JACKSON TOWNSHIP NEWS

Your Community News Source
Fall, 2008

TRICK OR TREAT NIGHT IS BACK!
After more than 25 years, Trick or Treat Night is back in Jackson Township. The Recreation Commission recommended to the Supervisors that Trick or Treat Night be reinstated and the Supervisors agreed. The decision came as a result of many neighborhoods trying to hold Trick or Treat on their own or Jackson Township children going to neighboring municipalities to Trick or Treat. The date this year will be Thursday, October 30th from 6 to 8 pm. This date coincides with East Taylor Township who will hold Trick or Treat the same date and time. For residents who want to participate, the protocol is simple. You just turn your porch / front door light on if you welcome trick-or-treaters to visit. If you don't want to participate, leave your light off. Also if you run out of treats, simply turn your porch / front door light off. Children are invited to stop at the Municipal Building that evening from 6 to 8 pm to pick up a free treat. Also free trick-or-treat reflective bags will be available to pick up at the following locations: Municipal Building, Police Building, Fire Hall, Senior Center, Water Authority and Sewer Authority. During the trick-or-treat time frame of 6 to 8 pm, the Fire Company, Police and other volunteers will be patrolling Township streets and roads. It is the hope of the Supervisors that the evening will be an enjoyable, fun and safe one for all!

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INFORMATION NEED UPDATED?
If you received this newsletter and your name or address information is incorrect, or if you know of any resident of Jackson Township who didn’t receive it, please call the Township Office at 749-0725.
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LIONS COLLECTING POP CAN TABS
The Jackson Township Lions Club are collecting aluminum pop can tabs and are donating them to the Cambria City Mission, an Inter-Dominational Non Profit that helps the poor and needy in the Johnstown area. The donated pop can tabs can be redeemed by the Cambria City Mission for much needed funds to continue their community outreach efforts. If you would like to help the Lions in this worthy cause, you may drop off the pop can tabs at the Municipal Building, 513 Pike Road or give them to any Lions Club member. If you have any questions, please contact Betty Lou Shoup at 322-1678.

HALLOWEEN PARADE SET
The Jackson Township Fire Company will hold it’s annual Halloween Parade on Sunday, October 26, 2008 at 2:00 pm. This popular event features bands, floats, marching units and fire trucks. Everyone is welcome to participate in the parade in their favorite costume! The lineup will be at the intersection of Rose Branch Street & Griffith Avenue beginning at 1:00 pm. The parade route is down Rose Branch Street and then continuing down Adams Avenue ending at the Fire Hall. Prizes will be awarded to parade participants in various categories and treats distributed. Treat tickets can be obtained at the Fire Hall prior to the parade or by calling 322-3155.

SR. CENTER TO HOST VETERANS DAY CEREMONY
The Jackson Township Senior Center will host their 6^th annual Veterans Day ceremony on Tuesday, November 11, 2008, Veterans Day at 11:00 am. The ceremony will take place at Veterans Park in front of the Veterans Monument / Memorial. Jackson Township resident, Col. Marty Kuhar will be the special guest speaker representing the armed forces. Also attending will be several dignitaries and officials. Frank Singel, President of the Jackson Township Senior Center will act as Master of Ceremonies. Menoher VFW Post 155 will also participate with their Honor Rifle Team and Corey Shirk, a Junior at Central Cambria High School will provide special music. Others expected to participate will be Jackson Township Troop 204 Boy Scouts and Pastor Drew Walther of Singer Hill Grace Brethren Church. Most importantly, you’re invited to attend to honor those who have served over the years.

3^rd ANNUAL CHRISTMAS LIGHT UP NIGHT SCHEDULED
The Jackson Township Recreation Commission will be sponsoring it’s 3^rd Annual Light Up Night on Sunday, November 30, 2008 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at the Jackson Township Senior Center and Veterans Park. The evening will include the Festival of Trees, a outdoor tree decorating contest with prizes awarded in two categories. They are businesses / commercial and organizations / groups. Plaques will be awarded to the top 5 businesses and organizations. In addition, cash prizes of $100, $75, $50, $25 and $10 will be awarded to the top five winners in the organization & groups category. Each person attending will receive a ballot where they will vote for their favorite tree in each category. Trees will be provided and erected for you at a cost of $10.00 per tree (entry form attached in this newsletter). Light up night will also feature over 15,000 lights throughout Veterans Park. Santa Claus will once again make his special appearance. In this newsletter there is also a "wish list" which can be turned into Santa that evening. Photos will be taken with Santa by Charles Rametta, professional photographer at a minimal cost of $6.00 for one 4 x 6 color photo or 2 for $10.00. Another attraction is an elaborate miniature train display that will be running throughout the evening. Refreshments will also be available from several local organizations and businesses and several churches will also be singing Christmas carols to round out the evening. Light Up Night promises to be a great time for all! If your group would like to participate in Light Up Night or you would like to enter a tree in the contest or just inquiring about additional information, feel free to call the Municipal Building at 749-0725.

For the third year, a Township-wide Holiday Lighting Contest will be sponsored by the Jackson Township Recreation Commission. Last year’s contest had 24 entries and far more are expected to enter this year. Prizes to be awarded will be $100 for first place, $75 to second, $50 to third and $25 to fourth place. In addition all winners and honorable mentions will receive a plaque acknowledging their award and featuring a photo of their decorated home. Judges will come from outside of Jackson Township to eliminate any bias in judging. Last year’s winners were 1^st Place, Greg & Kathy Kupchella-Benshoff Hill Road, 2^nd Place, Robert & Nina Hildebrand-Brenton Drive, 3^rd Place, Rick & Penny Tronzo-Stager Road, 4^th Place, Joel & Bev Gillin-Adams Avenue. Three others received honorable mentions. They were Al & Karen Pagano-Old Nanty Glo Road, Dave & Janet Hagerich-Courter Avenue and Brad & Arlene Gorsuch-William Penn Avenue. Anyone wishing to enter the contest must have their light displays up by December 15, 2008 and have an entry blank turned into the Township Building (entry form attached in this newsletter. Judging will take place on Sunday, December 28th from 6 to 10 pm or in the event of inclement weather, Monday, December 29th. Winners will be announced by Wednesday, December 31^st. If you have any questions on the contest, feel free to contact the Municipal Building at 749-0725.

ROAD PROJECTS COMPLETED
The Jackson Township paving and seal-coating road projects are completed for year 2008. The Jackson Road Department paved Pike Road East from Swigle Mountain Road to Route 22. This section of road has been repaired for the last several years with the help of Amfire Mining who bonds the road for coal truck use from their mine located on Swigle Mountain Road. Also paved was Poplar Street in Vinco. In addition many other roads were repaired or patched as needed. Roads that were seal-coated (tar & chipped) include Eagle Drive, Pine Lock Street, Raymond Drive, Turkey Path Road and White Street. Once again, the Jackson Road Department did the preparation work while New Enterprise, low bidder, did the seal-coating. Jackson also did other maintenance work including drainage, berm and shoulder work and line striping. In additional New Enterprise re-did some roads that were seal-coated last year but spots were missed on them. Those roads included Blackburn Road, Harmony Drive and Adams Avenue from Harmony Drive to Route 271. For those who have wondered why more roads are seal-coated verses paved, the answer is simply cost. As the price of oil has gone up, the cost of paving a road has sky-rocketed. Being that Jackson Township and Cambria Township jointly purchased a paving machine this year, that helps somewhat in reducing the cost of paving and each year the cost difference between paving and seal-coating will be evaluated. The road projects are part of an ongoing plan to maintain all Township roads and insure that they are in the best condition possible for residents to safely use and enjoy.

NEIGHBORS NEED NAMES FOR HOLIDAY PACKAGES
A local Community group, Neighbors Who Care is seeking names of Jackson Township men and women who are serving in the United States military. Similar to last year, the group plans to send "care packages" to those serving in order that they will arrive sometime before Christmas. Last year, the group sent packages to several individuals from the Township serving in the military. Boxes contained such items as snacks and goodies, stationery, personal-care items and magazines. The group feels this is an excellent way to show a small token of appreciation to these men and women who are making a sacrifice for our Country. The Nanty Glo Post Office helped with last year's mailing by furnishing boxes and labels. If you know the name of an individual from Jackson Township serving in the military and you would like them to receive a "care package", you can furnish that name by calling 322-1678 or 446-6237.

HERITAGE FESTIVAL KEEPS ON GROWING
The 5th Annual Jackson Heritage Festival was quite successful drawing record crowds over the 3 days of activities. The weekend kicked off with the Johnstown Classic Rockers performing in conjunction with a 1^st ever Car Cruise-In. Friday, Saturday & Sunday were all packed with large crowds enjoying entertainment rotating on two stages as well as a wide variety of food, crafts and lots of other activities. This was a record year for vendors participating as tents and booths lined the walkways of the park. New this year was the highly successful Car Cruise-In organized by George Cooper, Bill Ragley and Eric Reitler. Due to the overwhelming response of vehicles participating, plans are already underway to accommodate more next year. Also new was the Living Treasures Animal Park Petting Zoo which was a big hit with the young and old alike! Once again an organized program of childrens games for ages 5 through 12 was organized by Kelly Lundgren. Another event that was very received was the Cutest Baby Contest. The entertainment continues to be a big draw for the Festival including some of the biggest bands in the area such as the Classic Rockers, Fabulous Flashbacks and Jazz In Your Face. New this year was country rock band, NOMAD of Pittsburgh which put on an unbelievable show! An unexpected weather emergency cropped on Sunday afternoon when a storm came in with high wind gusts and some rain. The wind gusts were the biggest concern and as the storm blew in, everyone stepped up and helped to hold the tents down as well as helping one another. It was truly an impressive sight to see everyone working together! A big thank you to the Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Company who came up and took control of the situation until the storm finished passing through the area and the Festival could continue. The Heritage Festival prides itself in having great entertainment and work has already begun on lining up the schedule for next year. Of course, the fireworks were a big hit as always filling the park with overflowing crowds. Plans are already underway for a bigger and better 6th annual Heritage Festival next year. The Festival is a great opportunity for family, friends and neighbors to get together for a weekend of fun, food and entertainment. Each year more and more people from outside the area attend as well. Work has already begun on booking entertainment for Heritage Festival 2009 and inquiries have already been received from several vendors for next year wanting a booth. We would like to thank all those who participated or helped in anyway to make this year’s Heritage Festival a huge success! Those who deserve special thanks include:

BEVERAGES: Valewood Farms
CHILDRENS ACTIVITIES - Classic Clowns Club
CHILDRENS CRAFTS: Community Arts Center of Cambria County
CHILDRENS GAMES & CONTESTS: Jackson Troop 204 Boy Scouts, Kelly Lundgren
CAR CRUISE-IN: Eric Reitler, Bill Ragley, George Cooper
ELECTRICAL: Al Slippy, Bernie Waltz
FIREWORKS: John Bahorik, Sara Jane Leckey
GARBAGE DISPOSAL: Waste Management
HAYRIDES: A. J. Devlin
HOT OIL DISPOSAL: Valley Protein
LIGHT TOWER: Cambria Tractor & Equipment
PARKING & SHUTTLE: Bob Albright, Mick Bezek, Bob Bombach, George Burkey, Tim Davis, Cory Ehrhart, Gary Gongloff, Dave Hagerich, Paul Hagerich, Brett Hoffman, Jackson Twp. Fire Police, Mercik's Ideal Market, Eric Reitler, Tom Wray, Steve Yarina
RINSE TUBS - Tim Burkey, Brian Daughenbaugh, JETSA
SIGNS: Cooper Signs
SPONSORS: Waste Management, Amfire Mining, Naugle Insurance, Ameriserv, Askew-Houser Funeral Homes, Atlantic Broadband, Services, Dolan's Welding & Steel, Highmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Jackson Township Senior Center, L. Robert Kimball & Associates, Mercik's Ideal Market, Sheetz and Wyse Cemetery Memorials, Barnes Saly & Company, C & G Savings Bank, Cooper Signs, Damin Printing, First Commonwealth Bank, First National Bank of PA, First Summit Bank, Landrum Auto Sales, Attorney Margaret A. O’Malley, Martin Oil & General Stores, MEC Chemicals, Neighbors Who Care, Opthalmic Associates, P. Joseph Lehman Engineers, Rose Excavating, Vantage Physical Therapy, Warren Oil, Wix-Pix Productions Inc. and the Altoona Curve
STAGE: Construction Equipment Services Inc.
TENT LIGHTS & FANS - Jackson Twp. Vol. Fire Company
TRACTOR DISPLAY: A.J. Devlin,
TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT ADVERTISING: BCI Flooring, Cooper Signs, Jackson Township Supervisors, Jerry Gilkey Pools, Lorrco Steeler Shop, Park Hill Drug, P. Joseph Lehman Engineers
UTILITY VEHICLES: Martin Marine
OTHER VOLUNTEERS & HELPERS: Bob Albright, Paige Berdomas, Cathy Bortz, Donna Davis, Teri & Tim Davis, Beth Fetzer, Ben Grove, Aaron Henry, Cory Henry, Keith Henry, Kim Hirko, Jackson Twp. Fire Police, Jackson Twp. Heritage Festival Committee, Jackson Twp. Recreation Commission, Jackson Twp. Police Department, Jackson Twp. Road Department, Jackson Twp. Senior Center, Jackson Twp. Supervisors, Jackson Twp. Volunteer Fire Company, Kelly Lundgren, Brittany Magyar, Gina & Dave Mumau, Shannan Mumau, A. J. Pagano, Carolyn Patrick, Betty & Dave Perry, Bonnie Saintz, Shane Simmons, Al Slippy, Tom Wray

UPCOMING RECREATION EVENTS
Listed below are some of the upcoming events and activities scheduled in Jackson Township over the upcoming months:

~Annual Halloween Parade
October 26, 2008, 2:00 pm - Vinco - Features bands, floats, marching units and fire trucks. Everyone is welcome to participate in the parade in their best costume! Parade line-up is at 1:00 pm at the intersection of Rose Branch Street & Griffith Avenue. The parade route is down Rose Branch Street and then down Adams Avenue where it ends at the Fire Hall. Prizes will be awarded in various categories and treats distributed. Treat tickets for $1.00 are available by calling the Jackson Twp. Vol. Fire Company, sponsor of the parade, at 322-3155.

~Trick or Treat Night
Trick or Treat Night is back! Jackson Township will be holding Trick or Treat Night for the first time in over 25 years. The date is Thursday, October 30^th from 6 to 8 pm, the same time East Taylor will be holding theirs. Those who wish to participate can leave their porch lights on. Police, Fire and other volunteers will be patrolling to make this a safe and fun event for all. Trick or Treaters are invited to stop at the Municipal Building for a free treat!

~Oglebay Festival of Lights & Holiday Shopping Bus Trip
The most popular trip last year was the Holiday Shopping & Hartwood Acres lighting display near Pittsburgh. This year a similar trip is planned for Saturday, December 6^th. Deluxe McIlwain Motor Coaches will leave Jackson Elementary at 8:30 am and stop at several shopping stops including IKEA, the trendy Scandinavian store near Pittsburgh which carries a large variety of unique items. From there we will go to The Mall at Robinson, Pittsburgh’s newest indoor shopping mall with over 120 stores and lots of restaurants to choose from. After that we will stop at Cabelas & The Highlands near Wheeling, WV. Cabelas Superstore is an outdoorsman’s paradise and even has in-store attractions such as wildlife exhibits and even a shooting gallery. The adjoining Highlands also has lots of shopping and a variety of restaurants to choose from. The final stop will be the Oglebay Festival of Lights with over 2 million lights making it one of the most elaborate displays in the US. We will arrive back at Jackson Elementary at approximately 11:30 pm. Cost for the trip is only $28.00 per person.

~Light Up Night
The Jackson Township Recreation Commission will be sponsoring it’s 3^rd Annual Light Up Night on Sunday, November 30, 2008 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at the Jackson Township Senior Center and Veterans Park. The evening will include the Annual Lighting of over 10,000 lights, the Festival of Trees, an outdoor tree decorating contest, refreshments, caroling and special guest, Santa Claus. Children are invited to bring their Christmas wish list and see Santa live and in person.

~Holiday Decorating Contest
For the third year, a Township-wide Holiday Lighting Contest will be sponsored by the Jackson Township Recreation Commission. Prizes to be awarded will be $100 for first place, $75 to second, $50 to third and $25 to fourth place. In addition all winners and honorable mentions will receive a plaque acknowledging their award and featuring a photo of their decorated home. Judging will take place on Sunday, December 28th from 6 to 10 pm or in the event of inclement weather, Monday, December 29th. Winners will be announced by Wednesday, December 31^st. To enter, simply complete the form in this newsletter.

CUTEST BABY CONTEST ONCE AGAIN A BIG HIT
The wildly popular Cutest Baby Contest was a big hit at the 5^th Annual Heritage Festival for the second year in a row. When the idea was first came up before last year’s Festival at an organizational meeting, everyone thought it was cute and we should try it but never did anyone anticipate how wildly popular this contest would be. This year there were 7 entries and hundreds of votes. To keep the voting on a simple and fair basis, it was decided that voting would be simply .25 per vote. The photos of the babies were displayed at the Heritage Festival a display board in plastic see-through containers where those voting could deposit their vote (ticket) in the cutest baby of their choice. Many people would purchase a vote or two while some would purchase 10, 20 or even 40 votes at a time. Voting ended at 3:30 pm on Sunday and the tickets were counted and winners declared. Earning 1st Place honors with 308 votes and a $100.00 Savings Bond was Mikaela Maines, 7 months old, of Pike Road. Earning 2nd Place honors with 179 votes and a $75.00 Savings Bond was Gianna Alexander, 4 months old, of Adams Avenue. The 3^rd Place award with 168 votes and a $50.00 Savings Bond went to Aiden Sherman, 11 months old of Old Nanty Glo Road. The contest was such a hit with everyone and even those who didn't vote admired the photos of the babies. Plans are already in the works for next years contest. All Jackson Township babies 2 years of age and younger are eligible to enter so start looking for that cutest photo to submit to the contest which will be held July 17-19, 2009.

JUNK VEHICLE REMOVAL
If you have a junked vehicle that needs removed from your property and you’re not sure how to go about it, perhaps the following information will help. Al Gillin who operates a licensed junkyard along Adams Avenue has agreed to tow any junked vehicles that you would like to have removed from your property. According to Mr. Gillin, in most cases there will be no charge to any Township resident for this service unless there is great difficulty getting to the vehicle to pick it up. If you wish to have junked vehicles removed from your property, you may contact Mr. Gillin at 322-4366 to see if you qualify for this free service.

VEHICLE BATTERY DROP-OFF
Every wonder how to dispose of any old batteries from cars, trucks, lawn mowers, tractors, etc. that you may have laying around your property? They are considered hazardous so you cannot put them out with your garbage. You can however drop them off at Naugles Auto & Truck Sales free of charge where they will see that they are properly processed for disposal or recycling. Naugles Auto & Truck Sales is located at 3309 William Penn Avenue near Mundys Corner. If you have any questions concerning battery disposal, please contact Eric Naugle at 659-7429.

CHICKAREE RIDGERUNNERS ANNOUNCE UPCOMING ATV & SNOWMOBILE DRAG RACES
The Chickaree Ridgerunners Snowmobile Recreation & Rescue Club is preparing for it’s upcoming ATV and Snowmobile Drag Racing season. The first race event is scheduled for Sunday, October 5^th, the second on Sunday, November 9^th and the last one on Sunday, December 14^th. Races are held at the Snowmobile Club at Mitchell Park near Vinco. All races are open to the public and begin at 12:00 noon. You must register to race and there is a class for everyone (all ATV’s and snowmobiles). Spectators are also welcome. The gate opens at 8:00 am and registration to race takes place from 9 - 11 am. A donation of $8.00 per person for adults gets you in the gate - children 12 and under are free. There will be ATV’s and snowmobiles on display. The kitchen features a variety of good food at reasonable prices. Breakfast is served from 8 to 11 am and lunch begins at 11:00 am. The Club is also sponsoring a Snowmobile Safety Course for children age 10 - 15 on Saturday, November 22^nd. Contact Clint Elias at (724) 349-5369 for details on this course. The Chickaree Ridgerunners are always happy to have new members join the club and you don’t even need a snowmobile or ATV to join either! For more information on the races or to join the club, call 749-9931 or visit www.chickareeridgerunners.com

INTERESTED IN SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY?
Have you ever wondered how you can serve the community you live in? Jackson Township welcomes anyone interested in serving on a Authority, Board or Commission to submit a letter, note or email saying you are interested in serving on a Board or Authority in the event that there are openings. If you are interested, your letter would be kept on file at the Township office where you would be contacted if an opening would occur at which time you could accept or decline. Authorities include the Sewer Authority and Water Authority. Commissions include Planning & Recreation. There is also the Zoning Hearing Board. Another group where participation is encouraged is the Historical Preservation Committee. All letters and notes should be mailed to Jackson Township Supervisors, 513 Pike Road, Johnstown, PA 15909. You may also drop it off in person at the Municipal Building or you can send an email to office@jacksontwppa.com By volunteering you can make a difference in your community. Any and all inquiries would be greatly appreciated!

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE

Jackson Historical Preservation Committee
If you are interested helping the Historic Preservation Committee, feel free to attend any of their meetings. If you have any knowledge of the history of the Township, you are welcome to share. The Committee meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Township Municipal Building at 1:00 pm.

Jackson Heritage Festival
Help plan and organize the 6th Annual Jackson Heritage Festival. Planning is underway for next year's big event and monthly meetings will begin in January, 2009. If you are interested in helping out, please phone, write or email your name to the Jackson Township Office.

June, 2008
The figures for June were as follows: 911 Calls dispatched to Police: 413 Reportable Part I Crimes: 29 broken down as follows: Larceny-20, Burglaries-6, Assaults-2 and Arson-1. Reportable Part II Crimes: 35 broken down as follows: Receiving Stolen Property-9, Vandalism-8, DUI (Driving While Under the Influence)-5, Disorderly Conduct-2, Fraud-2, Embezzlement-1, Liquor Violations-1, Public Drunkenness-1 and all others-6. Calls Resulting in Cases: 36, Total Arrestees: 19, Total Suspects: 0, Total Victims: 23, DUI Arrests: 5, Traffic Citations: 34, Non-Traffic Citations: 4, Total Warnings: 1.

FIRE COMPANY NEWS & EVENTS
The Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Company has several upcoming events they would like to announce. The Gun Raffle scheduled for October 19th is sold out. The Annual Turkey Raffle is scheduled for Saturday, November 22^nd at 7 pm and tickets are still available for that event. For tickets or additional information on all of these events, contact the Fire Company at 322-3155.  Another upcoming fundraising event will be Wally Hines Photography at the Fire Hall to take family portraits. These make great gifts for the upcoming Holidays and ½ of the proceeds will go back to benefit the Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Company. Once again, the Fire Company will sponsor their Annual Halloween Parade to be held on Sunday, October 26th at 2 pm. There will be bands, floats, marching groups and hundreds of children in their favorite Halloween costumes! All children and adults are welcome to march in the parade. Line up will be at the intersection of Rose Branch Street & Griffith Avenue beginning at 1 pm. Prizes will be awarded in various categories. Treat tickets can be obtained at the Fire Hall prior to the parade or by calling 322-3155. Just a reminder that Ambulance Memberships are due to be turned in to the Fire Company. If you have not yet mailed yours in, please do so as soon as possible. Just a note that this is separate from the Annual Fund Drive. As always the Fire Company wants to express their heart-felt thanks for the support they have received from Jackson Township whether it be from the Fund Drive, supporting fundraisers or private contributions. They also want to express their sincere thanks for everyone that came out for their Open House on October 7th. In addition they want everyone to know that they enjoy serving the Community in which they are so well supported. From the Fire Company and Auxiliary they would like to wish everyone a safe and happy upcoming Holiday Season.

SENIOR CENTER NEWS
The Center is buzzing with many upcoming events. Here is a sampling of upcoming events: Flu Shots will be given on Wednesday, October 29^th form 9 to 11:30 am by Conemaugh Home Health to those over 60 years of age and for those 18 years of age and up who are at high risk with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, lung disease, asthma, kidney disease, heart disease etc. Insurance accepted includes UMWA Funds, Security Blue, UPMC for Life, Freedom Blue and Medicare Part B. Those not having insurance will be charged $25.00. A Community Blood Screening hosted by Conemaugh Health Priority Care. The Screening will be held on Saturday, November 1^st from 7 to 9 am and is open to the general public. Cost is $25.00 and if you want a PSA, it’s an additional $35.00. If you are interested, you can call 322-3327 to schedule your appointment. The Center will once again participate in the Sock It To Us Program up through November 30^th. Anyone who would like to donate new socks (any sizes) for adults or children, just drop the socks off at the Center in the box near the coat rack at the entrance doors. The socks will be donated to Cambria County Children and Youth for needy children, Victim Services, Women’s Help Center and human service agencies and shelters throughout Cambria County. The Center along with UMWA Health & Retirement Funds is working on a Health Fair. The date is set for Friday, October 17th from 10 am to 1 pm. There will be free health screenings, information, health related vendors and medication management. The Health Fair will be set up as a Bingo Bonanza where as you visit each booth, you'll get a number for your bingo card. Door prizes will be available along with light refreshments. Another proposed event will be 55 Alive Drivers Training. The class will cost $10.00 and is open to the public. By taking the class, most auto insurance premiums are reduced. If you are interested, please contact the Center to register at 322-3327. Also there are two annual events for members that are scheduled including a Christmas Dinner on Friday, December 5^th and a Children’s Christmas Party on Saturday December 13^th. For more information on any of the above events, contact the Senior Center at 322-3327. Every Thursday at 1:00 pm, the Center is showing an afternoon movie donated by All the Right Movies. Members are welcome to take time to relax and enjoy a current movie in the Community Room on the Center's large screen TV. If you are in need of work, age 55 or over and qualify within the set income levels, you may be eligible for the Senior Community Employment Program Service. For more information on the program, contact the local National Council on Aging Senior Employment Program in Johnstown at 536-0691. The Silver Sneakers Program is still going strong with over 50 individuals taking advantage of the program. Anyone who is a Medicare-eligible member of Highmark or Blue Cross-Blue Shield can participate. A new class will be held once a week called Yoga Stretch. For more information, contact the Senior Center at 322-3327. The Center has many special weekly events for the membership including lunch 3 times a week, parties, Bible study, bingo, knitting, line dancing, weekly Pinochle party, speakers and events on health issues concerning the aged population, monthly blood pressure screenings, weekly movies, ceramics, computer use with high-speed internet access, beginners computer classes and an exercise room with 11 machines available. In addition there are monthly CamTram bus trips to different shopping areas in Westmoreland, Indiana, Blair, Somerset and Cambria Counties. Anyone interested in visiting or taking a quick tour of the Center is invited to stop in. Membership offered to those age 50 and older is constantly growing and is only $10.00 a year. The Center opened on May 10, 1998 and have just recently issued their 746th membership card. The Center relies on volunteers to operate and stay open. It's a great place to meet and socialize. If you are interested in being a member or volunteering, please contact the Center at 322-3327.

SEWER AUTHORITY UPDATE
The Jackson - East Taylor Sewer Authority held a pre-construction meeting on August 25^th with the contractors, Township Supervisors, Water Authority, Engineers, Inspectors and JETSA Board Members to get the Cherrywood / Brazil Lane Sewer Project under way. Guyer Brothers of New Enterprise started on August 28^th with Contract # 1 by clearing the right-of-way and installing the pipe by hooking the new sewer system to the old on First Avenue in Vinco. D. J. Wisor of West Decatur started on September 15^th with Contract # 2 by clearing the right-of-way and installing the pipe by hooking the new sewer system to the old on Ranch Road in Vinco. Other than hitting some pockets of rock, everything is going very well. Keller Engineers has their inspectors at the job site to oversee the Contractors. The Contractor or Inspector will notify the property owner of the contractor’s work and determine the desired location for laterals, services, etc. If you will be one of the 200 residents affected by this new project, you may want to be prepared and consider now the best location for your service lateral. If any resident has a complaint, forms will be located at the Authority Office at 2603 William Penn Avenue during regular business hours from 9 am to 5 pm. The homeowner, engineer, contractor and JETSA will each get a copy of the complaint form. The estimated completion date for Contract # 1 (Cherrywood / Adams Avenue area) will be around May, 2009 and the estimated completion date for Contract # 2 (Brazil / Rosebranch area) will be around February, 2009. If there are any questions or concerns, feel free to contact JETSA at 322-3444.

WATER AUTHORITY NEWS
The Jackson Township Water Authority’s main objective is to provide customers with quality, uninterrupted water service. With any planned water line project, the office staff will contact customers with dates and approximate times of water interruption. Unfortunately, when a line break occurs there’s not enough time to personally contact each affected customer. JTWA’s foremost concern is the conserving of the water supply. To keep the water interruption to a minimum, little communication is made between the office and work site. Karl Smith & Dave Smith who maintain the lines do not know the extent of the damage nor the time that it will take to repair the line until the damaged line is located or exposed then leading to the repairs necessary. When a water line break occurs, please be reassured that water service will be restored as soon as possible. JTWA has been using a Sensus Meter Reading System for the last decade. Recently, the Authority has been informed that their equipment is obsolete and cannot be serviced or repaired any longer as technology has advanced too much. They are currently researching new equipment, software, and inquiring into any eligible funding or grants that may be available. For the betterment of the community, JTWA strives to maintain an updated water system. Much advancement has been made in this area and updating the meter reading equipment will benefit all involved. One of the advancements is the truck mounted reading system that eliminates the need for meter readers to walk door-to-door. Instead of a week of reading meters, it can be accomplished in one day at the same time the tanks are checked each morning, thus saving fuel and time. JTWA will keep you informed as more information becomes available.

OTHER JACKSON TWP. NEWS
~Who’s New Around the Township
We would like to welcome those who have been recently appointed or hired by Jackson Township. Cory Ehrhart was appointed to the Recreation Commission to serve the remaining term of Walt George who was unable to serve due to personal concerns. The Supervisors also accepted the resignation Mike Jacobs, Part-Time Police Officer as well as Janet Hagerich, Alternate Member to the Zoning Hearing Board. We thank Walt, Mike and Janet for their service and we welcome and congratulate Cory on his new appointment.

~New York City Bus Trip Sold Out
Two buses quickly filled up for the New York City Trip on Saturday, October 11^th. The trip to the "Big Apple" gave people a wide variety of things to do such as sightseeing, seeing a Broadway play, dining, shopping and more. Cost was only $45.00 per person and with the price of gas, a real bargain! The trip was via Lodestar deluxe motor tour buses. A great time was had by all!

~Snowflakes Coming To Veterans Park
Veterans Park will have some extra snowflakes this year. . not the kind on the ground but beautiful, lighted ones to adorn the decorative lamp posts along the walkways. The snowflakes were ordered from Display Sales who had previously supplied the banners and will be lit up at Light Up Night along with over 10,000 lights. Each year the plan is to add some new decorations to add to the display.

~Central Cambria Coalition News
The Central Cambria Coalition continues to work together in the spirt of inter-municipal cooperation. Currently a Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan is nearing the final stages of completion. Also a grant for Phase II Planning has been applied for with the DCED. A grant was received to purchase two pieces of equipment - a Road Repair Kettle and a Asphalt Hauler. In addition, many other common issues and subjects are discussed at monthly meetings. Some of the topics discussed recently include road salt cost, State Building Codes, police grants, contractors licensing and sign sharing.

~Jackson Continues Benshoff Hill Agreement
The Board of Supervisors voted to continue into the 4th year of a 5 year agreement with PennDOT requiring Jackson Township to perform winter maintenance on Benshoff Hill Road in exchange for reimbursement of $8,567.52 from PennDOT. In the event of a severe winter, there is also a formula that would allot additional funds to Jackson beyond the designated amount.

~Supervisors Support Food Pantry Efforts
A contribution of $1000 was given to the Miners Community Food Pantry to support their annual fund drive. According to Janet Reese, it takes about $1000 per month operate the Food Pantry which she estimates serves 300 families from Jackson Township. The Food Pantry expects to receive a grant from the Department of Agriculture around Thanksgiving but until then, funds are needed to continue operating.

~Want to Schedule An Event At A Jackson Park?
If you are interested in reserving a pavilion for a family get-together, party or event, please contact the Jackson Township Municipal Building at 749-0725 to make a reservation. A pavilion is available at Mitchell, Leidy & Veterans Park. Other recreation facilities that can be reserved depending upon availability include baseball fields at Mitchell & Leidy and Volleyball Courts at Leidy.

~Need to Sign Up For New Garbage Service? - Jackson Township’s garbage contract provides for unlimited curbside garbage pick-up as well as any large items you have to dispose of with a few exceptions (i.e. - hazardous items, Freon, tires, etc.) If you are interested in signing up for garbage service you need to call 1-800-677-4884. The cost for 2008 is $38.77 per quarter.

www.jacksontwppa.com
Jackson Township has a valuable source of information to help keep you informed. If you haven’t checked out the Township Website, please feel free to visit www.jacksontwppa.com The website is constantly updated with new information. As always, you can read the monthly approved minutes of the Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission and Recreation Meetings. New this year are minutes of the Jackson-East Taylor Sewer Authority. To see some of the pages that have been updated recently , click on "Whats New" on the home page. If you have any suggestions of what you would like to see on the Jackson Twp. Website, please call Dave Hirko at 749-0725 or email to office@jacksontwppa.com

PLANNING A BUILDING PROJECT
If you are planning on a building project be sure to visit or call either the Jackson Township Office at 749-0725 or Harry Baker, Zoning Officer at 322-1425. Your project could involve zoning, stormwater or planning. Also with the Pennsylvania State Building Code, inspections may be required as well. Be sure to allow plenty of time to get any necessary permits prior to building. By doing this, your project can be addressed in plenty of time before you actually begin construction. Also if you are planning to pave or alter your driveway, a driveway permit is required. Roadmasters Bruce Baker & Dave Bracken said that driveway permits are not to inconvenience residents but are necessary to make sure there is a swale or pipe to direct stormwater. They also make sure that driveways are not higher than the road so snow plows don’t catch the edge of the driveway. When a driveway enters onto a Township road, a safe sight distance is also very important. PennDOT requires permits for driveways entering onto State roads within the Township.

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JOIN JACKSON ONLINE NEWS
Township residents who have access to the internet can now join our new email group to receive up-to-date Township news by email. To subscribe just go to the Jackson Township website at www.jacksontwppa.com and subscribe to the Jackson Township Online News by entering your email address in the space provided. You will then be sent a confirmation verifying that you wish to subscribe to the online news. You must return the confirmation via email to be added to the newsletter list. We also encourage you to invite others to join. If you encounter any problem signing up, just email us at office@jacksontwppa.com or call us at the Township office at 749-0725 and you can be added manually.
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