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Month: December 2017

Father Rokosz’s New Year’s blessing

December 29, 2017Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

Charlie Rokosz. Just the sound of his name brings a smile to the face of anyone who knew him. He was Father Charles rokosz, Catholic priest. When St. Joseph’s church in Duryea was closed for good a few years back,… Continue Reading →

Father Charles Rokosz, New Year blessing

Christmas used to be so simple

December 27, 2017Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

I finally sent my son and his wife their Christmas present on Dec. 26. The delay was partly because they’ve been traveling and I didn’t want a package sitting for a week outside the door of their condo in Los… Continue Reading →

Ghostbusters toys

Love was in the air

December 24, 2017Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

With an hour to go, Kristie and I agreed we had to dig deep to bring this thing home. We had been ringing our bells next to a Salvation Army red kettle outside of WalMart in Piitston Township for five… Continue Reading →

Salvation Army Red Kettles

The tree awaits

December 20, 2017Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

I got a really late start on Christmas this year, especially when it comes to the tree. It is sitting a few feet away as I write this (on the morning of Dec. 20) awaiting its lights and ornaments. We… Continue Reading →

Live Christmas trees

Christmas was coloring books

December 13, 2017Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

I got an Erector Set one Christmas. My dad loved it. He built a steam shovel. I watched him do it. I was never one for building things. Or, like my younger brother, taking them apart to see how they… Continue Reading →

Best invention ever

December 13, 2017Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

Three fellas are talking, the old joke begins. The topic is the best invention of all time. Gotta be the automobile, one says. It defined the American lifestyle. The lightbulb, another argues. It turned night into day. The thermos bottle,… Continue Reading →

See ya later at WalMart

December 9, 2017Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

Ruth Pryce and Bertha Harris. Those names are the first thing I think of every year when Christmas rolls around. They were the officers of the Salvation Army in West Pittston when I was invited to join the Advisory Board… Continue Reading →

Salvation Army Red Kettles

Egg foo young, s’il vous plait

December 6, 2017Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

My wife and I are regulars at the Star Asia Chinese buffet near the WalMart on Route 315 in Pittston Township. During one of our first visits there we ran into a doctor Mary Kay used to work with. He… Continue Reading →

Chinese food, fortune cookies

Be careful out there

December 1, 2017Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

My daughter was about 4 years old. We were wrapping up a little Christmas shopping at Boscov’s department store in downtown Wilkes-Barre, checking off the last few things on the list Mommy had given us of gifts for aunts, uncles,… Continue Reading →

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

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