TEED OFF!

 SATURDAY, MARCH 14TH., 2920
                 TEED OFF!

     Little things apparently mean a
lot as we do our best to escape the
coronavirus. Until Friday, however,
I didn't realize how little!
     Take golf tees for instance.
     You probably already know
the Masters Golf Tournment has
been postponed. But did you know
the Cracker Barrel Restaurant chain
has gone so far as to remove its
Peg games from all the tables and
its famous front porch,
        For those who have never
allowed themselves to be frustrated
by this puzzle the game involves a
small board shaped like a triangle
with 15 holes shaped like the set
up for bowling pins but with one
extra row. There are 14 golf tees
in all but one of the holes. The goal
is to jump pegs one at a time,
removing the jumped peg until only
one remains.
        Do that and you're labled a
 genius!
         But some genius at the
company realized the coronavirus
might be clinging to those tees and
that could spread it to the next player!
         Rather than risk exposure the
games are gone. At least for now.
         There are other safety measures
too. We had to ask for ketchup for
our fries as the bottle is no longer kept
on the table. I have to assume it's
somehow sanitized in the kitchen
before being brought to the next
customer.
          I can't really say I missed the
game. My genius status has never
really been questioned (or tested).
But I sure would have missed the
ketchup!
           Hope they keep the front
porch rocking chairs and that all
your NEWS is good!

SUPPLY AND DEMAND!

   FRIDAY, MARCH 13TH., 2020
       SUPPLY AND DEMAND!

   Who would ever have thought a virus,
thought to be "Made in China, could become
such an effective teaching tool?
    Oh I know there are health risks
connected with the current pandemic. But
think of all the valuable lessons we're
learning because of the outbreak!
      Economics is a prime example!
The virus has disrupted trade so badly
our stock market has been dropping
like a rock. So, now's the time to get
yourself some stock!
       "Buy low. Sell High.: That's the
way it works. I'd be taking advantaged
of that myself if I only had some money.
         The virus has forced airlines to
offer fantastic rates on travel overseas!
It would be a great time to take a vacation.
If you're allowed to go anywhere. Or come
back.
          Music education is thriving! We've
all learned to wash our hands long enough
to sing Happy Birthday twice. You, of
course, may pick your own selection as
long as it's at least 20 seconds long.
          There are other opportunities as well!
          Large gatherings are being postponed
so there's not a lot of places to go. But the
casinos remain open so you might be able
to invest your pocket money there and win
enough to buy stocks! Now there's an idea!
Of course you'd have to win.
           And with a lot of people preparing
for the possibility of self quarantine there's
been a run on toilet paper! It's the perfect
time to bring back the Sears Catalog!
           You've got to act quickly to take
advantage of the opportunities. A year
from now they may have a vaccine to
protect people from the coronavirus.
            Of course given the number of
people who refuse to take the existing
flu vaccine you may still be able to sell
the toilet paper!
             Still hope you're well and that
all your NEWS is good!

MEMORIES OF MY QUARANTINE!.

    THURSDAY, MARCH 12TH., 2020
  MEMORIES OF MY QUARANTINE!

     All of the precautions being taken because
of the  Coronavirus have brought back
memories of my quarantine over 70 years
ago.
       We weren't fighting a pandemic back
then. But there was a lot of concern around
my house!. I was dealing with Scarlet Fever!
        This once potentially fatal disease
resulted in a quarantine of our home. I
remember the red quarantine sign posted
on our front door.
         It was a little different than the
"self quarantines" being used by people
who may have been exposed to the
Coronavirus.
         I didn't have a TV with a hundred
channels to watch while I recuperated. In
fact, at that time, we didn't have any TV
at all.
         I was allowed to listen to the radio.
It had a lot of the same shows that are
on TV today. Just without pictures.
        I seem to remember my Mom
serving me a lot of soup. I think soup
cured most everything back then. Maybe
they should give it a try again?
        I don't remember if my Dad was
allowed to go to work or not. I was
too little.
       I do know my brother had a few
text books at home when I was
diagnosed.  He was not allowed to
bring them back to school!
        The "wonder drug" of that time,
penicillin, eventually lead to my
being cured. Fortunately, unlike some,
the fever didn't do any lasting damage
to my heart.
         Mine, of course, was an individual
case. Now they're postponing events,
banning travel, closing schools. and
waiting for the medical experts to come
up with the next penicillin.
         I hope things don't stay closed
until they do!
          I don't plan any major life changes
at the moment. I've always been pretty
good at washing my hands and I don't
have to go to school. The TV station
where I volunteer, ECTV, recorded the
Pittston Saint Patrick's Parade. I have
TV now so I can watch that as soon as
the editing is finished.
         I don't plan to quarantine myself
in my house. But if it comes to that I
have a good supply of bathroom tissue
and a couple cans of Spam. I may buy
some more if the stock market stops
dropping.
           Hope you're all feeling healthy
and that all your NEWS is good.

       
     

IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER

     WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11TH., 2020
       IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER!

   I've told most everybody about my
childhood memory from 1945 when my
Dad allowed me to blow the car horn over
and over and the guy at the restaurant
put a huge pile of spaghetti on my plate!
I was only three years old!
    It was VJ Day. That's the day World
War II officially came to an end as the
Japanese surrender was announced to
the world.
    While it is not recorded as such one
could say the war didn't really end until
this date, March 11th., in 1974!
     That's the day Hiro Onoda finally
decided to give up!
      Onoda was a Japanese Army
Intelligent Oficer who didn't get the
word on the Emperor's surrender
order and hid out in the Philippines
for nearly 30 years.
       He had seen and read leaflets
about the end of the war that were
dropped in the jungle over the years.
He believed they were all just
American propaganda.
       They had to get his former
commander to come to the jungle to
persuade Onoda the war was long over
and he needed to surrender.  He did so,
in tears!
       Onoda died in 2014. He was 91.
       I suppose there's a lesson here
of sorts. It could be about never
giving up. Or, perhaps, it could be
about the foolishness of ignoring
warnings you get over and over!
        Hope you're wiser than Onoda
and that all your NEWS is good!

A JOB WELL DONE!

   TUESDAY, MARCH 10TH., 2020
           A JOB WELL DONE!

    Bill Goldsworthy, Executive Director
of the Red Cross in northeastern
Pennsylvania, brought a surprise guest
with him when he joined me to record
a program for Electric City Television
Monday.
    The guest, Michele Baehr, is Bill's
replacement!
     I don't get much of a chance to break
news stories anymore. But this is a big
one!
    Bill's role with the Red Cross is just
the latest in a long line of public service
efforts in which he's been involved. He's
from West Pittston where he served as
Mayor for 15 years. He signed on with
the fire department there when he was
just 18-years-old and eventually became
its Chief! He was an Eagle Scout himself
and became a Scout Master!
     I first met him, I believe, while
he was wearing his fire chief's helmet
leading his men as they tried to save
someone's home. He's been helping to
save people in one way or another ever
since.
      He's been the kind of public servant
who always returned my calls and made
himself available for interviews whatever
the subject might be.
       Bill will be retiring on April 3rd.
I'd be very surprised if, even in
retirement, he won't be involved in some
for of public service.
        His successor currently directs Red
Cross efforts in the Pocono area and her
chapter will be, in effect, merged with
Bill's as she takes on the Executive
Director's position. She is well qualified
and Bill leaves the organization in good
hands.
        Though I usually use my daily
essay to write of personal comedies or
unusual "holidays' I felt it important
to  tell you about Bill's impending
departure.
        He has been a boon to this
area and he will be missed! Thanks
for all you've done over the years
Bill
         May all your NEWS be good!

TITANIC SEASON!

   MONDAY, MARCH 9TH., 2020
            TITANIC SEASON!

     We're still just over a month away
from the anniversary of the sinking of the
Titanic. But the calls and invitations came
early this year.
      I was always interested in the story of
Titanic but became a serious student of
the disaster after reuniting two survivors
back in 1972. Ever since I've been getting
invitations to tell that, and some other
stories linking our area with the Titanic.
     It's kind of amazing there's so much
interest in a story that's over a hundred
years old and always end the same way!
     On Sunday the Anthracite Heritage
Museum in Scranton celebrated "PA.
Charter Day" by hosting a talk about
the Titanic featuring Bill Lewis who
authored a book about people coming
to our area on the ship, Mae Thomas,
whose mother survived the sinking,
and me, I've gathered some interesting
stories about the ill fated journey.
      It was great to see a few young people
at the event. They're the ones who will
have to carry on this and other historical
stories in the years ahead. I'm already so
old I have to explain to school students
that I didn't actually cover the sinking
personally!
      Still, as long as I'm able I enjoy
retelling my tales of the unsinkable
Titanic...... that sunk.
        Hope you'll get to hear them too
and that all your NEWS is good.

     

TIME MARCHES ON!

  SUNDAY, MARCH 8TH., 2020
        TIME MARCHES ON!

   By the time some of you read this
you won't know exactly what time it
is!
    You were suppose to stay up until]
or get up at 2am to set your clocks
ahead one hour as Daylight Savings
Time begins.
     Of course most of us cheat and
make the adjustment before bedtime
Saturday night. We do that but it
doesn't seem to help. I still feel
like somebody owes me some sack
time.
       When I was on the news beat on
a daily basis I could tell you what
time it was, to the minute, without looking
at my watch.
        These days I don't wear a watch and
I fine myself double checking to see what
day it is! DST doesn't help! We're suppose
to "spring forward" but I don't have much
of a spring in my step when I've lost an
hour of the few hours I actually sleep!
          There are a number of states
and areas that don't observe Daylight
Savings Time and a lot of people
calling for a permanent change of time
one way or the other.
           I admit I enjoy the later hours
of light..unless they begin with that
light streaming into my sleeping
eyes!
          Hope you weren't late for
anything and that all your NEWS is
good!