Letter to the editor: Beer coverage shows lack of bond between Westmoreland cities

There were two very different headlines on stories on the same topic, Pittsburgh Brewing Co. moving its Iron City Beer production from Latrobe to East Deer, in the Feb. 5 Tribune-Review Westmoreland (“City Brewing in Latrobe to lose Iron City account”) and Valley News Dispatch (“Something big on tap: Pittsburgh Brewing Co. to move into old PPG plant”) editions. This sums up the issues of struggling industrial towns in Westmoreland County, far from the center of the area, Greensburg. It’s like they are in another state.

You had a great opportunity to show how what was a crisis in one town became a triumph in another, in the form or running both headlines and articles in the same papers.

It is not like Iron City left the area and headed to Mexico; it went 35 miles across the county. From what I see on social media posts, City Brewing Co. will do just fine without Iron City, but this is a huge win for the Alle-Kiski area, in light of possible ATI layoffs.

People in Latrobe and Greensburg tend to, in my opinion, treat New Kensington, Vandergrift, etc. as the “red-headed stepchild” of the county. It is unfortunate. There are great strides being made to experience a rebirth in the area, and this move is a tremendous shot in the arm for the area.

There needs to be a closer bond between the named cities of Westmoreland County — Latrobe, Jeannette, Greensburg, Monessen, New Kensington, Lower Burrell and Arnold, the last three sharing the same ZIP code.

John Qualley

Penn Township, Westmoreland County