(8/2017) The 12th Annual Carroll Valley Borough July 4th Celebration was a very successful event. Attendance was approximately 2,000 participants during the day and by the evening, another 4,000. The success of the day would not have been achieved without the continued involvement of many individuals and local businesses. Special thanks go to the Carroll Valley Municipal Services crew: Steve Fitez, Ken Nichollas, Bruce Pecher, Donny Shaffer, Sterling Shuyler, and Jeff Wise for their tireless efforts preparing the Carroll Valley Commons for the day’s event.

I would like to thank the members of the July 4th (J4) Planning Group who planned the event under the outstanding leadership of Gayle Marthers. The members are: Amanda Bell, Samantha Frazier, Jeni Jarrell, Jim Jarrell, Robert Jester, Charlee Marthers, Gayle Marthers, Hunter Paulus, Dan Sanders, Marie Schwartz, Tim Skoczen, and James Whittington. I would also like to thank all volunteers who shared their time and talents to make the celebration such a success.

The major sponsors of the event were Liberty Mountain Resort & Conference Center, Adams Electric Cooperative Inc., GMS Funding Solutions, Comcast, Quad Graphics, Park’s Garbage Service, Inc., SGI and Jarrell Studios. For the entire list refer to the July 4th website or visit the July 4th Facebook page. Thank you all for your financial support. Visit www.ronspictures.net or go to Facebook.com/MayorRonHarris to view the pictures.

August 4th is U.S. Coast Guard Day. It is a day to honor the military branch that protects our waters and shorelines. The Revenue Cutter Service, which was the predecessor of the U.S. Coast Guard, was created on August 4, 1790 by Congress to enforce U.S. tariff laws. The title "Coast Guard" was first used in 1915. August 14th is VJ Day (Victory Over Japan Day) which marks the end of World War II and the cessation of fighting against Japan.

A few Carroll Valley Library dates you may want to mark on your calendar are: August 7th at 6 pm the Teen Book Club meets; August 17th at 6 pm attendees between the ages of 10 and 16 will be given one on one instructions on how to craft a wooden pen using a lathe; and August 21st at 7 pm the Adult Book Club meets. The Fairfield Area School District classes begin on August 24th which means you need to watch out for young people waiting for school buses on the trails.

August is usually the month that many of us go on vacation. But please do not overlook making sure your home is safe when you are a way. There are a number of things you should consider to protect the homestead. According to the FBI, more than half (53%) of home burglaries happen during the day. Here are a few tips: (1) Lock your doors and windows if you leave your house; (2) Do not share the details of your vacation with everyone and especially on social media like Facebook; (3) Make the house look as if someone is home by using light timers throughout the house; (4) Go to the Post Office and delay mail delivery; (5) Do not post pictures on social media indicating how much you are enjoying yourself – remember, if you are there I know where you are not; (6) Contract with a security company and when selecting one, checkout their references by going to www.bbb.org; and (7) Contact the Carroll Valley Police Department to be placed on their house check list. And, by the way, have a great, safe, and relaxing vacation.

How to handle vendors who knock on your door. Remember the old proverb "Buyer Beware!" If you do not want any vendors to bother you, place a "No Trespassing and/or Soliciting" sign on your front lawn. However, if you do deal with the vendor, ask for their permit issued by the Borough for them to go "door-to-door" to sell/take order for any goods, wares or merchandise. In our ordinances, Chapter 13, Section 202 a person must obtain a permit/license from the Borough prior to selling door-to-door. There are exceptions.

At the July 11th Borough Council meeting, the Council repealed the requirement to install automatic sprinkler system for all newly constructed one and two-family dwellings and townhouses to be consistent with the Uniform Construction Code adopted by the Pennsylvania Commonwealth. The vote was 4 to 3 in favor to repeal.

The Council also approved (7 to 0) an amendment to Ordinance Chapter 2 – Animals. Ordinance No. 1-2017 creates a new section (Part 4) titled Chickens that allow provisions permitting the limited keeping of domesticated chickens as an accessory use to a single family detached dwelling. Part 4 deals with the number of chickens (6) that can be kept, the construction and design of the chicken coop, the maintenance of the chicken coop, chicken pen, and surrounding area and the requirement to obtain a Limited Residential Chicken Permit from the Borough. The permit will be available at the Borough office after the August 15th Council meeting at which time the fee schedule will be presented for approval. To see the discussion on both topics, go to the Carroll Valley website (carrollvalley.org), click on Administration and then Borough Videos.

The Borough meetings for August are: Planning Commission (Aug 7th), Borough Council (Aug 15th) and the Parks and Recreation Committee (Aug 23rd). If you have any questions, call me at 301-606-2021 or email me at MayorRonHarris@comcast.net. Please slow down when driving in the Valley.