Sunday, April 30, 2017

Andy's Angles: Flashback

On a weekend when summer-like temperatures are expected, a flashback to the morning of March 14.

This is Public Square in downtown Wilkes-Barre, as the Blizzard of '17 was just getting wound up.  A few inches of snow on the ground, and two feet more on the way.

Enjoy the heat and the weekend.

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Andy's Angles: Do Not Disturb

It's been a while since Nathan made an appearance here.

I took this as he was napping the other day, obviously annoyed that I disturbed his mid day snooze.

Friday, April 28, 2017

Let's Review


Let's review.




See you in the morning.

Thursday, April 27, 2017


Given the circumstances of the case and the way the law is written, there could be no other outcome.

Eric Frein:  guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to death.

The evidence for the first degree murder conviction, and the case for the death penalty were overwhelming.  The prosecution had written and taped confessions.  Mitigating factors during the penalty phase were weak, at best.  That's not the fault of the defense attorneys.  They did the best with what they had.  They didn't have a much.  A victory would have been keeping Eric Frein off death row.

There is an automatic appeal of death penalty cases.  Some legal experts believe errors were made during the trial.  We could go through this again.

I won't get in to a death penalty debate.  The death penalty is still on the books here in Pennsylvania.  An inmate hasn't been executed in two decades.  Governor Wolf is against the death penalty.  This will be a court and legislative battle for a long time to come.

There are still unanswered questions.  As I am fond of saying (not an original thought), a trial is not a search for the truth.  It is a judgement of evidence.

We know what Eric Frein did, beyond a reasonable doubt.  We don't know why.  The prosecution doesn't have to establish a motive.  It was shown Eric Frein didn't like authority and he favored a revolution.  Still, there has to be some reason why he chose those troopers, at that barracks, on that night.  I like to think we'll know some day.  Someone will talk, eventually.  It could be and should be Eric Frein.  Remember, there are laws that prohibit criminals from profiting from their acts.  He cannot sell his story.  He does owe everyone an explanation-- the police, the people who paid for the search and trial, the people who lived in fear during his weeks on the run...

Someone will talk, someday.

Until then, this is a book without a final chapter.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Wednesday Scrapple

There was a reunion of the people who used to work at one of my old television stations last weekend-- a great bunch, and I was lucky to work with them.  Thanks for the invite, but I'm not much of a social butterfly these days and I didn't attend.  There were many familiar faces on David DeCosmo's blog.  I hope my teachers, and my friends are all doing well.

As noted here before, a guilty pleasure is watching old game shows and old newscasts on You Tube.  Scrabble was a darn fine show, and I wish someone would bring it back.

Joanie from Happy Days, Erin Moran, died last week.  56.   That's way too young, and I'm sorry.  I know I'm about to offend a lot of people, but I never thought Happy Days was very good and was one of the most over-rated TV shows in history.

Even though I was off last weekend, I was up all night anyway.

Earth Day has become so political, and it was a trend that started lone before Donald Trump became president.  Unfortunately, it reminds me of the Great American Smoke Out in the fall.  It's forgotten about the day after.

What's on the internet now that April the Giraffe has given birth? is one of my favorite web sites.  It's clean and easy to use.  It has the character of the newspaper, but a distinct web identity.  Some newspaper web sites are a total mess.

President Trump is coming back to Pennsylvania this weekend.  Harrisburg.  Luzerne County is one of the places credited with putting the Trump campaign over the top.  There have been two recent visits to south central Pennsylvania.  None here.  Why?

I haven't touched vinyl in years, but I'm still very happy there is a National Record Store Day.

The apparent and admitted misbehavior of the lieutenant governor is just sad.  If that happened in the private sector...

CVS is eliminating most candy in its stores.  It doesn't bother me.  For some reason, a drug store was never my "sweet" destination.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

The Start

The Eric Frein homicide trial in Milford brought back a lot of memories.  I was on the duty the night of the shootings.  It was my job to make sure we had our people in the right places to cover the story.  I produced, wrote and anchored the first newscast after the incident, Newswatch 16 Saturday Morning.  My coworkers stepped up, and I was very proud of our product that weekend.

The trial also reminded me of my first venture into street reporting, and let me tell you what brought back those memories.

My job on opening day of the Frein trial was to do reaction from people in the Milford.  Things like this are few and far between.  The town was filled with media and the curious.  Newswatch 16's Jim Hamill covered the opening arguments.  I was the street guy.

Photographer Bonnie and I surveyed the landscape.  The first few people we approached for interviews turned us down.  We then spied a young woman across the street.  I discovered her name was Brenna Cavallaro.  We talked, on camera.  She said she comes from a law enforcement family, and she was there with the goal of writing something for her high school newspaper at Delaware Valley.  That story is at the top of today's blog entry.

Not only did Brenna provide some interesting comments, she was "the hook."  She wasn't just a random person in the perk.  Brenna had a special reason for being there, and a beyond run of the mill perspective.  I did get another interview, but Brenna was the focus of the story.

As Bonnie and I went back to our truck to write and edit a story for Newswatch 16 at Noon, I handed Brenna a business card.  I asked her to send me a copy of the story if she was successful in getting some space in the paper.  The story was in my WNEP mail box when I made a special trip back to the office, during a vacation, to check.  It's good work, and that's why I'm sharing it here.

I should note that the entire newspaper "Del Aware" looks great and has solid content.  It rivals some college newspapers I've seen.  The students and faculty should be proud.

Now, me.

I was just a pup at WARM 590 in March of 1982, having been on staff for less than a year.  Our news director, the great Jerry Heller thought there was a story in Honesdale we should be covering.  A man was on trial for killing a child.  Jerry asked if a couple days of coverage would fit in to my college schedule.  It did.  He asked me to come to the station, pick up a news car, and then go to Honesdale.  I deferred, saying it would be easier for me to go to the courthouse directly.  I was too embarrassed to say I couldn't drive a car with a standard transmission.  Thanks to coworker Brian Francis Roche, I later learned.  Thank you, Brian.

I arrived at the Wayne County courthouse on that first morning and was totally lost.  This wasn't "Matlock."  It's nothing like what you see on television.  I took notes on the testimony and phoned back an hourly report.  The first ones weren't very good.  The legendary Terry McNulty was doing afternoon news on WARM back then.  He suggested ways to make my reporting better, more clear, and more concise.  Terry got me through, and I owe him a lot.  I still remember and use some of Terry's first day lessons.  Most people remember terry for his zany DJ antics as "The Big Fella."  In my early years at WARM, Terry was one of the afternoon news anchors.  We had disagreements and a battle or two.  You have to give the man credit for knowing how to present a news story with a sense of immediacy and urgency.  I owe Terry a lot.

After a while, I got the hang of it.  I could almost predict when the district attorney and defense attorney would object to something.  Even a newbie like me could see there were some big holes in the case.  Trials move very slowly.  I was able to pick my opportunities to get out of the courtroom to hit the pay phone in the lobby.  Again, it's a skill I use to this day.

I wasn't there for the very end, but the defendant was found "not guilty."  I wasn't surprised.  Simply, it was not a solid case.  Remember that a trial is not a search for the truth.  It's a judgement of evidence.  Also, it's a court of law, not a court of justice.

I should add that the district attorney was Ray Hamill.  I have the pleasure of working with his son, Jim.  Small world.

As I've said here before, It's rewarding to have "the big story."  However, as the years add up, I get just as much satisfaction from seeing young people blossom in to solid journalists and broadcasters.  I have a feeling Brenna Cavallaro will be added to the list.

Monday, April 24, 2017

The Factor

I've always thought Bill O'Reilly is a tremendously talented broadcaster.

After reading a book by a former producer, I learned O'Reilly is responsible for every word of his now former FOX News Channel broadcast.  He either wrote it at a computer, scribbled it out on a note pad, or dictated it to a secretary of producer.

If you read a transcript of his show, and didn't know the author, you would think it was coming from a moderate, reasonable individual.

He is smart, and informed, and he knew how to draw an audience.  For 20 years, O'Reilly was the signature voice and face of the network.

Unfortunately, good broadcaster doesn't translate into being a good person.  O'Reilly denies all the harassment allegations and I get that.  You have to admit there's an awful lot of evidence against him.  You can forgive a mistake.  Overlooking a distinct and long standing  pattern is an entirely different story.

FOX News let O'Reilly go last week.

He doesn't need the money, but I'm sure Bill O'Reilly will re-surface somewhere.  I think his network days are done, at least for a while.  He could sign with a TV station group, or syndicate a show on his own.  He'd be perfect on Sunday mornings.

There was a radio version of the O'Reilly Factor.  It didn't last long.  O'Reilly went up against Rush Limbaugh, a tough time slot.  For the most part, Limbaugh had all the decent stations locked up.  That has changed, so the climate is right for O'Reilly to take another shot at it.  Podcasting to the masses is always an option.  There is already a subscription only podcast.

There is a place in the media world for Bill O'Reilly.  There has to be some serious image rehabilitation, responsibility taking,  and some daring sponsors first.

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Andy's Angles: St. Nicholas

This is St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Scranton, almost next door to St. Matthew's, which was in this space yesterday.  They are separated only by Vine Street.

The sun wasn't my friend when I took this recent photo, but I think you get the idea.  It's a beautiful building.

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Andy's Angles: Blessed

Our area is blessed, pardon the pun, to have so many historic and beautiful places of worship.

This is St. Matthew's on Jefferson Avenue in Scranton.

Friday, April 21, 2017

The First

It's sleeping Homer's first appearance of 2017, and it means I'm taking my first vacation week of the year.  There were a few scattered days off in January, but I haven't had a full week off since October.

I'm a little tired.  It's time.

Now, the standards:  no plans other than the gym, some bike rides, reading, photography, and possibly Kmart.

I have yet to decide on a vacation beard, which has been the standard the last several years.  I haven't touched a razor since Tuesday morning, so I'm on my way.

The weekend morning broadcasts are in the capable hands of Jim Hamill.

See you soon.

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Getting Personal

I really don't get super personal here, but today will be an exception.

Let's go back a few months.  An old friend from junior high and high school called me out of the blue and suggested we get together.  I agreed to the concept, but I kept delaying the actual event.  My old friend knows the hours and days I work.  He was completely understanding and forgiving, even though I kept blowing him off.

I sent him a text the other day, saying I'm sorry for the delay.  I'm on vacation.  If you're still interested, name a time, day and location, and I'll make it happen.

It happened Tuesday night.

Part of me looked forward to it.  Another part dreaded it.  He suggested a little corner bar in Scranton.  I agreed, as long as it was non smoking.  It is.  By the way, Diet Cokes were exceptionally reasonable.  It's amazing how many bars soak you for a soda.  Responsible behavior is important, but it can be very expensive.  The food looked great.  However, I wasn't hungry.

The meeting went well.  We had some laughs about the old days, and caught up to current times.  I heard some stories about classmates that I didn't know before, and I'm sort of sorry I learned what I learned.  Be that as it may.

I don't know what my friend expected.  I assured him that I might have grown a bit, but I am essentially the same guy he last saw in a cap and gown nearly forty years ago.

Okay, here is some more personal stuff.  When I'm off duty, Mr. Television goes away.  The TV job is like a coat.  I like it a great deal, but I wear it only when I'm working.  When my shift ends, I enjoy and savor fading in to the background.  I talk for a living.  I don't do much when I'm away from the office.

Take a look at the photos you see here.  You see landscapes, buildings, rivers and a cat.  You almost never see me.  The same goes with Facebook and Instagram.  There is no need to be the center of attention.

What occasionally scares me, is I fear some people mistake retiring for arrogant, because I don't really say much when I'm off duty.  It's happened before.  If you have been offended, I'm sorry.  It wasn't intentional.  Thankfully, my friend "got it" and the night went well.

He suggested doing it again, and possibly adding another friend or two.  I left the door open.  Small steps.  I was one of those high schoolers who had a small, but close circle of friends.  That was more than enough.  There was no desire to be class president.  One of the best feelings ever was when I took off the cap and gown, and walked into the fresh, post-graduation air of an early summer evening.  As I have said here before, I liked learning.  I didn't like high school.

As for my friend, good times and bad.  That's typical.  We've all been there.  Back in the day, he was one of the funnier people at that soul crushing school of mine.  The laughs were important back then.  They still are, and he is still capable of delivering.

I'm sure there's a lesson in here somewhere.  Maybe, a moral of the story.  You may take what you please from the above paragraphs.  Looking ahead is important, but there are times it can be equally important to see where you came from.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Wednesday Scrapple

Do people still care about Hatchimals?

The price of Donald Trump ties has skyrocketed on E-Bay.

The Frein trial moved faster than expected.  We learned a few new things, not a lot.  More than anything, it seems like a defense exercise to avoid the death penalty.

I was in a Burlington store the other day, and all but one of the front doors was locked.  There was no panic hardware on the inside.  It looks like an attempt to curb shoplifting, but it's a clear violation of fire safety laws.  Why am I the only one who noticed this?

"Quick Pitch" on the MLB Network remains one of the best shows on television.  No silly ESPN style schtick.  Just the highlights.  Outstanding!

The speed in which we went from a blizzard and two feet of snow, to flooding, to brush fires is amazing.

I found some very nice Easter flowers this year, but man, did the price go up!

Brian Williams can't seem to stay out of trouble.  He has been harshly criticized for remarks made during coverage of the U.S missile strike on Syria.  Williams talked about the beauty of American weapons, and many on social media let his have it.  Williams isn't my favorite guy, but look at intent.  I don't think he meant to diminish the importance and significance of human life.  It was just a poor choice of words.  Let's leave it at that.

I can't wait for the primary season to really heat up.

It looks like Bill O'Reilly is in some serious trouble at FOX News.

It seems like a lot of criminals come to our area to hide, and it seems like an awful lot get caught.

It was chilly and breezy yesterday, but I actually managed to get a little sunburn.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Fly United

The dust hasn't totally settled on this one, but it's settled enough for me to yammer about it.

United recently came under fire for bumping a man from a flight.  The passenger didn't want to go, so they dragged him off.

It's disgusting behavior on United's part, and perfectly legal.  On the ticket, it says the airline has the right to bump you.

That's simply a lousy practice, and it should have been outlawed long ago.

Airlines claim their profit margins are slim, so they have to maximize every flight.  In this case, United said it needed the seat to get a full in crew in place for another flight at another airport.

Often, passengers book and never show.

I don't care.

Don't make your passengers suffer just because you have a hard time making money.  Figure out how to do it right, or go out of business.

Grampa Stroehmann doesn't reserve the right to take his bread back.  Ronald McDonald doesn't tell you he can snatch a Big Mac out of your hand if he feels like it.  Airlines shouldn't be any different.  Buy the ticket.  Take your seat.  Get your flight.  Receive what you paid for.  It's time for the government to step in.
The head of United said an incident like this will never happen again.  I hope he's right, and I hope other airlines follow suit.

Yes, there has always been financial consideration for those who voluntarily give up their seat.  It shouldn't come to a situation like that in the first place.

Monday, April 17, 2017


I hope you had a chance to see Jimmy Kimmel's Don Rickles tribute.

One part really jumped out at me.  Kimmel related a conversation with Rickles when Don asked "Keep my name alive."

Apologies for yammering on again about my old radio days.  I was very proud of what we accomplished there, even though the station was in decline when I arrived in 1981.

Even though its dominance ended a long time ago, people are keeping the legend of WARM alive.  There's at least one blog and one Facebook page that I know of.  That's great.

Here is what prompted this blog entry.

We went through a few program directors during my time at WARM.  John Hancock was the best.  He repaired a lot o damage and got the place humming again.  We were aggressive, we got out in to the community more, and we had a great time doing it.  It was fun to go to work.

For the last 25 years or so, John has been at WBT 1110, a blowtorch in Charlotte, NC.  He does 3 to 6 PM.  Thanks to my C. Crane internet radio and my Amazon Echo, I listen at least a few days a week.  John occasionally tells a WARM story, especially when it comes to the talents and the antics of the late, great Terry McNulty.  I've been mentioned in a few of those tales, and it's always a kick.

I've been on national TV and radio, and in a couple of movies.  However, my greatest delight is being mentioned on the radio in Charlotte, and someone keeping WARM, and what we did there, alive.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Andy's Angles: Pike County Courthouse

Milford is one of my favorite places, even though it's in the spotlight this month for a horrible event.

This is a dawn shot of the Pike County Courthouse.  On the right, you can see the steel skeleton of an addition.  They tried to tuck it into the back, much less obtrusive than an earlier design.

I can't say I'm a fan.  It will detract from the beauty and the historical nature of the building.

The need for space and security is acknowledged.  I would have built a totally new structure near by and used the old courthouse for something else.

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Andy's Angles: Milford

History along Route 6 in Milford...

The building on the left is the old jail, now the sheriff's office.  Love the pike wind vane at the top.  the other structure is a county administration building.  Great style.  It really fits in with the old buildings in Milford.

Friday, April 14, 2017

The Needle and the Damage Done

I couldn't believe what I was reading, and it seems like I'm using the phrase "Are you kidding me!?" far too often.

The Scranton Wilkes-Barre Railriders plan to erect a seven foot statue of Roger Clemens at the ballpark in Moosic.  There will be a Roger Clemens night, complete with free bobbleheads to the fans.

It bears repeating.  Are you kidding me?

Clemens pitched here.  Once.  That's it.  Once.  One and done.  Six innings.  Granted, he did draw the largest crowd in the remodeled stadium's short history.

Roger Clemens was a great pitcher.  354 wins.  He is third in all time strike outs.

While Clemens never  failed a drug test, he remains under the performance enhancing drug cloud.  He's not in the Hall of Fame.  It might never happen.  I'd certainly vote "no."  Without a doubt.

Clemens was named in the Mitchell Report as a steroid user.  His former trainer ratted him out.  That former trainer may or may not be reliable.  Clemens was tried for perjury and lying to congress.  The first trial ended in a mistrial.  He was acquitted in the second.

The Scranton Wilkes-Barre Railriders are now a private entity.  Lackawanna County sold control years ago.  The new owners can do as they please.  I can't help but question the thought process that went into the Clemens statue.

Thursday, April 13, 2017


Many years ago, I worked at a radio station with excellent ratings.  When the latest batch would come in, showing us dominating the rest of the market, one of the jocks would always say "Could you imagine what would happen if we did it right?"  The implication was that even a flawed radio station was drawing a good audience.  Getting rid of the flaws would have resulted in a phenomenal audience share.

I thought of those radio episodes when a saw a recent news release from the National Park Service.  It showed Steamtown's 2016 attendance was up 11.2 % from the year before.  Nearly 100,000 people came to Steamtown in 2016.

Could you imagine if they did it right?

First, the entrance is nearly impossible to find-- and it's gotten even worse since a new bus station was built at Lackawanna Avenue and Cliff Street.

Second, Steamtown doesn't change much.  There are occasional new displays, and the yearly RailFest.  Other than that, Steamtown in January still looks like Steamtown in July, minus the snow.

Third, Steamtown really doesn't seem to have integrated itself into the community.  Yes, there is some involvement in Scranton projects.  It's not enough.  Its semi secluded location has a lot to do with that.

Steamtown is a federal government entity, so it has a ready stream of revenue.  There's no major need to compete for the tourist dollar.  In a way, that's a good thing.  That's stability.  On the other hand, it encourages complacency.  Why go the extra mile?  We get money from the government.

I know there are other priorities.  However, could you imagine the people who would flock here if Steamtown did it right?

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

More Mall Talk

Last week marked the 25th anniversary of the implosion along Lackawanna Avenue in downtown Scranton that made way for the Mall at Steamtown, now the Marketplace at Steamtown.

Above are two photos I took that morning, as I broadcast from what used to be the First Eastern Bank building at Lackawanna and Washington.  I've been doing this a long time.  it was terrifying at the time because our broadcast had some technical issues.  Looking back, it was one of the most fun and rewarding days of my career.

I cannot walk through that mall without thinking of implosion morning, the grand opening, all the stores, and all the promise that mall once held.  Things have changed a lot over the last 25 years.  should the mall have been built?  Hindsight says no, but at the time, it was the best idea on the table.  Sadly, no one was interested in restoring those buildings and no one wanted to come up with the money to do it.

Thanks to those of you who responded to last week's query about the name of the original toy store in the Viewmont Mall.  It was "Kids" before it was "Kay Bee."  "Kids" packed a lot in to a small space.  It seems there was something for everyone-- science to fun, and all ages.  I haven't been in a toy store in years.  I'll have to check out one of the big boxes to see how things have changed.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Media Tuesday

Don Rickles died last week.  90.  Big fan, in short bursts.  He nailed every appearance with Johnny Carson.  A Rickles and Howard Stern appearance on one of David Letterman's last shows was a classic.  Stern was so gracious and reverential.  Anyway, his comedy routine success could never translate to a successful sitcom.  Getting lost in all of this is Don Rickles had serious acting chops.  Read a list of his work.  There is some quality stuff.

If you can find it, watch Jimmy Kimmel's Don Rickles tribute.  It was fantastic.  It rivaled David Letterman's tribute to Robin Williams.  Kimmel might not match the numbers generated by Fallon and Colbert, but he could be the new King of Late Night.

CBS kicked Phil Simms to the curb in favor of untested rookie Tony Romo.  Giving a newcomer the "A" game every week is insane.  FOX was smart enough to put Troy Aikman on some European League games before he was moved up to the top team.  And, even when he did make it to the "A" team, Aikman was part of a three man booth.  CBS is taking a big gamble, and this one could bite it on the butt.

Note to the people who program The River 104.9:  Please stop fading "Baker Street" out early.

"Brockmire" on IFC, at least the first episode, is outrageously funny.  Long story short, Jim Brockmire is a major league baseball announcer who has an on air meltdown over a cheating wife.  He winds up in Morrisville, PA, as the public address announcer for the  Morristown Frackers.  The fracking references are hilarious, and Amanda Peet as the team owner is a delight.  Advice:  "Brockmire" is not for the kids.

Our friends at the Times~Leader print restaurant inspections every week, and that's a great idea.  You wonder how some of these places continue to function.  I worry about abuse of power, but some filthy establishments should be padlocked immediately.

Congratulations to former WARM 590 program director John Hancock.  Yesterday, he was named to the hall of fame at WBT 1110 in Charlotte, NC.  We still swap occasional texts and emails.  John was a great guy to work for, and he's become a legend in Charlotte.  It's a well deserved honor.

I topped 1,900 Twitter followers last week, and Facebook "likes" are steadily climbing.  Thank you.

Monday, April 10, 2017

Monday Scrapple

I will never understand why people don't grind their own pepper.  The pre-ground stuff has absolutely no flavor.

It's about time professional sports leagues stop being afraid of Las Vegas.

I know everyone says it all the time, but the year really is flying by.

Change is natural.  However, it's startling to watch the upheaval in American retail.  Some big names are gone, or are going.  It seems like just about everyone, except the discounters, are downsizing.

It has a clear political agenda, and there are times it goes too far, but the NY Post is always an entertaining read.

You have to wonder how the greats, like Chancellor, Smith, Cronkite, Reasoner, Murrow, Reynolds, and Jennings would handle the current political climate in Washington.

Even though most of the time I buy nothing more than a soft pretzel, I still enjoy walking around a mall.

I know how it works, but USPS, UPS and FedEx package tracking still fascinates me.

Crayola changes one color and gets billions in free publicity.  Genius.  The same goes for Monopoly tokens.  By the way, how has Monopoly survived all these years.  I always found it to be long and boring.

The circus has entertained millions over the years, but big cats and other animals shouldn't be crammed into cages and hauled around the country via train.

I'm not a pierogi fan.  However, I recently noticed pizza flavored ones.  Meh.  The ricotta was rather chalky.

Every town and every street has potholes, but there are some monsters on Olyphant Avenue in Scranton and the city should jump on this right away.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Andy's Angles: The Lackawanna

We've been showing and talking a lot about rivers lately.  Outside of hurricane and tropical storm visits, this is the rainiest period we've had in quite a while.

Luckily and thankfully, the Lackawanna has behaved itself.  It does have the capability to do a lot of damage.  Ask the people who live in the Plot section of Scranton.

These pictures were taken on a recent morning in Old Forge.

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Andy's Angles: Biscuits

I'm always tickled when old buildings get a new use and a new life.  I do realize that it's not always feasible. 

The Hitchner Biscuit Company bakery in West Pittston is one of the success stories.  The building is now 18 apartments for the elderly and the handicapped.  WNEP's Jim Murdoch did the story when the building was dedicated, and I was jealous.  I would have loved to get a good look at the inside.

 You'd really love to see more of this.  I've put North Scranton Junior High in this space before.  That building is also apartments, plus a theater.

It would have been nice to see Lackawanna Avenue in Scranton in Scranton fixed up rather than imploded.  Unfortunately, the money wasn't there.  No one was stepping up to do it, and some of those buildings were beyond repair.
They even repainted the signs on the building, a perfect touch.

Friday, April 7, 2017

About the Cover

This month's blog header contains two of my loves-- water and railroads.

I like looking at water, not getting in it.  This is a shot of the rain and snow melt swollen Susquehanna River at West Pittston.  I took the shot the morning of March 30.
You just have to wonder how many trains crossed the Susquehanna over the years, all that cargo.  Somebody figured out a long time ago that trucks can do it better, and I get that.  It's not nearly as much fun.

Thursday, April 6, 2017

The Judge

He served Lackawanna County and the federal government.  Judge Edwin Kosik was an outstanding member of the bench.  I'm thrilled and relieved that he was found safe Thursday evening.

My first encounter with Judge Kosik was on my last day of high school.  He spoke at the commencement.  I remember he was funny and charming.  Unfortunately, I can't come up with any quotes.  Commencement addresses are vastly overrated.  All everyone wants is to get their diplomas and get out of there.  Nothing personal.

Kosik was a no nonsense, get it done judge.  He had a sense of humor, but there was no fooling around.  I vividly remember a proceeding for accused killer William Dean Christiansen back in the 80's.  I was on the radio at the time.  Christiansen was a suspected serial killer who went by a number of aliases.  During that hearing before Judge Kosik, Christiansen insisted on calling himself something else.  Kosik said, and this is a quote I can remember "You can call yourself Rose for all I care."  It made for an entertaining radio report.  It's too bad cameras and microphones are forbidden in Pennsylvania courtrooms. Christiansen was found guilty.  He died in prison.

I was almost a little disappointed when Kosik was appointed to the federal bench.  When you had a Kosik hearing, you know it would be done on time, quickly, and efficiently.  Law students should study his work-- and learn.  Other judges should adopt the Kosik style.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Tornadoes and Floods






Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Mall Talk







Monday, April 3, 2017

John Perry

courtesy:  Paul Lowry
John Perry died Friday.  92.






My sympathy to family, friends, and former colleagues.

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Andy's Angles: Beavers

I've been meaning to get to these photos for a while.  They're from my recent trip to Dunmore Reservoir # 1.  The area apparently has an active and a busy beaver population.
I didn't see any on my visit, but I knew they were here.  Simply fascinating creatures.

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Andy's Angles: April Fool!



Have a great weekend, and don't fall for any pranks.