SCRANTON -- Tuesday’s vice presidential visit from Scranton native Joe Biden left behind a message of hope and opportunity, both for our country and for the city he once called home.
Biden made that impassioned speech to the crowd at the annual Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner Tuesday night.
Biden acknowledged the hard financial times the city has faced for decades but reminded folks about the hard work our founding fathers, including Irish immigrants, did to build both Scranton and the country.
Biden says that strength remains and some who live and work in Scranton agree.
“We seem to be the first place in America that gets hits with a recession and the last place to recover,” Biden said.
It was a nostalgic speech delivered by the vice president at the annual Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner.
The Scranton native said he recognizes the hard financial times the city and region of his childhood has faced over the years.
But he maintained, there is hope, both for Scranton and the country.
“It`s always about dreaming bigger, never smaller, never smaller, never smaller,” said Biden.
Still Scranton`s downtown plight isn`t stopping new businesses from taking a chance, such as Loyalty Barber Shop on Adams Avenue.
The owners agree with the vice president`s message that Scranton`s strength is based on its sense of family roots and values.
“The Bog across the street, with the tattoo shop next door, Gorilla, with the Post, Revival Letter Press, we`re friends. These are people we grew up with going to shows and seeing bands,” said owner Anthony Ranella, talking about the businesses around his shop. “And now we`re business owners in the same area together. It`s cool.”
The owner of Steamtown Yoga on North Washington Avenue says having a downtown location has actually been the best move for business with more people living in this area.
“Since we`ve been here we`ve been here about 18 months in our downtown location and our client base has more than doubled since we`ve been downtown,” said owner Lara Alexiou.
Bob Dickert is the owner of Carl Von Luger restaurant and the recently opened Terra Preta in the downtown. He believes in the city for the same reasons as Biden does, for its people.
“When I first came to Scranton, I never met such a more giving people, from an outside looking in, they`re very giving, very hard working, very dedicated to what they do,” said Dickert.