(alarm blaring) (train honks) - [Narrator] From the looks of this town, there's not much going on, but there's quite a story behind what you're seeing.

(car engine revs) - [Man] This front area here is dropped probably six feet.

- [Narrator] This town is in trouble, like many local communities, but what's different here are some unusual roadblocks in the fight to come back.

- We thought that the town was going to be revived, remodeled.

- We are hostages.

We are absolutely hostages.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] During the next half hour, anyone with connections to a small town will appreciate what they see.

- [Man] We're gonna raise it and we're gonna raise it at your expense.

The law allows us to do that.

(crowd cheering) (upbeat music) - [Narrator] And understand why people here are fighting for change in this OnQ Special, "One Year in Brownsville."

(food sizzling) (slow piano music) - [Woman] It's a place to meet.

You meet all your friends here.

- Denise, how you doing?

- I'm doing fine.

- [Woman] We know everyone here.

We can sit down and talk to anybody.

(people chattering) You know.

(people chattering) It's just one of those places.

I think every town has one.

- [Narrator] And Brownsville has Fiddles Diner.

- [Woman] Can eat, hot dog, a toast of bun and a dark mustard and onion.

- Dark mustard and onion.

Okay.

Thank you.

- [Narrator] Betty and Melvin Sally are regulars.

They've been coming here, a lifetime.

- 1924, 25.

I have the picture eating hot dogs here, Fiddles Hot Dogs was fiddles inn, under the bridge here in my little sailor suit, I had a sailor hat and I'm still eating them now.

(laughs) - [Betty] Fiddles all, everyone came to Fiddles.

If you look at these booths, I know our initials around here in one of these booths.

- They're original booths and people all through the years have carved their names in them and they just, they come in, even from out of town and they look for their name in a booths.

So a lot of history in these booths.

(slow piano music) - [Narrator] And the history of Fiddles reflects the history of Brownsville, which is nestled on the banks of the Monongahela river in Fayette County.

(train honking) The community blossomed in the early 1900s, among the most vibrant of the Mon Valley towns.

(upbeat music) River traffic floats.

(ships hooting) (train honking) Trains rumbled through at all hours.

Coal was King in the region and with the national road running right through the heart of the town, the business district thrived right through the 1960s.

(camera clicking) (upbeat music) - [Betty] The town was booming.

- [Dick] We had so much business in town.

We had probably four shoe shine parlours.

- We had like 21 beer gardens on the main street in Brownsville.

Every other door was in beer garden.

- [Betty] The stores were wonderful.

- [Narrator] And this rare film from 1964 shows it, Market Street was downtown.

For people living in Brownsville and all the coal patch towns around.

- [Betty] We had ladies stores.

We had carts.

We had Golsteins.

We had Siddlers.

We had, a big five and 10.

- Okay, give one little squirt and you're done.

- Okay.

- [Narrator] The ladies here remember too.

They've had standing appointments at Norma's beauty shop for years.

You can almost see the memories in their faces.

- [Charma] I was born here.

I lived here for 70 years.

Growing up here, the town had all kind of stores and most people shopped on Saturday evening and you had to walk out in the street there were so many people on the sidewalks.

- [Woman] Okay?

- [Narrator] Just about everyone in town has stories of the golden days, those times and these people mean a lot to Norma Ryan.

- [Norma] I've done their hair so long that it's not like they're patrons anymore.

They're my friends.

- [Narrator] Because when she's not running her beauty shop, - Mayor's office may help you.

- [Narrator] She's running Brownsville.

- (mumbles) is in the office, - [Narrator] Norma is the mayor.

- [Norma] I was born in Brownsville.

Have lived here all my life.

There's a lot to be done in the community.

There's forever seeking grants, forever networking.

I attend every meeting that is available.

That's outside of our area as far as Harrisburg, to make sure that everyone knows that Brownsville exists.

(upbeat band music) (crowd clapping) - [Narrator] And everyone who knew the Brownsville of the baby boom era, when parades were so big you could barely find a spot to watch them.

When the streets were teaming with people, they might be surprised to see it now.

(upbeat band music) - [Woman] Now there's nothing.

- [Man] It's hard to believe what has happened to this town.

- [Charma] It's very, very sad to get down to Brownsville now.

To see all that gone in the storage (mumbles) up.

(slow piano music) There is absolutely nothing here and there's nothing for young people.

- Basically it's an abandoned town.

- [Narrator] So what happened to Brownsville?

- [Mike] Everything started moving out of town, every, you know, with, you know, the malls moving in and the, you know, the Kmarts and a Walmarts, all their commerce started to close down in town.

- I believe that when you live in a community and it decreases in such small increments that you sometimes allow it to just put blinders on.

There's times that I've ride through town and not even notice the decline, not notice the deterioration until someone comes in and says," Oh my goodness, what happened to this town?"

And then you sort of open your eyes and blink a little and say," Yes, it does look bad."

- [Narrator] It looks bad enough from the street level and most people have never seen it from above.

- [Norma] What you can't see is the roofs have fallen in and that's the part that makes the, the real frightening part of these buildings.

When you lose a roof on a building, you've lost the interior, you've lost the integrity of the building.

(slow melancholic music) - [Narrator] And if you look closer at those condemned signs, you'll see the same name over and over and over again.

The Liggetts.

Marilyn and Ernest better known as Gene.

- [Announcer] Gene, and Marilyn Liggett want to bring the hustle and bustle back to, - [Narrator] This video from KDKA dates back to 1994, one of the last times, the couple from Churchill went on camera.

Back then the Liggetts were buying up Brownsville and now own the majority of downtown's empty building space.

- [Norma] When Mr. Liggett first approached Barc council, he came in with some beautiful drawings and with a lot of excitement, a lot of support in the community because we all wanted to see something happen in the community.

- Well, It gave a lot of hope, at first, because we thought that, that the town was going to be revived, remodeled and you know, and bring people back into town.

- [Narrator] And Gene Liggett pitched those promises at town meetings like this one.

- Today.

I want each of you to do something that hasn't been done in Brownsville for far too long.

I want you to believe in Brownsville as much as you believe in yourself.

Can you do that?

- Yes.

(crowd laughing) - Can you do that?

- Yes.

(laughing) - I want you to put lack of trust, long-term animosities, resentment, disruption, and disunity in the garbage where they belong.

Can you do that?

- [Crowd] Yes.

- Can you do that?

- [Crowd] Yes.

- [Norma] So of course, many of us jumped on the bandwagon and we're believers.

In the beginning most people were supportive.

We've always had skeptics always and you always will.

Well some of those same skeptics are the people today that are," I told you so," kind of people.

(mumbles) - [Bob] When Liggett arrived here approximately 15 years ago, I could see through him, the town could not, the town jumped on the bandwagon.

- I think that the community owes just a (mumbles), a lot of support (mumbles) - [Norma] It took us, a few years to realize that nothing was really happening.

That, that was a little bit of a pipe dream.

Then the whole story changed.

We went from first being a outlet community with upscale outlet shops.

Then the philosophy changed to gambling, to riverboat gambling and then it changed to casino gambling and the whole story kept changing, but yet nothing was happening.

- Nothing but promises, broken promises.

No Indians, no casinos, no slot machines.

No retail, no ferris wheels, nothing.

- [Narrator] Buildings owned by the Liggets sitting and rotting.

- Decay.

We are hostages.

We are absolutely hostages.

- [Narrator] Looking at Brownsville now it doesn't seem to matter anymore who said what or when, most people just want the Liggets to either sell the buildings, fix them up or tear them down.

But are they listening?

- [Norma] I don't sense that because I don't see anything happening.

I just, have heard a lot of excuses.

There's a difference between reasons and excuses and I don't seem to hear a real reasoning.

It just seems to be excuses.

This whole section, they had listed as M2, which is heavy industrial and so we had to have it changed and we've, - [Narrator] Meantime, Norma and other community leaders say they're doing their best to move forward.

Barc, The Brownsville Area Revitalization Corporation goes after grants and restores what it can.

Preservation of what's known as the Flat Iron Building is a point of pride.

- Joe and I are the oldest people in the, in the whole town.

- [Narrator] It's an art museum, heritage center and Barc's headquarters.

- It does take people and it is going to take money.

We just know that if we, if we do nothing, nothing's going to happen and so we just try to stay on the positive side of things and hope that our efforts pay off in the long run.

(coins jingling) (people cheering) - [Man] That's the winner!

- [Narrator] Perhaps a payoff most of Brownsville, seniors will never see.

- (mumbles) - [Man] Fuck you.

- [Man] Now look like you.

- [Man] (mumbles) - Where the hell are you?

- [Narrator] Still, they enjoy this small town and it's simple rituals like the quarter pitch every day after lunch, outside Fiddles, a place with an uncertain future of its own.

- [Mike] I don't know if it'll be around.

I really don't.

It's harder and harder each year to keep it open.

I'm hoping that something does happen in Brownsville that will bring people back to Brownsville.

- [Dick] Never say never and a hopefully some, if it's riverboat gambling or whatever.

Whatever it takes to give us a shot of adrenaline to make this town come back.

You never give up hope.

- How's everything doing, - [Narrator] And that is something mayor Norma Ryan says she will never do.

- I don't know what's going on yet.

- They told you to get out or anything, I don't know that I will see everything accomplished, it's a part of my dream and my passion but I'd like to feel that I helped.

(slow piano music) Not alone.

We cannot do it alone.

I'm a very positive person and I know that we will come back.

I know that Brownsville is going to be a destination again.

(slow piano music) - [Narrator] On this blustery spring day in Brownsville.

People are sprucing up the town.

- [Norma] The event will be happening right across the street, in front of the Oddfellow building.

Because our junior council people, we want them to wear them tonight.

So that, - [Narrator] Mayor Norma Ryan meets with an advanced team from the governor's office.

- You closing off the street?

- Yes, we are.

Three o'clock we're gonna close the street after the bus, - [Narrator] They iron out last minute details.

- We, we have to wait till the governor arrives and then we're gonna do like a little ribbon cutting.

- [Narrator] Volunteers set up chairs in the middle of Market Street.

The crowd gathers in anticipation while the school choir rehearses (choir sings) and the marching band (band plays) goes through its numbers one last time.

Brownsville is hoping for happier days.

That's why flags are flying in the business district in preparation for a visit from governor Ed Rendell.

People here can't remember a Pennsylvania governor ever coming to town.

- [Announcer] Without further ado, governor, please step forward.

(crowd clapping) - [Narrator] He came with a check for $150,000.

The money will be used by Brownsville community leaders to crack down on property owners who've let downtown buildings fall into disrepair and ruin.

- And that check is gonna allow us to set up shop right here in the Oddfellow building.

It's gonna allow us to have a full-time enforcement officer.

It's gonna allow us to have attorneys in the administrative staff so we can go after and, and this is not meant to be, to be mean or nasty or cruel to anybody.

This is meant to say, this is Brownsville.

We're gonna bring Brownsville back.

You either bring your building back to code so it can be redeveloped or we're going to raise it and we're going to raise it at your expense.

The law allows us to do that.

(crowd cheering) The law allows us to do that.

- [Narrator] And there was more good news.

You may remember how wealthy businessman and Fayette County commissioner Joe Hardy, - And I think they, they put a billion bucks in, but I think I spent five or six (laughs).

- [Narrator] Donated several million dollars of his own money to revitalize downtown Uniontown also in Fayette County.

Well, at this gathering, - He just whispered in my ear.

- [Narrator] Governor Rendell told the crowd that commissioner Hardy wanted to help Brownsville too.

- So Joe has asked me to announce that he's gonna personally match the, the state's gift for $150000.

(crowd cheering) - [Narrator] After the governor spoke to the crowd he spoke to OnQ (crowd clapping) about his role in Brownsville's future.

- Once we get rid of the blight, it's gonna open up avenues for new development.

I believe that will all my heart, particularly after seeing this great (mumbles) today.

- [Narrator] And this first phase of getting rid of the decay here, has a slogan, "Bright Tomorrow."

- That he owns 73%.

- [Narrator] These men from the governor's office of housing and community revitalization, named the program and are assigned to see it through.

- [Norma] Owns and then he owns the next three or four.

- On the other side of the Oddfellow?

- Correct.

- [Jeri] The feeling I got, is kinda like a town that time forgot, but the people didn't.

We have to get a handle on the problems we have in Brownsville, through code enforcement and assuming the community, follows through with what's planned for a serious concentrated code enforcement effort in the next year, the next thing would be perhaps infrastructure improvements, curbs and sidewalks, tree planning, street lighting.

So the, the future's bright, just like the slogan says and I think it's because of the people that are here and they're not quitters.

Nobody in Western Pennsylvania is.

- [Larry] We have to address our older communities.

Our core communities whether it's Brownsville or Connellsville or Uniontown in Fayette County, or Monessen, Jeanette, Greensburg, Arnold, New Kensington and Westmorland and, and those old communities in the Mon Valley as an example.

Those are the places that built this state.

(train honking) We have to address those if we're gonna turn Pennsylvania around.

Certainly mayor Ryan is just a zealous advocate, not shy about getting the state's attention.

Certainly the governor's attention, my attention, and really asking us almost pleading with us that, that she needed help.

- I've got more letters from Norma Ryan than almost any mayor in the state.

On every subject and, and, and she's, she's a believer and, and you can't do anything here without believing that it can be done and she believes and the council believes and most of the people believe.

- Oh, what a glorious day.

It's been absolutely greater than I ever thought.

(laughing) - [Narrator] Now with check-in hand, mayor Ryan and other community leaders will hire that code enforcement officer to go after building owners like Gene Liggett and others who own vacant, dilapidated property in Brownsville.

- [Norma] This is like first phase.

This is this designated downtown area.

Once this is accomplished and once we've evaluated and once they're working on what needs to be done to each and every building to bring it up to code, then you move to another section of town.

Do we have another blighted area?

And yes we do.

Do we have other areas that need attention?

Yes.

So then we moved to another area.

So that's the goal here that this is the beginning.

- If you put a little cafe in one store, - [Narrator] A beginning that includes bringing new business to town.

- No listen they cycle for us (laughs) - [Narrator] Like Pennoni associates, a Philadelphia based engineering firm that set up a small office on Market Street.

- [Dan] And we're playing an important role in Brownsville by opening up an office here.

We have an office in the historic, Flat Iron Building here in town.

We're gonna be very much involved with the Mon Fayette expressway engineering and design, which is finally getting going and we're certainly wanna be a part of, of the, local business here in Brownsville.

- I'm hopeful that we see businesses flourishing in Brownsville, people moving into town, wanting to stay here instead of leaving the area and a place that our children can call home.

- Well, the governor come and putting his resources and influence here.

I think it's gonna be a great shot in the arm and I think there'll be others to come, piggyback on what he's doing.

- As my colleague the governor of California says, "I'll be back."

(crowd cheering) - [Narrator] Mayor Norma Ryan hopes so.

She and other community leaders plan to go after more funding for the business district.

For the riverfront and other projects throughout Brownsville.

- It's, been down so long, that now to begin that road up is great, (piano music) (people chattering) - [Norma] With all of them on our side and God on our side, we can't go wrong.

(truck engine revs) - It's quite a challenge.

(debris falling) There are probably 128 buildings here, (truck lift revving) in downtown Brownsville that I will be inspecting.

- [Narrator] To start those inspections Don boss starts from the top with help from the fire department, he checks out rooftops in the business district.

- [Donald] This front area here is dropped probably six feet.

The first building we inspected, the roof of that building was in very poor condition.

There are some areas where the roof is actually sunk, probably six to seven feet down.

There are many holes in the roof.

It, it appeared to me that the possibly the air conditioning units had fallen clear through the building.

- [Narrator] On this summer day, we went back to Brownsville to meet the boroughs new code enforcement officer.

- [Donald] This is my first day.

I got to see a lot.

- Hello.

- [Man] How are you?

- [Narrator] And the people of Brownsville, we'll be seeing more of Don.

He'll assess each building and make sure the owners receive official notice of code violations.

Those who don't make repairs will be cited, called into court.

Those who still do nothing will have their buildings seized and demolished.

This property is among the first to go.

(machine revs) - [Donald] There are some buildings with the, the facades are leaning.

Some of them may be too dangerous to go into.

- These are the names that you were looking for.

- Oh, great, okay, - [Narrator] That grant from Harrisburg pays for Don's office, his salary, his assistant's too and covers legal fees.

One property owner Gene Liggett says he feels it is money not well spent.

Liggett's quote over the telephone.

"This money could have been better used "in a more constructive way.

"This isn't going to resolve anything other than more "citations to property owners.

"I would hope there is still opportunity for a conversation "between property owners and the leadership in Brownsville "before we embark on this agenda to cure the economic ills "of Brownsville."

- [Norma] Mr. Liggett has been cited time after time, to renovate, to bring it up to code.

He was ordered by court order to demolish the building.

- Mayor Norma Ryan and Jerry Stump from the governor's office expect some property owners will fight the code enforcement but they're ready.

- [Jerry] Before, instead of a level playing field, the municipality was down here and the property owner that owned a lot of the property was here and we're now leveling the playing field but we now feel that with a tough code and enforcement program and the resources to go to court, if necessary, the municipality is, has an upper hand, or at least is on an equal footing.

(truck engine revs) - [Narrator] And Brownsville has a promise from the governor's office.

- [Governor Ed] We will follow the code enforcement activities and help wherever we need to help them.

- [Narrator] Help, people say is long overdue, those who've toughed it out in Brownsville hoping to see change are used to pretty much, - Nothing.

Depression.

People, people like this town.

I think they'd really like to see something happen here.

- I think some, some small businesses can survive and I think we would support more if we can get them in here.

- [Narrator] Once they get rid of the blight.

By December this building is gone.

One year after our coverage in Brownsville began, we found mayor Ryan back on Market Street.

- If you would tell Bud that my recommendation is we put a six foot fence up not four.

- [Narrator] And what she just told that worker is one of her last orders as mayor.

- Well lost the election by 11 votes.

This is for shredding.

- [Narrator] Half the town voted for Norma the other half and a few more voted her out.

- [Norma] Was I hurt?

I sure was, was I disappointed?

Yes.

All the hurt kind of words.

Go with it.

Yeah.

Disappointment for not only me, but for a hardworking committee.

I was, - [Narrator] Was it small town politics, a more qualified opponent or a troubled community?

Not sure which way to turn, Norma Ryan is not speculating and she isn't looking back.

- I think there's something more that I need to do before I meet my maker.

Hey, hi, Paul, how are you doing?

I'm the kind of person that yep hurts there.

I cry it out I get over it and then say, " Well, what's next in my life."

- [Narrator] What's next.

Even more changes for this mayor who also ran a beauty shop.

She's closing it to spend more time on community work, saying goodbye to customers she's known for 40 years.

- [Norma] I'm sure they'll be disappointed and I don't feel that too.

I'll sense that too, because they are my friends.

I know about their families.

I know all about their lives.

- That's is so wonderful, thank you dear.

- [Narrator] And of course, everyone in town knows Norma, the mayor who did hair on the side.

- [Norma] Bob, how you doing?

- [Narrator] Who stopped by Fiddles, next door for lunch.

- We were just discussing your desk.

- [Norma] On my last day here I will take the money that I collected in my cuss jar.

- [Narrator] The mayor who made people pay up if they swore in her office.

- And then they quit cussing, so the jar isn't really full, but you know what mission accomplished.

Each, little, item that I touch, whether it be just this piece of paper with information, whether it be a piece of art, whether it be an award.

Gosh, that was 2002.

Whatever it may be really touches me with a special memory that I have of past and that it's been a wonderful four years.

- [Narrator] The new year will find Norma on the board that oversees the hospital in Brownsville and as you'd expect, she'll keep working with community groups fighting to bring Brownsville back.

- It's getting our plans for the downtown and we've got some great plans for down there were really, I will never stop as long as I'm living, working towards revitalization of Brownsville.

You'll drive through this town and not see boarded up windows and not see, what's been a town that's abandoned because we're going to bring life back to the town.

I know we will, there will be a difference in that street.

(upbeat music) (debris crashing) (crowd clapping) (upbeat music)