The Meadville Tribune

By Earl Corp
Saturday, February 28, 2016

CONNEAUT LAKE — It wasn’t very cold or snowy for the inaugural Winter Ice House Festival at Conneaut Lake on Saturday — but it was very well attended.

“This is so exciting,” said event organizer Sandy Eldridge of the Conneaut Lake Community Development Committee. “The whole community has come out to support this; it’s beautiful.”

The event, held in Ice House Park on the south shore of the lake, featured 33 ice sculptures, 30 one-block sculptures and three giant sculptures all carved by the ice sculptors of DiMartino Ice Co. of Jeanette.

Since the new festival wasn’t a fundraiser, the one-block sculptures were sponsored by local businesses. The CLCDC received a $5,000 grant as seed money from ERIEBANK.
“We couldn’t have done this without them,” Eldridge said.

ERIEBANK Senior Vice President Steve Cappellino was pleased with what he saw, saying, “We’re pretty excited to sponsor them.”

The three giant sculptures featured representations of a Muskie, a giant captain’s seat, and a horse and carriage.

“It’s the biggest Muskie ever in Conneaut Lake,” Eldridge said.

After the Barbara J sternwheeler throne was finished, a piece of carpet was laid across it so visitors could have their pictures taken while sitting in it. Meadville’s Adam and Christin Smith were among the first to do so.

“This is really cool; it’s neat to see the live demonstrations,” Christin said.

“It’s a good use of the Ice House Park,” Adam added.

Christin grew up at Conneaut Lake and remembered watching fireworks on the spot which would become the park. She thinks the transformation of the grounds into the park was a great thing for the community.

Ice House Park is a great venue for the event, according to Eldridge, because of the historical aspect of the ice industry on the spot more than 100 years ago, as well as the unobstructed view of the lake.

The idea of more outside winter festivals in Crawford County sounds good to Eldridge.

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and we have all this snow and cold weather,” she said.

Ice sculptor Ernie DiMartino was impressed at the size of the inaugural festival, noting, “It’s very large for a first-year event.”

There were five ice carvers on-site creating the sculptures. DiMartino said the CLCDC committee was very organized and had been planning the event for almost a year.

Marie Pettibon and Carol Prather, Conneaut Lake residents who walk around Ice House Park for exercise, were there Saturday checking out the icy art.

“I love the ice sculptures; it’s something nice to have in the middle of winter,” Prather said. “It’s always nice to have a new endeavor.”

Pettibon agreed, saying, “I think it’s a wonderful idea to bring people to Conneaut Lake.”

Eldridge honored two special groups to kick off the festival.

Conneaut Lake middle school teacher Greg Dinsmore and his students placed third in a national contest and was awarded a $10,000 grant which will help to bring a playground to Fireman’s Beach. The grant money will be given to the CLCDC, which is spearheading a campaign to revitalize the beach.

The Keeping Neighbors In Touch (KNIT) organization was honored for the 16 afghans its members made and donated to the Samaritans Thrift Store. Over a six-week period, 10 teams knitted 1,457 squares which would become afghans.

“Think about that 1,457 sections,” said KNIT member Diane Mariani. “The challenge became we had one week to put all those sections together.”

Mariani and Joyce Brugnoli said the goal had originally been to make an afghan. Once all the pieces came in, there was enough to make 16 of the blankets. Brugnoli and Mariani presented plaques to the team and individuals who made the most sections. The top team was the Linesville knitters sponsored by Toni’s Diner, turning in 421 sections. The individual who knitted the most sections was 90-year-old Donnamae Rudler — more than 150.

Across the street at Conneaut Lake Volunteer Fire Department’s Station 3, seven local restaurants competed for bragging rights in a chili cook-off. The 16 afghans hung on the wall as hundreds thronged in to taste the chili.

“I’m a big fan of chili cook-offs,” Mark Yanacek said.

He and his wife, Tina, hit the cook-off before going to the park to check out the ice sculptures.“We figured we’d get nice and warm first,” Tina said.

Mark has participated in chili cook-offs in the past and has brought home some trophies. Tina said this was a great event to usher winter out and to welcome spring. “It’s nice to have something in the community you can be a part of,” she said. “It’s a good way to bring the community together.”

Meadville’s Cathy Best brought her daughter, Michelle Neff, and sister Betty Bish to the event. Bish, who was visiting from Florida, liked that the event featured local talent. She attends an ice sculpture event in Florida and said the sculpture there is made in China.

Eldridge is already looking to the future of the Winter Ice House Festival. 

“We hope this will be continuing and it will be an annual event,” she said.

The Meadville Tribune

By Lorri Drumm
Wednesday, January 27, 2016

The southern border of Conneaut Lake, once home to a thriving ice harvesting business more than 100 years ago, will again be surrounded by many large blocks of ice, carved into some amazing shapes.

The Conneaut Lake Community Development Committee (CLCDC) hosts the inaugural Winter Ice House Festival on Feb. 27 at Ice House Park along Route 6 and 322 at the east side of the borough.

What began as an effort to bring ice sculpting to the area blossomed into a community-wide festival, according to festival planner Sandy Eldridge.

“People can come all day Saturday to see the ice carvings and watch the three giant sculptures being carved, all at no cost,” Eldridge said. “We’re also having historical presentations, community projects, live radio entertainment, door prize drawings and a chili cook-off.”

More than 30 ice sculptures will be delivered and carved on site by DiMartino Ice Co. of Jeannette. Art DiMartino founded the company in 1968. Art’s son, Ernie, is now president of the company. Ernie has been carving ice since 1988.

Three giant sculptures including a 90-inch Muskie, a giant captain’s seat and a horse and carriage will be carved by DiMartino and his crew starting Feb. 27 at 10 a.m., according to Eldridge. “People like to sit on the seat or pose in the horse and carriage and have their picture taken,” Eldridge said.

“I was trained to carve ice years ago by a chef,” DiMartino said. “Many years ago chefs started using blocks of ice to keep food fresh at outdoor events. Somebody decided to get creative and make something out of that block, and ice carving began.”

DiMartino describes his winter ice carving business as a labor of love.

“We create our sculptures in some pretty cold and wet weather,” he said. “One year at a festival in Franklin the temperatures were below zero. That’s tough for us and our equipment.”
If you picture ice sculptures carved by chisel, you’re somewhat right.

“We do use chisels sometimes, but our primary tool is a chain saw,” DiMartino said. “We also use sanders, router bits, reciprocal saws and household irons.”
The irons are used for fusion, and in case the ice breaks, according to DiMartino.

“There are occasions where the ice breaks while we are carving it,” he said. “We call it the Humpty Dumpty effect. What did they do with Humpty Dumpty? They put him back together again.”

Robert Higareda has been carving ice with DiMartino for more than 20 years. Higareda has had his fair share of Humpty Dumpty situations.

“One time I was carving a lady with wings during a competition,” he said. “I was almost done and she shattered into about 10 pieces. The whole crowd muttered a big ‘awe.’
“We fused her back together and I finished the carving,” Higareda said. “I won first place with that carving. The crowd really gets into watching us as we create our sculptures.”

If members of the crowd want to take a break from being fascinated by the ice carvers, they can head across the street to Conneaut Lake Fire Volunteer Department Station 3 to learn about the history of ice harvesting and warm up with some chili.

The Conneaut Lake Historical Society will also present the history of ice harvesting at the lake at Station 3 from noon to 3 p.m. “It’s interesting that we are bringing ice back to the same location where the Conneaut Lake Ice Co. was founded in 1880,” Eldridge said.

The chili cook-off is from noon to 3 p.m. at Station 3, according to Eldridge.

“Seven local restaurants will compete to win best chili bragging rights,” she said. “For just $5 per ticket, people can sample all seven varieties, and then when they vote they will get a big bowl of chili.” After chili connoisseurs vote, their stub is then entered into a drawing for door prizes, according to Eldridge.

Participating restaurants include Silver Shores Restaurant, Toni’s Lake Dinor, Antonio’s Italian Restaurant, Walt’s Tavern, Conneaut Lake Park Volunteer Fire Department Station 5, The Downtown Mall Bistro and Mariner Steak and Seafood.

“This event has really involved the entire community,” Eldridge said. “Local merchants, churches, schools, the library and Girl Scouts are just a few of the groups that have gotten involved.”
Many of those groups took part in a community project called K.N.I.T. (Keeping Neighbors in Touch).

“Those groups have been busy making squares to an afghan that will be presented to the Samaritans of Conneaut Lake at the opening ceremony Saturday at 11 a.m.,” Eldridge said. “Seeing the ice sculptures is really something to behold, but seeing the community come together is just incredible.”

DiMartino said carving ice has taught him to see not just the sculpture, but life in a different way.

“You notice the fine details and you start observing things differently,” he said. “Before you know it a light bulb goes on and you’re paying more attention to life too.”

Lorri Drumm can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at lorrid@meadvilletribune.com.

You can go

The inaugural Winter Ice House Festival is Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ice House Park on Route 6 and 322, at the east end of the borough. Opening ceremonies are at the park at 11. Ice carving is from 10 to 2. A chili cook-off is from noon to 3 at Conneaut Lake Volunteer Fire Department Station 3. The Conneaut Lake Historical Society presents the local history of ice harvesting at Station 3 from noon to 3.

The Meadville Tribune

By Jean Shanley Special to The Tribune
Friday, December 11, 2015

CONNEAUT LAKE — Borough Council granted a special conditional use permit for a senior citizens housing project at Conneaut Lake.

The permit was the final approval needed for the project to move forward.

No objections were heard from the public during the special hearing, which preceded the monthly meeting of council.

The decisions came after a nearly half-hour presentation by Kelley Coey, project developer for the Hudson Property Management Group, which plans to construct the three-story housing complex at the southeast corner of North Fifth and Line streets in the borough.

The next step is for the developer to apply for funding through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, which provides funding for such projects. The Hudson group did not make the cut for funding in 2015. The group is expected to receive the approval when the July 2016 funding is determined, Coey said.

The group plans to build a $10 million high-rise apartment complex to be known as Evans Square. It will have 40 units (36 with one bedroom and four with two bedrooms) for senior citizens on property owned by Alan Moss.

If approval is received in July, the project would move forward with completion expected by the end of 2017, Coey said.

Her presentation included information regarding how the project complies with all the requirements for a permit, including setbacks, height and landscaping. She said the complex would include 36 parking spaces for residents.

The plan calls for a complex manager and support staff to work at the complex daily but not overnight. It would have a security system with some type of either a swipe card or key that residents would be required to use to gain entry to the facility.

Four of the units would be handicapped accessible and the others would be constructed so those with disabilities could visit. Plans are for the complex to connect to public water and sewage systems, she said.

The housing is for those 62 years old and older and although younger people may visit overnight, no one younger than 62 would be allowed to reside there, Coey said. Grandchildren could not come to live with their grandparents, for example, she said.

Although it is a low-income housing project, it is not a Section Eight project, meaning no government subsidies will be used to help pay the rent, she said. Rent would be based on 20, 50 or 60 percent of a person’s income. Two units would be for those paying 20 percent; 19 would be available for those paying 50 percent and the remaining 19 for those paying 60 percent of their income.

Rentals could range from $213 to $256 a month for those with 20 percent income used for rent; $520 to $541 a month for those paying 50 percent and $560 to $643 a month for those paying 60 percent.

Coey was excited to report that Thiel College and Allegheny College have said they would offer programs to residents. The Primary Health Network also will provide health coaches and health and wellness opportunities for the residents, she said.

Applications will be not received for rental until 120 days before completion of the construction, she said.

Council also voted to write a letter of support for the project. The letter was requested by the Hudson group as part of the application process for the state.

The Meadville Tribune
By Jean Shanley
Tuesday, November 17, 2015

CONNEAUT LAKE  ̶  Work continues to move forward on the Conneaut Lake Revitalization Program.

Bill Eldridge, a member of Conneaut Lake Borough Council and chairman of the Conneaut Lake Community Development Committee, reviewed various matters for borough council at its most recent meeting.

Prior to the meeting, he showed council members a set of many drawings, which have been submitted to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for approval.  The project includes Water Street, which is a state highway.  The drawings detailed many aspects of the project.

Various easements from 14 property owners in the project area must be obtained, Eldridge said.  He also said in addition to the larger set of drawings, PennDOT now requires individual drawings for each of the easement areas.

Council approved paying $30,000 for the drawings to be completed.

Eldridge also discussed the plan to connect Ice House Park and Fireman’s Beach with the main business district.  He said Bob and Kathy Moss have decided to give a permanent easement for private property they own.  That will allow a paved trail to be put in place along First Street, he said.

That will allow a short underground tunnel similar to those used for golfers crossing main highways to be used to connect Fireman’s Beach and Ice House Park, Eldridge said.  By using the underground tunnel – projected to be 20 feet long by  about eight or nine feet high – the Moss family would still have its same unobstructed view of the lake.  Currently, residents in the area walk on the Moss property, he said.  

Eldridge also asked Jeff Millin, borough attorney, to contact Dawn Eaton, who owns property on First Street, regarding an obstruction on property owned by the borough right next to her property.  The obstruction must be taken care of now, Eldridge said.

“We’re getting close to the final drawings (for the plan),” said Eldridge, who added that he assumes the property owners will be reasonable regarding the easements and he hopes the process is completed within a month.

The hope is that the project is put out for bid this spring and construction starts shortly thereafter.  The multi-million dollar, multi-year project involves revitalization of Fireman’s Beach as well as the downtown business area on Water Street.

The development committee has obtained more than $3 million in state and federal grants so far for the revitalization.  More grant applications are pending and Eldridge said he will continue to apply for other funds as they become available.

The Meadville Tribune
By Jean Shanley
Thursday, November 12, 2015

CONNEAUT LAKE — The next step in a planned senior housing project at Conneaut Lake was taken Wednesday night when Borough Council approved a change in its zoning ordinance that allows for a conditional use permit in the area planned for the project.

The vote now allows Hudson Property Management to seek approval for a conditional use permit in the area. That’s expected to happen at the December council meeting, according to Jeff Millin, borough attorney.

Council’s action followed a special zoning hearing board meeting regarding the changes immediately prior to council’s regular meeting. By law, the zoning hearing board had to have a public hearing before council could act to amend the ordinance.

No one from the public attended the hearing.

The ordinance allows construction of senior housing as a conditional use in the area, which is a C-2 general commercial district. The ordinance provides the criteria for conditional use, including lot and yard requirements, off-street parking and height limitations.

Also included are compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, water and sewage services, signage assurance of senior residency, maximum permitted occupation, lighting, clear sites and perimeter landscaping.

Hudson Property Management Group of Hermitage plans to build a three-story, $10 million senior housing complex to be known as Evans Square on property owned by Alan Moss that’s located between Fifth and Line streets in the borough. The area is near the post office.

The project would provide 40 units of housing (36 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom) for seniors. Kelley Coey, who represented the Hudson Group, said the company has done research on the history of the borough before choosing the name.

The next step is for the Hudson Group to apply for funding through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. The group did not make the cut for funding in 2015, but council member Bill Eldridge said the approval of the zoning change would heighten the group’s chances of winning funding when it applies in 2016.

Coey said the company will apply for the state funds. If approved in July 2016, construction could start in spring 2017 with completion expected by the end of 2017, she said.

The Meadville Tribune
By Jean Shanley
Tuesday, September 29 2015

CONNEAUT LAKE  ̶  A state official who oversees funding sources for revitalization projects like the one going on at Conneaut Lake visited the borough recently, and work is moving forward on the improvement plan.

State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn made an unannounced visit to Conneaut Lake Borough recently, according to Bill Eldridge, council member.

Eldridge reported the visit at a recent work session of Conneaut Lake Borough Council.

He said she looked at Fireman’s Beach, which is part of the revitalization project by the Conneaut Lake Community Development Committee’s plan.  Eldridge said the borough has two applications for grants with DCNR for the beautification project.  “I think she was duly impressed,” he said, adding she thought it “was a very nice project.”

The upgrades are part of a multi-million project being planned by the CLCDC for the borough.

In a related issue, Eldridge gave an update about a recent meeting with the state Department of Transportation regarding the revitalization project.  Among areas discussed were utilities, traffic signals, lights, rights of way and American with Disabilities Act issues.

Negotiations are now under way with property owners to acquire rights of way to allow sidewalks to be constructed and utilities to be installed.  The options include either a temporary or permanent easements.  Property owners will be given the option.  If permanent easements are granted, the borough will then be responsible for maintenance.

Eldridge said the plan also will require all properties open to the public in the area be brought into compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility requirements unless it is logistically impossible to do so.  So far two such sites have been identified.  The improvements will be paid for with funds acquired for the project.  Property owners themselves will not have to pay.

Regarding the light poles to be added, he said they will match those in Ice House Park.  The traffic signals to be installed must be from a list approved by PennDOT.  Although they won’t be exactly the same as those in Ice House Park, attempts will be made to have them as similar as possible.

Regarding the utility construction, Eldridge said all utilities  ̶  electricity and cable  ̶  are working in a cooperative manner.

The Meadville Tribune
By Jean Shanley
Thursday, August 27, 2015

CONNEAUT LAKE – Work continues on grant applications for the revitalization of downtown Conneaut Lake.

Borough Council approved at a recent meeting changes to a grant application as requested by Bill Eldridge, council member, who also is president of the Conneaut Lake Community Revitalization Committee, which is spearheading the project to revitalize the downtown.

The latest application would be for construction on Water Street, from Second through Fourth streets, including stormwater and sidewalks.  It requires 20 percent from the local community, and Eldridge reviewed various possibilities to raise that amount, which would be about $150,000.  The idea included borrowing funds from a commercial institution or piggybacking on a county bond project.

Council also approved transferring $25,000, which had previously been designated for revitalization, to a special account.

Eldridge was asked to investigate the various resources and report back to council for further discussion.

Event to provide life-size historic reminder

“We encourage residents and visitors to attend the event to celebrate the arts, share their memories and participate in the planning for the public art trail.”

By Jean Shanley
SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE
July 11, 2015

CONNEAUT LAKE — If all goes according to plan, a life-size woolly mammoth structure will be on Fireman’s Beach — hopefully by the end of summer.

Allegheny College Professor Amara Geffen, who is working with the Conneaut Lake Community Development Committee (CLCDC), received approval at a recent meeting of Conneaut Lake Borough Council to use Fireman’s Beach on July 18 at noon to host a “Mammoths on the Lake” Community Day at the beach.

The event will be another in a series of community days sponsored by Conneaut Lake Borough in collaboration with CLCDC and the Arts and Environment Initiative at Allegheny College.

Geffen told council that plans are to erect the life-size woolly mammoth at the beach in the area of the former R Playground. The animal was chosen in recognition of the fact that mammoth bones were discovered in 1958 by local men constructing a dock. Geffen said it will be life-size but will be constructed so as to not block anyone’s view of the beach itself. The interior will be wooden and the external will be natural materials, such as grapevines, she said.

Geffen received permission from council not only to have the community day event but also to construct the woolly mammoth structure. It will be installed in such a manner it will not be able to easily moved, she said.

She said it is designed to be a temporary structure — unless it is so popular that it might not be removed. The structure will be part of a planned art trail connecting Ice House Park and the central downtown business district to Fireman’s Beach.

A planning session for the construction of the life-size structure will be part of the “Mammals on the Lake” Community Day July 18 starting at noon.

The event is described as a community day of art making and memory sharing.

Local artists will host a series of workshops including free T-shirt decorating and construction of miniature sculptures.

In addition to the workshops, storytelling stations will be located on Fireman’s Beach. Residents and visitors are invited to stop at the stations and share their reflections about living, working and playing in the community as well as visiting in the summer. Stories shared during the event will be integrated into the design and implementation of a public at trail, Geffen said. Students from Allegheny College will be present to record stories and answer questions about the project.

The event also will include music by local bands A Touch of Grey and Emil and the Palooka’s.

All the events are free and open to the public.

“We encourage residents and visitors to attend the event to celebrate the arts, share their memories and participate in the planning for the public art trail,” said Geffen, who is serving as project lead artist for the project. “The sculptures will reflect community members’ engagement and incorporate their stories.”

The project is part of the “Fostering Livability Through the Arts, Nature and Culture” program, a $75,000 grant to Conneaut Lake Borough from the Our Towns program of the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant provides funding for arts-engagement events, a series of public sculptures that will feature opportunities to listen to or view community stories and a fully engineered and comprehensive design plans for completing the public art trail.

Three Allegheny College faculty members will co-lead the events, working in collaboration with Conneaut Lake residents. Geffen is joined by Ceramics and Sculpture Technician Ian Thomas and Assistant Professor of Communication Arts and Theatre Emily Yochim. Support also is provided by an Allegheny College graduate serving as an NEA Art Fellow during summer 2015 and Allegheny College students working at Mellon Research Fellows supported by he Andrew W. Mellon Collaboration Undergraduate Research in the Humanities Grant. Many local artists also will be on hand to help facilitate the arts workshops.

The entire project is a collaboration among the Conneaut Lake Borough, CLCDC and the Arts and Environment Initiative at Allegheny College with funding from the NEA Our Towns Program. The NEA’s Our Towns Program supports creative place making projects that contribute to the livability of communities and help transform them into lively, beautiful and sustainable places with the arts at their core, Geffen said.

The Meadville Tribune
By Jean Shanley
Monday, May 18, 2015

CONNEAUT LAKE  ̶  In recognition of residents’ work on a multi-phase community development plan.  Conneaut Lake has been named the Heritage Community of the Year by the Pennsylvania Route 6 Alliance.

The award was presented last week at a luncheon at Carbondale where Bill Eldridge, chairman of the Conneaut Lake Community Development Committee and a member of Conneaut Lake Borough Council, accepted the award on behalf of the committee.

Terri Dennison, executive director of the Pennsylvania Route 6 Alliance, said Conneaut Lake is a shining example of how to move a major revitalization project forward.  The CLCDC, following recommendations of its Heritage Tourism Work Plan, which was developed as part of the Heritage Community process, has fulfilled two of the recommendations of the plan and continues to revitalize the community.

Dennison said the two recommendations are downtown revitalization and lake-oriented enhancements.

The CLCDC recognized the picturesque setting on Pennsylvania’s largest natural lake is attractive to visitors and residents but it could be enhanced by creating a more welcoming streetscape and providing better amenities at the lake access points.

She said that by working with the Conneaut Lake Borough Council, the CLCDC actively solicited local support and was able to hire an engineer to design a multi-phase $20 million plan including streetscape improvements and additions to Ice House Park and Fireman’s Beach.

She said since then, the CLCDC has leveraged private funding with public funds and, with nearly $3 million in hand, is close to realizing its funding goal for phase one of improvements, which are expected to cost nearly $6 million and may start this fall.

She added that recently a developer completed revitalization of a historic church and donated it to the borough for official meeting space.  Other major developers are looking at investing in the community and the CLCDC and Conneaut Lake Borough should be congratulated for having a vision, developing a plan, raising the finances and making the town a better place to live and visit, she said.

Dennison said there are 20 Heritage communities across the Route 6 Alliance.  She defined a Heritage community as a community that has come together to create a work plan to enhance the area by strengthening its assets.

She said Conneaut Lake is a main part of the Route 6 corridor and the CLCDC has done a wonderful job of implementing its plan.

Conneaut Lake first applied to be a Heritage Community in 2008 and worked with the Alliance to develop a plan.  As a result, the borough was named a Heritage Community in 2010.  At that time, she said, Conneaut Lake Borough Council designated the CLCDC as the agency to develop the plan and that’s why the CLCDC was chosen to accept the award.

She said it was remarkable what a small borough has been able to accomplish and credited a strong coalition of workers who continue to strive to meet their goal.

She added other Heritage Community leaders at the luncheon were impressed with the work the CLCDC has done in obtaining funding.

Dennison plans to be in Conneaut Lake within a couple of weeks to formally present an award to borough officials.

Conneaut Lake Borough Mayor Tim Kaider was excited and pleased to hear about the award, saying it was very rewarding to receive recognition for the hard work being done around Conneaut Lake and for Conneaut Lake.  

Kaider said the revitalization started with the renovation of Ice House Park done by Dr. Robert Moyers and his wife, Bobbie; and Bob Moss and his wife, Kathy.

Kaider said the CLCDC has worked on all the grant applications, terming it a “tremendous effort.”

He mentioned the work in the downtown area that is planned along with the improvements to Fireman’s Beach.

Not all of the funding has come from governments, he pointed out, praising, for example, Betsy and Jason Sperry for their work at transforming an old building into Vacavi Café.

Kaider said the improvement continues  ̶  mentioning the renovated church on the other end of town, which was donated to the borough by the Ron Anderson family; and the borough gardens, which have been improved through the efforts of the Conneaut Lake Garden Club, spearheaded by Sandy Eldridge, club president.

Referring to the new town hall, Kaider said it is a “breath of new life in the old church” and provides a nice space for borough meetings as well as for town residents to use.  “So many things are going on in Conneaut Lake,” he said, adding it was no wonder the town was considered for such a prestigious award.

“All the people working together, the federal and state grants, the support of the Crawford County commissioners  ̶  it has all been so wonderful,” Kaider said.

The Route 6 Alliance is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to promoting tourism along historic Route 6 in Pennsylvania and preserving special sites along the road.

The Meadville Tribune

By Jean Shanley

CONNEAUT LAKE  ̶  Representatives of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation have toured downtown Conneaut Lake as work on a revitalization plan moves forward.

The Conneaut Lake Community Development Committee (CLCDC) is spearheading the more than $6 million project, which will see improvements to Water Street as well as to Fireman’s Beach.

At this week’s meeting of Conneaut Lake Borough Council, Bill Eldridge, president of CLCDC and a member of council, reported PennDOT held its first site meeting in the borough, the kickoff for a grant the borough received for work on Water Street.  He said PennDOT officials toured the area of Water  from First to Second streets and became familiar with the project

The next step in the revitalization plan is a meeting May 7 from 10a.m. to noon at the town hall when more work will be done.

Consultants from CTE, who are working on the project, will be there also and Eldridge encouraged anyone with questions to attend and ask them at that time.

He also said he and Dick Holabaugh, president of council, have been meeting weekly to share updates for the plans for the revitalization of the downtown area.  Holabaugh later in the meeting said he believes some of the dissension between council and the CLCDC has been eliminated because of the updates.

Holabaugh said he should have made it a point of getting together with Eldridge earlier this year and added that the weekly meetings with Eldridge have been helpful and encouraged council members and others with questions about the revitalization to ask either Eldridge or himself.

In regard to the report, Holabaugh wondered about the possibility of any funding for some playground equipment for the beach.

Eldridge said the CLCDC continues to look for ways to make the improvements.

John Chuey, a council member, said any playground should be smaller than the previous playground.  Holabaugh said playground equipment would probably be geared for the younger children.

In related business, council approved an amendment to a grant application from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, seeking $375,000 instead of $250,000.  Eldridge said it was determined that more funds might be available and could be used for the project so it was decided to apply for the higher sum.