Wow, wow, wow. … What a week it’s been for Greater Pittston.
We are going to have train service from Pittston to Jim Thorpe, isn’t that amazing?
I hope this opportunity won’t be squandered and when I drive to Jim Thorpe, especially during the summer months to see what a happening place it is, I think, why can’t we have that in our area.
Certainly Jim Thorpe has the Lehigh River; well we have the Susquehanna River.
They have a downtown area with shops and Pittston has a downtown area with shops.
They have some nice restaurants and quite frankly, I think we have more eating establishments.
They have festivals and we have festivals.
They have museums and we will have Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, hopefully one day.
They have the Mauch Chuck Opera House for concerts, plays, and movies and we will, once again, have the American Theatre in the future.
They have hotels and I’m betting in the not to distant future, Pittston will have a hotel.
My point is, the City of Pittston has all the makings of what Jim Thorpe has to offer, so why can’t that happen here?
I think it will and with the announcement of the rail service, the streetscaping construction to begin this spring in the Junction, the raising of Pittston Lumber to make way with new features, the river trail to get a boost, construction boom for additional housing in full swing, why can’t Pittston be a destination point?
I think surrounding towns in Greater Pittston should take heed and jump on the bandwagon.
Could the West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival be a possible attraction? Why not?
We have so many area churches that still run successful bazaars and with the reputation we have around here for all the yummy bazaar food, why couldn’t that be a draw?
Once the train station is up and running along with the platform and ticket booth, perhaps you can see bus service from the Junction to parts around Greater Pittston.
I truly do believe this is the start of something really, really big for Greater Pittston.
Town mayors and administrators, get your thinking hats on, think out of the box, or if so, capitalize on something your town has to show off, feature, or celebrate.
Here’s the thing – you should start doing, planning, formulate and organize now. It is never too early to get in on this great potential.
The City of Pittston is great and it’s getting greater by the day, month and year, but the surrounding communities have plenty of to offer as well.
With all that is happening, I believe it would be a great to have all the community leaders from mayors to council members, to have one huge meeting and brainstorm.
It’s time to think of Greater Pittston as one that is made up of 14 or so municipalities.
This area thrived on being an important coal region, followed by the garment industry, now it’s time to be a leader in commerce and tourism.
Look what the City of Pittston has done over the last 20 years. I believe it’s not going to take 20 more years to improve even further. It’s happening now and at a rapid pace lead by city Mayor Michael Lombardo.
We have a crop of political leaders at the state and federal level that can help Greater Pittston move forward if we start planning and acting now.
It’s time for old school politics to take a back seat and get progressive with our towns and boroughs. No more status quo.
It’s time to have aggressive leaders that want to do what’s best for our towns and schools.
It’s time to put the right people in the right jobs.
I’m sure it’s hard to find young blood in our area that want to be public servants, but that’s what we need to push us forward.
It seems the only people interested in holding office in our area are people that are 50 years old and up.
It’s time for the youth of our communities to get involved in their future, our future.
When looking at the new rail excursions to Jim Thorpe as a “who cares” or “big deal,” I’d beg to differ. It is a big deal and we should all care.
So I put this out to the mayors and council members of Greater Pittston, at your next work session or public meeting, discuss what’s going on with the rail service and see how it could benefit your community.
Don’t think of this opportunity as a City of Pittston thing. There could be an opportunity for some trickle down economics that could benefit your town.
As Mayor Lombardo said to me, he would love towns outside of Pittston benefit from this. It is not an exclusive thing.
Let’s all jump on this bandwagon of possibilities and opportunity.
As Alfred North White said, “Our minds are finite, and yet even in these circumstances of finitude we are surround by possibilities that are infinite, and the purpose of life is to grasp as much as we can out of that infinitude.”
It is all attainable.
Quote of the week
“My countrymen: we have reached a turning point in our history. The choice is yours. Shall we venture into this brave new world, bright with possibilities, or retreat to the safety of our familiar but sterile past? I am for crossing the frontier.” – Ferdinand Marcos
Thought of the week
“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dream, after all, is a form of planning.” – Gloria Steinem
Bumper stick
“The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.” – George Bernard Shaw
