Anne Henning Scheuring poses with the Lansdale Historical Society's 2017 Edwin G. Holl Historic Achievement Award. Photo courtesy of Lansdale Historical Society.
The 2024 recipient of Lansdale’s Lifetime Achievement Award has left her impact on the town, one red, white and blue banner at a time.
“I am very proud and pleased to let the community know that the Lifetime Achievement Award committee has selected such a deserving and appropriate person that we’d like to honor, for her commitment, and talents, and sharing of herself with the borough,” said council President Mary Fuller. “Anne Henning-Scheuring will be this year’s recipient.”
Henning-Scheuring was elected to borough council in 2007, and during her single term led the parks and recreation committee, served on the newly formed economic development committee, and helped oversee renovations of, and create new fundraisers for, the Lansdale Public Library; her council term also featured an unsuccessful campaign for the area's state Senate seat representing the 24th District in 2009. Since her stint on council she's remained a familiar face, raising concerns about safety in parks, single trash haulers, and homelessness in town.
She's also been a longtime member of the Lansdale Historical Society, earning that organization's Edwin G. Holl Historical Achievement Award in 2017 for her years as treasurer for that group, efforts to maintain and decorate the society’s Jenkins Homestead, and help facilitating the acquisition of the Lansdale freight station by local nonprofit Discover Lansdale.
Lansdale resident Anne Henning-Scheuring holds a decorative banner depicting her husband Ed, as she makes the case for Towamencin Township to join the list of local municipalities taking part in the “Hometown Heroes” banner program in 2017.Most visible around town, and the region and beyond, are those red, white and blue "Hometown Hero" banners Henning-Scheuring first proposed in 2016 as a way to honor those who have served. Her original estimate was that fewer than 50 banners would be purchased, but high demand led to more than 400 being placed around town that first season, and a cap of 500 in future years — before the banner program expanded to adjacent Hatfield and Upper Gwynedd Townships, North Wales Borough, and then across the region and beyond.
"Few people have given more: from the Hometown Hero banners, to serving on council, to the Lansdale Historical Society," Fuller said.
"And if you want more detail about all the ways Anne has impacted Lansdale, and made our community a great place to live, work and play, please come out Saturday morning at 10 a.m. to the Lansdale Historical Society, where we'll make the official presentation. Congratulations Anne," she said, as council applauded Henning-Scheuring.
She joins a distinguished list: prior recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, given by borough nonprofit Discover Lansdale, have been longtime borough fire chief Jay Daveler in 2012; borough Parks and Recreation Director Carl Saldutti in 2013; North Penn High School principal and Marching Knights band leader Stephen Frederick in 2014; then-LHS President and longtime Reporter editor Dick Shearer in 2015; business owner and former Lansdale Business Association head Margie Booz in 2016; North Penn Boys and Girls Club CEO Bob Kreamer in 2017; Lansdale Cemetery caretaker Richard Stricker in 2018; Frank and Georgette Koehler, owners of Koehler’s Jewelers and Diamond Merchants, in 2019; Ray Walton, longtime head of family heating oil business Clyde S. Walton Inc. in 2021 and Rev. Sue Bertolette, longtime pastor of St. John's United Church of Christ, in 2023.
Henning-Scheuring said afterward she was surprised to learn she had received the honor, since she's on the vetting committee and had nominated two other people, and was surprised to get a call from Fuller with the good news.
"She said 'We chose you,' and I started crying," she said.
Henning-Scheuring added that the current round of banners will be on display until November, she's already preparing for the next round of banners to be prepared this winter — contact her at [email protected] if interested — and she's heard from towns as far as Wisconsin interested in emulating the program.
"I love it. It's all about the veterans," she said.
That lifetime award presentation is just one of a full day of events slated for Saturday, the anniversary of the town's incorporation: a morning boot camp and yoga will start the day at 8 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce Courtyard, with the Lansdale Farmers Market starting at 9 a.m. and running until 12:30 p.m. at Penndale Middle School.
Fireworks explode behind Lansdale Borough Hall as part of the borough's Founders Day celebrations on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023."There'll be many avenues to express your creativity, throughout the borough, on its 152nd birthday — this Saturday is the actual birthday," Fuller said, and slices of birthday cake will be available at the Lansdale Public Library from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Lansdale Festival of the Arts will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Memorial Park, with nearly 70 vendors confirmed along with food trucks, live music, and crafts for kids; the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Montgomery County will host a health and wellness fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Railroad Avenue, district Judge Ed Levine will host an open house of his courthouse on Pennbrook Parkway from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the historical society will offer an open house of their Jenkins Homestead from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., just after the lifetime award there.
Borough Manager John Ernst also announced a new addition: a truck display at the borough freight station, located at Broad and Vine Streets across from borough hall, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Visitors check out model trains presented by the North Penn S-Gaugers at the Fairmount Fire Company station on Vine Street for the borough's annual Founders Day on Saturday, Aug. 27 2022."There will be a 'touch a truck' event, featuring several borough utility vehicles, and possibly an emergency vehicle or two. We encourage children of all ages to stop by, look, and climb on, the various pieces of equipment. And I do hear there might be an opportunity to do some personalized finger panting on some of the trucks...with, of course, water-soluble paint," he said.
Fuller added that this year's theme is "all about 'creating community,'" and other displays and events include a model train display at the Fairmount Fire Company from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; police station tours from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the town's police station, a beer garden and food festival with family entertainment from from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Live music will include Mike Guldin and Rollin' and Tumblin' at 1 p.m. and Philadelphia Funk Authority at 4:30 p.m., all at the Century Plaza parking lot. Throughout the day, visitor can collect stamps on a palette, similar to a passport program, and "if you get a certain number of palette spots marked off, you can win a prize or t-shirt at the Discover Lansdale booth," Fuller said.
Last but certainly not least, the night will light up with a fireworks show, launched from Penndale Middle School starting at 9 p.m.
"It's all about the fireworks," she said.
For more information visit http://www.discoverlansdale.org/founders-day.html.
