Last weekend served as a reminder that our freedom came with a cost in all the men and women that lost their lives serving in battle.
Memorial Day is a day we also honor those that served in our Armed Forces and that is indicative when you visit any cemetery where all the U.S. Flags are displayed.
I attended flag replacements at the West Pittston Cemetery a few days before Memorial Day. It was incredible to see how many people volunteered to go through the entire cemetery systematically replacing old an U.S. flag with a new one followed by dismantling the old flag to be properly disposed.
For as large as the cemetery is, it really didn’t take long to do the honorable deed and thankfully Ron Gitkos, who organizes the flag replacement, has a lot of the same volunteers returning each year.
Gitkos, who is the commander of the West Pittston 1st Lt. Jeffrey DePrimo American Legion Post 542, served in the Navy and ever since I’ve known him, you can’t deny his patriotism.
For Ron, it’s all about the veterans and the fallen soldiers.
The Post will be holding the annual Vettes for Vets fundraiser on Sunday, June 9, at the Agolino’s Restaurant parking lots.
Ron used to hold the event as he former auto service station down the street where the current SK Mini Mart is located.
For years, the corner of Wyoming and Montgomery avenues would fill up one day each summer with Corvettes of all ages. The Corvette is considered America’s Muscle Car and most years, the sun shines down on the event making Corvette owners happy.
Not all Vette owners like to take their car out in the rain so if there is one tiny cloud in the sky; the car stays in the barn. If it looks like a clear day, those same owners are out shining and polishing fenders, windows, and wheels for the show.
Of course, all proceeds go to the DePrimo American Legion Post where they use the money for all types of uses like scholarships for students, for example.
Vettes for Vets begin next Sunday, June 9, at noon until 3 p.m. It’s a quick three-hours where you can grab some food, buy a T-shirt, raffle ticket, listen to some music and admire several dozen Corvettes.
If you are a Corvette owner and you’d like to put your car in the show, the fee is only $10 per vehicle to be among some of your peers and talk shop.
It’s a great time to support those veterans that gave their time to support and defend us so we can have Corvettes and Corvette car shows.
Also on Sunday, June 9, is Pittston Prohibition from noon to 6 p.m. at the Pittston Tomato Festival second tier lot.
Four acts are on the bill with Philadelphia Freedom – An Elton John Tribute Band will headline the event. Other acts include Flaxy Morgan, Wade Preston and Mike Miz.
If you want to save a few bucks, better get that ticket in advance for $30 otherwise it’s $35 at the door the day of the event that include one free drink.
If you’re hungry at Prohibition, there will be food trucks and plenty of spirits available.
Pittston Area and Wyoming Area graduations are up next with PA graduating on Thursday, June 6, and WA on Friday, June 7.
I get the feeling the first two weeks in June are going to go by rapidly and just the other day, I overheard someone say, “Wait and see how fast summer goes by and before you know it, the kids will be heading back to school.”
As crazy as that statement seems, summer always by in the blink of an eye.
Speaking of local schools, Wyoming Area created a foundation in 2015 and it never really got off the ground … until now.
The Wyoming Area Foundation has been raised from the dead and the first item they want to tackle are getting new seats at the Secondary Center Auditorium to the tune of $385,000. That amount will get you approximately 780 chairs that have been there since the dinosaurs roamed the earth.
The seats are the original seats from when the building was built and the first class entered the new high school in the fall of 1975.
One more word on Memorial Day, I attended the Dupont Borough Memorial Day Parade and afterwards when the Dupont American Legion and AMVETS dedicated a monument to honor all the war dead from the borough.
It was touching ceremony and the monument is magnificent.
Our good friend Bob Lopata took part in the ceremony and took a spell as he was helped from the podium while reading the names on the monument while Bernie Babonis rang a bell after each name.
I’ve known Bob for quite a while and this guy is a true gentleman. He’s seen a lot in his life and he’s been instrumental at the VFW for decades.
I had to leave to cover another parade by WNEP’s Chelsea Strub texted me a photo of Bob back at the podium finishing the job. You can’t keep a good man down and Bob proved it that day.
Quote of the Week
“You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens.” – Mandy Hale
Thought of the Week
“Find out who you are and be that person. That’s what your soul was put on this earth to be. Find the truth, live that truth, and everything else will come.” – Ellen DeGeneres
Bumper Sticker
“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.” – Charles Kettering
