WATSONTOWN — Plans are coming together for the community’s annual Fourth of July celebration, despite a few bumps in the road.
Harry Hefty, vice president of the Watsontown Borough Council, agreed to take a leadership role in the event when no one else would do it. Hefty said although people were willing to volunteer to help, no one was willing to chair the committee.
“I was willing to do it as a member of the parks and recreation committee,” he said. “This is the first time it’s being done by the parks and recreation committee, and we’re learning.”
People have other commitments, and things like this turn over every few years, he reasoned. Getting the Borough Council involved has advantages, he said. For the first time, there is money budgeted for entertainment, for example, and funds from the borough will help offset the 25 percent hike in the cost of the fireworks display.
Watsontown’s Fourth of July is an all-day event, starting with a parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, sponsored by the Watsontown Area Business Association.
The parade ends up at the community park, where the Watsontown Masons will feature their homemade potato chips and pig roast and the Lions club will have its chicken barbecue starting at 11:30.
In addition, Hefty said, carnival games, novelties and crafters will be featured. The crafts will be set up in a shady area of the park, he noted.
“I’ve been very pleased with the way the borough crew under Dale Stahl and the Warrior Run Area Fire Department with Jason Kling have worked together,” he said. “The cooperation has been great.”
During the afternoon, the Skeeter Kinney Blues Band from Williamsport will entertain from noon to 2, followed by John Ravert’s Wurlitzer. Ravert, a retired teacher, recently completed the restoration of the Wurlitzer band organ, Hefty said. “It sounds like an old-time carnival midway,” he said.
For kids, the Kingdom Kidz Puppet Ministry will present a patriotic show from 12:15 to 1.
The Johnny Jolin Band will entertain from 6 until dusk, with the fireworks display topping off the day.
“We do the parade in the morning, and then have entertainment all day at the park for those who want to stay,” Hefty said. “Some people go and do other things and then come back later for the fireworks. We want to have something for everyone.”
News
Parade, crafts, fireworks on tap
- News
-
-
Lewisburg schools face cuts in personnel, programs
Superintendent Mark DiRocco told the Lewisburg school board Thursday night that a proposed block grant system of school budget funding will run the district short of cash that will have to be made up through personnel and program cuts.
-
Mom: Keller's response left her cold
Like many people, Elise Nicol is concerned about Marcellus Shale and the industry's effects on Pennsylvania's environment. The Lewisburg mother of two cares about it enough that she sent an email to state Rep. Fred Keller, R-85 of Kreamer, asking him to oppose House Bill 1950, which passed the General Assembly on Wednesday.
-
Point Township authority concerned by sewer plant violations
Point Township Sewer Authority members Thursday night expressed concerns about a Feb. 3 letter sent to the Northumberland Sewer Authority by the state's Department of Environmental Protection saying that the borough authority has violated the Clean Streams Act.
-
Persing truck fee idea stalls
While Pennsylvania has passed legislation allowing communities to collect impact fees in 35 counties, Northumberland County is not one of them, and business leaders and lawmakers do not think Sunbury Mayor David Persing's plan to try to do his own version of an impact fee will pass muster.
-
Barber draws a crowd
The talk can be spirited at times, ranging from hunting to sports to home repairs. "You hear all kinds of stories," Gene Koehler, of Riverside, said Thursday as he waited for a haircut at The Masters barbershop, 209 Mill St.
-
State board approves table games at Valley Forge casino
VALLEY FORGE — A casino resort scheduled to open this spring in the Philadelphia suburb of Valley Forge has been approved for table games.
-
Doctors telling more adults: Get out and exercise
ATLANTA — A new study shows more and more U.S. adults are being told by their doctor to get off their duffs and exercise. A government survey found nearly 33 percent of adults who saw a doctor in the previous year said they were told to exercise. That was up from about 23 percent in 2000.
-
Former Northumberland County judge and three others die in Florida crash
EVERGLADES CITY, Fla. -- A former Northumberland County judge was one of four people killed Wednesday afternoon when their car collided with a van at an intersection, according to the Naples News. The victims were identified as James J. Rosini, 66, William J. Rosini, 68, Patricia C. Rosini, 65, all of Coal Township, Pa., and Deborah A. Korbich, 59, of Elysburg, Pa.
-
Warden demotes four bosses
SUNBURY -- Northumberland County Prison Warden Roy Johnson was able to trim about $135,000 in expenses by demoting four supervisors. He said Wednesday that he found a way to cut costs without laying off any staff. "I cut out 120 hours of supervisors' pay each week, but I need to fill the correction officer positions," Johnson said.
-
DJ pumps up audience
Every Tuesday evening, Richard Grogg can be found spinning tunes at possibly the most well-attended dance in Snyder County. A resident at the Selinsgrove Center since 1988, the 57-year-old said the thing he likes most about selecting and playing music is "making people happy." "Some people come up and ask for requests," he said.
-
Agency closes adult center
PENNS CREEK -- Union and Snyder County caregivers have had to look farther and wider for another program that can offer respite because the Agency on Aging can no longer afford to provide the service. The adult daily living center at the Penns Creek Adult Resource Center was a helpful program each week to about eight adults from the area dealing with Alzheimer's and dementia. But it closed Dec. 30.
-
New Berlin pushes to acquire school
NEW BERLIN -- The Borough Council sold the property where the New Berlin Elementary School is to the precursor of the Mifflinburg Area School District for $1 back in 1950. It was deeded to the district for construction of a school.
- More News Headlines
-
Lewisburg schools face cuts in personnel, programs
