GALENA — While it’s not exactly the Griswold house, Berkshire Township has added Christmas decorations and lights at its hall on Rome Corners Road.
There are lights around the front of the hall entrance, lights on two live trees that can be seen from the road, and a 21-foot tall “tree” containing 1,000 lights.
Speaking of trees, the township said in its Holiday Newsletter that there are five nearby Christmas tree farms: Country Cabin, Crackler Farms, Fly Away Farm, Glass Family Farm, Taylor Tree Farm and 1st Impressions Landscape & Garden Center.
The newsletter said there are four churches, each with holiday programming. Gospel Light Baptist Church, 35 S. Galena Road, will stage the Christmas play “Come to Bethlehem” on Dec. 18-19. Living Word Lutheran Church, 7539 Dustin Road, will have special services Dec. 18 and Dec. 24-25. Northgate Church, 51 Fourwinds Drive, said it will have shorter family-style Christmas services at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 25. St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 9633 E. State Route 37, will have special masses this week and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; as well as a Christmas concert on Dec. 16 and a Christmas pageant on Dec. 21.
Those who drive by St. John have noticed that the project that began in August and has shut traffic down to one lane along routes 36/37 is finally finished. The Delaware County Engineer’s Office said the road widening and reconstruction at Carter’s Corner and Domigan roads is complete.
Berkshire Township said it now has three full-time employees in its Roads and Maintenance Department, compared to two people last year at this time.
“To that end, we have also added a new Ford F250 truck that replaced our 1992 service truck, and we have a new tractor and mower on order that is expected early next year, replacing our outdated setup,” the newsletter said. “These additions will help increase productivity of road maintenance including plowing service as well as the aesthetics of our roadsides.”
When it does snow, the township reminds residents and travelers, “Roads are plowed based on a schedule which puts main thoroughfares as first priority followed by secondary roads and finally cul-de-sacs and dead ends. Please know we make it our priority to be as quick and efficient as possible. Also note that a number of the roads within our township boundaries are maintained by Delaware County or are a shared responsibility with an adjacent municipality.”
For example, U.S. 36/SR 37 is in both Berkshire and the city of Sunbury, but it is maintained by the State of Ohio. Another example of jurisdictional confusion is Rome Corners Road, where the township hall is, happens to be a county road and is maintained by Delaware County.
Finally, in October and November, the township and Northgate Church collected food items for People In Need’s Holiday Clearing House for families and senior citizens needing a hand this holiday season.
