A Tale of Two Steel Towns

This past weekend, we attended two diverse small town events that really imparted the flavor of each place.  On Saturday night, we accepted an invitation from longtime community organizer and main street manager Barry Cassidy, to watch the festival from his office just adjacent to the Firebird site. This is the 8th year of this unique event, which  refers to the mythical phoenix that was destroyed by fire in flight and rose from the ashes to fly again.  Which symbolizes the rise again of the borough of Phoenixville after its fall when its steel industry got outsourced.  A group of local artists conceived and initiated the event and it has grown in popularity ever since.  A real boon to this struggling town in the middle of winter.  We intentionally went early to meet and talk to the participants and to involve them in future C3A programming for 2012 to bring some of that magic back to the Coatesville area.  Met some talented nice people too. 

It was totally worth the effort.  From the art vendors to the firebreather, eaters and twirlers to the popup galleries to the other cool shops to the featherhead-dressed/stick dancers boogying in front of the Colonial Theatre (P-Ville’s artistic lynchpin that got the town reno on its way) to the live music everywhere to our intimate, inexpensive little dinner at one of the small eateries.  So by the time it got dark, we were ready to party at Barry’s shindig and have a ringside seat to watch the burning.  Heated.  With bathrooms.  Yeah!    We didn’t know what to expect but ended up meeting some movers and shakers of Phoenixville who are believers in the arts as a means for dynamic economic development.  Same as we and C3A  so it was a great meeting of the creative entrepreneurial  minds.  It was a great time.

watch it burn at link below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuctUfiQSZk&context=C2c932ADOEgsToPDskK-5FDIIT20TOltst3O6De8

The office building is owned by Manny DeMutis, who has purchased a lot of property in the town.  He has in the works a major mixed use development plan for the 23-acre steel foundry site which will be a game-changer, and hopefully add enough parking to mitigate local parking wars. Also a developer who bought an old factory and redeveloped it into  Franklin Commons —an arts/ entertainment/food/schools/small biz incubator.  We continue to be impressed by and excited for the future of Phoenixville.  also got a chance to catch up with our old buddy Dave Fiorenza, educator, musician and community activist who helped get the Kennett Flash off the ground.  Also performed at many of C3A’s Grounds for Music fests w/ partner Wayne Dowlin.

So all this positive artistic ferment—with total support of the business and government community—is a virtual blueprint for the future of Coatesville to add to its plans for the velodrome and train station rehab.  We were glad to hear that Barry Cassidy announced that he’s running for state rep for the newly created 45th legislative district that will encompass Coatesville, Modena, Caln, East Caln, Downingtown, East Fallowfield, Valley and Sadsburyville.  Barry, once Downingtown’s main st. manager, lives there and says he has an entire corridor development plan for our area and from looking at his track record, we don’t doubt him. For more about Barry and his successes:  http://coatesvilledems.blogspot.com/2011/12/45th-legislative-district.html

Then on Sunday we attended a Christmas concert by the famed Coatesville Meistersingers to watch Amanda Gritz,  our favorite neighbor whom we’ve known since she was 3.  Since long before Greg attended Coatesville H.S. just a few years ago, har har, the group has been an elite and very hard to make the cut.  So we were were impressed w/ Amanda getting in.  It was a sweet thing, pretty decorations and the singing was sublime to a packed house.  A highlight was a combined Hallelujah Chorus sung by Meistersinger alums .  You could close your eyes and think you were listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  Kudos to the director and the singers for a great job on all the songs.  We sat w/ Amanda’s Dad Mark and couldn’t wait to congrats her after wards.  It showed the best side of the creative side of the Coatesville schools and community and busts down the stereotypes people are so fond of throwing Coatesville’s way.  Made us proud to live here.  More power to the creators—it’s the real spirit of  Christmas.