(11/2024) Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 3, at 2 a.m. On Saturday night, the clock is set back 1 hour to "fall back.". So, the sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour earlier on November 3 than the day before. There will be more light in the morning. I get confused. Will I gain an hour of sleep, which I need, or will I lose an hour of sleep I need? There is a straightforward expression to remember when answering this question: "Spring forward. Fall back." Are you saying you knew? Well, I don't remember learning it. This old age is catching up to me. So, does that mean I can hold on to my extra hour of sleep? Just thinking about the answer to that question will keep me up. As you can see, I have a problem sleeping. This is an excellent time to check your smoke alarms. At the same time, you should replace the batteries in your smoke alarm and the batteries in your carbon monoxide alarm.

All the presidential political campaign commercials should be over after Tuesday, November 5. November 5 is Election Day, from 7 in the morning to 8 in the evening. Adams County Election Resources such as Absentee and Mail-In Voting, Register to Vote, Sample Ballots, Military and Overseas Voters, and Secure Ballot Drop Box can be found by going to www.adamscountypa.gov. All the voting is done in the Carroll Valley Borough Office Building. The Borough is divided into two districts, 1 and 2. There is a map located in the lobby. If you forgot your district, use the map as a guide. For election questions, contact the Adam County Election Office at 717-337-9832. Please vote!

Veterans Day will be celebrated on November 11. It is a day to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

When browsing online, be aware of the so-called Phantom Hacker, which involves convincing victims that their financial accounts have been hacked. According to the FBI, perpetrators of the Phantom Hacker scheme gain victims' trust in three phases: First, they pose as a tech support representative and convince the victim to download a piece of software. Then, they call a seco nd time, pretending to be from the victim's bank or another financial institution. Finally, they claim to be an employee of a federal agency. The scam aims to convince people to move their money into an "alias" account, where the scammers can steal it. The fraud can include emails, texts, phone calls, and even letters sent via the U.S. Postal Service. You should be extremely cautious when receiving unsolicited texts, phone calls, or emails, which could lead scammers straight to your bank account. Think twice before providing any personal information. If you are suspicious, call your financial institution directly using a phone number you know to be affiliated with the institution. If you feel that you have been a victim of the Phantom Hacker, you are urged to report any fraudulent or suspicious activities to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov. Suspected fraud can be reported at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Call the Borough and speak with Chief Cliff Weikert at 717-642-8269.

Fairfield Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) would like to thank all the volunteers who helped with the clothing giveaway on October 19. NHN couldn't make it happen without all of them! Also, thanks to those who donated items and came out to shop! Thank you, Liberty Worship Center, for allowing us to use the room, tables, and clothing racks for the clothing giveaway and for the lovely ladies from the church who made some very nice breakfast goodies!! Earl Connelly, as always, is amazing. He opened the church Friday evening to set up and all day on Saturday tearing down tables and setting up the church for their event! Always happy to help in any way. NHN reported they had two carloads full of clothing to donate to the Clothing Closet and Catoctin Pregnancy Center in Emmitsburg. During the clothing giveaway, NHN also passed out 49 medical folders.

The red medical folder is used to organize all of your essential healthcare documents. Emergency responders will look for this folder when responding to a medical emergency. You can include all of the following paperwork in this folder, such as Advance Directive Paperwork, including (1) Medical Power of Attorney, (2) Appointment of Healthcare Agent, and (3) Healthcare Instructions. You can leave your Medical Orders for life-saving Treatment in the filing folder. If you fill it out, there is an Emergency Information form that lists all the medications you are taking, medical conditions you are experiencing, any allergies, and, most importantly, emergency contact information. This folder is made possible by the generous support of the NHN, the Adams Regional Emergency Medical Services (AREMS), Wellspan Health, and many Fairfield residents and businesses. For NHN questions, contact Robin Dicken at 717-642-6578.

Around this time of year, the question always comes up whether someone can hunt in Carroll Valley. Although Carroll Valley land is open for passive recreation, hunting is prohibited. To clarify the rules, Carroll Valley cannot, by law, change state law regarding hunting; however, current state rules make legal hunting in Carroll Valley difficult. Pennsylvania has what is called "Safety Zones." In a safety zone, it is unlawful to hunt for, shoot at, trap, take, chase, or disturb wildlife within 150 yards of any occupied residence, camp, industrial or commercial building, farmhouse or farm building, or school or playground without the occupants' permission. Shooting into a safety zone is unlawful, even if you are outside of the zone. Driving a game without a firearm or bow within a safety zone without permission is unlawful. Consider a safety zone about one and a half of a football field for comparison

The safety zone for archery hunters statewide, including those using crossbows, is 50 yards. Archery hunters carrying muzzleloaders during any muzzleloader season must abide by the 150-yard safety zone regulation. Around playgrounds, schools, or day-care centers, the safety zone remains 150 yards. For further information, refer to https://www.pgc.state.pa.us. If you think someone is hunting too close to a residence, call the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Dispatch Center in Huntington at 814-643-1831, and an officer will check for violations. If you see persons hunting from vehicles or after dark, call Adams County Dispatch at 717-334-8101 or 9-1-1 to get the quickest response." Call my cell at 301-606-2021 if you have any questions.