because of her remarkable leadership, I never truly felt that she was my boss; instead, we were partners in forging a brighter path for students, both present and future, at Carroll…”

During last Tuesday’s memorial service, Ball explained much of Pappalardo’s fascinating background and her entrancing journey in life that led her to come to Carroll County and make such a special difference. According to Ball, “Prior to Pappalardo’s Community College experience, she served in religious life for 20 years as a nun of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. Her life then was devoted to teaching at all levels under the Franciscans.

“During her religious life, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education from Mount St. Mary’s College. While studying abroad, she received a certificate in French Studies from L’institut Catholique de Paris under the University of Paris-Sorbonne.”

According to Slappy, “One of Pappalardo’s signature accomplishments was establishing the College’s nursing program.” “Thanks to Faye’s leadership, Carroll’s program is recognized as one of the region’s leading programs for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and other allied health professionals,” said Dr. Nancy Perry, retired Division Chair and Professor of Allied Health programs at the College.

On Tuesday, Trustee David O’Callaghan shared that Pappalardo, “spoke movingly about … Her passion for students, the importance of nursing, the respect, caring, and loyalty she had for the faculty, staff, and administration.” O’Callaghan spoke for many when he said, “Thank you Faye. You helped this college grow from South Center Street with offices in trailers and classes in Robert Moton to what is now the best community college in the State. We love you Faye, you will be missed!”

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. His Time Flies column appears every Sunday. Email him at kevindayhoff@gmail.com.

William L. Logue died at the age of 95 on July 10. He was the oldest living member of the Westminster Volunteer Fire Department. No one can devote their life to public service without the full support of their family. Logue’s wife, Arlene L. “Eeney” Logue, died Dec. 21, 2015, at the age of 84. Mrs. Logue “worked for the Carroll County Times as circulation manager and then worked for a number of years with Stem’s Printing,” according to her obituary.

Joseph A. Ebaugh, 91, passed away peacefully earlier in the year on March 2. Ebaugh had served in the Westminster Fire Department since April 4, 1962. He served as president from 1974-75.

Ebaugh was co-founder of the Westminster Fire Department Museum where he researched historical records as far back as the 1800s. At one point, Ebaugh and another member of the department, Dr. Tim Bangerd, typed all the handwritten minutes and records of the department going back to 1879 – a herculean task. Ebaugh was known to go to great lengths to lecture about the history of the Westminster Fire Department, along with fellow firefighter Jim Eckard.

Ebaugh’s wife, Catherine M. Ebaugh, 90, of Westminster, died March 30. She served as the secretary of the Westminster Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary.

“Mr. Logue retired from Hamilton and Associates in Woodlawn,” according to his obituary. After he retired, he “held various part time jobs with different organizations around the area, working well into his 80’s. … In addition, he was a very active volunteer with Table of Grace at Grace Lutheran Church. He was fondly known for always being willing to help anyone who needed assistance, and will be remembered for being an all-around handy man…”

At a celebration of life for Logue on July 15, Westminster Fire Department President Dan Plunkert provided a detailed eulogy on Logue’s service and accomplishments. Logue applied to be a member of the department on April 5, 1950, but a position with the department did not open up until March 7, 1951.

“Mr. Logue was involved in our department during some very significant times for our department,” Plunkert said. “We were starting to experience an increase in calls for service, equipment was beginning to become more advanced. His commitment and hard work helped to continue to build upon the foundation that those before him started. His generation took ownership in the department, in the way they did business, and maintained the equipment. … Without the commitment of those from this time era like Mr. Logue, we would never be the department we are today.”

Ebaugh had an extensive military career. According to his obituary, he began his service to our nation right after high school. “He was in the US Army from 1949-1952, the U. S. Navy from 1952-1956, and the Army National Guard from 1957 until 1992. He retired at the rank of Warrant Officer IV.”

At a celebration of life for Ebaugh on March 8, Plunkert spoke for many when he explained that Ebaugh’s life “was all about service for others. … [He] was always looking for a way of helping in any way he could for the betterment of our department and the citizens we protect every day. … [He] played a big part in our department’s history, and was a big part of our department’s mission of helping others in need during what is probably the worst day of their lives.”

When Ebaugh served as the president of the department, it was decided that the ambulance would start carrying more advanced lifesaving equipment. The Westminster Fire Department began an ambulance service in 1928. However, until sometime in the 1960s or1970s, ambulance personnel would basically place the patient into a station wagon that served as an ambulance and take them to the hospital.

“This decision to carry more advanced equipment was initially met with opposition from some local doctors,” according to Plunkert. “This is an example of the leadership abilities of [Ebaugh] and his ability to lead and push new ways of thinking into our operation for the betterment of the citizens we protect and serve. Today’s ambulances are packed with very technical equipment to perform highly skilled procedures by highly trained providers of emergency medicine. One small piece of the big puzzle that explains why Maryland has one of if not the best emergency medical systems in the country. Not surprising [Ebaugh] played a big part in the initial steps in making all that happen.

“For these many years of unselfish service [Ebaugh] was awarded Fireman of the year in 2007, and he was inducted into the Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association Hall of Fame in 2020.

Carroll County has been fortunate to have many native sons and daughters who made a great difference in our community, Maryland and our great nation. We owe these individuals a huge debt of gratitude.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. His Time Flies column appears every Sunday. Email him at kevindayhoff@gmail.com. 

The Exploration Commons Facebook page carried a post that explained that participants “were seated in table groups with officers from the Westminster Police Department, who they worked with to create batches of cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, all from scratch! This was a great opportunity for attendees to work alongside our uniformed officers to create a sweet treat.”

If you have not had a chance to check out Explorations Commons in the heart of historic downtown Westminster, you are missing out. An introduction on its Facebook page explains, “Exploration Commons at 50 East is an interactive space of the Carroll County Public Library where everyone can create using the equipment and resources in the makerspace, teaching kitchen, and meeting spaces.”

A week earlier, on Aug. 7, food and shopping were on the minds of many as folks enjoyed an exciting new initiative on the part of the city and the Westminster Downtown Business Association; called “First Wednesdays.”

The next “First Wednesdays” dates are Sept. 4 and Oct. 2. According to the Downtown Westminster, Maryland Facebook page, First Wednesdays is described as “a delightful night of retail therapy and scrumptious dining in enchanting Westminster. Indulge in longer shopping hours at your favorite stores! Swing by Locust Lane (across from the Westminster Branch, CCPL) for a scoop of happiness from The Bus Stop. … Kids ages 6 and older can enjoy console gaming at MAGIC headquarters while parents shop and dine on Main Street. …”

Not to be overlooked is getting breakfast every Saturday morning at the Downtown Westminster Farmers Market, on Railroad Avenue. According to an introduction on the market’s Facebook page, it is “Carroll County’s oldest producer-only market. Open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon from the week after Mother’s Day through the week before Thanksgiving. Pick up locally grown produce, meats, poultry, pork, eggs, cheese, baked goods, coffee & prepared foods!”

Find a recent documentary produced by GLBALmedia on the market’s Facebook page featuring Westminster Mayor Mona Becker and Westminster’s Economic Development Coordinator Melissa Thorn.

In recent years, the cooking shows have been all the rage. According to an Oct. 25, 2023, article, “Food for thought: how TV cooking shows influence the way we eat” by Cecilia Nowell in The Guardian, “Cooking competition shows made their first US appearance when the Food Network began airing the Japanese program Iron Chef in 1999. Within a year, it was the most-watched show on the network.

“Before that, the Food Network had aired mostly daytime cooking shows – the kind that teach you how to prepare a recipe for your family. At that point, the network’s viewers were mostly women. But because the network relied on advertising revenue, says Emily Contois, a professor at the University of Tulsa and author of ‘Diners, Dudes and Diets: How Gender and Power Collide in Food Media and Culture, ‘they had to garner a more gender-balanced audience.’ The competition show, which wasn’t just about feeding your family, but winning a timed battle in the heat of the kitchen, drew in male viewers overnight.”

The glamorous presentations of the contestants in the cooking competition show stand in stark contrast to cooking in pioneer and colonial Carroll County. Cooking in the 1700s and 1800s was certainly not the romanticized picture of women in long dresses and wonderfully adorned aprons hovering over pots and kettles of aromatic delights cooking over an open fire with a loaf of bread or two strategically placed nearby.

The good ole’ days were very hard. Much of the day, especially in pioneer Carroll County, was utterly consumed with either food or shelter and survival.

Meals were most likely cooked in one large kettle. And despite what Hollywood would have you believe, cooking over an open fire was darn difficult. The constant bending over and lifting of heavy pieces of wood and large kettles took its toll on the woman of the house.

Herbs and spices, unless grown in the garden just outside the outdoor kitchen, were rare. For that matter, flour and sugar were quite expensive and not easily found. Food usually consisted of local game from hunting and either corn, or corn – or corn. And oh, your food also gathered pieces of wood, ashes, and lots of smoke. Making bread often took several days and it was made from cornmeal and animal grease.

As much as it may come as no surprise to anyone who knows how much I like food, a portion of this discussion has been published before. Meanwhile, this discussion provides a new meaning to calling out to have a pizza delivered. I’ll have a large pizza with mushrooms, onions, and green peppers. Hold the corn mush, pieces of wood and ash – and smoke. Or maybe one of those nice police officers can stop by with a box of homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting?

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. His Time Flies column appears every Sunday. Email him at kevindayhoff@gmail.com. 

Leppo joined the Westminster Police Department in 1967 right after leaving the Army. He was appointed chief in July 1976. Leppo followed Chief H. Leroy Day, a 20-year veteran of the department when he was named chief in 1967. . Day followed Chief Charles L. Seipp who retired Sept. 30, 1966, after 41 years of service with Westminster.

A Baltimore Sun article published on Aug. 9, 1999, reported that Leppo’s death “was a great loss for the city and the broader community. While low key and often reserved in the public eye, Mr. Leppo was a vigorous leader of a police department that grew from 7 officers when he joined in 1967 to 42 today.” It was reported at Leppo’s funeral that he had only missed one day of work in the 32 years he was with the department.

In August 1999, Leppo had served as the chief of the department for 23 years and was known to be the longest-tenured police chief in active service in Maryland law enforcement. The night of his death, Westminster Mayor Kenneth A. Yowan said, “Sam Leppo personified the Westminster City Police Department, and over his tenure as chief, it matured into one of the best police departments of its size anywhere.” That evening, Yowan appointed Maj. Roger Joneckis acting police chief and Dean Brewer deputy chief.

According to an article published Aug. 5, 1999, by Richard Irwin for the Baltimore Sun, “For more than three decades, Sam R. Leppo navigated the uncertain waters of politics and public safety with the skill of a consummate professional. … Mr. Leppo was widely respected by his fellow officers and by elected officials of the city he served. His death came … strikingly young for a man who’d become a local police institution.”

Thousands of citizens lined the streets in Westminster for Leppo’s funeral procession.  Then-Westminster Police Lt. Patrick Bressler was quoted in a subsequent Baltimore Sun article to say, “When you had problems, he would come and ask if there was anything he could do, he was always there for you.”

In the years before and during Leppo’s tenure with the Westminster Police there were many changes and challenges. Up until 1927, the Westminster Police chief also served as the “Street Commissioner” in charge of the public works department. According to a history of the department, on July 5, 1927, a request was made to the Westminster Common Council “to obtain a gun such as were usually carried by a Police Officer. This is the first recorded mentioning that law enforcement officials of the Westminster community would be armed.”

In 1967, “the Westminster Police Department, which had occupied two small rooms of Westminster’s City Hall since 1950’s, expanded to three rooms. Police also were using the basement area of City Hall where one storage room was utilized as a detaining cell for prisoners…

“Calls for service to the Police Department were received at City Hall by a police secretary; Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., who would turn dispatch the calls to patrolling officers by use of their two-way car radios. After 4 p.m. and on weekends and holidays, the dispatching of police calls were handled by the Westminster Fire Department located on Main Street.

“The most prevalent crimes during this time were that of loitering, vagrancy, and drunkenness, which were the results of the many bars located along Main Street in Westminster…”

The Aug. 9, 1999 Baltimore Sun article further explained much of Leppo’s legacy. “From bulletproof vests for officers to a new radio communications system to a new police department building, the chief left his mark on public safety in the Carroll County seat. A stickler for detail, Mr. Leppo’s well-prepared requests for equipment and programs typically found favor with a string of city mayors and council members. His lack of public criticism of government decisions and his refusal to grandstand served him and his department well.

“Even when his force labored in the dreary basement of Westminster’s Longwell Municipal Building for a dozen years, Mr. Leppo was loath to complain. And when a new police headquarters opened on Locust Street in 1993, the building’s designers incorporated numerous suggestions from the chief…”

To quote from the Aug. 9, 1999, Sun article, Leppo is remembered to this day “as a man who cared about his community, served in church and recreation group positions and organized various neighborhood policing efforts. His legacy is the enhanced safety of his community.”

In full disclosure, Chief Leppo was a good friend of mine, and I knew and thought highly of Chief Day and Chief Seipp. They were all wonderful community leaders who helped shape Westminster to be the wonderful community that we enjoy.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. His Time Flies column appears every Sunday. Email him at kevindayhoff@gmail.com.

The breakfast has become a time-honored event where members of the chamber, the Carroll County Fair Board, the board of the Carroll County Agriculture Center, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners, and elected and appointed officials from many of the county’s municipalities celebrate the fair and trade leadership notes.

This year officials from Westminster and Taneytown, including this writer, Westminster council member Ann Gilbert; Westminster Planning and Zoning officials Mark Depo and Joe Adkins; and Finance Director Theresa Rogers attended the breakfast. Taneytown Mayor Chris Miller and former Taneytown mayor, now council member Jim McCarron also attended, along with Carroll Commissioners Joe Vigliotti, Ken Kiler, and Ed Rothstein; Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker; and Carroll County Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Allan Culver.

According to information from the chamber, one of the goals of the breakfast is for local leaders to “meet some of the volunteers who organize the Fair and the kids who bring their projects to exhibit. … The Fair began as a picnic on August 14, 1897 and attracts thousands of visitors annually to see the exhibits and entertainment.”

The roots of the organizations that attend the breakfast run deep. The first meeting of the Westminster Chamber of Commerce took place on July 23, 1924. The organization became the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 1, 1973.

According to an article in the Democratic Advocate on July 25, 1924, T. W. Mather Jr., Charles W. Klee and C. Edgar Nusbaum called a meeting of “75 citizens” at the Westminster Fire Hall on Wednesday afternoon, July 23, 1924, “to consider and hear the views of the business men as to the advisability of forming a Chamber of Commerce for this city.”

According to a history of the chamber written by Diana Scott, the chamber at one time maintained an office in Westminster City Hall.

In a July 2018 interview, Mike McMullin, the chamber president since September 2010, said, “The Carroll County Chamber has about 600 members … We are no longer just a ‘business organization.’ We are a civic organization. People would be surprised to know that many of the well-known community events here in Carroll are produced by the Chamber of Commerce. Events like the outstanding teacher awards, the drug and violence expo, the annual public safety awards and the Carroll Biz Challenge to name a few.”

There is a long tradition of business- and community-oriented civic groups in Carroll County. The chamber was formed 26 years after another business organization, the Retailers’ Association of Westminster, Maryland was established on April 6, 1898, “for the purpose of the development and growth of the city and for mutual protection” against the railroad.

An article in the April 9, 1898, issue of the Westminster Democratic Advocate mentions that after the first meeting of the retailers’ association, a second meeting was to take place the following Monday, April 11, 1898.

Of note is the fact that members of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association were invited. Apparently, this association pre-dated the retailers’ association.

A quick review of the Jan. 1, 1887, directory, “Westminster, Its Location and Advantages as a Place of Residence or for Business,” published by the Democratic Advocate, has no mention of any merchants association.

The nexus between the business and agriculture communities in Carroll County remains critical to the maintenance of our quality of life in Carroll. In the early years of what we know today as Carroll County, the first business, fur-trapping, quickly gave way to farming. When William Winchester first developed Westminster in 1764, it was located along one of the three main routes of travel that are known today as Route 30, Route 140, and Route 26. These roadways were critical for the economic expansion of the fledgling colony of Maryland and the early days of our nation.

Travel and commerce along these routes through Westminster quickly led to establishing hotels, eating establishments, and provisioning stores. The arrival of the railroad in Westminster in 1861 and the National Banking Act of 1863 and 1864 accelerated the development of Carroll County’s non-agricultural commercial and industrial base.

Before 1865, farming was, for the most part, a subsistence existence. After the Civil War, farmers became increasingly “dependent on creditors, merchants, and railroads for their livelihoods. These relationships created opportunities for economic gain but also obligations, hardships, and risks that many farmers did not welcome,” notes agriculture historian James I. Stewart of Reed College. During this period there was an increasing nationalization and globalization of farming, which accelerated after the Civil War ended in 1865.

Portions of this discussion have been published before. For more information about the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, the website may be found here: https://carrollcountychamber.org/

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. His Time Flies column appears every Sunday. Email him at kevindayhoff@gmail.com.

More than 75 veterans and their families visited from all over the United States to honor the members of the Blackhorse Regiment who died in Vietnam from 1966 to 1972.

There are 19 names on the cold black granite monument in the Carroll County Vietnam Memorial Park that was dedicated on May 28, 1990. Eighteen names are listed as killed in action during the war. One name, Peter Drabic, is listed as a POW from September 1968 to March 1973. Two of the men on the memorial served in the Black Horse Regiment.

This famed Army unit traces its beginnings to March 11, 1901, and has seen combat in the Philippine-American War, World War II, the Vietnam War, the first Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Air Cavalry Troop consisted of a long-range reconnaissance platoon, scouts, and an aero rifle platoon. The ACR first arrived in South Vietnam at Vung Tau on Sept. 7, 1966. It was engaged in heavy combat and took heavy casualties throughout  the war.

The mission of the ACR was referred to as “search and destroy.” The scouts flew in small helicopters at tree-top level and lower to draw enemy fire and then pull out. At that point Cobra helicopter gunships would roll in with the appropriate fire power to neutralize the enemy threat.

Sgt. Joseph Anthony (Tony) Oreto, a member of the Black Horse Regiment from Westminster, gave his life for our country in Tay Ninh Province on April 13, 1969. He was 21 years old.

Oreto was a Washington, D.C., police cadet when he was drafted into the Army in January 1968. Oreto began his tour on Nov. 24, 1968, right after he married Georgia Croft, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Croft, of Westminster, in October 1968.

Oreto was stationed at the Bien Hoa Air Base, about 16 miles north of Saigon and killed in Tay Ninh Province along the Cambodian border, during Operation Toan Thang II – otherwise known as the defense of Saigon.

He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. According to the Silver Star citation, he earned the award “for gallantry in action. … On this date (April 13, 1969) while conducting a bomb damage assessment in a heavily-fortified enemy base camp, the platoon suddenly came under intense machine gun and antitank rocket fire from a well-concealed and well-entrenched hostile force. Sergeant Oreto and his lead squad were immediately pinned down in an open area directly in front of the enemy positions.

“Realizing the desperate situation he and his men were in, Sergeant Oreto single-handedly assaulted the nearest enemy bunker. … As he prepared to throw a hand grenade into the enemy bunker, he was fatally wounded by hostile fire.” Oreto is remembered on the national Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., on panel 27W – row 076.

Spc. 5 Joseph William Blickenstaff Jr., from Silver Run, is the other member of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment whose face is etched upon the Carroll County granite memorial.

Blickenstaff began his first tour of duty in Vietnam on Oct. 22, 1969. In the fall of 1970, at the age of 21, he volunteered to extend his tour for another six months as an aerial reconnaissance scout.

On a combat mission on Dec. 19, 1970, Blickenstaff’s OH-6A light observation helicopter was hit by enemy ground fire. He died north of Phù Lôi, Binh Duong Province, just above the Mekong Delta and about 50 miles from Saigon. Blickenstaff is on the national Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., on Panel 6W, Row 131.

Carroll County is privileged to have veterans and their families of this elite fighting force come to pause and honor the fallen from our community. This was the second time the national Vietnam veterans organization has held a memorial service at the Carroll County Vietnam Memorial.

The ACR held a memorial service on July 12, 2009. This writer participated in the service and wrote about it for the Baltimore Sun. I have also written about Oreto and Blickenstaff in the past. Portions of this discussion have been published before – and hopefully will be republished in the future. It is said that a member of the U.S. military dies twice – once when they are killed and a second time the final time their name is said out loud.

The Vietnam War ended more than 50 years ago. Yet, the war is indelibly etched in the minds of many of us who lost friends who served. The faces of the 18 names on the monument are frozen in time. Some we knew. Some we didn’t. But they were all someone’s husband, son, father, brother or uncle – or a cherished childhood friend. Their faces have been silent for many years, but they all have a story to tell.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. His Time Flies column appears every Sunday. Email him at kevindayhoff@gmail.com.

Long before sports rivalries, competitive Carroll countians strived to excel in everything that has to do with the business of agriculture. In a published account in November 1997, historian Jay Graybeal writes about our sense of competitiveness: “Local newspaper editors often published brief articles about the extraordinary fruit, vegetables, livestock, etc., brought in by subscribers. In fact, such notices occasionally sparked a rivalry among editors and their readers as to who could outdo the other in some category of agricultural produce.”

Graybeal goes on to describe a “unique annual contest was sponsored by Westminster furniture dealer Atlee W. Wampler, Sr., beginning in 1922. Wampler invited local residents to enter pumpkins which he displayed in his storefront window at 55 E. Main St.”

Despite an oral history handed down through many generations that harvest fairs occurred in Carroll County before the Civil War, surprisingly no research at this point supports the idea.

Michigan agricultural historian and educator, Kenyon Butterfield declared 1850-1870 as the “golden age of the agricultural fair.”

The first mention of a Carroll County fair seems to have occurred in the days immediately following the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1-4, 1863. In “Recollections,” Dr. Joshua Hering describes, “A temporary camp was made in a field on the “Fairground Hill,” immediately to the left of the turnpike.”

Why this area, northeast of Colonial Avenue and East Main Street was called “Fairground Hill” as early as 1863 remains a mystery.

Historian Nancy Warner writes in her book, “Carroll County Maryland, A History,” on Jan. 11, 1869, the Carroll County Agricultural Society was organized “at a meeting at the Court House.”

“Capital of $25,000 was raised through the sale of 500 shares of stock at $50.00 per share. Thirty acres of land was bought between the present location of Fair [Avenue] and Malcolm Drive.”

It is believed that the first fair after the January 1869 meeting took place that year on July 4. A “program of events” found in an 1871 publication of the American Sentinel, refers to a “Grand Exhibition of Farm machinery under the auspices of the Carroll County Agriculture Society on the Fair Grounds, Westminster, MD…”

President Ulysses Grant visited the Carroll County Agricultural Fair on Oct. 2, 1873, according to Catherine Baty, the former curator of collections at the Historical Society of Carroll County.

Warner reports Grant “arrived in Westminster at 12:30 p.m. for a ‘day at the fair.’ After a reception at the railroad depot the president, waited upon by the mayor and City Council, visited the fair, toured the town… the Western Maryland College grounds… At 5:20 p.m. the president’s train left Westminster for Baltimore.”

In researching the predecessor to what we now know as the Carroll County 4-H and FFA Fair, which began in Taneytown in 1897, some folks have suggested that there was a “fairground” at the site of the current Carroll County Regional Airport.

Well, perhaps they are partially right. Historical references to a racetrack, complete with grandstands and stables on Robert L. Hoppe’s farm called “Pleasure Park,” do not occur until the “Carroll County Trotting, Riding and Pleasure Association” was organized in 1894.

The president was then-Westminster mayor Joseph D. Brooks and then-Sheriff S. Carr Wickert served as secretary. The first organized race was held Oct. 3, 1894, and music was provided by the same Westminster Municipal Band organization that performs to this day.

Unsubstantiated oral tradition has it that the Pleasure Park became a popular stopover for “barnstormers” who traveled the country putting on “aeroplane” exhibitions as early as the 1920s. Folklore further states that later the infield became an airstrip, and the stables were used to house the early flying machines. As an organized airport, the “Westminster Airport” – as it was known then, was not formally dedicated (by Westminster Mayor Joseph L. Matthias) until June 5, 1943.

According to a history published in the 1997 fair guide, the current version of the fair celebrates its roots going back to a picnic held August 14, 1897 at the Otterdale Schoolhouse, in Taneytown.

The fair moved to Westminster in 1954, to what we now know as the Carroll County Agriculture Center, which was established as a private organization on March 20, 1954. Visionary local farmers and community leaders including Charles F. Brehm, Charlotte Conway, Lester F. Stem, Walter V. Bennett, Violet M. Coshun, Landon C. Burns, Randall G. Spoerlein, and Stewart D. Young purchased the land with their own money. At the time, the land was at the end of an old dirt farm lane off Gist Road, way outside of town.

I have attended – and written about the Carroll County Fair since the early 1960s. Much of this discussion has been published several times before. This year I am a cookie judge as well. See you at the fair.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. His Time Flies column appears every Sunday. Email him at kevindayhoff@gmail.com.

According to a history of the league’s first 50 years (1936-1986) published in the Maryland Municipal News in September 1986, the MML held its first June conference in 1949. Fifty-four municipal officials attended.

Cities and towns in Maryland have a history of getting together to advocate for citizens fortunate enough to live in an organized incorporated community. The MML was founded in 1936 by Annapolis Mayor Louis N. Phelps to help Maryland municipalities obtain funds from the Work Progress Administration under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.

The MML represents 160 Maryland local governments. This year officials from 123 municipalities attended more than 50 presentations and training sessions that highlighted the ever-increasing complexity of local governance. In addition to the classes, municipal officials were able to visit with more than 300 exhibitors and vendors that provide supportive goods and services for local citizens.

On June 24, the second day of the conference, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore was the keynote speaker. In a news release, MML spokesperson Justin Fiore reported, “Moore kicked off the opening general session building on his theme of ‘leave no one behind,’ and focusing on the full state benefits of childcare, education, housing, and healthcare, often repeating: ‘When they win, we win.’ He also spoke about the importance of municipal work and the power of partnership.

“‘Progress means bringing everyone around the table, and that every decision that is being made is by those closest to the challenges,” said Moore. “It’s not just about working harder. It’s not just about working smarter, but working together, because partnership produces progress.’”

The highlight of the conference Monday afternoon was a far-ranging interview with outgoing U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin. My colleague and former Baltimore Sun reporter Bryan Sears interviewed Cardin at length about “his career, Maryland politics, and several issues of importance to municipal officials,” according to Fiore.

According to Fiore’s account of the event, “Once a Maryland delegate and Speaker of the House, Senator Cardin spoke about how municipalities have matured over the course of his career, and how they work in concert with other governments to support a shared constituency versus in silos. ‘We need to work as a team, we cannot work in isolation,’ said Cardin. ‘Counties and the State need to plan with their municipalities … we have shared goals, so let’s share the revenue. Let’s share the credit.’

“Senator Cardin informed the membership that there is bipartisan interest in making sure local governments are protected from liability concerns related to the EPA’s recent PFAS ruling. He also shared his confidence that Congress will act to ensure 100% of the Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement will be covered by federal funds,” Fiore reported.

“Just prior to the interview, Senator Ben Cardin was awarded an Honorary Lifetime Membership with MML by [outgoing MML] President John Carroll for his consistent and effective efforts on behalf of Maryland’s cities and towns, not only in Congress but throughout his tenure.”

One of the most important responsibilities of the MML is to be an advocate for municipalities in the annual session of the Maryland General Assembly.

According to Fiore, on June 24, “Members spent the rest of the day in courses focused on today’s pressing issues and networking with one another. Many of the classes and presentations on Monday’s agenda included an overview of recently passed MML priority legislation in the recent session of the Maryland General Assembly on tourism zones; ‘AI and local government;’ police recruitment and retention; and addressing environmental health and justice.”

One of the featured presentations on June 25 was a discussion on water reuse led by state Sen. Justin Ready, Westminster City Administrator Sara Imhulse, and Les Knapp director, Office of Government Relations, Department of the Environment. The title of the session was “Securing Sustainable Water for the Future.” According to the class description, “The City of Westminster, like other communities across the United States, has experienced increased, recurring drought conditions.

“To ensure local water reliability now and for the future, Westminster is developing PUREWater Westminster to purify reclaimed water, providing a safe, sustainable, and drought-resistant drinking water supply. In addition to addressing sustainable solutions to address water scarcity, the discussion will focus on solutions-oriented problem solving and the partnerships, collaboration, and innovation needed to tackle any tricky, seemingly unsurmountable problem.” The session was well-attended and very successful. An increasing number of municipalities throughout the state (and the nation) are interested in exploring the environmental and systematic benefits of water reuse and Westminster is leading in the process.

In full disclosure I served on the statewide elected MML board of directors   from June 2000 to May 2005. In the last 25 years I have written about the MML a number of times. Some of the content in this discussion has been published before. The MML contributed to this article.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. His Time Flies column appears every Sunday. Email him at kevindayhoff@gmail.com.

On July 2, 1920, the Union Bridge Pilot carried a headline, “Jailed for having Still.” The article reports, “For the first time, so far as the records show, a prisoner has been sentenced by a United States Court to be confined in the Carroll County Jail. Benjamin F. Poole, a farmer and business man of this county was indicted in the District Court of the United States, at Baltimore, on account of the operation of a still for the manufacture of whisky on one of his farms, near Granite. He was sentenced to pay a fine of $100 and to be confined in the county jail for 90 days.”

An article in the Democratic Advocate on July 5, 1946, reports, “Japanese Beetle Traps Available.” The article notes that, “This year, as in the past, the rural people of the county can expect quite an infestation of Japanese Beetles. … The methods of control have included the numerous traps that have been placed each year throughout the entire county… there will be several hundred traps available for leasing to anyone in the county who may experience trouble and would desire to have traps on their property. They may be secured by applying to the County Agent’s Office, second floor of the [Westminster] City Hall … A two year lease is given at the rate of 20¢ per trap for that period.”

A lengthy July 17, 1931, newspaper article describes the Westminster Municipal Band and the Westminster Fire Department arriving home from participating in the Maryland State Firemen’s Association annual convention earlier that July “in a jubilant mood, as the band brought home $100 for the best band in line of parade.”

“The $100 purse was a princely sum in 1931,” according to local historian Jay Graybeal. “In this early year of the Depression, a pound of coffee cost 20 cents; a pound of peanut butter, 21 cents; and two cans of tomatoes were 15 cents.”

In 1899 the [Maryland State Firemen’s Association] convention was held in Westminster. A June 8, 1899, Baltimore Sun article observed: “…From 10,000 to 12,000 people were in Westminster for the opening of the seventh annual convention of the Maryland State Firemen’s Association. From midnight until noon today trainloads of people arrived. By everyone it is conceded to have been the greatest day in the history of Westminster…” (Can you imagine 12,000 visitors in Westminster in 1899? The city streets were still dirt. A water system had only recently been established and there was no sewer system in town. Where did 12,000 spend the night – and where did they meet for the convention?)

A newspaper editorial in the March 28, 1947, issue of the Democratic Advocate, reported that on July 1, 1947, the first Maryland retail sales tax went into effect. The editorial said, in part: “Gov. Lane does not like taxes either, but as long as you have colleges to take your money … you are to have taxes. But we do need money for our public schools, for our medical centers and surely for road building. … The opposition to the sales taxes by our merchants was 100 per cent and feel very blue over the outcome.”

Twenty years earlier, on July 4, 1924, the Democratic Advocate carried an article that the Carroll County commissioners announced a 10-cent increase in the tax rate. The rate went from $1.40 to $1.50. The commissioners cited “the increase in mandatory items in the school budget, and the Act of the Legislature of 1924, compelling the county to raise annually the sum of $8,000.00 for the volunteer fire companies of the county.”

Of course, it was in this time period that, according to an article in the Union Bridge Pilot on Feb. 18, 1921: “Teachers’ pay (is) being withheld owing [to] lack of funds and it appears the county has reached the limit of its credit. A few years ago, comparatively, when taxes were below the dollar mark, we were told that the outlook for a lower rate of taxation was bright. Today the rate is higher than ever, while the county’s treasury is in bad shape.”

On July 1, 1941, the first television advertisement was broadcast in the United States. It took place right before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.

At exactly 2:29 in the afternoon, the New York City NBC affiliate, WNBT, aired a 20-second spot for the Bulova Watch Company. Bulova paid $9 for the ad. According to a Bulova historical account, the ad simply displayed a Bulova watch over a map of the U.S., with a voiceover of the company’s slogan “America runs on Bulova time!”

It is now time to run for a glass of sweet, iced tea, a grilled cheese sandwich and a nap. Happy summer.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. His Time Flies column appears every Sunday. Email him at kevindayhoff@gmail.com.