PD Opinion

January 17, 2010

Our tenth Person of Year

Posthumously is not how we want to honor the Sunday Dispatch Greater Pittston Person of the Year.

But this year we have no choice.

State Trooper Joshua Miller gave his life in the line of duty last June and in doing so provided all in Wyoming Valley someone to look up to during a year when corruption and scandal dominated the headlines and caused us to wonder if there are still heroes.

Trooper Miller showed us there are.

Trooper Miller is our tenth Person of the Year. And as the story on page 3 indicates, he has a close tie to the first. That was then Pittston mayor Michael Lombardo. It was Michael’s brother Robert who was wounded in the gun battle that claimed Josh Miller’s life.

That’s how things often go in a small town. Everyone is connected.

Trooper Miller is also connected to the second recipient of the Joseph Saporito Lifetime of Service Award. Thomas “Kubby” Kobeski, also a State Trooper, was honored posthumously after being claimed by a heart attack at age 39.

The first Lifetime of Service Award was presented posthumously to Atty. Joseph Saporito, who had died the year before, and was then named after him.

Previous Persons of the Year have been: Lori Nocito, the consummate volunteer and backbone to this day of the Pittston Tomato Festival; Frank Bartoli, former executive director of the Greater Pittston YMCA; local members of the military; Ron D’Eliseo, founder of The Earthly Angels Autism Fund; Father Paul McDonnell, who spearheaded construction of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Center; the Joyce Family, saviors of Main Street and founders of the Miles for Michael Fund; Msgr. John Bendik, who had the unenviable task of breaking the news of the closing of three Pittston churches; and Peggy Burke, founder of the Pittston Food Pantry.

Past Saporito Lifetime of Service recipients are: Betty Miller, Charles “Cugsy” Adonizio (posthumously), Warren Pollard, Janet Delaney, Joe Tavaglione (who has since passed away), and James Steer.

The ninth Saporito Award recipient, as revealed on pages 1 and 3, is Maria Capolarella Montante.

We find it difficult to believe that the Person of the Year award is in its tenth year and the Saporito in its ninth. But we are proud to have begun these awards and are pleased to present them.

It’s what community newspapers should do.

Tweet	Follow @TLnews