The LuLac Edition #2403, April 18th, 2013

MORE ON BOSTON

Dupont native and St. John the Baptist School alumni Drew Wasko getting fluids during the 2013 Boston Marathon. (Photo: EmmieWASK)

A sign made up by the family for Drew at Boston. (Photo: EmmieWASK)

Drew with his daughter Emma at the Boston Marathon. (Photo: EmmieWASK)

The three amigos in the late 1960s. (Photo: LuLac archives) 

DUPONT, PA TO BOSTOM, MA. 

As I heard the news about the bombing at the Boston Marathon Monday, my first thought was how many people from LuLacland might have been there. When  I saw the news reports on TV and heard them on the radio I realized many people here had a connection to a runner there. I later realized after processing the day that even I had a connection with a runner. 
Throughout the editions of LuLac, I’m sure I’ve made references to the Wasko Brothers of Dupont. I went to the now closed and destroyed St. John the Baptist Slovak School and Church on William Street in Pittston with both Bob and Drew. Bob was in my class and Drew was a year ahead of me but riding the bus route that took us from the Junction in Pittston, through Duryea, Avoca and Dupont back down to Pittston City presented me with an opportunity to bond with the Wasko Brothers. With Bob it was Sports and World War II dramas on TV like “Combat”. With Drew, it was all about the music. I’m sure Drew and I drove the nuns crazy by studying the WARM and WSCR survey sheets more closely in the Library (yes the assassinated school also had a state of the art library back then courtesy of Father Super and the Christian Mothers) than our geography lessons. 
Even when Bob and Drew moved away to Johnson City New York in the summer of ’67, we kept in touch by mail exchanging those survey sheets. After high school, we lost touch but through the magic of the Internet we connected again. Despite the intervening years and events like our marriages, the birth of their kids and the deaths of our fathers, we essentially picked up where we left off. 
In May of 2008 when we had a St. John the Baptist Class reunion (the school and the church were still standing then) it was like a flashback in time to the days when life (even though we didn’t realize it) was pretty damn good. At the reunion, Drew told me he was a participant in the Scranton Marathon as well as the Boston one too. 
Tuesday morning, Drew contacted me about his experience in Boston Here’s what he wrote on the e mail machine: 
I was there running my 21st consecutive Boston Marathon. I finished 10 minutes before the bombs went off, way to close for comfort. The ending of this was horrible. We're all fine but the hour or so after the 2 blasts, (which I saw the 2nd), were very intense. I couldn't locate my kids. This being because I was diverted from the normal path to let Emergency crews through. In the meantime they are getting hysterical because I'm not showing up. Needless to Say, they were only a 1/2 block away from the blasts (all ok). It was very chaotic, with emotions running high all over the place. Bob, My Sister Marybeth and Brother in law Pat were @ Copley Sq just also just a 1/2 block away, they are fine also. It's not how I want to remember this Boston, but I'll never forget it. 
When I got that communication, I had a sigh of relief. Drew, 60, says he’ll continue to run and do what most guys from Dupont usually do after a close call. Using the words of the old war movies his brother Bob and I used to obsess over, Drew Wasko, his fellow runners and the city of Boston will go on and “never retreat”.

Scranton Mayoral candidate Liz Randol. (Photo: Keystone Politics.com)

RANDOL USING SOCIAL MEDIA 

Elizabeth Randol, Democratic candidate for Scranton Mayor, announced a new segment of her campaign – one that will be implemented entirely online. Through her website’s blog, Facebook, and Twitter, her campaign publicized the upcoming Ask Liz series. 
Through this online exchange, Scranton voters can submit questions to the candidate via Twitter using the hashtag #askLiz. She will then answer a portion of the submitted questions in a series of videos that will be posted to her YouTube channel during the course of her campaign. For Scranton residents without Twitter accounts, an online form has been made available for question submission via Randol’s website. “Social media has provided us with valuable new tools for creating an inclusive, transparent dialogue about ideas and plans for Scranton’s future,” explained Randol. “I hope the Ask Liz series contributes to making the conversation accessible and engaging to as many people in the Scranton community as possible.” 
Additional details about Liz’s campaign can be found on her: Website: http://elizabethrandol.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RandolforMayor2013 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Randol4MayorFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethRandolForMayorOfScranton 
It will be interesting to see how this type of campaign works in the old school, rough and tumble based politics of Lackawanna County. It has to be noted many times, unfortunately that Scranton, nor Lackawanna County has ever deemed it necessary or appropriate to elect a woman Mayor or County Commissioner. That can only change if new methods are used in reaching a new set of voters who are tired of the rerun mentality of Scranton government. Except for the cosmetic changes and boosterism of the city by Chris Doherty, the story line is still the same with the two word heading, “Distressed City”. Let’s see if this effort can propel some meaningful change in the city.

Twitter logo. 

LULAC ON TWITTER 

LuLac has been trying to reach as many people as possible since its inception. We are on Facebook as well as Twitter. But the Twitter project has been kind of hit or miss mainly because of time constraints like living my life, holding a job and attending to other matters. So for the people following us on Twitter, we are at least going to design a designated time period for Tweets. Now to be sure if there is breaking news, and we have access, we will tweet. But for now, we will be Tweeting Tuesday and Thursday night at 8PM Eastern Time, with our Twitter Top Ten Tuesday/Thursday Tweets. (Try saying that fast). What we are losing in the spontaneity we’ll gain in our observations that might have been in our brain but had not been transferred to the screen. We are doing this to utilize the service and reach out to our followers. In the meantime, if you want to follow LuLac on Twiiter, we are David Yonki @lulacpolletter.

MEDIA MATTERS 

THE PARTY ZONE 

 Catch the new extended 70s, 80s, 90s oldies show "The Party Zone" with Shadoe Steele beginning this Saturday from 6 - midnight on 50,000 watt powerhouse WAVT-FM - T-102. ... and on line at www.t102radio.com 

SUNDAY MAGAZINE 

The late Libby Smith who hosted a Classical Music Show from 10AM to 1PM in the early days of WVI FM, this blog editor back then and then News Director, later WVIA TV and FM Vice President Tom McHugh. (Photo: LuLac archives).

This blog editor along with then radio manager Roy Hoynoski preparing for our weekly afternoon radio show “Mostly Pops”. (Photo: LuLac archives). 

WVIA FM AT 40 

This week WVIA FM celebrates its 40th anniversary. I am very proud to say that thanks to George Strimel the founding father of Public Broadcasting in this region I was given an opportunity to work on the ground floor of this operation. I learned a lot, formed lasting friendships with many and will never forget my time there. 
WVIA FM has grown into a cultural oasis that is a refuge from the bombardment of sensationalism and speculation. The other day as Mrs. LuLac and I were driving home, the news of the Boston Marathon bombing came on the air. The national commercial networks stayed on the air with information but also mindless speculation that was later debunked. At one point we put on WVIA FM and they had a 4 minute report then moved on to other things. I commented to my wife that I thought NPR might have been giving this story short shrift. She simply said, “They are going to wait until they have all the facts, not the rumors. They are going to get it right”. And they do. 
To the staff at WVIA FM, (dealing with horrendous funding cuts) Chris Norton, Larry Voytko, Erika Funke, Fiona Powell, Lisa Mazzarella, Paul Lazarr, Katy Moore, George Graham (a man I learned so much from through my time there with his quick wit, voracious knowledge and gracious manner) as well as the Captain of that whole enterprise, my old boss Bill Kelly, congrats on this wonderful milestone. 
And yes, we are members! As everyone should be! Tune in and call them this week. 

SUNDAY MAGAZINE 

ECTV 

 Two long time WYOU associates will team up on ECTV Live the week of April 22nd as Frank Andrews (Shimkus) joins David DeCosmo to host the program during Tom Munley's vacation. The guest , Joe Gibbons, will be discussing the Flow Circus and other Free public events offered by Lackawanna Library System. ECTV is a Public Affairs program seen on Comcast Ch19 daily at Noon and Midnight with selective additional broadcasts at 8pm several days each week.

Our 1976 logo. 

1976 

The United States Treasury Department reintroduces the two-dollar bill as a Federal Reserve Note on Thomas Jefferson's 233rd birthday as part of the United States Bicentennial celebration............As a measure to curb population growth, the minimum age for marriage in India is raised to 21 years for men and 18 years for women………in Pennsylvania the United States Senate race to succeed Hugh Scott heats up. On the GOP side Arlen Specter takes on Congressman John Heinz out of Pittsburgh. It is a classic battle between the East vs. West in the Keystone state. On the Democratic side, Congressman Bill Green who had run for Mayor of Philadelphia in 1971 faces off against long time State Senator Jeannette Reibman………in Luzerne County it is announced that Jimmy Carter, the former Georgia Governor will make a stop and tour in Wilkes barre (more on that next week) and 37 years ago today the number 1 song in America and LuLac land was “Let Your Love Flow” by the Bellamy Brothers.