(8/2019) As Adams County Commissioner I frequently receive invitations to attend various events. Many of those events expose me to very worthy causes such as the 4-H Livestock Auction, taking place on August 3, beginning at 4 p.m. at the South Mt. Fairgrounds. This auction deserves our support for recognizing the commitment of the young members of 4-H and Future Farmers of America.

These young people spend months raising livestock that they hope will be a Grand Champion or Grand Reserve Champion and that will garner a premium price for their special efforts. All livestock that is entered in the auction by the club members is sold- champion and others. You can help our young people by coming and bidding on their animals. Bidder’s purchase of livestock helps defray the cost of raising the animal and also generates funds to support 4-H.

The high bidder does not have to take ownership of the animal, but rather he can choose to do a "buy back". This option allows the livestock broker to purchase the animal at his market price. By doing the "buy back" the high bidder will then pay the difference between the bid price and the broker market price. This difference then becomes a donation in the bidder’s name to 4-H.

The auction begins with some items other than livestock (come see what they are). It is generally a most interesting opening to the auction. If you are able, at least come to the beginning of the auction, you may become hooked on staying longer. One year I ended up with some unanticipated purchases, but it did not matter to me because it was helping the youth of Adams County.

Speaking of the participating youth, some belong to Future Farmers of American. They have a motto; "Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve". That is a powerful model to live by. If I may, I would like to add to that, "Serving to Support". The support that we provide to our youth; whether it be volunteering, financial giving, or both, could be the turning point in their lives. That being said, I would like to thank those that volunteer their time and provide financial support to our various youth programs.

Speaking of turning points, numerous individuals in Adams County have not achieved a turning point in their lives, but need one for a better life. I am referring to those dealing with addictions and anxieties. Help is available without using drug maintenance programs. This help is available through a program known as Reformers Unanimous, often referred to as RU. I mention this because the county’s recovery house will not be in operation for months and someone is likely searching for help now.

Those that complete the program have had over 80% success, no relapse. The program includes a very strong element that teaches individual accountability. In personal conversations with Secretary of Corrections, John Wetzel, he stressed that individual accountability is at the core of success.

The RU Program is offered locally through Pastor Robert Gray. The program meets every Friday evening, 7:00 pm at the Lighthouse Baptist Church, 80 Apple Avenue, Gettysburg. The program has trained leaders that work closely with those in the program. RU has been a viable program for years. In conversation with Pastor Gray, he is sold on the program, having witnessed the success. The program cost is minimal and so minimal that it should not stop anyone from joining the program. I have personally examined the program and it is evident that it contains years of wisdom and experience in its development. The program and the leader can be contact by calling the Lighthouse Baptist Church, Gettysburg or going to lighthousebaptistgettysburg.org.

By the time this article is in your hands I will be preparing to attend the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) Annual Conference. To expand my involvement in CCAP I have become a member of the Resolutions Committee. This committee solicits resolutions that can be presented to our legislators to begin the process to create or amend legislation.

The ultimate goal of the committee is to facilitate the passage of new legislation that will help counties deliver more effective and efficient governance. A prime example of successful resolution action was the development of the funding legislation to support county 911 emergency communication systems.

At our last CCAP Resolutions Committee meeting in June, we reviewed numerous resolutions and made appropriate deletions or additions. Before we can engage in this review, it requires hours of studying proposed resolutions ahead of the meeting. All resolutions’ final language to be presented at the Annual CCAP Conference must have received a majority vote of the committee at our June meeting. This necessitated some lengthy deliberations and debates before committee passage could be achieved. This exercise gives me greater appreciation for policy experts and becomes a great learning tool to expand my background and knowledge.

If re-elected this fall, CCAP insurance pool has already started to solicit me to chair their finance committee. This gives me another opportunity to expand my experiences to better serve the residents of Adams County and other counties across the state. I believe giving of myself to participate in various committees’ work adds value to who I am as your commissioner. This vision then allows me to be more than a one dimensional commissioner, but to be a commissioner raising the bar of leadership with each term in office.