Lebanon City Council honors longtime crossing guard at short monthly meeting

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Lebanon City Council on Monday evening polished off its first summer meeting agenda in a speedy 26 minutes, sending attendees out into the steamy evening before 7 p.m.

Council began by observing a moment of silence for longtime city school crossing guard Raymond Kohr, who died June 8 at age 83. In his nearly 25 years of service, “Raymie” guided thousands of schoolkids safely across 8th and Chestnut streets.

“One thing that I will remember about Raymie was his dedication to anything that he did,” Mayor Sherry Capello remarked. “In September of 2022 … he was walking home from a Friday night football game, and he got hit by a car … and fractured a bone in his neck.

“I thought no way he’s coming back, he was 81 at that point,” the mayor remembered. “And it was just a few weeks and he was back on the job!” When she asked him why he was back so soon, Kohr replied, “Oh mayor, I gotta do my crossing.”

Capello told council that through May 31, with the year 42% complete, city revenues and expenditures were at 59% and 33% of 2025 annual projections. The city budgets on a calendar year basis.

Capello informed council that she has appointed Rafael Arvelo Castillo to the city’s planning commission, effective June 4, to fill the unexpired term of James Faren, which runs through July 26, 2026.

Arvelo Castillo is a manager for digital communications conglomerate Cisco Systems and holds marketing and MBA degrees from the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

The planning commission advises the mayor on uses of land, structures, public grounds and facilities, development and land subdivisions, and types and locations of streets. The seven-member body consists of five members appointed by district plus two at-large members.

Capello also told council that she has appointed Lebanon Police Captain Eric Sims to the city’s police pension board. He will fill the unexpired term of former Chief Bret Fisher, who resigned last April.

Sims is currently acting police chief. Capello has yet to appoint a permanent replacement for Fisher.

July 4th activities

The city’s annual Independence Day fireworks display at Coleman Memorial Park will start at 9 p.m. on Friday, July 4. The Lebanon Community Concert Band will give a pre-fireworks concert at 7:45 p.m. in the spectator area of Coleman Park’s lower parking area.

Admission to both is free. Raindate is Saturday, July 5, at the same time.

The mayor added that in 2026 – for one year and one year only – the city may participate in a single, countywide fireworks display at the Lebanon Valley Expo Center to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The city’s fireworks display would return to Coleman Park in 2027.

Resident complains about motorized bicycles

Northside resident Arnold Rowe told council that electric bikes being driven recklessly on city streets are becoming a hazard. “People are riding them, very crazy, darting in and out of traffic. I don’t think we’re going to see less of these bikes. We’re going to see more of them.”

Rowe noted that some motorized bikes can be driven at freeway speeds.

Referring to the summer months, Capello said that the problem “kind of comes in waves, but it never completely goes away. We have certain things that we can do, but we don’t chase them because it’s too dangerous.”

Capello said city police have worked “in partnership with another law enforcement agency” to address the problem, and will be doing so this summer. She had mentioned at past meetings that city and state police have worked together to enforce vehicle code provisions that apply to motorized two-wheel vehicles.

July council meetings

Council’s next pre-council work session will be on Thursday, July 24, at 4:45 p.m. Pre-council meetings are non-voting. Council’s next regular monthly meeting will be on Monday, July 28, at 6:30 p.m. 

Pre-council and regular monthly meetings are open to the public and held in the City Hall multi-purpose room, 735 Cumberland St., first floor, Lebanon. Meetings are also streamed live on the Lebanon PA City Council YouTube page.