Saturday Night In The Hot Seat!

   So, there I was, sitting on the stage of the
Shopland Hall at the Scranton Cultural Center.
   To my right, former Scranton Mayor David
Wenzel. To my left, Dom Keating and Jack
Carling.
    I was teamed with these prominent
individuals to play a Jeopardy-like game
called "You Live Here; You Should Know
This!"
    That was the official title. The
unofficial sub title .... "Are You Smarter Than
An 11th Grader?"
     Students from Valley View and Riverside
High Schools came up with an extensive list
of questions to test one's knowledge of the
history of Lackawanna County.
     Just like on that popular television game
show each of us picks a category and a
point amount from 10 to 50.
     And just look at my team!
     Wenzel, as I said, a former Scranton
Mayor!
      Carling, years with the Scranton
Redevelopment Authority followed by a
long career with the State Department of
Community Affairs!
       Keating, possible the most knowledgeable
County historian any of us know.
      And then there's me! A guy who covered
news events in the area for years...BUT who
lives in Luzerne County!!
      Gads...how did I get involved with a
contest about Lackawanna County History?
      Forget 50 plus years in the media......
 for me.......this was a Hot Seat!
      Then there were the questions. I picked
"Recreation" for 30 Points. I figured they'd
ask me about the Triple A baseball team or
maybe the Scranton Marathon.
      Instead I get a question about "Ethnic
Foods!"  And it happened twice!  I got one
wrong and guessed the other correctly!
     My greatest contribution was probably
lending guest Host Tony Bartocci of KRZ
Radio the quarter they used to determine
which team went first!
      Still, our team won the first game. So
we went again. More questions to rattle
my nerves.
      Then we won the second game! That
put us in the Championship Round.
      My three colleagues are ecstatic and
I'm wondering how I'll get out of town
if I cost them the game.
       Well, as it turns out, I may not be a
great historian when it comes to
Lackawanna County! But I'm a pretty
fair guesser! And I got just enough
guesses right to supplement the real
knowledge of  my fellow players!
       The result......WE WON!
       Wow! I can breath again!
       And it's all for the benefit of the
Lackawanna Historical Society so it
can preserve much of the history on which
we were tested!
       I may have to stop in and study if I
hope to return for another year.
       Have any of you seen Alex Trebek?
       Hope you know which Scranton
Department Store evolved from Cleland,
Simpson, and Taylor (I got that one)..and
that all your NEWS is good!





(This year's competition)

(Photo from last year's competition)