(1/2014) It is January and you all probably know what I am about to share. Have you heard the expression "Ring out the old, ring in the new?" After some research, I come to find that January gets its name from a Roman god of beginnings and transitions called Janus. This Janus is a two faced god that looks back in the old year and forward into the new year. I guess this is where "resolutions" come into play. A resolution is a pledge or promise to one’s self to make the new year a better one for ourselves and hopefully those all around us. The tradition of making resolutions at the beginning of a new year may have come from this two faced god. And, if these resolutions are not too unrealistic, we may even be successful in achieving them.

Some resolutions may even be prompted by others. For example, I resolve to get rid of all of my old computer peripherals prompted by a loved one in my household, my wife. Problem is how to accomplish the task. Please be aware that by law, Park’s Garbage is not allowed to collect your electronic waste. The Covered Device Recycling Act (CDRA) is now to be followed. This means only approved certified recyclers can accept all electronic/electric items for recycling – basically anything with a cord as long as the item does not contain any Freon, oils or fuels.

In Adams County, the Adams Rescue Mission at 2515 York Road in Gettysburg is an approved CDRA certified recycler and will accept computers, monitors, peripherals and televisions. If you are unsure whether the Adams Rescue Mission will accept an item, you can reach them at 717-334-7502. If you would like to get a copy of the Adams County recycling pamphlet, contact the Adams County Environmental Services Department located at 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg or send me an email and I will reply with a pdf copy of the pamphlet.

The next resolution given to me to accomplish was to get rid of the old oil and antifreeze I have stored in the garage. Well, for residents of Carroll Valley and Fairfield, you can deposit all in Carroll Valley behind the Municipal Services Building at 14 Ranch Trail. You can pour your waste oil, hydraulic oil and transmission fluid into the flat black tank marked waste oil next to the building. The anti-freeze should be poured into the blue drum next to the black waste oil tank. You are asked that all empty containers be placed in the large dumpster.

Based on the diligent work of our Carroll Valley Police Department, three Gettysburg men have been arrested for 19 burglaries committed in Adams County with the majority occurring in Carroll Valley Borough. Our PD with assistance from Cumberland and State Police cleared most of the open burglary cases in Carroll Valley and those committed in other municipalities. Now our police force is investigating reports of items taken from vehicles in Carroll Valley and surrounding municipalities. Thefts were specifically reported on Franklin Street in Fairfield, Tract Road in Liberty Township, and on Janet, Mile, and Walnut trails in Carroll Valley. If you see something suspicious or you have any information regarding these thefts, call 717-334-8101. Please lock your car even if it is parked in your driveway.

Patrolman Dustin Miller was given the Pennsylvania Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Association Top Gun Award. This group is a professional organization which is working to address the Pennsylvania DUI problem in all of its many stages — from prevention to enforcement up to, and including, adjudication and rehabilitation. The award recognizes excellence in the area of DUI enforcement. Patrolman Miller joined several dozen officers from around the Commonwealth who collectively removed over 5,000 impaired operators from the streets in one year. He was the only officer to receive this award in Adams County. We are very proud of his accomplishment.

Don’t know if you are aware of the work being done on a portion of the gabion wall used to stabilize the shoreline of Lake May. Gabion is a cage or box filled with rocks or concrete used for erosion control. In this case, the erosion occurred beneath the gabion. The repair cost is being funded by Liberty Mountain Resort & Conference Center based on an agreement between the Borough of Carroll Valley and Liberty Mountain. The agreement benefits both entities. The Ski Resort pays the Borough $25,000 a year to draw water for their winter operations. In turn, the resort working with the Borough maintains the lake. Living up to their responsibility, Liberty Mountain is spending approximately $200,000 to repair the Tom’s Creek gabion wall. Thank you. If this agreement was not in place, this expense would have been a burden for the Borough.

At the Council meeting on December 10 Council considered an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance which would have amended the standards for Cluster Development. Council decided that the proposal would need additional work and referred it back to the Borough Planning Commission for deliberation. The next meeting of the Planning Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, January 7, at 7 pm in the Borough Office. A Fact Sheet has been developed to help facilitate understanding of the details of the ordinance revision. To get a copy of the fact sheet, go to www.carrollvalley.org.

Borough meetings in January are: Reorganization Borough Council Meeting (Jan 6th), Planning Commission (Jan 7th), Borough Council (Jan 14th), Parks/Recreation Committee (Jan 22nd) and Sewer/Water Authority (Jan 27th). If you have any questions call me at 301-606-2021 or email me at mayor@carrollvalley.org.