Lewisburg cuts ribbon on newly renovated Hufnagle Park

Justin Strawser, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·4 min read

Apr. 18—LEWISBURG — The relatives of the late Gordon A. Hufnagle sat Thursday near the top of the new amphitheater in the middle of Lewisburg, listening to elected officials and dignitaries celebrate the grand opening of the renovated park christened with their namesake.

Agnes Hufnagle, the daughter-in-law of the former Lewisburg police chief and public safety director, attended the ceremony with Gordon's grandson, great-grandson and 2-year-old great-great-grandson. The park, dedicated in September 1980, was named for Gordon Hufnagle, who died on June 22, 1972, while trying to rescue others from flooding in Lewisburg due to Hurricane Agnes

"A lot has changed in 52 years," said Agnes Hufnagle, the widow of Hufnagle's son, Charles. "We're always happy when they recognize him for things he did for the borough. I think they're all changes for the better. It's a beautiful park. I think it will be as beautiful as the previous park. I think it will be a really nice area to remember Gordon."

Gordon Hufnagle was working as public safety director on June 22, 1972. Hufnagle was attempting to rescue Joseph and Agnes Murphey from their home on South Sixth Street when the boat capsized in Bull Run, killing both Hufnagle and Agnes Murphy.

The rededication and ribbon cutting ceremony started at 11 a.m. Thursday with comments from elected officials, live music from the Ann Kerstetter Band and refreshments and food provided by the borough. The park is located in downtown Lewisburg along Market Street and between South Fifth and Sixth streets.

Project highlights

The project included constructing an expanded performance/event space with updated lighting, sound and seating; Limestone (Bull) Run Floodplain Restoration to improve water quality and increase floodplain storage capacity; and the elimination of all stairs and ramps to improve accessibility throughout the park and provide safe pedestrian pick up/drop off at Market Street.

The $2,950,912 project is funded through $217,700 in borough funds for engineering, $2,649,666 in Community Development Block Grant CARES Act funding for project costs, $34,546 in CDBG CARES Act funding for borough administration and $50,000 for CDBG CARES Act funding for SEDA-Council of Government administration. The general contractor was Gray Builders, of Danville, and PennCore Consulting LLC, of Williamsport, was the engineer.

Mayor says park is a 'sanctuary'

Lewisburg Mayor Kendy Alvarez said the need for physical space to gather is increasingly important.

"This park is more than just a space, it's a sanctuary," said Alvarez. "It's a place where the soul can solace, and the spirit can soar. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, this park represents something far more profound. It embodies the spirit of community. It's belonging and togetherness that defines our beloved town."

Residents will come together to "play, laugh and forge lasting connections that transcend boundaries across generations where everyone is welcome and bonds of friendship and solidarity grow even stronger," said Alvarez.

"The vision was incredible, but tenacity and the skills used by our community partners to be able to pull this off is not easy to do," said Union County Commissioner Stacy Richards. "In many instances, because of the ability of staff capacity, or lack of it, to be able to do a vision like this, it is beyond the reach of most small municipalities. It's just too complex."

Richards said everyone involved should be proud of the final product.

Leadership and vision

Richard Vilello, the deputy secretary of the state Department of Community and Economic Development's Community Affairs and Development, said it takes "leadership and vision" to complete a project like this.

"The walkability, the ability of a grandmother to walk their grandkids to a place like this and enjoy the Playworld equipment or enjoy the nature park, for families to come here and enjoy entertainment, is truly what community development and economic development means together," said Vilello.

The park "needs to be truly celebrated," he said.

"Don't take it for granted," Vilello said. "It doesn't just happen. It isn't happening everywhere. It's happening here because of leadership, because of communication, because the borough council, mayor and the county are talking together and following a plan and vision to get this stuff done."

Other comments were provided by Steven Beattie, the executive director of the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority and former grants manager for Lewisburg, and Liz Cooper, the Central Pennsylvania regional manager for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.