Butch’s Blog

Painter Stadium Panorama

The Last Game

Visit my display (booth 32) at the Clinton County Economic Partnership Expo and enter to win one of two limited edition prints of Painter Stadium. A separate drawing will be made for each framed print.

Painter Stadium is gone but not forgotten. For decades it was the home to high school football, soccer and track and field. The historic stadium served both Lock Haven and Central Mountain High Schools. Not to mention the countless magnificent marching band performances. For a time it was also the home stadium for Lock Have University.

Multiple generations of the same families took to the gridiron, under the lights to represent their community. There were monumental wins and disappointing losses that comprised a storied legacy that fueled both Purple and Wildcat Pride.

I created two works from the final game as the Wildcats hosted Punxsutawney recording a 48-20 win for the faithful in attendance. Thanks to Randy Gillen and Hope Hose for the use of Tower 2 to capture the images from an arial point of view.

The fist print is a 10×30 inch framed panorama print of Painter which is comprised of 12 separate images offering very fine detail. The framed print is a $100 value.

The second print is a 11×14 inch framed print of the stadium of a touchdown score by the Wildcats in the second quarter. This framed print is a $60 value.

So if you have the opportunity, stop by and enter the drawing. I really enjoy the Expo and have a great time chatting with everyone. I always see a lot of old friends and make a few new friends too.

The Expo will be held at the LHU Student Recreation Center on Railroad Street. The doors open at 9 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m.

So come on out to the show there will be plenty to see and do. Hope to see you there.

Kevin Eichenlaub, who served in Iraq with the Army Reserve, was one of the guest speakers, was the first to unveil his banner, Saturday. Eichenlaub was assisted by his daughter, Kendall with wife, Kristy other family members looking on.

On Saturday, Clinton County celebrated the contributions of thousands residents who have served and are currently serving in the armed forces. In a program presented by Downtown Lock Haven, Inc. and the Clinton County Veterans Affairs office.

Over 350 banners with photos of Clinton County veterans were hung on light posts in the downtown area and along the dike/levee walkway.

A crowd estimated to be over 600 was on hand for the program which featured patriotic music, inspirational speeches and plenty of red, white and blue.

As a veteran myself, I was very impressed with the turnout and efforts of those involved in presenting the program.

For more images from the program visit the Sports/Event Gallery.

Randy and Kathy Gillen of Lock Haven were one of the first families to unveil a banner on Saturday following the Hometown Heroes celebration. Their son, Lang Gillern, a 2004 Central Mountain graduate is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a firefighter at McGuire Air Force Base, NJ. Randy Gillen, a city driver for the Lock Haven Fire Department hung many of the banners in the downtown area as well.

Bill Peck of the Lock haven VFW played taps for all our fallen veterans following the ceremony.

Lock Haven Mayor, Rick Vilello at bat.

Keeping in with the theme of honoring Clinton County resident’s contributions of serving their country in the armed forces, the Lock Haven Women’s Softball conducted a charity softball game at Peddie Park on Saturday.

Horace Buck Hanna was the honored
veteran to throw out the first pitch.

In this instance, the teams were comprised of “Prominent Men” from the local community. Many of those who played were current and former coaches from Central Mountain High School and Lock Haven University and several elected officials and local businessmen. This all in the name of promoting interest in the five-team women’s league.

The game was quite entertaining and competitive, although the final score was very one-sided. There was a mix of athletic brilliance and some bloopers that will not soon be forgotten. There were also a couple of injuries, some of which may linger for longer than one would like.

All-in-all, a great day, a great game for a great cause. I’m glad I was able to be there to witness the greatness of talent that took the field.

As always, you can view more photos from the game in the Sports/Event Gallery.

The Central Mountain Middle School Choir gave an encore performance singing the national anthem during opening ceremonies. The choir received a standing ovation for their gift of music at the Hometown Heroes celebration at Triangle Park earlier in the day.