Greetings—

I'm Carly McCoy. I'm the person who crafts these newsletters. But when I write, I use the editorial "we"—because I'm speaking for Rivers of Steel as an organization. That said, the core of who we are as an organization is really a representation of the values, talents, and even relationships of who we are as individuals. From our Board of Directors and staff to our volunteers and patrons, the individual level is often reflective of the passions and interests that many of us hold.

At the same time, we also celebrate the unique journeys of our community members. That's one of the reasons we choose to launch a new series, called Profiles in Steel, to highlight those stories. Up first is an interview with Ed Parrish, a sculptor and metalworker who also is Rivers of Steel's metal arts coordinator and furnace master.

This week we also get to hear from Kirsten Paine, a local scholar who is a tour guide at the Carrie Blast Furnaces. In her piece, Getting to the Heart of the Hardest Working River, she takes us behind the scenes, reflecting on the creation of the riverboat tour of the Monongahela that she authored, which runs for two weekends only this spring, starting today.

And once you've gotten to know Ed & Kirsten a bit, you may just want to register for their programs—links are included below, along with a couple other fun, upcoming events.

Enjoy and take care!