There are a lot of good things happening in the city of Chester.
There, I've said it. There are a lot of good, positive stories in the story of Chester. Yes, I know all about the shootings, including the horrific fatalities that graced yesterday's front page. But I also know there are other stories in the city. I am hoping to find them.
I know this because I had the opportunity to talk to several people last night who are intimately involved in some of the good things that are happening in the city.
This started last week when I met with a group of entrepreneurs and members of the Chester Overtown Business District. The meeting went so well I decided to invite them to appear on last night's 'Live From the Newsroom' show, our live-stream Internet community affairs broadcast.
If you missed the show, you can catch the replay here.
Of course, I didn't know then that our front-page story would be about the latest deadly shootings in the city.
That wasn't the purpose of last night's show. What is happening behind the scenes - some would say under the radar - in the city is what we were focusing on.
Reha London, a longtime city landlord, talked about her decision years ago to move from the Main Line into Chester. She's never looked back and never regretted it. Antoinette Trueheart, who heads Entrepreneur Works, talked about the problems she encountered while working in downtown Philly, something she says she's never faced in Chester. Linda Braceland, head of the Chester Business Association who also heads Art on Avenue of the States, reviewed the rebirth of arts in the city, as did Don Newton, who is with Chester Arts Alive. And Mario Cimino, a councilman from Morton Borough who works closely with the city as the Eastern Regional Director of the Pennsylvania Resources Council, talked about a visible change in the city.
I also posted a message on Facebook asking people for their reactions and questions for the panel. The responses were about what you might expect. Some people simply are never going to give Chester a chance.
But I'm here to tell you that we are. The Daily Times has its roots in the city. Yes, we were once called The Chester Times. It's still a very important place for us. We know better than most what is at stake in the city. And we refuse to abandon it.
If you know of a great story in the city of Chester, feel free to let me know. You can email your idea to me at editor@delcotimes.com
Comments