- Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 August 2017 01:21
West Newton residents "Letter to the Editor"
Dear Editor,
It’s been 25 years since my husband and I took a leap of faith and bought a house in a town that neither of us had ever heard of. That town? West Newton, PA.
Looking for a house for over 2 years and wanting to get out of Allegheny County, we were intrigued when a co-worker of my husband’s saw a tiny ad in the Daily News for a house for sale. “Let’s go for a ride and do a “drive-by,” he said. We pulled up to the front of the house and knew in an instant that it was the house for us.
What we didn’t know was what a precious gift we were about to receive. Our kids were 1 and 8 and we were as naïve as they come. We quickly settled in and found our niche. As the years rolled by and we were faced with countless trials and tribulations, we couldn’t help but notice that our neighbors (who had become dear friends) were the one constant that got us from one hiccup to the next. Whether lending a helping hand with a house project (and there were many), picking us up off the side of the road when our car broke down, or forgiving us for wrecking our truck into their tree, they were there! I’ve lost count of the number of pots of coffee shared or the number cigarettes we smoked while sitting on each other’s porches sharing our problems, talking, laughing and yes, even crying into the wee hours of the morning. I do know that I wouldn’t trade one minute of it.
Both of us being raised in the city; me in Brooklyn, NY and he in Baltimore, MD, we could never have imagined settling into small town life and re-furbishing an old farm house, but that’s exactly what happened. Thank goodness we went for that ride and did that drive-by that fateful night all those years ago.
Yes, we live on one of the best streets in one of the best neighborhoods in the small town of West Newton, PA and hope to be there for another 25 years. Our kids have grown and most of us are grandparents now and even though it’s not as often, our front porches are still open for business. Thank you, West Newton, friends, and neighbors…you rock!
With Love and Gratitude,
Lou and Stacey Friedemann
