First Posted: 8/5/2014

The Harveys Lake Homecoming Weekend may very well have been the most successful ever.

The event started off Friday evening with a dinner dance at the Harveys Lake Boathouse, with musical entertainment by Strawberry Jam. A car and truck show was held on Saturday, with benefits going to the Harveys Lake Little League, Anything Floats race event, and a 9-mile Cancer walk/run benefitting Candy’s Place The Center for Cancer Wellness and Awareness. About 180 people participated in the event.

Megan Sgarlat-Prynn and Amanda Blaine were at the EAC (Environmental Advisory Committee) stand, offering information on environmental issues. Officer Gerald Kapral from the PA Game Commission and Officer John Cummings from the PA Fish and Boat Commission also appeared at the EAC stand.

Kapral informed children about various forms of local wildlife, using stuffed animals to make the lessons easier for the children to comprehend. For adults, he talked about bears and other nuisance and potentially dangerous wildlife, and how to deal with their presence.

Cummings displayed macro invertebrates, life forms that live in lake water and are visible to the naked eye.He showed how certain species are able to live in various degrees of clean water and displayed a chart showing which species survive in unclean water, semi-clean water, very clean water, etc.

Sgarlat-Prynn said the health of the water can often be determined by which species is able to survive in it. She added that everything living thing “has its own position and place in the ecosystem.”

Sunday featured a kayak race, wing eating contest and a chicken barbeque. Sixteen-year-old Brian Orbin dressed up as Benjamin Harvey, the patriot who discovered the borough and for whom it is named. A junior this year at Lake-Lehman High School, Orbin also received an “Outstanding Youth History Award” for his interest and knowledge in the history of Harveys Lake. The award was presented by Sandra Serhan, a chairperson for the event.

Serhan brought various photos, videos, DVDs and newspaper articles about the history of the borough at the Harveys Lake Historical Society display. She offered high praise for Mike Rush who, she said, did a fantastic job in his first year as event chairman.

Approximately 35 vendors participated in the event, which also included a community yard sale. The Harveys Lake Cancellation Stamp was drawn by Bonnie Covelski and the Harveys Lake Commemorative Postcard was drawn by Lorraine Elias, both Harveys Lake artists.

Lake Noxen Elementary School’s first-grade teacher Lori Kucewicz was chosen to “Kiss the Fish” after being nominated by students at her school.

The event ended with the traditional fireman’s parade.