(1/2020) At the December 10 Carroll Valley Borough Council meeting, the proposed 2020 budget was approved without a tax increase. The tax rate for the year 2020 remains at 2.45 mills or 24.5 cents on each one hundred dollars of assessed value. The Fire Tax remains at 0.25 mills. At the same meeting, I had the pleasure to present a Certificate of Appreciation to the leaving Councilors Beth Cool, Steven Sites, and Sarah Skoczen for their outstanding years of local government service to Carroll Valley residents. Thank you for your selfless contribution to our community.

The two Carroll Valley December holiday events, the Tree lighting and Breakfast with Santa, were a tremendous success with over 300 people in attendance at each. None of this success would have been possible without the help of the following individuals: [Tree Lighting] Gayle Marthers, Amanda Bell, David Hazlett, Joshua Hazlett, Crystal Durbin, Jeni Jarrell, Jessica Kraft, Lori Kolenda, Heather Wight, Emily Faalasli, the CVB Municipal Service Department, Fairfield High School Show Choir and [Breakfast with Santa] Gayle Marthers. Amanda Bell, David Hazlett, Noah Hazlett, Joshua Hazlett, Lori Borden and daughter Kylee, Crystal Durbin, Jeni Jarrell, and Brianna Redding. Naturally, the special one was at both – Santa! To see the pictures, go to www.ronspictures.net. You are able to download the pictures.

The Carroll Valley Branch of the Adams County Library schedule for January: (Jan 6th) 6:30 p.m. K Pets and 7 p.m. Essential Oil; (Jan 13th) 6 p.m. Teen Book Club; (Jan 16th) 6:30 p.m. Cookbook Club – Hawaiian recipes and (Jan 20th) 7 p.m. Books for Adults Club – Handmaid’s Tale. Come and visit your local library.

Yes, 2020 should be a very interesting year. The United States Census question form will be mailed to you to fill out. You want to see a sample of the questionnaire; you can find it on the Adams County website under planning. Based on the updated census data collected, political boundaries may change, allocation of federal and state funds could be affected and decisions regarding health care and other services will be made. The new council will be installed and reorganized (election of President & Vice President). The council members will be Bruce Carr, Jessica Kraft, David Lillard, Richard Mathews, John Schubring, Robert Verderaime and Michael Wight. One thing is for sure – change is constant. I am confident change can be good if we work together for the common good.

Winter safety is an issue especially during the months of January and February. Driving in the winter months means you must change the way you drive because of possible hazardous road conditions such as snow, sleet and ice. Some things to consider before starting out are test your car battery, make sure the cooling system is in good working order, add wiper fluid rated for -30 degrees and keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze. When driving avoid using cruise control in wintry conditions, increase your following distance from another car to 8 to 10 seconds and accelerate and decelerate slowly. Remember, steer in the direction of the skid, so when your wheels regain traction, you don’t have to overcorrect to stay in your lane. If you’re traveling, you can check conditions on more than 40,000 Pennsylvania roadway miles by visiting 511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website. What about home safety for the beginning of the year? Well, check your house for radon. It is an odorless gas that causes lung cancer. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, one in every fifteen homes has elevated levels. Test kits cost as little as $20. Find out if you have a problem. Do you have a carbon monoxide detector install on every bedroom floor in addition to fire detectors? Have you recently check their batteries? Do they need to be replaced? Please keep warm and safe.

January meetings are: Council – Reorganization (Jan 6th), Planning Commission (Jan 7th), Council Meeting (Jan 14th), Parks & Recreation Committee (Jan 22nd) and Sewer & Water Authority (Jan 27th). Please be careful on the road. Don’t drink and drive. I wish you and your family a Happy New Year filled with happiness and good health!