The fall cleanup in Schuylkill County will be held Sept. 2-13.

Wednesday morning, the Schuylkill County commissioners approved the program, which will be held at 16 sites in the county, including at the Tamaqua Transfer Station and in New Ringgold Borough.

This year’s cleanup will include tires, appliances and bulky items, but not electronics. Bids for the waste tire collection and recycling will be accepted in the county controller’s office until 3 p.m. Monday, July 14, and will be opened in the Commissioners’ Board Room on Wednesday, July 16 at 9 a.m. and reported at the commissioners’ work session meeting that day, with a tentative bid awarding at the commissioners’ meeting July 23.

Bids for the bulky item collection will be accepted and awarded at the same time.

The state Department of Environmental Protection reimburses the county up to 50% for the cost of the event. Advertisements for the event, as well as the county website, will have exact locations.

The commissioners appointed Francis Spokas, chairman, Timothy P. McGinley and Anthony J. Prudenti to the tax assessment board of appeals at $30 per hour for the purpose of hearing appeals scheduled in August and September filed by property owners.

They also appointed Douglas Litwhiler of Union Township, Kathy Gownley of Norwegian Township, Mike McGinley of West Penn Township, Shawn McGuire of Ryan Township, Julian Milewski of Ringtiown Borough, Brittany Heller of Hegins Township, Chris Melusky of Norwegian Township and James Gustas of Pottsville to serve on three-person auxiliary boards of appeal at the rate of $20 per hour for appeals in August, September and October related to the valuation established by the countywide reassessment.

PSU Extension

Amy Bradford, Penn State Extension client relations manager, provided the commissioners with a second quarter update of the Schuylkill County Penn State Extension program.

Dwayne Miller has been hired as agronomy educator for Schuylkill and Carbon counties. Miller will be providing on-farm consulting and expertise.

Summer programs include 4-H Shooting Sports Camp for Archery, Air Rifle and Air Pistol, July 8-10; a day camp for youths interested in learning about raising turkeys, July 18; and preparing for the Schuylkill County Fair, which runs from July 28 through Aug. 2 and is highlighted by the 4-H/FFA Livestock Auction on July 31.

For those interested in adding native plants to their property, there is a choice of five plant kit options from Matt Neumaier. The sale runs until July 13, and pickup is Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 4-6 p.m. at the county extension office.

Master Gardeners Judy Van Kuren and Tom Reed are available to answer gardening questions on the Master Gardner Hotline at 570-622-4225 or in-person at the extension office.

Kelly Piccioni, the program’s horticulturist, told the commissioners that she has connected with 18 local farms and supported more than 20 grower issues with crops like strawberries, tomatoes, cut flowers and Christmas trees in her five months on the job.

She also manages the Kutztown Produce Auction, and is developing programming to support the growing interest in cut flower production in the county.