The annual celebration of Kutztown Day in the park Aug. 2 concluded Kutztown’s Bicentennial celebration with awards and fun.
In the bandshell, Kutztown Rotarian and Bicentennial Committee member Robert Hobaugh, chair of the decorating contest, awarded framed professional prints of the residential and non-residential winners of a decorating contest. Hobaugh said the contest was just the thing that’s been very visual to let everyone know that they were really kicking off a celebration of 200 years.
Mayor Sandy Green awarded Bicentennial Parade trophies and bestowed an honor that brought tears along with standing ovations.
“This is a real honor for me to give this award to Craig Koller; it is the key to our town,” said Green. “Take a look at this plaque. We did drop the bicentennial logo into the key. This is the second, only the second, key to the town ever given in the history of Kutztown. This is the best person to give this key to. I’m so proud we got the key to the town.”
The mayor and Kutztown Borough Council presented the key in recognition of his dedication to Kutztown and especially his leadership for a “sensational bicentennial celebration of our beloved town,” read Green.
“I’m just overwhelmed,” said Koller. “This whole week, just overwhelmed. All this support that we’ve gotten from everybody, I mean everybody has come out. Everybody’s had a good time. It’s exactly what we wanted. If somebody had said to me before this happened, write down how you want this celebration to happen, I would have written exactly what happened this past nine days. It’s been perfect.”
Green said when she went to Brendan Strasser and Craig Koller at the Historical Society Holiday Festival and asked them if they realized their bicentennial was coming up in 2015 and what were they going to do, Koller said, “I’ll chair it.” She rode with Koller in the parade and said how amazing it was at the cheering for him and people coming out to shake his hand.
“He was the bicentennial chair. He’s the one that kept us all going,” said Green. “I can remember one phone call he said, ‘Is anybody else freaking out about the Mayor’s Gala?’ There were times I’m sure he didn’t sleep, but he really kept it going and just his enthusiasm.”
Koller said he could talk forever thanking everybody who had something to do with making their bicentennial nine days a huge success. Everybody in town contributed. If people hadn’t turned out for the celebration, it would have been nothing. The responses they received were amazing. Koller said the best thing was how many people came on board and showed their love for Kutztown.
“I’m standing here representing the entire bicentennial committee thanking all of you for your support,” said Koller.
“People turned out in true Kutztown Spirit and I’m so proud of all of you who participated in this whole event,” said Green.
“Words can’t express how wonderful I feel about this day and all the people who I’ve worked with and the people I’ve met,” said Koller. “We’ve connected with old friends, made a lot of new friends; it’s just been wonderful.”
“It’s really tough to put into words because it’s just been this unbelievable experience,” said Green.
Green added that it was a whole lot of people helping out; even the town with its decorations. She said everyone stepped up to the plate. She credited the borough employees for doing a wonderful job. They said this is the bicentennial and that they’ll do whatever they could to help.
Some of the people Green mentioned included, but was not limited to Gina Wiand, borough secretary/director of marketing communications and customer relations; Administration Department; the electrical crew; Brian Bailey, superintendent of the Public Works Department, and Steven Diehl, superintendent of the Electric Department.
“The entire borough staff needs to be commended,” said Green.
Green said people planned their class-reunions around the week-long celebration. Her family came up from Florida just for this past week.
“The spirit of this town is just amazing and the turnout for all the events, I mean 250 people on a walking history tour was just wonderful; great weather as well,” said Green.
People lined the parade route from the top of Main all the way down to the end and packed in on the banks of the park as well.
“I’m so proud to be the mayor right now; I really am,” said Green.
Rotarian Jim Springer sat on a park bench just outside the bandshell with his friends, Anna and Joe Furst, Kutztown, waiting for the band to get ready.
“I’m just amazed at the amount of effort, volunteers and the commitment to the community; just astounding. I can’t believe how they got this all together, organized it and how they coordinated it with such good weather I don’t know,” said Springer.
“That parade was wonderful. There were no long gaps in between. It was very well organized; it was wonderful,” Anna said.
Jeromy and Jennifer Curry, owners of KTown Pub, were part of the planning committee and helped serve food at Dinner on Main. They had prepared brisket tacos and pulled pork sliders.
“We were completely swamped; just hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people in line,” said Jeromy. “So it was good. We were very tired so we’re here to relax today.”
Jennifer said the kids loved the parade especially the little beeping cars driven by the Shriners. She particularly liked the floats that had featured large figures like one with an eagle and one with a dog.
“We’re going to go for a train ride later at some point and probably try to hit every booth that’s here. We already did the Boy Scout ring toss and we were over at the police tent getting their Kinner Cards so we’re just going around and making sure we hit everything and support everybody here.”
Andrew Martin, Kutztown, said he and his family went to most of the events.
“There was an ice cream social… that was great; free ice cream. It was a lot of fun,” said Martin. “They also had the train set up in the basement. The little kids loved seeing that again.”
Martin and his family also enjoyed Dinner on Main Street where a number of vendors cooked a variety of foods and then they went to the parade.
“My wife’s on borough council so it was nice to see her riding on one of the floats,” said Martin. “She said it was so neat just seeing people she knew and the vantage point was just breathtaking.”
Kutztown Day was a big day for celebrations and included the dedication of the children’s playground which had been rebuilt with a $250,000 grant. Green and Rachael Martin put in a lot of time designing it with help of Ann Yost of YSM, a landscape architect firm. Yost was responsible for the complete design and all the approvals needed to do the project. Pete Lawler, Third Little Pig Play Systems Company, helped set up the playground equipment. Credit was also given to the Public Works Department, Electric Department, Water/Sewer, Telecom, everyone who helped dismantle the old playground and got it ready for its grand opening on Kutztown Day. Senator Judy Schwank was instrumental in securing the funding.
With children holding both ends of the red, white and blue ribbon, Green cut the commemorative ribbon and then cut the ribbon into bookmark sized strips for the kids and anyone who wanted a piece to remember the dedication of the new park and the grand finale of Kutztown’s bicentennial celebration.
