Dear Editor:

The recent and untimely passing of TIMES NEWS reporter, Joe Plasko, prompted the writing of this letter. Joe covered the high school basketball games I was fortunate enough to coach during my tenure in the TIMES NEWS coverage area at Tamaqua and Lehighton area high schools.Throughout that long relationship we became friends.I always admired Joe's ability to convey honest, accurate, and detailed coverage of our games. He was never negative or demeaning to a player, coach, or school. Joe was extremely fair and always managed to find a positive spin or silver lining, no matter how dire that particular game or season was evolving. He always took the time to make sure quotes were accurate, so not to be taken out of context or tainted by emotion.Joe genuinely cared about his job and the people and student -athletes he affected. I think he sensed and understood the hard work players and coaches put forth. Joe, deep down, bled Tamaqua "blue and white", but would never bias another school or game he was assigned to.Joe Plasko, most of all, was a kind man; a humanitarian involved with his community, always available to serve for a good cause. His legacy of sports reporting, music and concert reviews, and just being Joe, a friend, will be sorely missed.Ed WiseFormer H.S. basketball coach