Shamrock to close its doors

After 57 years of business, co-owners of the Shamrock restaurant in Thurmont, Donna Demmon and Dawn Knox, announced that they would be closing the restaurant after December 30. The Shamrock’s roots date back to 1963, when their parents, Mike and Doris Fitzgerald, opened it. Knox and Demmon are two of nine siblings, all of who worked at the restaurant at some point during their lives. The land, which is owned by the family, is also up for sale.

The Shamrock, a staple of the Thurmont community for many years, has played a large part in the town’s history. It was the first restaurant in Frederick County to obtain a liquor license that allowed cocktails and the restaurant had live music and dancing every Friday and Saturday night.  Shamrock will remain open every day except Tuesdays through December 30.

2019 Volunteer of the Year award

During the November 12 town meeting, a representative from the Thurmont Lion’s Club presented a member of the community with the Volunteer of the Year award. The Thurmont Lion’s Club celebrated its 90th anniversary for service to the Thurmont community this year, and the Volunteer of the Year program was started in October 2006.

In order to be nominated, nominees must perform volunteer work in the 21788 zip code. The recipient receives a certificate, a gift certificate to Shamrock and a donation made to the charity of their choice in the amount of $400. This year, five members of the Thurmont community were nominated: Renee Coolidge, for her work with the Thurmont Ambulance Company and the Thurmont boy scouts; Paul Eckert, for his donation of time and music for various events, his work for the town center, and his gift of transportation to medical appointments for Thurmont residents; Don Ely, for his work with the Thurmont Food Bank; Kira Fry for her work with the Thurmont Primary School and Thurmont Elementary School PTA; and Rachel Fry, for her work with the Thurmont Elementary School students.

The 2019 Volunteer of the Year was Don Ely. Ely chose to give his donation to the Thurmont Food Bank. All nominees were thanked for their service to the community, for those who serve the community help keep Thurmont’s community strong.

Commissioners presented with solar co-op program

During the November 12 town meeting, Commissioners were given a presentation by Tyrah Cobb-Davis, from the Frederick County Office of Sustainability & Environmental Resources, on the potential to join in a solar co-op program. The program, as presented, is a regional co-op that residents of Thurmont could potentially benefit from.

Solar co-op is an organized group of residents, small businesses, and non-profits who form a community interested in solar energy. The solar co-op is able to leverage bulk purchasing and reduced installation costs to make gong solar more affordable and accessible. Cobb-Davis said that about 25 people between Frederick, Hagerstown and Martinsburg, West Virginia, would have to be interested for a co-op to form.