SHARON Mayor has 24 years of memories
Making the decision not to run again wasn't easy.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- The view from the window of Bob Price's office has changed since he became mayor 24 years ago.
"I can remember sitting in this chair and looking out the window in 1978. It was a vacant field across the street," Price said.
Now, the Sharon City Centre shopping plaza, home to Reyers Shoes and other stores, occupies most of that field, and Price said getting that development built was one of the major accomplishments of his administration.
Price, who turns 64 today, is leaving office Jan. 7.
That's the date that Mayor-elect David O. Ryan will take over.
What's behind decision: Price, citing long-term concerns about his health, decided not to run for re-election this year, ending a political career that began with his election to city council in 1972.
That wasn't his original plan.
He filed nominating petitions for the mayor's seat again this year but, a week later during a medical examination, he learned he had some health concerns.
Price won't be specific, but said his doctor warned him not to continue working 12- to 14-hour days, cautioning him that to do so could result in serious health issues.
That wouldn't be a problem if all he had to do were basic mayoral duties, but this job entails a lot more, he said, noting he also serves as the city's chief economic development executive, which requires a lot of time and attention.
It's not a job that can be done in an eight-hour day, he said.
Price said he called a family meeting with his wife, Marilyn, and their three adult children and the decision was made to step down.
"It wasn't easy. It was a tough decision," he recalled. "I love this job. I really don't want to leave it."
He's not looking for a new occupation.
"I'm just looking forward to relaxing for a while," he said, adding that he plans to do some trout fishing starting in February and play golf in the spring and summer.
"I'm going to keep busy," he said, noting that he's already offered to do some volunteer work for the Prince of Peace Center in Farrell and enjoys tinkering around the house and doing lawn work.
Success: Developing the downtown area was one of his first pledges when he took office and Price believes he's had success.
Besides Sharon City Centre, Sharon has had five Townscape projects designed to improve and make downtown business streets more attractive to shoppers.
Small office and business complexes along South Water Avenue have helped fill up some of that empty field he saw when he took office, and he succeeded in bringing a McDonald's restaurant downtown when most fast-food chains were concentrating on the suburbs.
He doesn't take full credit for the improvements, pointing out there were a lot of people involved, particularly the late John "Chick" Jurenovich, who he counted as a close friend and who led the Sharon Redevelopment Authority during much of Price's tenure.
What also paid off was instituting walking tours of residential areas that, over a period of a couple of years, took him past about one-third of the homes in town.
"I think they were probably one of the best things I've done," Price said, explaining they kept him in touch with the people and allowed him to see that a lot of neighborhood problems, ranging from code enforcement to drainage issues, could be dealt with quickly.
He said he also picked up a lot of good ideas from people he spoke with along those tours.
Trying to rebuild the city's industrial base after major plant closings in the mid-1980s has been a labor of love for Price and he's had some successes there too.
Much of the former Westinghouse Electric Corp. plant, which stretches for a mile along Sharpsville Avenue, has been redeveloped and the rest is in the process of being converted into an industrial park complex.
"That's what I enjoy most -- trying to bring in jobs and help people," Price said.
There have been some frustrations during his 24 years.
Another goal: His goal seven years ago was to make Sharon a "model city" for Pennsylvania, a place where state bureaucrats could send other municipalities to see how programs should be developed.
Sharon hasn't reached that status but the city has had numerous visitors sent here by the state to see how specific programs are run, Price said.
He said he learned years ago that, when asking for state or federal funds, it is best to get government representatives to visit Sharon to see for themselves what the city is trying to do.
That personal visit has made the difference a number of times, including getting $450,000 for the Vine Avenue Townscape project and $575,000 for a North Flats access road, he said.
Price said he has had some frustration with the city's finances, struggling to keep Sharon on a firm economic footing and maintain essential services at a time when revenues weren't increasing.
Price admits he'll miss being "out of the loop" when it comes to city operations but predicted that will soon pass.
The things he will miss the most, he said, are the people he has worked with and the people he has been able to help while serving as mayor.