(2/10) Board/Committee Vacancies Need to be Filled

Volunteering means something different to each individual that gets involved in local activity. The simplest definition may be "an individual that becomes part of something without any expectation of receiving anything in return." I just know without the selflessness of our residents we could not accomplish many of the tasks that have made Carroll Valley a quality place to live and raise a family.

The Carroll Valley Borough is currently looking for resident volunteers to fill vacancies on several boards/committees. There are three vacancies on the Parks, Recreation & Environmental Advisory Committee. This committee's major area of responsibility is to guide the planning and development of a municipal parks system. It includes the creation and maintenance of a plan for present and future recreation opportunities or services.

There are two vacancies on the Planning Commission. One of the major responsibilities of the Planning Commission is to maintain a Comprehensive Plan that addresses the future growth and development in the Borough.

There is one vacancy on the Zoning Hearing Board and two vacancies on the Sewer and Water Authority. If you are interested, go to the Carroll Valley website. On the Home page, click on the application link, fill it out and send the application to the Borough. Please consider offering your professional skills and talents to have a positive influence on our community.

Need Blood Donors

It's that time again. The next Blood Drive will be on Feb. 8, 2010 from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Fairfield Fire House. The Central PA Blood Bank (CPABB) collected 15 pints in December and although that number was down from previous drives, they felt it was a success!

An effort is going to be made to have a Blood Drive in Fairfield every other month through 2010. The CPABB feels that Fairfield will become a GREAT ASSET to them as the year goes on. We have already shown them that we have a good donor base. Please spread the word. If there are any questions or you would like to make an appointment to donate, contact Junior Phillips at jphillips5191@embarqmail.com or 717-642-6232.

Update on Fire Sprinkler Systems Requirement

In 2004, Pennsylvania adopted its first statewide building code called the Uniform Construction Code (UCC). With the release of the new 2009 national model code, Pennsylvania amended the UCC accordingly. One significant change is that effective on January 1, all new townhouses in the Pennsylvania will require that fire sprinkler systems be installed. On January 1, 2011, the same requirement will apply to all new single- and multi-family homes. This change has no effect on Carroll Valley because our government passed a sprinkler ordinance in 2004. To learn more about sprinklers, visit the U. S. Fire Administration's webpage

Importance of Keeping Personal Property Records

During the early morning of January 8th, the 9-1-1 center was called to report a burglary in progress. Our Carroll Valley on-call police officer and on-duty units from surrounding municipalities responded. After a two and half hour chase, two suspects were arrested. Vehicles parked outside twenty-one different residences in the J-section were burglarized. The stolen property was recovered because of the immediate response from our police officers. The day's events show the need for us to a record information on our personal property.

If you have a cell phone, record the cell phone 15 digit serial number. This number is normally found under the battery of the cell phone. When you provide this number to the cell phone company they will deactivate the stolen phone. Record the serial number on your GPS device. Also, you should not put your home address as a go-to site. If your car is broken into when you are away from home, the burglar now has your home address and knows you're not at home.

One of the best ways that you can assist the police in recovering your stolen property is having these serial numbers. Often the owners have no proof that the property is theirs. And unfortunately, we need to remember to lock our vehicles even when they are parked outside the residence. Anyone who had items stolen out of their vehicles during this burglar spree should contact Detective Weikert at (717) 642-8269 Ext 29.

July 4th Planning Group Has Started to Meet

The July 4th Planning Group is responsible for planning, organizing and managing all the events held during the July 4th celebration held in the Carroll Valley Commons. This includes soliciting and monitoring funds, inviting live entertainment to perform, working with food and other vendors, preparing news releases, and organizing events such as the car show, chili cook-off and Civil War encampment.

The group meets once a month to discuss the plans and participates in monitoring the events during the July 4th celebration. If you are interested in joining our group, please get in touch with me at mayor@carrollvalley.org or call (301) 606-2021.

Keep well.