As is often the case, sometimes the worst of situations helps bring out the absolute best in people. The arrival of Winter Storm Jonas last week was certainly a case in point.

 

The storm dumped nearly two feet of snow over parts of Bridgeport and Harrison County and as a result, city staff and emergency service personnel here locally went above and beyond to try and minimize the impact. And as much as those folks appreciate your appreciation of them, they also understand it’s their duty and most of them thrive on it.

 

That said, due to the nature of my work I have to be a creature of social media. Amidst the humor and the complaints and everything else, there were multiple reports of good deeds by folks here in Bridgeport and beyond. In fact, there were enough of them that when I considered on how I would write about one over the others because mentioning them all would be too formidable, I struggled on how I would handle it.

 

Ultimately, I figured I would wait for someone to contact me. That happened Monday morning when my friend John Stogran sent me an email about one of his neighbors. Stogran is a 30-plus year resident of the city who built his current home on Wakefield, near the intersection with Millbrook. And it was his neighbors on Millbrook that put a smile on his face during one of the most dismal weather weekends in recent memory in Bridgeport.

 

“I was looking out back when the storm was full force Saturday; looking out the kitchen window and I can see all of this snow being blown 20 to 40 feet in the air,” said Stogran. “I was thinking that my neighbor must have a really good snowblower.”

 

As Stogran’s day proceeded the sight of blowing snow got his attention again. This time, his neighbors with the powerful snowblower was going across the street and doing another family’s driveway. Then, said Stogran, the neighbors in question went to the home of an elderly lady in the neighborhood and they cleared her driveway.

 

The neighbors were the husband and wife team of Johnnie and Jaclyn Rominger. And for anyone that knows either, they’re probably not surprised.

 

Although I don’t know Jaclyn well, I’m familiar with her parents and know that they are very highly regarded by those that know them. And I went to school with Johnny Rominger’s older sister Jackie and I know for sure that they come from good stock. Like those that read this and aren’t surprised, when Storgran told me who it was, I wasn’t surprised either.

 

“These are young folks who are just good people … they’ve proven that since they’ve moved here many times over,” said Stogran.

 

They proved it on Sunday when the couple was at it again. The Rominger’s told Stogran they were working their way up through parts of Wakefield as they were busy doing their good deeds.

 

“They were helping out with the homes of so many elderly people and what made it really unique in my mind is that you could tell how happy they were to be doing it,” said Stogran. “They were getting tremendous satisfaction from helping others without being asked to help. For someone like me who’s getting critical of everything as he gets older, this was something to see.”

 

It was also something that got Stogran motivated. And he said he wasn’t the only one.

 

“I guess I wasn’t the only one that noticed it. I think a bunch of us that were watching realized we needed to pull ourselves out of our homes and get out there and shovel,” said Stogran, who doubles as the president of the Bridgeport Development Authority and works for EQT. “This was a good experience for so many of us in so many different ways.”

 

As referenced earlier, Stogran admits to being a bit cynical. Honestly, I’m more cynical than ever and wonder how long it is before I become a full-fledged curmudgeon. Then, I hear stories about young couples who are leaders in the business world and in their community that do the right thing and it makes you hold back on that conversion to a grumpy old man just a little bit longer. Stogran said it made him pause too.

 

“In today’s world, seeing that couldn’t help but make you feel good. To see a young man and his wife out there like that and enjoying helping others unconditionally let me know that there’s still plenty of good left out there,” he said. “Even better, it let me know young folks aren’t afraid to take on responsibilities that aren’t necessarily their own. I’m sure there were others in Bridgeport doing the same, but I just felt this was a story worth telling.”

 

I couldn’t agree more. In fact, I’m hoping there are other stories worth sharing as well.

 

If you know of someone that helped you out or that you saw helping others out – whether it’s in Bridgeport or anywhere else for that matter – please feel free to add your comments in the comment section below. When it comes to good deeds, there should be not limit on what’s written.

 

Good job Rominger family. You did yourself, your families and your community proud.

 

Editor’s Note: Top photo, courtesy of John Stogran, shows Johnnie Rominger using his snow blower to clear the driveway of an elderly neighbor. Stogran, shown at a Bridgeport Development Authority meeting, is shown below.