As a long-time New Castle lawyer and athletics coach, Greg Crider has seen the city's resilient nature firsthand.
Factories closed and the economy struggled, but New Castle residents still stepped up when they were asked to. On Monday morning, Crider described some of those moments to a group of about 12 state officials in town for a site visit as part of the city's application for an $11.5 million grant.
Crider said the dedication and giving attitude of people here helped bring the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, got the Danielson Learning Center started and built the Aquatic Center at Baker Park and a new YMCA.
"I guess we're like a boxer," Crider told a crowd gathered at the Hall of Fame. "We keep getting body blows but we keep coming back."
Crider's presentation on philanthropic giving was part of a day full of events organized to convince state officials that New Castle should receive the grant money and be named one of the state's first Stellar Communities.
Through a pilot program, about 45 cities applied to be a Stellar Community. The state has already narrowed the field down to 12 finalists.
In March, after visiting each of the finalist cities, the state will name two winners who will split about $20 million in grant money for quality-of-life projects.
New Castle wants to use the money to demolish abandoned homes, to build sidewalks connecting parks and schools, to find a new senior center and to update the downtown streetscape.
On Monday, representatives from the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority were in New Castle from about 11 a.m. until about 2:30 p.m.
Mayor Jim Small and Director of Public Works Jeana Davis greeted the representatives at the Hall of Fame to start the day.
There, Crider, Davis and Small each gave brief speeches about New Castle.
Then, the state officials got on a city bus to see Baker Woods across from New Castle Chrysler High School, Maxwell Park on I Avenue and the Belmont area - all three stand to benefit from Stellar Community grant money.
At 12:30 p.m. at the New Castle-Henry County Public Library, volunteers from various New Castle churches served the state officials a meal they had prepared.
Presentations were given during lunch on other programs that would be initiated through the grant money, like a homeowner repaint program, a Safe Routes to School program and a demolition program.
After lunch, the state officials continued to tour New Castle on the city bus before visiting the Fieldhouse and returning to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Small said late Monday afternoon that the representatives left with a good impression of the city.
During the mayor's presentation earlier in the day, Small told the crowd at the Hall of Fame that New Castle is rebounding from past economic struggles.
"It's just a place I love," the mayor said.
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