Laurel: To a tradition of commitment. Communities function not only on the jobs done by employees but also on the work people volunteer to do. And that public service does not always end with a retirement date — or stop with one generation.
Butch Michalowski officially stepped down as chief of Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Company after 31 years in the role and 57 years of service. In reality, not much changed once he wasn’t at the helm. When the fire whistle sounded Jan. 12, two weeks after his retirement, he answered it.
Michalowski’s roots with the department run deep. There were childhood trips to the station with his father and grandfather. He grew up close enough to hear the alarms — and close enough to feel responsible for answering them.
And while Michalowski might not be in charge now, the guy who is has the same name.
That lifelong commitment carries on through his son, Ed, who succeeded him as chief, and his grandson, Dylan, a fifth-generation firefighter. In an era when volunteer departments struggle to recruit, Pleasant Valley stands as a reminder that service is often taught at home — and sustained by example.
Lance: To a sudden loss. When a fire hits, it might affect a home or a family. Sometimes, though, it attacks something larger — a place that held a community together.
Ruthie’s Diner, a Route 30 landmark for generations, was destroyed by fire just hours after closing for the night. By morning, only the frozen, charred remains were left where families, regulars and visitors once gathered.
Firefighters battled brutal cold and ice as flames tore through the building, which had stood for decades as a familiar stop in Ligonier Township. No foul play is suspected, but the cause remains under investigation.
Known for fresh pies, classic diner fare and familiar faces behind the counter, Ruthie’s was more than a business. It was part of the town’s rhythm — the kind of place “everybody went,” according to Shirley Iscrupe, an archivist at Ligonier Public Library. There is a documented history that was built one plate at a time.
Buildings can be rebuilt. What burned away here was shared memory — and that cannot be replaced.
