Charlie Rokosz. Those two words come to mind every New Year’s Day and just the sound of them brings a smile to my face and surely to the face of anyone who knew him. Charlie Rokosz was Father Charles Rokosz,… Continue Reading
A Greater Pittston Christmas tradition of more than 20 years is about to come to an end. I received an email from John Grill that this is the last Christmas he will light the 60-ft. evergreen tree in front of… Continue Reading
Christmas fell on a Sunday in 1988 and that’s the first time I wrote “the football helmet” story in my column. I’ve repeated it from time to time, the last being 2016 when Christmas again fell on a Sunday. I’m… Continue Reading
Christmas makes me think of bells. And bells make me think of a joke. A joke that has nothing to do with Christmas. But I’m going to tell it anyway. Credit, or blame, goes to Father Jim Nash, who told… Continue Reading
This time of year presents an dilemma. It seems half the people are offended at “Merry Christmas.” And the other half by “Happy Holidays.” What’s a “person of good will” to do? Well, I was in New York City on… Continue Reading
My wife and I listened to a Christmas music channel on Sirius radio in her Subaru Outback when we went for our Christmas tree last Sunday. It was okay, but it cannot compare to the Christmas mix played on WSFX,… Continue Reading
Not enough people in Greater Pittston got to know Rev. Gary Mensinger. I was one of the handful who did. Father Gary, who passed away last Friday, was pastor of two Byzantine Catholic churches: St. Michael the Archangel on North… Continue Reading
War, to paraphrase the words of my friend Al Kridlo on the night he learned his son Dale had been killed in battle in Afghanistan, has a way of changing everything. It certainly did for the Ackermans of White Haven.… Continue Reading
A few years ago I was driving to the college on Interstate 81 one winter morning the day after a big snowstorm. I pulled into the left lane to pass a tractor-trailer and just as I neared the back of… Continue Reading