New Year's reception in Lingenfeld: Awards and future plans revealed!

The New Year's reception took place on January 12, 2025 in the newly renovated Goldberghalle in Lingenfeld. Local mayor Markus Kropfreiter expressed his joy at the well-filled hall and opened the event with a musical overture by the Akkordimento group under the direction of Julius Holzmann. A special highlight was the greeting from the star singers who performed “Star over Bethlehem”. During the event, a collection under the motto “Children's Rights” was organized for projects in Kenya and Colombia, led by Aline Geißler.

In his speech, Kropfreiter praised the commitment of citizens and clubs, cited the volunteer fire department as an example of community spirit and pointed out the community's challenges, despite financial difficulties. There are several projects on the agenda for 2025, including the general renovation of the St. Elisabeth daycare center with a budget of 1 million euros and the preliminary planning for the renovation of Germersheimer Straße. Furthermore, the town center is to be developed and the outdoor area at the youth center is to be redesigned. Fiber optic expansion, a dirt bike track, continued work on the health center and senior-friendly living space as well as digitalization in daycare centers are also on the list.

Awards for commitment

Mayor Frank Leibeck of the municipality also spoke about the important role of the community and the associated challenges. Several people were also honored at the New Year's reception: Bianca Dietrich from the SPD received an award for her commitment to the local council and the association council as well as for her support during the Corona crisis, especially with regard to the daycare landscape. Michaela Emling was honored for her contribution to German-French friendship. Emling was a high school French teacher and acted as a translator at meetings with the partner community of Torcy. The event concluded with the traditional singing of the “Lingenfeld Hymn”.

Also important was the official opening of the Goldberghalle, which took place on February 3, 2024 after 2.5 years of construction. The celebration began at 11:00 a.m. in the foyer. In his welcoming speech, Kropfreiter emphasized the importance of the event for the community, while Interior Minister Michael Ebling expressed his enthusiasm for the new hall. Timo Freund, who gave a review of the construction period, also thanked everyone involved, including architects, engineers, construction companies and the community. The hall's new features include durable rubber flooring, wood paneling, new ventilation systems, electrical installations and a catering area. The outdoor facilities should also be upgraded. The aim of the event was to celebrate the reopening and to present the new Goldberghalle.