From the Archives: Pride of Montrose
By Chad Jennings, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Bacon, lettuce and tomato on wheat, with chips and an iced tea. It arrived even quicker than you expected, probably because there was no one else in the restaurant. Just you, the waitress and the restaurant's new owner.
Only been open a month, she said.
The front door opened and a man walked in wearing a black hat and a silver badge.
"How are you,
As the mayor sat down, the conversation was unexpectedly directed at you.
"Where else but in
It's an easy drive from
You'll know you've arrived when the little blue signs start to pop up, each with the same name and the same logo.
There's one in the window of Jackson Hewitt Tax Services. Another in front of
There's no sign in front of McDonalds. Instead, block letters spell: Good luck
Welcome to
Tonight, Snee will play in Super Bowl XLII against the
Cameras rarely focus on offensive linemen unless they've committed a penalty. There's little glamour in what Snee does.
Except in
Turned out there were certain perks that came with eating lunch next to the mayor. Free pie was chief among them.
One slice for him, one slice for you, and the mayor would love a glass of milk if it wouldn't be any trouble.
The mayor said he'd lived in
A company used to make wooden hangars in
These days, the mayor said, too many locals have to travel to
"What we really need is some manufacturing here," he said. "Or if a Wal-Mart came in, that would be the answer."
There is one traffic light in
Lined with yellow parking meters,
Up and down
Scrawled across the window of Kids' Consignment are the words "Good Luck Chris," and written at the bottom of the day's specials at Miss Penny's Diner is a note that says "Go
"
You turned your head quickly because the waitress had just said there were ghosts in
Some of the ghosts had names. Some had stories. One used to open the freezer at the place the waitress used to work.
When those wandering spirits were alive, they roamed the streets of
When the horses and stagecoaches left, the ghosts stayed behind.
There are footprints in the snow. They weave between the trees and around the monuments, leaving occasional patches of earth showing through the white.
The Montrose Green is a war memorial park that sits just north of
At the front of the green is a sign telling a brief history of
In the center of the park is a concrete Civil War memorial. Carved tablets list the "citizen soldiers of
An engraving says the monument was erected in 1876, but it's not weathered, and there's no noticeable damage.
Just north of the Green are giant old houses, shining white and wonderfully well-kept. There's a wreath on nearly every door.
To the east, the
To the south, the
The mayor remembered three versions of
The mayor said it was the
But what if
"I don't think so," the mayor said. "It's just knowing he's from
Go back and take a second look. So many blue signs. So many hand-written messages. It catches you off guard until you've seen the rest of the borough.
A 131-year-old statue in mint condition.
Rows of old shops in fresh coats of paint.
A single traffic light flanked by a local coffee house, a local florist and a local dress shop.
Pride is nothing new here.
Tonight, these friends and neighbors will celebrate one of their own. A man who has walked these streets and stood in these buildings.
A relatively obscure and unheralded athlete, who shines just the same.
The apple pie was gone, and the mayor had to get back to work. When he put on his coat, you did the same, and it was only then that you were formally introduced.
Then the mayor of
You turned left and walked back down
Contact the writer: [email protected]
___
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