Rated one of Pennsylvania's top blog/sites, the LuLac Political Letter delves into issues of politics on all levels (with special concentration on Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties: thus the name LULAC) and pop culture.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
THe LuLac Edition #2450, June 19th, 2013
James Gandolfini. (Photo: TMZ)
JAMES GANDOLFINI
DIES IN ITALY
Since we dedicate a portion of this site to pop culture, this is something we have to make a comment on. James Gandolfini – who became a household name playing a semi sensitive, ruthless mobster with issues, Tony Soprano died this afternoon in Italy. The actor was there for the annual Taormina Film Festival in Sicily and was scheduled to participate in a few events there this weekend. The cause of death was a heart attack. Gandolfini was 51. Prior to “The Sopranos” the actor played roles in “Get Shorty”, “True Romance”, “The Mexican” and as of late, “Zero Dark Thirty”.
The Sopranos only had a run of 86 episodes. Gandolfini played a complex character who had problems inside and outside of his two families. The mythical organized crime one that operaed out of Jersey and the family he was related to by blood. Gandolfini won three Emmy’s during the program’s limited HBO schedule. The show later returned on reruns on Cable.
Many people felt that after playing Tony Soprano, Gandolfini would be typecast. He was too good an actor for that. This untimely death leaves us with the cruel irony that the show’s ending had people guessing whether its main character Tony Soprano died in the end. When the show ended in 2007, who would have dreamed that the actor who played him would be gone in less than a decade.
Just a heads up on a few local blogs you might want to take a look at. Dr. Joe Leonardi recently launched a political blog. It’s called Rant, Rage and Rampage. Here’s the link:
http://rantrageandrampage.wordpress.com/ A few others of interest: Politics in NEPA
http://politicsnepa.blogspot.com/ Pure Bunkum
http://purebunkum.com/ Wake Up Wilkes Barre:
http://wakeupwilkesbarre.blogspot.com/ David DeCosmo’s No News Is….Good News? http://no-news-is.blogspot.com/ Circumlocution for Dummies
http://mcour.blogspot.com/ the WILK blogsites of their personalities. Look under blogs. http://www.wilknewsradio.com/ and the Dr. David Madeira Show http://thedavidmadeirashow.com/
WVIA TV/FM’S Bill Kelly. (Photo: Northcentralpa.com)
BILL’S BUCKS
Many of you who have read LuLac know that I have major problems with inflated salaries for officials who don’t show results. Both public and private sector. If this was a fair world, I would demand refunds back from the officials who served at the Wilkes Barre Chamber of Commerce from 1995 until now. Pulling down a huge salary for big salaries for a select business few that couldn’t make it on their own in the private sector? That’s a joke! I have railed about Wall Street people who put us on the brink of financial collapse and still walked away with millions.
That stated, you won’t hear a negative word from me about the salary Bill Kelly is making as Head of the Endowment Department at WVIA TV and FM. Let me give you a little history.
Bill Kelly came to WVIA TV in 1974 when then GM George Strimel recognized that he had to have a more aggressive fundraising department, The station at the time had as its main revenue stream, the TV 44 Auction. (In a previous LuLac edition, we referenced the death of longtime Auction volunteer Jeff Rubel.) Kelly came from WARM, the Mighty 590. When he arrived, there was both surprise and snickers. What was a top forty guy going to tell us about Public Broadcasting? A woman I worked with (who shall remain nameless due to the fact that I cherish her memory) once sniffed to me, “Has he ever heard of the Philharmonic?” What WVIA learned from the top 40 jock (drive time 3pm to 7PM) was plenty. Kelly totally revised the look of the fundraisers. He brought in energetic young people to become “Funding personalities”. He squeezed every ounce of talent out of directors like Peter Brewer, Ed Finn and the late Allen Murphy. The sleepy department got a kick in the ass. After two years of growth for TV, he took his skills to radio. The first thing he did was take us on a road trip to WSKG in Binghamton, New York to see how their operation ran. We sat with the classical music radio hosts. We were told to take notes. We then reviewed those notes when we returned. Kelly believed in having us see the big picture of Public Broadcasting. I went on a trip to Chicago with him in 1977 which was exclusively for radio. Again, notes. The plane ride back was reviewing not only what I learned but how I was going to put it in action. Through the years, WVIA TV and FM has grown. And through the years Bill Kelly has made enemies. I liken Kelly to a baseball manager. At any given time, he fielded the strongest players on the field. Once you got complacent or your batting average dipped, you were gone. Many a person who thought they had a home there for a while had a rude awakening. It wasn’t about them, it was about the station. And for those people he let go, if you look at a large percentage of them, they all went on to better and in some cases bigger things. If you were wise enough to take away what Bill Kelly taught you (and once when I told him this he got very embarrassed) you had a skill set that would serve you well in any position. Now about the amount. Again, you have to look at the job. Public Broadcasting is under attack by right wing conservatives who think funding should be cut. If you look at the State Legislators who cut Public Broadcasting, can you honestly say they are worth what they get?
Fundraising is a tough job. You are first off selling the entity but selling yourself. Kelly says he can make the station millions and I believe him. I know how he’s going to do it too. But unlike some of the dullards calling in to talk radio and posting comments on websites, screaming about this, I’ve been following Bill Kelly. He will make more than anticipated. Kelly has historically over delivered in every capacity. Look at some of the salaries CEO’s around here pull down. When I worked at Blue Cross, Denise Cesare back in 2009 was at around $750,000. The head of the Geisinger Health System, Dr. Glenn Steele was up there too. College Presidents have healthy salaries. Profit making companies CEO’s pull down millions. For those salaries, their boards and higher ups confirm what they should make. But the product comes to them. While they work hard at their jobs, I can’t believe that any of them toil as hard for their money as Bill Kelly has through the years. Responsible people will always buy health care, colleges will always have students and never bat an eye lash about raising tuition. For the aforementioned CEOs, the money comes to them. People need to realize that with this job, Kelly will hustle like he always did. Personally, I think it never was about the money for Kelly, it was about the challenge. Last night, my wife had on “Inspector Lewis” on Masterpiece Mystery on TV 44. Throughout the show, there were three pre recorded breaks with the same two people giving the same spiel. Mrs. LuLac said that in her mind that funding model might be going the way of the Beta recorder. The endowment fund is at $700,000 or thereabouts. The old ways don’t seem to be working as well as they used to and because of its attack by the know nothings in Washington, it is at peril. Plus the public perception that “you can get what they have on Cable) is shuddering. I wonder how many of those people criticizing the station have even turned it on in the last ten years! If Public Broadcasting is to survive, (especially here in Northeastern Pennsylvania where our local news outlets are consistently challenged by quality issues,) we need a street fighter who will make it his personal mission to build that endowment fund. Salary be damned, bet on Bill Kelly. Unlike CEO’s making bigger salaries, he’ll go after what the station needs to not only survive and thrive, but he’ll get results.
The late John (Chickey) Watson. (John Watson Facebook page, Pamela Rivers photo )
JOHN WATSON
I began working at the Sunday Dispatch when I was 14. The late William Watson Sr., the founder of the paper gave me an opportunity to write a rock and roll column. Whenever I’d stop in, I’d see this young man there who was always unfailingly polite and friendly. A few years later, I found out that his grandfather gave me my start and that his father, “Pidge” always mentored me when it came to knowing the inside outs of how a local newspaper was produced. At no time did John “Chickey” Watson ever tell me “Who he was!”. No chest thumping for that guy. He had a wry sense of humor, if I had his looks I’d never make it to my 40th birthday, and I never saw him raise his voice. His writing was even and measured and had a liberal bent He was not afraid to take on the powers that be, sometimes he was right, sometimes he was wrong, but he was always interesting. You never stopped reading a John Watson column in midstream. You finished it, read it twice and then passed it on to your wife or friends. For the past year, John and I communicated on the Facebook machine. A few weeks ago, he sent out a request to his friends from the Greater Pittston Area to write him a recommendation letter so he could find a better job in Seattle, his home since 1999. Here’s what I wrote: June 3rd, 2013 To Whom It May Concern: Please accept this letter as an endorsement of Mr. John Watson for employment with your company. In this competitive job market, I feel compelled to tell you about Mr. Watson.
I have known John for forty years. I was associated at a young age with his family business in the East, the Pittston Pennsylvania Sunday Dispatch. During my time there, John was an earnest worker, a talented editor and had great management and analytical skills that span every vocation.
I believe John will be a great asset to your organization.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at ***-***-****. . Sincerely,
David S. Yonki
, Wilkes Barre, Pa. John passed away last Thursday at an age that was way too young for his talents to leave this earth. If he got around to using my letter, the people who are now trying to contact him will realize they missed out on knowing and working with a great, smart, kind and fun human being. He will be missed.
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……..that every time I drive down to Nanticoke to stop off at the Sanitary or to LCCC to attempt to see my old Coding Teacher (she’s always busy) I travel down South Prospect Street where the old WNAK building used to be. It was a big reconverted funeral home but now the thing is leveled and a parking lot. The once storied frequency too has been diminished somewhat with a simulcast of that great Oldies Station, GEM out of Tunkhannock. Times change I guess. MAYBE I’M AMAZED……….that when we were coming home from church last night passing through Parsons, I saw that a house had their garbage out. Then as Mrs. LuLac drove on, the whole neighborhood had their blue bags out. Is it possible the entire neighborhood put their garbage out early? En masse? Then we both realized Friday was Flag Day and a holiday for Public Sector workers. Damn, you have to love those unions! MAYBE I’M AMAZED……..that because of the weakness of the Republican Party in Scranton, a party that elected Gene Peters twice, David Wenzel once and Jimmy Connors three times can’t field a decent candidate. Bill Courtright will then waltz into the Mayor’s office. How does a party collapse like that in just a short time? MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….that the Judicial situation begs the same question in Luzerne and Lackawanna County. In the current Judge race in the Lac, Jim Gibbons won a double nomination and in Luzerne County, despite some decent candidates running on the GOP, the only candidate who succeeded was Dick Hughes. And I believe that was more his community service and personal energy than anything the party did for him. MAYBE I’M AMAZED……..in Germany, the “sshhhh” sound means “hurry up”. MAYBE I’M AMAZED………that there are people around who continue to underestimate Correale Stevens of Hazleton. He has had the most consistent, unblemished, unquestioned climb of any local political figure of this generation. Seven years as State Representative, Luzerne County DA, a few years on the Luzerne County bench as well as time on the State’s Higher Courts. Now Stevens is poised to become a Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The last time Luzerne County had representation was when the late Ben Jones was named to the Court in 1957. In Lackawanna County, Michael Eagen was named in 1960. MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….that a Supreme Court Justice who visited this area on more than one occasion, Seamus P. McCaffery is reportedly under fire for some questionable arrangements with his wife Lise Rapaport. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, he is now reportedly being investigated by the F.B.I. for payment Rapaport received in her side business referring clients to lawyers. Not only did she work for her husband as a judicial aide while she was doing so, but McCaffery ended up ruling on many of those very cases for which she was making referrals. Didn’t Mark Ciavarella refer to that as “a finder’s fee?” This will be something to watch. MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that the Miami Heat just seem able to turn it on when they need a big win. The Series with the Spurs is tied at 2-2 and the only explanation I have is that the Heat has been a team the last three years that played in the finals. Those extra games and pressure take their toll. If they win this year, will they have anything left in the tank for next season? MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that that we humans take 23,800 breaths in a day. That’s 161,000 a week, which translates in a year to almost under 2 million. MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….that political ripples are starting to develop in Lackawanna County now that the Government Study Commission, which was endorsed in the primary takes their seats. Look for organizer Chuck Volpe to be in the catbird seat and the current trio of County Commissioners (career politicians who have no place else to go) to start digging in their heels. MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that most local community newspapers are now done out of town in a template format. Then they are sent back to a skeleton staff for approval. This is a far cry from the old Wyoming Valley Observer, the Pittston Dispatch, and the Dallas Post/Abington Journal. The latter two were owned and operated by William Scranton III who in my estimation would have made a great Governor of Pennsylvania. MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that one of the true hidden treasures in the area as terms of a decent, home cooked meal is The Wagon Wheel in Shickshinny. Battling back after the most recent flood, the service is great, and the Friday Fish Fry is one of the best.
Today when I went to WYLN TV 35 to do “Topic A” after a long absence, the TV station’s fine reporter Anne Gownley did a story about an autistic 18 year old boy that awaited eagerly every day to wave to the school bus that passed by his mother's business. He looked forward to it. Well, apparently yesterday a group of students riding the bus started to shout the F bomb at him and threw objects too. They called him every obscenity in the book and were totally out of hand. But the rub to this story is that the students on the bus were FIRST GRADERS! ****ing FIRST GRADERS! This is a disturbing story because it tells you all you need to know about how kids are being raised. The Hazleton School authorities said they will investigate the matter and will bring the full extent of the law to the little punks. The ironic thing about all of this is that their disgusting display was caught on video for the TV station to air as well as hopefully all of America. It is unkind at best to diminish one because they might not be as mentally developed as you are in your first grade big boy pants. But the video was shot by the victim they were calling names and making fun of. So my big question now is, which party is the dumb one? Not the victim that’s for sure! Two things need to happen: 1. All those kids need to be banned from riding the bus for one year. Let the moms and dads and the grand pops and nanas cart their little asses to school every school day in 2013-2014. 2. Empower school bus drivers to do this: when an incident happens, take the bus either to the police station or back to the school. Then have mom leave her job as she climbs the corporate ladder while her kid becomes a monster and get dad off the golf course or construction site and have them deal with their precious loin magic. You’ll see how fast this stuff stops.
POOR CONGRESS!
Politico has reported that 12 members of Congress say they will quit before the Affordable Health Care kicks in because “they can’t afford the co-pays of the government health care plan." That tells you enough about why they went you Washington, doesn’t it? These people are making in excess of $185,000 a year. They can’t afford an insurance employee copay like the rest of us? I pay $220.00 a month for my health care coverage on a salary that is considerably less than a member of Congress. These guys and their staff just need to go and join the real world.
BUT THEIR REAL WORLD
…………..is not ours. What happens to you when you are a Congressman getting the ax in a primary? You land a job with the Liquor Control Board in the state for $71,000 a year. Tim Holden got his job from Governor Corbett. Look for Corbett to carry Schuylkill County next year.
80 MILLION IN CAMOUFLAGE
The U.S. Military can save 80 million bucks if they just had uniform camouflage for all branches of the service. The 4 branches have separate designs and that is costing that wasteful 80 million. I know people having their salaries cut because of the sequester and they are in the military. This makes a bad case the next time the military wrings its hands over cuts. Start with common sense because unless I’m wrong, terrorists don’t give a shit about the design of your camouflage uniforms. The taxpayers who support the military without question are getting hosed in this case.
The season for preliminary sparring has begun for State wide offices i n 2014. Brad Koplinski got the nods of key Democrats in both Luzerne and Lackawanna County as he crosses the state for the office of Lieutenant Governor. In the Lu, Dan Hartman – Democratic State Committeeman, Keith Moss – Mayor, Dureya Borough and Rebecca Sammon – President, Pennsylvania Young Democrats and Democratic State Committeewoman. In the Lac, Ed Karpovich – County Treasurer and Justin Taylor – Mayor, City of Carbondale gave their support. Yesterday, over 115 elected officials, Democratic County Chairs and State Committee people and Party leaders throughout Pennsylvania endorsed Harrisburg City Councilman Brad Koplinski’s campaign for Lieutenant Governor. Races for Ltn. Governor can be crap shoots but if a candidate gets his name out there and is persistent, you never know when he or she will be paired with a winning candidate. Catherine Baker Knoll was inflicted on Ed Rendell and the current Ltn. Governor, Jim Cawley won his primary race against Chet Beiler by 50,000 and a field of others. So if you are fast out of the gate..you never know.
Congressman Lou Barletta. (Photo: LuLac archives)
BARLETTA TO HOST MEETING
U.S. Representative Lou Barletta, PA-11, announced that his campaign will host a national tele-town hall to discuss the problem of illegal immigration in the United States, its impact on American workers, and current proposals in the House and the Senate.
“A proposal of amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants will not make our country safer, will not make Washington spend less, and will not help anyone find a job. In fact, it will make each of these issues worse,” said Barletta. He continued, “It is important that the American people have all the facts about granting amnesty to millions of people in this country illegally. They deserve to know what this will do to their employment prospects, national security, and government spending. I hope to add to this discussion by inviting everyone across the nation to this free tele-town hall.”
Tele-Town Hall
Date: Thursday, 20 June 2013
Time: 8:00 PM Eastern
To Participate: 1-877-228-2184 and enter event ID 110601
MEDIA MATTERS
SPECIAL EDITION
Sue Henry has an interview with athlete Stephanie Jallen, a 17-year old Harding teen who is trying to compete in the Paralympic Games in 2014 in alpine skiing, a preview of the inaugural Zamboni Fantasy Camp at the Ice Rink at Coal Street in Wilkes-Barre and a rundown of the upcoming Wyoming Valley Riverfest. Special Edition is on Saturday at 2 p.m.; Sunday at 7 p.m on WILK.
ECTV
SUNDAY MAGAZINE
This Week on Sunday Magazine
Brian Hughes speaks with Kimberly McHale about Lightning Awareness Week, and her
brother, who was struck by lightning last year at Pocono International Raceway,
as well as the return of the Moscow Country Run. This Week in Harrisburg hears from both sides of the State House aisle on the
passage of the House Budget earlier this week. State Representative Phyllis
Mundy of Luzerne County and House Majority Leader Mike Turzai weigh in, and
State Senator John Blake of Lackawanna County presses to increase funding for
people with disabilities to live independently. And an encore of Brian's April interview with Debbie McGrady who discusses
living with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5am on Great Country 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT,
6m on 97.9X, 6:25am on Magic 93 and 7am on True Oldies 590, WARM.
THE PARTY ZONE
Catch the new extended 70s, 80s, 90s oldies show "The Party Zone" with Shadoe Steele beginning this Saturday from 6 - midnight on 50,000 watt powerhouse WAVT-FM - T-102. ... and on line at www.t102radio.com
Your blog editor and L.A. Tarone on WYLN TV 35’s Topic A. (Photo: Lulac archives)
TOPIC A
Returned this evening today after a multi week hiatus (which we’ll get into at some point) to WYLN TV 35’s Topic A. We’ll be at “Riverfest” next week. “Topic A” airs at 5PM on WYLN TV daily.I'm on with Tarone every Friday.
Our 1976 logo.
1976
The Soweto uprising in South Africa begins.......The National Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association agree on the ABA–NBA merger..........Hundreds of Western tourists are moved from Beirut and taken to safety in Syria by the U.S. military, following the murder of the U.S. ambassador.
o General elections are held in Italy…….in Presidential politics, the scramble begins on each side to get enough votes to secure the Presidential nominations after the primary season. Democrat Jimmy Carter needed over 2200 votes while President Ford the GOP front runner needed about 1150. Carter’s lead was much larger than Ford and negotiations began fast and furiously……in Pennsylvania, both GOP United States Senators, Hugh Scott and Richard Schweiker say they will be at the GOP convention in Detroit front and center…….and Luzerne County, Democrats who had supported Henry Jackson start to become enthused about Jimmy Carter and 37 years ago the number 1 song in LuLac land and America was More, More, More, Part 1 by adult film star Andrea True and her Connection.
1. Do you mind having your calls on a database somewhere so that they can be accessed?
If this were the 80s and 90s, I’d care But since I’m behaving, I’m semi okay with it. I think there has to be a pattern of behavior to warrant an investigation. I don’t think anyone who is aware of how vulnerable we are was surprised by the revelation. I mean technology right now is so invasive, with a little work you can find out anything about anyone. The legacy and victory of Bin Laden (as much as we’d hate to admit it) is that the after 911, America drastically changed the way it did business. Does this take away our freedoms? To a point but I agree with my friends L.A. Tarone who has stated time and again how local governments infringe more on basic freedoms. A recent poll said about 56% of Americans said they are okay with the NSA actions if it protects us from a terrorist attack.
2. I see you are highlighting 1963 as well as 1976. Reasons?
1963 was such a significant year with so many events, not the least being JFK’s death. Just this week, as stated in LuLac Edition #2443, there are three historic news events which shaped history.
3. Did you see President Carter the day after Memorial Day at the Monument in Wyoming?
I did not. I had work that day and virtually no time off available. (Unlike government workers, I have to earn my vacation time per day, just like most of the private sector). But a few friends went and gave me reports. I first met Carter in ’76 on the campaign trail, interviewed his wife and sons at WVIA TV and FM and saw Carter when he came to the Pittston Area High School during the 1980 campaign. But I understand he was great.
4. Are you an aficionado of the Chinese buffet?
Yes but not for the Chinese food. My top three places for Chinese are Peking Chef, Ho Yi and China Queen all in Luzerne County. But when I go to the Chinese buffet, I go for the big clams, raw seafood like mussels and clams on the half shell and Pepper Steak. Not a lot of carbs when I go to the buffets.
5. The fifth anniversary of the closing of St. John the Baptist Church is upon us? Are you going to cry us a river again?
You bet. It will be 5 years to the actual day in fact. And I’m working on something special. Monsignor Bendick of St. John the Evangelist is conducting a drive to put up a monument on the site of the school. That should be completed sometime this summer. Both my sister and I donated to the very worthy project.
Will D. Campbell, circa 1960s. (Photo: Alabama Public TV)
6. Worthy of a Lulac mention, the death of Will Campbell. I became aware of him in Nashville
where he was a celebrity of a different kind. A giant in civil rights and a white guy preacher
in the South.
Thank you for bringing that to my attention. He was a fervent supporter of the Civil Rights movement in the 50s and 60s and took a lot of heat for it. Campbell was just one of four whites that escorted black students to Little Rock Schools in 1957. He even embraced racists saying they were misguided but still were God’s children. He avoided saying racists were made in the image of God though. He was a National Book Award runner up in 1978 for his autobiographical Brother to a Dragonfly. He died on June 3rd at 88.
7. The recent election has me depressed, especially in the Pittston Area. What in your estimation are the biggest mistakes qualified candidates make that enable them to get beat by lesser qualified people?
Three basic mistakes I see. They pick the wrong agencies. I have seen brilliant candidates go by the wayside because they never picked an agency that understood politics. I can name the agencies but I won’t. A lot of times, the ad agencies have no frame of reference to the political situation and really don’t understand how politics is played here in LuLac land. The second mistake I see is that some candidates think advertising is enough. It’s not. You need to have people on the ground for you getting out the vote. A case in point was the recent Scranton Mayoral race with Bill Courtright and Liz Randol. He had the votes counted on the ground so accurately he knew he had won shortly after the polls closed. Finally, the third is timing. Is it the right time to run? Are you a better candidate in a one to one race or a crowded race. Where is the candidate the best? And then of course there’s money too. But you have to know how to target it wisely and not waste it. Perfect examples of that were the candidacies of Tina Polachak Gartley in 2009 and Jennifer Rogers in 2011 for the Luzerne County Judge seats. Plus a candidate has to be everywhere.
8. I miss Carolee Olenginski as Pronothotary. Would Harry Truman been impressed by her?
Truman was impressed by very few local politicians especially Prothonotaries. When Harry Truman was on a barnstorming trip for the Presidency in Pittsburgh he met Dr. William McClelland who served as Alleghany County Prothonotary from 1944 to 1967. McClelland was a former Republican who was Pittsburgh Mayor and later Governor David Lawrence’s bane of existence. When Truman met him after the good doctor proclaimed his title, Truman asked , “What the hell is a Pronthonotary?” So I’m not sure how old “Give ‘em hell” would react to meeting up with you or Carolee.
9. Are you a McDonald’s Dollar menu guy?
Oh yeah, You won’t see me paying $4.19 for a Big Mac. Your e mail stated that McDonald’s came up in sales because of the less expensive items. I can see that. And no I don’t own stock in the company.
10. Summertime TV viewing after Madmen goes off the air?
I like “Major Crimes” on TBS. Other than that, baseball and politics.
11. What kind of music did you listen to in high school?
When I was in High School, I wrote a Teen Record Column for the Pittston Sunday Dispatch. So I wrote for an audience that was between 12 and 17. The record companies at the time were heavily promoting the Partridge Family, Bobby Sherman, the Fifth Dimension and artists that skewed younger. So I listened to that. But our high school class was divided into two groups, the people who liked Led Zeppelin and the Stones and the people who were drawn to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Carole King, James Taylor and the Beatles. Thinking back, it divided right down the line. I was part of the CSNY/Taylor/King/Beatles wing. Our class song was “Morning Has Broken” for church and our song for class night was Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released”. Pretty progressive for an IHM nun run school I’d say. My musical tastes grew more varied working at WRKC FM King’s College Radio and then when I worked at WVIA FM with George Graham.
12. Are you addicted to Twitter?
Hardly. I use it twice a week Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8PM to give LuLac a presence but that’s about it. When I’m on vacation, I don’t see the point of telling people where I am and especially bitching about things when I’m supposed to be relaxing and enjoying life. Twitter is good for breaking news but one of my followers is CBS News. Am I going to provide better insight them CBS? Now Facebook, I’ll check at least three times a day to see what my co workers are saying since I tend to shut up and just keep my head down at work.
13. Is the LuLac household draped in black bunting because of the death of the Dells’ Marvin Junior?
Glad you picked up on that. Things have been moving so fast, I missed that on the news. Junior was the lead singer of the Dells and died at age 77 from kidney disease. Junior was the lead singer of the DoWop group that was formed six decades ago. He was the lead singer on the two versions of their mega hit, “Oh What A Night”. I preferred the second version. The Dells had twenty five chart hits.
The late Vince Lombardi. (Photo: Mondayeveningclubblogspot.com)
LOMBARDI AT 100
Legendary Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi would have been 100 years old today. Lombardi was a sports hero of mine growing up. In the 60s, Lombardi’s work ethic and philosophy inspired not only his players but Packer fans who admired him to reach for more. When I worked at Rock 107, my Sales Manager at the time, the late Tim Durkin had a meeting with Packer player Willie Davis. The former member of the Pack had a string of radio stations in Wisconsin and said that Lombardi made him a success off the football field. Consider his body of work on stats alone: over the course of his career with the Pack, he led the club to a 105-35-6 record and five championships, including three straight titles, from 1965 to 1967. The team never suffered a losing season under the Hall of Fame coach.
Lombardi had one of the best winning percentages of any NFL coach. He died too soon in 1970 at the age of 59 from colon cancer.
Congressman Matt Cartwright. (Photo: LuLac archives)
CARTWRIGHT ON FAIR PAY ACT
From the office of Congressman Matt Cartwright: Yesterday, Rep. Cartwright announced that the nation would mark the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy signing the Equal Pay Act into law on June 10.
“When he signed it, President Kennedy stated that the Equal Pay Act of 1963 would mean ‘when women enter the labor force they will find equality in their pay envelopes,’” Rep. Cartwright pointed out. “And yet, 50 years later, women still do not have equality in their pay. In 1963, women on average made 59 cents for every dollar earned by men. Today, women on average nationwide make 77 cents for every dollar earned by men – progress, but not nearly enough progress.” Equal pay is not simply a woman’s issue – it’s a family issue. Families increasingly rely on women’s wages to make ends meet. When women bring home less money each day, it means they have less for the everyday needs of the families – groceries, rent, child care, and doctors’ visits.
“The continuing 23-cents nationwide pay gap between what men and women earn highlights the importance of Congress finally enacting the Paycheck Fairness Act, of which I am a proud cosponsor,” Cartwright stated. “Over the past 50 years, the Equal Pay Act has never been updated. The Paycheck Fairness Act would update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act.” The Paycheck Fairness Act strengthens and closes loopholes in the Equal Pay Act, including by providing effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages for doing equal work and protecting employees from retaliation for sharing salary information with their co-workers.
Democrats have worked for years to enact the Paycheck Fairness Act. In 2008 and again in 2009, the Democratic-led House succeeded in passing the bill, but unfortunately in both Congresses, Senate Republicans were successful in blocking the measure.
“On this 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, with a significant pay gap still existing between men and women, let us all vow to work together until we have achieved an America where women are truly paid equal pay for equal work,” concluded Cartwright.
The latest revelation about the NSA’s secret programs turns out to be a 29 year old government contractor who had Security Clearance. Just a few months on the job, Snowden released vital national security information to the world because he felt it wasn’t right for Americans to have that information monitored and didn’t think it was right. His education as a high school drop out and his world experience probably gave him the credentials to make the decision. This decision in effect gives the terrorists an insight into what we do. Some are calling him a hero of free speech, others an attention seeking traitor. I just think the guy is an ass and knows nothing about the real world and the job he has. Too many contractors give jobs to unqualified people who might know a keyboard but have no idea of the responsibility of the job they hold. And please, save this garbage about freedom of speech. He goes to that bastion of free speech and political dissent, Hong Kong to make his case! Try him as a spy and give him life. And if you have a kid that is currently toiling in a college and getting in debt for a 9 dollar an hour job in Wilkes Barre, tell him to bag it and go the Snowden route.
Our 1963 logo.
1963
This week was a big week in terms of news events for the year 1963. It began with President Kennedy delivering his American University commencement address. Dubbed “A Strategy of Peace”, the speech has been heralded as one of the most significant speeches Kennedy ever gave. In the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy called for a saner way for the world partners to work with one another. Here are some important quotes: "First examine our attitude towards peace itself. Too many of us think it is impossible. Too many think it is unreal. But that is a dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable, that mankind is doomed, that we are gripped by forces we cannot control. We need not accept that view. Our problems are man made; therefore, they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings." "For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's futures. And we are all mortal." "It is our hope— and the purpose of allied policies—to convince the Soviet Union that she, too, should let each nation choose its own future, so long as that choice does not interfere with the choices of others. The Communist drive to impose their political and economic system on others is the primary cause of world tension today. For there can be no doubt that, if all nations could refrain from interfering in the self-determination of others, the peace would be much more assured." "I'm taking this opportunity, therefore, to announce two important decisions in this regard. First, Chairman Khrushchev, Prime Minister Macmillan, and I have agreed that high-level discussions will shortly begin in Moscow looking towards early agreement on a comprehensive test ban treaty. Our hope must be tempered—Our hopes must be tempered with the caution of history; but with our hopes go the hopes of all mankind. Second, to make clear our good faith and solemn convictions on this matter, I now declare that the United States does not propose to conduct nuclear tests in the atmosphere so long as other states do not do so. We will not—We will not be the first to resume." "The United States, as the world knows, will never start a war. We do not want a war. We do not now expect a war. This generation of Americans has already had enough—more than enough—of war and hate and oppression." A few weeks later, a Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Agreement was signed. It was a first step toward insuring that there would never be a standoff lie the Cuban Missile Crisis again.
Alabama Governor George C. Wallace stood in the door of the University of Alabama to protest against integration, before stepping aside and allowing African Americans James Hood and Vivian Malone to enroll. Wallace took a stand but then backed down when the Justice Department sent federal Marshals to allow the students in...... A few days later, President John F. Kennedy went on TV to give a historic Civil Rights Address, in which he promises a Civil Rights Bill, and asks for "the kind of equality of treatment that we would want for ourselves.” The action by Kennedy was an affirmation that he would stake his political capitol on the passing of a strong, sweeping Civil Right Bill. Then a few hours later, on the night of June 12th, Medgar Evers was murdered in Jackson, Mississippi. Evers was a Civil Rights Field Worker in segregated Mississippi. He constantly had death threats against him and was shot in the back as he came home from a meeting. His family knew the drill, if there were shots fired, the kids hid in the bathtub until police came. Evers was only 37 and his death caused more sympathy for the Civil Rights cause than the bigots could have imagined. He died just hours after the Kennedy Civil Rights speech. The juxtaposition of those two events galvanized support for the President’s bill. His killer, a fertilizer salesman was arrested and then acquitted by an all white male jury. Finally in 1994 the non entity was retried and convicted after Evers’ body was exhumed. Evers was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors and 3,000 people attending. His killer died alone in prison at the age of 80 in 2001. And fifty years ago this week the number 1 song in America and LuLac land was “Surfin’ USA” by the Beach Boys.
Location: Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, United States
Author of the book "A Radio Story/We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors" and "Leges Vitae" "26 Rules of Life" and the new novel, "Weather Or Knot". The blog editor also writes various news articles and columns as well as upcoming literary projects. The blog editor was a frequent guest on WYOU TV'S INTERACTIVE NEWSCASTS when political issues were discussed on the national, state and local level. Currently, Yonki is a weekly panelist on WYLN TV 35's Friday Topic A program. He also appears on the Hazleton, PA. stations Election Night coverage and does special projects and stories for WYLN TV 35's 10PM Newscast "Late Edition".
