(6/27) Electric vehicle chargers coming to town

During the June 4 Emmitsburg town meeting, the Board of Commissioners voted to approve a grant agreement to have four electric vehicle charging stations installed in town. The grant agreement includes technical and labor support and five years of maintenance and repair of the stations. The chargers are classified as level 2 chargers and per the agreement, the town can upgrade to a higher level in the future if they so should choose.

The charging stations will be installed at the rear parking lot of the Emmitsburg Community Center. They are being installed and purchased through a grant via the Electric Vehicle Institute, a Maryland-based company that supplies and maintains these charging stations. The installation and cost of the charging stations, conduit etc. are completely covered through the grant and the new single-phase commercial on-property service via Potomac Edison. The only cost to the town is monthly electricity consumption, which the town plans to recoup these electric costs through a payment system on the charging station.

As discussed by Commissioners, having these charging stations will help put Emmitsburg on the map. There’s currently an app for electric vehicle owners that allows them to locate the nearest charging station. There currently are not many charging stations for electric vehicles in northern Frederick County. Some Commissioners, however, wanted to see the location of the charging stations changed, to an area closer to the commercial center of town. However, as Town Manager Cathy Willets mentioned, the location was chosen because of its proximity to the transformer.

Five $1,000 Scholarships Awarded

The Emmitsburg High School Alumni Association (EHSAA) is pleased to announce the winners of their annual EHSAA scholarship program. Five $1,000 scholarships were awarded this year. The scholarship applicants were judged on involvement in school and community activities, as well as their academic work. Honors and work experience were also considered.

The first scholarship recipient was a senior at Catoctin High School (CHS) and was recognized at the school’s annual awards ceremony on May 29. She is Allison Rippeon, daughter of Richard and Charlene Rippeon, planning to attend Shippensburg University in the fall. The rest of the recipients were former graduates of CHS. Attending Fredrick Community College with the idea of becoming a Veterinary Surgeon and owning her own clinic one day is Jessica Welty, daughter of Jim Welty, Jr. Michaela Persinger, daughter of Wayne and Beth Persinger is enrolled at McDaniel College majoring in Kinesiology with a minor in Health and Physical Education to obtain a coaching certification. Next is Maya Swiderski, daughter of Deborah Wivell and William Swiderski and she is attending the University of Pennsylvania working on a veterinarian degree. Finally, Stacie Baust, daughter of Troy and Tammy Baust, is attending Frostburg University to become a certified teacher.

All recipients will be recognized at the Emmitsburg High School Alumni Association’s 94th annual Banquet to be held October 20. We wish them all success.

New Seton Center opens doors

The brand new Seton Center Outreach Office and Seton Family Store officially opened its doors at the new location on 226 East Lincoln Avenue on June 11. The construction schedule moved quickly thanks to favorable winter weather. Designed by MSB Architects of Hagerstown, MD, this building project involved the construction of a new 13,000 square foot building to house the Outreach Office, Seton Family Store and a large meeting room for workshops and presentations. The official ribbon cutting ceremony and dedication will be held on July 10 at 3 p.m. with self-guided tours of the facility to follow.

Seton Center strives to be a leading community resource for the residents of northern Frederick County by providing emergency support services and serving as a catalyst for systemic change. Sponsored and staffed by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul, local residents and a myriad of volunteers, the Center provides services to all members of the community. Services are provided within the framework of the core values of the Daughters of Charity: reverence, integrity, generosity and unity.