(5/2024) It is May. There are several important dates to keep in mind. The Adams County Chiefs of Police Association will host the Adams County Fallen Officers Memorial Service on Friday, May 3rd, at 10 at the Adams County 911 Center at 230 Greenamyer Lane, Gettysburg. At the service, a roll of the seven fallen officers of Adams County and the 2023 fallen officers of Pennsylvania will be read. If you have any questions concerning the services, please contact the Adams County District Attorney's Office. The Covered Device Recycling will be held on May 4th from 8-11 in Highland Township at 3641 Fairfield Road.

This spring event is for Park’s Garbage Service customers living in Carroll Valley, Fairfield Boroughs and Freedom, Hamiltonban, Highland, and Liberty Townships. Just drive up. No appointment is required. Only the following items can be turned in: computers, copiers, keyboards, modems, monitors, printers, routers, scanners, stereo receivers, and gaming equipment units, but not their peripherals. Note televisions must be removed from their wooden cabinets.

Mother's Day on Sunday, May 12th – a day we set aside to remember those "mom moments" that made us who we are today. The community is invited to the 3rd Annual Fairfield Area School District Art Exhibition hosted by the Carroll Valley Borough from April 26th to May 27th. Approximately 200 pieces of artwork will be displayed in the borough's conference room and halls. On Friday, May 10th, a reception will be held to meet these young artists from 4 to 6 pm. Come down to the Borough Office.

The Carroll Valley Trout Fishing Derby was held on Saturday, April 20th. Thank you, Council, especially Councilman Coby Gilbert, for organizing the derby, where he and his volunteers welcome over 50 young anglers to Carroll Commons. Thank you to McSherrystown Fish and Game, the Laptook Family, and Redding’s Hardware for their donations to the event. Coby told me, "The first youngster to catch his limit was from the 5-8 age bracket and did it in 12 minutes; everyone seemed to have a great time. Pictures can be viewed and downloaded by visiting ronspictures.net.

As the weather improves (less rain and wind) over time, many residents are starting to rake leaves and gather fallen tree branches. The question is, what should we do with the debris? One suggestion is to transport the debris to the Washington Township Refuse Transfer Station at 12721 Buchanan Trail East (off Rt 16) in Waynesboro, PA. Before going, check out their website at washtwp-franklin.org/transfer-station/ or call 717-762-4413 for further information on what they accept and the cost.

Read the Carroll Valley Borough Ordinance 6-2008 if you plan to burn. The ordinance contains information about what you are and are not allowed to burn and your safety and supervisory responsibilities. The ordinance is in Chapter 20. To see a copy of the ordinance, go to carrollvalley.org, and on the home page, type open burning in the search box, and then click on the ordinance. If you have any questions, call the borough office at 717-642-8269.

May is known as "Lyme Disease Awareness Month". May brings dog ticks and black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks. These black-legged ticks' bite spread the bacteria that infect people and our lovable dogs and cats with Lyme disease. We live in a beautiful valley. However, we need to avoid tick-infested areas. For example, when walking through the woods, stay on cleared, well-traveled trails and avoid tall grass and brushy areas. Wear protective clothing – wear light-colored clothing, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and shoes that cover your entire foot. Tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants. Shower within two hours of potential tick exposure to wash away before they bite. In short, keep yourself and your family safe while you are enjoying our beautiful valley.

The Borough meetings are Planning Commission (Monday – May 6th), Borough Council (Tuesday – May 14th), Parks/Recreation Committee (Wednesday – May 2nd) and Public Sewer Advisory Committee (Tuesday – May 28th). For Memorial Day, the Borough Office will be closed on Monday – May 27th. As the weather warms up, more residents will be walking on our trails – please be careful when driving, especially in the evening. To the residents, when walking at night, you should wear reflective clothing to be seen by drivers. If I can be of help, contact me at 301-606-2021 or email MayorRonHarris@comcast.net.