Saturday, May 25, 2013

Where We Live

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Rory Koons remembers very vividly that spring day in 1986. Unlike this spring when hardly a day went by without rain, the April 25 years ago was very dry. Brush fires were breaking out everywhere.

The worst of these was to occur on cinco de mayo - the fifth of May - that year.

It was one of the most destructive forest fires in decades in Carbon County, consuming a 10-square mile area. Miraculous, no homes were destroyed and no lives were lost thanks to the determination of scores of firefighters. But there were plenty of close calls.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Fresh from father's kitchen

A little more than a year ago, on April 2, 2010, my big sister Kay lay down to sleep, closed her eyes and passed over into God's arms.

Although we were born 13 years apart, we shared a few common interests, including reading, horseback riding, cooking and baking.

The latter two were nurtured by our father, who during our childhoods, operated restaurants.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Education is crucial

By AMY MILLER

amillertnonline.com

Over the last few weeks, I've had the opportunity to cover quite a few children's events in the area.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

The cycle of spring

By MARY TOBIA

tneditor@tnonline.com

Spring has finally arrived in Pennsylvania!

Our backyard tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are announcing this fact even though the warm spring days have not been many.

Our forsythias are making their bright yellow appearance and the weather is making our old lilac bush think about budding again.

Soon we will set up the gazebo, lawn chairs and backyard swing for those long summer evenings of relaxing outside.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Some more Irish humor

The last time I wrote in this space I shared some Irish jokes with you. The response to those jokes was so good I thought I do it again. Here goes.

McQuillan walked into a bar and ordered martini after martini, each time removing the olives and placing them in a jar. When the jar was filled with olives and all the drinks consumed, he started to leave. "S'cuse me," said a customer, who was puzzled over what McQuillan had done. "What was that all about?" "Nothing," he replied, "my wife just sent me out for a jar of olives."

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Hoping the music doesn't die

Ron Beltz of Lehighton loves singing. That's why he joined the Coal Cracker Chorus, an all-male chorus that's part of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

He stressed that it isn't discriminatory being "all male" because there is an all-female unit, the Sweet Adelines.

The Coal Cracker Chorus has been bringing musical joy to countless individuals for over 60 years. The group, based in Barnesville and consisting of about 18 members from throughout Carbon and Schuylkill Counties, formed in 1950.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Remembering Joe

It's been a rough week.

As most of you know, early Tuesday we lost one of our own Tamaqua bureau chief Joe Plasko.

For the few who did not know Joe, he was a terrific person. He was smart, hardworking, funny and kind.

He was a walking treasure trove of information. Ask him a question about music, and he could answer it easily. Ask him something about sports no problem. If it were about local sports, he would not only give you the answer, but possibly some statistics to back it up.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Fifty years of flood protection

By RON GOWER

rgower@tnonline.com

There's a major anniversary in Carbon County this year. It's unlikely there will be much of a celebration with it, but the event is one of the most important to ever occur in Carbon.

On June 10, it will mark 50 years since the dedication of Francis E. Walter Dam, which straddles the Carbon and Luzerne County line.

It was initially called Bear Creek Dam. The name was changed to the Francis E. Walter Dam by Congress on June 8, 1963.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Nudging life in the right direction

It's late morning, on Saturday, and I'm relaxing in the well-worn recliner in our library, my MacBook resting on our hefty tabby, Albert, who is snoozing on my lap.

At 13 years old and a good 20-plus pounds, Albert enjoys the warmth generated by the laptop as much as being on my lap; he curls and then stretches his paws, purring as he naps.

The interlude is one of my breaks in what is typically a day of household chores and home maintenance projects.

How I spend this free time has changed over the years, depending upon the level of technology in our household.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Cruising with friends

Over the last year, a lot has changed in my life.

I got married, moved out of my parents' home, and saw the West Coast for the first time.

I also went on my honeymoon to Hawaii. The trip was an experience neither Bob nor I will ever forget. Two sunny, beautiful weeks on the Golden Princess ship sailing the Pacific Ocean to paradise.

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