PHOTO PROVIDED Diahann Claghorn, center, was surprised by her fellow members of the Downtown Lock Haven Rotary Club. They elected her Rotarian of the Year. Presenting the award are Club President Marianne Lotfi and District Governor Herb Smith.

LOCK HAVEN — When Rotary District Governor Herb Smith visited Lock Haven earlier this month, his name wasn’t up in lights. Instead, it was down and delicious as a sandwich.

Four large Italian sandwiches spelled out HERB on the food table, to the delight of the district governor and everyone else who tried them. Leo’s Italian & Specialty Foods created the yummy centerpiece.

The “Downtown Lock Haven” Rotary Club hosted the “Lock Haven” club (yes, there are two clubs in the city) for D.G. Herb’s visit on Tuesday, Aug. 8, in Poorman Gallery.

A highlight was surprising Area Governor Diahann Claghorn with the Downtown Club’s Rotarian of the Year Award. She is the club’s immediate past president, chairs the Little Libraries project and co-chairs six other committees and projects.

D.G. Herb helped surprise her with the award. He also inducted the club’s officers for the year and spoke on Rotary’s 2023-24 theme, “Create hope in the world.”

PHOTO PROVIDED Rotary District Governor Herb Smith savors the aroma of homemade bread, one of the gifts the two Rotary clubs in Lock Haven presented him with during his visit Aug. 8. Brent Jones, left, president of the Rotary Club of Lock Haven, is known for his bread-making skill.

The Downtown Club donated to ShelterBox in his honor and gave him a gift bag of summer party items including a Lock Haven mug.

The Lock Haven Club donated to the Rotary Foundation in his honor, and Club President Brent Jones gave him a loaf of his famous bread.

D.G. Herb also enjoyed seeing the Clinton County Historical Society’s displays of Native American artifacts in the gallery.

He has since joked that Lock Haven set a high bar for other clubs to top when he visits them — especially since his name was spelled out in such a tasty way!

PHOTO PROVIDED Marianne Lotfi, president of the Downtown Lock Haven Rotary Club, slices a sandwich spelling out HERB in honor of Rotary District Governor Herb Smith, right.