What I Still Like About My Hometown - Coatesville

I re-discovered all the reasons why I love and like my hometown, Coatesville , at a very sad day in Deb’s and my life.  Two weeks ago we attended a viewing of a close friend of ours who we saw grow up and was one of the best volunteers/workers for the arts organization we co-founded, C3A .  Even though he actually grew up in the suburbs/country of Sadsburyville, he was a Coatesville guy all the way—school, sports, friends, work.  At this standing-room-only service was present a community of  incredible diversity that I hold dear in my memory, heart and soul about my hometown.  It was amazing how many friends Steve Keck touched in his short life, all the many people he befriended— who loved him, that makes us proud to live in a place like Coatesville. 

Steve died too young at 24 of an overdose of oxycontin.  He had been over-prescribed the drug as an 11th-grader when he injured his knee in school and needed surgery and was in chronic pain during recovery.  If society knew then what we know now about the slippery slope of taking this heavy narcotic for pain, we would have monitored it much more closely.   Oxycontin causes 3 times the deaths of cocaine and heroin together, and during the last 4 years there have been 1.4 million emergency room visits.  Steve went through hell with the addiction and did his best to persevere.

In honor of our sweet friend, we are donating in his memory the proceeds raised by the first ever Grounds for Music all-ages and abilities hula-hoop contest (something he would have loved)—to be donated to the Gaudenzia House Drug and Alcohol Rehabilatation Center and Program. 

During all the years I grew up here and even when I returned after a 13-yr. hiatus, I’ve only heard ignorant putdowns from the rest of the county said about my hometown.  I’ve lived in cities, poor neighborhoods, college campuses, in Europe, and all shape of abodes with many combinations of people.   And I’ve come to the conclusion that no place or living situation is perfect.

What I like about Coatesville is that my parents and my three brothers all grew up here together and thrived.

What I like about my hometown is the diversity of its population that gets ingrained in the people who go through its public school system.  You don’t have to be self-conscious about this reality, but all these differences become part of your character, and all these people are your brothers and sisters.

What I like about Coatesville is that it still has a viable steel industry owned by the biggest global steel maker in the world, Arcelor-Mital, which supplies crucial equipment for our military such as vehicle armor (“M-wraps”) in Iraq; and Lukens fabricated the famous “tuning forks,” part of the World Trade Center.  I also liked the fact that I got to work in most of the plant by being a floating laborer when I was 20 years old. 

What I like about my hometown is that I went to the public school system.

what I like about Coatesville is that my Dad had a machine shop adjacent to Palmer Park that I worked in when I saw 16.

What I like about my hometown is that I played Little League, Babe Ruth, Legion and high school baseball at Scott Field, Ash Park, and Colombia Ave. Park.

What I like about Coatesville is that I graduated from Scott H.S. and played on some of the best basketball teams they ever had.

What I like about my hometown is that I ran cross-country through the neighborhoods and beautiful architecture of the East End of town, even though I ended up hating the sport.

What I like about Coatesville is all the beautiful architecture that still exists: The churches, the old bank building, the old dept. stores still standing, the massive steel mill, and the amazing arch bridge on the west end at Rt. 82, and the beautiful homes everywhere, some a little worse for wear because of economic times.

What I like about my home town it was and still is a real city and community - not just made up of the city proper but also suburban rings too, no matter what address they may label themselves with.  We all went to the same schools together.  The city will always be with me, no matter where I may live in the future.