Tower Tundra Day gathers area residents

By Amanda Gades
On a cold winter day, Tower City area residents still gather together for special events.
Tower Tundra Day, the first event sponsored by the newly established Tower City Park Board, was kicked off on Feb. 28 with a chili cook-off and feed.

“It was a nice turnout,” said Park Board member Kathy Wahlburn, who explained that about 40 to 50 people attended the chili feed.
The chili cook-off of five different varieties was won by Colleen Clancy of Tower City, who tried a new recipe for the event.
The afternoon featured a pinochle tournament with 16 players, ranging in age from mid-thirties to early eighties.
A tournament fit perfectly in the day as the weekly Thursday night Pinochle games were cancelled on Feb. 26 due to inclement weather, explained Shirley Koslofsky, who kept score for the tournament.
An evening children’s movie, “Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” capped off the day. Approximately 20 kids watched the movie on a screen at the Community Hall, said Scott Tichy, Park Board president.
One of the main features of the day, the Tower Team Games was cancelled due to a negative 30 degree wind chill.
“The weather didn’t quite cooperate very well,” said Park Board president Scott Tichy.
Next year, the winter community event may feature games that can be played either inside or outside, Tichy said. Although details of next year’s event are yet to be decided, he added.
Although the day did not turn out exactly as planned, it still accomplished its goal.
“We wanted to let people know we are here for the community and we want to hear what the community has to say,” Wahlburn said.
The Park Board is hoping to get some new playground equipment put up in the Tower City park yet in 2009, Wahlburn explained.