Question: In 1953, Pittston city police officers and firemen were anxious to see the results of an effort to change a federal law. What was it?
1947 – 72 YEARS AGO
A call was put out to residents to oust the oil burner from the local markets as mine companies were in the process of laying off mineworkers due to reduced production of anthracite in the region. Coal companies cited the layoffs one of several means being used to cut down overhead and turn normally high-cost operation in to low-cost production. It was the consensus of miners that high-cost operations would not survive the summer. In just a few weeks, 14 small collieries shut down, but after the Cranberry Collieries Company in Hazleton closed, miners knew it would not be long before all would be affected. The Cranberry operation employed 500 workers and produced 499,000 tons of coal in 1946.
1953 – 66 YEARS AGO
R.C. Rizzo TV Sales and Service on Broad Street in Pittston advertised the 27-inch Arvin All Channel Super 28 TV, the first-ever built with one-knob control of 12 VHF channels and 70 new UHF channels. It boasted 28 tubes, including rectifiers and a picture tube. The Arvin Phantom Filter eliminated picture roll, bounce and jitter.
WPTS was Northeast PA’s “newest and most modern radio station was soon to be on the air at “1540 on your dial, with programs for all ages.
A person wanting a ride could reach Rutledge Taxi Company by “Calling 31” 24 hours a day.
1959 – 60 YEARS AGO
The DeLuca children on Tompkins Street in Pittston were mourning the loss of their pet dog. A car had hit him, and police officers were forced to put the pet out of his misery. After the story appeared in the Sunday Dispatch, 50 area residents offered to give or replace the children’s dog with a new puppy. Mayor Patrick O’Brien didn’t know what to do with so many offers, so he gave all the information to the family to let the children decide. The family chose a dog and the mayor stated, “The incident proved to me that there are an awful lot of nice people in this area who will go out of their way to bring happiness to a fellow man.”
The ongoing legislative probe into the Knox Mine Disaster was nearing an end but legislators in Harrisburg wanted to hear additional testimony from one or two men whose accounts were called into question. The investigation of the mining disaster, which claimed 12 lives, focused on mine inspectors who may have perjured themselves on the witness stand. Of the men indicted with mining and labor law violations, conspiracy and manslaughter, none were held responsible. The men were convicted for income tax evasion and served minor jail sentences and probation.
1968 – 51 YEARS AGO
Pittston and West Pittston joined forces by designating the month of May as Clean-up, Paint-up and Fix-up Month. Marilyn Van Duzer, West Pittston, event chairman, Roy Stauffer, honorary chairman, Robert Loftus, Pittston mayor, Robert Campbell, West Pittston mayor, Robert Walsh, councilman, Vincent O’Hara, Chamber of Commerce executive director, and Paul Cadden, event chairman, gathered under the Japanese cherry blossom trees on the River Commons in West Pittston to sign the proclamation. Lady Bird Johnson started the clean up effort in Washington, D.C. in 1965 but pushed to get the subject of neighborhood beautification across the country. She saw the project as helping to soothe the nation at a time when the Vietnam War, civil rights and other political topics were dividing the country. Her effort led to the passing of the Highway Beautification Act.
1969 – 50 YEARS AGO
Members of the Pittston Area Class of 1969 will celebrate their 50th anniversary reunion in August. 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.
The Pittston Area Senior High School Band, under the direction of Charles (Masters) Mustinski, presented its third annual Music Festival on May 7, 1969, in the high school auditorium. The program began with the band playing and the audience singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” followed by the musical number, “Gala for Band.” Teresa and John Joseph played “Repaz March” on electric accordions, after which the drummers from the band presented a drum ensemble entitled “Lexington.” The program continued with Bernice Burke singing “Somebody Bigger than You and I” from the movie, “Oiltown, USA.”
Next, the drill team depicted gypsy life, performing to “La Bella Roma,” “Czardas,” and “Gypsy Love Song.” A flute solo by Ann Marie Menchinski, accompanied by Adele Ritzie, followed a band rendition of Al Hirt’s “Clarinet Marmalade.” The majorettes as the Tijuana Girls did a lively routine to “The Lonely Bull,” “Love Potion No. 9,” and “What Now My Love.”
Another highlight of the program was “Song of the Bells,” featuring David Heron on chimes. John Kuna gave an unusual solo performance on baritone saxophone, entitled “Interlude Melodie,” accompanied by Adele Ritzie. Adele then joined Phyllis Yucas and Arlene McHale for a clarinet trio, performing “Claristhenics,” along with band accompaniment. John Jerrytone sang “The Worst that Could Happen,” accompanied by Robert Ciali on lead guitar, Guy Fasciana, bass guitar; Richard Reggie, organ; Victor Guiliano, drums; and Robert Proietto and William Reese on trumpets.
Later in the program, Jerrytone was featured in a vocal solo, entitled “What the World Needs Now is Love.” “Minute Man,” a concert march featured in the District Band Festival, was rendered by the band, followed by the cheerleaders as “Senoritas,” who sang and dramatized “The Girl from Ipanema” by Frank Sinatra, “Sweet and Gentle” by Georgia Gibbs, and “America” from “West Side Story.”
A highlight of the festival was the “Tijuana Teeners” playing trumpets, trombones, saxophones, drums, and electric bass guitar. They rendered Richard Maltby’s arrangement of “On the Sunny Side of the Street” and John Warrington’s arrangement of “Tijuana Bamba.” To conclude the program, the entire cast sang the school’s Alma Mater.
Answer:
In 1953, Pittston city police and firefighters, along with first responders from other communities, were closely watching an effort to change the Federal Society Security Law to allow some liberty with persons under private pension plans who hold municipal jobs to participate in benefits of Society Security. Most all of Pittston municipal employees were placed under Society Security; however, the firemen and police who had a private pension through their union were ineligible for enrollment. Section 218 Agreement of the Social Security Administration, dated 1951, allowed states, on a voluntary basis, to extend Social Security coverage to government employees not covered under the agreement.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
1670 — The Hudson Bay Company is founded.
1863 — Stonewall Jackson smashes Joseph Hooker’s flank at Chancellorsville, Virginia.
1865 — President Andrew Johnson offers a $100,000 reward for the capture of the Confederate president.
1923 — Lieutenants Oakley Kelly and John Macready take off from New York for the West Coast on what will become the first successful nonstop transcontinental flight.
1968 — The U.S. Army attacks Nhi Ha in South Vietnam and begins a 14-day battle to wrestle it away from Vietnamese Communists.
1970 — Student anti-war protesters at Ohio’s Kent State University burn down the campus ROTC building. The National Guard takes control of campus.
BORN ON THIS DAY
1818 — Karl Marx
1914 — Tyrone Power
1864 — Nellie Bly
1942 — Tammy Wynette
1988 — Adele
