LAWRENCE: Weeden Park gazebo dedicated to Art Schonheiter

By Jennifer Bradley, Staff Writer
   Lawrenceville Main Street has dedicated the gazebo in Weeden Park to Art Schonheiter for his involvement in the community.
   Mr. Schonheiter served as the board president and the executive director of Lawrenceville Main Street and was the athletic director of the Lawrenceville Prep School.
   ”The dedication was a complete surprise — I was speechless,” said Mr. Schonheiter. “I think of the many other volunteers that have been involved in the community for many years and sometimes wonder why they weren’t picked, but I’m very humbled that they picked me.”
   The dedication was made at the Music in the Park event on July 5 where Mr. Schonheiter’s son-in-law, Steve Hendershott, performed with his band, Riverside Blue Grass. Mr. Schonheiter said he had no idea the dedication was going to be made.
   ”Art gave a lot of time, energy and guidance over the 12 years he’s been involved with Lawrenceville Main Street,” said Howard Nelson, the president of the board of Lawrenceville Main Street who worked with Mr. Schonheiter for many years. “We thought it was incredibly important to recognize that level of dedication.”
   Before joining Lawrenceville Main Street, Mr. Schonheiter served as the athletic director at the Lawrenceville Prep School.
   Mr. Schonheiter said he was raised in Lawrenceville and attended the school district. Mr. Schonheiter’s father served as the athletic director before him, and when his father retired, he asked if he could take his father’s place and was given the job.
   After Mr. Schonheiter retired from his job at the school in 2000, he decided to get involved with Lawrenceville Main Street.
   ”Lawrenceville was my home, so when I retired I wanted to do everything I could to make this a great place to live, and I could do that through Lawrenceville Main Street,” he said.
   Mr. Schonheiter said a member of the board of Lawrenceville Main Street called and offered him a position on the board and Mr. Schonheiter decided to take it.
   ”I thought to myself this would be a great way to get to know people of the town,” he said.
   According to Mr. Schonheiter, two weeks later he was offered the position of president of the board and he decided to take that as well.
   He served as president for two years and later served as the executive director of the board.
   ”Art is very insightful and understands how to talk to people in a very productive way,” said Mr. Nelson. “He manages to get the most out of people he works with, and I was very lucky to have gotten to work with him.”
   This past year, Mr. Schonheiter retired from his role of executive director and was replaced by Lindsey Bohra.
   ”This past year I felt that I had enough and I didn’t have the energy I had before, so I resigned and suggested that Lawrence Main Street find someone younger and full of energy,” Mr. Schonheiter said. “They listened and Lindsey is the new executive director and she is doing a great job.”
   Even though he is no longer a part of the board, Mr. Schonheiter said he still remains active in the community.
   ”Now I go out and volunteer when I can, but I don’t have the daily responsibility I had before,” he said.
   ”We don’t have enough arts, so we wanted to celebrate him and try to encourage others to be like him,” Mr. Nelson said.
   To honor Mr. Schonheiter, Mr. Nelson thought the dedication of the gazebo was perfect.
   ”We wanted to have something permanent rather than just having a brick somewhere or something like that, and the gazebo is one of the more permanent features of the park” he said.
   Mr. Nelson said that Mr. Schonheiter was always a strong supporter of Music in the Park, and his daughter, Jill Hendershott, organizes Music in the Park, so the gazebo in the park also demonstrates Mr. Schonheiter’s connection.
   Mr. Nelson said the dedication itself went very well. He said it was not very ostentatious or filled with too much pomp, because Mr. Schonheiter would not have wanted that.
   Mr. Schonheiter also said he enjoyed the ceremony and is so grateful to the people who recognized his efforts within the community.
   ”The people in Lawrenceville are so nice and happy,” he said. “Lawrenceville is my home, and that’s why I like it. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”