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“The world we leave behind is a reflection of ourselves." -Don Shappelle
If you Google the word Riverfest, you get 440,000 hits. Narrow the search to Riverfest Wilkes-Barre and you get 1,850 hits. Narrow it further to Wyoming Valley Riverfest and you get 1,540.
Impressive numbers by anyone’s count.
When you scroll down the list, one common theme develops. River towns across the country are capitalizing on the opportunities created by their rivers.
 If you were in or around Nesbitt Park during Riverfest 08, you would have been swept up in the enthusiasm of the moment, and a grand moment it was.
 People by the hundreds came to the river in the shadow of Wilkes-Barre to celebrate this natural treasure in art, music, recreation and a host of other interesting activities.
On the anniversary weekend of the most historic and destructive event in the river’s history, the Agnes Disaster, the kinder, gentler, more peaceful aspects of life on the river were on display for all to enjoy and experience.
Rock wall climbers, kayakers, nature hikers, artists, musicians, firefighters and others brought smiles and a sense of pride in the river to everyone who attended.
The most colorful and most celebrated event involved 200+ kayaks that gently made their way from Harding, PA, to Wilkes-Barre five miles down the river. It was quite a sight, and it gave artists quite a painting.
Sue Hand, the Mater Familia of local artists, told us she was  enjoying every minute standing on a look-out above the river recording the scene in oils as only she can.
In the shadow of Sue’s easel stood a group of mural artists who were connecting with everyone who passed their huge, evolving mural. Appropriately called, Heart to Art, their mission was simple. They were recording the excitement and the history of the day. Not by themselves, no, that would be far too easy and exclusive. They were enlisting the help of everyone and anyone who cared to become a part of this unique project.
“We are connectors,” Donna Doherty told me. “We connect people with the arts and participants to one another. Today we are creating an historical record of this wonderful event. We want to capture the energy of what is here, the incredible beauty of the Susquehanna River, and the preciousness of the river to the community.”
Judging from what I experienced, the Heart to Art mission was accomplished. Parents and their children, grandparents and their grandchildren, young and old alike lined up to paint their way into the history of the river.
It was a joyous and inspirational scene that I returned to again and again during my visit to Riverfest 08.
 John Maday, one of the organizers of Riverfest when it began more than a decade ago, was absolutely buoyant when he told us this was the most successful Riverfest to date.
In one sentence, Maday summarized the event: “We bring people together the way the river brings people together.”
Connie Scott, dressed in her green Riverfront t-shirt, and sporting a smile of welcome that would light up a room put it this way: “I think people are interested in the river. This is a beautiful area for families.”
The families I talked to agreed with Ms. Scott.
Matt Malcolm and his family were listening to a demonstration about Monarch  butterflies when I met them. Matt was quick to tell us that people underestimate the value of the river. They do not see it as an asset. Malcolm believes that Riverfest provides an opportunity for people to see what the river is all about, what it can offer the community. Malcolm’s wife wants people to do more with the river.
Mark Verbyla, a veteran and outdoorsman, fresh off his five-mile kayak trip was equally enthusiastic about the event and the value of the river. “You cannot go wrong with something like this,” he said. “It’s a fantastic ride, but the Susquehanna River needs more funding for clean up. We have to get it cleaned up and make people aware of its beauty.
 Susan Shoval and her husband, Jud, community leaders and benefactors of the Heart to Art project view the day as a wonderful opportunity to get kids involved, to get them connected to the river and their natural surroundings. For them, Riverfest and the emerging Riverfront project are major steps in the transformation of the Wyoming Valley.
They have more than a casual interest in this. Twenty years ago when people were fleeing the central business district, the Shovals relocated their company headquarters to an historic building that faces the river on River Street.
On this day, they were gratified to see so many parents, grandparents and children engaged in the opportunities Riverfest provided.
As I continued working the event meeting people and asking them to help me document the day, three experiences touched my heart in a very special way.
An unexpected reunion with Maureen and Pat Jordan was special on many levels. Maureen is an old friend from my days at St. Mary’s High School. During my years in the classroom, I had the good fortune to teach both of their children.
To this day we remain fast friends, and it was so affirming to hear both Maureen and  Pat talk about the success of their children and how much they valued the experience they had in my seminar room at King's College.
The Jordans were waiting for a 70-year-old friend who was paddling her wayfrom Harding. When she arrived, we recorded the moment for a segment of Windsor Park Stories that will air in our new season.
Another special moment took place midway through the day when I literally bumped into John Wolfe. Together with his two children he was attending Riverfest on a family  outing. After a brief conversation about the day and its meaning, I asked him about the t-shirt he was wearing.
“I am old school,” he replied. “These two kids are going to be brought up the right way with respect for everyone and the environment.”
As the father of two children, I was taken by the words on John’s t-shirt. They said it all.
“Fatherhood, It’s the toughest job you will ever love.”
The most poignant moment happened early in the  day. I had just finished a visit with two members of the PA National Guard. They were erecting a 30-foot tower for rock climbers.
One of the men, Sergeant Russell Richards, was wearing a blue t-shirt that recorded the army values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Honor, Integrity, Selfless Service, and Personal Courage.
They brought back memories of location shoots at the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2003.
As I watched them work, I thought to myself, Sergeant Richards and PFC Adam Fisher are excellent representatives of those values. Little did I know when we parted that the next person I would meet would give powerful testimony to those  values.
About 50 yards away from where I was standing, I saw a man pushing a stroller. He was accompanied by a woman in a Pittsburgh Steelers sweatshirt and an older gentleman. It was a perfect image of what I thought the day was all about. A day for families.
As they approached, I decided to ask them for an interview.
I asked.
They agreed.
Then it happened.
Ray Howell works along the Susquehanna River for Luzerne County. He is a soft spoken man. His take on the day was simple and direct.
‘It is a good day for our area.”
 While he spoke, I noticed his distinctive hat. It was something I had seen in dozens of pictures Captain Patrick Murphy sent me from his tour of duty in Iraq.
With due respect, I asked Ray Howell if I might ask him a personal question about his hat.
“Not at all,” he replied.
“Does that hat tell me that you served in Iraq?” I asked.
“Yes sir,” he answered.
“When you stand here with your family in this beautiful place on this wonderful day, what goes through your heart and mind knowing that you served in Iraq, a place with another great river?’
“It makes me very proud to have served, and it’s nice to see something like this to know what I served for.”
These 22 words put everything into perspective.
Riverfest 08 was as Maureen Jordan described it: “A wonderful day for Wilkes-Barre.”
It was what Janet Allen Hall felt: "Terribly exciting to see people come back to the river.”
It was what John Malta believed: “Having a river run through our city is just awesome.”
It was what Todd Vonderheid sensed: “Just terrific to see so many people here by the river today.”
It was what Mary Ziminski predicted: “Something we will definitely do next year.”
It was what Karen Belles described: "Riverfest is a great idea. It brings the community together."
It was what Donna Doherty saw: “An opportunity to connect people with the each other and the historical Susquehanna River.”
It was what Captain William Murtha thought: "A good idea because people will learn about the river and how it can be used for recreation."
It was what Don Shappelle sang:
Remember this my friends
The world we leave behind,
Is a reflection of ourselves
For all of human kind.
As I left Nesbitt Park I noticed a monument I had never seen before. It read: In memory of those who gave their lives in the service of their country in  World War II…Lt. Joseph G. Azat…missing in action at the age of seventeen.
 As I turned to walk to my car, I saw a father walking hand in hand with his little boy.
These two images and something I heard earlier in the day brought everything together.
On this beautiful summer day, the Susquehanna River connected us with one another and the dream of a better place and a better world.
Riverfest 2008, it doesn’t get any better than this.
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