Bringing a twinkle to downtown
Portage native works to bring activity back to Main StreetBy David Hurst, dhurst@altoonamirror.com
Article Photos
Fact Box
THE FOX FILE
Name: Bonnie Fox
Family: Husband, Bob
Background: Born in St. Benedict; moved to
Portage as a child
Education: 1984 Portage Area High School
graduate
Community service: Part of a group that spearheaded Portage Winterfest; Portage Area Planning Commission member since 2008
PORTAGE - Downtown Portage has been a bit brighter since Bonnie Fox came back to town.
Since the Portage woman came home in 2005, she's been a big part of efforts that brought the now-annual Winterfest celebration downtown and boosted Main Street's light-up night.
And then there's the storefront window at the long-dormant former department store where Fox and her husband, Bob, hope to open a coffee shop and ice cream parlor one day soon.
Since the couple bought the former Schoenfeld's store on Main Street, the display window has become an ever-changing, eye-catching attraction.
"The display is just like everything else, I think," Fox said recently. "If you have something different to show people, they'll go out of their way to see it. It makes a difference in town."
A 1984 Portage Area High School graduate who spent most of her early years in town, Fox logged a lot of miles across the country over two decades before returning to Portage four years ago.
She and her husband were married in 1986, and in the years that followed, Bob's career in the Navy took them to Philadelphia, Mississippi, Virginia, Connecticut and California - twice - before his 2005 retirement.
"We thought about staying in California, but the cost of living and family kind of prompted us to want to come back to Pennsylvania," she said.
With the idea of opening their own business in mind, the couple looked at sites in Altoona and Johnstown, but downtown Portage - specifically, the multi-story Schoenfeld Building - caught their eye.
"We weren't even thinking about coming back to Portage but it's one of those things," Bob Fox said.
"And after we saw that Realtor's sign in the [Schoenfeld] window," Bonnie Fox said, "it was love at first sight."
Their plans for the coffee shop, currently called Sweet Memories, remain a work in progress. The couple is working to bring back some of the store's old charm such as its tin ceiling and other eye-catchers, while planning to add a lengthy bar for coffee and ice cream and tables where customers can enjoy lunch items and homemade baked goods.
They hope to have the shop open by late next year.
Meanwhile, the couple renovated the upstairs into their new home, furnishing it with '50s-era charm.
Borough officials have credited the couple for their creative investment in the downtown and have hopes others will follow their lead.
But Bonnie Fox's efforts outside her Main Street home have drawn the most attention.
After attending a Portage Area Planning Commission meeting, she and a fellow Portage promoter, Polly Vandzura, took the reins after the commission was approached about the possibility of a winter event in town. A few months later, Winterfest was born.
"Summerfest brings so many people here but in the winter, everyone locks themselves inside and nobody sees each other. We wanted to change that," Bonnie Fox said, adding she loves the winter months. "From the beginning, we encouraged the downtown businesses to be involved and it has taken off."
The borough has since scheduled downtown events like the annual light-up night and the Christmas parade during Winterfest weekend, set for Dec. 11-13 this year.
The planning is now a nearly yearlong task, she said, and about a dozen people on a planning commission committee handle the preparation, said Fox, who is a planning commission member.
While a bit surprised the event is now in its third year, she's not surprised the community has embraced it.
"The people in Portage aren't given enough credit. They want to see more things downtown. They embrace stuff like this," Fox said.
Local officials say they have noticed and are lucky to have folks like Fox in town.
"Bonnie is just one of those people who always has a positive outlook," said Portage Borough Manager Robert Koban. "She has a vision of hope for the future of this town and she doesn't just carry the message - she leads by example."
Oftentimes, "it's the little things," he added, mentioning her Main Street storefront's often-changing mannequin display as an example.
"For Veterans Day, there was a display honoring those in the service. You never know what to expect, but people are always looking for it when they come to town," Koban said. "She does an incredible job."
He recalled Fox even built a large snowman on a downtown sidewalk, welcoming passers-by and drawing plenty of attention.
"We just did it for something fun, but people loved it. We put a red plaid hunting hat on top of its head and every few days, the hat would change," she said, adding she had no idea who was swapping the hats.
"People noticed that, too," she said, noting that might not be the case in larger downtowns.
She said she has learned to appreciate being able to walk down a street "where you can wave at everyone."
"I just feel if you live in a town, and especially if you have a business here, you should be a part of it," she said.
"That's definitely the case with Bonnie," said Koban. "She wants to see a bright future for Portage. And she's doing everything she can to help make it happen."
Mirror Staff Writer David Hurst is at 946-7457.
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RazMnaz
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11-23-09 9:02 AM
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Great Story! The town of Portage always had a nice little downtown, and this woman is helping make it nicer. Can a place like Downtown Altoona be like this? It was at one time, and probably will never be like that again, I'm afraid. I guess it because there's not enough people that have the available resources interested.
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