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Boyd Hitchner, a West Pittston native who is a descendent of the Hitchner Bakery family, sent me this photo of an unknown Wyoming businessman in front of his truck in the late 1930s. Not sure exactly where the photo was taken though it may have been on Wyoming Avenue in Wyoming. The photo was taken by Tom Urban who lived on Montgomery Avenue in West Pittston and was an avid amateur photographer.

Question: On June 13 in 1973, 35 years ago, a film of the Wyoming Area High School football season was shown at the West Pittston American Legion hall. Coach Tom Vaxmonsky was there to narrate the film and answer questions. Admission to the film showing was by invitation only. The Dispatch said the film showing represented a “first” in the area because of who was invited. Can you guess who the film was shown for?

15 Years ago – 1993
The Wyoming Area commencement was on the front page of the June 13 issue in 1993. Pictured were graduates John Hood and Lisa Dennis and student speakers John Kubasko III and Sally Timinski. The class of ’93 graduated 184. Lori Carolyn DeAngelo read her class poem “High School Memories.” The class motto was “Live for today, dream for tomorrow and remember yesterday.”
A page three story told of the pending retirements of 20 Pittston Area teachers and administrators, including Superintendent Gerard Musto and former NBA basketball player Gene Guarilia.
The old Avoca bank building was offered for sale to the borough for $12,000 the first week of June in 1993. The borough engineer agreed to inspect the building before the borough made a decision.

Al Mueller of Duryea liked to talk. That’s what the Spotlight story about him said. He was a lector at Holy Rosary Church, the former president of the Seton Catholic Forensics club and one of the top scholastic debaters in Pennsylvania. In 1993 he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Wilkes, where he was one of the top debaters in the country.
The Crimson Rose Restaurant at 5 West Swallow Street had prime rib dinners on Fridays and Saturdays for $10.95. A thick crust pizza at Sabatelle’s was $4.99.

Joann Wasilewski was the Queen of the Polish Women’s Alliance May Festival at SS. Peter and Paul Church.
Pittston Area baseball pitcher Mike McHale was the Athlete of the Month sponsored by Cooper’s.
At the Seton Catholic awards banquet Mike Morrissey was the MVP of both boys soccer and basketball. Annie Kaminski and Chris Corridoni were the Dispatch Student-Athlete award winners.
25 years ago – 1983
The Greater Pittston Democratic Club had its second annual summer outing at the Germania Hose Company grounds. Congressman Frank Harrison, Senator Raphael Musto and Representative Tom Tigue were the hosts. Singing DJ Tom Sadge entertained. Tickets were $6.
Aluminum recycling was something new in 1983. In June an aluminum can recycling center was set up at Falcone Beverage at 320 South Main. The center was created in conjunction with the Container Recovery Corporation and it operated from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
The Pittston Area track and field team was pictured in the June 12 issue after having won a fourth straight District 2 championship under Coach Joe Costello, who retired after the season. The athletes were pictured with their medals and in coats and ties.
35 years ago – 1973
The Pittston police stopped two robberies in progress the second week of June in 1973. They caught one man robbing a gun case in a Searle Street home after the home owner came home during the robbery attempt. The home owners ran out and asked his neighbor to call the cops. They found the intruder in the basement with a revolver in one hand and a .357 magnum strapped to his waist. He gave up without a fight.
In the other case the cops got a church burglar in the act of robbing Mt. Carmel Church. He was also accused of robbing St. Rocco’s three times.
Three local men joined the Navy. Joseph Fedorchak, Wyoming; Robert Evans, West Pittston; and Thomas Cronin, Avoca were sworn in on June 7 in Wilkes-Barre.
The Greater Pittston American Legion baseball team started 3-0 in June of 1973, beating Plains, Wilkes-Barre Heights and Jenkins Township. Jerry Guarnieri, Don McDermott and Guarnieri again were the winning pitchers.
In the Teeners League Duryea’s Johnnie Yesnowski pitched consecutive no-hitters for Duryea. He beat Hughestown 1-0 with 16 strikeouts. Tommy O’Malley pitched a 2-hitter for Hughestown.
At Babe’s Pizza at 59 South Main St. the Sunday Special was a giant hit dog for 39 cents.
45 years ago – 1963
Workman excavating for the construction of a new drive at a bakery at 208 Luzerne Avenue in West Pittston uncovered a century-old tombstone for Fannie Schooley, the four-month old daughter of William and Sarah Schooley, who died in 1862. The stone was found two feet deep and 130 feet from the street. It was speculated that the site was a family burial plot.
Construction of the Pittston city swimming pool was completed in June of 1963, including the bathhouse, wading pool, patio and fence. The dedication was set for June 30 and the opening was set for July 4.
The Pittston Redevelopment Authority made the final payment of $195,000 to the Lackawanna Valley Railroad for the purchase of land. The land included 27 parcels along the North track and included the Water Street passenger and freight stations.
“Mothra” a Japanese monster movie about a giant killer moth was playing in the Moonlight this week in 1963. The American had Paul Newman as “Hud.”
55 years ago – 1953
The Dispatch was not happy with Pittston mayor John Allardyce this week in 1953. This paper blasted him in an editorial for objecting to 16 absentee ballots sent in by Pittston residents serving in the military. He questioned the home addresses of the soldiers and had the ballots voided. From the Dispatch editorial: “The major knows not of military service, but the City Solicitor served in World War II and it must have disturbed him to no end to have to bow to the wishes of Allardyce and deprive the soldiers, perhaps some of them serving in Korea, the privilege of casting a ballot in a local election.”

Answer: Vaxmonsky was the only male at the film showing. Only women were invited