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A snapshot of that evening carries much reason to be hopeful about the city's future. The Northwest Connecticut Young Professionals group didn't exist a few months ago. On Thursday night, dozens of bright, 20- and 30-something businessmen and women, entrepreneurs and educators were packed into the beautiful new digs of the brew pub, networking with each other and buzzing about what a group like this, and a place like this, could do for the area.
My personal optimism was strong because accompanying me were two of our newspaper's own young professionals, The Register Citizen's new editor and managing editor, Jordan Fenster and Viktoria Sundqvist. They are taking the helm of our newsroom at a time of exciting opportunity for change both in the city and at the paper.
At the center of the room on Thursday were two poster children of young professionals in Northwest Connecticut, if there ever were some - our youthful Mayor Ryan Bingham and his right-hand man, Steve Nocera.
If they weren't brimming with pride to be standing among this group, and in the long-awaited brew pub, finally open for business, they should have been.
Bingham could have a lasting impact on Torrington by being the young politician shaking things up. But imagine the impact he could have if he brought dozens of other young people, a generation of new leaders for Torrington, into positions of community leadership.
Meanwhile, the Cambridge House Brew Pub is one of those rare developments that have the potential to be a catalyst for downtown revitalization in a community.
Smaller shops that have opened - and downtown stalwarts who have stuck it out through the worst of times - are major parts of the puzzle. Expansion of the Warner Theatre and the continued success of its core concert and theatrical business are also key.
But the Cambridge House adds some missing ingredients. It has the potential to be a destination point for a demographic that's missing in downtown. It could unlock Torrington's potential as a spot for dining and nightlife - helping, rather than harming, nearby restaurants and bars in the process.
It puts Torrington on the map of what former Register Citizen Editor Jonathan Cooper - now our company's online guru - dubbed "the Connecticut Beer Trail," pubs and restaurants offering homegrown microbrews that people will travel to taste.
And it gives Torrington residents, businesspeople and government officials legitimate reason to be optimistic a renewed commitment to pulling out all the stops on downtown redevelopment.
Matt DeRienzo is publisher of The Register Citizen. He can be reached at 860-489-3121, ext. 350, or by email at mderienzo@registercitizen.com.
