(5/2102) There are many holidays to celebrate in May. Some are bizarre – holidays like "No Socks Day", "Lost Sock Memorial Day", "Eat What You Want Day" and "Twilight Zone Day" to name a few. I do like that "Eat What You Want Day" which is celebrated on May 11th. No one knows who created the holiday or the origin of the day. However, who cares! One I do care about is Mother’s Day on May 13th. It is a time to honor and thank mom for all she has done for us. Some say that the origins of Mother’s Day can be traced back to the early days of the Egyptians. In their society, the people celebrated a Mother deity, the goddess Isis. This goddess was regarded as the Mother of the pharaohs. The Egyptians held an annual festival to honor her. A later incarnation of the holiday appeared in Europe to honor Motherhood in the 1600’s. In the United States, the first Mother’s Day was conceptualized by Julia Howe in 1870. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a declaration making Mother’s Day a national holiday. Another important holiday to recognize is Memorial Day, May 28th. It is a day set aside to commemorate the men and women who have died in military service to their country. Through their sacrifice we are free.

Venture Crew 76 Chartered by Camp Eder and based in Fairfield, PA continues to grow and expand its programming. The boys and girls of Crew 76 undertake many activities during the year, including kayaking, wall climbing, camping, whitewater, craving, target shooting, and bicycle hiking, as well as provide services to area camps and nature preserves. Newly elected Crew president Josh Hill is leading efforts to put together a broad set of programs and activities for the Crew. Hill is supported by a dozen Fairfield youth dedicated to fun, interesting, and exciting activities while offering services to the community. Crew Advisor Mark Greathouse, recent recipient of the Boy Scout's Celtic Cross religious award for service to church and Scouting, notes, "The Crew fills an important role for youth in our community and represents great hope for America's future. We encourage youth and adults in our area to get involved with our Crew." Venturing is part of the Boy Scouts of America. Venturing provides exciting leadership opportunities and high adventure experiences for boys and girls ages 14 through 21. Crew 76 was founded in early 2011 and is growing rapidly with a group of youth representing strong values and solid moral character. In fact, the Crew currently has three Eagle Scouts and three "almost" Eagle Scouts in the unit plus young ladies who advanced in Girl Scouting before joining us. Regular evening meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at Camp Eder.

Did you have the opportunity to attend the April 14th Fairfield Little League Association Opening Day parade on Main Street. Watching the young boys and girls smiling and waving to spectators was such an awesome sight and was definitely a slice of Americana. When I was growing up in East Harlem in New York City, we didn’t have any little league. We played ‘stick ball" in a side street off an avenue. We used a cut off broom stick for a bat and a rubber ball. The tires on the cars opposite each other were considered first and third base. The sewage manhole cover was second. A fly ball caught off the fire escapes was considered out. Times have differently changed. I do have memories of my dad taking me to the Yankee stadium in the Bronx for a baseball games in the 50s. Whitney Ford was pitching. Yogi Berra was catching. Billy Martin was playing second and Phil Rizuto, the Scooter, was the shortstop. In the outfield, there was Hank Bauer in right field, Gene Woodling in left and the Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio in center. I guess what I am saying parents your sons and daughters are going to remember these special moments when you made them the focus of your world while others watched. If you want to see the Opening Day pictures, go to www.ronspictures.net.

The Fairfield Area School District’s Athletic Association’s mission is to foster an environment that inspires athletes, students, coaches, parents, and the community to collectively create a positive and spirited atmosphere for all athletic programs. Their focus is to help build strong moral character, academic excellence, and physical conditioning through community involvement, fundraising, and mentoring. If you want to get involved you may want to consider joining the Fairfield Athletics Stand Together (FAST) organization. Based on the monies collected during their fundraising efforts, FAST was able to award four $500 athletic scholarships, purchase a portable automated external defibrillator or AED for the trainer and provide the research and funding for storage locker installation at the football stadium. These are just some of their achievements. To get involved contact FAST at fast.fairfield@gmail.com .

On the May 5th weekend, soldiers will once again gather in our local community to commemorate Fairfield’s area involvement in the American Civil War. The two day event is being hosted by Fairfield. On Saturday, you will be able to visit re-enactor encampments, and join a Civil War house tour. At noon, you may want to go over to the Fairfield Inn for a "Taste of History". Traditional ham and bean soup will be cooked over outdoor fires. Enjoy a wine tasting from two of the areas local wineries: Reid’s Orchard and Hauser Estate Winery. My spies tell me that at 2 pm, the Confederates will attempt a rear guard movement around Landis farm. I was also told that there will be bonfire meeting at 7 pm behind the Fairfield Inn. Don’t know what that’s about. So you may want to get your hands on a Fairfield Civil War brochure that contains an event schedule for both days. I do know from my intelligence report that on Sunday at 2 pm the Union Cavalry is going to be riding behind the Landis farm. There is a lot to experience and to learn about our area’s involvement in the Civil War. Hope to see you there on May 5th and 6th. If you are interested in seeing what happened last year, go to www.ronspictures.net and scroll down to the gallery entitled "150th Civil War Fairfield April 2011".

The Carroll Valley Citizens Association (CVCA) is holding their 6th Annual Golf Classic on Friday, May 25th at the Links at Gettysburg on 601 Mason Dixon Road. The cost is $65 per golfer which I understand is a very good price to play at the Links. You will have an opportunity to win a car if you make a hole-in-one on the 12th hole. The winner will drive way in a Chrysler 200 automobile compliments of Buchanan Auto Park. The golf fee includes green fees, golf cart, pre-game snacks, beverages, door prizes, awards and post-game meal. Check in registration starts at 12:00. The format being used is a four person scramble with a 1:30 shotgun start. The purpose of the event is to raise money for the July 4th Carroll Valley celebration. If you are interested, contact Charles Dalton at (717) 642-420-0744 or charleswdalton@gmail.com. Help us raise the funds needed to continue to provide an old fashion July 4th family picnic in Carroll Valley that has been enjoyed by all for the last eight years.

The May Borough meetings are: Planning Commission (Monday – May 7th); Borough Council (Tuesday – May 15th); and Parks & Recreation Committee (Wednesday – May 23rd). The Borough Office will be closed on Monday, May 28th – Memorial Day. Please slow down while driving in the Valley and do not drink and drive. If you have any questions, contact me at mayor@carrollvalley.org or (301) 606-2021.