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Diamonds to the return of Rockin’ the River this summer in Wilkes-Barre. The free concerts held on three consecutive Friday evenings beginning July 15 were, from the start, a good use of the city’s River Common, a feature designed to reconnect the city with the banks of the Susquehanna River so long hidden by the flood-protection levees. The two large gateways built into the revamped levee coupled with public space where visitors can stroll, sit and eat lunch or read a book remain an underused treasure in the Diamond City. “This series is exactly why this portal was built into the flood protection system,” Diamond City Partnership Executive Director Larry Newman said, according to staff writer Bill O’Boyle. “And each event brings a large crowd to enjoy the music, the food and this beautiful venue. It’s always a great time right here by the river.” We agree.
Coal to the growing partisan bickering of the Luzerne County Election Board. As we reported, Wednesday’s meeting droned on for nearly five hours, with the use of mail ballot drop boxes the dominant topic. Four Republican county council members attended to speak against them. We won’t discuss the use (or abuse) of drop boxes here, but it’s fair to question how much of the time was spent with redundant comments and criticisms that could have been voiced succinctly. And the council members already have a venue for their orations: County council meetings.
Diamonds to the United Way of Wyoming Valley for arranging Wednesday’s Community Reading Day. Yes, we’re tooting our own horn because two Times Leader volunteers were among those who read stories to children in area schools, but the agency would get kudos regardless for teaming with the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce to provide one more effort at promoting literacy among local children. The evidence borders on overwhelming: Developing strong reading skills at an early age helps childhood development in other academic endeavors, which in turn is a real path to a better life in the future.
Coal to the spate of criminal cases that consumed page 3A last Friday: A suspect in a Wilkes-Barre shooting caught in North Carolina, a Hazleton man convicted of robbing and shooting a man in 2021, a grandmother police say stole for her granddaughter’s birthday, a suspect allegedly laughing while describing stomping on another man, and a pair of suspects who, according to police, robbed a 73-year-old woman of her purse and car. Stories like these sadly dot our pages every day, of course, but all these things coming to a head at once made for a depressing end of the week.
Diamonds to local artists and Leadership Northeast for last Saturday’s “Team Breezy” appearance on Wilkes-Barre’s Midtown Village. They came to unveil two new bee-themed artworks, but they included activities for children on a warm sunny day. “It’s all about the community,” artist Grayson Rogers said. It certainly is.
Coal to the Wyoming Area School Board for taking four months and three votes to settle (one hopes) the issue of tennis court renovations. We are always grateful for due consideration in spending taxpayer dollars, but this seemed something more. The board awarded a contract in December, rescinded it in March, and awarded the same contract to the same companies at the regular monthly meeting this week. At the very least, it seems like this sequence could have played out two months quicker, with the three votes in three consecutive months.
— Times Leader