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Peeking into the past

WA junior made solo flight 41 years ago

With Judy Minsavage

According to the Duryea Website, the borough sits on 14.45 miles of road and has a population of approximately 4,634.

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Residents of upper Butler, Broad and William streets in Pittston maintained a bocce court at the far end of Butler Street in the 1950s. Among those pictured are John Kasa, Carmen Diminico, Carl Colarusso, Michael Naples, Ernest Buttafoca, George Colarusso, Michael Pisano, Philip Bianco, Lou Bernardi, Joseph Adonizio, Ernest Buttafoca Sr., and Charles Adonizio. The story goes that losers had to chip in for refreshments and the reward was a jug of beer from Molly Nardone’s tavern.

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Also according to the site, the town was named after Civil War General Hiram Duryea, an official of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.

It was the practice of railroad lines to name sections of stops after line officials. What strange tragedy befell the General an unlucky 13 years after Duryea became incorporated as a borough?

1958 - 51 Years Ago

The Duryea Civic Club found itself in a swirl of controversy regarding their presumed sponsorship of a teeners baseball league. The club’s baseball committee chastised the players over a letter written to the Sunday Dispatch publicly complaining the club did not hold an end of the season picnic for team members signed by teener teammates, which they said, “Showed poor taste and showed the youngsters were not appreciative of what the Civic Club had done for them. Members of the Civic Club lost work in an effort to provide a playing field for the teams. A local baseball star present at a club meeting stated he was amazed at the attitude of the youngsters. He stated ‘In his younger days he was lucky to obtain a ball or bat’.”

Don Coolbaugh of Duryea traded his musical career for enlistment into the Airborne Unit of the U.S. Army in 1958. A proficient saxophonist, Don had traveled the country with top name big bands and also had a four-piece orchestra performing on the East Coast. While playing with Joey Vance in New York City, Don made a record called “I Could Love You So Easy.”

Avoca housewives were called delinquent in 1958, on their taxes that is. Lester Keith, school district treasurer and tax collector, made public notice that all Avocans, including housewives, would be liable for delinquent per capita and wage taxes. Notices to the homemakers had not been sent, but he promised to make good on the collection of taxes from the homemakers.

$850 down would secure the purchase of a six room single home on Mill Street in Pittston, total selling price $8,500. A six-room home on Washington Terrace, Pittston was going for $4,000, and a six-room home in Garden Village was selling for $5,500.

1968 – 41 Years Ago

In 1968 and 1969, a major pandemic the Hong Kong Flu, of the H3N2 strain killed approximately one million people worldwide. Ursula Burke R.N., supervisor of nursing at Pittston Area High School, along with Dr. Martin J. Walsh administered flu shots to Judy McDonnell of Pittston and Angelo Marcino, as well as other administration and faculty members. The same virus returned in, 1970 and 1972.

There was always someone trying to fool Martin Wanielista of Avoca, but then if they did, they won a prize. Martin ran the weight guessing concession at Rocky Glen Park for owner Ben Sterling from 1929 to 1968. Some people would put extra weights in their pockets to throw him off, but his formula would usually land a guess right on the mark. Martin had two sons, Martin Jr. with the U.S. Army and Joseph an aerospace engineer.

David Valenti, a junior at Wyoming Area High School, made his first solo flight on his birthday in November of 1968 in a plane owned by Marvel Industries. He was believed to be the youngest pilot in the country at the time. His dad, Leo Valenti headed the company.

Four thousand football fans crowded the Wyoming Area Stadium to watch the Warriors beat Scranton Tech’s Red Raiders 27-7. Stunning plays by Billy Anzalone, Bill Hastie, Gary Atherhold and Dan Lorenzini and receiver Mike Blandina clinched the big win.

1978 – 31 Years Ago

In October of 1978, the Pittston City Council passed a resolution granting permission to the Pittston Bicentennial Committee to erect a coal miner memorial on North Main Street adjacent to the Fort Jenkins Bridge. Maria Capolarella, chairman of the committee, Mayor Robert Loftus, John DeRosa, Joe Nardone, Joe Augello, Jerry Mularkey, Tom Sewatsky, Louis Marino, John DeGerolomo, Frank Lenza and Jean Campbell finalized the plans with Angelo Marcino who was scheduled to set the foundation for the sculpture.

Question #2

The Pittston Coal Miner statue dedicated on June 3, 1979 is described and listed in a national register, where can these details be found?

The Jenkins Township Lions Club held a Past Presidents Night to honor “Pep” Orlando, James Sciandra, Thomas Loyack, Thomas Ruskey and Joseph Gainard for their past service to the club. Sherman Sartin, secretary, and Russell Arnone, treasurer, were also presented awards for their service. Chicago businessman, Melvin Jones, founded Lions Club International in 1917

A chapter of Future Business Leaders of America was formed at Pittston Area High School. Seniors Mark Wachs and James Reap co-chaired the chapter’s first project to assist the Lions Club in collecting old eyeglasses in order to purchase a Seeing Eye dog. Club members were Cathy Gale, Angela Dominick, Marie Morganti, Virginia De Spirito, Maria Zurla and Rita Shovlin. Dr. Hamden L. Forkner formulated the initial idea for FBLA in 1937 at Columbia University.

1988 – 21 Years Ago

The Borough of West Pittston was the new owner of the municipal swimming pool located on the corner of Fifth Street and Baltimore Avenue. The recorded deed showed transfer of ownership from the Little League Association. Renovations were to start right away.

In 1938, with $150, a tavern and a dream Mike and Sam Augello of Pittston opened the Gramercy Restaurant. In 1988, they celebrated their 50th year in business. The brothers saw the business through good and bad times including a devastating fire in the restaurant in 1950. Sam named the restaurant “Gramercy” after Gramercy Park an upscale section of New York City. Sam worked there as a young man. The furnishings were obtained from the Gramercy Park bar room, in New York City, which had gone of business.

Wyoming Area Runner Judd Jarden did not let rain and slippery conditions deter him from winning the PIAA State Cross Country Championship. Competing against 238 of the state very best runners, Jarden logged a 15:43 time to win the gold medal.

Answer #1

On May 5, 1914,the wealthy 80 year old industrialist and decorated general, famous for his uniquely drilled civil war regiment the Duryea Zouaves, was shot by his son Chester seven times as he slept in an outdoor pavilion attached to his home on Eighty-fifth Street in the Bay Ridge Section of Brooklyn.

For more great historical facts on Duryea visit www.Duryeapa.com

Answer #2

The Description and details of The Pittston Coal Miner Sculpture can be found on Smithsonian American Art Museum’s American Painting and Sculpture database designed to provide description and location information on artwork by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Next Week: Find out what is hidden on a trail in Harding.