DON'T MENTION IT!

  THURSDAY, APRIL 12TH., 2018
          DON'T MENTION IT!

    I think it was my wife who mentioned
it. We were watching the movie
"Chappaquiddick" and noticing some of
the sights we saw when we hosted a tour
to Martha's Vineyard last year for
Travelworld.
    There was the ferry boat that Senator
Ted Kennedy was suppose to be driving
to when his car crashed into a tidal pond
killing his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne,
a Wyoming Valley native. Most people
believe the accident also killed Kennedy's
hope of becoming President.
      That, one would think, makes the
town of Edgartown a pretty historical
site.
       But since my wife mentioned it I
got to thinking that nobody else did!
       Oh there was a lot of talk about a
movie during our visit. But the movie
and story the town "celebrates" is "Jaws!"
       They must have been working on
the movie "Chappaquiddick" about the
time we were there. At least post
production. But nobody mentioned it.
        The tour guide spoke a lot about
the making of "Jaws" and showed off
several spots that were used in the film,
        It was only during free time, 
however, that I spotted the ferry boat
that carried cars and passengers
between the village and Chappaquiddick
Island.
        Ironically in the book "Jaws Log,"
about the making of the dramatic movie,
the author writes about the Edgartown
Police Chief who was very disturbed
because all of the hand written notes
about the Kennedy accident disappeared
before he joined the Police Department!
         There are posters about "Jaws"
around the town and references to
sharks all over the place.
           No obvious references, however,
to the Kennedy car crash.
           I'm told the wooden bridge on
the island has become a sort of morbid
tourist attraction. But we didn't hear
anyone talking about it.
            Now that "Chappaquiddick"
has been released maybe "Jaws" will
be getting some competition on the

tour guide's agenda!
             Just thought you'd like to
know! Hope all your NEWS is good!

SOLD OUT!

  WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11TH., 2018
                   SOLD OUT!

     Nationally the movie "Chappaquiddick, about
the 1969 fatal accident involving Senator Ted
Kennedy and Wyoming Valley native Mary Jo
Kopechne, came in 7th at the box office this
weekend.
      Locally I think it's safe to say it was number
one!
      My wife and I drove to Cinemark in Moosic
on Tuesday to catch the film but our half hour
early arrival did us absolutely no good!
        If we wanted two seats together we'd have
to pick them from the front row and do so
before people in the other two lines snatched
them up!
        The thought of keeping my neck raised
for two hours, even in those plush reclining
seats, had me longing for the days when there
were a lot more movie seats and no recliners
at all.
        It's been quite awhile since I saw long
lines like that at the movies except for those
big "Star Wars" block busters. And there's a
big difference!
         A lot of the "Star Wars" fans never
heard of Chappaquiddick!
         It's a little sad to think people know
R2D2 better than Kennedy and Mary Jo.
         My wife and I decided to make another
date to see "Chappaquiddick" and bought
two tickets for "A Wrinkle In Time." My
wife said the special effects were great. I
think I caught a couple of them during
breaks in my nap.
          At least I didn't disturb anybody.
There were only about 6 other people
in the audience. I suspect they were also
there because "Chappaquiddick" was
sold out.
          Hope there's fresh popcorn
waiting and that all your NEWS is
good!

TWO TICKETS TO FREEDOM!

  TUESDAY, APRIL 10TH., 2018
  TWO TICKETS TO FREEDOM!

    And so, at a time we're told Malls
are failing all over the country, the
Marketplace at Steamtown, formally
the Steamtown Mall, has added a new
feature.
     Paid parking!
     Now to be fair it is, in reality, the
City Parking Authority, which controls
the huge garage built beneath and
around the mall.
      How the buyer of the mall missed
that is beyond me. Maybe he gets a
free spot?
      To be further fair if you make a
purchase inside the mall you can have
your parking fee eliminated.
       Here's how that works, A machine
issues you a ticket when you pull into
the parking garage.
        When you've made your purchase
you show that ticket to the clerk who
then hands you a second ticket.
         When you're pulling out of the
parking garage you insert your original
ticket in a machine to be scanned. After
it's checked your ticket the dollar amount
you owe shows up on a screen. You
then insert the second ticket (the one
the clerk gave you). That ticket is then
scanned and, if everything works the
way it's suppose to, a "Thank you logo"
will show up on the screen and the gate
will go up allowing you to leave.
         I don't even what to think about
what happens, or doesn't, if you happen
to put the tickets in the machine in the
wrong order!
         I noticed a lot more available
parking spaces available in the
garage when I got there. I wonder
if the new "Pay to Park" could be a
factor?
         I do know if you don't get that
second ticket you'd better be prepared
to pay and to get into the right lane
to do so. One exit lane is for credit
only.
         Hope you get in and out if you're
going and that all your NEWS is good!
         
       

V for VICTORY!

   MONDAY, APRIL 9TH., 2018
               V for VICTORY!

     By all accounts you might think
today would be a British Holiday. It
is, after all, Winston Churchill Day!
But the day is observed right here in
the good old USA!
     It's got nothing to do with the
fact that, at one point or another, most
babies resemble the World War II
British Prime Minister.
      Instead in marks the day Mr.
Churchill was made an honorary US
citizen! President John F. Kennedy
proclaimed it so in 1963.
      My wife and I recently saw the
movie "The Darkest Hour" which
recalled Churchill's brilliant
leadership of Great Britain in the
fight against Nazi Germany well
before our country got into the
war.
      I always liked the guy. I always
favored those who could make a
good impression through their
speech. Churchill probably would
have made a good newsman. If he
could only shake that "English
accent."
       He was also famous, of course,
for flashing that two finger victory
sign that symbolized the confidence
of the allies during the war.
       I see a lot of people flashing
the sign these days but many seem
to have forgotten you're suppose to
use two fingers! Maybe they're
not calling for victory!
        Anyway, happy Winston
Churchill Day to you all! Hope all
your NEWS is good!

GOING BACK UNDERGROUND!

     SUNDAY, APRIL 8TH., 2018
 GOING BACK UNDERGROUND!

   I don't know if this is some kind of
a life trend but my wife and I have found
ourselves underground a lot lately!
   We stopped at Shenandoah Caverns
on our trip back from Florida last week.
Then, on Saturday, we went back
underground. This time is was a trip
in a deep tunnel as we visited the
Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour.
     You ride a mining tram down a
steep slope into what once was an
active coal mine under the city of
Scranton!
      It's dark down there except for
an occasional light bulb and the
special lighting set up to highlight
various areas of the tour.
     You hear the stories of the men
who worked deep underground day
after day often not seeing the sun
until their day off.
      Then there were the kids. As
young as 7 for some jobs which
paid 11 cents an hour. If I would
have know that when I was getting
into broadcasting I might have
opted for the mines!
       We learned a lot about the
mine most importantly where the
emergency exit was located!
        Seriously though this tour
is something every area resident
should take and every local
student should be required to
take.
         These mines and the miners
who worked them built our area.
I'm not sure they'd be so happy
with what we've done with it
but build it they did.
          Beside the mine tour in
Scranton there's one in Ashland
and another in Lansford.
         Hope you make it a point
to visit one and that all your NEWS
is good!

NO TIME TO SAY HELLO/GOODBYE!

      SATURDAY, APRIL 7TH., 2018
 NO TIME TO SAY HELLO/GOODBYE!

     I was reminded of that little white rabbit
in Disney's version of Alice In Wonderland
on Friday. Remember? He sang "I'm late, I'm
late, for a very important date. No time to say
Hello/Goodbye. I'm late. I'm late, I'm late."
     I spotted a couple white rabbit type
drivers as I headed towards Montage Mountain.
Unlike Disney's cartoon characters I didn't
find them very funny!
     The first was from New York State. He, or
she, was apparently late  for a visit to the local
Vo/Tech School. That's the only reason I can
think of why his or her pickup truck used the
ditch rather than the roadway to get into the
school parking lot.
       I can never remember a time when I was
that anxious to get to school!
       The traffic on Interstate 81 North was
pretty heavy but flowing nicely.
        I guess, however, it wasn't nice enough to
suit another "white rabbit driver" who was
somehow convinced he could get to his
wonderland quicker by weaving back and
forth from the driving lane to the passing
lane.
       His failure was evident by my ability to
watch his every swerve and yet never be
more than some 4 car lengths behind!
        A third "rabbit" must have know
about some sensational sale at JD Sneaker
King and decided to use the Drive Through
to make his purchase, Since there doesn't
happen to be a Drive Through at the store
this rabbit made one with his SUV.
         I decided to take plenty of time to
get home so I didn't end up in a ditch, a
store, or in the Mad Queen's garden
somewhere!
         Hope you'll take your time, be safe,
and that all your NEWS is good!

A TALE OF TWO TALES!

    FRIDAY, APRIL 6TH., 2018
     A TALE OR TWO TALES!

    Several times during my long
career I've found myself covering
stories with major historical impact.
     A couple times I've fond myself
actually getting involved in that
history. That part can get scary!
      On Thursday I found myself
retelling two of those stories for
two different audiences.
       Fox 56 TV asked me to come
in to share my story about my
coverage and involvement in the
story involving the late Senator
Edward Kennedy and his auto
accident that claimed the life of a
young lady from our area.
         A new movie, "Chappaquiddick,'
recalls the accident. I talked about
local coverage and reaction as well
as my involvement in a local court
hearing when an attempt was made
to have the victim's body exhumed
so an autopsy could be done on her
body. I was the last witness. The
request was eventually denied.
          Thursday evening found me at
a Masonic Lodge in West Pittston
where Masons and their guests
listened as I recalled my involvement
in reuniting two Titanic survivors
back in 1972. One had saved the
other's child from the sinking yet
the two never knew of each other
until I broke the story 60 years after
the ship went down.
          I never expected to become a
witness at the hearing I told you about
and my action bringing the two Titanic
survivors together was truly the result
of an accident!
           We never know when we'll
have an impact on history! I guess
there's a better chance for me since
I've lived through so much of it......
history that is!
            That said please note I
didn't actual cover the Titanic sinking
and I've never driven off a bridge!
            Hope you enjoy a good tale
and that all your NEWS is good!