(3/1) Hamiltonban launches 2019 Great American Cleanup of PA

Hamiltonban Township will be organizing a 2019 Great American Cleanup of PA event, to be held on April 13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., throughout the township, and is looking for volunteers to participate. Community and civic associations, school and youth groups, families and friends, business employees, hunting and fishing clubs, conservation organizations, sports teams, and others can organize their members and participate in Hamiltonban Township’s 14th Annual Highway Cleanup.

The Great American Cleanup of PA is a program of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and is held in conjunction with Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup; the country’s largest community improvement program that engages more than four million volunteers and participants from more than 20,000 communities across the country to take local action to create positive change and lasting impact. During the 2018 Great American Cleanup 108,638 volunteers were instrumental in cleaning up 6.6 million pounds of trash during 5,362 events held across the state.

"We are so grateful to our volunteers and sponsors who help make the Great American Cleanup of PA, Pennsylvania’s premier community improvement initiative possible," said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. "Many communities depend on volunteers to clean up litter. This initiative provides the tools and resources our residents need to keep our communities clean and beautiful. This year we hope to inspire even more Pennsylvanians to come out between March and May to participate in the Great American Cleanup of PA."

Hamiltonban Township Supervisor and Vice-Chairman Doug Woerner stated "Last year we had volunteers from all around the Township and organizations, such as Fountaindale Fire Company participated, some for the day, others for an hour or two. Whatever time you give makes such a difference for the environment and community where we live."

For more information visit the Hamiltonban Township website at www.Hamiltonban.com or contact the Township Office at 717-642-8509.

Bartlett Tree Experts donates service to Strawberry Hill

Bartlett Tree Experts understands the importance of healthy trees. Often by the time a tree shows outward signs of distress, the underlying issue has already progressed to the late stages. This was the case for an eighty-foot oak tree that, until recently, towered over the nature center at Strawberry Hill.

In December, Derek Furry, a Bartlett arborist representative, inspected the tree and provided his recommendation. Realizing that Strawberry Hill needed the tree removed, but did not have the budget to do so, Bartlett Tree Experts offered their services as a donation to the nonprofit organization.

On January 26, team members from Bartlett performed the necessary work. The removal provided a textbook training scenario for Bartlett employees and students from Penn State Mont Alto’s Forest Technology program. "It was a great learning experience for our students to get more chain saw practice and to work safely alongside trained arborists," said Craig Houghton, professor at Penn State Mont Alto.

"Our commitment to safety, education, and training was a priority for me and our team at Bartlett Tree Experts during this project," said Furry. "It allowed us to give back to the community, and the people and programs that helped us get where we are today. By using this tree to train arborists and involve students, the lessons learned will continue to make an impact for years to come. We are thankful to have strong relationships with Penn State Mont Alto and Strawberry Hill, and look forward to our continued partnership."

"We are grateful for this generous donation of time and labor by Bartlett Tree Experts. It is inspiring to see a group of twenty people outside on a cold day doing really hard work for our nonprofit. The efforts of Bartlett employees and Penn State Mont Alto students helped make our campus safer for the thousands of visitors who enjoy Strawberry Hill each year," said Kara Ferraro, Executive Director of Strawberry Hill.