Rated one of Pennsylvania's top blog/sites, the LuLac Political Letter delves into issues of politics on all levels (with special concentration on Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties: thus the name LULAC) and pop culture.
The LuLac Political Letter was also named Best Political Blog of the Year for 2014 by NEPA BLOGCON and most recently David Yonki was named Best Blogger of the year 2015 by the publication Diamond City.
Sunday, May 10, 2026
The LuLac Edtion #5, 652, May 10th, , 2026
POPCORN. THE LEGENDSARY
GUILT FREE SNACK
Popcorn
like most snacks in the United States is a billion dollars industry. I’m not
sure there is anyone who doesn’t like popcorn in its many facets. To me the
best popcorn is in a theater followed by fresh or of a bag. Microwave popcorn
is very good too.In terms of any lack of growth in the popcorn industry………think again.
US Popcorn
Market size was valued at USD 4.74 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach
USD 7.81 Billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2026 to 2032.
The US
Popcorn Market refers to the business sector that produces, distributes, and
sells popcorn products in a variety of forms, including kernels, ready to eat
popcorn, and flavored variants. Popcorn is a popular snack item enjoyed by a
wide spectrum of customers. It is made mostly from maize kernels, which swell
when heated. It comes in a variety of formats, including air popped, microwave,
and pre popped popcorn, and is usually available in a variety of flavors to
suit different consumer tastes. Popcorn's principal applications cover both the
domestic and business sectors. It is commonly consumed in families as a fast
and healthful snack, especially by those looking for low calorie options.
Commercial
uses include the snack food business, where flavored and gourmet popcorn
variations are becoming popular. Popcorn is also a common sight in movie
theaters, entertainment venues, and concession stalls, which contributes to its
popularity. Furthermore, popcorn is used in packaged snack products that are
frequently advertised as part of healthy eating habits, particularly as low
calorie and organic varieties become more popular. In the US, The demand for
unusual, flavorful, and premium popcorn is predicted to increase, particularly
in gourmet versions that cater to more refined palates. Furthermore, as
consumers prefer healthier snack options, air popped, low sodium, and organic
popcorn are expected to remain popular. The market may also witness innovation
in packaging and distribution techniques, reacting to customer desires for
convenience and sustainable product alternatives, influencing the growth of the
popcorn sector in the years ahead.
Corn was
domesticated about 9,000 years ago, in what is now the Balsas River Valley of
Central Mexico. Archaeologists discovered that people have known about popcorn
for millennia. Fossil evidence from Peru suggests that corn was present there
as early as 4,700 BCE, and popped there over 1,000 years ago. Between 2007 and
2011, evidence as early as 4,700 BCE for popping corn was discovered as
macrofossil cobs at the Paredones and Huaca Prieta archaeological sites on the
northern coast of Peru. Corn cultivation was present in Amazon basin
farming practices as evidenced by cultivation of corn in the Amazon basin 6,000
years ago
In 1948 and
1950, evidence as early as 3600 BCE for popping corn as ears of popcorn were
discovered by Harvard anthropology graduate student Herbert W. Dick[18] and
Harvard botany graduate student Claude Earle Smith, Junior (1922–1987), in a complex of rock shelters, dubbed the "Bat Cave", in Catron
County,west-central New Mexico, and attributed to the Ancestral Puebloan
peoples, who maintained trade networks with peoples in tropical Mexico.
Excessive citations.
Through the
19th century, popping of the kernels was achieved by hand, on stove tops over
flame. Kernels were sold on the East Coast of the United States under names
such as Pearls or Nonpareil. The term popped corn first appeared in John
Russell Bartlett's 1848 Dictionary of Americanisms. Popcorn is an ingredient in
Cracker Jack and, in the early years of the product, it was popped by hand.
An early
popcorn machine in a street cart, invented in the 1880s by Charles Cretors in
Chicago.
Popcorn's
accessibility increased rapidly in the 1890s with Charles Cretors' invention of
the popcorn maker. Cretors, a Chicago candy store owner, had created a number
of steam-powered machines for roasting nuts and applied the technology to the
corn kernels.
By the turn
of the century, Cretors had created and deployed street carts equipped with
steam-powered popcorn makers.
During the
Great Depression, popcorn was fairly inexpensive at 5–10 cents a bag and became
popular. Thus, while other businesses failed, the popcorn business thrived and
became a source of income for many struggling farmers and entrepreneurs,
including the Redenbacher family, namesake of the Orville Redenbacher's popcorn
brand. During World War II, sugar rations diminished candy production, and
Americans compensated by eating three times as much popcorn as they had before.
The snack was popular at theaters, much
to the initial displeasure of many of the theater owners, who thought it
distracted from the films. Their minds eventually changed, however, and in 1938
a Midwestern theater owner named Glen W. Dickinson Sr. installed popcorn
machines in the lobbies of his Dickinson theaters. Popcorn was more profitable
than theater tickets, and at the suggestion of his production consultant, R.
Ray Aden, Dickinson purchased popcorn farms and was able to keep ticket prices down.
The venture was a success, and popcorn soon spread.[29] The rise of television
in the 1940s brought lower popcorn consumption as theater attendance fell. The
Popcorn Institute, a trade association of popcorn processors, promoted popcorn
consumption at home, bringing it back to previous levels.
An ear of
popcorn grown in an Oklahoma organic garden
In 1970,
Orville Redenbacher's namesake brand of popcorn was launched. In 1981, General
Mills received the first patent for a microwave oven popcorn bag; popcorn
consumption saw an increase. (wikipedia, LuLac)
SCIENTISTS CREATE WORLD’S FIRST
TOMATOES THAT SMELL LIKE ‘BUTTERED POPCORN’
SCIENTISTS GENERATE WORLD’S FIRST
’EXTRAORDINARY AROMATIC TOMATO PLANTS’ BY SIMULTANEOUSLY ALTERING TWO KEY GENES
Chinese
scientists have developed a new tomato variety with "popcorn-like"
aroma using gene editing technology, an advance aimed at tackling the problem
of fading flavour in the fruit during transport and storage.
Tomatoes are
one of the most widely cultivated and consumed grocery products globally,
highly valued for their vibrant colour, culinary versatility, and nutritional
benefits.
In
particular, the fragrance of tomatoes significantly enhances the sensory appeal
of food, influencing their consumption and market price.
However,
tomatoes start losing their aroma due to metabolic changes which begin right
after the fruit is removed from the vine, leading them to further lose their
flavour during transportation and storage.
Now,
scientists have generated the world’s first “extraordinary aromatic tomato
plants” by simultaneously altering two key genes in tomato varieties using
CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology.
Researchers
disrupted a gene called betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (BADH2) in a variety
of tomatoes. They found that blocking the gene led to an accumulation of
2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP), the organic compound responsible for the
delightful "popcorn-like" aroma.
Scientists
then screened tomatoes for forms of the BADH2 gene and found two variants, SlBADH1
and SlBADH2, and blocked their function. These mutant lines, they found,
exhibited significantly greater 2‐AP content.
“The
CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated genome editing technology
was used to knock out individual or both SlBADH1 and SlBADH2 genes in the variety
AC (Alisa Craig),” explained
Shengchun Xu, an author of the study published in the Journal of Integrative
Agriculture. (Science Digest)
Major
General John Sullivanwas a Continental
Army officer, politician and judge who served in the American Revolutionary War
and participated in several key events of the conflict, most notably George
Washington's crossing of the Delaware River. He was also a delegate to the Continental
Congress, where Sullivan signed the Continental Association. After the war, he
served as the third governor of New Hampshire and was appointed as a United
States district judge of the District Court for the District of New Hampshire.
Sullivan,
the third son of American settlers, led the Sullivan Expedition in 1779, a
scorched earth campaign by the Continental Army which destroyed 40 Iroquois
villages, killed 200 Iroquois and forcibly displaced 5,000 Iroquois as refugees
to British-controlled Fort Niagara. There is a historiographical debate over
whether or not the actions of Sullivan and his troops during the expedition
constitute genocide. As a member of Congress, Sullivan worked closely with the
French ambassador to the United States, the Chevalier de la Luzerne.
Sullivan
rejoined Washington and was placed in command of the troops on Long Island to
defend against British General Howe's forces about to envelop New York City.
But then, on August 23, Washington split the command between Sullivan and
General Israel Putnam, with Putnam being the senior general.[41] Confusion
about the distribution of command contributed to the American defeat at the
Battle of Long Island four days later. Sullivan's personal bravery was
unquestioned, as he engaged the Hessian attackers at Battle Pass with a pistol
in each hand; however, he was captured. General Howe and his brother, Admiral
Richard Howe, managed to convince Sullivan that a conference with members of
the Continental Congress might lead to peace, and released him on parole to
deliver a message to the Congress in Philadelphia, proposing an informal
meeting to discuss ending the armed conflict between Britain and its rebellious
colonies.[citation needed] After Sullivan's speech to Congress, John Adams
cynically commented on this diplomatic attempt, calling Sullivan a
"decoy-duck" and accusing the British of sending Sullivan "to
seduce us into a renunciation of our independence"; others noted that it
appeared to be an attempt to blame Congress for prolonging the war. Congress
did agree to a peace conference with the British, which led to no new General
Sullivan was released in a prisoner exchange (for captured British officer
Richard Prescott)[46] in time to rejoin Washington before the Battle of
Trenton. There his division secured the important bridge over the Assunpink
Creek to the south of the town.[47] This prevented escape and ensured the high
number of Hessian prisoners captured. n January 1777, Sullivan also
performed well in the Battle of Princeton.
In August,
he spoke out against the neutrality of Quakers in the American Revolution and
led a raid on Staten Island. Again Congress found fault, but he was exonerated
by the court of inquiry.[citation needed] This was followed by American losses
at Brandywine and Germantown. During the Battle of Brandywine in September
1777, he and his troops were bivouacked at Brinton's Ford adjacent to Brinton's
Mill.[50] Sullivan's men were attacked and sent into retreat by a surprise
flanking attack at Brandywine but were eventually able to leave the field in
good order when they were reinforced by troops under the command of General
Nathanael Greene. In the initial attack
at Germantown, Sullivan's men routed British light infantry. Heavy fog caused
wrong turns and delayed troop movements ruined Washington's plan, and
Sullivan's troops took on friendly fire.
At home
Sullivan was seen as a hero.The New Hampshire legislature selected him as a
delegate to the Continental Congress for one year to start in November 1780,
against his wishes. Although most of the delegates to Congress were new, Sullivan
still had opponents there. Nonetheless, he accepted the position in order that
New Hampshire be represented in the controversy concerning claims to Vermont
under the New Hampshire Grants. In the
absence of other delegates from New Hampshire except the soon to depart
Nathaniel Folsom, Sullivan was seated early, on September 11, 1780. Immediately,
Sullivan and Folsom had to deal with the question of whether Vermont would be
part of New York or New Hampshire or would be independent. Ultimately, since
possible negotiation of Vermont with the British to become a part of Canada was
threatened, on August 3, 1781, Sullivan seconded appointment of a committee to
negotiate with Vermont on becoming a separate state.
Returning
home to New Hampshire, Sullivan was named the state's attorney general in 1782
and served until 1786.During this same time he was elected to the state
assembly and served as speaker of the House. He led the drive in New Hampshire
that led to ratification of the United States Constitution on June 21, 1788. He
was elected president of New Hampshire (now governor) in 1786, 1787 and 1789.
During his first term as governor, he put down the Exeter Rebellion. He was
also a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in 1788.
Sullivan was
nominated by President Washington on September 24, 1789, to the United States
District Court for the District of New Hampshire, and was confirmed by the United States Senate on
September 26, 1789, and received his commission the same day. His ill health
delayed his assumption of the post until after 1792.Sullivan died in his home in Durham
on January 23, 1795.
Polls show that Pope Leois creaming the President in common sense
and job approval. Why the pig President is picking a fight with a Ope is
stupid.
Donald Trump has issued another
verbal attack against Pope Leo, accusing the pontiff of “endangering a lot of
Catholics” because “he thinks it’s fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon”.
The remarks come two days before
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, meets Leo at the Vatican in an effort
to ease the tensions sparked by Trump’s previous broadside against the
Chicago-born pontiff over his condemnation of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Speaking
to Hugh Hewitt, a prominent conservative radio talkshow host on the US-based
Salem News network, Trump said the pope “would rather talk about the fact that
it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and I don’t think that’s very good”.
“I think he’s endangering a lot of
Catholics and a lot of people,” the president added. “ The only person endangering Catholics is the POS leader of whatvwill soon cease to be the free world.
For the record, the Pope NEVER said
that.
MOST U.S. ADULTS SAY THE UNITED STATES IS NO LONGER A GREAT
PLACE FOR IMMIGRANTS, ACCORDING TO A NEW AP-NORC POLL, AS ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF
AMERICANS REPORT KNOWING SOMEONE IMPACTED BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S
AGGRESSIVE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
A new survey
from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research of more than
2,500 U.S. adults finds about 6 in 10 say the country used to be a great place
for immigrants but is not anymore. About one-third of U.S. adults — and more
than half of Hispanic adults — say that over the last year they, or someone
they know, have started carrying proof of their immigration status or U.S.
citizenship, been detained or deported, changed travel plans, or significantly
changed routines, such as avoiding work, school or leaving the house, because
of their immigration status.
Missouri
retiree Reid Gibson, an independent, is furious about the Trump
administration’s treatment of immigrants. He hopes America eventually becomes
more welcoming to immigrants again, but he worries “it may take many years to
reverse the damage that the Trump administration has inflicted” with its
policies.Roughly
3 in 10 U.S. adults say the U.S. is a great place for immigrants, according to
the poll, while about 1 in 10 say it never was. The belief that America is no
longer great for immigrants is more common among Democrats and independents, as
well as among those born outside the U.S.
About two-thirds of U.S. adults in the poll say automatic
citizenship should be granted to all children born in the country, a view that
most Democrats and independents back. Republicans are more doubtful: just 44%
support birthright citizenship. The poll also shows that some people are
conflicted, saying in general that they support birthright citizenship but also
that they oppose it in some specific circumstances.
When
asked about some specific circumstances, about 6 in 10 U.S. adults say they
support birthright citizenship for children born to parents on legal U.S.
tourist visas, while only about half support it for those born to parents who
are in the country illegally. An even higher share, 75%, support automatic
citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents who are in the country
legally on work visas, with much of that increased support coming from
Republicans saying this was an acceptable situation.
McCLAY EVENT ON MONDAY
State
committee candidate Thom Shubilla hosted an event for 121st District
candidate Jessica McClaythis past
Monday. She is running to succeed Eddie Day Pashinski. Here we are with the
party host , Mayor Brown and the candidate. Her event coincided with the
arrival of mail in ballots sent to a substantial part of the voting population
in the 121st district.
BOILERMAKERS LOCAL 13
ENDORSES RACHEL WALLACE FOR CONGRESS
Boilermakers Local Lodge No. 13 today
endorsed Rachel Wallace for U.S. Congress in Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional
District.
“Rachel has proven time and again that she is
a steadfast champion for working people,” said Brad Mickatavage, the business
manager of the Boilermakers Local Lodge No. 13. “She understands that the
strength of our economy depends on the strength of our workforce. We stand with
Rachel Wallace because she stands with us. We are excited to support her
campaign, and we look forward to working together in Congress to deliver real
results for working families in Pennsylvania and beyond.”
“I am honored to have the support of the
members of Boilermakers Local 13, whose skill and hard work help keep our
energy infrastructure running,”,” Wallace said. “I come from a union family. My
dad wasa union member and my
grandfather was the president of his local union, so I know firsthand what good
union jobs mean to families in our part of Pennsylvania. In Congress, I will
always stand shoulder to shoulder with labor to make sure working people have a
real voice in Washington.”
First organized in 1880, the International
Brotherhood of Boilermakers is a diverse union representing over 50,000 workers
throughout the United States and Canada in construction, repair, maintenance,
manufacturing, professional emergency medical services, and related industries.
The endorsement adds to growing support for
Wallace’s campaign. She has also received campaign endorsements from Tim
Holden, who represented parts of PA-09 for twenty years in Congress, and from
the United Mine Workers of America.
About Rachel Wallace: Rachel Wallace was born
and raised in Pennsylvania, growing up in Pottsville and now living in southern
Schuylkill County. She is the daughter of a pastor and a nurse, and has spent
her career in public service, having worked in the U.S. Senate, the State
Department, and the White House Office of Management and Budget, where she
served as chief of staff. She is running for Congress to lower the cost of living,
fix health care, and bring a focus back to the working families of
Pennsylvania’s 9th District.
For more information, please visit
wallaceforcongress.com.
BRESNAHAN’S LOCAL FARMERS FEEDING OUR COMMUNITY ACT PASSES
IN HOUSE FARM BILL
Last
week, U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. (PA-08) and the House of
Representatives passed the Farm Bill by a bipartisan vote of 224-200. The
package included Rep. Bresnahan’s bipartisan legislation, the Local Farmers
Feeding our Communities Act, which will help build stronger connections between
local producers and community food programs, expanding markets and improving
access to healthy food for those in need.
“We owe
it to our farmers to make sure federal policy works as hard as they do,” said
Rep. Bresnahan. “I’m proud this final bill includes my bipartisan legislation
to connect families in need with fresh food grown right here in our
communities. This Farm Bill delivers real support for farmers here in
Northeastern Pennsylvania and across the country by addressing the challenges
they’re facing and advancing practical, bipartisan solutions for our rural
communities.”
Rep.
Bresnahan receives a tour from Logan Brace of Brace’s Orchard in August 2025.
Rep.
Bresnahan first introduced the Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act on
July 30, 2025. In August, he held a roundtable with local farmers, food banks,
and community food advocates to share firsthand accounts on the importance of
supporting local agriculture and food access. His legislation was included in
the Farm Bill, which passed out of the House Committee on Agriculture on March
5, 2026.
DELIVERING FOR PA FAMILIES: SHAPIRO ADMINISTRATION INVESTS
MORE THAN $12 MILLION INTO MATERNAL AND INFANT HEALTH INITIATIVES OVER PAST
THREE YEARS
Allentown,
PA. Dr. Debra Bogen, Secretary, PA Dept. of Health, speaks during Thursdays
press conference. Leadership from the Shapiro Administration spotlight the
$12.3 million invested over three years to support and improve maternal and
child health initiatives in Pennsylvania during a visit to the Maternal and
Family Health Services WIC Center in Allentown. Earlier this year, the
Administration released Pennsylvania's first comprehensive "Healthy Moms,
Vibrant Futures" strategic action plan, which covers strategic goals, data
and research, and recommendations to combat maternal health disparities that
shape quality of life for both mothers and their children. April 30, 2026.
Since taking office in January 2023, the
Shapiro Administration has invested$12.3 million in maternal and child health
initiatives - delivering real results like increased use of postpartum
depression screenings, improved access to care for women with hypertension, and
new grants specifically designed to improve the health of Pennsylvania mothers
and babies.
Today, leadership from the Pennsylvania
Departments of Health, Human Services, and Drug and Alcohol Programs visited
the Maternal and Family Health Services WIC Center in Allentown to see some of
those results in action, as well as to discuss the Shapiro Administration's
plan to improve maternal health outcomes.
"Improving health outcomes for mothers
and babies is a top priority of the Shapiro Administration," said
Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. "Our investments are successfully
expanding access to quality care. With an additional $7.5 million proposed for
the 2026-27 budget, Governor Shapiro is ensuring we can continue this critical
work-making every stage of pregnancy and postpartum safer for the mothers and
infants in Pennsylvania."
MEDIA MATTERS
WVIA NEWS
VISIONARY TED
TURNER PASSES AWAY
One of
the boldest, take your prisoners of TV news broadcasting died yesterday at the
age of 87. The Ohio-born Atlanta businessman, nicknamed “The Mouth of the
South” for his outspoken nature, built a media empire that encompassed cable’s
first superstation and popular channels for movies and cartoons, plus
professional sports teams like the Atlanta Braves.
Turner
was also an internationally known yachtsman; a philanthropist who founded the United
Nations Foundation; an activist who sought the worldwide elimination of nuclear
weapons; and a conservationist who became one of the foremost landowners in the
United States. He played a crucial role in reintroducing bison to the American
west. He even created the Captain Planet cartoon to educate kids about the
environment.
But it
was his audacious vision to deliver news from around the world in real time, at
all hours, that really made him famous – once his idea finally took off.
In 1991,
Turner was named Time magazine’s Man of the Year for “influencing the dynamic
of events and turning viewers in 150 countries into instant witnesses of
history.”
On June
1, 1980, Turner launched CNN, the first 24-hour, all-news cable network. That
essentially changed the news business. No one had ever tried a 24/7 news
channel but when Turner accomplished it, the world was changed in such a way
that news coverage was immediate and in depth.All of a sudden he worldevents
came right into the living rooms of America. His legacy is going to be that he
took the audacious risk to inform the world in any tie zone.
WALN
BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM
You'll
hear the program Sunday at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400 am The Mothership
and 7:30 am on 105 The River.
THE LAURIE CADDEN SHOW
Tune in
every Saturday morning at 9am for The Laurie Cadden Show on WILK FM 103.1 and
AM 980 and 910. Laurie’s program has been a northeastern Pennsylvania mainstay
every Saturday. Tune in to hear her insights and take on local issues as well
as entertaining and informative interviews.
BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY
NIGHT SOCK HOP
BEATLE EDD’S FAB FOUR MUSIC HOUR
Tune in
every week to the Home of Rock and Roll for a jam packed, unpredictable hour
starting at 9am Sundays. Host Edd Raineri gives you facts and great music from
the immortal Fab Four on ROCK 107.
THE LULAC TIME MACHINE
CANDIDATE DIES IN PLANE CRASH
WALTER ALESSANDRONI
Governor Bill Scranton and Craig Truax at the funeral
May 1966
Walter
Edwin Alessandroniwas an American
attorney who was United States Attorney for the Eastern District of
Pennsylvania from 1959 to 1961 and Pennsylvania Attorney General from 1963
until his death in a plane crash in 1966. He posthumously won the Republican
nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania in 1966. Tomorrow will mark
60 years to the day that he was killed.
Alessandroni
was born in Philadelphia on December 27, 1913 to Joseph and Sally (Asprino)
Alessandroni. His father was a lawyer and his uncle, Eugene V. Alessandroni,
was a judge of the court of common pleas in Philadelphia. He received his
Bachelor of Science degree from Villanova University and his Bachelor of Laws
from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1938. He was admitted to the
bar in 1938.
From 1938
to 1943, Alessandroni was a member of the faculty at Villanova. He was active
in Republican politics, serving as secretary of a citizens committee on
arrangements for the 1940 Republican National Convention and secretary to
Philadelphia mayor Robert Eneas Lamberton.
During
World War II, Alessandroni was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. He
served as an assistant chief of staff to a commanding general in the Pacific
Theater.
In 1958,
Alessandroni became chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association. He was the
youngest chancellor in the organization's history.
On June
3, 1959, Alessandroni was appointed to succeed Harold Kenneth Wood as United
States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. His appointment was
delayed twice – first because the Senate did not promptly act on Wood's
nomination to the Eastern Pennsylvania bench, then because Alessandroni needed
more time to wrap up his duties at the housing authority.He was sworn in on October 19, 1959. On March
15, 1961, Alessandroni secured the conviction of Abe Minker, who had been in
control of the rackets in Reading, Pennsylvania for over twenty years. He
resigned as U.S. attorney effective June 30, 1961.
Alessandroni
was a candidate in the 1962 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, but withdrew
in favor of Hugh Scott. Scott later withdrew in favor of William Scranton.
Alessandroni managed Scranton's successful campaign and on November 12, 1962,
Scranton announced that Alessandroni would serve as Attorney General in his
cabinet.Alessandroni also managed
Scranton's unsuccessful campaign for the Republican nomination in the 1964
United States presidential election.
In
January 1966, Alessandroni announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor. He
was on the statewide ticket recommended by the Republican State Executive
committee and endorsed by Scranton and Scott.
On May 8,
1966, Alessandroni , his wife Ethel, Montgomery County Republican chairman
James E. Staudinger, and pilot Melvin E. Ladin were flying from Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania to Connellsville, Pennsylvania for a political rally when their
Piper PA-23 crashed and burned in the Allegheny Mountains near Somerset,
Pennsylvania. As the crash occurred only nine days before the Republican
primary, it was too late to remove Alessandroni from the ballot. and state GOP
chairman Craig Truax urged voters to vote for Alessandroni over his opponent,
Blair F. Gunther, as a show of confidence in the leadership–endorsed ticket and
to "continue the traditions of public service he represented".
Alessandroni won the primary and was replaced on the ticket by Raymond J. Broderick.
The Civil Aeronautics Board ruled that the probable cause of the crash was
"improper in-flight decision or planning" by the pilot and the number
one song in LuLac land and America was “You’re My) Soul and Inspiration”by The Righteous Brothers.
Location: Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, United States
Political analyst for WBRE TV's Pa. Live program and post election commentator for WBRE TV's Eyewitness News Daybreak show. Author of the book "A Radio Story/We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors" and "Leges Vitae" "26 Rules of Life" and the new novel, "Weather Or Knot". The blog editor also writes various news articles and columns as well as upcoming literary projects. The blog editor was a frequent guest on WYOU TV'S INTERACTIVE NEWSCASTS when political issues were discussed on the national, state and local level. Yonki was a weekly panelist on WYLN TV 35's Friday Topic A program. He also appeared on the Hazleton, PA. station on Election Night doing coverage and did special projects and stories for WYLN TV 35's 10PM Newscast "Late Edition".