The LuLac Edition #5, 739, Auust 13th, 2026

 

13 

QUESTIONS

Our 13 questions logo.

 

1. What is your feeling about the democratic socialist movement in the country?

I believe that people are frustrated. We have people who are in their 40s who have not had the same opportunities as I had in my 40s. I think they’re feeling frustrated now.  it can be that these candidates are going to be successful but until there is a movement that gives power to not only one or two Senate seats, but to entire branch of government, then they could affect change. That’s the only way that things are going to be changed in this country. There must be an FDR type sweep in order to make sure that anything is done.  winning seats on a personal basis without a majority that is united will not get the Democratic party or the American people anywhere

 

2. Your thoughts on the petition signings for the ordinance that the Luzerne County Council passed?

 

Well first I think this is a case of sour grapes because the Democratic party was duly elected and to me this is a way to undermine that victory.  We elect county officials to govern us and if you’re not happy with the way that they passed the ordinance. you wait until the next election to defeat the majority that did it. It kills me that these MAGA Republicans that lose the county talk about how much they love government and the constitution.  But it only works   when they actually have the power. I think that this particular item spearhead it by Walter Griffith is going to ruin his legacy as a county official and I told him so. But from a political standpoint, this is going to energize Republicans, and you know damn well that they’re going to vote for any other Republican on the ballot.  So this I feel at least puts the Democrats in a position that maybe they didn’t need to be in during this election.

 

3. The Yankees old timers they program on YES network last Saturday. What did you think of it.?

 

I think that this is something the Yankees do extremely well. I think they honor their glorious past and they give people the opportunity to be recognized. I’ve been to four old Yankee games in my lifetime. In 1980 I had the honor of actually being on the field during the one when Diane Munson returned with her children  It was totally inspiring to me but what I really liked though  is that when somebody in their front office or their ground crew passes away they get recognition at the stadium ceremony.  Love them or hate the Yankees they are a class organization and  do this particular program very well.

 

4. Is there a program that you never watched but now and it’s reruns you warmed up to?

 

Yes, indeed, Downton Abbey. I guess I’m working backwards on this, but I saw the last two movies that were made on the series and now I’m watching the series right from its inauguration. It is very good so that’s an example right there. Another program and I think I’ve talked about this on the site,  I watch  Perry Mason because again some of the plots  could be convoluted to but they’re explained in the end. My God the look of those 1950s cars that Perry Mason and Paul Drake drove those big ass Cadilac and  Fords are really something to behold.

 

5. I see you at the farmers’ market almost every week and you seem to be enjoying yourself. Are you always just happy?

 

I love meeting the folks at the farmers market, and I especially like the fact that when we sell the SNAP vouchers the city and Health Department are helping people who are the working poor.  People who want to get fresh fruits and vegetables to eat healthier are using them.  To me it is one of the best gifts Wilkes-Barre could give a community and I’m very excited to be part of it.  To answer the other part of your question that am I always happy, yep, I always try to be mainly because of the fact that we don’t have a lot of time on this earth, and we have to make the most of it and the impact we have on others.

 

6. Do you trust Todd Blanche to do the right thing as the confirmed Attorney General?

 

Absolutely NOT! Once the Lap dog for  Trump always the lap dog for Trump. We’ve had some attorney generals in the past that were questionable, but John Mitchell, who was an indicted conspirator in the Watergate probe, even had more integrity in his little thumb than branch as in his entire body

 

7. Have you ever been asked to do the judging at the Plymouth Kabasa festival?

 

 

No, I haven’t but I have to tell you that I did get an opportunity last year two years ago to drive in a parade in that town. I was driving a very prestigious member of the Colorado leadership council from Denver. To me, it was one of the highlights of my life.  I am happy though that this year Leonard ‘s kielbasa in the  section of Wilkes-Barre,  one we have been buying from  for  years came in first place. 2nd place with Schields market in Parsons.  Its about time the Parsons section in Wilkes-Barre got their due by  the  festival. If asked someday, I’m most likely say yes, but in the meantime, I’m seriously towing with the idea of entering a hotdog even contest.  We shall see about that one.

 

8. I just want you to know that I am waking up with you every single morning along with Sucinto and WVIA. How in the world did that happen?

 

It’s WVIA 60th anniversary for TV and their 50^th fir radio.  Paul Lazar the great program coordinator for WVIA FM asked me to do one sixty remembrance of WVIA’s    anniversary. I had a couple that were in my head, and it turned out that one afternoon earlier in the year we produced four them. I wanted to make them entertaining, but also let listeners and members  know what a true treasure they have in the radio and TV station. I was honored to do it and I don’t know when they’re on but sometimes I’m in my office at work and I hear hem. I might be talking to somebody on the phone and then all of a sudden I’m talking to people in 22 counties it’s kind of unreal.

 

9. How is the search for a new convertible going.

 

Not well at all every car, all the dealers  are offering me is older than the car that I have right now. So far with car companies not making convertibles anymore the last couple years the pickings are slim .

 

10. Just curious, where do you get your work ethic from?

 

Well, I come from a working-class family and my parents were a great examples that any job being done  is a job with dignity.  I think that when you accept your job, your responsibility is to do the best you can as fast as you can. I don’t like to let things simmer when I get them as an assignment. I do them. I was the  kid who in grade school did my homework on Friday afternoon as soon as I got home.  So  I think I took that work ethic with me all  my life and so far it’s been successful and I haven’t burned myself out yet.,

 

11 when is the next time you are going to be on WBRE TV?

 

Funny, you should ask that I’m not going to be on TV but I did one of their podcasts on Tuesday of this week with Jane and Bugda. I’ll give you the link where you could hear it.

 

12 where can I get the best fresh corn this time of year? Do you have any favorites?

 

Corn is universally good this time of year and I can’t recommend any one farm because they all have their own taste, appearance and texture. The key is they’re fresh relatively and inexpensive.  I like the corn more on the yellow side but mixed is good. By the way, a farmer told me that you can shuck an ear of corn and eat it without cooking. It is sweet and delicious.

 

13. Are you still involved in the Myasthenia  Gravis support group?

 

Yes, indeed I am involved as a facilitator for the group. We meet every other month at Grande Pizza in music. Our next meeting is going to be the first Saturday in October. If you have a person with this  particular disease or who is having symptoms, use a link to the website as a public service announcement. 

.https://myastheniagravisnews.com/ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The LuLac Edition #5, 738, August 12th, 20226

 

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

Our “Write on Wednesday” logo

This week we review a letter to the editor about bridges. They are necessary and provide a vital place in everyday society. That’s obvious. But those pathways are historic and  their preservation is vital to a culture today that prides itself on convenience and modern shiny and new items. But these travel paths should be maintained lor rebuilt with an eye toward history as well as 21rst century need. Both methods can still co exist.  

 

RESERVE, DON’T DEMOLISH, HISTORIC STRUCTURES IN LUZERNE COUNTY

 

I appreciate your editorial on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, regarding the test lighting on the Water Street/Firefighters’ Memorial Bridge. Infrastructure, unfortunately, isn’t a usual editorial subject, and I welcomed your thoughts.

According to Wikipedia, of the 56 bridges that cross the Main Branch of the Susquehanna in Pennsylvania, only eight early 20th-century steel-truss or beam railroad or highway bridges on stone or concrete piers remain. Of these eight, 2 in Luzerne County, the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge & the Water Street/Firefighters’ Memorial Bridge, both of which are slated for demolition in the near future.

Of the 56 bridges, four were designed by the well-known engineering firm of Modjeski & Masters, with Philadelphia Architect P. Philippe Cret as consulting architect. One, our own Market Street Bridge in Wilkes-Barre, was designed by the NYC firm of Carrere & Hastings with local architect Col. Thomas H. Atherton as supervising architect.)’

Your editorial notes two items: repurposing old bridges rather than demolishing them, and lighting the Market Street Bridge in Wilkes-Barre.

As to the latter, PA DOT has recently announced that the Market Street Bridge is soon to be rehabilitated, & within the “limits” of National Register guidelines, a relighting scheme can be addressed.

As to the former, why is demolition the only option on the table for the two Luzerne County bridges?

Unfortunately, the Nanticoke Bridge is relatively remote from any commercial activity and not a likely candidate for renovation. However, the Water Street/Firefighters’ Bridge, located between Downtown Pittston’s exciting commercial district and (beyond West Pittston’s riverfront park) a smaller West Pittston commercial area, is, in my opinion, a prime candidate for repurposing & rehabilitation.

Earlier this year, a former single-track railroad bridge, the Rock Island Bridge, connecting Kansas City, MO, with Kansas City, KS, was reopened, after a $20 million renovation, as an entertainment district on a bridge. Since this is a narrow, single-track railroad bridge, a large percentage of the renovation budget was spent on cantilevering the structure from the sides of the bridge and on the construction of a second story. The

The two-lane automobile width of the Water Street/Firefighter’s Memorial Bridge would not require such extensive structural additions.

Imagine if you can, a miniature Ponte Vecchio across the Susquehanna, a pedestrian connection between Pittston & West Pittston, with restaurants, food trucks, lighting, entertainment, etc.

What better way to spend money on infrastructure that can be used by the public on a daily basis?

Some may say, “What about traffic counts?” I’m sure that a modest redesign of the proposed Fort Jenkins Bridge would be able to handle the additional automobile and truck traffic.

Unfortunately, in NEPA, we seem to have a “demolish it now and something will happen” attitude. Remember the Hotel Sterling? Now is the time for Pittston, West Pittston & Luzerne County officials & concerned citizens to act before another unnecessary demolition occurs.

 

Carl Handman 

Kingston, Pa  

Carl Handman Mr. Handman is a well known architect who is responsible for the renovation of the Nathan Denison house in Forty Fort as well as the surrounding sidewalks and slate fencing.

 

 

 

The LuLac Edition #5, 737, August 11th, 2026

 

TRUMP SOURING ON HOMELAND SECURITY HEAD..

WILL HE BRING KRISTI BACK?

 

Less than six months into Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s tenure atop America’s sprawling immigration and internal security bureaucracy, President Donald Trump and some of his most vocal allies are having second thoughts about the former Oklahoma senator’s job performance.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump’s angst over his decision to elevate the 49-year-old ex-mixed martial arts fighter and plumbing business owner to lead one of the cabinet’s most important departments has been simmering since his March confirmation, which followed the president’s decision to fire Mullin’s predecessor Kristi Noem amid outrage over a series of shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other scandals that had plagued her tenure atop the department.

Though Mullin was tasked with calming public anger at DHS after ham-handed deployments in Minneapolis gave the administration a black eye, Trump allies have bristled at anything that even smacks of moderating the harsh immigration and deportation policies that have become a staple of the president’s second term.

After a June Supreme Court ruling allowing DHS to end temporary protections for as many as 350,000 Haitians living across the U.S., Mullin suggested that some could “fill out the paperwork” to gain some form of legal status — something that directly contradicted Trump’s promise to deport as many Haitians as possible from the U.S.

A month later, Mullin got crosswise with Trump after he directed ICE to stop most traffic stops after a pair of fatal shootings — a move that prompted Trump to publicly overrule the DHS boss, writing that Mullin’s attempt to curb the practice was something “the Radical Left [Democrats]” had wanted.

Earlier this month, Mullin triggered MAGA fury once more when he told National Governors Association members that immigration could be a benefit to some industries, directly contradicting the administration position that immigrants steal jobs from American citizens, and suggested that immigration could provide needed workers in some industries.

This is hysterical. All the man is doing is stating the obvious. Not all immigrants are killers and rapists. Not all immigrants are looking to take away our values. As a matter of fact, most immigrants have better values than Trumpanzees. Mullin has a good point that especially in these tough economic times, immigrants can fill jobs, do them well and pay taxes.

But he is up against pig headed scum who were enabled by  ignorant ingrate voters who chose to weaken the United States…except for their billionaire friends. (LuLac, Wall Street Journal, the Independent)

 

TRUMP MAKING AMERICA SICK

NEW VACCINE PROTOCOLS DUMB AND DANGEROUS

President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order that would significantly alter the federal guidance for childhood vaccines and call for states to reconsider their guidance for vaccine requirements for school, The Washington Post reported.

Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have long pushed the theory that vaccines–particularly the meales, mumps and rubella vaccine–is liked to autism spectrum disorder.

This comes despite the fact that multiple studies have debunked the supposed link between childhood vaccinations and children developing autism spectrum disorder. Andrew Wakefield, the physician who published the original study, later had his medical license revoked and The Lancet retracted the study.

Bottom line here is this:

1. Trump and RFK Junior are NOT doctors. 

2. This will cost parents (all of whom are working)  time and money with three visits that are now combined in one. 

3. People most affected by this are the working poor.  

 4. Your friends and neighbors who believe this bullshit ARE NOT DOCTORS. (LuLac, Washington Post)