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Hello.Nothing's come down other than 17 votes.I know.
We have it at 280 to 297.17 votes for me.
If you hear something, call me.We'll do it ASAP. Alright, I'll be back.
Okay, sir.I will.Thank you.Yeah, man.Bye.All municipalities are in and counted.Except Donora.
I'm Jean-Marie Laskis, and this is Cement City.Chapter 4.Big day in a little town.
Hi.Big day, huh?Yep, yep.
It's a big day in a little town.Sure is.It is.
The good thing about you is they come up to you.Yeah.It's election day.The 2017 primary.It's an RPA.Erin and I are here to cover this thing.Here's what you need to know.
First, the mayor's race.There are two candidates running.
There's Jim McDonough, the iron worker.— Go-getter, well-spoken, property owner, businessman.
He's got an endorsement from the current mayor, Donnie Pavelko.It's a big endorsement.But it's going to be a really close race.So close that Donnie won't be out at the polls today.He's waiting it out at home.He's just too nervous.
It's like he can't watch.
And the other guy running for mayor?
He's a sitting council member.His name starts with a C. That's about all we know about him.That, and what Donnie told us last night.If this guy wins, this town's going right down the drain.
Then there's the council race, which is a little more complicated.
This council race is a fight for majority.Four out of seven seats are open.And there's a team of fresh-faced newbies who want those seats.They're running on a change ticket.That's what we're calling it.With Jim McDonough, Donnie's guy, at the top.
None of these people have ever held office before.They've never even tried.They're looking for a clean sweep.— It's kind of a cool way to start.
I mean, in case you say, so, hi, we're not voting. But we're writing a bit to Norm.We're here to cover the election for our project and we're just so curious to know.— I'm pretty sure that's him.
— See, here's where I want a camera, too.— Seems like they're getting ready to go out and doorknock or something, so I think we should really get out there.
— It's just after 7 a.m.The polls have just opened. Aaron and I are outside Emanuel Baptist Church on Kastner Avenue, 2nd precinct.And the first candidate we run into is this guy, Yancey Taylor.We haven't met Yancey yet.
We haven't met most of the candidates.But we've seen his signs around town.With a headshot.In a suit and tie.
He's the only one with a headshot.
— So it's a big day today, huh?
— Yes, I want to thank all the people from Denoir for coming out to support me, and I hope that we can restore Denoir and do something positive for this community and work together.
No matter who wins or loses, we all should stay together and be friends and family.That's what it's about.
Thank you.— This guy means business. I mean, we barely had two feet out of the car when he zeroed in on us.And now he's shaking my hand like we just closed a big real estate deal or something.
It's quite a handshake.He just keeps going.
A little bit of vision, a little bit of gumption.If Donnie's right, and that's what we need, then here, my friends, is the gumption.What's the thing that you're promoting, what you have to offer, do you think?
I think what I have to offer is to A lot to the youth, the kids.That's my number one thing in my campaign.I played international basketball in Europe.I care about the senior citizens because they're the ones that gave us opportunity in life.
And the most important thing, we need to bring businesses into this town.We can't sit here and lie to the people and say we're going to bring stuff and don't do it.We got to work together.Can't lie to people.We can't lie to people.
We have to work together.
Yancey runs off to move his big sign down the block.It's a really big sign.Like he needs two people to carry it.And he's a big guy.A former basketball star.Yancey is a presence.And he's got a lot of people out here campaigning for him.
In their t-shirts, with their clipboards.They're like an entourage. This guy really wants to be on Donora Borough Council, which in itself is kind of fascinating.Like, I have no idea what motivates people to want to do this kind of thing.
Yeah.He always wanted to do this stuff.
And how did he get started finally doing it?
Like, what was he like?He played pro basketball in Germany.He got custody of two of his grandkids, eight and nine.He's raising his grandkid.Watch him.He's raising his grandkid.Elmae, keep on standing or he's going to sting you.
He's raising his grandkids.She looks like Jeanette. I look like Jeanette.It was our attorney's wife, Baisley.
Don't she look like Jeanette?Wow.I could ask for Jeanette.I hope she's not.Don't she look like Jeanette?
Yes, she does.Long version of Jeanette.Wow.She look just like Jeanette.I'm not.
You know what, too, which would be nice if you guys want to follow me up to Second Street.I'd like us to do some stuff on me on Second Street for the people, because it's nice up there.Is there more?
What is up there?Is that another polling place?
Yeah, real nice.I'm going up now.Real nice.Real nice polling place up there.Really nice.And tonight, we're going to party, hopefully, if I win.Where's that going to be?Right down at the Legion.
Yeah.I think I'm going to have a good night.I don't know how.I can't predict nothing.But I think the voters really love me. Yeah, you never know, though.
You got this, buddy.You got it.You got it.
We all got to stay positive, though.I don't know what tonight's going to hold.I just thank God for this opportunity.Win or lose, I'm still going to be Yancey Taylor.I'm still going to fight for Donora, even if I win or lose.So that's where I'm at.
Yeah.You guys should come up to Second Street.That's where I'm going.All right.You heading up there now?Yeah, you want to follow me up?Yeah, it's a bigger precinct.Yeah.
I like this guy, Yancey Taylor.I'm glad he's the first person we ran into.We weren't really sure what we were going to do today, but now we're on our way to the next polling place, and it feels like we've got some momentum going.
On our way to the car, we pass by some more people with signs.Some of them are probably candidates, people we should probably stop and talk with.But at this point, we're committed.We're on the Yancey train.That's the thing about Yancey.
It's something we'll really come to understand the more we get to know him. He's very persuasive.He just gets you excited about whatever he's talking about.Doesn't even matter what it is.It's the youth, the senior citizens.
It's that really nice bowling place up the road.You'll follow him anywhere.I bet, I mean, he's so, like, he's got so much energy.Yeah, he's excited.Now I'm like, oh, Nancy, if you don't get in.I know.Heartbreaking.Oh, look at Nancy's car.
We jump in the car and head up 2nd Street on our way to the next polling place.We're looking out the window at all these signs flashing by.There are just so many friggin' campaign signs.It's kind of crazy.
You'd think somebody was running for president or something.Nancy is all over the place, his signs. And this is just a primary election.
In Donora, the primary is all that matters.This is a majority Democrat town.We didn't learn that until we got here.It's an anomaly in a region that's increasingly turning red.
There aren't even any Republicans on the ballot in this primary, for council or for mayor.So this may as well be a general election.It's kind of like we've skipped the playoffs and gone straight to the Super Bowl.Whoever wins today goes all the way.
— Oh, here's it.It's Conger.Wait, what is it?— John Conger.
According to what we're thinking now?
— I'm totally bought into his version, by the way.I'm like, yeah, who are the bad guys?Who are the good guys?— So, for what it's worth, we've already picked our horse in this race.At least, the mayor's race.
And not, admittedly, based on a full analysis of the situation.— Because right now, I'm like, well, I can't possibly imagine anybody who's going to talk me out of my position now on whatever his name is. To be fair, this is all new to us.
Pretty much all we know about any of it is what we learned 12 hours ago from a guy named Piglet over beers in the lounge of the ladies bathroom.And the big takeaway was there's a good guy and a bad guy.And our guy's the good guy.
There's just one tiny problem with our guy. This iron worker, Jim McDonough, he won't be out at the polls today.He couldn't get the day off work.He's like six stories up on some girder somewhere out in Pittsburgh an hour away.
Oh, is this the crow club that he was going to?
So for now, we're just kind of following the bouncing ball here, which at this moment is Council hopeful Yancey Taylor.Oh, Yancey.I mean, I'm going to say one thing about Yancey on the record.
He's a crazy driver, doesn't stop for the stop signs, and he's fast.
Isn't this out of town? We're chasing after Yancey and his Escalade, past Marty's Pizza and a flea market, over a bridge.Oh, it's a beautiful church up here.Our Lady of the Valley, we've never been up here.
And we pull into the parking lot of this beautiful church.
Oh, it's a fancy Catholic church and school.I don't think the school's still open.Maybe.
For the record, no, the school isn't open.There are no schools in Genoa.This is Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, First Precinct.
There's a handful of people out here with a collapsible card table and some piles of flyers, greeting voters on their way into the church. Yancey led us up here, and now, here we are.We're not quite sure what to do.
So we walk around introducing ourselves, haphazardly, to a Girl Scout leader, and a school board member, and the wife of a school board member.Pretty soon, everyone's crowding around the microphone, trying to get a word in.
They all seem pretty excited to talk to us. They also seem pretty confused about what we're doing here, why we're interested in their election.I guess they aren't really used to seeing a lot of on-the-ground media coverage of these things.
It's so, I don't know, it's so exciting because people just care so much about this.
And when it comes down to it, there's nothing inherently special about this election.The same thing's happening in the next town over, and the town after that, and basically all across the country.
But the thing is, we never really see it, how it works, what the issues are.Not up close. So this actually feels like a rare opportunity.
It's like if you look at a grain of sand under a microscope, it gives you a whole different appreciation for the beach.— What do you feel like, with the election, what's at stake in this election?You know what I mean?
— There's a lot at stake, I think, in Donora.
It's going to be new faces.
— It's a big mayor's race and a big council race.— And this town needs that.
— I think they need an infusion of new blood in here, you know what I mean?
— Plant a seed and it'll grow.
— Everything we're hearing from these people feels so familiar.It's pretty consistent with what Donnie was telling us last night, that this is a change election, and what they really need is a shake-up.Fresh blood, new energy.
And the more people we talk to, the more we'll keep hearing the same thing.
We love this town.We want it to grow.We want it to get better.It's home.And we're proud of it.And we just keep hoping that something good will happen.Hopefully the community college will come in here.That would be a big boost.
And this is the other thing we'll keep hearing about.This community college.It's clear this isn't just some pet project the mayor dreamed up. It seems like everybody wants it.It's a phenomenon.
Anytime we mention the future of this town, it will be, without fail, the first thing we hear.It'll bring coffee shops and restaurants, maybe even a gas station.Everyone says the same thing.It's almost like it's rehearsed.
If you could bring the community college in here, you're going to have young people.They're going to want to go out to eat.
It's their golden ticket.It's like, if you build it, change will come.It's very Field of Dreams.
If they don't come in, that will be a big blow to this town, because I think everyone is hoping that this is our chance.This is our chance to get something going in this town.
And wow, after all of this and the buildup and everything, if it doesn't work out, it will be, yeah, it'll be sad. I have a question for you guys.You guys might know.What's the status of this church?That's what we were talking about.
They shut so many of our churches down.Yeah, there used to be St.Charles, St.Mary's, St.Dominic, St.Phillips.There used to be, what, four or five Catholic churches. And now this is closed up, that's it.
It's tough to accept, you know, but you do what you got to do. Boy, it's closing.I mean, you know, more and more and more.That's why they're just so hoping for this school to come in here.
— When I asked these people what's at stake in this election, they didn't hesitate.The town's whole future's at stake.And it sounds kind of hyperbolic, but I'm starting to get it.How urgent it must feel, and how it's all connected.
The big mayor's race, and the big council race, and the clean sweep, and the community college.Even this church, in a way.It's like everything's just closing up. There's a lot of hope tied up in this election.And I guess it's not just about who wins.
It's about what they stand to lose if it doesn't work out.Inside the vestibule of the church, we run into Cindy Bryce, council candidate.
— Would you like a hot cocoa or a cup of coffee, anybody?
She's here passing out provisions for campaign volunteers. Cindy's the police chief's wife, the one who owns a deli and catering business.Until today, she was the only candidate we'd met.I was hoping we'd run into her.
— Have you been to all the other pools yet?— I've been to 2nd Street and here.Now I'm on my way to 8th Street and 10th Street.How you doing?I'm just great.
— A priest just walked by.Father Bud.He looks like he's in a hurry, trying to make a getaway, heading out to his car.
— Father, don't you want any chicken?
— I guess he's Cindy's priest.She goes to this church.So do Donnie and Deanne Pavelko.So do a lot of people, we'll come to find out.And Cindy loves this church.But she seems to be less impressed with Father Bud.
As soon as he's out of earshot, she starts in on him.
Father Bud is like the hatchet man for the diocese.He's the one that goes into the towns and closes the churches and goes on his way.Father went to Bellsville and closed the churches.Father went to Ritchieville and closed, and that's his job.
He comes in.They're going to close one of these.They're going to close this.I would see Father Mike, when Father Mike was here,
The conversation turns pretty quickly to the topic of the church closure.There's a lot of speculation.There are three Catholic churches in three towns, and one of them's going to be on the chopping block within the year.
That's what people are saying.I guess Cindy's been following it all pretty closely.And she's got the whole backstory on what happened with the last church that closed.She knows exactly how it all went down.
How Father Mike refused to sign the letter closing St.Dominic's.How he got screwed over by the diocese and shipped out of town.
They shipped him out of here.And the next thing you know, here comes Father Bud.So when he comes into town, he makes no friends.He doesn't align himself with anybody.I remember when Arthur, Arthur would play beautiful organ music for church.
This is what you're allowed to play this, this, and this, and that's it.It's a 40 minute service.That's it.He's in the door, out the door. He's the 40-minute man.Before, when I'd do funerals, you'd say, oh, there's going to be a mass.
You've got a good hour.Father Bud is 40 minutes.
So this guy Arthur Cindy just mentioned, he's otherwise known as Art the Organist.We met him recently.He's on the board down at the library.Everyone loves Art.He's an institution.He has his own parking spot out front.
It says, reserved for church organist.
He goes.He spends a few years.
Cindy's still going on about poor Father Bud.
And Father Bud was already in.
Making an entrance, as if on cue.
I came up to make a copy for music and let me get a cup of coffee too while I'm at it.
Are you practicing down there?
Yeah, as soon as I finish this I'm going back down.I just saw these ladies here, you know, for elections.I thought, let me come up and say hello.Have a cup.
Can we listen to you practice a little bit?
You're more than welcome to.
I'm going downstairs, I got my, these, I don't dress like this.These are what they call organ shoes.You have to have certain shoes to play the organ, you know, with leather soles and heels so that you could play pedals.
But they're not comfortable to walk on.
We have some time to kill before the after-work rush of the polls.Things are pretty quiet right now.So we follow Art down to the choir stand at the back of the church.He's wide-hipped and hobbling on his organ shoes.
They had these tiny kitten heels and tassels.He leans his cane against the railing and settles into the organ bench like it's his throne.So you want to hear me play?
I'll need this book and... That's called a French trumpet de fete.And you see there's the center, the one in front of it, which is just slightly conical.That's a flute.That's a spitz flirter.And I'm going to pull that down.Did I do that right?
I think I did that right.Yeah.And then this is just so beautiful, this piece here.If anybody that knows the music, I know that my redeemer liveth.
Watching Art play this organ is like watching an old couple dance at their 50th wedding anniversary.The way his fingers move across the keys with utter familiarity.The way he leans into the high notes, closing his eyes.
The delicate tap of his toes along the pedals.It's like it's a part of him.And he's a part of it.This organ was a gift to the church from his mom back in the 80s.Custom built.He still remembers the day they installed it.
The tractor trailer hauling in all 11 ranks of pipes. Above the top keyboard, there's a brass plate tacked over the brand name.It says Arthur's.
— I have to take this.Hello, Robert.
— Nothing, talking about how your trip was.
— Oh, it was wonderful.Hey, Robert, I'm being interviewed right now.Can I call you back?But before you hang up, do we have breakfast tomorrow with the gang? I'll call you later.I'm being interviewed, so I'll talk to you again, all right?Bye-bye.
Okay, sing with all the saints of glory and you'll recognize this.It was by the Hymn of Joy by Beethoven.
That's my introduction.It's up here.Quieter, but still heard.
So they know this real well.I'll change keys.
Now, these are what we call the traditional hymns.The first verse. they get used to it.They know this song.You know, this is traditional.Second verse, just in case they don't, I solo it out on one note so they hear it clearly.
If by that second verse, if they're blowing it out, and usually they do, these people.I've been here.June 18th, I'll begin my 48th year.They know me, they know my music.I could play that and they'll just sing.They know the song, you know what I mean?
How does that feel for you when they're really singing well and you know you can play that?
Is that exciting?That to me is accomplishment.You know what I mean?I'm doing what I'm supposed to.The idea is to get the people to sing.Now, before
We'll sit here with Art for a while, listening to him play.He'll never mention Father Bud, the hatchet man, and the possibility of the church closing.And we won't bring it up either.It just feels like such a buzzkill.
Because what would Art be without this church and his organ?It's what he lives for, soloing it out on that second verse.
Recently, we learned that Art's been paying the Alder Boys a dollar to walk more slowly down the aisle so he can play that extroverse.It's a workaround for the Father Bud problem.It's genius.He's hacked the 40-minute man.
It's a small act of resistance, but every act counts.So what are you guys doing in Donora now?Talking to you.
You're the highlight.No highlight.I'm no highlight.
You have been the highlight of the day.You really have been the highlight.
Would you play another song? Yeah, I could play it.
Then I'll sing, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.And then they echo back. And I sing a refrain.Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, and my father will love him and we will come to him.And then they echo.
And then the priest reads the gospel.
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For the past three seasons of Gone South, we've covered one story per season.We tried to figure out who killed Margaret Coon.
She told me, I'm gonna kill you.I said, well, do it, bitch.Go ahead and do it.
We delved into the violent world of the Dixie Mafia.
I'm an outlaw, and I was a thief, but I'm far from being the psychotic nutcase that I've been made out to be.
And we tracked a serial killer in Laredo, Texas.
Just turn around, please.Turn around.
Now, Gone South is back for a fourth season.But this time, we're doing things a little differently.So, in Gone South season four, we'll be bringing you new stories every week with no end in sight. I'm Jed Lipinski.
Welcome back to Gone South, an Odyssey original podcast.Listen and follow now on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes every week.
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— See, this is my van for transporting prisoners.I transport prisoners in here.See a cage?I use my shackles, you see?For prisoners.
— Yeah, this is what I transport prisoners.— We're back at the Crow Club.Again.Somehow, all roads lead back to the Crow Club.It's a polling place.Fourth precinct.
— So, we're going to put all the ballot boxes and stuff in here.
— So you'll go from pole to pole?
— It's after 8 o'clock.The poles have just closed.We're talking with Wally the constable.It's his job to keep the peace at all the poles.And, apparently, to transport prisoners.
— I got a camera in there, so when I have female prisoners… Fun fact about Wally.
He's Art, the organist's cousin.They're franzelios.There are a lot of franzelios here.And they've each got their thing.Believe it or not, behind them are even tinier pipes.Our friend Guido from the bar, with the laugh.
He's a franzelio too.You're done.
But compared to his cousins, this guy Wally is kind of intense.
— How long have you lived here?
— All my life.Left here in 1958 to go serve in the Marine Corps.I spent 12 years in the Marine Corps, and I came back, and just watching the town deteriorate.— Frankly, he's kind of a downer.— Empty buildings, empty houses.Nobody paying taxes.Sad.
Just sad. See any, like, ray of hope for it?No, I don't see any ray of hope.None.I watch it deteriorate, just deteriorate and deteriorate.Just keep watching it deteriorate.I don't see any hope.
What about the possibility of bringing an industry back here?
Well, there's no industry coming back here.Nothing coming back here.Nothing.Everything's gone.Everything's ripped out.Everything's gone.
— Have you heard of any ideas that anybody has in any of these towns that's a good idea?
— You never hear none of these candidates come up with ideas.— Honestly, this guy's relentless.— Yet you're out here today at the polls.— I have to do my job as a constable.
— I'll stand here talking to Wally for more than 20 minutes.And no matter how hard I try, it's just all existential dread.
What about the idea of the community college coming in?
Hopefully they're going to do something with that school up there.All I hear now is just talk.I don't know.All I hear is arguing and fighting.
Do you ever think about, like, do people talk about, like, politics in the state?Getting help from Harrisburg?
This town is ignored. These little towns are ignored.You know what I'm saying?Nobody's ever come to Denoir and said, hey, we're going to be here.We're going to see what we can do.We're going to help you.We're going to do something.Nothing.
They don't know we exist.We're too small.They don't know we're here.Think about that.We're small.They don't need us.We don't mean anything to them.
There's no answer.There's no answer.Think about that.There's no answer.We're too small.We're not important to them.
So what happens to a town that's just too small to be noticed?
We deteriorate and we'll go away someday.We keep deteriorating, deteriorating, and we'll go away someday. Not in my lifetime, not in yours, but someday this town will be gone.Just go away.You know, our bridge went away, our stores all went away.
We don't have any grocery stores.We don't have any gas stations.We have one church, and now the rumor is they're gonna close my church.You know, what is there left for us?They close up?That's okay.They're gonna close the ballot boxes.
You want to back the car? This is my youngest son.
He's going to help me.We're closing up.We have to take all the ballot boxes now and everything.We're taking them back to Washington.
And is that where they're counted?
Yeah, well, all the ballot boxes have to go back to the city of Washington.And then they do all the final counts and everything.And when will we know the results?Oh, they'll have them out tonight.They'll probably have them out.
Well, there'll be a tape on the door. They'll put a tape from all the machines on the door, and if you know how to count it and read it, you can go to all the precincts tonight.The tapes will be hanging on the doors.
So you're interested in the outcome of this election?
I'm interested to see what's going to happen to this town.What are you two doing dancing? Hey, Dean, they got some of the boxes here.
So have you been doing this a long time?
This is my first time running for council.
Oh, you're running for council?Oh, is this you?
Oh, hi.Nice to meet you.Nice to meet you.So, okay, so you're like waiting eagerly for the results?
Waiting on the results, yes.
Here we go.No, still not yet.Still got a ways to go.
I've seen this guy before, at that council meeting we went to.He's kind of hard to forget.He's maybe 25 and tall, like 6'4", with a baby face and a pageboy haircut.He wears a trench coat and carries a briefcase.
The old school, hardshell kind, like Inspector Gadget.
Well, it's my first time running, so we can't really say either way yet.But so far, I haven't heard anything negative going toward me, so I'm hopeful on that end.I get along with both the mayor and the council currently.
Very few of them can say that.And I'm the only new candidate who goes to all the workshop sessions to learn how the council actually operates.
Why did you decide to run?
Just to bring some positivity, some discipline to the council, ultimately.Try to help bring the CCAC into town and cut the poverty rate down.Right now it stands at 40%, unfortunately.
I'm intrigued by Ed.He's new to politics.Another first-timer.But he's not one of the candidates we've been told to look out for.This group we've been calling the change ticket, for lack of a better term.
They seem to be running together, or at least supporting each other's campaigns.They're hoping for a clean sweep.But I don't get the sense that Ed's part of it.He's an outsider candidate.Kind of a lone wolf.
— Better code enforcement on top of that.We have two abandoned duplexes over on 6th and Kastner, covered in asbestos siding.
Ed's got a lot to say about code enforcement.
— And crime control.Apparently, there's a town vandal.That really pisses him off.He's also got a lot of ideas, for things like GED programs, and cybersecurity at the borough building, and what to do with all these vacant houses.
— Possibly a partially town-owned gas station, okay?
— Bye, thank you, thank you.
— When I asked Ed why he decided to run, I wasn't actually looking for a list of policy proposals. What I really want to know is, where's all this coming from?
Like, what makes a 20-something-year-old dude wake up one day and decide he's going to start hanging out at the borough building and then run for office?
Pipes burst, sewage back up, lightning, vandalism, all that good stuff.
Is that one of the things you like about it, that you get to... Ed's an insurance salesman, so I guess policies are kind of his thing.He runs his business out of an office at his mom's house, where he lives.
I see all kinds of interesting claims out there.
What's the wildest thing you've ever saw?
Wildest thing was Dog Bites Dog.
Dog Bites Dog, 4,000 vet bills to save the victim.
I forget what the victim was.The perpetrator, an alleged perpetrator, was a coonhound.
Somehow they got into a fight.
Yeah, and she got branded a dangerous dog because of that.She has to wear a thing on her snout whenever they take her out now.
It's more like wearing a little ankle bracelet in prison.
Yeah, essentially, except it's a muzzle on her snout.It's a summary offense after five years, though, and we can get that off that record, thankfully.We covered it anyway.
— The door just opened, and there's a woman walking out with these long spools of paper, like from an old adding machine.— Wow, that's a lot.— The results are in, at least at this precinct.
— You want me to hold that up for you?— Yeah.
— Ed's a full head taller than anyone else here.He's helping hang the strips of paper on the door.He's got his big arm outstretched above his head, poking over this woman with the scotch tape.
— So how does this tape thing work?Is it about the length of the tape?
— It's the first time I've seen this happen.
— Oh no, you don't have to do that much.That's too much, that's too much.
— People are starting to crowd around the doorway.Ed's craning his neck to get a better look.The tapes are officially up.
— It looks like more people voted here than anyplace else.
— Yeah, 231, I wrote on it.
And then we had seven absentee ballots.
— Anybody know how to read this?
— I ain't reading it all, I'm just reading the part that I'm on.
— This is Mike McDowell, another council hopeful.He's a railroad engineer, with sensible shoes.We met him earlier, up at the church with Yancey.He and Yancey are friends.
He's also a first-timer, but he seems to know what he's doing here, what all these numbers mean.I have no idea what I'm looking at.
Looking pretty good.Grace is looking close.
Yeah, 31, Yancey 24, Yancey 45, Yancey 14, Yancey 24.
Eventually, someone will explain to me what's going on here.Basically, each voting machine at each precinct spits out a tape.And each tape lists the candidates and how many votes they got.
And if you run around town tallying them all up, candidate by candidate, machine by machine, you get a jump on the results before the county even reports them.It's exciting.It's nerve-wracking.
It's like you get to open up your report card before your parents see it.
The thing about these numbers is, they're tiny.Like, really, really tiny.Even the totals are tiny.
Honestly, it sounds more like the number of people who voted in the student council race at my daughter's high school.But somehow, that feels like it's beside the point.
When this is all said and done, a total of 750 people will have voted in the May 16, 2017, municipal primary in Dinarpia.Later tonight, I'll look it up.
And apparently this was a great turnout, higher than usual.That's what everyone will keep telling us.This was a hotly contested race.
well this is just one precinct right now we'll see yeah that's a good showing for your first time running actually well we'll cross our fingers for you thank you appreciate it have a good night all right you too
It's almost 9 o'clock.People are headed home, or off to election night parties, to wait for the official results from the county.
We watch as Ed walks away, shuffling down the street, pulling his campaign signs out of the ground, heading back home to his mom.
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They wouldn't even go to the park to hear a free concert.
This is Jim McDonough, the iron worker.We've been waiting all day to meet this guy.And he's exactly like you might imagine.Burly, with a beard and a flannel shirt.
He looks kind of like a brawny paper towel man.
— So we found our way down to Jim's watch party.It's in this old banquet room downtown.Everyone's calling it the Horizon Room.It's a pretty small party.It feels more like a family gathering.Have to change tickets here.
Cindy Bryce and her friend Janie Ackerman.She's another one of the new council candidates. A widow who lives alone with her talking parrot.I guess she's an old friend of Jim's parents.They're here too.So is his wife Ange.
We met her earlier, out campaigning for him.She's pregnant.I guess she had her baby shower here last weekend.There are still decorations up.Streamers.And some kind of sculpture made out of diapers.
Would you guys like a Pepsi or something?We're waiting on pizza.You're welcome to have some.
I would have a Pepsi, sure.Thank you.
Come look at what we're redoing. Jim walks us through a swinging door into a whole different part of the building.It's dark and smells like pine salt.He kicks a bucket of rags out of the way and clears a path.
We're standing in the middle of a half-lit room with dusty terrazzo flooring.The old Costas restaurant.It sort of looks like the set for a play that ended a couple of decades ago.The original stainless steel grill.The pie case.
There's a row of swivel stools along the counter. There are also random wires hanging from the ceiling, crumbling plaster.I can hear a distant drip.
But all this has to be removed, but look at this cooler.
Jim walks us back to this giant refrigerator.It's the size of a bank vault.It's also ancient.It's heavy oak with these huge iron hinges.Look at those hinges.I'm especially impressed by the hinges.
It's got the huge doors on it.And I got it to work. So now that they work, it turns into, all right, let's sand it all down and start from there.
Are you going to open it up?
Yeah, it's going to be a diner again.
Oh my God, that's so cool.When is it going to open?
We were shooting for this summer, but then my wife got pregnant.
We heard about this restaurant earlier today.Jim's wife, Ange, told us about it.And it sounded exciting.I didn't know anybody was opening anything down here. But now being here and seeing it all, it's just so cool.
It's this classic diner, and this guy's bringing it back.And I guess this isn't even his only project.It's part of this whole vision he has for revitalizing downtown.There's the antique shop he helped Ang open up, and the hair salon next door.
And then right next door is Duke's Cafe.So for the first time in, it's going to be the first time in years that you're going to be able to come downtown Donora and see three consecutive storefronts all lit up.
I'm so impressed.I mean, I have to say it's incredible.
Yeah, I'm impressed.Have a seat.
We sit down with Jim at the counter.I'm happy to sit.It's been a long day.In some ways, I feel like the whole day's been leading up to this.We've just been waiting to meet this ironworker.I have so many questions, I don't even know where to start.
Donnie told us this guy was a businessman, a go-getter, but I had no idea the scope of it all.I want to know the whole backstory.Like, what's motivating this guy?Where'd this come from?Where'd this, like, how do you, how did you get this idea?
Like, you could, you could get in there and be a force of good despite all this stuff.
I don't know.My whole life, It was about. doing the best you can, and taking the reins.And we always said that whenever you're raised in these towns like this, and Donora especially, we always said we're the toughest little town in the valley.
And it just shows you can't just walk into a problem and let the problem engulf you.When you walk into a problem, you take it by the reins, and you get this under control, and you follow through with things, and you move forward. How can I put this?
I'm an iron worker by trade and I remember the first time I went out on a large building and it was so huge and ominous and I couldn't believe that it would be built and one of my first memories was working on PNC Park and we built huge trusses on the ground and then while we were building this huge structure
I remember the one day saying, we worked all day, all night on it.And I said, where does this go?Because it was about where the pitcher's mound is.And he said, it goes up there, way up the upper deck.And I said, How's it going to get there?
And the first time I saw it picked up and moved and tripped in the air and turned end for end and put into place like nothing.I remember thinking this is what I want to do.Because no matter how daunting it seems, it's going to get done.
It has to start somewhere.And that wait is nothing more than our own fear. Don't let it weigh you down.Attack it full on.That's the way I was raised.
Wow, that's amazing.Like, I feel like a little bit teary now.That's beautiful.
That's really beautiful.Like, I know, I'm stuck there now in PNC Park like, how did you do it? But at this point, I'm borderline swooning.So is Aaron.It would be embarrassing if we had any ability to step back and look at ourselves right now.
But we're just so into it.This guy Jim, he's not just talking about fixing up this town or dreaming about fixing up this town.He's actually doing it.He's got a vision.
I'm just sitting here picturing those trusses, picked up and turned in the air, put into place like nothing.I'm picturing those three consecutive storefronts, all lit up.
Besides all the talk about the community college, this is the closest thing to hope I've seen in this town since we got here.I'm feeling so hopeful right now.
Me too.I am too.I'm very excited about the future here.I'm excited because I get to be part of it.Either way, I'm part of it.
And you're an ironworker on top of that.I'm an ironworker.
Back in the party room, a few more people have arrived.There's a cop in uniform, and a local journalist with curly red hair and an notepad, and Ricky from Duke's Cafe next door.
They're all watching Jim pace around with his phone, waiting for an update, news, anything.The mood's shifted.Suddenly things feel kind of tense.
Okay, call me back, thanks.He said I crushed him at the Crow Club, like, not even close.And in 10th Street, when they posted it, It's behind a screen.Can't see Mayor.You can see everybody else's race.But they said they have news for you coming.
— Where?— 10th Street.St.John's.
Cindy's sitting upright with a notepad in front of her.It's covered in scratched-out numbers.She's tapping her pen, like she's on hold with customer service.Janie, the Barrett lady, is sitting next to her.
This thin, elegant, giraffe-like figure, devouring a slice of cheese pizza.
That's Janie, by the way.
I just wanted you guys to win.
I care.I care.I care.We need the clean sweep.
We do, but it may not happen.
I guess Janie's down in the polls.Nancy and Cindy are looking good.So is Mike McDowell.But it sounds like this fourth council seat is still in question, which means so is the whole plan for a clean sweep.
And then there's the mayor's race, which is a real nail-biter.There's still one precinct out.
They're waiting on numbers from 10th Street.
And it sounds like they won't be getting those anytime soon.Apparently this happens every election.It's like a cruel joke.It's always 10th Street.
— I feel nervous now.— I know.
Hello.Jim's ahead by 17 votes.OK.
We're going around the corner.
OK, that's fine.If you could find out by the time you come back, I'd love it.Here, let me walk you to the corner.I'll watch you guys go.
Jim opens the door for us and insists on walking us out.We're headed down to Yancey's party.It's only, like, a block away, but Jim's old-fashioned.It's this whole chivalry vibe.We'll get used to it.
He would never not offer to hold the door for us and walk us out.
So all these, so... This diner?Uh-huh.
That building's my parents' building.I redid the whole front, so all those... That building, that's the old trolley station.That corner lot and the tracks are still there.
As of right now, right now there's still one precinct out.We're waiting to see.
Alright, thanks.We'll be right.Alright, we'll see you in a few.Thanks. It's so interesting, I can't even take it.This is fun.I can't even believe how into this I am.
How what?How into this I am.
It feels like you almost have an idea of what it must have felt like to be in like, you know, whatever, like Obama's, you know.
Like, come on, you can't lose.We just can't.
We're at the American Legion.It's a private club with a buzzer on the door.We're here to see Yancey Taylor.He's over by the jukebox, surrounded by his fans, next to a party tray.
Hi.Hey.How are you doing?Good.How are you?
Yeah, I won.Appreciate it.Thank you.Appreciate it.I want to, first of all, thank all the voters from Denora.I want to, you know, just tell them that I really appreciate the support and what they did for me.
And I'm proud of my talent to give me a chance the way they did.They really showed me tonight why Yancy Taylor is a Denora boy. They love me.I'm proud that my mother died in 1994. and I was able to leave the ticket.I'm very proud of myself.
It's just tough on me, but I'm just proud that this evening happened for me.I'm very proud.Thank you guys for coming and supporting me.I really mean it.Appreciate it.I'm just very emotional right now.It's my granddaughter.
I love these.This is my granddaughter.She means the world to me.Tell her, Romero, right?
Yancey's wiping tears away from his eyes.Actual tears.He's got his arm wrapped around his granddaughter, pulling her close.And I feel for him.This is a big deal.I guess he got more votes than anyone.He led the ticket.
In the first election he ever tried for.I'd probably be crying, too.
Mike McDowell's also here, celebrating his win.He's watching the crowd from a barstool, settling in with his feet up, nursing a beer.Mike's kind of the anti-Yancy.He seems completely unfazed by all of this.He ran.He won.It's time for a beer.
Simple as that. Sitting here talking with Mike, I'm starting to really picture this new council, up there on that platform, behind their nameplates.And it's going to look different.
Most notably, there will now be two black men joining what is currently an all-white council.That's two seats out of seven, representing a town with a growing black population, which in a few years will reach 20 percent.
No one here has mentioned race explicitly as a factor in this election, which is interesting in itself.But to me it feels significant.It does seem to be at least part of the change they voted for.
— I'm from the D. I'm proud of myself.I don't lose.I'm like him.I'm a winner.If I die tomorrow, my grandkids will know I won. Guess what?I'm like him.Wait till I get in them meetings.No, but you know how we do it.
Hey, wait till I get in them meetings.
He's gonna be mayor someday.
— It's almost midnight.Back at the diner, Jim and Andrew are the only ones left.Even the red-haired journalist is packing up to leave.They look exhausted, sitting at a table next to an empty pizza box.
Jim's got his laptop open, with the county website pulled up.He keeps hitting refresh.
All municipalities are in and counted, except in Oro.
You guys have had a really long day, I imagine?
A long day, to say the least, but they're all long.You figure we get up at, what, 435 o'clock every day?
Come home from work, we'll work till about midnight anyway, so.I mean, it's just keep doing what we're doing.I guess that's why they voted for us.If it happens.And the way it looks right now, it's going to be a whole new council, which is good.
Seems like everywhere, all around the country, everywhere, they're voting for the change.Maybe they just posted something.
Don't say anything.Let me look.Who?
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.I did really good on 10th Street, huh? That's great.What's the final tally?So, I got 358 and Conger got 313?Okay, and that's on the site, huh?Thank you, Mr. Mayor.I will talk to you tomorrow.Thank you so much.
Yeah, we're gonna be here for a minute. Alright.Alright, thanks.Bye.
Wait, you won.Oh my crap.
Jim's got his eyes closed.He's got Anja's head cradled against his chest, stroking her hair.She's crying.He looks like he's on the verge.It's this intimate moment.It feels so private.
We're sitting across the table from them, close enough to hear them breathing.No one else is in the room.It's just me and Aaron and our microphone.
I love you.I love you.Thank you.
I never thought I'd do this.
I suddenly feel like one of those overeager kids who hangs around the party too long.Like, long after it's over and the vacuums come out.We're literally those people.But for Jim, it's like we're not even here.That's how lost he is in this moment.
Congratulations.Thank you.So glad we were here.Thank you.It's really special.
Would you like some more pizza?You guys want something to drink?Some water?
Nothing? I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep.Mike Evans.
A bunch of vulgarities, actually.He was like, yes, yes, congrats.He said, McDonough takes Sonora.Let the change begin.
Jim's supporters start flooding in, and the whole change-ticket crowd.They're hugging and giving high-fives.Somebody brought beer.Through the window, we watch as a huge red pickup pulls up, with a vanity plate on the front that reads, D. Mayer.
Donnie Pavelko, a.k.a.Piglet, gets out with his wife, Deanne.She's got a fistful of Mylar balloons.Mike McDowdries up in his Land Rover, and the party spills out into the street.
Leaning on the window, I'm watching this, finally with a little distance.I'm looking out at this town with no banks, no schools, no grocery stores, no gas stations.
And here's this ragtag group of rookies with no experience, no real platform, just a promise to shake things up.All day, we've been following them around with their big signs and their t-shirts.
And I've been wondering what's behind it all, where it all comes from, this urge to participate. To throw your hat in the ring.To get in there and be a force of good, despite all this stuff.And I guess they've each got their reasons.The youth.
The senior citizens.The thrill of policymaking.Those three consecutive story fronts.But beneath all that, there's also just this feeling.That there's something better.Something to reach for.There's hope.
This is fantastic.A whole new era for Donora now.I think Donora did good today.
And when it comes down to it, I guess hope is a choice.It's a matter of faith.You either believe in something or you don't.Can't wait to see what happens.Let the change begin.I love your ring.
Cement City was written and produced by Aaron Anderson and me, Jean-Marie Laskas, for Odyssey with Cement City Productions.Our story editor is Michael Benoit. Sound design and engineering for Cement City is by Mike Woolley.
Production assistance by Kira Witkin.Research and fact-checking by Tim Maddox.Original music for this episode by Danny Bracken.Additional music courtesy of APM.Our credits music is by Donora.
Cement City is an Odyssey original podcast from executive producers Jenna Weiss-Berman, Leah Reese Dennis, and Maddy Sprung-Kaiser.
To learn more about our series, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and X, at Cement City Productions, or visit our website at cementcity.org.
You are the sun to me.You are the world to me.You are the love for me.You are the love for me.You are the sun to me.You are the world to me.You are the love for me.You are the love for me.
You are the world for me You are the sun to me You are the world to me You are the world for me You are the world for me
I can't even begin to tell you how bad it was.It was Lord of the Flies in a building.It was called Straight Incorporated.
This is the story of Straight Incorporated, an experimental drug rehab for teenagers
that infiltrated communities across the country in the 1980s during the height of the war on drugs, where kidnapping, brainwashing, and torture were disguised as therapy.
It's the origin story of the troubled teen industry, which continues to profit from the desperation of parents and the vulnerability of their children.And its roots can be traced back to a cult called Synanon.How do I know this?
Because I lived through it. My name is Cindy Etler, and this is season two of The Sunshine Place.Listen to and follow The Sunshine Place, an Odyssey original podcast in association with Robert Downey Jr.and Susan Downey.
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