THE CITIZENS’ VOICE
Public Square Sunday, november 8, 2020
Veterans
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service sacrifice honor
in their words
12 area veterans reflect on Veterans Day and what service to their country has meant to them. ImaGeS and TeXT by Sean mCKeaG / STaFF PHoToGraPHer
Name: Leonard Luba Age: 74 Town: Hanover Twp. Service branch: U.S. Navy Service era: Vietnam, 1965-1968 Leonard Luba joined the navy with a military occupational Specialty (moS) in engineering. In February 1967, he was deployed
and sent to naval Support activity in the vietnam coastal city of da nang, where he worked at a small craft repair facility on the Tien Sha Peninsula. Luba was set to leave vietnam in early 1968, but the Tet offensive put a halt to his plans. The Tet offensive was a series of north vietnamese attacks in South vietnam with plans to ultimately end u.S. involvement. Luba and his men were nearly over-
run; he remembers vividly, “There were hundreds and hundreds of bodies (of vietcong soldiers) being stacked in a field — heads, torsos, arms, legs. For days, they just sat there, turning blue, smelling. you just never forget this stuff.” Luba said his experiences during the war were a defining moment in his life. “one of the good things that comes out of it is that you have no fear. you don’t fear anything.” He continued, “We never forget this stuff. It basically controls your life is what it does.” Presently, Luba is a member of the amveTS Post 59 in breslau, american Legion Post 609 in Lee Park, the disabled american veterans, The mobile riverine Force association, but is most active as the regional treasurer of the vietnam veterans motorcycle Club.
Luba’s lifelong commitment to working with veterans stemmed from his father, a WWII veteran, who passed away unexpectedly in 1969. The last time Luba saw his father, he was just 13 years old, and didn’t know much about him except for stories his mother would tell. as Luba grew older, he dug deeper and learned about his father as a person and soldier – a b-17 bomber pilot who was shot down, captured, and spent 15 months in a German PoW camp. “I did a lot of research, because I owe it to him. He had a hard life,” Luba said. and it’s why he feels compelled to volunteer with veterans. “It’s just built into you. you don’t learn patriotism. you grow with it. you start it at an early age and it grows with you throughout your life.”
Name: Ray Somalis Age: 94 Town: Wright Twp. Service branch: U.S. Army Service era: World War II, 1944-46 ray Somalis was in the Pacific to help supply the marines during their island-hopping campaign to defeat the Japanese during World War II. en route to mainland Japan, Somalis was in Saipan and flew over to Iwo Jima. He was training in Iwo Jima, preparing for the beach landing of u.S. troops. The u.S. dropped the atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and nagasaki. “The best thing they did was drop that bomb. They should have dropped another one. That’s the way I look at it,” Somalis said with a smile. “I came home alive. no broken bones or nothing. Came back in good health.” Somalis recalls being discharged at Fort dix, new Jersey, and his bus ride back to Wilkes-barre. The bus arrived around midnight and he couldn’t call anyone to pick him up, because he didn’t have any phone numbers. Luckily for the returning soldier, there was a taxi nearby who charged him $20 to take him to mountain Top, an amount that Somalis said, “was a lot in those days.” When he arrived home, his family was asleep, but quickly woke up to greet his arrival. as Somalis said with calm reflection, “I wouldn’t want to go through it again though. once is enough.”
Name: John Richards Age: 74 Town: Kingston Service branch: U.S. Marine Corps Service era: Vietnam, 1968-1970 John richards was inspired to join the u.S. marines when he was young. For Christmas one year, his parents bought him two books to put into his stocking; one book was about cowboys and the other was on the history of the marine Corps. “I didn’t even read the one about cowboys, just the one about the history of the marine Corps. and that’s what I’ve always wanted to be,” richards said. richards was in the province of an Hoa in South vietnam on patrol when a u.S. helicopter was shot down. during efforts to send radio help for the downed helicopter, richards was ambushed by north vietnamese soldiers who were waiting nearby. “one of my men was hit, so I went for him,” richards recalled. at that moment during the rescue attempt, richards was hit below his eye with a bullet from an aK-47. richards persevered in his rescue, grabbing the other soldier by his collar and dragging him down the hill to safety. richards was sent to a hospital in Japan, then stateside to Fort dix, new Jersey, and in 1969, was in the Philadelphia naval Hospital where the general presented him with the Silver Star and Purple Heart. upon returning home, richards remembers getting welcomed home from family and friends, but not by the public. richards said the protests during the war were unfortunate, but he recognizes that people have a right to do it. richards said, “It was my duty (to serve). as far as veterans day, I celebrate that for the military people that served before me, which a lot of them did not come home, from all wars. I more or less do it for them, because they can’t.”
Name: Joe Alexander Age: 69 Town: Hunlock Creek Service branch: U.S. Army Service era: Vietnam, 1969-1972
ian job at an airport in akron, ohio, washing planes and occasionally flying. He has always been interested in aviation. When he joined the army, he was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, missouri, to be a combat engineer. Soon after, he was sent to Fort rucker, Joe alexander joined the u.S. army bealabama, for helicopter training. alexander cause his childhood friend, brady, was then received orders to go to vietnam. He drafted, sent to vietnam, and badly inused his background in aviation and helijured. He said that it took three attempts copter training to work as a helicopter meto rescue his friend. alexander went to a chanic until he was promoted to running recruiter and told the man that he wantrescue missions as a chief engineer. ed to run a rescue squad in vietnam, to alexander was at the Chu Lai base in Chu which the recruiter replied, “Sit down, son. Lai, vietnam, in the americal division, and Let me tell you something. your chances of running a rescue squad in vietnam are then went to Quang Tri combat base to support the South vietnamese in rescue nil.” and recovery during their effort to attack alexander laughs at himself as a confithe north vietnamese headquarters. dent 17-year-old talking with the recruiter. “I just wanted to rescue people like “you don’t go to the army and tell them brady,” alexander said. “I didn’t want to kill what you’re going to do. That isn’t the way people. I wanted to keep people from beit works.” ing killed.” Prior to enlisting, alexander held a civil-
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VETERANS ... IN THEIR WORDS
C4 THE CITIZENS' VOICE
SuNday, NOVEmbEr 8, 2020
Name: Tom Wall Age: 75 Town: Harding Service branch: U.S. Army Service era: 1965-1968 Tom Wall was a construction engineer for the u.S. army and went to Vietnam in 1966. during his seven-month stay in Vietnam, his battalion headquarters was a rubber plantation in Long binh, in the dong Nai Province of South Vietnam. He repaired air fields at the biên Hòa air base, and his battalion constructed Long binh Jail, which held North Vietnamese prisoners of war. Wall and his battalion were approximately three miles away from an ammo dump, which was the frequent target of Vietcong soldiers. Wall remembers when the ammo dump was being attacked, and he and his squad had to jump in their fox holes to avoid being hit. “you can hear them and you had no idea where they were going to land. The Vietcong went in, blew the ammo dump up and moved back out,” Wall said. “Every night, before we sacked down, you can hear fire fights off in the distance,” he recalled. upon returning home, Wall said it was sad how he and other soldiers were treated by the public. He remembers changing from his uniform to civilian clothes before getting off the plane, so he
Name: John Fronzoni Age: 40 Town: Pringle Service branch: U.S. Marine Corps Service era: 2001-2005
wouldn’t be harassed. after returning to the states, Wall became a supply specialist at redstone arsenal, alabama, and worked there for a year before being discharged. In July 1975, Wall joined the army National Guard and retired in 2002. Wall has had a military career spanning 32 years.
“I love the military,” he said. “I love doing things and I love accomplishing things. There’s not a day that goes by that I regret it.” “after Vietnam, people didn’t say, ‘Thank you for your service’,” he said. Wall said when someone tells him ‘thank you’ for his service today, “I get goosebumps from that.”
John Fronzoni joined the u.S. marines because he felt it was something that he always wanted to do. He explained, “To give back a little bit from what those before me have given, and that was my opportunity to do it.” upon completing training in Parris Island, South Carolina, he was selected for yankee White, a presidential support detail program. at the time, his military Occupation Specialty (mOS) was Infantry. upon entering the program, he was sent to security forces school in Chesapeake, Virginia, and acquired a secondary mOS of security forces. He was stationed in marine barracks in Washington d.C., the oldest station in the u.S. marine Corps, where he remained for the duration of his service. Fronzoni returned home and continued his career as a Larksville fireman, police officer and EmT. “I’ve just always loved helping people, “ he said.
Name: Gary Isaac Age: 69 Town: Kingston Service branch: U.S. Navy Service era: Vietnam, 1969-1971 Gary Isaac was born on Veterans day. He was inspired to join the u.S. Navy ever since he was a child. In addition to being among a family of service members who served in WWII and Korea, Isaac remembers attending the Veterans day parades on his birthday. “It just looked so patriotic watching the soldiers marching,” he said. “I was always fascinated growing up. It’s a uniform I always thought was very cool — The Navy uniform.” Isaac was stationed in Pearl Harbor as a boatswain’s mate, maintaining his ship in the naval yard. He noted that being in Pearl Harbor, his chances of going over to Vietnam were high. “but it is what it is. That’s why I joined,” he said. after Pearl Harbor, Isaac’s ship was decommissioned and spent a few months in Seattle, Washington. as he was taking leave, Isaac received orders to return to Pearl Harbor. Then, he received new orders to be stationed at a new home port in Key West, Florida. While in Key West,
Isaac recalls sailing to Cuba in 1970 on a destroyer ship equipped with radar. He recalls his ship being surrounded by Cuban and russian patrol boats and waiting at his battle station for the worst to happen. Presently, Isaac is active in the black diamond american Legion Post 395, where he serves as chaplain,
legion historian, finance officer, and junior vice commander. It’s his way of giving back and fulfilling a new kind of service, a service to local veterans. “This is my second home. I do a lot of stuff here. We’re here to help the community. We’re here to help the vets. That’s our main goal.” Isaac said with a smile.
Name: Martine Columbo Age: 62 Town: Rice Twp. Service branch: U.S. Army Service era: 1977-1983 martine Columbo was raised in a military family and she was inspired to join the u.S. army. Her father was a retired air Force veteran, and her childhood was spent traveling the world. “It was a way of life for me,” Columbo said. She was a Traffic management Coordinator, but was assigned to do various jobs where she was stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and later in Camp King, near Frankfurt, Germany. during Columbo’s service era, female soldiers’ jobs were limited. They were not allowed to be involved in combat. Presently, martine is the commander for the mountain Top american Legion Post 781. “I’m very proud of being a veteran,” she said, smiling.
Name: Michael Ayers Age: 54 Town: Kingston Service branch: U.S. Marine Corps Service era: 1987-1991, 1993-1994
Name: Doris Merrill Age: 96 Town: Nanticoke Service branch: U.S. Navy Service era: 1944-1946
michael ayers was inspired to join the u.S. marines because he wanted to travel and see the world. He said, “I just wanted to get out of the Valley and experience things.” doris merrill enlisted in the u.S. Navy through the WaVES (Women accepted for Volunteer Service) program. merrill recalls, “When I graduated high school, boys can go to college, and girls stayed home to learn how to cook and clean.” When before joining, he earned an associate’s degree from Luzerne County Community College, and wanted to continue she found out that the military could send her to college, she joined. “you can never stop learning,” she continued. his education. merrill was sent to bronx, New york, for WaVES boot camp, and after completion, decided to continue her education at as a Tactical air Command Central repairman from 1987Oklahoma a&m in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She went on to work in Naval Intelligence in Cape may, New Jersey, as a yeoman 1991, ayers served in Okinawa, where he was responsible Second Class. for maintaining and working on equipment that ran a mobile “It was the best decision that I’ve ever made. besides getting married.” merrill was diagnosed with multiple Sclerosis and has competed in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games from 1999- air traffic control center for the air war. during his second span of duty, ayers went to school at 2019, winning more than 70 gold medals for various events. marine Corps base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North merrill said it makes her feel good when someone wishes her a Happy Veterans day. Carolina. He became a Heavy Equipment mechanic at the “I don’t know of a veteran that doesn’t glow a little bit inside,” she said. marine Corps barracks in Forty Fort for a year. “I don’t really think about it. It’s just something I did. It was my honor to serve my country. I’m not a hero or anything like that. I just did what I did,” ayers said.
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LOCAL / LIFESTYLES
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VETERANS ... IN THEIR WORDS
SuNday, NOVEmbEr 8, 2020
Mothers are being driven out of the workforce in droves AMY JOYCE AND ELLEN MCCARTHY THE WaSHINGTON POST
Name: Rich Pries Age: 71 Town: Kingston Service branch: U.S. Marine Corps Service era: 1968-1971 rich Pries served in the marine air Group 24, stationed in Kaneohe bay, Hawaii, and the Fleet marine Force Pacific, where his duties were supporting ground and air forces of the marines in the air wing. Presently the commander of the black diamond american Legion Post 395, Pries believes that an obligation to veterans and community is important. “If it helps veterans, that’s why I’m here.”
Name: Lori Bevan Age: 54 Town: Wyoming Service branch: U.S. Army Service era: Desert Shield, Desert Storm 1985-1993 Lori bevan was inspired to join the u.S. army, growing up in a family of service members. bevan trained as an administrative specialist and executive secretary, and was stationed in Fort meyers, Virginia. bevan was sent to Saudi arabia to work in a field hospital as a mail clerk during desert Storm. The hospital was across the street from a prison camp, so the mission of the hospital was to care for prisoners of war. despite her administrative background in the military, bevan has always wanted to be a nurse.
She became a nurse in 2003, and currently works in the specialty clinic at the Wilkes-barre Veterans administration medical Center. being a veteran, bevan understands what veterans have been through with various issues, such as PTSd. “Once you’re in the military,
you’re always in the military. you’re still part of that family,” she said. “Veterans day is a day to honor the people that came back, who didn’t come back, and who are still serving. It’s a day to remember the sacrifice that these people made.”
Tips for hosting Thanksgiving outdoors during a pandemic JURA KONCIUS THE WaSHINGTON POST
Setting the table outdoors for Thanksgiving dinner in a pandemic could be more daunting than making the gravy. T h e r e ’s s o m u c h t o remember: Non-household members six feet apart. No buffet table with heaping platters. Blankets at every place setting. Propane for the heater. Hand sanitizer pumps next to the centerpieces. It’s challenging, and it’s obviously not an option in many parts of the country, but Thanksgiving alfresco can be done if the weather permits and you take safety precautions. “Everyone has an obligation to be careful,” says Rebecca Gardner of Houses and Parties, an eventplanning and design company in Savannah, Ga., and New York. “Thanksgiving outdoors in the crispycrunchy fall is festive and fun, as long as you are respectful to the way food is served and who you have there.” According to the latest information on holiday celebrations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hosting a small, outdoor dinner with family and friends from your community is a moderate-risk activity. “My kind of mantra going into the holiday season is that when it comes to COVID, it’s not what you do, but how you do it,” says Iahn Gonsenhauser, an inter nist and the chief quality and patient safety officer at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Gonsenhauser says that for him, a small group eating outdoors is the thirdbest choice for Thanksgiving, in terms of safety. The
first is a virtual holiday; the second is a brief drive-by greeting with everyone masked and socially distancing. For an outdoor gathering, sitting six feet away is essential, as is wearing masks when not eating. If you have distinct households getting to gether, group them at separate, distanced tables. If you want to do this on a screened porch, he says, assess the airflow and start your ceiling fans. “I am cautioning people about tents,” he says. “Tents will be four walls sealed up; you are just re-creating an interior space.” Tailgate or pop-up tents with two or more open walls are acceptable, he says. Because the table is the focus, Gonsenhauser suggests adding bottles of hand sanitizer to each one. “You need to be vigilant about hand hygiene,” he says. (Another idea: Place a travel-size bottle of personal hand sanitizer next to the chocolate turkeys at each place setting.) No buf fets. Avoid multiple people touching serving spoons; either plate the food in the kitchen or have an appointed server at e a ch t abl e wh o cl e a n s their hands often. Go with your own style. If you like the idea of keeping rituals, such as using Grandma’s china, Gardner says to stick to your traditional table setting outdoors. “It’s still a special occasion, and it’s wonderful to set a beautiful table with your nice things, “ she says. Make it as nice as you can while kee ping social distancing in mind. Rent large, lightweight folding tables if you need to, so you can space people appropriately.
If you’re handy with a sewing machine (or know someone who is), get a length of fabric you like. To cover the legs of the t abl e, yo u ’ l l n e e d t wo widths of fabric with a seam down the center. Choose a busy print, so you don’t have to match the pattern at the seam. You can also whip up matching masks to be given as party favors, she says. It’s fine to take a year off from china, crystal and silver if you’re not feeling fancy. “We’ve been staring at t h e s a m e ro o m s s i n c e March. Shake it up. Create a new environment. Do something wild,” Gardner says. Make it festive with inexpensive paper lanterns from paperlanter nstore. com, cantina string lights or curly streamers over the backs of chairs. Get a good playlist going. Have a boho picnic with layered quilts, tablecloths and pillows, socially distanced. Serve the meal in bento boxes tied with ribbon. If you prefer simpler fare as you juggle all of the outdoor precautions and navigate the cold and the wind, turkey sandwiches and apple hand pies might be the way to go, says Taryn Williford, lifestyle director at Apar tment Therapy. And don’t be fixated on the date; the celebration doesn’t have to be Nov. 26. This year, it could be a day or two earlier or later if that’s your best shot. “Go with the party on the date the forecast looks most forgiving,” Williford says. “Everyone is working from home; nobody will be going shopping. You can be flexible about it. The important part is the gathering and connection with people.”
When they met as students in Chicago, 20 years ago, Vondetta Taylor and Jennifer Anderson were all aspiration. Taylor was training to be a chef. Anderson was working toward a career in broadcasting. They also dreamed of starting families. Careers and kids didn’t seem like too much to hope for or too much to handle; growing up during the 1980s and ’90s, they were part of a generation of young women raised with the expectation that they could have it all, that they should have it all. “That was just instilled in us: ‘If you can dream it, go do it,’ “ Taylor says. As the years passed, the two women traced over those youthful visions with the brushstrokes of real life. Anderson, now 41, got married, moved to Indiana, had a son and started a career in information-technology. Taylor, 38, gave birth to a son she was raising alone while selling insurance full-time. “Having it all,” in the sense of being moms and professionals, wasn’t easy or glamorous. But they were doing it. Then came the pandemic, and it all fell apart. Taylor was supposed to make 100 sales calls a day while managing her kindergartner’s online education. That meant being a teacher, a disciplinarian, a mental health counselor and an extracurricular-activities director on top of her sales job. And there was still only one of her. In July, Taylor says, her bosses told her she was underperforming. She was fired. A n d e r s o n’s h u s b a n d couldn’t do his custodial work from home, so it was on her to stay home with their 10-yearold son. His school announced it was going to be remote in the fall; Anderson’s employer said she had to come back to the office in late August. It just couldn’t work. She quit. Just like that the two friends became part of a legion of women leaving the U.S. labor force. In September alone, more than 860,000 women dropped out of the workforce, compared to just over 200,000 men. An analysis by the National Women’s Law Center found that women left the labor force at four times the rate of men in September, just as schools came back in session. The unemployment rate for all U.S. women was 7.7 percent in September. And it’s worse for women of color: 11 percent of Latina women were unemployed that month, as were 11.1 percent of Black women — more than double the pre-pandemic rates. Women make up high percentages of workers in hardhit industries such as hospitality, child care and travel. Societal forces are proving to be as crushing as economic ones. Despite what girls of the ’80s and ’90s were promised, women in 2020 are still expected to shoulder a majority of household duties, including taking care of children and aging parents. Without day cares and in-person education, what was previously an untenable situation has become impossible. “Even before the pandemic, our social safety net for families in the U.S. was so weak and broken,” says Jessica McCrory Calarco, a sociologist at Indiana University who has been studying the impact of the pandemic on mothers. “And moms are the ones who’ve been left holding the threads. And eventually they just can’t hold on any longer.” Some economists predict the workforce exodus could set women back a generation. The long-term impact on the presence and advancement of women in the professional
KaTHErINE FrEy / THE WaSHINGTON POST
Danielle Lafave plays with her son at their home in Washington, D.C. She decided to quit her job in March. ‘We can afford it for a year if we need to, and then we’ll re-evaluate,’ she says. ranks is not fully known. At the individual level, women are already feeling the pain of w at ch i n g h a rd - e a r n e d careers evaporate — along with their incomes and a significant portion of their identities. Not that the mothers among them have much time to process all of that. “It’s OK to go into the bathroom and close the door and scream,” Anderson remembers telling Taylor during one of their near-daily phone calls. “It was such a rough transition, battling the demands of work and being a mom and not taking it out on the child.” The pressures of holding a household together during a pandemic are intense on their own. “I literally sit up and cry at night because I don’t know how I’m going to do it,” Erin Rose says. Rose left a job she loved dearly so she could take care of her two boys, a 5-year-old and an 8-month-old. Her husband made more at his warehouse job than she did as a parale gal. So while he remained in the working world, she redid the family budget for a single income, got on a payment plan with utility companies, moved everyone on to her husband’s much-worse insurance plan — all while caring for their infant and trying to keep her kindergartner focused on virtual school. Rose took pride in her professional life. Through tears, she explains that she worked “super hard” to get her job. But when the pandemic struck, both the math and society’s expectations was stacked against her — and many other women. There’s the fact that women generally are paid less than men, which tends to obviate the question of who should be the one to quit if there’s a crisis. And women already tend to be the ones who pick up the slack at home, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics finding 85 percent of women and 67 percent of men spend some time on household activities. During the pandemic, mothers of children under age 10 who are in dual-career couples have been twice as likely as men in the same situation to spend more than five additional hours per day on household responsibilities, according to a new McKinsey report. “Working mothers are much more likely to have experiences of burnout or feeling exhausted, and that’s one of the reasons they’re considering taking a step back,” says Jess Huang, coauthor of the report. The United States is not a place that makes it easy for mothers to work. For many women, the pandemic made it unfeasible. And President Donald Trump, in his campaign to win re-election, has spoken to women as if
careers are something reserved for their male counterparts. “We’re getting your husbands back to work,” Trump said at a rally on Tuesday. “We don’t have an epidemic of personal failures,” says Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO of MomsRising, an organization that advocates for issues related to mothers. “We have national structural issues.” Faith, a New York City communications professional, knew she needed to quit her job when she found herself spending time thinking about killing herself during a Zoom meeting with her boss and colleagues. She needed them to understand the extent of her despair. Back in January, she was a 38-year-old first-time mother who was getting acquainted with all the practical challenges of attempting to maintain some semblance of worklife balance. She was commuting, pumping, packing day-care bags, cleaning bottles — and struggling to keep up with her work. When New York shut down in March, her challenges multiplied. Her work, which now involved orchestrating COVID-related events online, was unrelenting and though her husband did his fair share of baby duty, many tasks — like pumping and nursing — necessarily fell to her. “I felt like I was going to throw up or cry a lot of the time,” says Faith, who asked that her last name be withheld so she could speak candidly about her mental health without worrying how it might affect her career in the future. “I had episodes where I felt lightheaded. My husband had to help me to bed one time.” She started falling asleep at 9 p.m., right after the baby, then waking at midnight to finish chores around the apartment. She talked to her boss and to the folks in her employer’s human resources office. She took the month of August off to get herself together. She says she asked to work part-time and was told that wasn’t possible. Her thoughts became darker and darker. She knew she had to quit to survive. America’s public health crisis has created a parallel mental health crisis, and working mothers may be uniquely vulnerable. “This is a mental health crisis for our moms,” says Calarco, the sociologist. “It’s untenable in the long term and even in the short term.” Calarco and her fellow researchers have found that, during the pandemic, stress increased significantly among moms who started spending a great deal more time than usual with their kids. The women who seem most stressed are the ones who hold themselves to very high standards, as both parents and professionals.
WB_VOICE/PAGES [C01] | 05/22/20
14:06 | BILBOWLEON
tHE CItIzEns’ VOICE
Public Square SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2020
Carousel ride The Wintersteen ‘menagerie machine,’ which delighted generations at Hanson’s Amusement Park, Harveys Lake, finds a new home
T
BY JACK SMILES CORRESPONDENT
he Wintersteen carousel not only goes around. It gets around. Starting from Coney Island, it went to Harveys Lake, to Florida and finally to Massachusetts. In November of last year, The Salisbury Beach Partnership, a non profit organization based in Salisbury, Massachusetts, purchased the Wintersteen Carousel, which had been a fixture at Harveys Lake for generations, and moved the carousel to the resort town north of Boston where the carousel is destined to become one of the beachfront’s main attractions. Alfred and Netti Wintersteen bought the “Menagerie Machine” — so-called because there are 44 animals on the go-round — from W.F. Mangels Carousel Works of Coney Island in 1914. The 16 jumping horses, 19 standing horses, three camels, three giraffes and three goats were hand-carved by Charles Looff, Solomon Stein, Harry Goldstein and Charles Carmel. Originally steam-driven, it was converted to electricity in 1930. Experts at Carousel News and Trader magazine believe the 45-foot diameter Wintersteen Looff-Mangels carousel, as they describe it, to be one of only three intact carousels of its kind left in the world. In 1914, the Wintersteens set the carousel up at the Lehigh Valley Railroad picnic grounds at Harveys Lake. The railroad sold the grounds to John Redington in ’23, who leased it to the Wintersteens. In 1930, the lease became ownership and Netti, widowed, sold half interest to John Hanson. In 1935, she sold her half to Hanson, while keeping the Dodge-Em and carousel. The carousel stayed in the Wintersteen family for four generations and 102 years until last November, when it was sold to a Massachusetts group, Salisbury Beach Partnership for $600,000. When Hanson’s closed in 1984, the Wintersteens put the carousel in storage until it was leased in Florida to Old Town, an antique style venue in Kissimmee, and then International Market World near Lakeland. Bill Bachman, a Penn State Wilkes-Barre professor, made a film “Round and Round” about carousels on the East Coast. The film includes a “magi-
cal video ride on the original Wintersteen Carousel” filmed in Kissimmee. It was last screened at the Back Mountain Library in 2019 as a fundraiser for the Lake-Lehman chorus. In 2008, the Florida lease ended and the Wintersteens offered the carousel for auction. The Brass Ring Fund was formed with a mission to keep the carousel in the Valley as a concession at The Lands at Hillsdale Farms. The fund was named for the brass ring machine from which carousel riders tried to pull a ring for a free spin. Norton’s, a leading international auction house which auctioned Hanson’s in 1985, handled the auction. Norton’s printed a 12-page color catalog with 50 photographs, a history and a reproduction of the original bill of sale. Carousel News and Trader made a pre-auction estimate of $1.2 million. Elizabeth Martin from the Brass Ring Fund went to Florida for the auction. “The Brass Ring Fund had the high bid,” Martin said in an email. “Mrs. Wintersteen refused our bid, for which we had an investor, and removed the carousel from the auction block.” Martin said the pre auction estimate was way off. “Remember, that was in 2008 when the bottom fell out of the economy. Our high bid was $250,000.” Martin explained why the deal to bring the carousel back to the Valley ultimately failed. “There were two organizations: The Brass Ring Fund, and Friends of the Wintersteen Carousel. The latter became a 501c-3 organization, and was very professionally organized and managed. There was an agreement ready for signing with Friends of the Wintersteen Carousel, which would have worked to place the carousel at The Lands at Hillside Farms. The Wintersteen family cancelled that agreement last minute.” Meanwhile the Salisbury Beach Partnership was looking to replace their own version of the Wintersteen carousel, a three-row Broadway Flying Horses Carousel which ran at Salisbury from 1914 to 1977. It was sold to a Los Angeles-based collector who, according to a story in the Newbury Port News, a daily in Essex County, Massachusetts, intended to restore it. From the story, “But the man died about five years ago, leaving his collection of carousels in
disarray. Nobody has been able to reconstruct what was the true Salisbury Broadway Flying Horses.” Also from the story: “The Wintersteens spent about nine years looking for an individual or an entity that would buy it that they were comfortable and confident would not break it up for its components.” The carousel has powerful nostalgic pull locally for generations of golden-age Harveys Lake visitors. That’s why the Brass Ring Fund and the Friends were formed and it’s why Sandra Serhan, an officer of the Harveys Lake Historical Society, wants to organize a bus trip to Massachusetts for the grand opening of the carousel at Salisbury Beach. She grew up near Hanson’s and her fondest childhood memories are of the park attractions, especially the carousel. In that, she not alone. Paul Descoteaux, a member of the Salisbury Beach Partnership and Salisbury Chamber of Commerce boards answered some questions by email. Q. You bought the carousel to revitalize your Broadway Mall. Did it get set up? Or did the virus interrupt your plans? A. The carousel is up and running in one of our member’s properties... We were still in the process of assembling, replacing the decking as well as repairing what needs repair. There has been a bit of an interruption due to COVID. Most of this process is either in kind or sweat from members of the board and our advisory committee who are volunteers. Q. It took three tractor trailers to move the carousel to Salisbury Beach. A. Shipping was no easy task as this was not your typical item to ship. The interior of three box trailers were retrofitted to secure the carvings individually and another box for miscellaneous. Some of the parts were stored in a U Haul that we put on a flatbed. Q. Has it been unveiled publicly? A. We hope to have an announcement within the upcoming weeks letting the public know about its location and per COVID guidelines offer some sort of showing to the public.
Inside PANDEMIC IN THE COMMUNITY
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The week in images as the state-mandated stay-athome order continues in Luzerne County. TRAVEL LIFESTYLES
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WEDDINGS, ENGAGEMENTS, ANNIVERSARIES, BIRTHS.
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EMPTY SKIES Navigating pandemic-era air travel: What it’s like to fly right now.
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WHITE HOUSE FICTION Curtis Sittenfeld’s ‘Rodham’ imagines a different ‘Hillary.’
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BACK MOUNTAIN
Food pantry garden seeks coordinator
The man who started it all
A volunteer is needed to coordinate the Back Mountain Food Pantry garden. The garden supports the food pantry with fresh, nutritious food options using sustainable garden practices. Gardening or agricultural experience is beneficial. The ability to work independently and coordinate others is valuable. Having a strong background in leadership, project management and leading volunteers is helpful. The coordinator is required to have transportation and a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, planning garden layout and irrigation, planning meetings, preparing a budget, tracking expenses, maintaining the website and Facebook, organizing volunteers and their work schedules, purchasing materials and supplies, promoting the garden in the community, and other duties as required. Interested individuals should contact Joe Hardisky at 570-6906530.
WYOMING VALLEY
NAACP hosting financial wellness series Seminars on financial wellness will be presented to the NAACP community in February, March and April by Prudential PathwaysSM in the Savitz Lounge, second floor, Henry Student Center, Wilkes University campus, 84 W. South St., Wilkes-Barre. The seminars are designed to provide participants with an understanding of the fundamentals of financial wellness. Seminar dates and topics are: Tuesday, Feb. 11, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. — Financial Challenges that Matter Most: importance of making beneficial decisions, protection of assets, and minimizing debt. Tuesday, March 10, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. — Teaching Your Children Good Money Habits: money management, saving for short- and long-term goals, investing, managing money for kids and teens, creating a budget, savings and investing accounts, and responsibilities of independent living. Tuesday, April 14, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. — Women and Money Taking Control of Your Financial Future: top financial goals for women, financial obstacles, and confidence gap. Walk ins are welcome. For information or to register, email naacpwb2306@gmail.com
PHoTo CoUrTeSY oF JANe SABALASke
a portrait of international businessman amedeo obici. in 1897, obici teamed up with another italian immigrant, Mario Peruzzi, to found Planters Peanut Company in Wilkes-Barre.
A child immigrant from Italy who built the Planters Peanut empire here in Wilkes-Barre BY PAUL GOLIAS CorreSPoNDeNT
PHoTo CoUrTeSY oF JANe SABALASke
amedeo obici, circa 1891. at the invitation of his uncle, obici came to america when he was 11, alone, and unable to speak english. His rags to riches saga is the quintessential embodiment of the american dream.
A Mountain Top woman with a special connection to Amedeo Obici is thrilled that Mr. Peanut lives. “Oh yes!’’ Jane Sabalaske exclaimed when asked if the “re-birth’’ of Mr. Peanut was good news. “We need Mr. Peanut. We can’t do away with him. He is a piece of Americana!” she said. Americana he is, created by an Italian immigrant brought to the United States by her great-grandfather, Vittorio Sartori, a name later shortened to Victor Sartor. “We know little about the interaction of my great-grandfather and Amedeo Obici in Italy,’’ Jane Sabalaske says, but she
guesses they must have had interesting conversations. Obici’s father died when Amedeo was 7 years old, leaving his widow, Amedeo, another son, Frank, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Angelina. The Obici family lived in Oderzo, north of Venice, as did the extended Sartori family. Victor Sartor had emigrated to the U.S. with his wife and two children earlier, taking up residence in Scranton. At age 11, Amedeo accepted the invitation of his uncle and crossed the Atlantic from Le Havre, France, in March 1889. Amedeo went through Ellis Island, N.Y., and then was put on a train to Scranton. Please see OBICI, page C4
Inside
SWOYERSVILLE
traveL
Applicants sought to fill vacant council seat
GET THERE FAST; TAKE IT SLOW On Europe’s slow trains, the rewards are right outside your window.
Swoyersville Borough will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at the borough building, 675 Main St., Swoyersville, to fill the vacancy on the 3rd Ward Please see COUNCIL, page C3
CITIzeNS’ voICe FILe
this iconic cast iron Mr. Peanut once adorned the top of the Planters Peanuts’ corporate office building on south Main street in Wilkes-Barre.
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WEDDINGS, ENGAGEMENTS, ANNIVERSARIES, BIRTHS.
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MAKE ’EM LAUGH Seinfeld book coming in October.
GardeninG
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DISASTER RESILIENCE Extreme weather has gardeners looking for resilient plants.
Today’s web extra » A photogenic cardinal braves the snow for a tasty treat in Today’s Hot Shot. WWW.CITIzeNSvoICe.CoM/ArTS-LIvING/HoT-SHoT
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Wyoming Valley
Deadline nears for United Way Day of Caring applications The United Way of Wyoming Valley reminds non-profit and charitable organizations interested in seeking help with projects in the United Way’s 28th annual Day of Caring to submit proposals by the Friday, Feb. 21 deadline. For information on how to submit a project, email Kathy Bozinski at kbozinski@unitedwaywb.org. United Way of Wyoming Valley will hold its 28th annual Day of Caring on Thursday, May 21. On that day, volunteers from across the community reach out to help nonprofit and charitable organizations with projects which their limited budgets can’t cover. Last year, nearly 900 volunteers from 66 companies and organizations completed 52 community projects for 38 local agencies. Project registration is currently underway, and registration for volunteers will be open in mid-March. Non-profits and community groups are encouraged to submit projects in which they could use volunteer assistance. Submitting multiple projects is permitted and encouraged. Past projects include painting, planting flowers, litter pick-up, spring cleaning, opening camps for summer programs, working with children in day care facilities, assisting special needs individuals, and more. Organizations are also encouraged to submit projects tailored to senior volunteers and those individuals who may not be up to physical tasks. Projects such as assisting with bulk mailings, filing, eventprep work, taking inventory, and other office work are always well received. Volunteers also enjoy having the opportunity to socialize and work on projects with clients.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020
an inSiDe VieW
Opening day aT The races
SEAN MCKEAg / STAFF PHOTOgRAPHER
snowflakes swirl as driver Geo Napolitano Jr. warms up his horse, ‘Mr. Big load,’ on the opening night of harness racing at The Downs at Mohegan sun Pocono saturday, feb. 8.
behind the scenes at the season opener of The Downs at mohegan Sun pocono Fifty five years ago, on July 15, 1965 to be precise, Standardbred trotters and pacers stepped for the first time onto the 5/8th mile red clay racing oval at Pocono Downs in Plains Twp., cheered by a crowd of thousands in the new grandstand and clubhouse, and harness racing history was made in Northeast Pa. in the ensuing five decades, the sport, and the race track which hosts it here in the Wyoming Valley, has undergone many changes. Now known as The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, the harness track is part of a much larger casino and entertainment complex. The 55th season for harness racing at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono got underway Saturday, Feb. 8, more than one month earlier than the traditional March opener of previous years. The Citizens’ Voice was there for the opening weekend, from the backstretch paddocks to the starting gate, to give readers an inside look at the early opener for the region’s premier harness track. Racing starts at 5 p.m. weekends through this month. Starting in March, 4 p.m. cards will also be offered each Monday, and weekend racing shifts to 7 p.m. Tuesday cards at 4 begin in April. A full four-day race schedule will continue through the summer months.
SEAN MCKEAg / STAFF PHOTOgRAPHER
Track announcer Jim Beviglia uses binoculars to keep an eye on the field at The Downs at Mohegan sun Pocono saturday, feb. 8.
Please see raCeS, page C4
HanoVer TWp.
Church offers pysanky egg workshop A Pysanky egg workshop sponsored by the Ladies of Mary Society of Exaltation of the Holy Cross Parish, Hanover Twp., will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 21-22, in the parish hall, 420 Main Road, Hanover Twp. Workshop begins at noon March 21 and 2 p.m. March 22. Admission is $30 and includes all supplies, step by step instruction through the process, food, soda and water. Tickets must be purchased by Sunday, March 15, to reserve a spot. For reservations and/or information, contact Nichole Scalia at 570-574-4453.
SEAN MCKEAg / STAFF PHOTOgRAPHER
Their hooves seemingly suspended in midair, pacers jockey for position as the eighth race began on the opening night of harness racing at The Downs at Mohegan sun Pocono in Plains Twp. saturday, feb. 8.
Inside lifesTyles
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WeDDingS, engagemenTS, anniVerSarieS, birTHS.
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Harry poTTer HoliDay Conjure up a memorable family vacation at ‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ in sunny Florida.
Today’s web extra » an ingenious squirrel makes a mockery of a squirrel-free bird feeder in Today’s
Hot Shot. WWW.CiTizENSVOiCE.COM/ARTS-LiViNg/HOT-SHOT
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Continued from
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020
Sean McKeag / StaFF PhotograPher
the field fans out in the seventh race on opening night at the Downs at Mohegan sun Pocono.
An inside view
Opening day
at the Downs at Mohegan sun Pocono
For every moment spent on the track, there are countless hours of training and preparation that go into each race, by owners, trainers, drivers, track personnel, announcers, videographers, simulcast technicians, veterinarians, farriers, equipment providers and farmers who supply feed and bedding for the equine industry.
Sean McKeag / StaFF PhotograPher
Driver cory stratton guides ‘Bettor spirtis n’ to the paddock.
Sean McKeag / StaFF PhotograPher Sean McKeag / StaFF PhotograPher
employees work in the television control room during the opening night of harness racing at the Downs at Mohegan sun Pocono in Plains twp. saturday, Feb. 8.
above, trainer and groom antonia storer, of Dallas, bridles a racehorse.
Share Your Love & Win Weddings, Engagements and Anniversaries are published every Sunday free of charge in the Lifestyle “Public Square” section.
It’s easy to share your celebrations with us.
Online: citizensvoice.com/arts-living/people Email: lifestyles@citizensvoice.com Mail: The Citizens’ Voice Lifestyles Department, 75 N. Washington St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
Deadline for publication is at least 2 weeks before desired publication date, which should be indicated on the announcement or on the form. If no date is indicated on the announcement, we will publish on the next available Sunday. - Anniversaries may be submitted starting with the fifth anniversary. - Wedding announcements must be sent before the couple’s 1st anniversary. - Photos must be submitted/uploaded as a jpeg file, with a resolution of at least 300dpi. (which you can do on the online form as well).
Tell us! What makes your love unique?
Submit your story using the methods above. Questions? Call Cristy Mishkula at 570-821-2067
January Prize: 4 Tickets to RC Theatres Wilkes-Barre All weddings, engagements and anniversaries published in The Citizens’ Voice will be automatically entered to win a monthly prize.
VOICE
THE CITIZENS’
NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA’S LARGEST NEWS TEAM
January Winner: Samantha Kishbach & Steve Walton
For Home Delivery / 570-821-2010 / citizensvoice.com
Also Available At Your Local Newsstand
Sean McKeag / StaFF PhotograPher
Sean McKeag / StaFF PhotograPher
snow falls as ‘Mr. Big Load’ heads to the track.
above, groom Julianna edwards, of Pittston, harnesses ‘Brookdale Fletcher.’
trAvel: Even Harry Potter newbies will love this adventure FroM Page c2
of young adults and some groups that appeared to be multigenerational adult families like ours. Our first stop was Ollivanders wand shop, where a robed gentleman presided over a wand-choosing ceremony. He selected a boy named Liam, who was about 9, to try out the wands. Reminding us that “the wand selects the wizard,” Ollivander handed Liam a series of wands. On his third try, flashes of light indicated that Liam had successfully cast his spell. He was then dismissed into the store so that his parents could purchase the wand, and the rest of us followed. The tall shelves were packed with hundreds of wand boxes. The wands start at about $49, but it was well worth paying a few extra dollars for an interactive wand that can be used to cast spells (using LED technology) at about 30 locations throughout the parks. We bought three wands to share among the seven of us and followed the map that came with them to find the medallions embedded at each spot we could use them. I stood at a medallion near Flimflam’s Lanterns, pointed my wand and attempted my first “Incendio” spell, trying to follow the pattern I was supposed to draw in the air. Remembering Hermione’s instructions, Katie advised me to use my wrist rather than my whole arm: “Swish and flick.” I’ll admit that I felt a measure of pride when, after a couple of tries, I was able to successfully light a candle, thereby disturbing a canary. Although I was hesitant to try casting spells in front of a crowd of onlookers, Juli and our daughters had no qualms about standing in line with young children to test their wizarding skills. I could tell from the delighted expression on Katie’s face that she was having as much fun as any 11-year-old when she was finally successful in using a “Wingardium Leviosa” spell to make a feather hover in the air. There were some advantages to exploring the Wizarding World only with adults. At times, we decided
if you go: Where to stay: — home2 Suites by hilton, 5910 american Way, 407519-3151, hilton.com this new hotel is about one mile from Universal orlando resort. It offers a free shuttle to the resort. rooms from about $130, including a hot breakfast. — holiday Inn express at Seaworld, 10771 International Drive, 407-996-4100, ihg.com the holiday Inn express, about a 20-minute drive to Universal orlando resort, is directly across International Drive from SeaWorld. guest rooms are clean and comfortable and include an extensive hot breakfast buffet. rooms from about $85.
information — visitorlando.com to split up while exploring the quirky shops and attractions of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, or when certain rides didn’t appeal to everyone in the group. Our smartphones made it easy for us to reassemble when ready.
on the menu The Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks, the main Harry Potter-themed restaurants, had menus that were geared for adults - British pub favorites such as shepherd’s pie and toad in the hole, as well as alcoholic beverages. T he Leaky Cauldron offered a hearty ploughman’s lunch that included salad, cheeses, tomatoes and pickled beets. And I enjoyed my meal of fish and chips. At the Fountain of Fair Fortune, we sampled butterbeer, which was well-suited for children but a little too sweet for our adult palates. Maddy observed that it tasted like cream soda topped by butterscotch foam. Some in our group also tried pumpkin juice and butterbeer ice cream cones, which they preferred.
Busy and off seasons A park employee told us that the last two weeks in December are Universal’s busiest of the year. The streets and shops were indeed crowded, and long wait times were posted for the most popular rides. If we had been traveling with small children, we might have considered springing for express passes at $90 per person, so as to skip the lines.
We decided we couldn’t afford a four-hour wait for the newest ride, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. But we chose to wait about two hours each for two rides: Escape From Gringotts and the Forbidden Journey, the latter of which we approached by inching through the dim, winding corridors of Hogwarts Castle. Juli and I enjoyed spending that time in line with our kids, whom we see only a few times a year. Catching up with them and chatting about Harry Potter characters and plot twists was one of my favorite parts of our trip. Not having seen the movies, I missed some of the frequent movie references in the rides. But, as we dived and swooped to dodg e Dementors and Death Eaters, the furious action and bigscreen special effects were so intense that it didn’t really matter whether I knew exactly what was going on. Overall, despite being a relative newbie to Harry Potter, I was able to hold my own with my f amily’s selfdescribed Harry Potter nerds. I felt I had much more in common with them than the man Maddy spotted wearing a T-shirt that read, “I’m only here to satisfy my wife’s Riddikulus obsession.” Our Harry Potter adventure culminated in a magnificent holiday sound and light show projected onto Hogwarts Castle, followed by Universal’s New Year’s fireworks show. Best of all, experiencing it all with my family made for a magical beginning to 2020.
THE CITIZENS’ VOICE
Public Square Sunday, July 12, 2020
LIFESTYLES
TOP PHOTO PICKS
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WEDDINGS, ENGAGEMENTS, ANNIVERSARIES, BIRTHS.
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THE WEEK IN IMAGES: A look at the most compelling local photos of the past week.
‘Setting her free’
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Wyoming Valley
Public Masses are now being celebrated at the Oblates of St. Joseph Seminary Chapel, Route 315, laflin, with full compliance of the COVId regulations mandated by the diocese of Scranton. Masses are held daily at 8 a.m. with an additional Mass on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in conjunction with the novena of St. Joseph. a holy hour precedes the Mass from 6 to 7 p.m. On Sundays, one Mass is celebrated in the evening at 7 p.m. For information, contact the Rev. Paul Mcdonnell, OSJ, seminary rector, at 570-654-7542. The Peace and Justice Center, Wilkes-Barre, will host Peace Camp 2020 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 14-30. activities include music, art, gardening, yoga, cooperative games and more. This year’s camp will meet virtually for focused activities over three weeks July 14, 16, 21, 23, 28 and 30. Children entering first through eighth grades in September may register. Children do not have to be in the Wyoming Valley to participate. Cost is $30 for all three weeks; $25 for any two weeks, and $15 for any one week. Scholarships are available. Contact PeaceCampWB@gmail.com. Register at http://peaceandjusticecenter.com/peacecamp/ register-for-peace-camp/. Teen and adult volunteers are welcome. Contact the Peace and Justice Center for details. The Beehive Area of Narcotics Anonymous serves the Wilkes-Barre, nanticoke, Pittston, and Back Mountain areas. na is a member-driven organization that regularly holds recovery meetings. There are no dues or membership fees. Contact narcotics anonymous at nabeehive.org or the 24-hour phone line at 1-866-9354762.
Back Mountain Sweet Valley Volunteer Fire Company, 5383 Main Road, Sweet Valley, will serve a drive thru/ take-out ham dinner on Saturday, July 25. Takeout price has been lowered to $10 per dinner since no dessert or drink will be included. dinners will be served from 4 to 6 p.m. Patrons are asked to remain in their cars and dinners will be brought out to the vehicle. Check their Facebook page for updated information or call 570-4775121. River of Life Fellowship, 22 Outlet Road, Lehman, will hold a summer fun fest from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Saturday, July 18, at River of life Fellowship. There will be children’s activities, craft vendors, food trucks, raffle baskets and carnival games. For general or vendor information, contact Vanessa Edwards at VEdwards@rolfministries.com. State recommendations will be followed, social distancing measures will be put in place and masks are encouraged. A quarantine-friendly vacation Bible school will be held July 21-23 at Trucksville United Methodist Church. There will be easy-to-follow instructions and a video that leads families stepby-step through each of the three days. all activities are designed to be performed at home with family, or, if participants are comfortable, in a small group of families. Register on the Trucksville united Methodist Church Facebook page or call the church office at 570-6963897 Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon. Please see DIGEST, Page C3
MARY JO REMEMBERED A new book by a local author looks beyond Chappaquiddick to the life and legacy of Mary Jo Kopechne BY PAUL GOLIAS CITIZEnS’ VOICE CORRESPOndEnT
Above, Dike Bridge at Chappaquiddick and the Oldsmobile in which Mary Jo Kopechne died is shown in this July 19, 1969 file photo. SuBMITTEd
The cover of “Before Chappaquiddick: The Untold Story of Mary Jo Kopechne and the Kennedy Brothers,” by William C. Kashatus, left.
Joe Kopechne moved his family to Newark, N.J. where he worked as a stevedore. Mary Jo ary Jo Kopechne did not die in vain. was reared in a loving family in a culturally A new biography of the victim of diverse neighborhood. Her dad doted on her, Chappaquiddick both lauds her wholeinstilling values including loyalty to the Brooksomeness and high moral standards and conlyn Dodgers. A neighbor remembered the nects her death, uniquely but reasonably, to Kopechnes as “insular, quiet people” who kept to 40-plus years of progressive legislation. themselves. William Kashatus, historian, college professor Mary Jo was active in high school, joining the and author, wrote “Before Chappaquiddick: The glee club, drama club, newspaper and yearbook Untold Story of Mary Jo staff. She graduated in Kopechne and the Kenne1958. Classmates rememdy Brothers,’’ he said, “to bered her “quiet congeniset her free.” ality,” “dauntless charm” Mary Jo died July 18, and ”unusual perceptive1969 when a car driven by ness.” Sen. Edward M. Kennedy Like thousands of colof Massachusetts lege-age youth, Mary Jo plunged off a bridge into was smitten in 1960 with a seawater pond. KenneJohn F. Kennedy because dy escaped from the car; of his dynamic image and Mary Jo suffocated, likehis positions on issues conly living for a time, gulpfronting the nation. Mary ing air from a pocket in Jo joined a “Flying Squad’’ the car until that air was of volunteers for Kennedy. gone. Another campaign worker Did Kashatus set her remembered her as free? “I feel I did the best “almost tomboyish, not job that I could. I feel I glamorous at all,” but with tried to give an accurate a beautiful, even radiant portrayal of a young smile. “She was a lady in woman,” the author said. every sense of the word,” “...Mary Jo came to he said. embody the best ideals of After teaching at the the sixties: compassion Mission of Saint Jude, she for the underprivileged, took her interest in politics social idealism tempered and public service to by political realism, and a Washington, D.C., hoping fierce devotion to just to land a job in the JFK causes. At the same time, administration. She joined KOPECHnE ESTaTE / CITIZEnS’ VOICE FIlE Kopechne’s attraction to the staff of Sen. George the Kennedy brothers Undated photo of Robert F. Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne. Smathers of Florida and proved to be a fatal one, became known as a team as she paid for it with her player who believed in the life,” Kashatus wrote. The portrait that emerged from many inter- Kennedy brothers’ vision for the future. Mary Jo is buried in St. Vincent’s Cemetery, views, a smattering of news articles and some On Nov. 16, 1963, Sen. Smathers introduced her Larksville, next to her parents, Joe and Gwen family archival material is that of a devout to President Kennedy. He was assassinated six Kopechne. It is a modest grave. Its simplicity mir- Roman Catholic. She rarely drank, did not smoke days later in Dallas, Texas. rors the basic but profound promise that Bill and was offended by profanity. She never marWhen Bobby Kennedy joined the U.S. Senate Kashatus says he made to Mary Jo in August, ried, but by 1969, had begun dating a man, a for- (from New York State) in January, 1965, Mary Jo 2009, on a visit to the grave. He promised to tell eign service officer, who she hoped to marry. was hired by RFK from the Smathers staff to the truth of her life, to restore her integrity. “UltiShe was a graduate of a Catholic high school help handle a deluge of mail. She attained high mately, I wrote this book to set her free.’’ in East Orange, N.J., and Caldwell College in marks as a loyal, intelligent staffer and it was Kashatus is critical of the news media for its New Jersey. Drawn to public service, an ardent Mary Jo who typed RFK’s announcement on often sensational reporting of the Chappaquid- civil rights advocate, she taught at the Mission of March 16, 1968 that he would enter the Democratdick incident. Mary Jo became the target of Saint Jude in Montgomery, Alabama. ic presidential field. smear campaigns; she was blamed often for Ted Mary Jo’s ancestors were immigrants, the President Johnson announced on March 31 Kennedy’s subsequent failed attempts to win the Kopechnes from Hungary and the Jennings fam- that he would not seek another term and the race presidency once held by his brother, John, and ily from Wales. Mary Jo, born July 26, 1940 in evolved into an RFK-Hubert Humphrey contest. sought by brother, Bobby. Both were assassinat- Nesbitt Memorial Hospital, Kingston, was the ed. Yet, family patriarch Joseph Kennedy Sr., only child of Joe and Gwen Kopechne. Please see BOOK, Page C3
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expected Ted to similarly seek the office, but Chappaquiddick dashed that hope. The book is comprehensive and compelling in telling the Mary Jo Kopechne story in the historic context of the Kennedy brothers, covering the period from 1960 when Mary Jo worked as a JFK volunteer while in college to July 1969 when she died. Ironically, Kashatus spent roughly the same span, 10 years, in researching and writing of Mary Jo.
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CONTINUED FROM / COMMUNITY
Sunday, July 12, 2020
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DIGEST: Upcoming events in your town FROM PaGE C1
Mountain Top area The White Haven Area Community Library began offering front door pickup for books, audio books and dVds on July 7. The library hours of operation are Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., during which time volunteers will be available to process materials and answer questions or requests by phone and email. — Current library members will be able to request materials through the library’s email, whacl.library@yahoo.com or by phone, 570-443-8776. a partial listing of new resources is available on the library’s website, www.whitehavenlibrary. com. — Volunteers will put requested items in bags with the patron’s name on the bag and place it on a table in the vestibule. Patrons will be able to pick up their items at an appointed time without entering the library. — Members are asked to return materials by placing them in the outside book drop. all recommended sanitary procedures for returning materials to the collection for redistribution will be followed. Book donations are not being accepted at this time. — The library’s annual membership meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, in the library. Committee reports, the election of new board members and an update on the Rail yard Park will be presented. The public is invited. Face masks for all attendees are required and social distancing practices will be in place for seating.
CITIZEnS’ VOICE FIlE
Crowd gathers at the funeral of Mary Jo Kopechne in Plymouth on July 22, 1969.
BOOK: Author vowed to honor Mary Jo Kopechne’s memory
Mary Jo did intensive campaign work, focusing on Pennsylvania, Indiana and Nanticoke area other states. She was now a The Newport Twp. Board of leader of the Boiler Room Commissioners at a recent Girls. meeting adopted and amended the following The Boiler Room Girls ordinances: adopted a new were secretaries to Bobby noise ordinance, Ordinance Kennedy and his staffers, no.3 of 2020; amended ordinance no.3 of 2018 regarding including speech writers, as they ran the 1968 presidential displaying a township building campaign. The “boiler room’’ permit, effective immediately, failure to obtain a township was a windowless office building permit will result in a where Mary Jo sparkled as a $100 fine, and amended Ordi- 27-year-old political analyst, nance no.7 of 2006 to require doing work far beyond secrethe appointment of an agent tarial. Dun Gifford, her boss, or property manager for a multi-unit dwelling if the owner said she was “the most outlives more than 20 miles away standing’’ in the office and from the property. These ordiwould have won a key job in nances are available for review an RFK administration. on the newport Twp. website, The Boiler Room Girls newporttownship.org. refused to talk to Kashatus. “There is a thin line between Pittston area The Neil McLaughlin Chapter of loyalty and cowardice,’’ Kashatus said in an interthe Ancient Order of Hibernians, Avoca, has canview for this review. celed its annual Thomas P. Kashatus said there was Durkin Memorial golf tournano long history between the ment. The event was schedgirls and Mary Jo, most of uled to take place Saturday, whom came on board for the Sept. 5. The public is encourcampaign whereas Mary Jo aged to attend the 2021 tourney on labor day weekend, had worked three years for which benefits local high Kennedy. The tie between school scholarships and comMary Jo and Bobby and Ethmunity projects. el Kennedy was so strong that Ethel asked Mary Jo to become au pair to the 10 KenThe Citizens’ Voice welnedy kids. She declined. comes comThe Boiler Room Girls’ munity news silence also may be connectand photoed to a theory that Ted Kengraphs from community nedy and Mary Jo Kopechne groups, service organiwere not alone in the car. zations, senior citizens Scuba diver John Farrar groups, churches and non- retrieved the purse of Roseprofit organizations. mary Keough, another boiler room girl, from the front seat Email: community@ of Kennedy’s Oldsmobile, citizensvoice.com and a deputy sheriff, Huck Website: www.citizensLook, testified later that he voice.com/community saw “Two, possibly three people’’ in the Oldsmobile at Facebook: www. 12:45 a.m. on Cemetery Road. facebook.com/ Kashatus said the theory citizensvoice Mail: The Citizens’ Voice, 75 N. Washington St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701, attn. community news Telephone: 570-821-2069 Fax: 570-821-2247 Publication of submitted material is dependent on content and space and at the discretion of the editor. Submit dated announcements at least one week in advance. Electronically submitted photos must be large, high resolution JPEGs. Other formats cannot be reproduced in print and will be rejected.
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FROM PaGE C1
Mary Jo Kopechne’s gravestone in St. Vincent’s Cemetery, Larksville.
About the book ... “Before Chappaquiddick: The untold Story of Mary Jo Kopechne and the Kennedy Brothers,’’ Potomac Books, university of nebraska Press. a portion of proceeds from the book will go to the Mary Jo Kopechne Scholarship in political science, Misericordia university, dallas. has a sunburned, tired Mary Jo, who had more to drink than usual, asleep in the back seat of the car. Kennedy and Keough did not know she was there. Kennedy and Keough escaped from the car; Mary Jo was found in the rear seat, her body positioned to breath the last available air. Keough herself visited Mary Jo’s grave in 1970 and said then and subsequently to the Boston Globe that “my friend Mary Jo just happened to be in the wrong car at the wrong time with the wrong people,” as an unobserved passenger. Mary Jo’s life was deeply impacted by the assassination of Bobby Kennedy on June 5, 1968, only minutes after he was declared winner of the California primary. RFK staffers said Mary Jo sat silently for hours, staring ahead. She helped clean out RFK’s campaign headquarters and later joined Reese Associates, doing political work, and she was there in July 1969 when the Boiler Room Girls and men from the Ted Kennedy camp set up a fundraising effort to pay off some RFK campaign debts. That effort
would include the party at Chappaquiddick Island. Ted Kennedy left the party at 11:15 p.m., according to own testimony. He lost his way, drove onto Dike Bridge and the car went into the water. Kennedy escaped, the current took him to the shore and, he said later, he made seven or eight attempts to get to Mary Jo. He jogged back to the party cottage, told others of the accident, was advised to report it and then he swam back to Edgartown where he went to sleep at the Shiretown Inn. He finally reported the accident after 9 a.m., but two boys fishing off Dike Bridge spotted the car and a scuba diver and police quickly responded. Mary Jo was found dead in the overturned car. No autopsy was ordered and her body was released, eventually to be flown to Northeastern Pennsylvania under supervision of Dun Gifford, now a EMK aide. Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident after causing personal i n j u r y. Jo e a n d G we n Kopechne had to endure years of pain as intense m e d i a c ove r a g e o f t e n smeared Mary Jo. Intense
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RFK with the Boiler Room Girls, 1968. political pressure caused Judge James Boyle to resign after filing his report of the inquest with Massachusetts Superior Court. Kashatus details the agony of the conflicted Kopechnes. They initially opposed exhumation of Mary Jo’s body. In 1971, they visited Chappaquiddick and talked to scuba diver Farrar. He told them that he might have been able to save Mary Jo had he been alerted quickly. That intensified the Kopechnes’ depression, especially that of Joe, Kashatus said, and they questioned Ted Kennedy’s innocence thereafter. The 2018 movie “Chappaquiddick’’ written by Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan gets high marks from Kashatus. The screenwriters did justice to Mary Jo, Kashatus writes. He quotes Logan, “We wanted to show, even in a time of great crisis, she was poised. And she was somebody who had great courage and who had a lot of promise ahead of her.” The book abounds in praise of the character and lifestyle of Mary Jo. She was “modest in her speech, clothing and behavior,’’ said her cousin, Georgetta Potoski of Plymouth. “She was tenderhearted but never sloppily sentimental. She encouraged, supported and assisted
anyone in need,” Potoski said. Mary Jo’s life and legacy are much greater than her death at Chappaquiddick and the cottage industry of sensational accounts that followed her for the next half century, Kashatus argues. He said Mary Jo can be celebrated for her positive impact on Ted Kennedy, who forged a respectable reputation as a hard-working senator, the bulwark of some of the most important measures on civil rights, education and health care passed by Congress in the last half century. “If Kennedy truly believed that ‘atonement is a process that never ends,’ then perhaps he did his penance by championing such meaningful legislation. If so, Mary Jo Kopechne inspired those achievements because her death forced Edward Kennedy to strive for a higher standard,’’ the author concluded. “Before Chappaquiddick: The Untold Story of Mary Jo Kopechne and the Kennedy Brothers’’ not only portrays Mary Jo as a Wyoming Valley product worthy of esteem but it also offers a wellresearched and solid analysis of the Chappaquiddick tragedy. Any library of Kennedy family history needs this book.
ALCOTT: Unfinished work by ‘Little Women’ author found FROM PaGE C2
Alcott’s archives, stored at Harvard University’s Houghton Library. “Aunt Nellie’s Diary” appears in the Strand’s spring issue, delayed until now because of the coronavirus. “What struck me was the maturity of the work,” says Gulli, who in recent years has published obscure fiction by Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and many others in his literary quarterly. “Here was Alcott, who was on the cusp of adulthood, creating a complex work,
where her main character is a single woman in her 40s, who defies many of the stereotypes of how women were portrayed in mid-19th century America.” Because “Aunt Nellie’s Diary” ends with various storylines unresolved, Gulli is inviting readers to complete the narrative. “We’ll post guidelines in the coming weeks,” he says. Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, but spent much of her childhood moving around Massachusetts as her father, the educator and philosopher Amos Bronson Alcott,
attemptedsuchinitiativesasan experimental school and an agrarian commune. Louisa May and her three sisters were employed in various jobs, and the author would speak of her writing as a release from the family’s ongoing financial struggles. Around the same time she attempted “Aunt Nellie’s Diary,” she worked on her first novel, “The Inheritance,” which remained unpublished until the 1990s. Alcott’s reputation is defined by “Little Women,” the classic novel from the late 1860s about a New England family that was based on her
own childhood. But she also published bloodied thrillers, children’s stories and sketches based on her volunteer work as a nurse during the Civil War. Alcott scholar Daniel Shealy says that “Aunt Nellie’s Diary” reflects what the author called her sentimental phase, her early immersion in such British authors as Charles Dickens and Sir Walter Scott. “You can see her picking up on some of the romanticized, even sensationalized material from those books. It’s a tough time for her, because the family was short
of money, but it’s also a creative time. She’s beginning to develop and mature as a writer,” says Shealy, a professor of English at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. “If I had to compare this to ‘Little Women,’ I’d say that you can see her ability to create characters that you can take an interest in. And you see her ability to have several strands of the story going off in different directions, and you’re wondering how she going to tie this all together. Clearly, this story is building to a big reveal, and we’re going to learn new things about the characters’ pasts.”