Prompt Entry #1

My father grew up in this area. When he returned from college he brought a new wife from North Carolina and their little girl with him. I was three years old. I grew up in this area and spent much of my youth plotting ways to escape. When I left for college I said I would only return to visit. After graduating with my MFA from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Oh; I moved to New York City. I loved the hustle and bustle of the city but not the expense of it. I applied and got a tenure track university job 30 minutes away from my hometown. I moved back and got a house with a small yard for less than the new york monthly rent (I was paying) for a room in an apartment.  

 I work 30 minutes away from my home situated on the North Hill of New Castle. I spend my time traveling through the city to visit my mom who still lives in the house I grew up in; or go someplace else. I travel frequently outside of my hometown to various states and or countries; and I travel to Pittsburgh often for classes, cultural events and social activities.

I decided on the town square, which is a central downtown location. It is near the YMCA where I work out occasionally and the Bank. There is a river and creek located in the area, as well as bridges and small parks. I would like to reacquaint myself with the town that I grew up in and that was the hometown of my father who passed away in 2009. Over the years this place has strangely turned out to be a haven for my mother who is from the south. In the end I hope to see the place as my father did “A great place to live.”

Place Entry Blog #1: The Town Square

The Town Square 1/20/11

It is blistering cold. For now, that's all I can think about. Why did I pick the town square for my location?  Just a week ago I was walking along the Las Vegas Strip in 50 degree weather with a wind heater of 70 degrees. I am locked in my memory of seeing snow sprinkled along the ragged edges of the Spring Mountains; far off in the distance. A stark contrast to my existence now, where the proximately of the snow to my body is obvious and uncomfortable. I want to get up and go back to my car where I can turn on the heat. I look to my right and I see the Washington Street bridge that extends over the Shenago River, where my uncle drowned before I was born, and leads to the west side. There are no mountains that sit in a picturesque fashion in the distance. Instead my memory travels over the west side hill and reflects on visits to Dr. Paige’s dental practice. He is the only black medical doctor in New Castle. My grandfather Dr. Lanxter D. Webber used to live on that hill. He left New Castle to attend Lincoln, Tuskegee and Howard Universities and established the first black owned animal hospital in Washington, D.C.; where my father spent his youthful summers.

The town square is the focal point of the city. I can’t help myself. I drift into comparing the two locations, but in doing so I blind myself to the unnoticeable beauty of the city and my inherited connection to this place. I have been out here for five minutes, and I am surprised by the number of people I see walking around.  I drive by these streets and intersections everyday and rarely take the time to observe my surroundings, since I am usually in a hurry. Down by the Zambelli Plaza people seem to be gathering or lingering. The Zambelli Plaza was renovated through a beautification project. The city added a gazebo, monument and landscaping that you can’t see because it is packed underneath several inches of snow. I am reminded of New Castle’s interesting history and claim to fame. Ever heard of fireworks? New Castle is the fireworks capitol of the world. Not sure if the name is self-titled or given by someone external to the city. New Castle boasts two internationally known fireworks companies and all new castle folk refer to it as a point of pride.