A cardboard boat regatta in honor of America 250PA will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at Baer Memorial Swimming Pool in Lehighton.

The event, postponed from today because of rain in the forecast, will begin at 5 p.m., with the races scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

The night will include the dedication of a 20-foot umbrella in honor of America 250PA and a plaque honoring eight deceased Pool Pal members who gave time and talents to the community and the pool (the Pool Pal Memorial Swim Fund is named in their honor).

Twenty-two cardboard regatta boats are from many community organizations and local businesses.

Dignitary judges include the likes of Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross, George Washington and others.

The program will begin with the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the playing of “God Bless America” by the Lehighton Boys and Girls Band, the dedication of the Pool Pal Memorial plaque and the 20-foot umbrella followed by a few short speeches by local dignitaries.

The regatta races will be a series of timed heats with many featuring three boats at a time racing across the pool. There will be trophies awarded to the five fastest boats, as well as a judges choice award and team spirit award. There also will be a Titanic Award that is self-explanatory.

Cardboard and duct tape

Bob Kistler helped put together the 87-inch-long by 30-inch-wide by 18-inch-tall Philadelphia Gun Boat and noted that it’s built entirely from corrugated cardboard.

He said the sections are glued together using Titebond wood glue and Liquid Nails, while the interior is coated with latex paint, and the exterior will be sealed with urethane and reinforced with duct tape.

Kistler said he’s put at least 75 hours into the construction so far, with a few more to go, and that his grandson, Jordan Rivera, helped as well, although his time was limited because he lives in Bethlehem.

“Time investment varies widely depending on the design and level of detail,” Kistler said. “One builder I know has already exceeded 330 hours and sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night to work on his boat.”

Kistler said his boat is a “reclamation project.”

“It began as a Pool Pal team build that was later set aside when they shifted to a more detailed design, so I took it over and rebuilt it,” he said. “Doing a rebuild rather than starting from scratch probably added some time.”

Kistler said that as for the Pool Pals overall, the hours invested in making the regatta a reality easily reached into the high hundreds and probably has exceeded 1,000 hours.

He said that the core planning team includes himself, Mark and Diane Hoffman, Byron Schnell, Chris Simock, Tracy Newton, Karen Alboucq, Julia Kelm, Beth Kalbach and Gail Maholick, and that every Pool Pal has contributed in some way.

“A cardboard boat regatta sounds impossible until you see what people are capable of building,” Kistler said. “The imagination and engineering on display will dazzle those in attendance, and it has become a great way for the community to come together and celebrate America250PA. There are many community organizations who have volunteered to help at the event.”

Chris Nothstein has been working on the Viking Drakkar Ship that is being completed by the Sword Tag Society and said the time spent was about 40 hours.

Nothstein said the primary materials used were glue, cardboard and duct tape.

He said the boat is 30 inches wide and 8 feet long, and stands about 5 feet high with the decorative bow.

“I managed to scavenge cardboard tubes, angles and even a gaylord,” Nothstein said. “When agreeing to participate in the event, we decided to go big and actually build a boat.”

The pool will be open to the community at no cost on race day thanks to the generosity of the Lehighton Borough and Recreation Director Tom Evans. Stevie Ray Entertainment will be providing music and entertainment during the day, and the concession stand will be open with a host of delicious food and drinks available for purchase.

Pool passes

Thirty-one families from Carbon County will learn if they have received a family season pass to the Baer Memorial Pool in Lehighton.

Lehighton Pool Pals President Diane Hoffman said the hard work of Pool Pals volunteers and the generosity of the community made the donation a reality for families to enjoy the many benefits a community pool offers.

The selection committee members will be contacting the selected families shortly.

Hoffman said the selection committee members carefully look over all of applications that have been submitted for consideration.

The members of the committee utilize a decision tool to make sure all families are treated fairly while at the same time looking for families who will use the passes and have not received a pass the previous year.

More than 75 families applied for these family passes raised though a gift card bingo in March under the direction of Tracie Saunders, and generous donations from the community as well, said Mark Hoffman, vice president.

Hoffman said Wanda and Blaine Dietz donated enough money to award five families with a season pass along with Nick Weinrich, proprietor of Nick’s Fix it, who has donated a family pass over the past three years to this fund.

Hoffman thanked Trinity Lutheran Church also for its contributions to this fund over the years, as well as its support for the pool. The newest community pavilion constructed at the pool is named in honor of Trinity Lutheran Church.

The Lehighton pool has an array of amenities that sets it apart from many community pools. With a zero-entrance capability, the entrance supports access for handicapped people and is especially suitable for younger children.

The pool has slides in the deeper water, a refreshment stand, showers, a baby pool with covered seating and three pavilions to rent for parties.

Sponsors for the free admission for the regatta include Home Comfort Solutions, Trinity Lutheran Church, Lehighton Walmart, BEFESA Community Fund, Lehighton Outdoor Center, Uline, Thrivent Financial, Perfect Balance Boutique, Lehighton Area Lioness Lions; Lions Club, Behler Foundation, Majestic Fire Apparel, Wanda and Blaine Dietz, Larry Wittig and Nick Weinrich and the Lehighton Area Pool Pals.