Category:Uncategorized
Sock monkeys are a labor of love for Ida Maust
Gradually, she began making more for birthdays and other gifts as needed. Then she started teaching the nursery-aged Sunday School class at her church about 30 years ago. She started making sock monkeys to give to her students on their birthdays, and continued this for as long as she taught the class.
Maust said she’s not sure how many monkeys she has made over the years, but estimates that it is somewhere between 400 and 500.
“I don’t know how many I made each year,” she said. “I know one year I made 80, when I gave each of my children and grandchildren one for Christmas, but that’s been a good many years ago now.”
She has been trying to make one for each great-grandchild when they turn 2 (which included three last month.)
The current count is nine children, 36 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, with three more on the way.
Maust and her husband, Elmer, were married 47 years before he died in March 2002.
In the early days, she bought the socks locally, but then wasn’t able to find them at stores. She used regular socks that didn’t have the red heels for awhile until she was able to get them again. Today, she buys them by the box online.
“Sometimes I just got socks that were brown or gray or something that would look nice for a monkey,” she said. “I like these better because it’s what they were intended for.”
She said she doesn’t feel bad about cutting the socks up to make monkeys for children.
“I still get a lot of socks and give them to organizations when they need them,” she said.
Maust slowed down on the sock monkey making during some years, especially when she was busy with Garrett County Hospice, working as the volunteer coordinator.
Now 86, Maust went through some changes in her life in the last two years. It began with a knee replacement in July 2019.
To read the full article click here.
Garrett County permits vacation rentals to reopen
OAKLAND — Garrett County officials on Thursday lifted the order that closed vacation rental properties, but with a number of restrictions and warnings.
Following Gov. Larry Hogan’s Wednesday announcement of the first phase of his reopening plan, the county commissioners voted to amend their state of emergency declaration to allow the use of rental units effective immediately.
County Health Officer Bob Stephens also rescinded his March order on the rental units.
“Garrett County has been very blessed to have low numbers of infections, and we are in fact the lowest … in the state,” Stephens told the commissioners. “We are all still at some risk. There will be new transmissions from time to time. Our goal in all of this is to limit the spread of COVID-19.”
Commission Chairman Paul Edwards said the reopening of rental units comes with orders for both property owners/managers and the guests.
“The county, in consultation with the Garrett County health officer, have agreed that the order the health officer of March 27, 2020, closing all TVRU (transient vacation rental units) and vacation rental properties … is hereby rescinded, and that is subject to the provisions of the executive order and guidance of the office of legal counsel,” Edwards announced.
To read the full article click here.
Mountain Fresh Farmers Market dates set, some online ordering available
OAKLAND — A new option is now available for shopping at the Mountain Fresh Farmers Market.
With the current social distancing guidelines, some of the vendors have set up online markets.
Shoppers can purchase from each vendor individually with credit/debit (there is a small fee to help cover credit card fees for each transaction) or mark “pay with check” to pay at the market with check or cash (with no fees).
Customers can also choose where and when to pick up products, with some vendors offering on-farm pickup, as well.
A list of vendors can be found at www.MountainFresh.org/shop, and more vendors will be added.
“In order to help our vendors and customers comply with the social distancing recommendations, we’ve been looking at different farmers market options,” said Cheryl DeBerry, market adviser. “Online ordering with farmers market pick up seemed like the best way to help reduce the crowds and keep people safe.”
To read the full article click here.
Diehl's Ford Sales offers meals to anyone who needs one
GRANTSVILLE — In this time of uncertainty, some families find that they need help with meals. That help is coming from many places, some of which are unexpected, such as from a Ford dealership.
As of today (April 2), 308 free meals have been served at Diehl’s Ford Sales in Grantsville. A new remodel was recently completed there, which includes a full kitchen in the new employee break room. This allows for meals to be kept hot all day.
“Honestly, the idea came to me the first Saturday that this started hitting really hard (March 14),” said Vivian Diehl, office manager and vice president. “I was home and thinking about what we could do to help out our community in this situation. I knew that there were many families that needed food, but also if we could provide the meal to anyone, no questions asked or judgement passed, it could relieve anyone’s stress from this horrible situation we are all in together.”
To read the full article click here.
Krause family shares message of hope
From The Garrett County Republican
ACCIDENT — Members of the Krause family of Accident spent time over the weekend trying to brighten the day for people who might be passing by their Aiken Miller Road residence.
“I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a post that read, ‘Chalk your walk’ and to write a message or draw a picture on your walkway/driveway for all the first responders who are still working during this tough time, so when they drive around town they will see it. So that’s what we did,” Brandi Krause said. “I live just minutes from the Dollar General in Accident so I went and bought multiple boxes of chalk, brought them home and let the girls’ creativity run wild.”
Krause said that she and her husband Matthew are “totally outnumbered with three beautiful girls,” Danika, 12, Charli, 8 and Blakesley, 4.
To read the full article click here.
