The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
The power of youth New mayor’s goal is to give people reasons to come to Bridgeport
the power of the youth. I am really glad to hear that,” said the affable Bridgeport Mayor who’s been told he’s the youngest mayor in the town’s history.
“A lot of people have said that I am but unfortunately I have not been able to definitively confirm whether this is true or not,” he said.
Barbee, a Democrat, had four years of experience as a Bridgeport Councilman representing Ward 1 when he defeated Republican Ray Gambone for the office last November.
Now a couple of months into his term and still buoyed by the confidence his legions of fans have placed on his shoulders, Barbee noted that it’s important to him to live up to their expectations.
“I always said I want to make everybody ‘Bridgeport proud’ and I’m pretty confident that I’m doing that,” he said.
“I really believe in Bridgeport and that our revitalization will continue to build and really come to fruition. I’m honored and excited to be the mayor helping lead the way in that regard. Bridgeport has always been close to my heart, with the Little League and the Lions Club, but I can’t say it really crossed my mind four years ago that I would be running for mayor one day.”
News that former mayor Ted Pruskowksi wasn’t running for re-election seemed to give Barbee the green light he needed to go after the Borough’s highest office.
“I knew I had what it takes. I felt that I could bring a lot of positivity to Bridgeport and as the mayor maybe it would turn some heads and get people to think, ‘well maybe Bridgeport’s not what I always thought it was.’ ”
What was the prevailing image of Bridgeport he saw looming in many folks’ minds?
“Bridgeport has very strong Irish-Italian-Polish roots and I think a lot of people have seen the town as a place that was kind of exclusive and maybe not as welcoming to outsiders … not even specific to race or nationality or sexual orientation, but people were just like, ‘if I don’t know you I’m not going to welcome you.’ They’re wary of you. And that certainly does still exist. But I think there’s a new regime of people coming in who are younger and willing to get involved,” Barbee said. “We have some young people on council. I’m really proud of the influx of young people and I can say that it is something I witnessed from the beginning. And that’s where everything that’s good about the town is coming from, because there were a lot of great things going on before. We want to acknowledge the tradition too and we’re not saying ‘let’s change everything.’ That’s why it was important for me to take part in some of the clubs that have been in the town for a long time.”
Barbee, a Bridgeport resident for nearly eight years, is a board member of the Bridgeport Little League and former president to the Bridgeport Upper Merion Lions Club.
“There were definitely people in some of the clubs when I walked in who were nowhere near your age and looked nothing like you. You just don’t know how you’re going to be received, especially when you’re young. Some people just want to write you off right away, that you’re too young to be doing what you’re doing. But I think I turned some non-believers into believers. And with the diversity of the ages and different people, it makes others feel like they can get involved too. There’s a lot history in the town,” he added, “and it’s important to recognize that as well. I think people respect you more when you recognize what they already have. I’m really proud of the Bridgeport Hall of Fame and preserving the history of the town at Borough Hall.”
Barbee grew up in Plymouth Meeting but recalled gravitating frequently to the Bridgeport-King of Prussia area in his teens.
“My mother was in the military and I was a military brat,” he said. “I always had friends at Upper Merion High School and would go to Bridgeport to hang out and now it’s pretty cool to me to think that I’m mayor of the town. It’s very surreal for me.”
Prior to the election, when asked which issue or issues were most important to him, Barbee allowed that “many of the most important issues that I have faced are personnel issues; these issues are highly confidential and can be a deterrent to the progress of the Borough. Learning how to communicate and balance transition of power is a crucial factor to our revitalization here.”
These days the man who, along with other council members, was instrumental in bringing a curbside recycling program to Bridgeport is
feeling decidedly gratified that the issues are pretty well resolved.
“In any work force there always seems to be personnel issues, but I can say now that it’s not in the forefront. Most of what’s on Bridgeport’s agenda is what’s coming into town, what events are coming into town, what’s going on with the carnival?”
Featuring such vendors as Frosty Falls, Conshohocken Brewing Co. and Bridgeport Rib House and music by a Mummers band, an inaugural carnival that took Bridgeport by storm last summer may ultimately help to fill the void left by the closing of the 89-year-old Our Lady of Mount Carmel street festival five years ago.
La Grande Festa Italiana had drawn revelers from all over the area to the heart of Bridgeport the second weekend every July