Commentary: Paddling with the Current

By Edward P. Noga

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – This column has its roots in my very first offering five years ago in August 2019. I am very humbled by this paper’s invitation to be part of its wonderful team.

Five years ago, I wrote a piece entitled “A River Runs Through It.” My title was borrowed from a 1992 movie directed by Robert Redford. The story line followed two brothers in Montana and the film had plenty of majestic scenery of the river near their family home.

When I wrote my column, I ended by noting that planning was in place by the local council of governments to remove the dams along the Mahoning River to clean it up and make it a source of cleaner water, recreation and a destination point in our Valley. (I often wonder what it must have been like to be part of John Young’s party when he first arrived here on the Mahoning River.)

Well, here we are five years later, the plans behind us, several dams removed and more removals to come.

In preparation for this column, I reviewed some I wrote this year. In February, I wrote “Square One” as a commentary on the prospects of the downtown street work in progress. April offered a capsule of the tremendous growth of Streetscape, the planting event that drew 1,000 volunteers this year.

In May I wrote my thoughts about the power of good neighbors and citizens in the wake of disasters, with a reference to the terrible explosion at Realty Tower.

As summer began this June, I referenced the remediation of the former Strouss department store on West Federal Street and the uncovering of the mammoth gears that ran its elevators. So many of us rode those elevators so often. They were the link to commerce, shopping, good times and relaxing times downtown.

Finally, in the 40th anniversary of this publication in July, my “What A Lift” piece highlighted the terrible, life-changing experience for the Valley as the late 1970s and 1980s saw our steel prominence reduced to a shadow.

I used the WRTA’s “What A Lift” campaign to mention the many, many people, organizations, businesses and institutions that have lifted us up as we recover and repurpose our Valley.

The Realty Tower explosion has caused a tsunami of comments and commentaries. Scott Schulick’s challenging letter a few weeks ago and attorney Jeff Kurz’s recent Sunday morning television interview rallying the downtown businesses are two fine examples of getting people to come together to think outside the box and mobilize as many as possible to look to the future of the downtown/Youngstown State University neighborhood. Their calls to rally knowledgeable folks from outside our community as well as inside have shown a spirit of collaboration.

My own phone and computer were filled with messages sharing ideas for the path forward. Many mentioned that the Central Square stakeholders should meet not only about the Realty site but also about the marketing of downtown in general.

It was noted that we live in a region with similarly sized cities in Ohio and western Pennsylvania whose residents have wisdom they can share with us.

The Chill Can property and downtown parking garage (the former Eastern Gateway Community College Youngstown campus) were the subject of several comments about reuse and upgrades. Most interesting was the mention made of the many newcomers downtown who work here every day at the Youngstown Business Incubator, Steelite, Youngstown State University, the three entertainment entities and the Stambaugh Auditorium/DeYor Center complexes. Add the longtime downtown businesses, government buildings, banks and new apartment dwellers, and we have many who can help us look at what might make the area more appealing.

I recently have heard comments about revisiting the Smokey Hollow project that suffered because of the Great Recession of 2008. There was also renewed talk of the Historical Landmarks Ordinance that floundered 10 years ago in city government.

I applaud those stepping forward and pushing us all to gather our ideas and energy for what can become a “we can do this” moment.

The Mahoning River winds its way through our lives and once brought adventurous pioneers here. That spirit started our river communities. That spirit will, like a river current, push us forward.

But we have to keep paddling.

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