The LuLac Edition #2564, November 29th, 2013

OH REILLY???? OH REALLY?

So former Clerk of Courts Officer Bob Reilly wants his pension from Luzerne County. Reilly was plead guilty to a corruption charge. So you would think that he would be denied his pension. But Reilly hired a lawyer to see if he coud get the pension anyway. The lawyer is making the argument that Reilly might have lied but he only lied to local authorities not the Feds. Reilly’s attorney is saying that state law indicates that pensions of public employees who lie to local law enforcement officials can be forfeited and denied, but says nothing about lying to federal agents. There are those who will make the argument along with Reilly that he is indeed entitled to his pension under the specifics of the law but there are others who say a lie is a lie no matter who you told it to. Reilly’s arguments were made before Judge Jennifer Rogers who ran on an anti corruption campaign. This will be interesting but I’m not betting the LuLac mansion on Reilly.

State Representative Kevin Haggery. (Photo: LuLac archives).

HAGGERTY PROTECTING YOUTH

To be young sometimes is pretty stupid. I wish I could get back many of those years I wasted in my youth frittering time away when I could have been more productive. The big thing now is that apparently teenagers are playing a game called “Knockout” where teens randomly and without warning are taking punches at unsuspecting people. One person has died already and they are attacking anyone. State Representative Kevin Haggerty along with Representatives Brian Sims and Mike Regan are introducing legislation that hopefully will put more teeth into already existing legislation.
In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation that would amend Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses), §2702 (Aggravated Assault), of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to classify assaults related to violent “games” such as “The Knockout Game” or “SlapCam” as an aggravated assault. The offense would be graded as a misdemeanor of the first degree.
“The Knockout Game” and other similar “games” involve randomly targeting unsuspecting strangers for violent assaults. Under current law, depending on the nature of the injury, such an offense would likely be characterized as a simple assault.
Under current law, simple assault is a misdemeanor of the second or third degree. Under our bill, the "games" crime grading would be increased, carrying a penalty for violation of a misdemeanor of the first degree, which includes imprisonment, the maximum term of which is five (5) years.
Our legislation would ensure a more severe penalty for persons participating in these violent and dangerous activities. In recent months, there appears to have been a rash of incidents involving these “games” whereby harmless pedestrians, including senior citizens, were violently attacked. Sadly, some victims have succumbed to their injuries.

Newly elected County Council Member Kathy Dobash. (Photo: Times Leader).

DOBASH 'S HOLIDAY COMMENT

Newly elected Luzerne County Council member Kathy Dobash has sent a note to area residents thanking them for their support, giving them an access e mail to contact her and wishing everyone a happy holiday season. Here’s what she wrote:
Dear Friends,
I am writing to thank you for your vote and support during the most recent general election on November 5, 2013.
As a candidate-elect for Luzerne County Council I want to provide you my email address: kathydobash@yahoo.com . Please feel free to contact me regarding any Luzerne County issue which may require my assistance.
I believe in openness and transparency. I will be glad to present your concerns to other members of Luzerne County Council at public meetings.
With your help, we can make a difference and improve our communities throughout Luzerne County.
Again, I sincerely thank you for your support. I wish all Luzerne County Citizens a wonderful Holiday Season!
Kathy Dobash

BIG EVENT SUNDAY FOR SKATE FANS!!!!

The Diamond City Figure Skating Club will present "Snowflake Spectacular" Sunday December 1, 2013 at The Toyota SportsPlex (The former Ice Rink at Coal Street) Coal Street Wilkes-Barre, 3:00 pm till 5:00 pm.
Come support our talented skaters and celebrate the holidays at the rink. There will also be a public skating session from 1:00 pm till 3:00 pm.
Our skaters will be performing group and solo numbers to show off all the hard work they have been doing all year long.
Special guests, Olympians, Otar Japaridze and Angelina Telegina, will also be performing!!
Admission $5 for adults, $3 for children, kids under three are FREE.
Angelina competed for Russia at an ISU Junior Grand Prix in with her previous partner, with her next Partner she competed at an ISU International competition and placed second,
For for information on the Diamond City Figure Skating Club contact Karel Zubris, PR Chair at karelzubris@ymail.com or 570-406-0378.

MEDIA MATTERS

ECTV LIVE

Two guests are scheduled to join ECTV Live hosts Tom Munley and David DeCosmo during the week of December 2nd. Mike Butash will be on hand to talk about a free living Christmas scene while Marie Beavers will outline plans for the annual Christmas Open House at the Maffett Mansion! ECTV Live airs each day at Noon and Midnight on Comcast Ch19.

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

This Week on Sunday Magazine
Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with james may and Michael Taluto from PENNDOT about holiday traffic and the "Click It or Ticket" campaign going on throughout this Thanksgiving weekend.
An encore of Brian Hughes' interview with Steven Rothschild from the Life Foundation about protecting your family with life insurance.
And an encore of Brian's interview from September with Stuart Tomc about brain boosts you can put in your children's lunchbox.
Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5am on NASH-FM, 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X, 6:25am on Magic 93 and 7am on True Oldies 590, WARM,

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 7 pm 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!”

Our 1976 logo.

1976

In San Francisco, The Band holds its farewell concert, The Last Waltz.

José López Portillo takes office as President of Mexico.......The Sex Pistols achieve public notoriety as they unleash several 4-letter words live on Bill Grundy's early evening TV show....Sir Douglas Nicholls appointed 28th Governor of South Australia, the first Australian Aboriginal appointed to vice-regal office....Bob Marley and his manager Don Taylor are shot in an assassination attempt in Kingston, Jamaica.....Patrick Hillery is elected unopposed as the 6th President of Ireland..........The Viet Cong is disbanded in which its former members become a part of the Vietnam People's Army...
In Pennsylvania as well as the sports world people are stunned at the death of recently retired Pirates Manager Danny Murtaugh. A native of Chester Murtaugh played for the Phillies, Boston Braves and Pirates. He managed the Pirates for 15 years in four different terms. The only other guy to do that was Billy Martin of the Yankees. Murtaugh won two world championship in 1960 and 1971.n He as the first manager ever to field a team on September 1, 1971 of 9 black starting players. He won over 1,000 games, had his number 40 retired by the Pirates, should be in the Hall of Fame and died at a young age of 59…….in LuLac land baseball fans mourn the death of the Pirate Manager and most every local TV station had a special report on the passing of Danny Murtaugh…and thirty seven years ago the number one song in America and LuLac land was Whispering/Cherchez la Femme/Se Si Bon Dr. Buzzard Original Savannah Band.

The LuLac Edition #2563, November 26th, 2013

"HIGHLIGHTING" AN AREA AUTHOR

 Hazleton native Jennifer Melnick.

This is the cover of Jennifer Melnick's wonderful children's story set to be featured in Highlights Magazine. 

STORY SET FOR DECEMBER ISSUE OF "HIGHLIGHTS"

Hazleton native Jennifer Lynn Melnick has recently become a published children’s author. Her story, “Amelia Pepperpot Can’t Ah-Choo”appears in the December 2013 issue of Highlights magazine. This was Melnick’s first attempt at submitting a story to the renowned children’s magazine.
Melnick has been writing stories since first grade and had finally decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a children’s author.
“I’ve always known what I wanted to do, and I finally reached a point where I thought, ‘Why keep talking about wanting to write for children? I should just do it,’” said Melnick. “The worst that could have happened was that my story wouldn’t have been accepted. And being that it had yet to be published, I had nothing to lose.”
Melnick’s story is about a young girl named Amelia Pepperpot, who has an odd infirmity – she can’t sneeze. No matter what her parents and siblings do to try to coax a sneeze from Amelia, nothing works.
“Amelia felt a bit out of place, so I took her inability to sneeze and turned it into something quite useful,” said Melnick.
Amelia’s grandfather owns the town’s pepper factory, which experiences a machine malfunction that sends thick pepper clouds billowing out of the factory and throughout the town. In the midst of the pepper cloud storm, the Pepperpots realize that their family dog, Baxter, is missing.
No one can go outside without sneezing, except Amelia, so the young girl volunteers to find Baxter and brings him home to the relief of the Pepperpots. While sweeping up the pepper the following day, Amelia’s nose begins to twitch.
“Readers think Amelia is finally going to sneeze, but she’s only pretending,” said Melnick. “Amelia and I are alike in that we share a playful sense of humor, and besides, I enjoy adding little twists to my stories.”
The local children’s author is also a self-taught illustrator and is currently in the process of creating a picture book for a new story.
Melnick has worked as an editor, journalist, technical writer, corporate communications specialist, a Penn State weather forecaster, and a graphic designer. She is a Penn State graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism and a minor in Art History, as well as a Master of Arts Degree in Telecommunications. For her Master’s Thesis, Melnick extensively studied the history of children’s books, as well as the children’s book and e-book markets, in order to find how publishers can promote a healthy e-book market for children. In her spare time, Melnick enjoys collecting antique children’s books.
Readers can catch Melnick’s interviews in the upcoming weeks on other area media outlets, including: WYLN-TV 35’s “Late Edition,” WILK 103.1 FM news radio’s “The L.A. Tarone Show” with host L.A. Tarone, and WVIA 89.9 FM’s “ArtScene” with host Erika Funke.
Her story, “Amelia Pepperpot Can’t Ah-Choo” is available in Highlights magazine at local bookstores and online at www.highlights.com.

The LuLac Edition #2562, November 26th, 2013

BOWMAN ON THE CASE

Newswatch 16’s Investigative Reporter Dave Bohman provided area residents with their first glimpse of former 22nd District Senator Bob Mellow on Monday. Mellow is serving out his sentence at a halfway house in Scranton. Here’s a link to Bowman’s report. 
 http://wnep.com/2013/11/25/140887/

CARTWRIGHT AND SHERMAN HILLS

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright office announces he will be holding a press conference on Wednesday announcing a task force to address the environment at Sherman Hills, including fixing the problems in the report that was recently published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Cartwright will announce the members of a local task force who will troubleshoot the situation at Sherman Hills and require action on the problems revealed in the official review of the property. The task force will work to ensure that Sherman Hills Realty, LLC is held accountable for the safety of our community.
These are the members of Cartwright’s task force:
Matt Cartwright, U.S. Representative (PA-17)
Tom Leighton, Mayor, Wilkes-Barre
Eddie Pashinski, State Representative (PA-121)
Bill Barrett, Chairperson, Wilkes-Barre City Council
Maureen Lavelle, Councilwoman, Wilkes-Barre City Council
George Brown, Councilman, Wilkes-Barre City Council
Tim McGinley, Chair, Luzerne County Council
Harry Haas, Councilman, Luzerne County Council
Edd Brominski, Councilman, Luzerne County Council
Eileen Sorokas, Councilwoman-Elect, Luzerne County
Ron Felton, President, Wilkes-Barre NAACP
Rev. Shawn Walker, Pastor, First Baptist Church
Angel Jirau, Executive Director, Spanish American Leaders Serving All.

The LuLac Edition #2561, November 25th, 2013

Our “Maybe I’m Amazed” logo.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….that the founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg has taken a stand on an important issue that is being ignored by the Congress. Immigration. Good to see the entrepreneur putting his money where his mouth is.
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……..at the reaction and response the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death received throughout the country. The last two 50 year milestones were the death of Roosevelt in 1995 and D Day in 1994. One thing that many people sometimes don’t realize about the JFK assassination was that it wasn’t two decades from the end of the war and Roosevelt’s death. The JFK killing was like a sucker punch to people of my parent’s generation.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……at just how good Luci Baines Johnson Nugent Turpin looks now. Mrs. LuLac is really amazed that I had a crush on her when I was 11.
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……………that the letter “J” is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear anywhere on the periodic table of the elements.
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that the Payton Manning/Tom Brady rivalry is being portrayed as the greatest of all time in the history of NFL Quarterbacks. Really? Anyone remember Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas? Love Brady but keep in mind he won three Superbowls by three field goals.
MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..when thirsty a camel could drink up to 25 gallons of water in less than three minutes.
MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….at the crassness and stupidity of what passes for celebrities today. Last night a person named Sarah Silverman was interviewed on the red carpet. She was incoherent, vulgar and if she was trying for funny, she wasn’t. Lady GaGa on the other hand was pretty articulate and charming. GaGa who has these over the top outfits seemed like a normal person. Who knows maybe Silverman was trying for “skank of the year”. If that’s what she was going for, she made it.
MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that the Packers played to a tie with Minnesota. A tie in 2013 NFL? Believe it.
MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….that Hugo Selenski might go on trial. Ya think? Consider this, in the time since Hugo was supposed to go on trial, Luzerne County has had to governments, two District Attorneys, two sets of County Commissioners and a remodeled Courthouse. Hugo might be waiting for the 75th anniversary of the assassination of JFK. Or can it be he is afraid to face the music?
MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that the Times Leader hasn’t set up a Security Trailer with a cot, TV and shower for crime reporter Ed Lewis at Sherman Hills. The latest incident involves Shamira Pierce, a Jersey transplant stabbing Venise Spence, over an argument over cheating on someone or the other. Arguments over cheating is nothing new. But once more we have a person out of town living on the dime of subsidized housing. Time to buy a bus ticket for both of them and let them duke it out somewhere else.
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that I’m not the only one trying to figure out just what WNEP is trying to do with that Talkback 16 Thursday feature. Anchors in disguises? Mugging for the cameras? I’m all for satire and light humor but this is just lame and degrades the talent of two decent reporters. And if it was their idea, some producer or news director needs to tell them this is the news, not a poor man’s Leno.

The LuLac Edition #2560, November 24th, 2013

CATCHING UP

(Photo: ibikeburlington.blogspot).

With the hub bub of the recent Election which for some reason I thought was pretty important and the 50th Anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination there were a few items of note we missed. So here we go….

A VIDEO SCRAPBOOK

WVIA Public Media has started production on a one hour show called "'Back in the Day". This is a pilot project that they hope to make in to an ongoing series.
The show consists of people in our region telling their personal stories reflecting back on the area's rich history.
It's a nostalgic look back in time highlighting places and events throughout Northeastern and Central Pa.
There will be six to seven segments in the hour long show. In addition to stories, they will be looking for people that have film, video or photos of the events or places they are reflecting back on.
Here is the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqozUGAL0pY&feature=share&list=UUMXHwsyBEY2-cL5rMVUuKXA

HEALTH CARE OPTIONS

A few weeks ago, The Talker’s David J Madeira sent me a link on some alternatives that the Republicans proposed to The Affordable Health Care Act. Here’s what he wrote and here are are those links:
"David Yonki - please. You are better than that. Just because you fundamentally disagree with market-based approaches doesn't mean the don't exist and weren't put forward by Republicans."  https://grabien.com/feature.php?id=9&from=allfeatures"
Thanks David.

REVAMPED FITNESS SITE

Our friend Dr. Joe Leonardi has done a relaunch of his Fitness program called “Obesity Undone”. Dr Leonardi takes you on a very personal journey into fitness and weight loss. Here’s his new links to “Obesity Undone" You Tube videos. http://www.youtube.com/blogs/fatthenfitnow

LEAD ON KILLER

 It seems like there is a lead on the killer of Mike Olney, DeeJay Mo. Apparently the police have taken a look at the cell records of a person of interest as well as impounding a Mercedes police  think that might have been the car used in the shooting. The driver of the sweet ride is Rhamel Steve Lambert who was found driving the car in possession of a controlled substance. Lambert has not been charged with the killing but with other crimes. He must be an investment banker to drive a car like that, right? 

TRANSPORTATION BILL PASSES 

With former Governors endorsing the Transportation Bill, the House and Senate finally passed it. This bill needed to be passed because our roads are a mess and our bridges are falling apart. I'm not thrilled about the gas tax but hope that there is more accountability i terms of where the money goes these projects. Let's have the Legislators set up a time table, report card and score card to see how much is being spent and how much will get done.

MEDIA MATTERS

Here are the videos from Friday when I was on WBRE and WYLN TV 35 speaking about the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination. Brittany Sweeney of WBRE and Ann Gownley were great. One slip up on the WYLN Interview, when I was speaking about Kennedy's Bay of Pigs Triumph, I meant to say the "Cuban Missile Crisis Triumph". I felt bad about it until I watched Friday's Morning Joe on DVR and saw Scarborough mix up Ruby and Oswald. Here are the cuts:

The LuLac Edition #2569, November 22nd, 2013

JFK FIFTY YEARS ON

“GOOD NIGHT JACK”

Today I had the very precious opportunity to be on a few Media outlets and give views on the 50th Anniversary of the Death of John Kennedy. Each interviewer asked for my views but I always prefaced my remarks by saying that I was not representing David Yonki or The LuLac Political Letter on this day but rather the thousands of people who were my age when this tragic event happened. I spoke of the generation of today where Kennedy was frozen in time and of course the thoughts of what many of my era felt too.
I touched much too briefly on my parent’s generation. If his death touched people of my age that day, for my parent’s generation it was devastating. Kennedy was the first man who became President born in the 20th century. Prior to his election other Presidents were born in the 1880s. This was a big deal for our parents. My dad was born in the teens as were many of the men on my street when I was growing up. Kennedy was a contemporary. One of their own. Plus the fact that Kennedy was Irish Catholic and had made a grinding motorcade in 1960 that lasted hours had a huge impact on how people regarded him here.
In my head I knew how much my father’s generation loved Kennedy, regardless of religion or party. But the impact of that affection came home to me twenty years after his death. I was attending a political event at the Pittston Knights of Columbus with my Uncle Timmy Pribula.  The Knights of Columbus was named the John F. Kennedy Council after his death. A portrait of John Kennedy was put in the hallway near the door. In a huge frame, the visage of JFK was illuminated by a light. My Uncle Joe was in attendance as well as my Uncle Lenny who was working the bar for the gathering. 
That night, after the event was over we began to made our way toward the door. I was confused because on the way in there was no line but on the way out, it was slow moving. It wasn’t until I got closer to the exit that I saw every man, now older than the day the President, their President died stop by the photo, touch it and murmur, “Goodnight Jack”.
Goodnight Jack indeed.

The LuLac Edition #2568, November 22nd, 2013

JFK 50 YEARS ON

THE AFTERMATH

After the news sunk in, America realized they were going to be forever changed as a people and as a nation. In the immediate hours of the event, it was up to the press, print and electronic media to make sense of things.

 Front page of the Times Leader.

What our Governor William Warren Scranton said and thoughts from "Little Studies" a popular feature of the Times Leader.

Statement from Congressman Flood in Saturday's edition of the Times Leader in top segment, directly above is a photo of Wilkes Barre residents viewing a painting of Kennedy that was displayed in a downtown bank building.

 The Wilkes Barre Record's Monday Morning edition the day of Kennedy's funeral. 

Much thanks to Tiffany Lukashefski from the Osterhout Free Library in helping me researching the news coverage of the day. 

Also thanks to my good friend Gabe at the UPS Store in Edwardsville for help in scanning. 

And Mrs. LuLac for her help in printer and IT issues.

The LuLac Edition #2567, November 22nd, 2013

JFK 50 YEARS ON

A VERY PERSONAL DATE

11/22/63

This is the day that is meaningful to every person of my generation. We all remembered where we were when we heard the news that President Kennedy was killed. This week I got a few phone calls from old grade school friends who wanted to reconfirm what happened. They know I have been both blessed and cursed with a memory that has served me both well and ill through the years.
The night, before I sat at our kitchen table and was doing a book report on Lincoln. It was around the 100th anniversary of The Gettysburg address and he was top of mind in our history studies with Sister Apolonia. I wondered out loud how anyone could kill Lincoln and then returned to my work.
That Thursday night in Houston in an effort to shore up support with Latin American citizens who thought JFK was not as supportive as he should be, the President addressed the League of United Latin American Citizens Council. LULAC.
The next day at St. John the Baptist was pretty normal. It was a sunny brisk November day. The girls at recess were jumping rope, the boys were playing a version of baseball using a rubber ball and a wall near the church parking lot. Lunch was a treat that day, pizza with government cheese that oozed on top of the hardened crust. I remember sneering at the third grade girl in pig tails that would be my 7th grade girlfriend and she gave it right back to me making oink noises as I devoured my second piece of pizza.
In the playground that day Drew Wasko informed me that a nun, a nun of all people had the number one record in America. A singing nun no less. His brother Bob laughed and said something like imagine our Slovak nuns on Ed Sullivan. Another set of brothers I was friends with, the Dellarte Brothers said they were on the second bus and would be arriving late at home on a Friday. I reminded them that on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I would ride the late bus and they should stop complaining.
Time was going slow on a Friday afternoon until at around 2:20PM someone came in our classroom and whispered in Sister Apolonia’s ear. She nodded gravely and said nothing.
At 2:50 we gathered our belongings and waited as the buses driven by Billy Wagner and Paul Suscon pulled up in front of the school. Unlike prior weekends there was silence. I sat down and I heard a kid say to his sister “He never knew what hit him”. I wondered about that but had no idea what had happened. The Principle Sister Augusta boarded the bus armed with Rosary in hand and crooked a finger at his saying,”Pray, pray, you know what happened!”
She started the Rosary and a Patrol Boy and Girl took over the prayers as the bus rode through Pittston toward the Junction. I still had no idea.
After we left the bus, older classmates filled me in and I was in disbelief. I went home and did not enter the House. My dad was working a night shift at the Cigar Factory, my mother the day. I sat on one of those Milk Boxes our Milk Guy Rudy Forlenza gave us and waited. My mom and I went inside and waited impatiently as the TV warmed up. By 6PM my sister and father (both at work) were let out early. We sat in the TV room as a family just in time to see John Kennedy’s casket come off the plane. I don’t remember what we ate or what we said that night. Although I do remember my Godmother visiting and recalling when Kennedy came through Pittston. It seemed like everyone took turns crying. I remember I did not. I was just scared.
I stayed up until 1am and I remember David Brinkley saying this. After you hear Brinkley’s statement you’ll realize there was little else to say.

The Kennedy assassination to all of us of this age was personal. It is something that none of us will ever forget. As he touched us in life, he touched us in death.
Fourth grade boys and girls turn into men and women. Our lives take twists and turns that make us forget old times and things we’ve done. Sometimes we barely remember what we did last week. In this day and age, with IPhones, computers and all the gadgets that take away any mystery in our lives we as a society are pretty isolated. We only seem to come together in grief. When my dad died in 1980, a woman I knew marveled at the people who came to his wake. She said, “I never saw so many people feel so bad at the same time for the same reason”. She was two when Kennedy died.
That Monday as the Funeral took place, a whole nation felt very bad at the same time for the very same reason. And fifty years later, for some of us, it is still very fresh. It is fifty years to the day….but it might as well have been just a few hours ago.

The LuLac Edition #2566, November 21st, 2013

JFK FIFTY YEARS ON

Iconic photo published in the Philadelphia Inquirer the Sunday after the death of Kennedy. This Photo hung in thousands of homes in LuLac land.

KENNEDY AND THE MEDIA

John F. Kennedy was the first television President. Kennedy was made for the cathode ray tube. Handsome, telegenic and quick on his feet, John Kennedy knew how to handle the media. He innately knew which camera to look at and had a very good sense that the best way to portray an image was to use this new medium that he knew was becoming the most important piece of media in the 60s.
Kennedy’s father bought RKO films in the thirties and schooled his young son on image. When Kennedy ran for his first office, U.S. Congress, he utilized his entire family to canvas the district. Radio was a friend but television was where Kennedy became the bride groom of that medium.
When Kennedy became a Senator, he was not terribly effective and pretty much did little to distinguish himself. But he made the rounds on the Sunday morning TV talk shows and got noticed. In 1956 Kennedy gave a concession speech at the Democratic convention when Adlai Stevenson opened up the nominating process to pick a Vice President.

When he did garner the 1960 Democratic nomination, TV devastated his main opponent Hubert Humphrey. And in the 1960 Presidential debate against Richard Nixon, his grace under pressure gave Americans permission afraid of his inexperience a reason to vote for him.
Once in the White House, the Kennedy press machine was relentless in promoting the agenda as well as the family. Kennedy held televised press conferences eat least twice a month and was good at them.

Even though Kennedy was perceived to be the darling of the media, he did ban certain newspapers from the White House if he thought they were unfair.
Every trip this President was taking was now more available because of the increase in technology for television. By the time Kennedy died, the television news media was on the cusp of covering daily news with much more immediacy than previous administrations.
The death of John Kennedy brought the Network TV news media into another sphere. The Kennedy assassination was the very first version of what we now consider “Breaking News”. These were now live reports that chronicled the tragedy of the trip, the churning events of those four days and the ultimate details of how a nation buries their President.
Not to be crass but the Kennedy death was made for TV. The last President to die in office was the frail Franklin Roosevelt in 1945. FDR passed away, Kennedy was violently murdered. First there was talk of a coup, then the collateral damage of Office Tippett and then finally on TV that Sunday, the very first televised murder of Lee Harvey Oswald. The most imaginative and provocative script writers in Hollywood could not tell a story like this.
John Kennedy used television as a way to achieve the peak of the highest office in the land. His demise was the catalyst that made that very medium come of age. My father who was born a few years before Kennedy was stunned that the events could be brought to him by television. Throughout the entire tragic weekend he said over and over , “Television is a wonderful thing”.
On a Sunday morning I sat with my Godfather in our TV room as others in the House went about their business. When Lee Harvey Oswald got shot we looked at each other. The silence was broken when he said “Holy Blazes Davey, did you see that?” I did. So did the rest of America.
John Kennedy, the President who was omnipresent in life on TV became immortal in death on the little screen too. Kennedy was frozen in time when he died, but the fledgling TV News Industry would never again move at a glacial pace again.

MEDIA MATTERS

NOVEMBER 22, 1963

When the assassination occurred, the media in Northeastern Pennsylvania went into high gear. Local newspapers stepped it up to get voluminous editions out on the street. TV stations gave way to the networks as all but essential local programming ceased.
Radio stations stopped programming. WILK aired church and religious programs while WBAX had an announcer recite the Rosary four times a day. The dominant station in our area at the time was WARM and one of the few surviving members of the Sensational 7, Tom Woods along with the late George Gilbert told the story on how WARM coped.

NOVEMBER 22nd, 2013.

Tomorrow morning on WILK Radio Webster and Nancy speak with guests who will share their thoughts on the 50th anniversary of John Kennedy’s death. Here is the schedule:
7:10 Former Scranton Mayor James McNulty.
7:35 Former 11th Congressional District Representative Paul Kanjorski.
7:50 Judge Tom Munley
8:10. Dr. Antoinette Glover, known as The Little Girl In Blue.Plus Karel Zubris speaks to people on the streets about the anniversary.

LULAC ON……..

WILK’s Sue Henry program in the 11 O’Clock hour. 
The Sports Hub with Joe Thomas and L.A. Tarone at 1:30PM on 102.3. 
WBRE TV’S PA Live Program in the 4 O’Clock Hour with  Dave Kuharchik and Brittany Sweeney. 
WYLN TV at 530PM with Anne Gownley.

ECTV

Live hosts Tom Munley and David DeCosmo will welcome Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty to their program during the week of November 25th, Not long after taking office the city, under Mayor Doherty's direction, purchased a Christmas lighting display that was originally displayed at the Lackawanna County Stadium. Every since they have become a major holiday attraction at their new home in Nay Aug Park. The history, success and future of that free public display will be discussed on the show which can be seen on Comcast Ch19 throughout the week at Noon and Midnight.

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

This Week on Sunday Magazine
Brian Hughes speaks with Dr. Joanne Buzaglo about cancer pain, and how to better communicate with your doctor.
This Week in Harrisburg examines the passage of a state transportation bill,
legislation by State Representative Karen Boback of Luzerne County calling for new testing for Pennsylvania newborns.
And an encore of Brian's interview with Jessica Engle from Home Instead Senior Care about their "Be a Santa to a Senior" program.
Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5am on NASH-FM 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X, 6:25am on Magic 93, and 7am on True Oldies 590, WARM.

The LuLac Edition #2565, November 20th, 2013

JFK 50 YEARS ON

THE KENNEDY INDUSTRY

Probably no politician has done more for the American economy than John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Right from the start of his political career, the photogenic bachelor sold magazines by the bushel. When Kennedy took a bride, 13 years his junior there was added scrutiny by the media.
During his Presidential campaigns, Kennedy pumped tons of money into advertising entities. His campaign inundated the landscape with ads, posters, newspaper flyers as well as billboards. Of course there was also TV.

After the election, the big picture magazines like Life, Look and the Saturday Evening Post had a field day covering the Kennedy clan. There were reprints of his book “Profiles In Courage” as well as stories about the toddler Kennedy children. Thanks to poster 9:08 PM, we've unearthed this vintage novelty record.

During the administration, a young comic caught on fire when he did a best selling album lampooning the Kennedy clan. The album, the First Family by Vaughan Meader became a best seller.
Beauty shops started featuring Jackie Kennedy hairstyles and before long many young teenagers and women in America had the Jackie “do”.
It wasn’t until after his death that the Kennedy industry began in earnest. Books chronicling the assassination came hot off the presses.

 Newspapers were sold for years after at prices that well exceeded the cost of the original November 22nd and 23rd edition. This Friday The New York Daily News will offer the same edition it produced fifty years ago. 

The biggest selling magazines were those that had exclusive assassination subjects.

A Kennedy Half Dollar was minted and there were warnings of hoarding.
When doubts began to spring up over the Warren Commission Report, a cottage industry presented itself with various conspiracy books.

In the winter of 1964 the Beatles were riding the wave of popularity and there was a set of black and white collector cards. They were selling well until the Kennedy cards came on the market featuring the slain President in various poses.
There were Kennedy comic books, Kennedy life stories and on the weekend of Thanksgiving in 1963 even Kennedy prayer cards that were distributed in Roman Catholic Churches across America. 

There have been thousands of books written about John Kennedy. Thousands of Kennedy commutative plaques, trinkets, and mementos. 

Television and the movies weighed in with various subject matters that guaranteed big sales and ratings.
The President was an industry unto himself when he was alive. In death, the fascination of this imperfect man fueled the economy for the last fifty years. Given the financial track record, it is not inconceivable to assume that the Kennedy industry will keep on churning along on the way to the 100th anniversary of his death.
As we get closer to the day he died, it would not surprise me that if someone took every Kennedy artifact and book that was made in the world and gathered them one at a time, that inventory would fill several buildings the size of the Book Depository Building.

MEDIA MATTERS

Area news broadcast icon David DeCosmo.

Former WARM and WTOP broadcaster Tom Woods. 

DECOSMO/WOODS REMEMBER JFK ON WILK

Tune in tomorrow morning when David DeCosmo and Tom Woods speak about their remembrances of the day John F. Kennedy died. Both Join Webster and Nancy on WILK Radio.

The LuLac Edition #2564, November 19th, 2013

JFK 50 YEARS ON 

(Photo: Carl Anthony Online)

THE KENNEDY DYNASTY

When John Kennedy entered the political fray in 1946 after his service in the war, his family name was a known political commodity. Kennedy’s father Joseph P. Kennedy was the U.S. Ambassador to England prior to World War II. Ambassador Kennedy turned out to be on the wrong side of the argument for entry into World War II and was quietly dispatched by Franklin Roosevelt. Kennedy who had himself harbored political ambitions retrenched and set the high sites of public office on his son and name sake Joe Junior. But Joseph Kennedy Junior was killed in the war and the mantle fell to the second son, Jack.
Jack Kennedy was an unlikely choice. He was not the best student, had ill health, was not as athletic as his older brother and contemplated a career in journalism. But any plans he had on his own were countermanded by the patriarch of the family. The bargain Joe Kennedy made to his second son was this, no expense would be spared if JFK worked his ass off running for office.
Kennedy won a Congressional seat in 1946 canvassing the 11th Congressional District of Boston. Six years later he took on a New England icon in the person of Henry Cabot Lodge and won the Massachusetts Senate seat. After only eight years in the Senate with little notable accomplishments, Kennedy ran for the Presidency and won by a small margin. In all the campaigns Kennedy conducted, his father was there with an endless supply of money and his telegenic family dropped everything and stumped with him.
After his election, the Kennedy organization was not shy in putting other Kennedy men in place. In 1962 younger brother Ted claimed the President’s old Senate seat and with brother Bobby at Attorney General,  the three young brothers formed a troika unheard of in U.S. politics.
When Kennedy was killed in 1964, loyalists pushed Robert Kennedy as an obvious choice for Vice President. Kennedy did not dissuade that talk but Lyndon Johnson put the brakes on that action. With RFK’s own assassination in 1968, Ted Kennedy was left but made key personal errors that would make any political success problematic. Teddy made a pedantic run for President in 1980 and to me looked like he was going through the motions. The highlight of his campaign was the speech at the convention in which he conceded to President Carter. Sargent Shriver, a Kennedy in law was almost tabbed to be Vice President in 1968 with Hubert Humphrey but the family gave a thumbs down to that since they felt it might overshadow Teddy. Shriver ran for Vice President with George McGovern in 1972 and made a bid for the Presidency in 1976 but did so by first clearing it with the family.
The younger generation of Kennedy’s did try for political office. And succeeded. Joseph P. Kennedy II was elected to the 8th district succeeding Tip O’Neil. (O’Neill’s district was the 11th, which was Kennedy’s until 1963 when the district became the 8th). Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, who was the first Kennedy woman to hold an elected office, when she served as Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 1995 to 2003. Kennedy’s son, Joseph P. Kennedy III took a seat in the Massachusetts 4th and is closing out his first term.
Bobby Shriver, served as a Santa Monica City Councilman, elected in 2004. Mark Kennedy Shriver, 44 served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1995 to 2003. Patrick Joseph Kennedy, served in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rhode Island and retired from the seat last year.  He was the youngest Kennedy to take public office, at 21, when elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1988.
Caroline Kennedy’s, the President’s daughter flirted with the idea of running for the United State Senate to succeed Hillary Clinton but never got traction after some poor TV appearances.  Had John F. Kennedy Junior not been killed in that plane crash in the late 90s, he might have been a formidable political force. Publishing George Magazine, the younger Kennedy was being touted as a possible candidate for Senator of New York, a seat that ultimately went to First Lady Hillary Clinton. The Kennedy and Shriver children made the effort but did have the political climate, wherewithal or ambition to try and make the big climb. Perhaps it was the looming shadow of the last Kennedy brother Teddy who prohibited them from making a run. Or maybe it was the brief, fiery moment in the 60s that took up all the energy. The Kennedy dynasty was one that never got started due to circumstances no one could have foreseen when John F Kennedy climbed those first set of stairs in those walk up apartments in Boston in 1946.

GETTYSBURG ADDRESS AT 150

Here is the Gettysburg address read by actor Tom Amandes from the movie "Saving Lincoln".

The LuLac Edition #2563, November 18th, 2013

JFK 50 YEARS ON

KENNEDY’S AMERICA

The America of John Kennedy was one of upward mobility and progress. Kennedy was born before the roaring twenties. Like many people of my parent’s age, John Kennedy was formed by events great and small. The Stock Market Crash, the Great Depression, World War II and the aftermath of that conflict.
While given the best of all material goods, John Kennedy had terrible health problems. A lesser man would have packed it in and used his illness as an excuse to live the good life. And people would have given him a pass. But Kennedy carved out a political career for himself that would be like a brief, fiery comet. Kennedy was chosen by a majority of Americans born in the 20th century. He was their standard bearer, he was their leader. He was everything they aspired to be. Kennedy made average Americans feel that he was part of their group, one of them not their commander. Make no mistake he was in charge but gave Americans the confidence that progress was ahead. Americans of that age believed him because they in their own modest ways were better in their position of life than their parents. People today are hard pressed to say that.
When the Kennedy years were taking place, there were around 182 million Americans. Those Americans never heard the word diversity or thought much about it. Life was simple. Starkly put, it was black and white. Blacks were called Negroes. In some places in America, they were treated as inferiors. In other places, they were kept at a distance. While America was an upwardly mobile society, that was primarily for those male, white, educated and willing to work. Welfare was relief. Churches took care of unwed mothers, then the children were shipped to orphanages. There were no “baby Daddies” and the term would be one of shame if it ever was used.
For America, the economy was chugging along at a decent rate but things were started to change. Big business dominated the domestic economy during this time. In 1962 the five largest industrial corporations accounted for over 12 percent of all assets in manufacturing. However, after the successful launching of the space program and Kennedy’s call for more technology, at the time of his death a trend started to develop,. For the rest of the 1960s, housing and computer industry overpowered automobiles, chemicals, and electrically powered consumer durables, which were the leading profit sectors in the 1950s.
Kennedy’s decision to take on the Steel Companies after they reneged on a bargain with the Steel Unions resonated. Kennedy’s admonishment of the minority of Steel Executives who did a corporate double cross and raised prices any way after the union gave concessions was said to be the cornerstone of the Kennedy administration’s success in the mid term elections of 1962. Kennedy also took the bold step of cutting taxes. His actions were quoted by the GOP right years later.

Kennedy had set in motion events that would help America take the lead in technology and finance.
The President started a volunteerism program called The Peace Corps which engaged young Americans to travel to other lands. Briefly, for once in America a young generation was going to a foreign land not with bullets but with books. JFK also took on a nation who might be getting sedentary by starting the President’s Council on Physical fitness.
The America of President John Kennedy was on the upswing. People back then wore suits and dresses to church on Sunday, they believed in God and made sure their kids got better educational opportunities than they did.
But with all of that, there was another side of America. Blacks were treated like second class citizens. In truth there was no equality. Women stayed in the kitchen and if they did work, it was because of economic necessity. And Kennedy in his first two years did little to advance the cause of Civil Rights. Not until the tipping point came in 1963 did Kennedy act. At least he set in motion the events that his successor Lyndon Johnson would complete.
There was abject poverty in this nation of plenty. The President started to address that with economic development programs that barely made a dent. But like the earlier century, there was a feeling we were going forward, not backward.
At the time of his death, John Kennedy’s America was lot like a mid 60s TV sitcom. It was black and white, any problem had a solution that could be solved within 30 minutes and if it didn’t, people put a good face on it. A lesson would be learned and the offending party would never do the bag thing again!
The true tragedy of the Kennedy America of the 1960s is this: we had a President who recognized the problems ahead but just didn’t have the time to finish his plan. Subsequent events were out of his hands due to his death so the Kennedy legacy, social and economic is what might have been. The America of Kennedy at the time of his death had no answers to the problems but at least there was recognition that they existed. And by God this was America and no one could ever derail us! Right?
No one thought that a mighty nation of missiles and multi billion space technology would have to contend with a middling random purchase of a $21.95 mail order hunting rifle and its consequences.

The LuLac Edition #2562, November 17th, 2013

DOHERTY’S PARTING GIFT

Scranton's outgoing Mayor Chris Doherty. (Photo: Times Tribune). 

After three terms as Mayor, Chris Doherty is giving his citizens a parting gift. A tax hike of over 40%. Doherty says it is the only way to get Scranton a financial footing. Ironic that he is saying this on his way out the door. But the higher offices seem to be occupied and unavailable so there is no need to pretend that things can be rosy in the Electric City. Whether Doherty gets this tax increase through will be interesting to watch. If by chance he does, the increase will at least give incoming Mayor Bill Courtright something to work with. Doherty has done decent work in his three terms. His city is attractive, crime is not as violent as it is in surrounding cities, and he has done some things to refurbish the image of Scranton. But maybe his best gift is this tax increase. It might give the city a fighting chance to get on an even keel and get itself out of debt. Somewhat. Let’s hope Courtright will implement whatever increase comes with more prudent administrative staffing

Our 1963 logo.

1963

In the first few weeks of November, these were the big events going on in the month of November. 

 South Vietnamese coup: Arrest and assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem, the South Vietnamese President.............Coup leader General Dương Văn Minh takes over as leader of South Vietnam.....Malcolm X makes an historic speech in Detroit, Michigan: Message to the Grass Roots.................The first push-button telephone is made available to AT&T customers..........in Pennsylvania, the 100th anniversary of the Gettysburg address is commemorated. President Kennedy was invited by Governor Bill Scranton at the start of the year but declined. Kennedy traveled to Texas instead a few days later on a political trip...... In Luzerne County, test bore holes are drilled to see if a new roadway can be developed linking a bridge over the Susquehanna river, over to Kingston and then connecting to the Harvey’s Lake highway. Representative Fred Shupnik made that announcement and that project would later be called the Cross Valley Expressway...and 50 years ago this week the number one song in LuLac land and America was Dominique by The Singing Nun. Born Jeanine Deckers, she shot to fame with an album recorded in 1961. She left the convent in 1966, became critical of the Catholic Church, tried to pursue a musical career and worked as a Dominican lay person for a while. She encountered tax difficulties and emotional problems and committed suicide in 1985  at the age of 51.

The LuLac Edition #2561, November 16th, 2013

CARTWRIGHT AND BARLETTA ON HEALTH CARE

This week two Congressman from our area voiced their opinions on the Affordable Health Care Act. From their offices, here are their statements. 

Congressman Matt Cartwright. (Photo: LuLac archives).

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright spoke at the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Hearing on “ObamaCare Implementation: The Rollout of HealthCare.gov”. Below is Rep. Cartwright’s statement:
“Thank you Mr. Chairman.
“The Affordable Care Act was passed into law in 2010 and it seeks to increase competition in the marketplace to help bring down healthcare costs. The law ends the practice of denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, and bans annual and lifetime limits on health coverage benefits. It also enables parents to keep their children on their health care plans until they are 26 and makes small businesses eligible for tax credits to ease the burden of employee coverage. The law also works to strengthen Medicare and will make prescription coverage for seniors more affordable.
“The Affordable Care Act also helps those who were previously unable to afford coverage. New premium tax credits and an expansion of Medicaid, which I hope my home state Governor will approve, will provide new coverage options to families who could not afford coverage before. For people with incomes up to four times the poverty level, the new premium tax credits will be there to help them afford coverage.
“These tax credits are desperately needed in my district, where nearly 9.4% of my constituents live below the poverty line. 70,000—that’s 10.5%—do not have health insurance, including 6,500 children, and will be able to utilize the subsidies offered under the Affordable Care Act to finally get covered.
“In fact, in 2007, nearly 10 percent of Pennsylvania residents reported they were unable to see a doctor when necessary due to cost. Between 2003 and 2009, families in Pennsylvania saw their health insurance premiums increase by 45% to an average annual cost of $13,229. Single policyholders experienced a 38% increase over the same period. Nearly 1.4 million, or 11% of the state’s population, uninsured. Pennsylvania’s children are uninsured at a rate of 8%.
“Clearly, my constituents need the Affordable Care Act!
“For far too long, America’s health insurance system has made health care more costly, less accessible, and less efficient for families and small businesses. I support the Affordable Care Act as step toward addressing inequalities within our healthcare system.
“Now, I also want to get to the bottom of what’s going on with Healthcare.gov, and so I support oversight hearings for that purpose. However, this hearing—like many previous hearings this committee has held—is clearly an extension of the politically motivated “Repeal or Delay” tactic that some of my friends on the other side of the aisle have been pushing since the bill was first passed in 2010. It seems to me that if the Chairman were so worried about getting the website fixed so that people could actually sign up for health care, he wouldn’t have subpoenaed Todd Park to come in and testify. If the Chairman was so worried about people not being able to access affordable healthcare, he would have waited until December, after the website is scheduled to be fixed. In fact, Mr. Park agreed to testify before this committee just 2 ½ weeks later, but the Chairman refused that offer and subpoenaed him anyway. Chairman’s subpoena seems like it is part of a predetermined political strategy rather than a constructive effort to conduct responsible oversight. Unfortunately, rather than allowing improvements to the Healthcare.gov website, the Chairman’s subpoena could have the opposite effect.
“It is my hope that we can have oversight without gamesmanship and partisan politics, as this committee has been able to in the past. I really would like to get to the bottom of what is going on with the website because I want my constituents to be able to sign up for quality, affordable healthcare.
“Now, since you are all here, I will not pass up this opportunity to ask you some questions, but I reiterate I wish we could have waited to allow time to fix the website in the first place."

Congressman Lou Barletta. (Photo: LuLac archives).

Rep. Barletta Statement on President Obama’s Health Care Announcement

President Attempts to Salvage Broken Promise on Keeping Existing Plans -

Congressman Lou Barletta, issued a statement regarding President Obama’s announcement that insurance companies will be permitted to continue to sell health care policies previously barred by Obamacare. Since the implementation of the law on October 1, 2013, millions of Americans have received notice that their individual market plans have been cancelled because of the Affordable Care Act.
President Obama repeatedly pledged that “if you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan. Period.” That pledge turned out to be hollow as the cancellations began to mount. In an effort to keep Obama’s broken promise, Barletta co-sponsored the “Keep Your Health Plan Act,” H.R. 3350, which will ensure that millions of Americans who have seen their policies cancelled under Obamacare will be able to keep them in 2014.
Barletta’s statement is as follows:
“For the last six weeks, Americans have been dealing with a broken website, and even worse, a broken promise. The president’s announcement today is proof that his healthcare law is inherently flawed and was sold with false promises. He has essentially admitted that when he told the American people they could keep their current health plans if they liked them, ‘period,’ it simply wasn’t true.
“Also, I question the president’s legal authority to make such a change in the law, which is why I have supported a legislative remedy to keep his promise for him. Further, it is disturbing that the president has ignored many dire warnings about the law, and has only come forward today because members of his own party are panicking about their own elections.
“Ironically, the president’s proposal will undermine his own law by keeping people from the individual insurance markets out of the exchanges, which will deprive the entire Obamacare scheme of funding it needs to exist. This is a law that will ultimately die on its own, because the president can only slap so many band-aids on it.”

The LuLac Edition #2560, November 15th, 2013

REPEAL OBAMA CARE

Yep. If I were the President, I’d throw it out and give this challenge to the GOP and some members of his own party. I’d throw it out if it could be amended to be the Public Option. That would solve everything.
1. Everyone would get health care. Like Medicare the one payer system would cover everyone.
2. Each person would be responsible to pay a portion of their health care by paying a percentage in a supplemental policy.
3. Those supplemental policies would be sold by Insurance companies. Those not willing to buy a supplemental policy will not be taxed by the government but have to pay the difference. Plain and simple, you're covered at 80% but if you have a hospital bill of $100,000 and don’t have a supplement, you pay $20,000. It’s that simple.
4. Insurance companies would vie for business in the Supplemental Market and make tons of money. Look at Geisinger Gold and Blue Cross/High Mark Supplemental plans. No one would go out of business, they'd thrive.
5. Claims would be streamlined. There would be no such thing as a Pre existing condition or worrying about who is 26 years old or not.
6. Businesses would not have to bear the burden of providing health care for its employees. They can reinvest that money into hiring more people, giving their employees a raise or if they are in this century’s business mindset, keep it for themselves because they are after all the sainted job creators.
7. You pay for this by putting a consumption tax on non perishable items.
8. That money would be reinvested in paying for health care, solving our infrastructure problems and giving free educations to anyone who qualifies to be a health care professional.
Imagine, no more families of cancer patients holding hoagie sales to pay for the medical costs incurred by families. No more dances raising money to help for someone’s bills when a family needs to be at a bedside instead of at a table selling 50/50 tickets.
Yeah repeal it and do this. But I bet you it will never happen because too many politicians, Democrats and Republicans are in bed with the Insurance companies and the Pharmaceutical people.

SEPARATING THE CONCERNED AND THE KOOKS

There has to be a change in the way public meetings are conducted here in LuLac land. Public bodies put time limit of three minutes, some five. It is a restriction of speech and I understand why it’s done. But there has to be a judgement call made. It is tough to say a few things in three minutes and it would be nice if people who were in office listened. I got an e mail the other day from a guy the other day that attempted to speak at length at the Council meeting the other night. He has offered his knowledge to Bob Lawton and other Council members only to be shuffled off. Here’s what he wrote:
I knew my time was limited to 3 minutes and I wanted to address another idea and I just got into it when I was told by Atty. Pedra that my time was expired. I just don't get it. I stand there with comments that would allow for the county to save money and I get shut down after 3 minutes and then people with nothing beneficial to say get the same 3 minutes and all they do is bitch, use sarcasm and point fingers. I feel like I’m wasting my time speaking.
I know there is supposed to be equality, I know there is a limited time, I know that public officials have to put up with a lot but if someone is maybe giving you the cure for cancer, (and I’m not saying that’s what this e mailer was trying to do here) are you going to shut them down after three minutes? Just saying.

GEORGE WINSLOW’S RULE

George Winslow was my next door neighbor when I was a kid growing up on Dewitt Street in Pittston. Every time it rained, George would head out the door and drive his car in the rain. Apparently at one time lightning struck his home and he decided he’d be safer in his car. George also had a little prized garden in his back yard. Separated by hedges and a fence, sometimes I’d hit my baseball or softball landing in his garden. One day as I was retrieving it, he asked me to do him a favor. "Ask permission before I walked in his garden  and if I'm not home, read a comic."  Every time after that, until the month he died, January of 1967,  I did. Maybe the Valley West School Board member Thomas Pieczynski Sr.,who was helping himself to vegetables from a neighbor’s garden should have done that. Steve Mocarskey of the Times Leader reported it and Steve Corbett brought it up on his radio show. Not the biggest story but it speaks to the mentality of some in this region. They’d rather take than ask. Pieczynski Sr.’s next door neighbor put a camera up for the very same reason Al Boscov stopped serving shrimp at his restaurant in a lunch buffet when he first opened. Some people will take. Stomping on the generosity of others.

Arena Authority Board member Alex Milanes. (Photo: Facebook). 

ARENA YUM!!!!!

The big deal this week is that the newest Arena Board member Alex Milanes appointed by the Luzerne County Council last month refused to partake in lunch at his first Board Meeting. Milanes was picked over some pretty prominent people and was picked unanimously 9 to 0 by the Council. Milanes and I had been passing like ships in the night and shortly before the election we got together for a sit down that had been postponed due to my illness earlier this year. Alex told me that he got his tour of the Arena and was given a list of what the Arena Authority expected of him in terms of rules and regulations as a board member.It was implied that Milanes should take his responsibilities very seriously.  Milanes said that food at meetings should not be on the house and that authority members should pay if they want lunch. Milanes was not playing Gandhi here, he was making sense. If Arena Board members don't get free tickets, why should they get a free lunch? Authority Chairwoman Donna Cupinski made matters worse when she told Times Leader reporter Jennifer Learnes Andes that the meal of a sandwich and pasta salad cost a buck. Maybe in an old Untouchables rerun but not in 2013.
When I worked at various non profits, we bought our own lunches. Period. When I worked at United Way, the campaign chairs like Eugene Roth, the late Richard Pearsall and Wallace Stettler bought a lunch for the volunteers but it came out of their own pockets. The late Sally Jervis who was a Board member would say, "You order, you pay, you don't order, you don't eat". Some people say this is being blown out of proportion but this is a new era here in Luzerne County and Milanes takes this stuff seriously. Milanes has gone through some fire politically and has come out ahead of those who tried to assail him. He’s an interesting guy that will ask the questions come what may. I bet when he was getting his tour and set of expectations of a board member, Cupinski wishes she asked Alex what he thought about the lunch menu.

BEDNAR ON THE AIR

We didn’t get a chance to show you this last week but here’s the brief interview WYLN did last week with newly elected Controller Michelle Bednar. Bednar who had been criticized fir her interview with WBRE’s Andy Mehalshick did a pretty good job earlier in the night. Starting at 5am and moving into Election Night is a tough grind. We should give her a break on this. Here’s the interview.

MEDIA MATTERS

  

ECTV 

Scranton's annual Santa Parade will be the subject of discussion on ECTV Live during the week of November 18th. Hosts Tom Munley and David DeCosmo will welcome Parade Public Relations Officer Tom Fritz to the program to discuss the annual march and what's in store for spectators this year. ECTV Live can be seen on Comcast Ch19 each day at Noon and Midnight with selected additional screenings at 6pm several days each week.

PCN

150TH GETTYSBURG ADDRESS COMMEMORATION TO AIR LIVE ON PCN

PCN will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address with special LIVE coverage on Tuesday, November 19 beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Civil War historians J.D. Petruzzi and Tom Vossler will join PCN host Brian Lockman in the PCN studio to set the stage for the 10:00 a.m. ceremony at Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg.
Following the ceremony, viewers will have the chance to join in the discussion as Petruzzi and Vossler discuss the impact of the Civil War and President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Viewers can dial toll-free at 1-877-PA6-5001 to share their comments or questions during the special program.

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 7 pm on WILK FM 103.1.

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

This Week on Sunday Magazine
Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with Tom Fritz, PR Director of the Scranton Santa Parade, coming up next Saturday in downtown Scranton.
Brian Hughes speaks with Seth Ginsberg & Tess DeMarco about the "Raise Your Voice" campaign to raise awareness about Rheumatoid Arthritis.
And Frankie speaks with Miami Steve Van Zandt from the E Street Band about his role in "The Rascals, Once Upon A Dream" show, coming to the Kirby Center in Wilkes Barre on Tuesday November 19th. Van Zandt also discusses his life with Bruce Springsteen and his role on "The Sopranos".
Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5am on NASH-FM, 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X, 6:25am on Magic 93, and 7am on True Oldies 590, WARM.

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!”

Our 1976 logo.

1976

In San Francisco, The Band holds its farewell concert, The Last Waltz........Microsoft is officially registered with the Office of the Secretary of the State of New Mexico……Governor Shapp says that he will most likely leave public life after his term ends in 1979. Shapp the first re-elected Governor of Pennsylvania concedes it is highly unlikely he’ll get a Cabinet position under the Carter administration….in Wilkes Barre Mayor Walter Lisman announces that there will be no new taxes in the coming year for city residents and thirty seven years ago the number on song in LuLac land and America was "Tonight's the Night" by Rod Stewart.