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Buhl Day: Much more than a walk in the park
Special to The Vindicator
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MARCHING ALONG: The Sharon high School Tiger Marching Band was among the units that took part int eh Buhl Day parade. The annual event was Monday in Hermitage's Buhl Farm Park.
Special to The Vindicator
Photo
PARADE ROUTE: Renee Combine of Sharpsville and her daughter, Ava, 2, were among those who gathered to watch the parade that was part of the annual Buhl Day festivities in Hermitage. The parade and activities took place Monday.
Three people were honored for their volunteerism.
HERMITAGE, Pa. — Hundreds of Shenango Valley residents said goodbye to summer by turning out for the annual Buhl Day at Buhl Farm Park on Labor Day.
The event that dates back to 1979 began with a memorial service at 9 a.m., followed by a five-kilometer run and a parade. The rest of the day included activities for young and old including an antique auto show, art show, performances by choral and musical groups, puppet show, dancers, martial-arts demonstration, pony rides, children’s bouncing toys, a mime, petting zoo and an appearance by local radio personality “Trapper John.”
Local churches and nonprofit community groups sold a variety of foods, among them pulled-pork sandwiches, halushki, ribs, lemon shakes, elephant ears, ice cream, barbecued beef, hot dogs and gyros.
At a midday ceremony, three community members were honored for their volunteerism. They were Louis Epstein of Sharon, Walter Strosser of Hermitage and Ellie Pope of Masury, Ohio.
Epstein, a longtime local businessman and former general manager of the Buhl Farm Trust, has done extensive volunteer work and still plays in the Mercer County Community Band.
Strosser, who has a Hermitage Little League field named after him, served for may years as a Little League baseball coach, manager, umpire and district baseball administrator. He is active in the community and continues to volunteer at UPMC in Farrell.
Pope, a medical social worker at Sharon Regional Health System, Sharon, is a longtime volunteer at the hospital’s hospice, as well as being very active in outreach programs at her church and involved in many other local activities.
Sue McLaughlin, secretary of the Buhl Day Committee, welcomed the crowd to the opening ceremonies, calling the day a “one-of-kind celebration in a one-of-a-kind park.”
She noted that the purpose of the day is to pay tribute to early 20th-century philanthropist Frank H. Buhl and his wife, Julia, who donated the park to the community.
Kathryn Ekker, a member of the Buhl Farm Trust, said that while a trust was left to support the park, only 9 percent of it can be used annually for the park’s support. As a result, $500,000 must be raised every year to keep it going. She said that with the help of local groups, the improvements made this year include a new pool liner, 14 new dog stations, the planting of 50 trees, a new slide and three street posts.
She said Sharon Regional Health System has also donated equipment for the fitness trail that was expected in time for Buhl Day but has not yet arrived.
A fishing contest Friday and a golf tournament Saturday were also part of Buhl Farm’s weekend events.