First Posted: 2/3/2013
In 1963, what did Pittston City Controller Bert Ardoline give as a good reason to buy an economical compact-type car?
The merged Northeast School District planned an effort to collect per capita taxes from delinquents.
The merged board initiated a census of all persons eligible for school per capita taxes in Dupont, Avoca, Duryea, Hughestown, Pittston Township, Jenkins Township and Yatesville.
The census takers visited every home for the purpose of making a list of eligible, deceased and missing taxpayer names.
Existing records showed 31,000 per capita taxables on the rolls but as of the first few weeks of the new year, only 2,800 had paid the $15 levy.
The Sunday Dispatch Inquiring Photographer asked Dupont residents, What do you think about the proposed increase of hunting and fishing license fees in Pennsylvania?
Joseph Tetlak answered, I think it should be increased, the state has a lot of game lands and if the money is used to improve hunting it will be money well spent.
Joseph Yukey Smithonic added, For my part, the state can raise it. There will be less hunters in the woods then maybe the game will be enough for those who go out.
Martin Zondlo stated, If they intend to do some good, all right. They haven’t shown any improvement plans yet.
In 1964, the cost of fishing licenses in Pennsylvania rose from $3.75 to $5. In 1963, hunting license fees increased for adult resident hunters from $3.15 to $5.20; junior resident hunter’s license created a cost of $3.20 for hunters 12 through 16 years of age; non-resident hunter’s license increased from $20 to $25.35.
According to a report issued by the Department of the Interior, 19,831,644 fishermen and 13,999,375 hunters bought licenses in 1963.
The investment in licenses was nearly $126 million.
Phase one of plans for the new Duryea municipal building was finalized as borough officials signed a contract with Olympia Engineering LTD for demolition of the former Lincoln School Building on Main Street.
Bids were set to be opened for construction of the new town hall.
United Foundries on West Sixth Street, Wyoming, installed a new pollution control system at a cost of $103,000. The High Energy Venturi Scrubber Air Pollution device reduced the amount of particulate emissions from 500 lbs. per hour to less than 5 lbs. per hour.
Located at the Sixth Street site for more than 25 years, the company manufactured iron castings for public utility, truck and auto industries, producing for companies such as Chrysler Corporation, I.T.T., White Consolidated Industries, New York City Transit Authority and Mack Truck.
Catherine Russavage and John Haduck, playing the trombone and baritone horn, respectively, were two of many Pittston Area Senior High School band and chorus students participating in the district band festival sponsored by the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association.
Lt. Cdr. A.A. Mitchell, former conductor of the U.S. Navy Band in Washington. D.C. was guest conductor.
According to the Association’s website PMEA.net, early in the 1970s the associations’ goals switched to mini courses and a core curriculum so every child could receive musical education.
The radio show Just for Today premiered in 1953 on WPTS radio in the Newrose Building on South Main Street, Pittston.
In 1973, Pastor D.R. Williams, his wife Jean , pianist Jean Gothard and Calvin Straub celebrated the 20th year of the devotional program. The show began with a familiar organ arpeggio.
The pastor and his wife would sing a hymn after which a devotional message was read during the 15-minute program.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, Pittston Area High School observed the occasion with a 600-student program initiated by music teacher Marianna Smith at Martin Mattei Elementary School.
Performers included elementary pre-band, fifth and sixth grade chorus, junior high band and chorus, senior high band and stage band and a chorus comprised of parents and students.
We teach music appreciation classes in elementary and junior high, and offer music electives in senior high, stated Mrs. Smith.
We are getting full support from the administrators; we are involving everyone. By seeing the parents participating, students will realize music continues after their high school days.
Liz Solano, Sharon Pisano, Sam Falcone, Adele Charney, Denise McFadden, Mary Theresa Cosgrove, Bill Shamnoski, Sue Savelli, Jeff Walker, Ray Darbenzio, Mike Jalowiec and Mike Murtha, members of the Pittston Area Key Club, were inspired by an article that appeared in the Sunday Dispatch about a 4-year-old Harding youngster suffering from cancer.
The club put together a roller skating event at the Roller King in Kingston.
Nadean C. Graziosi, of Avoca, began her career at the Tobyhanna Army Depot in 1977.
In 1983, she was named manager of the Federal Women’s Program at the Depot. She served as an equal employment opportunity specialist and insured employment rights for the depot’s more than 600 female employees.
The Women’s Program was established in 1963 to implement the recommendations of President John F. Kennedy’s Commission on the Status of Women.
The commission, chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, looked into problems that women encountered in employment in the Federal Government. According the Tobyhanna web site http://www.tobyhanna.army.mil women make up 16% of the workforce.
The 1980 census results for Greater Pittston published in the Sunday Dispatch reflected the Lithuanian population had disappeared.
What happened to all those people?
Joseph Jannone, Adjutant of Vietnam Veterans Post #66, was the first to receive the Veteran of the Year Award for his dedication and service to the organization. Jannone was elected unanimously to receive the honor and was presented a plaque by Joe Tavaglione, commander, and Frank Donahue, vice commander, of the post.
A former Dispatch Athlete of the Year was inducted into the Maryland Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. Bill Williams, a graduate of Duryea High School, was Dispatch Athlete in 1952.
After getting his Volkswagen stuck in a tight parking space packed with snow on South Main Street, Bert Ardoline walked into Wimpy Frushon’s Newsstand and asked for some ashes.
Heck said Wimpy, we don’t need ashes for that car. He and another husky customer strutted from the shop and bodily lifted the rear end of Ardoline’s little buggy and set it onto the roadway.
Calls poured into the Sunday Dispatch office from area residents who noticed that Lithuanians had not been listed along with the Italian, Irish, Polish, German, Hungarian, Norwegian and Ukranian population in the 1980 census.
Annemarie Sewatsky, former secretary of Pittston Area School District, pointed out that in the 1970 census there were 27,000 Lithuanians in Luzerne County.
She added, They didn’t all leave in 10 years.
After reviewing the information, it was concluded the government must have listed the Lithuanian population for the area with the Polish total as the figures showed approximately 20,000 Italians, 20,000 Irish and 49,000 Polish citizens.
The Sunday Dispatch promised to investigate the situation.
The reason women don’t play football is because 11 of them would never wear the same outfit in public.
Phyllis Diller