1948 – 71 YEARS AGO
Pittston Camp No. 17 United Spanish War Veterans observed the 50th anniversary of the war with Spain. Kenneth English, a veteran of World War I whose father served in the Civil War and whose brother served in the Spanish War, was the principal speaker at a dinner held at the First Baptist Church on Water Street. Officials and chairman of the event included Robert Fox, Charles Austin, Robert McKane, William Francis, F.F. Boshard and John Tigue.
What to do with 300 gallons of beer was the question as the Champ Brewery fell into receivership by owing the city of Pittston over $14,000. A public sale was held, and whether a buyer would purchase the brewery in total or whether items would have to sold piecemeal was a concern. Many thought that if the later were the case, the end of the brewery was eminent. Champ was formerly Glennon’s and later Liberty Brewing Company. It employed about 60 people in full operation. As for the 300 gallons of beer stored in vats on the premises, “no one had an inkling what disposition would be made of the beer, which had been aging for some time.”
1957 – 62 YEARS AGO
The Junior Blessed Virgin Sodality of St. Rocco’s Church held a “teenage dance” with music provided by the Junior Swingsters. The band included Len Harris on trumpet, Vincent Zerblas, drums; Charles Johns, piano and Angelo Cupano, clarinet.
The Duryea Lions Club found itself with quite a large number of contestants all vying for the title of Miss Duryea. Those adding their names to the list were Bernadine Aruscavage, Judy Aruscavage Rozella Berger, Diane Calonis, Marian Chicoski, Jean Chipko, Elaine Gillis, Dawn Girman, Ann Granahan, Adrienne Gryczko, Betty Ann Hosner, Carol Nitkowski, Judy Koes, Gertrude Korpusik, Cynthia Krafjack, Maureen Land, Arlene McNulty, Carol Moluski, Marilyn Mustinski, Connie Nabarek, Janice Panick, Geraldine Plona, Mae Prusch, Joanne Purta, Maryanne Rava, Diane Roberts, Teresa Roche, Ruth Salidis, Marion Semanski, Phyllis Shedler, Bernadine Sobeski, Chrystal Strupcewski, Pat Szumski, Charlotte Wesenyak, Regina Yasulitis, Peggy Zabrowski, Lorraine Zack and Charlotte Zalenski. Ballots were available in businesses throughout the town.
1963 – 56 YEARS AGO
Rev. Herbert Smart, minister of the Water Street Baptist Church in Pittston, announced that church members had an important decision to make. Members were instructed that a vote would be taken as to whether the church should relinquish the building and land on Water Street to the Pittston Urban Redevelopment Authority to enable the expansion of its program. Although located in the heart of the planned project, the church was not included in the city’s original redevelopment plans. Officials concluded the program could be carried out without the property. Obviously, the decision was to keep the church, as the First Baptist Church on Water Street remains today.
Plans were announced for a June dedication ceremony for the new St. Anthony’s Church in Exeter. The original church, built in 1922, was scheduled to be used for recreation, organizational and youth programs. After placing the names of donors for the new altar in a special box, Rev. Lawrence Pio, D.D., Litt. D., pastor, assisted by the Very Rev. Andrew Porro, Provincial of the Oblates of St. Joseph, held a deposition ceremony and set the box containing the names into the main altar.
Pittston City police chief Joseph Delaney recognized the modus operandi when investigating a robbery of the offertory box at St. John the Evangelist Church. Delaney noticed a discarded candle stand positioned much in the same way as in a robbery that took place at St. Rocco’s Church two years earlier. Upon viewing the scene, Delaney told investigating officer Merle Finan, “I know who did it.” The suspect in question confessed to the burglary after a brief interview, stating he had lost money playing pinball machines. The thief was committed to prison without bail.
1973 – 46 YEARS AGO
The Wilson School on Cork Lane which, for years, housed Pittston Township High School and, prior to that, an elementary school, was scheduled to be razed. Supervisors Walter Shandra, Jack Reardon and Sam Iorfida planned to build a new municipal building, the first in the history of the township, on the large corner lot. The school closed in June 1972.
Brothers Stephen and Bill Lukasik, of Dupont, operated a photography studio for many years. Both men covered all types of local events which documented the rich history of Greater Pittston. Some photographs were published by the Associated Press and United Press Wire Service, appearing in newspapers throughout the United States. In 1973, Stephen was the recipient of two Professional Photographer’s Society ribbon awards for wedding photos of Mrs. James Blandina, the former Gloria Adonizio, of Wyoming, and of his niece Debra Ann Lukasik, of Dupont. In previous years, Lukasic won awards for his portraiture, photographic oil coloring and natural color correction.
1979 – 40 YEARS AGO
Deanna Cassetori, of Exeter, won all-state honors in two categories while participating with the Wilkes-Barre YMCA swimmers at the YMCA State Swimming and Diving Championships. She came in fourth in the breast stroke and second in the 50-yard event missing the state championship by only one hundredth of a second.
The West Pittston Cherry Festival’s schedule of events was announced. Those set to perform were Helen’s Dance Spa, Damian the Magician, the O’Donnell Irish Dancers, the Swing-Alongs Modern-Western Square Dancers, the Dallas Woman’s Chorale and the David Blight Dancers. The Little Miss Cherry Blossom contestants were as follows: Jennifer Maughan, Donna Gilroy, Suzanne Lucas, Judy Galanda, Jennifer Acconzo, Lori Ann Gilroy, Ann Marie Brown and Patricia Shannon. This year’s festival will be held on Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5.
1985 – 34 YEARS AGO
Called one of the most ambitious projects in Pittston’s history, the 4.74 million mine flushing program was also removing the area’s largest culm bank in the same process at the former Pennsylvania Coal Company No. 9 Breaker in Hughestown. The culm was being pumped into abandoned mines under Pittston to stabilize the surface in an attempt to end decades of cave-ins in the Butler and Mill Hill sections. The flushing involved transporting one million tons of mine refuse through pipes from the culm bank to three troublesome mine voids, the deepest of which rested 20 feet below the streets. The flushing project technique was new and had never before been used in Northeastern PA. DER had determined three veins mined in the late 1950s needed flushing. The Marcy vein 116’ below Center St; the Pittston vein, 58’ below the street and the Checker vein approximately 25’ below the surface.
It was up to the 153rd Engineer Construction Battalion to help the U.S. troops successfully fight the Japanese in the Philippine Islands during World War II by clearing out much of the dense jungle. Twenty-four of those battalion members came from Pittston. Using machetes, they worked around the clock, clearing jungle vegetation and then building supply depots, road and bridges. In 1985, a 40th reunion was planned by Jack Donahue, Joe Gavigan, John Kelly, Bill Pope, Thomas Connors, Mike Naples, Michael Dabbieri, Joseph Tavella, Samuel Pegnani, Frank Mack, Joseph O’Malley, Pete Menchinsky, Anthony Bartolotto, Thomas Keller, Edward Connors, Patrick Tigue Jr., Frank Murphy, Edward Calunas, Michael Naples Jr., William Morgan, Daniel Maruska, James D’Angelo, Leonard McHale, Edward McNevin and Leo Insalaco.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
753 BC — Traditional date of the foundation of Rome.
1649 — The Maryland Toleration Act is passed, allowing all people freedom of worship.
1865 — Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train leaves Washington.
1898 — The Spanish-American War begins.
1995 — Federal authorities arrest Timothy McVeigh in connection with the Oklahoma City bombing.
BORN ON THIS DAY
1782 — Friedrich Froebel, founder of kindergarten
1816 — Charlotte Bronte, novelist (“Jane Eyre”)
1926 — Elizabeth II, queen of England
1932 — Elaine May, comedy writer
