(10/2023) It is October. The leaves will start to change into brilliant colors – a last "hoorah" before they fall. The farmers in the area will finish harvesting their crops. The birds will migrate south. We honor Columbus’ arrival in America on Oct 12th, 1492, and celebrate this event on Monday, October 9th. Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8th, 1871, and caused destructive damage. Fire Prevention Week will be held this year from Sunday, October 8th, to Saturday, October 14th.

The theme is "Cooking safety starts with You." According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking, especially unattended cooking, is the leading cause of home fires and injuries in the United States. Some tips to consider when cooking: stay in the kitchen while frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food, and keep anything that can catch fire – oven mitts, wooden utensils, and food packaging towels away from your stovetop.

Do you have a 2.5 or 5-pound ABC fire extinguisher for the kitchen? Do you have the right fire extinguisher to extinguish fires involving cooking oils and fats that can spread quickly? Keep the fire extinguisher accessible but not under the sink or anywhere hard to reach. Most importantly, if you are in doubt about fighting a small fire, get everyone and pets out of the house and call 911.

The Covered Device Recycling will be held on Oct 14th from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 39 Topper Road. Acceptable turn-ins are computers, copiers, and gaming equipment units but not their peripherals, keyboards, modems, monitors, printers, routers, scanners, stereo receivers, and televisions (note: TVs must be removed from wooden cabinets). This event is only for current Park’s Garbage Service customers in the boroughs of Carroll Valley, Fairfield, and the townships of Freedom, Hamiltonban, Highland, and Liberty. For additional information, email gayle@carrollvalley.org or call 717-642-8269.

Halloween Spooktacular will be held on October 31st in Carroll Valley Borough from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Once again, Carroll Valley is having its outstanding "Trunk or Treat" affair in front of the Borough Office complex. Decorate your trunk, and I love to see the participants in costume. Sign up to be a "Trunk" to hand out candy. See Facebook for details – Parks & Recreation and then click the link to sign up. Call 717.642.8269 and talk to Amanda Bell if you have any questions.

The schedule of events: 5 – 8:30 p.m. Food Trucks (What’z Poppin Popcorn, The Mexican Food Truck, Cracken Catering, and Sarah’s Creamery Ice Cream); 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Costume Portraits in front of the Borough Office; 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Trick or Treat; 7 p.m. Movie-in-the-Park showing "Super Mario Brothers". Hope to see you there – come out and join in the fun!

Medicine Take Back. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarming, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that many abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. Flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away is a health hazard. A collaborative program between local law enforcement, adults, agencies, and businesses, the Adams County Environmental Services, and Collaborating For Youth will be held on Oct 28, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of the Carroll Valley Community & Education Complex.

Community members are encouraged to participate in the disposal of any expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications (liquids, pills, powders) during the disposal hours. The removal allows community members to dispose of their medicines correctly, reducing both the availability to youth and the contamination of water sources. Pet medications will be accepted. NO needles. For more information about the Medicine Take Back event, including volunteer opportunities, contact acsaprevention@cfygettysburg.com or call/text 717-357-4439.

When browsing online, be aware that several residents have received messages saying a virus is on their computer. It looks like a legitimate message titled "Windows Defender Security Center," which specifies that a threat, known as DOSAttack Spyware, has been detected. This a phishing scam, a fake error message aimed to scare you into calling their "technical support hotline, and they will likely ask you to install applications that give them remote access to your device to steal your data and information. If you see this or a similar message, do not respond by clicking on the pop-up, calling the phone number, or following any of the instructions they provide.

The easiest way to get rid of the Windows Defender Security warning is by closing the browser or the app you were using. If your computer is locked, meaning you cannot close the pop-up message or the browser, then press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on the keyboard to open Task Manager. Now, right-click on the app and select End Task. If that doesn’t work, perform a hard restart by turning off and restarting the computer system. The bottom line is don’t call and give them access to your computer. They are not Microsoft Help. They are a scammer!

Borough meetings to be held in October are Planning Commission (Oct 2), Finance Committee (October 9), Borough Council (October 10th), Finance Committee and Council Borough Workshop (October 17th), Public Sewer Advisory Committee (October 23), Finance Committee and Council Borough Workshop (October 24th), and Parks/Recreation Committee (October 25th). Remember, on Halloween night (October 31st), young people will be walking the trails that night – be careful. Please slow down. If you have any questions, contact me at 301-606-2021 or MayorRonHarris@comcast.net. Keep well!