Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Diamonds to Wyoming Seminary administrators. They recently agreed that new lights installed near the preparatory school’s athletic fields in Kingston were overkill, causing a nightly nuisance in the neighborhood. Some residents reportedly had registered complaints with the local police department. (For the record, the borough was in no way responsible for the blinding lamps.) Seminary officials, eager to maintain good relations in the community, quickly reversed course on this bright idea gone bad, with a school spokeswoman saying they’d research a new solution to amplify walkers’ safety. May we suggest light fixtures that are dark sky compliant?
Coal to out-of-control St. Patrick’s Day revelers. Parade season begins Saturday for Northeastern Pennsylvania’s proud Irish residents and other admirers of the March holiday. Don’t spoil the fun at these events by imbibing and acting like a lout.
Diamonds to Luzerne County native Michael Pavolonis. He’ll receive an award from a federal agency during a dinner next week in Washington, D.C., recognizing his work on using satellite data to speed up weather warnings when volcanoes blow. The former Luzerne resident, now living in Wisconsin, became especially curious about storm formation while a student at Bishop O’Reilly High School; he witnessed the region get hit by major blizzards. Today he is employed as a physical scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which presents the award annually.
Coal to serial arsonist David Donnora. The Pittston man, 25, pleaded guilty this week to multiple charges, including burglary, burning and arson, having previously admitted to police that he set multiple blazes in 2012. Scheduled to be sentenced next month, he’ll be required to pay tens of thousands of dollars in restitution. But how, exactly, does this former member of the Dupont Volunteer Hose Co. expect to repair the damage caused to public confidence as yet another volunteer group was exploited by a fire bug within its ranks?
Diamonds to food bank donors. Employees at 15 area businesses, most of them in or near CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park in Pittston Township, have started collecting non-perishable food items for a new park tenant: the Weinberg Regional Food Bank. A project of the Commission on Economic Opportunity, the food bank supplies nutritious edibles to disadvantaged children and adults through a regional network of food pantries, soup kitchens and charitable agencies. The businesses’ massive shelf-stocking effort is expected to continue through March 13, when volunteers deliver the goods. For more information about the food bank, call 570-826-0510.
Coal to the tardy ones who, unaware daylight saving time starts this weekend, neglect to change their clocks. Spring forward!