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LEWISTOWN -- An Eagle Scout was honored by Mifflin County Commissioners for his recent work at the walking trail at the Armagh Township building.
Commissioner Kevin Kodish read a proclamation honoring Zander Crader for his achievement in being named Eagle Scout and commending him for his work during the board's meeting on April 21.
The project, Kodish said, entailed building and installing three new benches and repairing one bench along the trail. Crader also built four birdhouses and placed four distance markers along the trail.
The project included 120 service hours.
"Zander Crader serves as an example to youth of our community through his high level of personal achievement, leadership and community service and has made Mifflin County very proud," Kodish said.
Crader is a member of Boy Scout Troop 106 of Milroy and completed his requirements which made him worthy of the rank of Eagle Scout on Oct. 14, 2021.
Crader has served in the positions of Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader and Quartermaster, the proclamation states.
"His outstanding accomplishment, extend to him our deepest appreciation for all of his dedicated work and wish him the best in all of his future endeavors," Kodish read.
Also during the meeting, Director of Mifflin-Juniata Area Agency on Aging Patrick Fitzgerald discussed a housing study that his agency has undertaken to address affordable housing for seniors in Mifflin and Juniata counties.
Fitzgerald said the agency has begun distributing noninvasive surveys to determine needs of the community.
"We believe there is a need for more affordable housing for older folks," he said. "We do know when there is a lack of affordable housing in the area, there is a tendency for more individuals to end up in longterm care facilities and nursing homes."
Fitzgerald described some concepts that other Pennsylvania counties have adopted to address the need for lower-income senior housing, including a Shared Housing and Resource Exchange, which would pair them with homeowners who want to share their homes in exchange for rent or work around the house.
Another initiative used in other communities was an ECHO Housing program, which allows agency offices to build temporary cottages to house senior citizens.
Director of Mifflin-Juniata Human Services Allison Fisher said the pandemic "really brought to a head the fact that we just don't have good housing stock in our community, in terms of enough or safe and stable."
Seniors 60 and over can find the survey on the Mifflin or Juniata county websites. The survey will close on May 6.
Also during Thursday's meeting, the board recognized April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Commissioner Rob Postal read a proclamation to raise public awareness about sexual violence and education communities on how to prevent it.
"Statistics show 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be victims of sexual abuse while 1 in 5 women and 1 in 67 men will experience rape at some point in their lives," he read, "while 25 percent of children report having had an online sexual interaction where they were asked to send nude photographs of themselves, livestream nude or sexual content, send sexual messages or have had nude photos of an adult or other child shared with them.
"Sexual assault, harassment, and abuse can happen anywhere, including in online spaces. Harassment, cyberbullying, sexual abuse, and exploitation have come to be expected as typical and unavoidable behaviors online," Postal stated.
The board also took the following action:
¯Approved a $1,000 offer for a Lewistown Borough property that is currently in the repository for unsold properties;
¯Approved an agreement between Mifflin County and Union Township for bridge replacement and rehabilitation on the Kish Street bridge in an amount not to exceed $96,430.95 and the Mechanic Street Bridge in an amount not to exceed $104,742;
¯Approved a license agreement for online license to carry applications with Permitium, Pineville, North Carolina for June 17, 2022 to June 16, 2023;
¯Approved a project modification request for the Innovative Policing Initiative Grant because a better price on routes was received. Unspent money will be used for laptops;
¯Approved a resolution for appropriate funding to support the Mental Heath System in the fiscal year 2022-23 state budget;
¯Approved an application for the Intermediate Pubnishmentt Grant for 2022-23 in the amount of $95,000;
¯Approved a proposal from R.L. Avatement Inc., Hopewell, Pa. for Asbestos Abatement Project at the former Blacks Hospital building in the amount of $112,000;
¯Hired Kaleb Smith as a probation officer, effective May 9.