Masseur rubs folks the right way -- for 50 years

Masseur rubs folks the right way -- for 50 years
EDITOR:
In 1951, a young man from Florence, Ala. arrived in Youngstown and immediately began looking for work. His search took him to the Ohio Hotel on Boardman Street where he heard jobs were available. As he approached the employment office, a stranger struck up a conversation, and this chance meeting directed Mr. Al Brooks to the YMCA where he has remained a masseur for 50 years.
"Loyalty" is the word which best describes this wonderfully steadfast individual. The number of days Mr. Brooks has missed work in 50 years can be counted on one hand, except for his time serving his country in Germany.
A masseur's job is physically stressful and emotionally difficult at times because of the burdens some customers bring to the massage table. Al possesses the perfect temperament for the job. He knows when to carry on a conversation and when the person prefers quiet.
Keeping things in perspective, Mr. Brooks lists as his top priority his family: wife Sophia Brooks, the talented gospel singer; son Alton, an architectural engineer in Florida; daughter Cherol and five grandchildren.
In an era where workers can anticipate changing jobs every few years, it is refreshing to know someone who made a commitment 50 years ago and has remained faithful to his family, employer, and customers.
The appreciative YMCA members, for whom Mr. Brooks has applied his great talent for these many years, have organized a recognition dinner to be held on May 9. Any past beneficiaries of Al's service are welcome to call the "Y" for complete details.
DICK BENNETT
Youngstown
Arena can be catalyst for a new downtown
EDITOR:
In real estate it's still the same old axiom: location, location, location. In constructing sports facilities, location is even more important. When investing more than $30 million to construct a downtown Youngstown arena, location is crucial.
One of the goals of the new arena ought to include having the arena act as a catalyst for a new downtown. But the new structure must not be surrounded by acres and acres of parking, which will result in people coming to the arena, parking their cars, seeing an event, then returning to their cars and heading home without contributing to a resurrected and vibrant downtown.
There should be some close parking available for those who work in the arena, team administrators and members and those who purchase arena loges or season tickets. Should this scenario sound a bit cavalier, it is an unfortunate fact of life in America today. The days of common folk sitting next to someone of means pretty much ended with the construction of a new generation of ball parks, stadiums and arenas in the early 1990s with their "segregated-by-affluence" club seats and sports loges.
I also realize we have winter in Ohio and that people want to park as close to an entrance as possible. However, to help get people out of their cars and into the handful of restaurants, night clubs and taverns in the downtown area before and after arena events, crucial thought and planning must be given to the arena's location and layout.
Please don't misunderstand my letter. I am not longing for a return of a downtown Youngstown when there were eight movie theaters, three department stores, a bevy of restaurants, night sports and after-business-hours vibrancy and activity. However, the proposed arena can act as a first step in that long process.
Look no further than the 8,000-seat arena located smack in the middle of the business district of Portland, Maine. It is built on a hillside out to the sidewalks. Before and after a hockey game or other arena event, thousands of people stream into nearby taverns, restaurants and night clubs giving life to the central business district of a city of 68,000 whose downtown was recently as lonely and empty as is Youngstown's today.
ALAN DE PETRO
Cleveland
X The writer was born and raised in Youngstown.