It’s always great to see any leader from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania come to Greater Pittston and this past Thursday, Gov. Josh Shapiro made his way to the Greater Pittston YMCA to announce credits for childcare.

The YMCA looked great and Director Jeremy Popiel did a fantastic job in getting it ready for the Shapiro visit.

The gym floor was redone and looks brand new with a fresh coat of painted lines. The gym looked shiny and bright and up-to-date. We truly have a jewel in the Pittston Y.

All the local media outlets were present including Madonna Mantione from our media partner, WBRE. In addition to seeing Madonna reporting in the field, you can see her at the anchor desk from time-to-time.

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Madonna isn’t the only Greater Pittston native doing well at WBRE, Gianna Galli, is also doing a great job reporting and at the anchor desk.

At the press conference, many dignitaries including government officials were present for the announcement by the governor.

I think the highlight for me was when YMCA daycare children were brought to the gym for the press conference. It was apparent the governor made some friends with the children and at the end of the announcement; he called the children over for photos.

Gov. Shapiro was laughing and teasing the children and PA State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, who has been known to sing a song or two, led the children in a few verses of Itsy Bitsy Spider.

I’ve covered several governors, in particular the last three. The YMCA event was the second time I covered Shapiro, and his appearances seem to be different.

Although the former Attorney General has a no-nonsense approach, he has a fun side to him too, often teasing and joking with people in his presence.

He teased Times Leader reporter, Bill O’Boyle, along with his favorite target, Pa. State Rep. Jimmy Haddock. I guess if he doesn’t like you, he won’t tease you.

In this week’s edition, you will read about Gov. Shapiro’s visit and announcement that will help many of the readers of the Sunday Dispatch.

Additionally, we introduce West Pittston Library’s new director Maria Grzybowski, who I found to be very charming and eager to put her mark on the 150-year-old library.

She has an extensive background in education and art and she plans on blending the two to make the library a focal point in the borough.

In addition, she’s a certified yoga instructor and will even incorporate her skills to anyone that is willing to take yoga classes or try yoga for the first time. She tells me yoga classes will be offered when the library’s off hours.

I had a chance to see a few of her art creations and she’s very good at what she does.

It’s going to be an interesting tenure and I’m sure, as Maria gets even more comfortable at the helm, the sky is the limit.

She’s happy to be back in West Pittston, a place where she grew up and went to high school and of course, as a child, utilized the library many times with her late mother Mary Ann.

Maria and her husband are into caring for rescued dogs owning several.

Stop by the library and introduce yourself to her while welcoming her back home.

You will also read about the successful Christmas season the Greater Pittston Santa Squad (GPSS) had in 2023.

Tony Marranca, the GPSS founder and president, is very humbled on how far the Squad has come in the last six-years. It started by a gesture of helping out the defunct West Pittston Salvation Army that was in dire need of toys for their children on the Angel Wish List.

It was that year when two of the three sponsors of the kettle ringing campaign pulled out leaving them high and dry with a few hundred children possibly not getting toys for Christmas.

The story is approaching legendary status when Marranca asked his buddies that were participating in the annual Turkey Bowl touch football game to bring a new toy to donate to the Salvation Army. Since then, the GPSS was born and they never looked back.

You’ll read today that the 2023 Christmas campaign was able to donate 10,720 toys, including some clothing items, and 120 bicycles.

Well readers, that’s a lot of smiling faces on Christmas Day. I always said Greater Pittston is such a unique spot of the planet. The kindness and compassion is second to none and organizations like GPSS and Paint the Planet Pink, formerly Paint Pittston Pink, know too well how generous our area can be.

Being known as the Tomato Capital of the World isn’t all we’re known for.

Coffee Inclusive welcomes new director Joseph Stuppino and you’ll read about Joseph and his background enabling Frank Bartoli, president and CEO of NEPA Inclusive, to choose Stuppino.

Well, it’s hard to avoid the cold harsh temperatures we’ve endured in the last week or so. Yes it’s January and yes we can expect snow and freezing temps, but it’s the time of the year I dread.

Moderate temperatures coming up this week, thankfully.

Quote of the Week

“Be grateful for what you already have while you pursue your goals. If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more.” — Roy T. Bennett

Thought of the Week

“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing.” — Seneca

Bumper Sticker

“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” — Jean Baptiste Massieu