Borough Employee Celebrates Year of Service

Elderton Borough Secretary/Treasurer Jennifer Redick celebrated her belated birthday and upcoming year-of-service with borough council members last night with a cake following their monthly meeting.

by Jonathan Weaver

A local borough employee celebrates her first year on the job this week.

Elderton Borough Secretary/Treasurer Jennifer Redick officially began in her position August 6, 2010. She remembered how it came to be at the borough’s monthly meeting last night.

“[Former Secretary/Treasurer] Linda Zaun turned in her resignation and [Council President] Linda Prugh came down to the house sad and upset that that had happened – she wanted to inform [Councilman and Husband] Shane [Redick] to tell people that there would be that position available – I was praying for a new direction, and it came my way,” Redick said.

Zaun turned in her resignation in June 2010, but stayed and helped train Redick for the position.

Redick was looking for a job opportunity closer to home since her other job has her driving to Downtown Kittanning. She gets to work within her Elderton home as secretary/treasurer.

“So now I don’t have to take my daughter to a babysitter – she’s home with me,” Redick said, referring to 9-year-old daughter Emali.

Redick thanked council members for their assistance over the past year during the meeting, especially with putting together the borough’s budget.

“I want to thank you guys for this opportunity because it really, truly has been a blessing to our family and Emali – I truly appreciate it,” Redick said.

Linda praised Redick’s job so far.

“We thought we had a great secretary in [Zaun] – which we did – but you have filled her shoes,” Linda said.

Mayor Larry Prugh agreed.

“She does a good job – a very good job,” Mayor Prugh commented. “We’re very lucky to have her.”

Redick graduated with a psychology degree from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in 2001. She hopes to celebrate more anniversaries with the borough in the future.

Because of the anniversary and Redick’s birthday July 29, council members celebrated with a cake following the meeting.

In other news, borough council applied for a maintenance grant to preserve a borough road.

Dirt and gravel would be used on an unnamed alley along 7^th Street Extension along North Lytle and Village Road.

Mayor Prugh explained where the substances would be laid.

“We’re going to go back in there to finish that house up to that parsonage where we did the new paving project, and then we’ll jump over that and go to Village Road and do Village Road from Main Street the whole way down to the borough line. At the intersection of Village Road and North Lytle, we’ll do that intersection back to the fire hall,” Mayor Prugh said.

Prugh estimated the project would cost approximately $3,000.

Linda told homeowners that road work would likely not happen until next year.

“The grant had to be in by a certain time, so we had to apply for it. Then, it will probably be the fall till they say whether we get it or not and it wouldn’t be done till next spring,” Linda said. “We take pride in our town.”

Council members will convene Wednesday, September 7 at 6:30PM for their next meeting because of the Labor Day holiday.

Elderton Honors Living and Dead in Parade/Ceremony

In Elderton, the community turned out yesterday for a parade that began at 10:30 AM. It began at the Presbyterian Church and processed down to the school, stopping for a flag-raising ceremony at Elderton State Bank. The Elderton High School Marching Band played the National Anthem as the flag was raised.

The parade then continued to the high school gymnasium for a special Memorial Day Ceremony at 11AM led by resident Connie Marr.

The Elderton Band played and high school senior Brittany Byrd, an accomplished vocalist, sang the Star Spangled Banner at beginning of ceremony. Pennsylvania State Representative Donna Oberlander (R-63) led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Reverend Paul Price, pastor of Cornerstone Worship Center, was the keynote speaker. The father of two Iraqi veteran sons, Price spoke about things communities can do to support families and loved ones currently serving.