The Public Opinion Soapbox

paul_milander · Joined: 16 Mar 2008 Posts: 591 Location: Shippensburg, PA

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/ci_10302116?source=rss_viewed
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John Chbg · Joined: 27 Aug 2008 Posts: 11

YEAH!! You can hardly beat that small town America lovers!! Pretty good stats. Go Chambersburg. We are now micropolitan. (A thought: small town America and the word micropolitan all in the same writing??)

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2663 Location: Chambersburg

That actually is pretty good; it shows how much Chambersburg has improved in just the last several years. Smile

reality check · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 1

Now if only the mentality of the natives would change with the times!!

Torgo · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 1:42 pm Post subject:

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/opinion/ci_10321054
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John Chbg · Joined: 27 Aug 2008 Posts: 11

The mentality of the natives of small town America ain't nare gonna change. It will still be this way, primarily, in 3008.

ex-cburger · Joined: 23 Nov 2008 Posts: 10

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2663 Location: Chambersburg

ex-cburger, you might as well pose that same rant toward me. I moved here just a few years ago and ever since have complained incessantly about all the things in Chambersburg that I feel could be easily improved by just a small attitude adjustment from residents.

I like the small town feel, but I'm also a realist. Chambersburg is large and growing, and tenaciously fighting all development and modern improvement is detrimental and counter-productive.

Just look at downtown; just a few years ago it was perhaps the most pathetic downtown I've ever seen and that was before the big box stores and chain restaurants came in. Now we have the commercial development, yet downtown Chambersburg is improving and drawing more people than ever. Yet, continued efforts to revitalize downtown are met with opposition, all in the name of maintaining a "small town feel."

Whaaaat? Take, for example, Carlisle which is about the same size population-wise as Chambersburg. Carlisle has a busy, revitalized downtown with specialty shops and restaurants that <gasp> serve alcohol. There is a draw for people both young and old, and as a result, despite commercial development in the surrounding area, Carlisl's downtown is a busy place every weekend.

Oh, and crime is lower there too.

So you know what? Reality check is right... there needs to a change in the mentality of the natives. Specifically, senior citizens who still wish it was the 1950's or people who grew up here and think that have some sort of entitlement over the people who have moved here and brought new ideas with them. It's not the 1950's ... its certainly better than it was in the 1990's. That's because more young people are staying here and others are moving in. Cost of living is low, jobs are decent and they have demanded the change that is steadily improving our local establishments as well as bringing in new ones. You should welcome that.

Chambersburg has so much room for improvement, and that's what forums like this are for. Discussing those possibilities. An "embrace it and stop your whining" attitude is what is keeping Chambersburg from revitalization and modernization. And those things do NOT have to be at the expense of no longer being a small town.

keekl · Joined: 09 Sep 2008 Posts: 150

They could start with parking~I like to get to the used bookstore "Twice Read" on a regular basis and end up parking there at Shook Home 'cause all those empty parking spaces are off-limits...an I ain't parking clear out at Southgate and walking all the way in.

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2663 Location: Chambersburg

cookieclaygirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 2289 Location: shippensburg

amen, amen.

god forbid we get a parking garage...you know something..."mod" ... dare i say... "hip" and "trendy"

i have a fondness for them after living a few years post-grad school in state college. took the guesswork out of the down town.....gonna park at a, b, or c parking garage?

muuuuuuuuuuuch better.

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2663 Location: Chambersburg

We really don't need a parking garage though; there IS plenty of parking, considering so few people go downtown anyway.

Honestly, when there's a downtown festival, I usually park in the library lot.

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 3093 Location: Chambersburg

John Cbg · Joined: 17 Nov 2008 Posts: 6

I think we have a very nice downtown for the most part. More the quaintness attracts than any real shopping possibilities. BUT... the infrastructure is deplorable. We have moved a inth of a degree in progress...wow, more driving lanes from I81 to Fayetteville which was needed 25 years ago (and still many many more transportation/roads needs in town)...a school facility that is finally improving...which was needed many moons ago (actually there should be two Chbg high's, north and south or east and west...but I know, we have been down that road)...I blame our local officials for poor to no planning over the past 30 years. I don't underestand why we don't elect officials who are more progressive...those who some type of future vision of where our town should and is going. On the plus side, a variety of shopping and a variety of restaurants (I know can be debated...but for little Chambersburg, the choices aren't all that bad)...if you want more...a short 90 minute drive to Washington will do that trick.) We moved here in 1971, raised our children here, worked here, have learned to know half of the town...so OVERALL, a pretty good place to live.

Erock · Joined: 25 Nov 2008 Posts: 59 Location: Waynesboro

That's cool! I feel the same about Waynesboro although I've never been a huge fan of traveling in C-Burg. The one way streets become confusing but I always come back to C-Burg. Lots of good eats!