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Diamonds to the Diamond City Partnership and all the other forces behind the Wilkes-Barre Downtown Discoveries Kids’ Fest staged with great success last Saturday in the Midtown Village. Aside from the very upbeat activity in this often overlooked space, the smiles on the faces of young and old alike made the clear, sunny day extra enjoyable. With games, gifts, food and a chance to sit in a real firetruck — among many other draws — the well-crafted event brought the downtown abuzz with the life-infusing Joie de vivre only available from happy kids. Kudos all around.
Coal to the darkness in male adult souls that filled our Wednesday page 5A with three depressing tales of child sex cases. Larksville’s Blaire Allen Butterfield pleaded guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and corruption of minors regarding a girl only 4 or 5 years old. Hazleton’s Angle Emilio Colon pleaded guilty in a two-decade old child sexual assault case. And Pittston’s Todd Richard Thorne admitted to possessing child sexual abuse materials on his computer. These are not only abnormal behaviors, they can be devastating to victims. If such thoughts even briefly pop into your mind, seek professional help.
Diamonds to all those who helped arrange and who participated in Pridefest on Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square Sunday. In a time when opportunistic politicians preach diversity as a national threat rather than a baked-in American reality, it’s helpful to see so many people smiling and enjoying a celebration of it.
Coal to Robert Gerald Ball, convicted and newly sentenced for the vehicular homicide of Gabriel Bierly, a 7-year-old boy taken from this world in one brief, hit-and-run more than a year ago. Ball pled guilty in May as part of a plea deal, and was sentenced to 18 months to three years in prison. That’s more than the sentencing guidelines of three months to one year — extra time earned, Judge Joseph Sklarosky said, thanks to deceit and uncooperative conduct with investigators. Bierly was doing what kids do, riding his bicycle, when Ball not only hit and killed him, but then tried to hide the damage to his vehicle and line up acquaintances to lie about his whereabouts. Bluntly: Beneath contempt.
Diamonds to the annual Ukrainian Folk Festival returning to Horsham Aug. 28 after a two-year, pandemic-induced absence. This is a particularly timely event in the wake of Russia’s brutal war of choice against a people who presented no threat to their giant neighbor. “We’ll be celebrating our culture,” organizer Eugene Luciw said, “But we celebrate through a veil of tears.” A poignant approach.
Coal to Alfonzo Felix Evans who, according to police, admitted he “snapped” and “blew up,” stabbing his 71-year-old mother in the back of the neck with a kitchen knife in Hazle Township. Why? His mother had become increasingly annoying by talking to herself. Evans gets credit for apparently realizing his mistake, acknowledging the injury was worse than he thought and calling 911 himself, but there’s a simple rule here that goes beyond use of force only in self-defense when personal injury is threatened: For most of us, moms —above almost anyone else in our lives — merit all the patience and support we can muster. They are the reasons we are here.
— Times Leader