She's One Sweet Tomato!

    
     Now don't start jumping to conclusions! This is
not an ode to my wife, daughters, or grand daughters
(although they're all very deserving).
     My weekly program on Electric City Television
is devoted to the Pittston Tomato Festival this week.
     It's amazing what this little red piece of fruit has
done for the City! Without any bacon or lettuce!
     People outside of northeastern Pennsylvania
still know it as "Coal Country" even though deep
mining ended around these parts after the
Knox Mine Disaster in 1959.
     And while it's important to remember our
heritage it's also nice to know there's more to our
area than "Black Gold." In this case....it's "Red
Gold!"
     Folks in Pittston insist that the soil above
all those old underground mine tunnels is
uniquely rich and allows for the growth of some
of the tastiest tomatoes anywhere.
     They spend 4 days each year trying to prove
it with the Tomato Festival!
      The event now draws upwards of 40,000
people to this community of under 10,000
residents!
      There's musical entertainment, crafts, all
kinds of foods (not only those with a tomato
base), a Pageant, a race, and a parade.
      The best tomatoes win prizes. Those that
don't make the competition are very likely
used in the highlight event....the Tomato
Fight! Contestants pay 5 bucks to throw
rotten tomatoes at other contestants.
      I suspect most of us would like to be in
the competition AND probably know some
others we'd like to have as targets! I wonder
if we could get some of our elected officials
to sign up! That could bring in thousands!
      And all the entry fee money goes to local
charities!
      This is big stuff! You'd think Heinz would
wise up and set up one of its factories in the
city!
      I'm trying to get them to expand the
Festival to a full week. They could close
each day with a duel between politicians!
Think of the possibilities!
     Hope you remember to "Duck", and that
all your NEWS is good!