Tyrone Improvement Group seeks to improve Lights at the Park event
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TYRONE -- More than 1,600 vehicles drove through Reservoir Park last year for the inaugural Lights in the Park event, which raised more than $8,000 to split between community organizations, according to Elizabeth Detwiler of the Tyrone Improvement Group.
Detwiler, who is spearheading the event this year, said plans are in place to improve Lights at the Park, which has the potential to continue to grow each year.
During a meeting Monday, Detwiler approached the Tyrone Borough Council seeking permission to hold the event at Reservoir Park again this year. She also asked for financial assistance to improve visitors' overall experience by installing additional electrical outlets in the park.
Last year, Reeder Electric completed electrical upgrades to 11 pavilions within the park in preparation of the event. Each pavilion was equipped with one electrical outlet and receptacle box, Detwiler said, noting the Tyrone Improvement Group provided full funding for the enhancements, totaling $1,732.20.
Reeder Electric conducted an assessment of the park's current electrical infrastructure on Sept. 2, Detwiler said, adding it was recommended to install outlets in the remaining three pavilions and potentially adding several electrical posts along the event route.
Last year, solar-powered lights were used, but they proved to be less effective, Detwiler said. By increasing the number of electric lights throughout the park, the Tyrone Improvement Group anticipates a more vibrant and inviting atmosphere that could attract more visitors and generate additional revenue for local businesses, she said.
Reeder Electric was unable to provide a quote for this year's improvements prior to Monday's meeting, but the Tyrone Improvement Group is working in conjunction with the electricians to create a four-year plan to avoid "a huge, heavy cost" upfront, Detwiler said.
Council Vice President David Snyder said he's in favor of supporting Lights in the Park.
"For me, personally, the moment a cold gust of wind hits my daughter, she's like, 'It's cold. Christmas is soon. Christmas at the park,'" Snyder said. "I'm all for it. I think it's great, (but) budgetarily speaking, we would need a number."
Councilman Bob Dollar asked Detwiler how soon construction would need to start to have the park ready in time for the event, to which Detwiler said it would likely be "sometime in October" and that she should have an estimate this week.
In the meantime, Snyder suggested that borough officials agree to finance up to $2,000 for the improvements. The council, with members Sarah Hunter and William Wiser absent, then voted unanimously in favor of Snyder's idea.
Borough engineer Ken Szala of Lehman Engineers suggested that officials apply for a Department of Community and Economic Development local shares account grant to fund future steps for the "grand scheme" of upgrades to Reservoir Park for the event.
"This would be a prime project to go after an LSA grant," Szala said, noting it costs $100 to apply and the grant is not based on the borough's financial status. There are representatives who would be willing to write letters of support, according to Szala, who said Lehman Engineers would be willing to put the grant together for free, if the firm is awarded the project.
Plans in place
Detwiler said the Tyrone Improvement Group has "a lot of ideas brewing" for this year's Lights in the Park.
"We're really excited," she said, adding the event will run for four weeks from 6 to 10 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, beginning with the last week in November.
"We're actually going to move it up one weekend. We're going to try to take advantage of Thanksgiving weekend and Black Friday," Detwiler said, noting the event will no longer be held on Thursdays.
The last car will be out of the park by 9:45 p.m. each night so borough officials can shut everything down, she said, adding the cost per car will remain $5.
This year, there will be a new traffic route for visitors to take, Detwiler said.
Drivers will enter the park through Reservoir Drive by the swimming pool entrance and turn into the park between the basketball court and restrooms where traffic control will be posted, Detwiler said.
"We will have traffic control right there," she said. "One of our fire companies will be at that intersection and what they would like to see is the traffic flow in that way and kind of do that U there at pavilions two and three, and that's where our visitors will pay their entrance fee."
Volunteers from organizations will be well protected in that area, Detwiler said, adding organizers "didn't really feel they were protected very much on that other end of Reservoir Drive" last year when drivers went the opposite direction through the park.
"There were numerous problems with that. It was just very dark," Detwiler said, noting visitors who weren't familiar with the park were "kind of confused and not sure where they were going" to enter the park last year.