3 hrs, 4 kms

Date changed for geographic continuity

Continuing on west is a quiet little suburb town sandwiched between freeways, industrial complexes and soul-less sprawl of developments with no town center . Shiremanstown does have a very basic Main Street and not much more--but it does feel like a town.

I go over to the park and prepare for my parkbench concert in a covered picnic area. It's cold and raining, so I'm glad to have some shelter. I notice at one of the tables there are some books and a coat, so I figure I might have company. Sure enough, grandmother and granddaughter come here for reading, in spite of the cold and had gone home to grab something.

The lady seems eager to chat, so I ask "How do you like living in Shiremanstown?"

"I love it!" she responds, to my suprise... I glance over at some ugly industrial buildings not far away. "Theres hardly any crime here"

"You don't think crime from Harrisburg could spread over here?"

"No. We don't tolerate it. If someone causes trouble, he gets three strikes, then he gets kicked out of the town--even if it's just domestic violence . We don't allow troublemakers here--and everybody is watching. If something happens in the street, people notice...even in the daytime, the retired people will come out and see what's going on"

Kick someone out of town for committing a crime? That's an interesting approach. I don't know how it works legally, especially if somebody owns a house... is he forced to sell? But I can certainly see the logic to this.

"Are new people welcomed here?" I asked.

"Oh yes--when someone new moves in, neighbors come and welcome him. Nobody will go hungry here, we have soup kitchens in the churches and assistance for those in need"

"So you have a mix of social classes here?"

"Yes, upper, middle, lower class--and different denominations and nationalities--most people are pretty open minded."

Hmmm .... have I stumbled on some sort of suburban utopia where people of all classes and backgrounds have finally figured out how to all get along and everybody respects the law? I don't know that it's as perfect as this lady is painting it--but it is clear that this is a place where the town citizens take an active role in keeping their town a good, caring, safe place.

But if people do create a "perfect" suburb, won't that make house prices skyrocket as so many people will want to live here?

"Actually house prices are pretty stable here--we have an oil storage facility nearby. That scares some people away and keeps the home prices from going too high"

We chat some more--she kindly offers to run home again and bring me some hot chocolate, which I much appreciate. She tells me of her daughters travels and adventures in Africa and China... I play a couple songs, and give her granddaughter a quick guitar lesson...

Never thought I could have such an inspiring, heartwarming encounter while walking through a town like Shiremanstown on a rainy day.

I continue on my way, where I pass a new addition to the religious buildings of the town: a beautiful mosque, with a mix of old and new: the traditional minaret, but a glassed in entrance area... perhaps trying to give a message of transparence?

I think this is a town I need to come back to in 20 years to see how this whole concept is working out...