Apr 3, 2014 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – Greene County commissioners Thursday proclaimed April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, acknowledging that child abuse is the leading cause of out-of-home placements in Greene County, and encouraging the community to help protect children from physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

Stacey Courtwright, Children and Youth Services administrator, reported that in 2013, CYS responded to 699 abuse cases involving 527 families and 1,032 children. In 2014 to date, CYS responded to 193 abuse cases involving 173 families and 301 children.

The commissioners also proclaimed the week of April 13-19 as National Library Week. The proclamation recognizes libraries for helping to change lives in their communities, campuses and schools by providing resources and services to meet community needs.

As part of National Library Week, Therese Barry, Greene County Library System administrator, announced that Bowlby Library in Waynesburg and Flenniken Library in Carmichaels will offer a “Fine Free Week” during which any fines on overdue materials will be forgiven. The libraries are also participating in “Geek the Library,” a national awareness campaign designed to highlight the vital role of public libraries.

Accepting the proclamation from the commissioners were Barry; Sarah Matthews, chairman of the board at Bowlby Library; Kathy McClure, director of Bowlby Library; Mark Carlson, chairman of the Greene County Library System board and a board member at Bowlby Library; Jill Peth, Greene County Library System outreach coordinator; John Areford and Tara Kinsell, Flenniken Library board members; and Jessica Miller, director of Flenniken Library.

The commissioners also approved 12 requests for recreation grants totaling $25,000.They were:

• $2,000 to Clarksville Borough to build a pavilion for a stage for the town festival;

• $2,000 to Waynesburg Girls Softball for dirt and dragging the infield at Washington Township Park;

• $2,000 to Nemacolin Inc. for picnic tables, a grilling area with concrete pad and trash receptacles at Nemacolin Park;

• $2,000 to Wana B Park for a shed for the baseball field and gate for machinery access;

• $3,000 to Waynesburg Baseball Association for a new concrete pad, netting and fencing for a batting cage, increasing the height of existing fence to lengthen Pony field, updating and upgrading restrooms for security and safety at Bronco field;

• $2,000 to Jefferson-Morgan Youth Wrestling to purchase new mats for practice and tournaments;

• $2,000 to Dunkard Township to remodel a concession stand and paint and landscape Bobtown Municipal Park;

• $2,000 to Washington Township to complete black topping a walking trail and making it handicapped accessible;

• $2,000 to Greene Township to update bathrooms and make them handicapped accessible in the public community building used for municipal offices;

• $2,000 to Greensboro Youth Baseball for a new fence, gates and a backstop;

• $2,000 to Rices Landing Borough for new restrooms and a storage building at Borough Park;

• $2,000 to Jefferson Township for top soil and equipment for Jefferson Area Girls Softball.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved agreements for the care and maintenance of 3,536 veterans graves in 451 cemeteries throughout the county at a cost of $10,608;

• Approved a $12,500 change order from Higgins Hauling Co. for demolition and repouring of additional concrete at the Alpha Natural Resources Aquatic Park on Route 21.