Lock Haven City Council Sets the Stage for an Eventful 2025

By Emily Wright

LOCK HAVEN— The Lock Haven City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, January 20, 2025, where council members covered several public requests to use city-owned property for a variety of events scheduled to take place in 2025.

Without any comments from city residents or taxpayers, the council gave the green light to requests for street closures to host events in the city this year.

The first event, previously discussed at the January 6 meeting, required a second reading due to its request for street closures. Mark Karichner and Uncle Alberts requested to close N. Vesper Street from Main Street to Jordan’s Alley for the “Pride in the Haven” event on Saturday, June 28, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event will feature vendors and entertainment this year at its new location. Upon its second reading, the council unanimously approved both the “Pride in the Haven” event and the accompanying street closures.

The council also considered a request from Mark Schlesinger of Schlesinger Communications and City Fire Chief Tyler Wooding to host a “Lock Haven Fire Float” fundraising and awareness event on Sunday, August 17, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. This event, initially brought up at the January 6 city council meeting, needed a second reading due to the planned closures of Perry’s Alley and part of N. Vesper Street.

The Fire Float event, organized with Schlesinger Communications, Citizens Hose Fire Company, and Eastside Fire and Rescue, aims to support the city’s fire departments. Participants will float on the Susquehanna River from Peddie Park to the City Beach in inflatable rafts. Perry’s Alley and the 400 Block of N. Vesper Street will be closed to traffic, with the loop at the end of N. Vesper Street being used for registration and bus transportation to Peddie Park. Fire trucks will be parked on the eastern side of Vesper Street, where community members can learn about fire prevention and volunteer opportunities. During Monday night’s meeting, the council unanimously approved the “Lock Haven Fire Float” on its second reading.

The council then reviewed a request from the Clinton County Arts Council and the Lock Haven VFW to close E. Water Street from Jay to Vesper Street on Sunday, May 25, from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. for a Veterans Park Memorial Day event. The event will feature live music, vendors, and a fireworks display, offering a tribute to veterans in and around the community.

During their discussion, council members emphasized that the event organizers obtain the necessary approvals for the fireworks from the city’s fire chief. Additionally, council member Steve Stevenson suggested notifying nearby residents about the live music, planned to take place from 7:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Because the request includes the closure of part of E. Water Street, a second reading is necessary at the council’s next meeting, but council members unanimously approved it on its first reading.

In another public use request, the Rotary Club of Downtown Lock Haven proposed two events to the city council. Director of Community Life, Kasey Dumm, presented the club’s requests to use Triangle Park for “Flags of Honor” and “Angel Lights” displays.

The “Flags of Honor” display, proposed for May 23 to June 17, 2025, will fill the park with rows of American flags, extending beyond Memorial Day in response to requests from the public to keep the display in place for a longer period of time, according to the Rotary Club. The “Angel Lights” luminary display is planned for Thursday, September 11, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Council members discussed the duration of the Flags of Honor display, noting that a three-week period may be too long to limit the use of Triangle Park for other organizations. After some deliberation, the council ultimately approved both requests, with the Flags of Honor display period reduced to May 23 through June 1, 2025.

The council passed a resolution allowing for a temporary banner to be displayed across Main Street in downtown Lock Haven to promote the Ross Library Book Sale. The city will oversee this banner’s installation from March 10 to March 31, 2025, ahead of the book sale event scheduled for Thursday, March 27, through Saturday, March 29, 2025.

The final request addressed by the council came from the organizers of the 2025 Frozen Snot 25K race, which is scheduled for Saturday, February 1, at Zindel Park in McElhattan. Although the race received approval from the city in 2024, the organizers proposed extending the 25K trail race route by an additional three miles on existing trails within the park. Council member Tami Brannan motioned to approve the request, which was seconded by council member Barbara Masorti and passed unanimously. For more details about the upcoming Frozen Snot 25K race and its routes, visit www.thefrozensnot.com.