1953 – 65 YEARS AGO
The American Party Favor Company on North Main Street in Pittston was gearing up for the holiday season providing party hats, confetti, streamers and all types of paper decorations and favors to brighten holiday parties and business locations. The factory, one of two in the eastern part of the United States, was operated by Joseph Rosentel, who established the businesses in 1941. After World War II, the company found itself in a battle to overcome the flooding of US markets with cheaper products manufactured by Japanese companies. Rosentel’s answer to the problem was to design simpler products that required less material and labor. The company started with a work force of 40 people and grew to 115 by 1953. The plant, with an annual payroll of more than $150,000, endured disputes by unionized personnel over the years, but managed to gain stability and create many jobs locally.
1954 – 64 YEARS AGO
Pittston city merchants banded together to force city officials to have their previously confiscated pinball machines re-installed in their establishments after parents complained their children were gambling on the devices. City businessmen retained legal counsel and, after consideration, the pinball machines were re-installed. City council was then considering raising the fee for having a machine from $25 to $50 per year.
Joseph Ormando, of Elizabeth Street, Pittston, decided he wasn’t going to have a Christmas tree to celebrate the upcoming holiday. He explained that 300 years ago, there were no decorated Christmas trees as has become the custom. A presepio would be he and his wife Sara’s Christmas display in 1954. Ormando explained the word presepio means “the place where God was born.” The basic nativity scene measured six feet square and contained figurines of the holy family, shepherds and animals. Ormando constructed model homes, churches and other buildings displayed in the scene. The earliest version of the Christmas tree can be traced back to 16th century Germany.
1968 – 50 YEARS AGO
Members of the Pittston Area Class of 1969 will celebrate their 50th anniversary reunion in August of 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.
During American Education Week, the Trigonometry Club of Pittston Area High School presented a contest called Math-O-Rama via the school’s closed circuit TV. The host would ask questions of two teams which were given a time limit to find a solution. Teams received a certain number of points for every correct answer. The team with the most points at the end of ten minutes was the winner.
In the senior student round, the so-called Yale team was made up of Ronald Bechtold, Richard Wesenyak, Bruce Polanchik, and Matthew Amico, captain. The opposing Notre Dame team included Arthur Pupa, Carol Joseph, Irene Kleynowski and Dominick Pupa, captain. The Yale team was victorious. Trigonometry Club president Richard Reggie served as host. Nicholas Costanzo was timekeeper and Carmen Falcone and Susan Morris were scorekeepers. Joan Egan, head of the Mathematics Department, was club advisor. All the equipment used in the presentation was constructed by the students under the direction of Lee Wasilewski, head of the Science Department. The platform was built by Joseph Yuhas, Industrial Arts instructor. The student technicians were Stanley Polak, Charles Anderika, Richard Wesenyak and Joseph Babkowski. Edward Linnen of the Audio Visual Department supervised in transmitting the program.
1974 – 34 YEARS AGO
Whether to display Christmas lights or not was the topic of controversy in West Wyoming. Residents differed in opinion as to whether the state of the country’s economy should affect the celebration of the Christmas holiday. Some residents felt lighted displays unnecessary and an extravagance, while others felt it brightened spirits during bad economic times. The effect of the 1973-74 stock market crash lasted 694 days. The downturn resulted in main stock indexes suffering a 43% loss in value.
1979 – 39 YEARS AGO
Members of the John F. Kennedy Council 372 Knights of Columbus, Pittston held a canned food drive to be donated to the Meals on Wheels of Greater Pittston. Overseeing the drive were Joseph Nardone, chairman for the Knights; Jessie Martin, secretary-treasurer for Meals on Wheels; Ambrose McGowan, co-chairman for the Knights; James Nardone, co-chairman; and Allen D. Martin, director of foods, Meals on Wheels Program.
1980 – 38 YEARS AGO
The rivalry between the Pittston and Wyoming Area school districts heated up as girls from both schools participated in an intensely competitive swim meet. The Warriors outpaced the Patriots by a score of 101 to 67. Maria Pribula, Kathy Yunkunis, Carla Cassetori and Chere Shaver pushed the Warriors over the top with a victory in the 200 medley. Cassetori grabbed a victory in the 200 IM and 100 fly and Shaver likewise in the 50 and 100 free- style. Also gaining victory for the Warriors were, Marie Pribula, 100 back stroke; Adriane Placek, Ruth Romosiewicz, Lora Mastruzzo and Janie Fialko in the 400 free relay.
1984 – 34 YEARS AGO
Local musicians Bob Bath, of North Pittston, and Rich Kossuth, of Hughestown, wrote and produced songs for their first collaboration album called Traces of Illusion. The music, described as jazz-rock fusion, was innovative for its time. Bath played guitar, bass and keyboard, with Kossuth played the drum and percussion tracks. Bill Kossuth added additional keyboard, Joe Lemongelli played bass on four songs and Dewey Vasquez played slide guitar for one song.
1985 – 33 YEARS AGO
WVIA-FM, Pittston and the Robert Dale Chorale co-sponsored the second annual Messiah Sing-Along at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Wilkes-Barre. The event served as a celebration of the tercentenary birthday anniversary of George Friedrich Handel, composer of the Messiah. WVIA recorded the performance for broadcast on Christmas Eve for listeners in northeastern PA as well as southern New York and northern New Jersey. The Robert Dale Chorale was organized in 1978 by Robert D Herrema, Assistant Professor of Music at Marywood College. Herrema retired in 2004 and Dr. Steven Thomas, Director of Choral Activities at Wilkes University, was named as director. In 2013, the choral group changed its name to the Arcadia Chorale. The tradition continues to this day as WVIA will broadcast the Arcadia Chorale’s Messiah Sing-Along at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24.
In its second year, all the Coats for Kids Inc. and NEPA Vietnam Veterans wanted to do was to provide warm winter coats for about 150 kids. At the end of the 2000 campaign they had surpassed their goal and supplied coats to 275 children. Vietnam veteran Joe Tavaglione conceived the project in 1998 and co-chaired the campaign with Lori Nocito. Tavaglione maintained that the best part of the project was watching the children pick out the coats by saying, “I like to give them the honor and dignity of choosing a coat for themselves.” In 2008, Tavaglione was the recipient of the Sunday Dispatch Joseph F. Saporito Lifetime of Service Award for his tireless efforts in bringing about the coats project. Nocito was named the Sunday Dispatch Greater Pittston Person of the Year in 2001, Tavaglione was assisted by Barbra Sico, Constance Winn, Joleen Melone, Mary Bender, Joe Pesta, Rhonda Lambert, Bill Mulroy, Joe Milcavage and Mark Kitrick
What was life like in 1945?
Average cost of new house — $4.600
Average wages per year — $2,400
Cost of a gallon of gas — 15 cents
Average cost for house rent — $60 per month
Average cost for new car — $1,020
Portable Typewriter — $68.37
1945 major news stories include
USS Indianapolis is sunk by Japanese Submarine, War In Europe Ends May 7th (V-E Day); Adolf Hitler and his wife of one day, Eva Braun, commit suicide; Harry S. Truman becomes US President following the death of President Roosevelt; Nuclear Bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan surrender on Aug. 14 (V-J Day); Germany Concentration Camps Liberated, Yalta Agreement signed; Germany is divided between Allied occupation forces; United Nations Charter creates United Nations.
BORN ON THIS DAY
1485 — Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII, who bore him six children; only one, Mary I, survived to adulthood
1770 — Ludwig Van Beethoven, German composer best known for his 9th Symphony
1775 — Jane Austen, novelist (“Sense and Sensibility,” “Pride and Prejudice”)
1943 — Steven Bochco, TV producer and writer (“Hill Street Blues,” “L.A. Law”)
