(2/2019) February is Black History Month. Groundhog Day is February 2nd. February 14th is Valentine’s Day. It is a day to take pause to remember loved ones. Fathers, Uncles, Grandfathers or other special guy, 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 5th Annual Daddy Daughter Dance – Ties & Tiaras scheduled for Saturday February16th at the Fairfield Fire & EMS Banquet Hall. Cost is $35 per couple and $10 for each additional child. Seating is limited. To register go to https://cvdaddydaughter.eventbrite.com or call the Carroll Valley Borough Office at 717-642-8269. Hope to see you there

Congratulations to Cameron Bream for being awarded the highest rank of Eagle Scout. Cameron, who is currently a Biology major at Drexel University in Philadelphia, built two black soldier fly food composting bins for Camp Eder in Fairfield. The bins are located off the kitchen at Camp Eder for composting of food waste. Black soldier flies are naturally drawn to the food in the bins, lay their eggs amongst the food, and larvae that hatch eventually crawl up a ramp and out a hole into a collection bucket. The larvae are then fed to ducks and chickens that are kept at the camp. Cameron earned 32 merit badges during his Boy Scout experience, including all the required merit badges for the Eagle Scout rank.

If you haven’t done it yet, renew your dog license with the County at www.adamscounty.us. All dogs three months of age or older must be licensed in Pennsylvania. Annual licenses are $8.50 and lifetime licenses are $51.50. For dogs that are spayed or neutered, the annual license is $6.50 or $31.50 for a lifetime license. Discounts are available for senior citizens and owners with disabilities. Under Pennsylvania law, owners who fail to license and/or immunize their dogs could face fines up to $300 per violation for each dog. Cats are not required to be licensed. They must have a great lobbyist in Harrisburg — I guess.

A federal law called "REAL ID ACT" was enacted in 2005 and will be fully implemented on Oct 1, 2020. REAL ID established the minimum-security standards for license issuance and identification cards that would be required to gain access to federal facilities and boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft. While the enforcement date is 2020, Pennsylvania is initiating issuance of REAL IDs beginning March 2019. If interested, you can acquire a REAL ID driver’s license at any PennDOT Driver License Center starting this coming March at a $30 one-time cost. Visit the PennDOT website to review what documentation you need when applying for a REAL ID license. You do not need a REAL ID driver’s license to drive, vote, apply for or receive federal benefits, enter a federal facility that does not require an ID check or participate in a law enforcement proceeding or investigation. For more information, visit www.tsa.gov.

Veterans Alert! Are you aware of the Pennsylvania Veterans Registry? It is an online application that allows veterans, family members and people who work with veterans to connect with the Pennsylvania Department of Military & Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to request information related to the valuable state benefits, programs and services offered. You can also signup for the weekly DMVA Digest to keep abreast of the latest breaking news and other updates regarding veterans. If interested, go to www.dmva.pa.gov for more information.

The Carroll Valley Borough is seeking individuals who are interested in joining a Borough Committee and sharing your knowledge and expertise that will benefit our community. There are two vacancies on the Planning Commission, one vacancy on the Tire Board and one vacancy (alternate position) on the Zoning Hearing Board. If interested, please call our Assistant Borough Manager/Secretary 717-642-8269 on how to apply. Borough meetings in February are: Planning Commission (Feb 4th), Tree Board (Feb 7th), Borough Council (Feb 12th), Public Safety (Feb 25th), and Parks/Recreation Committee (Feb 27th). The Borough office will be closed on Monday, February 18th. If you have any questions call me at 301-606-2021 or email MayorRonHarris@comcast.net.