Happy 1st Birthday Regional Library Mayor's BBQ Hot Success

8 . the catoctin banner . September 2009
local Animal lover Becomes Veterinarian
While growing up on a dairy
farm in Emmitsburg Brooke
(Hoffman) Ridinger realized she
wanted to be a veterinarian. While
she was a senior at Catoctin High
School, she started working at the
Catoctin Vet Clinic in Thurmont.
Already a highly motivated person,
Brooke was able to take some
preliminary classes at FCC during
her senior year at CHS so that
when she graduated from CHS
in 2003, she progressed to the
University of Maryland, where she
received a BS in Animal Science
in 2005. She then went on to the
Virginia-Maryland Regional College
of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia
Tech, receiving her Doctor of
Veterinary Medicine (DVM) this year.
Brooke excelled in all areas of her
schooling. Motivated and driven to
achieve her goals, she has spent her
time studying and learning and it has
paid off. Testing high on the SATs,
GREs and having a high GPA in high
school plus having personal experience
as a vet assistant, she finished school
earlier than most students.
Brooke is now back in the Catoctin
feeder area serving our four-legged
family members, large and small. Her
dream is to work with dairy cows and
she is able to do that by working with
Dr. Richard Eastep in Hagerstown.
Photo by Carie Stafford
Brooke Hoffman Ridinger, right, is shown caring for a
dog at the Catoctin Vet Clinic in Thurmont.
She is also working part-time at the
Catoctin Vet Clinic, keeping her
mind sharp while working with small
animals. She said, “I love the little
animals, too. The people at the clinic
are fantastic. The doctors are very
knowledgeable and I wanted to stay
in Maryland.” Dr. Bramson and Dr.
Keane are happy to have Brooke back
and are very excited about having
their prodigy working with them as a
colleague.
Brooke is married to Jason
Ridinger, they have two cats and one
dog and are currently residing in
Middletown.
Akers Celebrates 104 at Shamrock
On August 19, Alice Akers of
Frederick, celebrated her 104th birthday.
Her favorite meal is crab cakes. On her
birthday evening, she selected Shamrock
Restaurant for her birthday dinner of
Crab Imperial.
Ms. Akers
walked unassisted to
her seat. She claims
that a life time of
walking is the key
to staying in great
shape, even at 104.
She worked for
37 and a half years
for the Maryland
School for the
Deaf in Frederick
where she was the
superintendent’s
“right hand”
(assistant). She
was a Sunday
School teacher at
the Centennial
Memorial United
Methodist Church and a graduate of
Frederick North Market School and
Frederick High School.
Ms. Akers was married and widowed
at a young age. She has one daughter,
Betty Michael, who is married to H. L.
Michael. She has two grandchildren,
Bruce and Holly Michael, five great
grandchildren and two great-great
grandchildren.
Ms. Akers claimed over and over that
the reason she has lived such a long and
healthy life is due to great family and
friends and a blessing from God. During
her dinner, she talked about the biggest
changes she has seen in her lifetime
from our way of
living in general to the
automobile and finally
our bathroom updates.
Ms. Akers’
best friend, Robin
Fox, whom she
affectionately refers
to as her “Angel,”
accompanied her for
her special dinner
along with Robin’s
husband Robert, son
Joe and Joe’s wife
Rachel. Joe tells the
story of how they
met Ms. Akers when
he was five years
old, eighteen years
ago. His mother was
driving by Ms. Akers as she was trying
to shovel snow from her walkway. She
and Joe went to work helping Ms. Akers
and since then, Joe has become her
‘handyman’, as she lovingly calls him.
Donna and Dawn at the Shamrock
would like to thank Ms. Akers for
patronizing their restaurant for her
birthday dinner.
Photo by Carie Stafford