(2/2018) Are you a football fan? Pennsylvanians have a stake in the 52nd Super Bowl game this year. Philadelphia Eagles play the New England Patriots on February 4th in Minneapolis, MN. February 13th is "Fat Tuesday" which is the day before Ash Wednesday and the last day of Mardi Gras. It was the custom of the German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania to use up all the fat in their house prior to Lent by making the fastnacht. It is a square doughnut without a hole, fried in fat. Hope you enjoy your fried cakes.

The following day is February 14th, a day to take pause to remember loved ones. Fathers, Uncles, Grandfathers, you are invited to spend a semi-formal evening full of music, dancing, food, and fun with the special girl in your life. Mark your calendar for the 4th Annual Daddy Daughter Dance – Love You to the Moon & Back scheduled for Saturday February 17th 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Fairfield Fire & EMS Banquet Hall. Cost is $35 per couple and $10 for each additional child. Seating is limited. Pre-resignation is required. For more information, email carrollvalleyevents@gmail.com or call 717-642-8269. You can purchase tickets online either by launching your Facebook account; search for Carroll Valley Parks & Recreation; click the "Love You to the Moon & Back" icon and then, click "Tickets Available". Or, you can go to www.eventbrite.com. Type in the search text box ‘Love You to the Moon & Back’ and then, click on Tickets. Hope to see you there! I will be the guy with the camera. It is a fantastic event!

Volunteering means something different to everyone that gets involved in local government. The simplest definition is "an individual that becomes part of something without any expectation of receiving anything in return." I just know without the selflessness of our residents we could not accomplish many of the tasks that have made Carroll Valley a quality place to live and raise a family. The Carroll Valley Borough is currently looking for resident volunteers to fill vacancies on several boards/committees.

There is one vacancy on the Planning Commission; one vacancy (alternate) on the Zoning Hearing Board and one vacancy on the Sewer & Water Authority. Please consider offering your skills and talents to have a positive influence on our community by volunteering to serve. Contact the Borough Manager Dave Hazlett or the Assistant Borough Manager/Secretary Gayle Marthers at 717-642-8269. If you are not interested in becoming a committee/council member but willing to help with a particular event such as the Fishing Derby, Easter Egg Hunt, Movie Night Out or other borough events, please make the call. We can really use the help.

At the December 2017 meeting of the Carroll Valley Garden Club, membership decided to disband after 25 years of service to the Carroll Valley and Fairfield communities. The Garden Club was involved in many beautification activities. They planted and maintained two flower gardens in Carroll Valley Commons/Park. The Garden Club added shrubs and trees, complete with label markers along the walking trail. Residents who were interested in sponsoring a tree or plant would work with the Garden Club. Members also planted and maintained the flower boxes in front of the Fairfield Town Hall. To increase the bluebird population in our area, members installed and maintained bluebird houses throughout Carroll Valley.

During the summer months, the Garden Club selected local gardens of merit and a "Garden of the Month" sign was displayed on the resident’s property. In cooperation with the Carroll Valley Citizens Association, the Club decorated the Carroll Valley Commons/Park for the Christmas holidays and provided refreshment for the tree lighting ceremony and the arrival of Santa. As part of the dissolving process, the Club donated their existing funds to three community entities: Adams County Library – Carroll Valley Branch, the Fairfield Food Pantry and the Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve. Each received a check in excess of $500. I would like to thank the Carroll Valley Garden Club members for their gift of 25 years of outstanding service that created such a beautiful environment for our residents to enjoy.

Adams County Library – Carroll Valley. Experiencing stress? You may want to visit the library on Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm to increase your strength (both mind & body) by joining fellow residents as they practice "Yoga at the Library." Cooking your pleasure? Well, choose your favorite "comfort food" recipe. Prepare the food item at home and bring your creation and the recipe on Monday, February 12th at 6:30 p.m. and dine with other gourmet chefs sharing recipes and food preparation tips. If you need some recipe suggestions, check out AtoZ World Food for recipes from around the world! I have been invited to give a lecture on Monday February 19th at 6:00 pm. The topic is "Computer System Concepts." This introduction will be followed by a series of free interactive classes on Microsoft Word and Excel.

The Borough will be holding the following meetings in February: Planning Commission (Monday – Feb 5th), Borough Council (Tuesday – Feb 13th), Public Safety Committee (Monday – Feb 26th) and Parks/Recreation Committee (Wednesday – Feb 28th). The Borough Office will be closed on Monday – Feb 19th for Presidents Day. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me by email at MayorRonHarris @comcast.net or by cell at 301-606-2021. Be careful driving on the trails. We need to slow down. Watch out for ice especially at night.