PITTSTON — When you talk about the Linda Kohut/Pittston Active Adult Center, they take the word “active” very seriously. There is always something to do or an event going on or classes to take at the center.
Shuffleboard is just one of those many events seniors can take part.
Over the past few months, the Pittston Center has been taking part in the inaugural shuffleboard leagues established by league coordinator, Jerry Marriggi, 88 of Pittston.
“I started the league three months ago,” Marriggi admitted. “We play every Monday or Thursdays at five different centers. They all got into it and they all love it. Our team is on top.”
The Pittston Center has 10 players on the roster where five compete and five alternates. Marriggi said all members of the team as he shifts the team around from week-to-week.
Centers participating in addition to Pittston are, Tunkhannock, Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Nanticoke, and Marriggi is trying to get Dallas to get involved.
Match play lasts for approximately 3-hours and the host team provides coffee, donuts, and juice prior to starting. Once match play is complete, the Pittston Center offers lunch to the visiting team.
Marriggi is a regular at the Pittston Center and never misses a day since his wife Dolores passed away two year ago after 66 years of marriage.
“I come every day and I never miss,” Marriggi, a former carpenter, said. “I come around 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and I love it here. I clean tables and I volunteer to do work.”
“They have been playing shuffleboard for years and when they tried to bring up a league to other centers, nobody was interested,” Joan Luksa, Pittston Center’s director, said. “One day the Wilkes-Barre Center called and said they would be interested.”
Luksa gives credit to John George and Marriggi for keeping the league going and working on the maintenance on the shuffleboards.
“My assistant Melody kind of handled the logistics and we help them with their shuffleboard and John and Jerry have been doing most of the planning and scheduling, Luksa said. “Jerry keeps a notebook and makes calls and things, he’s really good and the whole thing has been a lot of fun.”
Luksa said members of the Pittston Center have gone to other centers to clean their shuffleboards.
“We try to coordinate with other centers and sometimes it’s a transportation issue or the distance or the weather that stops the teams from competing,” Luksa said. “We have a lot of drivers with bigger cars and they are willing to do it and nobody is stuck in a rut here. We try to accommodate everyone and it really is an active center.”
Phyllis Bonomo, 78 of Yatesville, is a member of the Pittston Center’s team.
“I very much enjoy the shuffleboard league,” Bonomo said. “It’s a challenge and the people are nice because we travel to different places. As long as I don’t have to drive, it’s fun and I love seeing the other centers.”
Bonomo admitted even though the league is for fun, she loves the competition and the winning. “I didn’t think I’d enjoy it, but it’s a lot of fun.”
