November 2026 Issue

Dear Friends,

November in Garrett County doesn’t get enough credit… quiet, peaceful, and beautiful.

The first flurries will be showing up soon. One of my favorite quotes is “Thankful. Grateful. Blessed,” and that is an easy way to sum up the beginning of the holiday season for me.

This month I met Coty Forno, who has spent 13 years building something remarkable for kids in our corner of the mountains. Her story starts on page 18, and her production of Dear Evan Hansen takes the stage at the Garrett College PAC November 13–15. If you can, go. And if you can’t, buy a seat for a student who couldn’t go otherwise.

I also finally learned what a “Sitzmark” is… part of an intimate gathering place that’s been hiding in plain sight for decades. Turn to page 6 to find out what’s beneath one of our favorite restaurants. Then go looking for the “E” we hid somewhere in this issue. Find it, and you could win a few drinks on me.

November is also when we get to show up for each other and our community. From the Festival of Trees to Small Business Saturday, the holiday season needs neighbors supporting neighbors.

You’ll find plenty of ways to do that in these pages, and hear more about the awesomeness on The Backbone Podcast.

Thank you for reading and for loving this place as much as I do.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Sarah Myers