Fasciana struck out 14 for Moose Club in ‘65

Women of the Mt. Zion Methodist Church in Harding were on the front page of the July 21 issue in 1985 with one of two homemade quilts they were auctioning off at their annual yard sale.

The Methodist women shared the front page that morning with Tony Pellegrini and his Kool-Aid stand in Duryea.

He was selling the Kool-Aid for 10 cents a glass. Some his family members and his best customer, Father Kuliczkowski pastor of the St. Mary’s Polish National Catholic Church in Duryea.

West Pittston residents were mad about the quality of tap water in the borough in July of 1985. They formed a Committee for Clean Water and had a meeting at the town hall. About 50 residents joined the committee and another 100 attended the meeting. They complained that their tap water was turbid and highly chlorinated.

Monsignor Francis Kane, the pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in West Pittston in 1985, was honored on 50-th anniversary of his ordination. Bishop Timlin celebrated a Mass for him on July 28 and a testimonial dinner followed at Genetti’s. “I loved every minute of it,” Kane said of his 50 years as a priest.

Tom Daugherty, an artist from Avoca, had his large canvas oils on display at the Lackawanna Courthouse in July of 1985. His paintings were small town scenes and landscapes.

At the Hill Inn in Hughestown a 10-cut tray of square pizza was $4.50. One pound of king crab legs was $6.25 at the Nook. Chapter V had a Tuesday special in July of beef burgundy over fettuccini for $2.95.

Hughestown copped the playoff championship of the Greater Pittston Teeners Baseball league by defeating Jenkins Township 5-2. Hughestown was behind 5-2 in their final at but won on triples by Ed Shandra and Alex Brogna. Jenkins led 5-0 in fifth after Dave Pace hit a two-run double.

30 years ago – 1979

On July 1, 1979 a ceremony was conducted on the lawn of the National Guard Armory in West Pittston unveiling a new Honor Roll for the Veterans of the Spanish American War. Captain Leo Tierney spearheaded the effort to rededicate the honor roll.

34 years ago – 1975

The Duryea Borough Council was accused of hold in a secret meeting in violation of the state’s Sunshine Law. The meeting was to discuss the laying a sewer line in the so-called “Magazine” area of the borough so it could be developed. On July 1 at regular meeting the council chairman admitted the meeting had been held.

Jimmy Cefalo spoke at the Pittston Kiwanis Club meeting at Fox Hill on July 15. He talked about his first season at Penn State and his relationship with Joe Paterno.

In girls youth softball T.C. Lloyd’s won the West Pittston Girls Softball league championship by beating Miller’s 9-8. Gail Yochem and Theresa Koslowski knocked in runs for the winners.

The rock band Sidestreet played at the Rendezvous on Main Street on Saturday, July 26 in 1975, while Eddie Day and TNT were at the St. John’s Dance.

44 years ago – 1965

A landfill fire was stinking up Cork Lane in July of 1965. A front page photo showed a drag line trying to dig out the fire. The fear was it would ignite a coal seam.

A “war bride’ from France was going back there to visit her family after 18 years in Pittston. The former Raymonde LeHarve of France met Michael Baiera, a G.I. from Pittston, during Worlds War II. They married and moved to Pittston in 1946. Raymonde’s two teenage children, Leonard and Leona went with her to France. The three were pictured on the front page.

Coal heritage as tourism was considered here in 1965. It was proposed that the No. 9 breaker in Hughestown be taken over by the state and developed as a tourist attraction.

Ten girl scouts from the Mariner Troop of West Pittston – Cathy Lavelle, Jackie Howell, Gail Schwartz, Carol Schmaltz, Mary Jean Algar, Karen Calisto, Sally Fear, Gloria Adonizio, Barbara Owens and Diane Searfoss -- spent ten days on board a ship at Mystic, Connecticut.

A story about Marvel Industries in Exeter said the firm built trailers used in Iraq, Vietnam, the World’s Fair, and by the Kennedy family.

Thompson Travel Bureau of Scranton had an ad in the Dispatch on July 18 in 1965 offering excursions to the World’s Fair in New York for $10.50, including bus fare and fair admission.

Rocky Glen had a P.O.P deal on for Sunday, July 18 – pay one price, $1.50, and ride all day. Also the park was giving a box of salt water taffy to the first 350 families through the gate.

The Moose was leading the Pittston Little League with an 8-0 record. They beat Miners’ Bank 11-1. Winning pitcher was Guy Fasciana with 14 strike outs.

54 years ago – 1955

The Dispatch was not happy with a story that appeared in a national magazine in July of 1955. The story, in Pageant Magazine, was titled “Town Tied up in Apron Strings” and was about a Dupont family.

The story was about men thrown out of work from the mines taking over household chores while their wives went to work in the garment industry.

The Dispatch editorialized that the magazine “raked the Dupont husband over the coals of embarrassment to gain material for the article.”

The Dupont school board passed a budget for the 1955-56 school year. The $112,403 budget included $73,226 for teachers’ salaries.