Today after Mass, I went with some of my family and church friends for our usual brunch. While I was there, Mike Delfosse came into the restaurant, and my father greeted Mike with a lot of joy and reached out to shake his hand. Mike smiled and laughed as he held up his hands, showing very dirty hands, “I gotta wash my hands.” They laughed, and Mike explained that they were hanging up the old 5&10 sign in the community garden. This piqued my interest, and I wanted to check it out after our meal.

The old 5&10 was a landmark in our community, and everyone in their mid 30’s and older has memories of shopping in this historical store. The structure eventually became blighted, and the owners donated their sign to the Garden Club to help preserve the memory. I remember being a small child walking up and down the aisles looking at all the toys, and I remember the hardwood floors, and by the counter were wooden rulers that said, “Coalport 5&10”, I remember the gumball machines that were there. They had an impressive Christmas shop on the 2nd floor of the store. The 5&10 was the store I purchased my first cellphone in 2003. I remember going into the store as a young adult to purchase small items you need for starting out on your own. I still have the mini garlic grater I bought there in the early 2000s. If you talk to anyone from the Glendale Valley area, they most likely will have a nostalgic memory of the store. After a while, the 5&10 was torn down, and all that is left is our memories…..and the store sign. This artifact from the past will comfortably be nestled in the beautiful pocket park between Rydbom’s Gas Station and the Glendale Medical Center.

After brunch, I crossed the street to the community garden, and I saw Marsha and Pam standing under an umbrella, watching their husbands (Mike & Larry) working on hanging up a sign. The rain slowed to a sprinkle, and I realized I had never walked through the community garden. I talked with Marsha and Pam briefly and learned that they were the Co-Presidents of the Glendale Garden Club, and the club has about seven active members. They meet monthly on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, and they are always looking for members and volunteers. I walked through the entire park and was impressed by the evident love and care that has gone into this area’s upkeep. I walked through and read all of the bricks that lined the walkway. I found Shawn’s and my brother Jim’s bricks. Seeing both of their names brought tears to my eyes. My mother had ordered them to help keep their memories alive. I made a note to ask Marsha and Pam about ordering a few bricks for organizations I’m part of. They have an incredibly delightful pocket library that is full of a variety of books. I thought about how nice it is that someone could sit there and read awhile, even if they had forgotten a book. Mike and Larry were hard at work preparing the area the old 5&10 sign will be memorialized. I asked if they thought they’d finish it today, and Mike said it would be this evening. I’m excited to stop back once the project is complete!

While driving home, I thought about how most, if not all, of the volunteers that keep this club going are older- it caused me to pause and think about what would happen to the park if we did not continue to have volunteers. Finding ways to engage the younger generations in community activities is vital to the success of rural America.

Our communities are full of wonderful people. Many of them continue to give back to their communities in their own unique ways even after retirement. While I have never volunteered with the Glendale Area Garden Club, I’ll add it to my list of organizations to give some time to. I encourage everyone to find time to give back to our communities. As I look at larger issues Clearfield County and other rural areas face, a lot of it stems from a lack of connectivity within communities. We need to find ways to ways to connect and help the next generation of community members find ways to feel connected to the area.