The LuLac Edition #3080, December 3rd, 2015

BARLETTA RESCUES SHINE FUNDING IN EDUCATION BILL

STUDENT SUCCESS ACT REPLACES NCLB, RETURNS CONTROL TO STATES AND LOCALITIES

Rep. Barletta (right) and Sen. Yudichak read “The Night Before Christmas”

to children in the SHINE program at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Wilkes-Barre in November. (Photo: Barletta Congressional Office).
Congressman Lou Barletta, Wednesday supported the final version of the Student Success Act, which replaces “No Child Left Behind,” and importantly rescues federal funding for afterschool programs such as SHINE, originally slated to be eliminated before Barletta intervened. SHINE, or “Schools and Homes In Education,” is a successful educational program in Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill Counties that Barletta has championed with state Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne/Carbon). By restoring the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program, Barletta has preserved a funding stream that accounts for 49 percent of SHINE’s total funding.
The bill,the Conference Report to Accompany S. 1177, was negotiated by House and Senate conferees and supplants “No Child Left Behind,” returning many educational decisions to states and localities. The House passed the conference report by a massive bipartisan vote of 359-to-64. After it passes the Senate, which is expected, it will be presented to the president for his signature.
“This is a banner day for the school children of northeastern Pennsylvania,” Barletta said. “We know that SHINE has touched so many families and given kids educational opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have had. SHINE is an alternative to kids getting in trouble, or worse yet, joining gangs. And I am proud to have saved the program that supports school children who need it the most.”
Beginning in February 2015, Barletta began painstakingly working to restore the 21st CCLC program. The original House version of the bill eliminated the program; however, Barletta negotiated 14 changes to the base text of the bill in support of afterschool programs, and specifically the SHINE model, in the House Education and the Workforce Committee. He also engaged in a colloquy with committee Chairman John Kline (MN-2) to establish a record of support for such programs. On the floor of the House, Barletta spoke in support of his own successful amendment that requires school districts to report to state agencies on the use of Title I money for afterschool activities to further demonstrate the importance of such programs. Finally, when the legislation reached the conference committee, Barletta sent a letter to lead House and Senate negotiators imploring them to preserve the 21st CCLC program. As a result, the conference report passed by the House today authorizes $1 billion in funding for the 21st CCLC program.
Barletta and Yudichak have worked to promote the SHINE afterschool program, which is flourishing in Carbon and Schuylkill Counties and is now in its first year in Luzerne County, to improve academic achievement, increase school attendance, and engage families in education. The SHINE program focuses on project-based STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) activities for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
“The potential of SHINE Luzerne County to transform our schools and our communities continues to be strengthened by the commitment of public and private dollars to the program,” said Sen. Yudichak. “Congressman Barletta’s unwavering support for the SHINE program is exemplified by his successful fight in Congress to secure federal funds for the children of northeastern Pennsylvania.”

REP. CARTWRIGHT: TIME FOR HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO FACE THE FACTS ON CLIMATE CRISIS

 Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives).

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright offered the Democratic Motion to Recommit on H.R. 8 – North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015. The Motion to Recommit affirms that climate change is real and affirms the United States energy policy should seek to remove barriers that inhibit the development of renewable energy infrastructure. Below is Rep. Cartwright’s floor speech:

TED CRUZ AND HIS ELBOWS

Senator Ted Cruz (Photo: CNN)

GOP candidate Ted Cruz doesn’t strike me as a basketball player but he seems to be elbowing his way into the top tier of candidates for President as the favorite of the more conservative wing o the party. Unlike the lower tier candidates and this includes former Governor Bush, Cruz has a path. If, and this is a big if, but if Donald Trump falters, Cruz would get the residual support that normally went to the magnet. Cruz has been cagey in not attacking Trump and showing him all the respect that an underling would a mafia don. Then there are the supporters of Ben Carson. Cruz again has not gone after Carson and if Carson falls by the wayside, his supporters might feel comfortable with the Texas Senator.
Cruz has a built in following, has national name recognition, has the street cred of being so anti Washington (even against his own party) and can easily add the Trump and or Carson totals to his base. With Trump and Carson making up nearly half of the GOP support and any heft Cruz can bring to the table, well if that transpires, Cruz can have at least 60% of the party on his side.
Unlike Marc Rubio and John Kasick, Cruz has followed the 11th Commandment trumpeted by the late President Ronald Reagan. “Thoust not speak ill of any fellow Republican…even in the heat of battle. “
For the usually combative Texas Senator, this move may pay off in dividends.

ANOTHER DEADLY SHOOTING

Whether it was targeted or just a random act of violence, this latest gun attack in America is different than the previous ones. The big difference is of course that the gunmen got away. The latest attack came in California where three gunmen converged on a Social Services agency in San Bernadino where a Christmas party was being held. The latest reports are that 14 were dead and 17 wounded. The suspects were armed and used their weapons to gun down as many people as they could.
Whether this was a targeted attack of disgruntled individuals, a domestic act or of terror or just some random act, it is still chilling. There are still questions about whether this was a workplace incident or an act of domestic terrorism. To me I’m siding with Terrorism because what mother leaves a 6 month old baby to die for Allah? And most incredibly, even after these suspicions the Senate voted down a bill from Senator Dianne Feinstein that would let the government bar sales to people it suspects of being terrorists. If it is determined that this was indeed an act of terrorism, the Senate is going to look pretty bad. More ammunition for guys like Donald Trump and Ben Carson.
Gun violence in this country has now become the norm rather than the exception. These stories have become as predictable as the stories we see on TV when the first big snow storm comes and the reporter asks people what they are stocking up on for the big chill. The media will converge to get the details, the President will make a statement decrying the violence, the gun advocates will say no one is taking away my guns, the social scientists will speak to mental health issues and then the victims will be remembered.
Then………the passion and interest will subside and once more there will be quiet. There will be more fear but there will be apathy and quiet. Until the next time when the whole scenario is repeated all over again.

MEDIA MATTERS

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This week's guest is PennDOT spokesman James May. Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on NEPA's Sports Radio-The Game 1400/1440 am and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.

WYLN35 BASED IN HAZLETON ANNOUNCES: LOCALLY-PRODUCED TELEVISION SHOW “WARRIOR SUMMIT OUTDOORS” IS GOING NATIONAL

SSG Erik Olson. (Photo: WYLN TV 35) 

In June of 2014, WYLN35 launched a new television show called Warrior Summit Outdoors, produced out of their Hazleton broadcast station and hosted by local combat veteran SSG Erik Olson (Retired). The first and only outdoor show of its kind in the entire nation: it was hosted by a wounded warrior, dedicated entirely to the purpose of helping combat veterans heal the emotional scars of war in the outdoors in order to be part of the solution to the veteran suicide epidemic (estimates are 22 veterans/day commit suicide—nearly one an hour).
Within weeks of its local launch in summer 2014, the show received tremendous national attention, including the support of actor and veteran advocate Gary Sinise (a video message from him can be seen on the show’s website www.couragehealsthesoul.com).
After producing about a dozen episodes locally out of WYLN35 based in Hazleton, SSG Olson and his wife Tiffany Cloud Olson (who co-executive produces and writes the show) and WYLN35 General Manager, Barry Jais, submitted the show to You Too America for national broadcast consideration.
We are pleased to announce that WYLN35 recently entered into a contractual agreement with Youtoo America, which will start airing the first thirteen episodes of “Warrior Summit Outdoors” nationwide with their broadcast and cable affiliates in early 2016, followed by another new thirteen episode run.
Youtoo America programming is available via broadcast and cable reaching 35 Million+ Households nationwide.
“Our goal was always to expose show to a national audience as veteran suicides are happening nationwide and the objective is to create awareness and, hopefully, save as many veteran lives as possible. My wife Tiffany and I cannot express enough our gratitude for the partnership between Warrior Summit Outdoors LLC and WYLN35 to develop this show, produce it. We are thrilled it will be exposed to a national audience, thanks to the agreement now in place with Youtoo America and its 35 million strong household reach via cable and broadcast. Our show produced right here in Hazleton at WYLN35 is now going to be airing across this entire nation.”--SSG Olson (Ret), show host and executive producer
“We are so proud to be the Hazleton-based station producing Warrior Summit Outdoors. WYLN35’s owner, Joe Gans, is a Vietnam Veteran himself, so the important message of the show has personal meaning to him. In fact, he appeared in the pilot episode. For a show we produce to now air to a national audience and potentially help save the lives of veterans by generating awareness…that’s television doing the greatest thing it can possibly do. At WYLN, we’ve has always said ‘We’re Your Local Network’ and we are now proud to be the only Hazleton based television station to take a show we produced ourselves national.”—Barry Jais, General Manager, WYLN35
In addition to airing episodes nationwide on Youtoo America through its cable and broadcast providers/affiliates, Warrior Summit Outdoors will continue to produce new local episodes airing on WYLN35 locally, allowing local advertisers/sponsors to continue supporting the show locally.
WYLN35’s Facebook page and WYLN News will have updates about the show’s national premiere as we get closer to 2016.

ECTV

ECTV Live hosts David DeCosmo and Rusty Fender will welcome Michelle Smith of the Lackawanna County Drug and Alcohol Agency to the program during the week of December 7th. Michelle will discuss her agencies' programs to discourage drunk or impaired driving over the Christmas to New Year's holiday period. ECTV Live can be seen on Comcast channel 19 (61 in some areas) and is aired three times daily throughout the week.

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

This Week on Sunday magazine

Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with Peg Ruddy from the Women's Resource Center about their "Santa Snippers" fundraiser coming up on Sunday.
Brian Hughes speaks with Spiritual Counselor Michelle McNichols about her work and how others can benefit from spiritual counseling.
Brian speaks with Lea Brovedani about how to build, or rebuild, trust in the workplace.And an encore of Brian's interview with Tony Fenton from Nationwide about Cyber Crime.Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5am on NASH-FM, 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X and SportsRadio 590, WARM & 6:25am on Magic 93.

SUE HENRY’S SPECIAL EDITION

Tune in to Sue Henry's "Special Edition" this week as Sue recaps the week's news. Special Edition is heard Saturdays and Sunday on these Entercom stations, WILK FM Saturday at 2pm Sunday at 6 am on Froggy 101 Sunday at 7 am on The Sports Hub 102.3 Sunday at 7 am on K R Z 98.5 Sunday at noon on WILK FM 103.1.

BUDDY RUMCHEK

Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:40 and 8:40 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”

KAREL ON THE STREET

Tune in Wednesdays on WILK Radio for Karel on the Street. Hear some of the funniest and heartwarming comments on the issues of the day on Webster and Nancy with Karel Zubris.

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP!!!!!

The Doo-Wop Sock Hop can be heard every Sunday night from 6P to 9P on “105 The River (104.9 FM) Host is the incomparable Bobby V. www.105theriver.net
www.doowopsockhop.net

1965

Our 1965 logo.

The Canadian satellite Alouette 2 is launched……………The Border Security Force is established in India as a special force to guard the borders….The Beatles release Rubber Soul……

The Beatles: Rubber Soul - 1965 (Full Album... by perillogeoffrey
Charles de Gaulle is re-elected as French president with 10,828,421 votes…….in Pennsylvania at Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, USA. A large, brilliant fireball was seen by thousands in at least six U.S. states and Ontario, Canada. It streaked over the Detroit, Michigan – Windsor, Ontario area, reportedly dropped hot metal debris over Michigan and northern Ohio, starting some grass fires, and caused sonic booms in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. It was generally assumed and reported by the press to be a meteor after authorities discounted other proposed explanations such as a plane crash, errant missile test, or reentering satellite debris. However, eyewitnesses in the small village of Kecksburg, about 30 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, claimed something crashed in the woods. A boy said he saw the object land; his mother saw a wisp of blue smoke arising from the woods and alerted authorities. Another reported feeling a vibration and "a thump" about the time the object reportedly landed. Others from Kecksburg, including local volunteer fire department members, reported finding an object in the shape of an acorn and about as large as a Volkswagen Beetle. State Police officials there ordered the area roped off to await the expected arrival of both U.S. Army engineers and possibly, civilian scientists." However, a later edition of the newspaper stated that nothing had been found after authorities searched the area.
The official explanation of the widely seen fireball was that it was a mid-sized meteor. However speculation as to the identity of the Kecksburg object (if there was one—reports vary) range from alien craft to debris from Kosmos 96, a Soviet space probe intended for Venus but which failed and never left the Earth's atmosphere.
A reporter and news director for the local radio station WHJB, John Murphy, arrived on the scene of the event before authorities had arrived, in response to several calls to the station from alarmed citizens. He took several photographs and conducted interviews with witnesses. His former wife Bonnie Milslagle later reported that all but one roll of the film were confiscated by military personnel. In the following weeks, Murphy became enveloped with the incident and wrote a radio documentary called Object in the Woods, featuring his experiences and interviews he had conducted that night. Shortly before the documentary would have aired, he received an unexpected visit at the station from two men in black suits identifying themselves as government officials. A week after the visit, an agitated Murphy aired a censored version of the documentary, which he claimed in its introduction had to be edited due to some interviewees requesting their statements be removed from the broadcast in fear of getting in trouble with the police and Army. The new version contained nothing revealing, and did not mention an object at all. Murphy's wife, remember the aired documentary was entirely different from what Murphy had originally written. After the airing, Murphy became uncharacteristically despondent and completely stopped all investigation on the case and refused to talk to anyone about it again, and never gave clear reasons why. In February 1969, Murphy was struck and killed by an unidentified car in an apparent hit-and-run while crossing a road. The hit-and-run occurred near Ventura, California, while Murphy was on vacation……(wikipedia.com) 

This is a model of the crashed object, originally created for the show Unsolved Mysteries.

in Wilkes Barre City Mayor Frank Slattery keeps pushing his proposal for a wage tax and fifty years ago this week the number one song in LuLac land and America was a tune from Bob Dylan performed by a group called The Wonder Who. They were in reality The Four Seasons doing “Don’t Think Twice”.

At the same time, the Seasons also had this song in the top 20. The group was transitioning from different labels.