Membership officer for the Juniata and Perry County chapter for A.B.A.T.E in Pennsylvania, Teresa Miller told commissioners that they are one of the oldest grass roots organizations in the United States.

“We do an O.S.A.L program which stands for Operation Save A Life which we take to all of the schools. We fight for motorcycle rights. We are an organization, not a club and one of our main priorities is safety,” Miller said.

Commissioners issued a

second proclamation for May 2024 as Mental Health Awareness Month. Juniata Valley Behavioral & Developmental Services Administrator Kathy Whalen was in attendance to accept the proclamation on behalf of the Juniata Valley Behavioral and Developmental Services. Kathy expressed her support of the courthouse lighting up green to spread awareness. Anyone who wants to participate in spreading awareness can use green lights to decorate the front of their home.

Submitted photo
(From left) Juniata County Commissioners Todd Graybill and Alice Gray, Juniata Valley Behavioral & Developmental Services Administrator Kathy Whalen and Juniata County Commissioner Mark Partner pose Tuesday.

“We are the oversight of the providers of mental health and intellectual disabilities and early intervention in Huntingdon, Mifflin and Juniata County. And, we are here to ask you to sign the proclamation to raise awareness about mental health,” Whalen said.

She added, “We want to spark the conversation and end the stigma surrounding mental health.”

Whalen shared some upcoming events her organization will hold including a Family Fun Fair from 4-7 p.m. at the Port Royal FairGrounds this Thursday, May 9. Their organization will have a booth set up at Kid Connection on Saturday, May 11 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. On May 13, the organization will hold a recovery day picnic at Riverside Park in Huntington with a visit from the Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers’ Association recovery bus.

The PMHCA wanted to share and attend as many events as possible during Mental Health Awareness Month. Throughout the month of May, the team of staff members and board representatives travel through Pennsylvania to actively participate in mental health awareness events across Pennsylvania, assuming roles as speakers, vendors, and ardent supporters.

“We applied with them to stop in one of our counties and we were lucky enough to be selected,” Whalen said.

In other business, Commissioners…

• Approved the Family First Transition Act Invoice for the period of July 1, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2023 as submitted by the Children & Youth Services Fiscal Department.

• Approved the use of the County Records Improvement Fund to purchase a radio amplifier for the Juniata County Sheriff’s Office at a total cost of $560 as requested by Joshua Stimeling, Sheriff.

• Approved the Purchase of Service Agreement between Juniata County Children and Youth Services, the Juniata County Probation Department, and Pathways Adolescent Center. The agreement will be in effect from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.

• Approved the tax exonerations for Delaware, Turbett, and Walker Townships.

• Reviewed the assessment reports for the Month of April as submitted by the Juniata County Assessment Office as well as the Sheriff’s Monthly Report as submitted by the Sheriff’s Office and the Treasurer’s Report as submitted by the Treasurer’s Office.

• Approved Ms. Abigail J Adair as an unpaid intern in the Juniata County 911 Department as requested by Adam Waite, Director of 911 Services. If approved, Ms. Adair will begin her internship during May 2024 and will serve for a total of 150 hours.

• Approved payment of checks in the amount of $213,948.83.

• Approved the hiring of Tammy Dusharm as the Assistant District Attorney effective May 13, 2024 as recommended by Cory J. Snook, Juniata County District Attorney and established an annual salary.

Commissioners also acknowledged the purchase of a 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe for the Probation and Parole Department at a total cost of $59,935.65. The expenditure is covered by Probation and Parole Supervision Funds.