Nearly 100 volunteers turn out for playground build at Hoberman
TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS Local kids had the opportunity to cut the ribbon and celebrate the completion of Hoberman Park’s new playground.
TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS Volunteers put finishing touches on the new Hoberman Park playground during its build day on Saturday.
TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS Volunteers lined up ready to cut the ribbon on Hoberman Park’s new playground following its build day.
TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS John Brenner, executive director of Pennsylvania Municipal League Neighborhood Residents, speaks during the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
PHOTO PROVIDED Volunteers paint a mural and various signage during the Hoberman Park playground build on Saturday.
PHOTO PROVIDED Volunteers paint a mural and various signage during the Hoberman Park playground build on Saturday.
PHOTO PROVIDED A group of volunteers assemble stairs for new playground equipment.
PHOTO PROVIDED Volunteers from Kaboom! and the Pennsylvania Municipal League among others assemble playground equipment.
TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS DCNR’s Wes Fahringer speaks during the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS Local kids had the opportunity to cut the ribbon and celebrate the completion of Hoberman Park’s new playground.
TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS Volunteers put finishing touches on the new Hoberman Park playground during its build day on Saturday.
TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS Volunteers lined up ready to cut the ribbon on Hoberman Park’s new playground following its build day.
TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS John Brenner, executive director of Pennsylvania Municipal League Neighborhood Residents, speaks during the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
PHOTO PROVIDED Volunteers paint a mural and various signage during the Hoberman Park playground build on Saturday.
PHOTO PROVIDED Volunteers paint a mural and various signage during the Hoberman Park playground build on Saturday.
PHOTO PROVIDED A group of volunteers assemble stairs for new playground equipment.
PHOTO PROVIDED Volunteers from Kaboom! and the Pennsylvania Municipal League among others assemble playground equipment.
TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS DCNR’s Wes Fahringer speaks during the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
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LOCK HAVEN -- Nearly 100 community members braved often damp and humid weather this weekend to build a new place for local kids to have fun.
The City of Lock Haven teamed up with the Pennsylvania Municipal League and KABOOM! to construct a playground in a day at Hoberman Park.
Volunteers and city officials spent Thursday and Friday prepping the area after the previous playground equipment was removed by WYDE Excavation and Hauling earlier in the summer.
Months of preparation all culminated in roughly 90 volunteers at Hoberman Park on Saturday to see the project completed.
"We had a great day building a new playground with help from our community, Pennsylvania Municipal League, and KABOOM!. With some prep work done on Thursday and Friday, about 90 volunteers worked hard on Saturday to build the playground, picnic tables, benches, stage, directional post, garden boxes, and paint a mural," City Planner Abbey Roberts said. "Everyone worked hard to bring everything to life and hold a brief ribbon cutting before the rain came in the late afternoon."
Speakers at the ribbon cutting included Mayor Joel Long, Jeff Hardy from Kaboom, Wes Fahringer from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and John Brenner, executive director of Pennsylvania Municipal League Neighborhood Residents.
Although much was completed on Saturday, Roberts noted more work is on the horizon to see Hoberman's playground become the perfect place for local kids.
"There is more work to be done at the playground and Hoberman Park as a whole. Rubber playground surfacing will be installed this week and will need to settle before it is ready for play. Please be patient in this effort and stay off the playground until you hear from us! We expect the playground to be ready by Aug. 26," she said.
Roberts added the city will be working on the bidding process to hire a contractor to complete other improvements to the park such as a multipurpose court, basketball court, new restroom, pavilions, resurfacing the parking lots, relocation of the t-ball field and installation of a walking path.
"These improvements are made possible by grants from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)," she said.
Roberts offered appreciation to all the volunteers that turned out over the three-day period on behalf of the city.
"The City of Lock Haven would like to thank everyone who showed up to lend a hand in the playground project and our project partners, Pennsylvania Municipal League, KABOOM! and DCNR for making this possible," she said. "We also had a tremendous amount of support from local organizations who generously donated food, tools, labor, and more."
Donors included: Walmart, Pizza King, Weis, Sheetz, Clinton County Pride Alliance, Mary Coploff, Niagara Bottling, LLC, Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 100, Sons and Daughters of Italy, Barbara Masorti and Chris Williams, InServco, Insurance Buyers Council, WYDE Excavation and Hauling, Honey Dippers, Rick Conklin, BagelBagel, Subway, Dominos, St. John Masonry, Kyle Coleman, Woodward Township, Clinton County, M&R Contracting, Haven Summer Youth Program, Citizens Hose Fire Company, East Side Fire Company, Avenue 209, Geisinger, First Quality, Wendi and Spike Spicher and Leo's Italian and Specialty Foods.
Roberts, who spearheaded the project, offered her own thanks as well.
"I would personally like to thank the community for showing up for this event and supporting the project in various ways. I saw a wide range of volunteers from the Lock Haven football team to folks from First Quality and everything in between," she said. "A huge thank you to the city Department of Public Works for their assistance before, during and after the build."
"Finally, city council members who showed their support and all of the city staff, especially Kasey Campbell, Greg Wilson, Carter Simcox and Cyndi Walker who helped make this event such a success," she concluded.