LHU students Kristin Manuel, left, and Jillian Butler stand next to a Peanuts scene they painted on the window of a city business.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The city was bustling with over 500 children. Smiles and laughter abounded. The spirit of Halloween haunted the air. These are sure signs that the Haven Achievers had literally painted the town for the Downtown Fall Festival held on Oct. 27.

Throughout the week before the event, the Haven Achievers, a group of about 115 students, took time out of their busy schedules to equip themselves with paint brushes, a vast array of paints and pumpkin and Snoopy cut-outs to decorate the City of Lock Haven for the big day.

The students worked diligently on painting Peanuts-themed window adornments for about two hours each, helping to prepare for the festival which included special Halloween events, activities, pumpkin-carvings, contests and plenty of refreshments.

In the spirit of Halloween, and in trying to connect the city with the university, the students visited approximately 20 downtown businesses and beautified the storefronts prior to the festival.

“The students did such a great job,” said Downtown Lock Haven Inc. Manager Maria Boileau. “Having such great decorations really brought laughter and a sense of enjoying to the town.”

Boileau also stated that the best feeling was watching all the families pointing to the skillfully ornamented windows while enjoying Saturday’s event.

This community out-reach project is the first of many for the Haven Achievers program, which is designed to help university students succeed in their college years. And the students agreed that this event has given them a push in connecting with the city.

“I just love the downtown city,” said Tom Gurgick, who diligently painted Snoopy onto the windows of participating businesses such as Bonnie’s Hair, Nails and Tanning Salon. “The buildings are incredible and this is helping me to see the people who actually live here. It’s comforting because it actually feels like home now.”

The students come from an assortment of different locations and are interested in many different career goals as well.

Lewis Deal, a computer science major from Philadelphia, admits to loving the aesthetically pleasing views that the university and city offer.

Mike Curiale, a student from South N.J., said the switch from his hometown to Lock Haven was easy because of the people.

“It’s nice to be here in such a small community,” said Curiale. “It’s a different experience for me coming from a larger area, but the people of the city and the professors have made the transition easy.”

Boileau also mentioned that the city couldn’t have put on the festival without the help of the students as other groups of students besides the Haven Achievers helped with activities.

“We had about 30 university students here on Saturday from morning until night from the office of community service,” she said. “I think a few of those students were even the ones who were here last week painting the windows.”

And Boileau also stated that she is eager to have the students come back, hopefully to assist in other projects that bond the university and the downtown.

“From now until Thanksgiving, we’re going to be decorating for the holiday season with bows and wreaths, and I would like to recruit some students to help us out,” said Boileau. “The owners of the stores really appreciate this opportunity.”

And many students agree that they would be willing to return.

“This is such a good program because it gets college students out of the dorms and shows us the community. We’re actually able to be involved,” said Krystina Adams from Middletown, Del.

And Kristin Manuel, from Columbia, Pa., noted that it was the size of the city that helped in her decision to attend LHU.

“It’s a small city, which is what I wanted, and the class sizes here are just right for me as well. The teachers can actually get to know you and so can the community members,” she said.