Question:
What did Greater Pittston residents Scott Schalles, Jerry Perrins, Amy Pastva, Sharon Morris, Chris Campbell and Bill Jones have in common in 1987?
Did they win?
Not in the running since 1955, the Pittston Little League team had one more game to play to take the state championship in 1963. In last week’s Peeking into the Past, we asked if anyone knew the outcome of the game. Paul Fox of Pittston called to let us know the Pittston team lost to Mechanicsburg by the score of 1-0. Thanks Paul.
1957 – 59 years ago
Capable of seating 500 parishioners, Our Lady of Sorrows Church in West Wyoming prepared to open its doors in September 1957. Costing approximately $200,000 to construct and styled after “Romanesque architecture,” builders installed a unique 32-foot electrically-operated folding door that opened to an adjacent hall to accommodate an additional 500 people. “It is the first church of this type to be built in the Wyoming Valley Region,” stated Rev. Leo W. Gildea, pastor.
Eleven-year-old Carol Stupak of Avoca was scheduled to perform a dance routine at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City. Once known as “the greatest entertainment venue in the United States,” the Steel Pier opened in 1898 and featured headline entertainers as well as novelty acts. Currently the entertainment venue is being revamped through a multi-year renovation strategy.
The John D. Stark American Legion Post team brought home the West Pittston Little League pennant in 1957. Members of the team were Joseph Cefalo, Marc Levy, Eugene Starna, Louis Yentz, William Tracy, John Hindmarsh, Thomas Simonson Jr., John Tracy Jr., Philip Foglio, Keith VanDuzer, James Bruno, Charles Butera, Joseph Girman. Coaches were Thomas Simonson Sr. and Thomas Martin. Team manager was John Tracy Sr.
1967 – 49 years ago
Always on the cutting edge and looking for efficient and innovative ways to bring the news of Greater Pittston to local residents and beyond, William A. Watson Sr. and his son William A. Watson Jr., owners of the Sunday Dispatch, announced plans to erect a new plant to house “all the printing facilities of the Sunday Dispatch.” Financed solely through local banks and on land purchased from George Bone, the new facility was to contain machinery that would produce a new and different method of printing a newspaper. Termed “Web Offset,” the new process would eliminate “many hazards” of the letter press printing method.
In an effort to stimulate theater attendance, Frederick Snyder, manager of the American Theatre, featured a 25 cent discount coupon in the Sunday Dispatch, good for double feature movie attractions during the month of August. The movies being shown at the theater were “Divorce American Style,” starring Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds and “Good Times,” featuring Sonny and Cher. At the time, theater owners were considering closing their doors during the week or even closing altogether. According to the book “Hollywood’s Major Crisis and the American Film ‘Renaissance’” by Michalis Kokonis, by 1965, Hollywood studios were on the “brink of bankruptcy,” which led to a change to grittier subject matter as in the 1967 films, “Easy Rider” and “Bonnie and Clyde.”
1977 – 39 years ago
A world champion in musket and pistol shooting with over 1,000 medals, John Anderson of Hughestown was getting ready to travel to Switzerland. Gunning for another international title, Anderson was chosen as pistol coach for team America in the International Skirmish Shooting Championship held in Zurich. “It’s just like qualifying for the Olympics,” Anderson said. Along with trophies and medals, Anderson’s collection of firearms included an 1858 Remington Revolver from the Civil War; a Robinson Philadelphia 1843 Military Flintlock Smooth Board Pistol and an 1840 Tennessee Southern Mountain Pistol. Anderson was one of seven men in the United States to receive the Distinguished Skirmish Award. Two of Anderson’s sons, John and David, also held the title Pennsylvania State Junior Champs in first and second place. They also were named Virginia and Maryland State Champs in the Junior Division and held Pennsylvania’s title two years straight.
1987 – 29 years ago
West Pittston Council approved the establishment of a three-member shade tree commission to oversee the planting, maintenance and protection of trees on public highways in the borough. Members of the first commission were Helen Bubul, Beverly Williams and Atty. Chester Newhart Jr.
The Mulhern family of the Browntown section of Pittston Township held their 31st annual family reunion at the Germania Hose Company picnic grounds in Duryea. Thomas Mulhern traveled from Alaska to attend. Other members came from Chicago, Ohio, New York and New Jersey. To see a group photo of attending family members log on to psdispatch.com and click on Peeking into the Past.
Answer:
Scott Schalles, West Wyoming; Jerry Perrins, Pittston; Amy Pastva, West Pittston; Sharon Morris, Pittston; Chris Campbell, West Pittston and Bill Jones, Moosic, were named the Sunday Dispatch Student Athletes of 1987. Chosen for their athletic and academic achievements the students were among 100 young adults from Greater Pittston chosen to receive the honor since 1971. To see a photo of the six teens log on to psdispatch.com and click on Peeking into the Past.