TimesLeader.com

Peeking into the past

February 15

Hopkins hits winning shot 46 years ago

With Jack Smiles

Question: In 1952 Duryea was rallying to construct a building for the borough citizens to use. The Gamma Club donated 200 cinder blocks. Popular musician Victor Lankowski donated 500 cinder blocks. Art Burnside agreed to donate a small steam shovel and a cement mixer once construction started. Bake sales and block parties were planned to raise money for the project.

Can you guess what the Duryea citizens wanted to build?

36 years ago – 1972

February 7 was “Judge Dalessandro Night” in Yatesville in 1972. The judge, who was born and raised in Yatesville and graduated from Jenkins Township High School, was back in his hometown that night to swear in the borough council

The judge was pictured swearing in John Fabrizio, Edward DeAngelo, Nick Chimento, and Carmen Cerza.

The Dispatch had a 25th anniversary party at Fox Hill on Saturday, February 12 in 1972. Joe Infantino and his combo with singer Esther Langan entertained.

John Tigue Jr., a Pittston native who was a United States District Attorney in 1972, was in Spain and Switzerland investigating the Clifford Irving case for the government. Irving used forged letters to write a hoax biography of Howard Hughes. Irving was convicted and went to prison.

Pittston firemen were credited with a “good stop” when they contained a stubborn fire to the basement and rear stairwell of the Tri-State Advertising plant at 127 North Main. Both Pittston companies responded and used four lines to stop the blaze.

In high school basketball, Wyoming Area was 3-0 in the second half after beating Central Catholic 82-80 in double overtime. Lee Strubeck scored 30 for WA. He scored a basket to tie the game at the end of the first OT and won it at the buzzer in the second.

St. John’s lost 62-58 to West Catholic. Ned Bilbow scored 21 and Jim Dessoye 14 for the Johnnies.

Jane Antal, a 1970 Wyoming Area graduate, was a junior at Penn State in February of 1972. She was selected to serve on the Executive Council of the College of Science at Penn State.

Lewis’ Farm in Harding had a special on Spies, Macintosh and Rome apples for $1 per half bushel. The Scranton Times had a full page add in the February 13 issue of the Dispatch in 1972 selling yearly subscriptions for $10.40.

46 years ago – 1962

The third week in February in 1962 was CDC week in Pittston. That’s the Catholic Daughters of America. Over 3,000 girls in the Scranton Diocese celebrated the organization’s 36th birthday. Mayor Loftus was pictured on the front page of the February 18 issue signing a proclamation flanked by Jean Marie Hogan and Joann Conroy from St. Mary’s Help of Christians and J acqueline Tracy, Roseann Russo and Lou Ann Berulis of Immaculate Conception.

Carl Viola, an eighth grader form St. John the Evangelist school and Diane Iacona, an eighth grader from St. Rocco’s, were selected the King and Queen of Hearts at the Valentine’s Day dance at the Pittston Knights of Columbus.

Walt Disney’s “Babes in Toyland” was in the American Theater.

Oliver “Yipper” Corridoni was the hottest local bowler in February on ’62. He rolled a 233-240-247 720 series for Ardo’s Caf� in the Industrial League. It was the third highest series ever at Avenue Lanes in Exeter.

A senior at Pittston high school won an oratorical contest. Michael Toole took first place in the Division One, 12th District American Legion contest for his oration, “Communism, Threat to the Constitution.”

In what was described as “the biggest shocker in years that came as a bombshell” Avoca council voted to pay themselves $20 a month.

In West Pittston the budget for 1962 was adopted at the February council meeting. The $93,581 budget included a raise of $10 a month for the police chief which made his yearly salary $3,732.

In the Eastern Anthracite Basketball League Pittston Township beat Jenkins Township 57-55 in overtime. Mike Hopkins, son of PT coach John Hopkins, made the winning shot with three seconds left in the OT.

On February 20 the Duryea High School basketball team played the last ever game under the Duryea banner.

The school merged into Northeast after the school year. Edward Madrak Jr. was the only senior and thus the last senior to play basketball for Duryea.

The Wildcats defeated Carbondale in that final game.

56 years ago – 1952

Pittston City Hall was only 12 years old in February of 1952, but it was falling apart.

Bricks were crumbling and mortar was falling out and the roof was leaking. Pictures on page three of the February 17 issue in 1952 showed the damage.

City officials said inferior bricks were used in the construction and they blamed federal inspectors who were supposed to examine the materials used when the building was constructed in 1939 and 1940.

The city floated a $70,000 bond to pay its 55 percent share of the construction cost. The federal government paid 55 percent.

A Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis movie “Sailors Beware” was in the American Theater this week in 1952.

The Roman had Burt Lancaster in “Ten Tall Men.”

The Avoca school board was broke in February of 1962. Secretary John Dolan said that after the board paid teachers’ salaries for February there was no money left in the treasury. The only remedies were to collect personal taxes retroactively for the past three years or raise the property tax mileage.

There was nothing on, but a $399 Admiral TV could be had at Freed’s at 40. N. Main for $34 down and 78 weeks to pay.

The Gramercy had a grand opening of its new dining room this week in 1952.

In high school basketball Pittston beat Wyoming 57-56. Pittston’s “Little Man” Mickey LoPresto was the high scorer with 19. Frank Spudis and Tom Sutter also hit double figures for Pittston.

Walter Collins scored 17 for Wyoming and George Sandrey, 15.

Answer: A gymnasium