(8/2018) The Carroll Valley July 4th Celebration started off with great weather but around 4 pm a heavy rain storm came in and the entertainment portion of the program had to be canceled. However, we did have a great firework show in the evening. Thanks go to the following people for the July 4th event: Amanda, Steve, and Jayden Bell, Moran Bolinger, Frank Buhrman, Dave, Leann, Noah, and Josh Hazlett, Erika Hetlyn, Jeni, Jim, and CJ Jarrell, Bob Jester, Jessica, Jacoby, Caroline and Jesse Kraft, Josh and Erin Laird, Charlee and Gayle Marthers, Richard Mathews, Cali and Hunter Paulus, Daniel Sanders, Marie Schwartz, Desirae Shane, Tim Skoczen, Laura and Thomas Wagaman, Rose Welsh and James Whittington. "The wealth of your efforts was enjoyed by those who attended the event." I would also like to thank the major sponsors of the event: Liberty Mountain Resort & Conference Center, Adams Electric Cooperative Inc., GMS Funding Solutions, and Park’s Garbage Service, Inc. To see the pictures, go to ronspictures.net.

At the July 10th Borough Council meeting, Corporal Clifford J. Weikert was awarded a Class I Commendation and Chief Richard L. Hileman a Class II Commendation for their outstanding investigative work on the pursuit and apprehension of the individual who was involved in the robbery of Carroll Valley’s PNC on April 25th and M&T Bank in Blue Ridge Summit on May 3rd. Congratulations gentlemen! On July 14th, the E-Waste Recycling was held at Highland Township for residents of Carroll Valley and Fairfield Boroughs, Freedom, Hamiltonban and Liberty Townships. They turned in monitors, televisions and other electronic devices. Approximately, 2.5 tons of electronics were collected. If you missed this one, the next is scheduled for October 13th at Highland Township from 8:00 to Noon.

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. A few Carroll Valley Library dates you may want to mark on your calendar are: August 2nd Thursday at 6:30 pm the Cookbook Club will meet. Make your favorite soup and/or salad recipe and bring it to the library to share. August 6th Monday at 6:30 pm practice reading with Danny, our therapy dog. Our local and visitor travelers need to be a little more vigilant when driving thru the intersection of Sanders and Fairfield Roads (Rt 116). Two traffic accidents have occurred in the past three months. Not related to these accidents, it seems our drivers are starting to develop the "Carroll Valley Roll" when stopping at a Stop sign and it is catching on. What is the "Carroll Valley Roll"? It refers to slow rolling through a Stop sign without really stopping. Remember when you were taking the driving’s test. You had to come to a full stop (1-2 seconds), brakes in full lock, 0 MPH, and look to your left and right before proceeding. Just saying! A couple of seconds out of your day – it’s worth thinking about. You are not wasting your time.

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 several things you should consider doing to protect your home. According to the FBI, more than half 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 when you are on vacation – remember, if you are there, I know where you are not ; (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) Contract with a security company and when selecting one, checkout their references by going to www.bbb.org; and (6) Contact the Carroll Valley Police Department to be placed on their house checklist. And, by the way, have a great, safe, and relaxing vacation.

Please mark your calendar for Carroll Valley Borough’s National Night Out (NNO) event to be held on Tuesday, August 7th from 5:00 to 8 p.m. (rain or shine). NNO is celebrated each year across the United States to increase awareness for safety within the community, and to educate residents on how to protect their families and familiarize them with available services. Young people up to the age of 12 will receive a free meal consisting of a hot dog, a bag of potato chips and a drink. Cub Scout Pack 76 will be conducting a bike rodeo. Children should bring their bikes and helmets. Adams County SPCA will provide dogs with rabies shots ($10) and microchips ($25). DOGS ONLY. Take advantage of these low-cost options and get that required rabies shot. There will be games; fire and police display; counseling services; food for everyone to enjoy. NNO is a time to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. The children should see our police officers as people who can help them in their time of need. I do hope you take the time to come and join us.

The Borough meetings for August are: Planning Commission (Aug 6th), Borough Council (Aug 14th) and the Parks and Recreation Committee (Aug 22nd). If you have any questions, call me at (301) 606-2021 or email me at MayorRonHarris@comcast.net. Please always lock your car whether you are at home or on the road.