Dec 11, 2018 5 min read

With 2019 just a few weeks away, let’s consider ways to better our community in the upcoming year. Make no mistake – Canonsburg is in a very good place right now. It continues to meet the acknowledged components of “a great place to live, work and play.” But in the spirit of “there’s always room for improvement,” let’s put these 10 items on the table:

1. Let code enforcement do its job. Just about every month, a resident will approach council with a speech that begins, “I agree code enforcement is needed, but …” There is no “but.” In every town where code is doing its work efficiently, officers are accused of being mean-spirited. In truth, they are doing their job. It’s a simple concept for wayward residents or businesses: clean up or get out. Without code enforcement, structures deteriorate, and then businesses leave, livable housing stock declines and unsafe, low-rental units increase. That results in stepped-up drug trafficking, a demand for more police protection and continued devaluation of property.

2. Amphitheater seating. This item has been discussed for Town Park for years, especially when the “Second Sunday” concert crowd stumbles, slides and searches for a flat area at the amphitheater. This is not an overly expensive endeavor. A rudimentary fix would be to carve out a few rows in the hill to install some concrete pillars and wooden planks. A more aesthetic solution would be preferable, of course, but the addition of accessible seating should be priority one at the park (assuming, of course, that the pool doesn’t spring a leak).

3. Fourth of July expansion. This year’s addition of a new downtown “party” for Canonsburg’s famed Independence Day celebration – spanning the time between the parade and the fireworks – was a long time coming, and let’s hope it continues to grow in 2019. One can envision games, crafts, food booths, kiddie rides and more to keep the party going. Ligonier stages a similarly-sized parade in October, and virtually all of the crowd partakes in the day-long after-parade events.

4. Downtown concerts. For a few years in the early 2000s, the “Concerts in the Park” was expanded to include “Cool Nights in Canonsburg,” a summer series of downtown shows that included Henry Gross (“Shannon”), Joe Grushecky, “Canonsburg Idol” and the Four Townsmen, among many others. The shows were not just well-attended; they infused vitality into the downtown area.

5. Old Fashioned Christmas. What a pleasant surprise to find a group of energetic and talented residents resurrecting the Canonsburg tradition of celebrating the holidays in a Norman Rockwell, picture-postcard way. The event was so successful in its heyday that the Washington Post – yes, that Washington Post – did a cover story called “A Very Perry Christmas.” Let’s Ho! Ho! Ho! hope it continues for many years to come.

6. More music from Perry. The Christmas event at one time was centered around the statue of town native Perry Como, who had a series of high-rated holiday TV specials in the ’60s and ’70s. Perry’s music used to serenade residents and visitors on a daily basis – which prompted a feature in People magazine. It’s understandable that borough employees tire of the songs, but if Perry’s music brings more people into the ‘Burg spending money, then Como’s crooning should be music to their ears.

7. Bring back a Main Street Manager. Many of the activities we’ve mentioned were either started by, or promoted by the former main street manager. It’s one thing to have dozens of terrific events in a town the size of Canonsburg; it’s quite another to promote them to outsiders. And it follows that the more events and amenities in a town, the more likely it is to have interesting shops and shopkeepers.

8. Support your fire department. The advantages of a volunteer – as opposed to a paid – fire department have been detailed in this space previously. Your continued support is needed.

9. Support your local library. Canonsburg has one of the finest libraries in Western Pennsylvania, despite the nagging assessment by some that, “We have the Internet. We don’t need a library.” Granted, libraries are not what they were 50 years ago. They’re better – the heart and soul of the community. Your challenge in 2019 is to visit Frank Sarris Public Library … and be amazed!

10. Keep doing what you’re doing. Every town can come up with a list of things to be improved. But not every town can hope to improve on most items in this column – because they don’t have the luxury of having them at all. With its people, park and events, Canonsburg is already a great place to call home. The challenge is to keep it that way.