Deeply saddened by loss

Dear Editor:

I am writing this letter because I am deeply saddened by the loss of a dear friend of mine, Frederick "Ricky" Johnson. He was the maintenance supervisor at Mauch Chunk Lake Park for 38 years. I, too, was a maintenance supervisor for Beltzville State Park. We would often talk about the different aspects of maintaining these facilities with limited staff and budgets, etc. Ricky has done an excellent job at Mauch Chunk Lake Park. He was a skilled carpenter and electrician and could read blueprints. He supervised and assisted with the building of bathrooms, pavilions, log cabins and the camp store. The list could go on and on.

Ricky was also a self-taught and skilled musician, playing lead guitar with the Band "Shades of Gray." He was also instrumental in bringing the Heritage Festival to Mauch Chunk Lake Park with activities, bands, vendors and hayrides. While camping at Mauch Chunk Lake Park, I have talked to people from Maine to North Carolina and all agree that Mauch Chunk Lake Park is a beautiful and well maintained park.

Ricky, thank you, you have left us a gem right in our own back yard in Mauch Chunk Lake Park. Now, I am calling on the Commissioners of Carbon County to memorialize Ricky by naming one of the structures that he helped build after him. As you probably already know, the county lost an employee whose shoes will be hard to fill.

Sincerely,

Larry Alabovitz

and family,

Summit Hill