(6/2017) On Saturday April 22nd, the Carroll Valley Trout Fishing Derby was held. About 109 young boys and girls were in attendance. Approximately 87 of those fishing were under the age of 10. The event was very successful despite the cloud cover, light rain, and damp weather. It was a good day to catch trout. "No reflection," I was told. It must be true, our young participants reeled in about 80 trout within the 4-hour event.

The Fishing Derby would not have been successful if it wasn’t for all the people working behind the scenes making it so. Thanks to Councilmen Bruce Carr, Tom Fitzsimmons, and Tyler Plyes who organized and managed the derby. Thanks goes to the Fish & Boat Commission Conservation Officer Rachael Thurner-Diaz for monitoring the event. Special appreciation is extended to McSherrytown Fish and Game Association, Dave Swope, who donated 250 trout. The fishing poles were donated by the Two Brothers Guide Service, Tyler and Brandon Pyles. Table donations were provided by Jim Torborg and the Jarrell family.

The key ingredient for a successful community event are the volunteers. Thank you MaryAnn Carr, Sterling Shuyler, Amanda and Steve Bell, Jeni, Jim and Morgan Jarrell, Lori Davidson, Bob Poole, Ryan Orndorff, Buddy Weller, Rick and Brad Wolfgang, Roger Vinson, and Kristen and Mike Vlcej. To see the pictures taken, go to www.ronspictures.net Again, thank you all for making this a special day for our young attendees and their families.

This month, we celebrate the national flag, and fathers. National Flag Day is June 14th. Be proud! Fly the flag that day. Remember the flag is flown from sunrise to sunset. The flag should not be flown at night without a light on it. Father’s Day will be celebrated on June 18th.

Father’s Day became an official holiday in 1972 when President Nixon issued a proclamation declaring the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. It is a day set aside to spend some quality time with dad, grandfather, and great-grandfather or father figure.

On June 3rd Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Carroll Valley Community Yard Sale will be held at the Ski Liberty parking lot. For adults who want to breakout from their everyday routine, a unique one-day learning opportunity will be offered on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Gettysburg Campus of HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College.

Few of us find enough time for ourselves. The day of learning will allow individuals to feed a passion, explore an interest and learn something new. Unlike so many pesky tasks of life, time spent learning is never wasted! The Gettysburg Campus Community Education Day will offer 16 informative educational sessions. Participants will have an opportunity to choose three sessions. Class topics include genealogy, pop culture, history, holistic health, retirement, and much more. For a complete listing of class sessions and to register, go to www.hacc.edu/GettysburgCommunity or call the Gettysburg Campus at 717-337-3855 ext. 119903. A continental breakfast and bagged lunch is also included in the $49.00 registration fee.

At 12:24 a.m. EDT on June 21st summer begins. It’s a time to relax and enjoy our natural environment. We are surrounded by the aesthetics and natural beauty of Carroll Valley’s country scenery and wildlife. But we need to be aware that the summer months represent a time period when the cases of Lyme disease increase. Why? We spend more time outdoors enjoying where we live. Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. It is carried to people from a bite from a black-legged or deer tick. The disease affects different body systems, such as the nervous system, joints, skin, and heart. Early symptoms may include headache, fever, fatigue and a characteristic circular skin rash. It is treatable.

Some of things you should consider when you are out and about are: stay out of tall grass and un-cleared areas of the forest floor; don’t roll in a pile of leaves, check daily for ticks; and if you plan to use insect repellent, be sure to review the safety information on the label. There are many websites that provide information on Lyme disease. One site you may want to visit www.lymemd.org.

Working on the lawn and still have leaves to rake up and get rid of? If you are thinking about burning them then let’s discuss open burning. Open burning is the outdoor burning of any materials wherein products of combustion are emitted directly into the ambient air without passing through a stack or chimney from an enclosed chamber. Before you start a fire, you should read the Carroll Valley Borough Ordinance 6-2008. The ordinance contains such information as what you are and are not allow to burn, what your safety and supervisory responsibilities are. Go to the Borough’s website www.carrollvalley.org, click Administration > Ordinances. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click Open Burning. If you have any questions, call the borough office at 642-8269.

Borough meetings to be held are: Planning Commission (June 5th); Borough Council (June 13th) Public Safety (June 19th); Finance Committee (June 26th) and Parks & Recreation (June 28th). Please be sure to mark your calendar for our July 4th Celebration. Please slow down when driving and be sure you and your passengers buckle up. Questions call me at 301-606-2021 or email me at MayorRonHarris@comcast.net.