Porterdale is a small community, but it has a big heart.

It wasn’t that long ago that Porterdale, because of the antics of some of its elected officials, was the laughingstock of the county.

The good people of Porterdale finally became tired of such foolishness, however, and elected a progressive City Council that, of late, has represented them with pride and dignity.

And if you drive through Porterdale today, you can’t help but notice a large brick structure that, at one time, was the pride of the community — the Porterdale Memorial Gym.

Porterdale is finalizing a restoration of the gym into an open-air pavilion. To mark the restoration, Main Street Porterdale and the Arts Association are sponsoring a special night of classical music at 7 p.m., Oct. 12. The Converse College Symphony Orchestra will perform at the gym, right across from the Porterdale City Hall. Admission is free.

We encourage you to join the Porterdale folks in an evening of celebration.