It was an ordinary day. Opened the front door and grabbed my morning newspaper off the floor of my entranceway. I have one of the best paper delivery guys that anyone could wish for. He places my paper in a plastic bag and stands it against the front door so when I pull my front door opent...my newspaper falls into my entrance foyer. Well, my paper a day or so ago faced me from the floor of my villa with a headline in 72+ point type that read..."LIVING THE SKY LIFE." Article told the story of a place known as Willow Valley which operates a retirement community to the South of the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania and has now decided to dominate the city of Lancaster with a 20 floor skyscraper, the tallest building in The Red Rose City. Beneath a photograph taken by newspaper photographer Suzette Wenger was a story telling about Willow Valley beginning construction on their building to be known as "Mosaic" which will overlook Lancaster's Griest Building and Lancaster's historic Central Market House. I must admit that the model of Mosaic, that covers close to half of the front page of the morning newspaper, looks impressive with its skyscraper appeal and it's glass windows that will soon dominate the historical downtown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a city that at one time was our nation's capitol for a day. I actually love the architecture and the looks of the building, but why in historical downtown Lancaster which is an historical town that has beautiful stone and brick architectural buildings designed by famous architects using architectural styles as diverse as Queen Anne, Beaux-Arts and Colonial Revival. Will Modern Age architecture look correct in downtown Lancaster? I can just imagine architect C. Emlen Urban rolling over in his grave, wondering what has happened to "good 'ole Lancaster City." Yeah, I know a four-story red brick building was added along one of the sides of the skyscraper, but will this do for the people of Lancaster who have lived here for generations and whose relatives may have perhaps developed the city with red bricks and mortar? One sentence in the story seems to tell it all when it read..."We're not setting out to build a fortress in the center of the city. You want this to be welcoming." Well, to many, it will look like a fortress and the old-timers won't go for it? I'm anxious to see and hear what the many people who have called Lancaster "Home" for their entire lifetime, will think about the design as shown on the front of the newspaper. I'm wondering how many will want to be "Living The Sky Life." I guess I will soon find out! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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