(9/2021) It is with a heavy heart I bring you the sad news that Battalion Chief Joshua Laird, 46, a resident of Carroll Valley Borough, died Wednesday, August 11th, fighting a two-alarm house fire for Frederick County Fire and Rescue. Battalion Chief Laird was a 21-year veteran stationed at Green Valley Fire Station 25 in Frederick County. Throughout his 21 year-year career, he received numerous accolades and commendations for exemplary service, including the Silver Medal of Bravery. He was a firefighter: First Responder.

As the name implies, he is a trained professional who is the first to respond in an emergency. Unless people happen to be facing an emergency themselves, this service is often taken for granted, and little thought is given to the impact on the first responder’s family. I cannot imagine what the Laird family is experiencing – the loss of a husband, a father, a son, a sibling, and a friend. On behalf of Carroll Valley, please accept our community's heartfelt condolences. You have our deepest sympathy. A GoFundMe has been established: www.gofundme.com/f/donations-for-the-laird-family. If regular mail is preferred, you can use the following address: The Laird Family, PO Box 720, Fairfield, PA 17320.

The month of September brings with it a time to honor the American worker on September 6th. On a more somber note, September 11th is a time to reflect on the lives lost during a terrorist attack on our homeland during the morning of September 11, 2001. This is the 20th Anniversary of that horrible day when nineteen militants hijacked four planes. Two planes hit the north and south towers of the World Trade Center in New York (2,606 victims). One plane hit the Pentagon in Washington D.C. (125 victims). And, the fourth plane crashed in Shanksville because of the heroic efforts of the passengers. It was thought that the fourth plane’s target was the Capitol Building in Washington. I encourage you to take a moment on September 11th to reflect on this horrible event and say a prayer for the victims who died and their families, especially the children. To show gratitude to all the first responders in our area, a "Never Forget" ceremony will be held just outside St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Hamiltonban Township. The memorial site was constructed in 2013 by Eagle Scout Anthony Venzin. The ceremony will start at 11:00 am on September 11th.

School will be starting which means school buses will be on the road again. Let us partner with the parents, teachers, administrators, and transportation personnel to keep our young residents safe when they are being transported to and from school. How do we do that? Follow the law. According to the Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law, when you meet or overtake a stopped school bus with red signal lights flashing and stop arm extended you must stop. When you approach an intersection where a school bus is stopped with red signal lights flashing and stop arm extended, you must stop. You must stop at least 10 feet away from the school bus. You must wait until the red lights have stopped flashing and the stop arm has been withdrawn before moving. And most important, do not move until the children have reached a place of safety.

The Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank will be holding a Blood Drive on Thursday, September 9th from noon to 5 in the Carroll Valley Borough Council meeting room. Everyone will receive a $5 gift card to Ventura’s Restaurant and Pizza! There are two ways to schedule your donation appointment. You can go to 717GiveBlood.org and click on Donate Now or call 800-771-0059. A form of ID is required to donate. You are strongly advised to schedule an appointment to donate blood. Appointments help the Blood Bank to improve your donation experience. Walk-ins are welcome; however, donors with appointments will be taken first and this may result in a significant wait time.

Child Passenger Safety Week is scheduled for September 19th to 25th, and the National Seat Check falls on Saturday, September 25th. Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children. On average, two children under 13 were killed, and an estimated 374 were injured every day in 2019 while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans, as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Under Pennsylvania’s primary child passenger safety law, children under the age of 4 must be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat anywhere in the vehicle. Children under 2 must be secured in a rear-facing car seat until the child outgrows the maximum weight and height limits designated by the car seat manufacturer. Children from age 4 up to age 8 must be restrained in an appropriate booster seat. Children from age 8 up to age 18 must be in a seat belt. If you have any questions, call the Carroll Valley Police Department for information.

The Fairfield’s annual Pippinfest will be held this year! Head to Fairfield on the September 25th and 26th to enjoy arts and crafts exhibitors, music, and food. A Carroll Valley Yard Sale will be held on September 25th in the Borough parking lot. To rent a space call the Borough at 717-642-8269. Fairfield Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) had several neighbors with small projects for their Community Day. Several of those projects have been completed but we still have a few projects that they still some help with. If you have a few hours and would like to do a small repair project, please let Robin Dicken know at 717-642-6578 or dickenrobin@gmail.com. Thanks to the following volunteers for helping our neighbors with the projects: Kathy Adams, Lori Borden, Doug Lichty, Phyllis Smith, and Sue Welsh! Folks keep safe. Watch your speed! If you have any questions, call me at 301-606-2021 or email MayorRonHarris@comcast.net.