Woodward Township to begin winterizing, leaf collection and discuss Minit Mart safety
By Christopher Miller
Woodward Township Supervisors met Tuesday evening for their monthly meeting.
The meeting started off with the recreation report and determining the dates for 2025 Riverfest.
“We might move it to two weeks earlier than in previous years,” supervisor Kyle Coleman said. “We have also been meeting with Mark Scheslinger of WSQV regarding marketing ideas and how to draw more people into the event.”
Township supervisors also reported that the water is being shut off for the season at the boat launch bathroom beginning Thursday, October 17 for construction, and the bathroom there will be closed for the rest of the year. The bathrooms at Riverview Park will remain open until the end of the month.
A memorial bench is being planned in Riverview Park for Gavin Frey, the teenager from Howard who perished in June while swimming in Lock Haven. The bench will overlook the river towards City Beach.
In old business, a major point of discussion the past several months was the purchase of an excavator. Supervisors voted in favor of purchasing a Kubota U55 compact excavator with two bucket attachments for a total of $78,464.03 from Dotterer Equipment in Mill Hall.
From the floor, a concerned citizen asked if police coverage will be increased after the opening of the newly constructed Nittany Minit Mart. Set to open at the end of October or early November, the Minit Mart will be open 24 hours a day and is permitted to sell alcohol. While the location can sell a limited amount of beer to customers until 2 a.m., the Avis location “doesn’t see many people coming in to purchase 6-packs late at night,” the chief of police said. Concerns were brought up with the sale of alcohol at the location due to the close proximity of residential dwellings. The Woodward Township Police Chief remains optimistic that the sale of alcohol at the new Minit Mart will not be a problem.
Supervisors are also considering budgeting for a new police vehicle in the 2025 township budget. The police vehicle they are considering replacing has almost 12,000 hours clocked on it and is approaching 11 years old.
Township Supervisors also approved the Halloween Trick-or-Treat hours within the township boundaries. Hours will be set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on October 31. A joint Trunk or Treat between Lock Haven Parish, Dunnstown United Methodist Church, Swissdale United Methodist Church, The People’s Church of Farrandsville, and Dunnstown Fire Company is also planned for the same night and times at Dunnstown Fire Company. The event will feature hot dogs, candy, hot chocolate, games, and more.
Leaf collection dates have been set for township residents. All leaves, excluding branches, should be raked to the edge of the road for collection on Mondays and Fridays beginning October 28 and ending November 25.
