Derry Township eNews - July 24, 2020
Current News
Greater Hershey Regional Transportation Plan
A Special Meeting of the Derry Township Board of Supervisors is scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. to present and review the Greater Hershey Regional Transportation Study. Click here for details on how to join the meeting.

The Greater Hershey Regional Transportation Study DRAFT is available for public review at the following location: https://www.hrg-inc.com/greater-hershey-area-study/.

Any comments or questions on the report, recommendations, maps or exhibits should be directed to Alyx Gallagher, HRG, via email at agallagher@hrg-inc.com. We request any comments or feedback by Friday August 7, 2020. Upon receipt of comments, HRG will evaluate them, update the plan as required, and distribute a Final Report by August 31, 2020.
Board of Supervisors to Meet Virtually on July 28
The public is invited to attend the next Derry Township Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, July 28th at 7 p.m. The agenda will be posted on the Township website later today. For instructions on how to join the virtual call, please   visit our website .
Township Supervisors Meeting
Watch the Derry Township Board of Supervisors special meeting from July 21, 2020 on the Township  YouTube channel.
Test Your Home for Radon
The Township of Derry encourages all residents to test their homes for radon. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive, invisible, tasteless, odorless gas that comes from uranium. Radon can seep into your home through cracks and spaces in the foundation. Exposure to indoor radon is a public health threat and can lead to lung cancer. Testing for radon is easy and inexpensive. A test kit is suspended in the lowest level of the home for three days. The kit is self-addressed, and postage paid. Complete your name and address, the start/end date and time of the test, remove the tape from the self-adhesive, and send to the lab. The test results will be mailed to you in approximately two weeks. The EPA recommends a level no higher than 4 picocuries per liter of air.

The township has test kits available for $ 8.00 + tax, and will provide informational packets when requested. Test kits are available at the Municipal Building, Recycling Center and the Hershey Public Library.

Visit the EPA's website for more information about Radon, its dangers and how to reduce the risk.
The Hershey Volunteer Fire Dept Announces Community Connect
We all know every second counts in an emergency. For this reason, we are rolling out a new program to protect our residents and their property in the most effective way possible. Community Connect is a free, secure, easy to use platform that allows you to share critical information about your household with the
who are responding to your residence in the time of an emergency.

Our goal is to get everyone in Derry Township and Conewago Township to establish a profile and help us in your time of need. Follow the link provided to setup your account Community Connect Account.
You'll be glad you did. http://ow.ly/dpHn50AmjXY
Derry Township Business Contact Information
Derry Township is working to compile an inventory of our local businesses. Please provide us with some brief information so that we can keep you up-to-date on important news and happenings. By providing your information, you're authorizing us to occasionally email you with information pertaining to or affecting the Derry Township business community.

You can fill out this brief form here: https://forms.gle/BaNj81HWEkkbkDCK6
HATS Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts
The HATS Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Counts, delayed from the spring, will take place Sun 8/9 to Sat 8/15. The counts provide vital data to our region's planners, decision makers and anyone else interested in making walking and biking safer and more convenient in Central PA. Visit TCRPC’s bicycle and pedestrian page for more information and to sign up to volunteer: https://bit.ly/2MZYJWj. In Derry Township, the counts will be performed at the intersection of Chocolate Avenue and Cocoa Avenue, and at the intersection of University Drive and Governor Road.

In addition, Derry Township is collaborating with the Partnership for Healthy Communities of Central PA Coalition to begin a bicycle and pedestrian counting program to expand upon the regional data collected by HATS. The Township received a grant to purchase and set up short-term counting devices to collect baseline data to measure future improvements, and to identify key areas of concern for volume and safety reasons. Derry Township Chief of Police, Garth Warner, is leading the efforts to place the counting devices. “If you notice the small, labeled devices, please be sure to leave them in place to do their job. The devices will be moved around Derry Township to get an accurate count, but the initial locations will include a spot on the Jonathan Eshenour Memorial Trail near Shank Park and Bullfrog Valley Pond, the SAMBA Trails behind the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and several busier intersections within the Village,” says Chief Warner.
Utilities
PPL Project Update
PPL will be completing work on the underground transmission line on Sand Hill Road. Similar to what was done prior, portions of Sandhill Road will be closed during construction. PPL worked closely with the Township to coordinate the road closures, and detours will be in place. The intersection of Cherry Drive / Sand Hill Road will be closed beginning 7 p.m. on July 24 through 6 a.m. July 27. Depending on work progress, a second weekend shutdown on July 31 st at 7 p.m. through August 3 rd at 6 am may be needed. Sand Hill Road between Cherry Drive and Fishburn Road will be closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 27 through August 7. Dates may change based on weather or working delays. We’ll continue to keep residents updated through the eNews. Residents near the road closures will receive a door hanger with more information. For more information or questions, please visit www.pplelectric.com/HersheyProject or email HersheyProject@pplweb.com
Township Events
Market on Chocolate
Socially distanced free fitness returns to Market on Chocolate this Saturday as we celebrate our 6 th anniversary! Join Power Train Gym for a free boot camp class in ChocolateTown Park at 9 a.m., or come for yoga at 10 a.m. Participants are asked to please bring their own mat, sweat towel, and water. Kevin Koa will perform live starting at 11 a.m., and six market guests will win Market Bucks in celebration of our sixth year. Plus don’t miss our great selection of vendors offering everything from produce to jewelry, to baked goods, to hot sauce and stuffed waffles. Look for $6 specials from many of our vendors and check out the full schedule here.
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Township Meetings and Events Calendars
Join Us at The Library
Library Hours Change
The Hershey Public Library regrets that as a cost savings measure, the library will no longer be open on Sundays. Expanded Saturday hours will begin on Saturday, September 12. The library will continue to provide all in-person services and online programming. If you have any questions, please contact Laura O'Grady, Library Director, by phone at 717-533-6555 and by email at lauraogrady@derrytownship.org
Friends of the Hershey Public Library is Having a Read-a-thon!
Register online for the library's Friends fundraiser, the Read-a-thon! (Managed by 99 Pledges.) Click “Add Participant” to create your own read-a-thon page and track your “minutes read” through Beanstack.com.

Please share your page with family and friends and read away! Read-a-thon ends on August 22. Contact Aly Tran at atran@derrytownship.org with any questions. All ages are welcome to participate. Please know that no amount is too small. Your ongoing backing and support are both truly appreciated. We could not engage in the wonderful learning opportunities and the fun things we do without your monetary support. 

For more information, please visit the Friends' website at https://friendsofhersheypubliclibrary.wildapricot.org/  This is also a great time to renew your Friends membership or become a member. Thank you.

Your donations will help pay for:
  • Year-round programming for children and adults
  • Children’s and adult reading programs
  • Film Festivals
  • National Library Week author visit
New Digital Resources Available
Announcing a new digital resource called  RB Digital  to access popular newsstand magazines and an extensive selection of audiobooks online with your Hershey Public Library card. Download the RB Digital app for your mobile device from the Apple App Store for iOS, Google Play for Android, from the Amazon Store for Kindle Fire.

  • Full issues - the latest and back issues are available.
  • No expiration date on magazines - read on your own schedule and keep them in your account for as long as you like.
  • Select an expiry date on audiobooks of up to 21 days.
  • The app is free
  • Register with your Hershey Public Library card.
  • No waitlist on magazines or audiobooks.
  • It's easy to use.

If you need help, please contact the Hershey Public Library at 717-533-6555 or visit the RB Digital Help & FAQs page on the library's website at  www.hersheylibrary.org
Harry Potter Family Trivia Night
Thursday, July 30 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

Join the library on Facebook LIVE at: https://www.facebook.com/hersheypubliclibrary on Thursday, July 30. All aboard at 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm for Harry Potter Family Trivia Night. It will be magical. Test your knowledge of your beloved Harry Potter stories and their characters. Wizardly fun! Registration is not required. Everyone is welcome.
Hershey Public Library Virtual Race
Please join the Hershey Public Library Virtual Race, a fundraiser for the library’s Friends organization. NOW until August 31st. $5 from every virtual race registration goes directly to benefit the Friends. The event is managed by US Road Running Virtual Races. Register online . In this year of Covid-19, the Friends Annual Book Sale, an important source of library program funding, was canceled due to health safety concerns. Funds received from the Hershey Public Library Virtual Race will help to keep those programs going. Whether you want to race for 1 mile or 100 miles, the option is yours, and we thank you most sincerely for your support. 
Participate in your own time and choose a location that suits you. All registrants receive a finisher medal and a real race bib. For more information, please visit the Friends' website at:  https://friendsofhersheypubliclibrary.wildapricot.org/  
Bravura Brass Concert!
Our friends from Bravura Brass return this summer to present a virtual program of summer music favorites---patriotic and uplifting songs for children on Tuesday, July 28 @ 1:00 pm. Everyone is welcome. Please register to join this online program at the Events Calendar at www.hersheylibrary.org . This program is sponsored by the Friends of Hershey Public Library. 
Community News and Events
Derry Township Community Cats Clinic
Derry Township residents can sign up to get help with trapping outdoor, free-roaming cats and having them spayed/neutered and vaccinated for free. The next clinic is August 11; reservations can be made by calling 717-592-8087. 

You can also schedule a low-cost spay/neuter and vaccinations for owned cats by calling the same number. Please note that cats must be six months old.
Visit  www.derrytownshipcats.org  for more information about this program and ways you can support it.
Township Publications
Derry Township Newsletters
Sign up to receive the library's monthly newsletter directly here .
Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes  
If you have a community news event that you would like to share in the township eNews, email it to eNews@derrytownship.org

Please note that listings should be related to local events. Submissions should be no more than a few sentences and include a link to a website with more information. Events determined to be discriminatory, controversial, negative, or offensive to other persons or organizations, or which promote organizations engaging in such conduct will not be included.