Dani McClanahan, Durham Township’s administrator, has announced major changes in the township’s 2019 Community Day program.
The event, scheduled for Oct. 12, was originally set up to be a community picnic as well as a work day for volunteers to pitch in their talents to make improvements to the township’s iconic grist mill, the centerpiece of the Village of Durham.
The mill, built in 1820, needs to be prepared for a 200th birthday celebration the Durham Historical Society is planning next year.
Instead, at the township supervisors August meeting, McClanahan said, “Community Day will be a fun day, but volunteers can take tours of the mill and sign up for chores they agree to perform.” McClanahan added, “There is much to do and we are counting on the community to help get it done.”
She said people are asked to take their own picnic food to share, blankets and lawn chairs. The event, planned from noon to 3 p.m., will be centered around the Carle Robbins Pavilion where Boy Scouts will serve hots dogs and chili, the only food available, other than that brought by residents.
Improvement plans for the mill got a massive boost after state Rep. Wendy Ullman (D-143) was instrumental in obtaining a state Marketing and Tourism grant for $53,000.
Those funds will be used to install a handicapped-accessible restroom as well as safety measures required in public buildings by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The supervisors voted to designate McClanahan as the official financial signer for the grant funds. Supervisor Kathleen Gentner was absent from the meeting.
The supervisors awarded a contract of $2,300 for the township’s Ford Explorer. It was placed on a municipal bidding list and was purchased by Brady Township in Butler County.
Township Roadmaster Peter Cox reported he was planning to start work on Dogwood Lane. He and his crew are now ready to replace a culvert washed out during a rainstorm last August and repair the road surface damaged in the severe storm.
The work was scheduled to begin Aug. 19. It will require the closure of a portion of the road and is expected to take about four weeks to complete.
The township office will close at noon on Friday, Aug. 30 and will remain closed Sept. 2 for the Labor Day holiday.
