The LuLac Ediition #654, Nov. 28th, 2008

PHOTO INDEX: WILKES BARRE FIRE CHIEF FRANCIS ECKER SHOWING OFF THE NEW CALL BOXES INSTALLED IN THE CITY BY BELL TELEPHONE IN 1968, OUR 1968 LOGO AND IN DESCENDING ORDER MAYOR LOU BARLETTA OF HAZLETON, TOM LEIGHTON OF WILKES BARRE AND CHRIS DOHERTY OF SCRANTON.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TIME!!!!

Any elected official, especially en executive like a Governor or Mayor will tell you their favoritie time of year has to be the holidays. Politics is put to the backburner for a short time and the elected officer gets to be the holiday ambassador to the city. In Hazleton this year Santa comes to the downtown on Dec. 6th and there is a more somber holiday event attended by many Hazleton residents. The Luzerne County of The NE PA Chapter 93 Bereaved Parents of the USA will hold a candle lighting ceremony at Faith United Church of Christ located at 21 Faith Drive, Hazleton (behind Independence Toyota.) The event will be held on Sunday December 14th at 7pm as part of World Wide Candle Lighting Day. A candle can be purchased as a memorial in memory of a child (any age) who has passed away. The candles will be lighted as part of a display in the church. The second Sunday in December each year is World Wide Candle Lighting day. Starting in New Zealand, families and friends light candles at 7 p.m., local time, for one hour to honor and remember the children who have died of any cause and at any age.

In Wilkes Barre City, Santa has already arrived but the Square is decorated with its signature lights and huge Christmas tree in the middle of the city. And Mayor Leighton has announced that there will be free meter parking in the downtown until after Christmas so holiday shoppers can go downtown. In Scranton, Chris Doherty was already on the tube touting the beautiful Nay Aug Park holiday lights display. Mrs. LuLac and I went last year courtesy of a few dear friends living in the Abingtons and even though we picked a rainy night, it was spectacular. I hope you take advantage of the holiday shopping and events in the big three cities in Lulac land this Christmas. It'll put a smile on your face and even take the minds of the Mayors off annoying things like trying to balance a budgt or staving off advocates or worse yet political foes gunning for their jobs.

1968

President Elect Richard Nixon goes on prime time national TV to introduce his Cabinet. Some of the players are John Mitchell, Attorney General, William Rogers, Secretary of State, David Kennedy at Treasury, Congressman Melvin Laird as Defense Secretary, Alaska Governor Walter Hickel, Interior, George Romney Secretary Housing and Urban Development, John Volpe Transportation, Robert finch, Health, Education and Welfare, George Shultz Labor and Maurice Stans, Commerce. The Cabinet included some old Eisenhower hands like Rogers and confidants like Robert Finch. Nixon even chose rivals for the top job like George Romney and one time Vice Presidential contender John Volpe. The Cabinet was hailed as a consensus building group but alas, that would not last very long. Nixon shunned the group and surrounded himself with advisers like Haldeman and Erlichman who kept the Cabinet at bay during Nixon’s first term……………..Elvis Presley goes on NBC TV on Dec. 3rd and does a comeback special that regenerates his career. The King was back with a vengeance….Here he is singing "Lawdy, Lawdy Miss Clawdy",

The Pennsylvania State Mines Department obtains land for pumps to be installed over South Wilkes Barre mine works……Grace Sloan prepares to take office as Pennsylvania State Treasurer…..in the Wilkes Barre area the Marco Polo Room on Northampton Street is destroyed by fire.......Pictured in our photo index Wilkes Barre Fire Chief Francis Ecker demonstrates a new Telephone Emergency Reporting System developed by Bell Telephone..... and the Wilkes Barre Housing Authority finds a site in the East End for a housing project for the elderly. And the number 1 song in LuLac land and America was Stevie Wonder's "For Once In My Life". From YOU TUBE: