The LuLac Edition #3997, February 3rd, 2019

ROCK THE VOTE #3 IN LUZERNE COUNTY

THE LUZERNE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS EXCITED TO KICK OFF 2019 BY HOSTING THE 3RD ANNUAL ROCK THE COUNTY PETITION PARTY AND THIS YEAR ARE STEPPING UP THEIR GAME!

Like previous years, live music will be provided in the front bar with Rick Gillette of Nowhere Slow. In the back bar will be the Luzerne County Democratic Olympics. The six individual districts will compete to win the prestigious “Marty” Award 

(named after Senator Martin L Murray). Like the Stanley Cup, there will be only one “Marty.” The winning district holds the Marty with bragging rights as the ultimate champions of the county Olympics (at least until they have to defend it at the next Olympics). These Olympics are purely for fun and to build camaraderie. Details are below if you wish to participate. We will also have a “selfie photo booth” and a 50/50 drawing!

Admission is free, except candidates with petitions must contribute $10.

Food will be provided. Cash Bar.

Sunday, February 24, 2019

4pm - 8pm

Ole Tyme Charlies

31 S River St, Plains, Pennsylvania 18705

We hope to see you there!

The Olympic games will start at 4:30 with Pool, Foosball and Darts. This will be “round robin” tournament style, with two players per round. Who ever scores the most in a certain time frame. The district with the most wins, well, wins. Players must live in the district they are competing with unless that district has filled all the slots, then the players may play for other districts. Players can email their district (Listed below) in advance or arrive no later than 4:30pm to sign up…..Get your game face on!

CARTWRIGHT INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO MAKE VOTING ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL AMERICAN WORKERS

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives) 

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright introduced legislation to ensure that all American workers have access to the ballot box during federal elections. The Time Off to Vote Act would require employers to grant their employees at least two hours of paid leave to vote in federal elections. Such a provision already exists in some states; Cartwright’s bill would extend the paid leave practice to all states.
In half of U.S. states, employers are not required to give their workers paid leave to vote. In 19 of those states, employers are not required to let their employees leave work to vote at all. During each election, many wage earners choose not to go to the polls because they cannot afford the unpaid time that voting requires for them, especially when lines are long.
“We need to do more to bring people into the electorate,” said Congressman Cartwright. “In a true democracy, every eligible voter should be able to cast a ballot without having to make a professional or economic sacrifice. Our election results should reflect the will and desires of the American people.”
According to the United States Election Project, only 51.4% of eligible Pennsylvania voters went to the polls in the 2018 midterm general elections, which was actually above the national average. The Time Off to Vote Act is meant to help close the large gap between eligible voters and actual voters.
The legislation has received the support of Common Cause, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), and Let America Vote.
“As some states pass restrictive and discriminatory laws that make voting more difficult, the Time Off to Vote Act is needed more than ever,” said Aaron Scherb, Common Cause’s Director of Legislative Affairs. “Common Cause commends Representative Cartwright for his leadership to promote voting rights so that all eligible Americans can have their voices heard at the ballot box.”
"The Time Off to Vote Act is commonsense legislation that is an important step forward in reaffirming that voting is a right in this country. Unfortunately, voting is an inconvenient process in nearly every state, so politicians should be doing everything they can to make it just a little bit easier for their constituents,” said Abe Rakov, President of Let America Vote. “We are eager to support Congressman Cartwright in his effort to allow more eligible voters to make their voices heard on Election Day."
Congressman Matt Cartwright is a member of the House Democratic Leadership and the House Committee on Appropriations. He serves on the Commerce-Justice-Science, Financial Services & General Government, and Military Construction-VA Appropriations Subcommittees. Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District includes Lackawanna, Wayne, and Pike Counties and portions of Luzerne

BIG BOPPER, BUDDY HOLLY, RICHIE VALENS GONE @ 60

I was only a small child when this happened, but my sister and her friends were all abuzz about the death of these three rising rock and rollers. Holly's loss, at least to me now is really one of "what if?"
There was a lot of potential in his songs and arrangements.
This Sunday, February 3, marks the 60th anniversary of the plane crash that claimed the lives of rock ‘n’ roll pioneers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. The tragedy is commonly known as “The Day the Music Died,” as Don McLean referred to it in his classic 1971 hit, “American Pie.”
In early 1959, Holly, Valens and The Big Bopper were touring the Midwest on the Winter Dance Party tour with Dion and the Belmonts. After a February 2 show at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, the three musicians hopped in a small plane in nearby Mason City, IA that Holly had chartered to take them the next scheduled tour stop in Moorhead, Minnesota.
Sadly, the plane went down shortly after takeoff, killing all three artists aboard and the pilot. Holly was 22, Richards 28, and Valens just 17.
For many years, the Surf Ballroom has held an annual Winter Dance Party concert series to commemorate the anniversary of Holly, Valens and Richardson’s final concert. This year’s event kicked off Thursday and runs through Saturday.
Thursday’s lineup featured Jay and the Americans and Little Anthony and the Imperials. Friday’s bill includes Frankie Avalon and Brian Wilson‘s daughters Carnie and Wendy.
Saturday’s finale will feature performances by Chubby Checker, Shirelles singer Shirley Allston Reeves, The Chiffons, Brian Hyland, Chris Montez, and Johnny Tillotson.
In 2012, McLean told ABC Radio he was proud that “American Pie” helped bring renewed attention to Holly’s music.
He noted, “When I heard later on that [Buddy’s widow] Maria Elena Holly said that [he] got more publicity in the six months after ‘American Pie’ came out than he ever got in his whole career…I think that made me the happiest of all the things that that song did.”(LuLac, wenk, wtpr)

http://www.wenkwtpr.com/2019/02/01/buddy-holly-ritchie-valens-and-the-big-bopper-died-in-a-plane-crash-60-years-ago-sunday/