1957 – 61 YEARS AGO
The “very first” Blue Jean Turkey Hop sponsored by the Junior Blessed Virgin Mary Sodality and Confraternity Classes of St. Rocco’s Church was held in the school auditorium. Rosalie Mogavero served as chairman of arrangements, Mary Chiampi was chairman of the dance decorating committee and was aided by co-chairmen Jean Sperrazza and Barbara Balconis. A highlight of the night was a special program to honor the Pittston High School and St. John’s High School varsity football teams. A record hop was to follow, and yes, blue jeans were allowed.
1960 – 58 YEARS AGO
It was going to be a high old time at the Western Jamboree to be held at Emma’s on the Trail. Tex Amato, local country favorite, was expected to be on hand to sing his latest release, “Wipe Those Tears.” Dottie May, another local favorite, was slated to sing her latest release “Over and Over Again.” Hosting the show was WPTS disc jockey Cactus Bill Mesaros. Amato, whose stage name was Tex Valen, recorded 18 singles, two of which made the Top 10 on the country charts. His career spanned almost 50 years.
1968 – 50 YEARS AGO
Members of the Pittston Area Class of 1969 will celebrate their 50th anniversary reunion in August 2019. They will share senior highlights from the class in our Peeking into the Past column throughout the coming months leading up to their reunion event.
Carmen Falcone, a senior football player at Pittston Area, was honored at the annual pre-holiday teen dance sponsored by the St. Rocco’s Fides Club on Nov. 25, 1968, at the church school auditorium, Tompkins Street, Pittston. Head coach Bob Barbieri, along with coaches Sal Montagna, Jumping John McHale, and Jimmy Kolmansberger, who did all the statistics for the team, were also honored at the dance. The dance was held from 8 to 11 p.m. with music provided by Jimmy Wynn and the Rhythm Blues.
A pep rally in preparation for the Thanksgiving Day game between Pittston Area and Wyoming Area was held at 9:30 p.m. with cheerleaders of the senior class leading the cheering.
A bonfire to precede the Thanksgiving Day football game was held by the senior class of Pittston Area on Wednesday night, Nov. 27, 1968, at Bone Field, New Street, Pittston. Bone Field is the present-day site of the Pittston Area Intermediate Center and Middle School.
The Wyoming Area Warriors resisted two last-quarter scoring drives by the Pittston Area Patriots in the 1968 Thanksgiving Day game to capture a 7-6 victory. The win by the Warriors set the record for the Thanksgiving Day series between the two schools at a 1-1 tie. It was the second year the two schools had played. The more than 10,000 fans at the Patriot stadium witnessed some of the hardest-hitting and toughest defensive work by both teams all season. First period saw the teams exchange several punts after Wyoming Area received the opening kickoff. Pittston Area’s score came on a beautiful 85 yard kickoff return by Ed Brennan in the second quarter. Brennan, picking up good blocks along the sideline, rushed down the field. At the Warrior 40, he broke a hard tackle and raced in for the score. The extra point attempt went wide. Brennan’s touchdown followed a 36-yard march by Warriors’ quarterback Nick Marianacci swiping his left side for six yards for the score. Dan Lorenzini added the extra point. Unofficial statistics show the game should have gone to Pittston Area as the Patriots rushed for 175 yards and passed for 15 more. The Warriors posted 88 yards on the ground and 54 in the air. The Patriots had nine first downs to the Warriors’ seven. The Patriots’ Brennan was praised for a fine game, both on offense and defense.
1979 – 39 YEARS AGO
Laura Sulger, Theresa Musto, Joyce Davis, Pam Carroll, Kathy Edwards and Merry Ann Goryl were six Wyoming Area School District students chosen to attend the District IX Chorus Festival held at the Montrose Area High School. The students had to pass a series of auditions in order to be accepted to perform.
The Sunday Dispatch was having a heck of a time fielding calls requesting a photographer to come and snap photos of various holiday parties and reunions so they could be published. There were so many requests for Dispatch photographers to attend parties and complaints because he was unavailable that the Dispatch decided to print the rules for what and when a photographer will be dispatched. “The Dispatch photographer does not take pictures at Christmas parties held for employees and does not take photos on Sunday morning or after nine p.m. on any evening. After all it’s only fair, photographers are human, they have families, they require sleep and food like everyone else.” It was suggested by the paper “to hire a professional photographer and submit the photo.”
The Staircase Lounge at Pittston Plaza featured the Gibbs and Cullen Band, a Thursday Nite Beer Bash plus the best in Disco, Friday Nite – Music by Harpo, “Pa’s No. 1 Rock Group”; Saturday Nite – Museum – Top 40 – Disco and Oldies. The Poets plus Frankie and the Corvettes and the Little El Show were featured coming attractions.
The second annual “Pumping Iron” contest sponsored by the Pittston Area Physical Education Department had 64 contestants competing for top honors in their weight class. The lifting contest was divided into three areas, Military Press, Bench Press and Leg Press. Those who received top honors in those divisions were: Fly – Bob Lizza, Light – Jim Yostrum, Middle – Ed Sorbelli, Heavy – Bob Cappelloni, and Unlimited – Joe Milazzo. Individual high scores were Gino Barteli, bench press; Richard Urabel, military press; Joe Milazzo, leg press.
1995 – 23 YEARS AGO
Exeter pianist Paul Oschal was set to travel to Washington, D.C. as he had been chosen as one of the musicians to provide entertainment for federal employees who would take tours of the White House. Oshal was informed of the gig through another local entertainer, Reggie Brown, a former lead singer with Daddy-O and the Sax Maniax. Oschal sent tapes of his performances to the White House and, after receiving clearance, he was in. Oschal, who began playing the piano at the age of 4, currently performs at the Cove Haven Resort in the Poconos.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
1863 — Union ends the siege of Chattanooga with the Battle of Missionary Ridge.
1876 — Colonel Ronald MacKenzie destroys Cheyenne Chief Dull Knife‘s village in the Bighorn Mountains near the Red Fork of the Powder River during the so-called Great Sioux War.
1946 — The U.S. Supreme Court grants the Oregon Indians land payment rights from the U.S. government.
1951 — A truce line between U.N. troops and North Korea is mapped out at the peace talks in Panmunjom, Korea.
1955 — The Interstate Commerce Commission bans segregation in interstate travel.
1963 — The body of assassinated President John F. Kennedy is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
1964 — Eleven nations give a total of $3 billion to rescue the value of the British currency.
1986 — As President Ronald Reagan announces the Justice Department’s findings concerning the Iran-Contra affair; secretary Fawn Hall smuggles important documents out of Lt. Col. Oliver North’s office.
2008 — Sri Lanka is hit by Cyclone Nisha, bringing the highest rainfall the area had seen in 9 decades; 15 people die, 90,000 are left homeless.
BORN ON THIS DAY
1914 — Joe DiMaggio, Hall of Fame baseball star who led the New York Yankees to 10 World Series
1945 — Gail Collins, journalist; the first woman to serve as the editorial page editor of The New York Times
1953 — Jeffrey Skilling, former CEO of Enron Corp.; convicted of multiple felony charges in 2006, relating to Enron’s financial collapse
1960 — John F. Kennedy Jr., elder son of US Pres. John F. Kennedy (assassinated three days before JFK Jr.’s third birthday); co-founded George magazine in 1995; died in a plane crash, July 16, 1999
1971 — Christina Applegate, actress (“Married … with Children,” “Samantha Who?” TV series)
1981 — Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of US Pres. George W. Bush; she and her sororal twin sister were the first twin children of a US president; presently (2013) a special correspondent to NBC’s Today Show and a contributor to NBC Nightly News
1986 — Amber Hagerman, whose kidnapping and murder in January 1996 led to the development of the AMBER Alert system to notify surrounding communities when a child is reported missing or abducted
