Cassandra Coleman, executive director of America250 talks about the events planned in Pennsylvania for the 250th anniversary of the United States. Coleman and her team were in Williamsport as part of a county-by-county awareness raising tour to highlight Pa’s role in the history of the US as well as to promote upcoming events for the semiquincentennial. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The America 250 PA team swung by Lycoming County recently as part of visiting 67 counties to tell people about the nation’s “Semiquincentennial,” or the quarter millennium.

“We’re honored to be host of this event,” Lycoming County Commissioner Scott Metzger said in the board meeting room with commissioners Marc Sortman and Mark Mussina. It was a packed room, with state troopers and county Sheriff Eric Spiegel and deputies providing security and being honored for their commitment to keeping people safe.

“We are going to engage every Pennsylvanian in every county,” said Cassandra Coleman, president of America 250 PA inside the room.

The Pennsylvania Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial (America250PA) was established by the general assembly and governor in 2018 to plan, encourage, develop and coordinate the commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States, Pennsylvania’s integral role in that event, and the impact of its people on the nation’s past, present, and future.

The commission is made up of current and past Pennsylvania leaders, celebrating the rich history and diversity of the state.

In 2025, President Donald Trump created the White House Task Force on Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday to also promote and plan the events.

At the Lycoming County event, Hershey chocolate bars, and America 250 PA pens, hand gel, shirts, and brochures with information on the upcoming activities were offered.

Many individuals with roles in county government were there as was Jason Fink, President and CEO of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce.

Coleman explained the relevance of America 250 PA.

“As we look ahead we are bringing people together through signature events and statewide initiatives designed to meet communities where they are and create lasting connections to this historic moment,” she said.

It is a commitment reminiscent of what occurred in the 1976 Bicentennial – only 50 years later.

Lycoming County, since 1795, has been a key part of the Keystone State.

The City of Williamsport widely became known as the Lumber Capital of the World in the 1800s. It has sent countless men and women to the stages of wars and had many heroic individuals who have fought in World War I, landed on the shores of Normandy, dropped bombs over Germany, and who served in wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Desert Storm and Afghanistan, along with others against tyranny and terrorism to keep the peace and preserve freedom.

It is the home of the founder of Little League Baseball and Historic Bowman Field, which celebrates 100 years this year.

In each county, Coleman and other invited guest speakers highlighted the reason why their visit is such an integral part of the Commonwealth’s history and culture.

Metzger, state Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township, state Reps Jamie Flick, R-South Williamsport, and Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township, were among the guest speakers.

Metzger considered America to be a”great experiment” that began with the original 13 colonies, a nation that has “survived the test of time.”

He recalled the words of President Andrew Jackson: “Americans are not a perfect people, but we are called to a perfect mission.”

“May God bless Lycoming County and may God bless the United States of America,” he said.

“Let’s make no mistake, the United States of America is the greatest nation in the world,” Hamm said.

“Celebrating 250 years, is an incredible feat for our nation, and Pennsylvania has been there from the beginning,” he said.

“I’d love to tell you we were the first state . . . Delaware beat us, a very, very short period of time, but they beat us,” Hamm said.

“I believe the Keystone State . . . we are called that because, frankly, we have held it all together,” Hamm said. “We have been at the front for America,” Hamm said. “I believe as Pennsylvania goes, America goes.”

He reiterated the importance of the county in terms of the industrial revolution.

In the 1800s, Williamsport was the Lumber Capital of the World, he said, not just out of the nation but of the world.

Logs were coming down the Susquehanna River and Williamsport was the epicenter of the lumber revolution, he said. Coleman also touched on this remarkable feat, as hardwoods and soft pine were culled from the forests and floated down the Susquehanna River to be processed at the many mills.

Obviously, being the home of Little League baseball, and continuing to be. “The first Little League baseball played right here in Lycoming County in the City of Williamsport.”

“It is important that we teach our future generations about our great history, the good, the bad, the ugly, we should teach it all,” Hamm said.

“We should make sure our children know why America is the greatest nation in the world.”

Hamm, who represents Lycoming and a portion of Sullivan counties, said that can only be done by making sure to have great events like America 250 PA is promoting, and talk about the great things this nation has done.

The county is home of Jersey Shore, where the Fair Play Men in 1776 were actually declaring their independence from the crown in Great Britain the same exact time that the Founding Fathers were doing as they met in Philadelphia and wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence, Hamm remarked.

Yaw, who represents five of the counties, noted it was his fourth and he would be heading to Sullivan County, the county to the north, rich in state forests, tourist attractions such as lakes and fishing spots, and also abundant natural resources.

For Yaw, the Semiquincentennial was a way for America to be more educated on Pennsylvania and U.S. history. “I look at this celebration as an opportunity for people to learn a little bit about the United States,” he said.

He said on his travels that many people do not always know how many stripes are on the flag, or why, and how many stars. The 13 stripes represent the original 13 colonies that declared independence from Britain.

The colonies are: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.

The stripes alternate between red and white, symbolizing valor and purity, respectively.

There are 50 stars representing the states.

Yaw said he runs into people and asks them how many counties do we have and often gets a “blank stare.”

“Pennsylvania is called the Keystone State, and why is that?” Yaw asked, and then answered. “Because in an arch, the keystone is what holds everything together,” he said.

“Pennsylvania has been a part of the history of this country and has been a leader ever since the union was formed,” he said.

Pennsylvania is the largest exporter of electricity in the nation, Yaw said.

Yaw observed, as chairman of the state Senate Environmental Resources and Energy committee, how the PJM, an energy grid operator, supplies 67 million people with power. It is a transmission operator for 13 states and the District of Columbia.

“Pennsylvania produces 32 % percent of the electrical power that goes into that grid,” Yaw said.

He also noted how as chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, Pennsylvania, once criticized for not doing its part to keep the bay clean, with over 50 % of the fresh water source for the bay coming from the Susquehanna River, is now a leader in that effort, and was cited in a recent Baltimore Sun editorial for improving the water quality of the bay.

Flick, as chair of a state Committee on Children and Youth, said his focus will be on making this year’s activities as exciting as they were for him during the Bicentennial, and he joked about not being able to easily pronounce Semiquincentennial.

He also gave a shout out to those serving in the military, and reflected on his great-grandfather’s World War I service, including in a seminal battle of that war.

A key part of that legacy is the Semiquincentennial bell program modeled after the replica Liberty Bell, gifted to the U.S. by England in 1976 for the Bicentennial.

Each bronze Semiquincentennial bell is a permanent public installation designed to invite reflection, pride and connection to Pennsylvania’s diverse contributions to the overall American story. Coleman said.

This year, America 250 PA will place three additional semiquincentennial bells, one at the Capitol thanks to support of the state legislature, bringing the total of six enduring legacy reminders of this milestone year.

Also coming up is the America 250 PA concert series, featuring five free concerts across Pennsylvania, leading up to the Welcome America Festival in Philadelphia. These concerts will bring top-tier national talent and epic live experiences to communities across the commonwealth, creating meaningful Semiquincentennial memories for Pennsylvania families and echoing the joy and connection that so many remember from the Bicentennial.

As part of America 250 PA long-standing commitment to education, it will award $250,000 in scholarships to deserving Pennsylvania’s high school seniors for the 2026/2027 school year.

At the county event, it was noted the team was on its 12th day of the tour, having visited 52 counties and was on its way to Sullivan County.