1949 – 70 YEARS AGO

The Susquehanna River was on fire near the Duryea Borough line, and three fire companies fought the blaze to get it under control. The problem began when a break in an oil line erupted, spilling oil into the Susquehanna River via the Lackawanna River. Somehow, it was set ablaze and firefighters used a “special fog-type nozzle” to put out the fire.

Joe Keating and Charlie Dankulich, of West Pittston, decided to enjoy a day in New York City. Upon arriving, they parked their car on a side street of the 14th precinct in an “authorized zone.” Both men went on their way to take in the sights. While they were gone, a policeman dressed in plain clothing noticed the car and, after noticing several items of clothing in the back seat, decided to keep eye on it due to the fact there had been several auto break-ins in the area. The officer knew if he were patient, the perpetrators would show up. In a short while two men acting suspiciously appeared, managed to unlock the car door and began rifling through the clothing. The officer announced his presence but one of the thieves made away with some of the clothing while the other froze and was taken into custody. Keating and Dankulich returned several hours later and found a note on their steering wheel to report to the police station. They did, and retrieved what clothing was left. However, Dankulich realized he was missing two sport coats and two pairs of pants.

1952 – 67 YEARS AGO

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Pittston merchants banded together with store owners in other communities to fight the ruling of the federal government that placed merchandise clubs in the same category as punchboards and slot machines. The group hired an attorney to check the matter thoroughly to see if merchandise clubs could continue to operate. According to the ruling, such clubs were lotteries and illegal since “persons who ‘wager’ need not be present when drawings are made.” The clubs sponsored by merchants operated on a $1 a week plan. The club period would be for 50 weeks. Each week there was a drawing and, in the case of a $50 club, the winner was given $50 worth of merchandise, no matter what amount the person paid into the club. A participant’s dollars accumulated and, if the person didn’t win during that time, they would still have the equivalent of $50 worth of merchandise.

Formal ceremonies were held marking the opening of the Greater Pittston Public Library. Those who attended were Esther J. Tinsley, superintendent of Pittston Hospital; Stella Flynn, library official; Mayor John J. Allardyce, C. William McNulty, library association president; Bernard O’Brien, Vincent O’Hara, Samuel Cohen, Paul Melvin, Patrick Collins, Edward Burke, S. Thomas Bianco and Chris Addimando.

1957 – 62 YEARS AGO

Mr. and Mrs. Al Balzano, Mrs. And Mrs. Ross Russo, Mrs. George Chonka and Mrs. Henry Genzel, all of West Pittston, banded together to raise funds to purchase a portable television for their neighbors Mr. and Mrs. James Matze, also of West Pittston. The couple, unable to leave their home due to illness, was grateful for the new television, agreeing it would help to pass the hours.

1969 – 50 YEARS AGO

Members of the Pittston Area Class of 1969 will celebrate their 50th anniversary reunion in August 2019. They will be sharing senior highlights from the class in our Peeking into the Past column throughout the coming months leading up to their reunion event.

Frank Gerosky, Pittston Area guidance supervisor, was guest speaker at a dinner meeting of the Greater Pittston Business and Professional Women’s Club held at the Fox Hill Country Club. Mrs. Helen Blandina, chairman of the club’s career development, introduced Mr. Gerosky, who outlined the factors a young person should consider in selecting a college to attend. He also spoke of the items a college admissions officer evaluates before offering admission to a high school senior and apprised club members of the various means available for financial aid. Gerosky said, “Teenagers were always strange and unpredictable, and today they are also independent, skeptical and confidant. Today’s teenagers are exerting a tremendous influence over our way of life, have more sophistication, and are more alert and extremely well-informed.” Gerosky cited the upswing in college enrollments, noting that in 1968 Pennsylvania colleges had 371,082 students enrolled compared with 324,069 in 1966.

1980 – 39 YEARS AGO

The annual Pittston Lions Club’s Hire the Physically Handicapped essay and poster contest produced six winners selected by a panel of judges. First-place winner in the essay contest was Patricia Burke, Jenkins Township High School; second place, Eugenia Gavigan, St. John’s; and third place, Theresa Stuccio, Pittston High. First-place winner of the poster contest was Adriene Soltis, Pittston High; second place, Barbara Fee, Jenkins Township; and third place, Joann McNally,St. John’s. In 1945, President Harry Truman signed Public Law 176, a joint congressional resolution calling for the creation of an annual National Employ the Handicapped Week. In 1952, the President’s Committee on National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week later became the Presidents’ Committee on Employment of the Physically Handicapped, a permanent organization reporting to the president and Congress.

1987 – 32 YEARS AGO

Wyoming Valley Warrior Wrestlers won the District II PIAA championship. Brian Hines won a gold medal for the second straight year. Mark Amato, Jeff Randazzo and Pat Heck were also gold medal winners. Jim Mazonis succeeded in taking a silver medal in the competition. Amato was named Most Outstanding Wrestler for pinning every opponent he faced during the competition.

Evert and Mabel Sharkey, of West Pittston, were “fixtures” at the Miner’s Savings Bank in Pittston up until 1987 when both retired after the bank was acquired by First Eastern. It was then the couple realized they had been working at the bank for a combined total of 100 years. Evert began his career at the bank in 1920, working his way up from utility clerk “doing a little bit of everything, including filling ink wells,” to bank treasurer and trust officer. Mabel was hired as a bookkeeper in 1944, making $15 per week. They were married in 1950. According to the FDIC website, Miners Bank was established on Jan. 1, 1869, merged with First Eastern on Dec. 4, 1986, then merged with PNC Bank in June 1994.

1992 – 27 YEARS AGO

Pittston City Council honored retiring Fire Chief James Ruane with a proclamation recognizing his many years of service. Ruane was hired in 1961 as a part-time fire truck driver. He was promoted to full-time in 1974 and served as assistant chief from 1986-1990 when he was appointed chief.

The St. Mary’s Assumption girls varsity team captured the Wyoming Valley Girls Basketball League championship for the second consecutive year. Members of the team were Jillian Dessoye, Jennifer Lojewski, Kiera Feeney, Aimee Grabosky, Elizabeth Grimes, Jill Grabowski, Suzanne Naples, Crissy Amitia, Christine Healey, Margaret Sammon, Wendy Boos. Len Lojewski coached JV and Joe Heffers, varsity.

In the Sunday Dispatch column “On My Mind” written by Dick Cosgrove, James Baiera, of West Pittston, was the focus of a story highlighting his staunch support of the New York Yankees. A retired barber, James recalled his first excursion to Yankee Stadium in 1923 with friends Sam “Speed” Vullo and Tony Palma. Each had $5 to cover their expenses for the day. Through the years, he’d seen Babe Ruth play, met Joe DiMaggio and received an autographed baseball from Yankee relief pitcher Joe Ostrowski, of West Wyoming, which he later donated to a raffle to help children. The Yankees began their 1923 world championship season on April 18 as they opened Yankee Stadium. Babe Ruth christened the new stadium with a home run.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1845 — Florida becomes the 27th U.S. state.

1863 — President Abraham Lincoln signs the Conscription Act compelling U.S. citizens to report for duty in the Civil War or pay $300.00.

1877 — Rutherford B. Hayes, the Republican governor of Ohio, is elected president, his election confirmed by an electoral commission after disputed election the previous November.

1919 — Boeing flies the first U.S. international airmail from Vancouver, British Columbia to Seattle, Washington.

1923 — The first issue of Time magazine is published. Its editor, Henry R. Luce, is just out of Yale.

1931 — President Herbert Hoover signs a bill that makes Francis Scott Key’s “Star Spangled Banner” the national anthem.

1969 — Sirhan Sirhan testifies in a court in Los Angeles that he killed Robert Kennedy.

1999 — Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky appears on national television to explain her affair with President Bill Clinton.

BORN ON THIS DAY

1831 — George M. Pullman, inventor of the railway sleeping car

1847 — Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the first telephone as well as other devices

1873 — William Green, President of the American Federation of Labor

1895 Matthew Ridgway, U.S. Army leader in World War II and Korea

1911 — Jean Harlow (“Hell’s Angels,” “Dinner at Eight”)

https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Judy-Minsavage.CMYK_-3.jpg.optimal.jpg

Frank Gerosky, former Pittston Area guidance supervisor, claimed teenagers were always “strange and unpredictable” in 1969.
https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Frank-Gerosky-to-view-1-.jpg.optimal.jpgFrank Gerosky, former Pittston Area guidance supervisor, claimed teenagers were always “strange and unpredictable” in 1969.

Peeking into

the Past

Judy Minsavage