Archive: Around Town

The Lansing Lions Club officially dedicated the new Ludlowville Park Pavilion to the Town of Lansing last Friday at their annual Ice Cream Social.  The pavilion was dedicated in memory of Jim and Phyllis Howell.  The event coincided with the final Friday Concert s in Ludlowville Park event featuring the band Second Chance.

"It was Jim's idea to have an ice cream social, but it wasn't developed until after he passed away," says Lansing Lions Club President Scott Bishop.  "Phyllis and Noni Krom got it started, and we thought it appropriate to dedicate the pavilion to Jim and Phyllis Howell.  Jim was a charter member of the Lion's Club and a member for over 50 years.  The Howells have been icons in this community for generations."


Lansing Lions Club President Scott Bishop dedicated the new pavilion to the Town last FridayIn fact, Howell was the last living charter member.  The first Ice Cream Social took place the year after he passed away during a concert featuring Kip Opperman and Richy Stano in 2011, and it has become an annual event attached to the last concert of the Ludlowville Park series each summer.  Howell and Lansing Lion Noni Krom had talked about having a carnival in Ludlowville with an ice cream social.  They both grew up in Ludlowville, and wanted to do something to benefit the park there.  The carnival idea didn't come to pass, but when the town Recreation Department decided to start its concert series in Ludlowville to compliment the successful Thursday Myers Park concert series the Lions decided to pair their ice cream social with a concert.

The Lansing Lions have contributed most of the pavilions in Myers Park including the band stand that has become a centerpiece for the park, as well as the Lansing Community Center and countless other projects.  Ludlowville Park, which borders the breathtaking Ludlowville Falls, is smaller and has a small gazebo and playground.  Since 2011 the Ice Cream Social has raised money for three benches and a teeter-totter to enhance the park.  The Lions raised $5,000 for materials for the pavilion.  Members and non-members provided the labor to build the structure from drawing by Don Harner, who also led construction.  Volunteers, including about 20 club members, helped set the posts, stain the lumber and construct the pavilion on a blacktop slab installed by the Town Highway Department.

"The proceeds from those ice cream socials bought those benches and the teeter totter," Bishop says.  "The funds for the pavilion came out of our civic improvement budget.  The blacktop was provided by the highway department.  The parks department did some excavating."


"We did not do this alone," Bishop told concert-goers.  We had many people willingly give their time and talents to complete the project."

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