• Home
The Optimist
Ed Ackerman | GreaterPittstonProgress.com
Menu Close
  • Home

Month: May 2015

This tree, like most, had a story to tell

May 29, 2015Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

They cut down the tree Bobby Waitkevich fell out of and nearly killed himself. Yes, that Bobby Waitkevich. Whitey to some. Pedro to others. But I didn’t even know his name when it happened. He was just that little kid… Continue Reading →

Memorial Day at Arlington

May 27, 2015Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

Arlington, 2014IMG_0196Don’t know about you but Memorial Day caught me by surprise this year. It still feels like it should be this upcoming weekend rather than the one just passed. This is the first Memorial Day in a good seven… Continue Reading →

Arlington National Cemetery, Dale Kridlo, Memorial Day, Section 60

King of the wild frontier

May 22, 2015Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

Born on a mountain top in Tennessee, greenest state in the land of the free Raised in the woods so he knew every tree, killed himself a bar when he was only three Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild… Continue Reading →

Davy Crockett, Fess Parker, Tennessee, The Alamo

Why I vote

May 20, 2015Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

“You’re old enough to kill, but not for voting’,” Barry McGuire sang to my generation in 1965. The song “Eve of Destruction” came out during a time when male high school grads who did not get themselves into college or… Continue Reading →

elections, Iraq, voting

Smiles and I

May 14, 2015Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

There isn’t a person who makes a living painting pictures with words who does not identify with the old Dorothy Parker lament “I hate to write; I love to have written.” Except one. Jack Smiles. And because of him, another.… Continue Reading →

Jack Smiles

Yogi

May 13, 2015Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

Yogi Berra turned 90 Tuesday. I was never much of a Yankees fan but always a Yogi fan. Who isn’t? After all, Pittston is a town with an actual fork-in-the-road. Do you know how often I’ve repeated the Yogism, “When… Continue Reading →

Yogi

‘A hundred pounds of dynamite’

May 8, 2015Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

Fred Eshleman is nothing if not passionate. He never does small talk. He does big talk. Big, enthusiastic, love of life talk. Fred’s favorite topics include his native Avoca, his new home in Florida (especially if he’s hosted visitors from… Continue Reading →

Mother's Day

The other ‘unsinkable’ ship

May 6, 2015Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

Tomorrow, May 7, 2015, marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania. A few commemorative events are planned, but, except for those who just read the sentence above, most Americans will not even know. Or care. And that’s… Continue Reading →

Erik Larson, Lusitania

Come for the festival, enjoy West Pittston

May 1, 2015Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

Well, Greater Pittston Pittston Progress has given me my walking papers. For Saturday’s West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival Parade that is. A group of us from the paper will walk in the parade which starts at noon at the Blue… Continue Reading →

Cherry Blossom, Festivals, ice cream, West Pittston

About the Optimist

Ed Ackerman Ed Ackerman, a consulting editor and columnist for the Greater Pittston Progress, has served the people of Greater Pittston for 48 years, starting in the newspaper field at age 17. The Pittston resident will share his thoughts in this blog and in a weekly column published in the Progress. greaterpittstonprogress.com

RSS Ed Ackerman Columns

  • An error has occurred, which probably means the feed is down. Try again later.

Recent Comments

    Recent Posts

    • It’s easy? I don’t think so
    • Food insecurity? Really?
    • ‘Right’ Aid
    • Ode to comfort food
    • The heart of the matter

    Archives

    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    © 2021 The Optimist. All rights reserved.
    Fashionista by aThemes