Over the past few months, people have been asking us about the Ashley’s Breaker project — many in concern that we’ve moved on. A key challenge with a project of this magnitude is certainly momentum. But, rest assured, Ashley’s Breaker has become such an integral part of our lives that it can’t — and won’t — be shelved.
The Ashley’s Breaker project is a labor of love. It’s something we think about every day, even when life and work take over. This winter, we’ve been consumed with our respective commitments (like earning a pay check), but the project has, indeed, progressed.
In December, we interviewed architect Andrew Hart, who did his undergrad thesis project on the Huber Breaker while he was a student at Temple University. Then, in January, we traveled to Scranton area to participate in some of the activities surrounding the anniversary of the Knox Mine Disaster, including a memorial service at the actual site along the Susquehanna River in Port Griffith (blog post coming soon).
Locally, we’ve met numerous times at what has become our favorite brainstorming spot — the Centre Square Diner — to map out the project’s story arc, a process that has led us to personify the breaker as a sick patient (yes, we went there; it’s fascinating).
And even now, as we’re making plans to travel to Ashley to record soundtrack music with cellist Sheila Hershey, I find myself anxiously awaiting summer, when we can, once again, immerse ourselves in PA’s coal culture and spend time with our new friends.
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