We're Back!

After several months of recovering from severe carpal tunnel syndrome. I've decided to resume my blog.  In the past, you the visitors have been kind to me and I miss interacting with you and telling you stories.  My capacity is still diminished.  But after a meeting at the Mill House last night we decided to launch a campaign to increase our visibility to the community.  Our blog was an important tool.  Although my capacity is still diminished I will be getting help from my co-author Judy, who frankly will be picking up the majority of the work. Judy has done an exquisitely professional job on our news letters and has expressed an interest in doing  more which we so much need and appreciate.  It will be my job to be the conduit of information and post the articles on this blog site for your pleasure and viewing.  We also have our Facebook page which is doing quite nicely with your support.  You have submitted photos and stories to share with us,  the very purpose the page in itself.  Your interactions and contributions are what we are all about and it has been immensely appreciated.

We are grossly understaffed and have an abundance of material to process.  If you have an interest in community involvement and would like to share in the spirit of camaraderie among historical buffs such as ourselves.  Please feel free to get involved.  As we barely have enough financial means to stay alive, your reward will be in the satisfaction of your work. Too often our over micro managed, and over automated jobs are tied to time constraints and productivity quotas.  We have a state of the art database management system with a relatively user friendly interface.  Your work will be at your own pace and will most like involve more drinking of coffee that anything else. Kindly please refrain from applying sugary soft drinks to keyboards.

Note: We do not endorse the use of stimulants for recreational use: Decaf prefered but not mandatory.

Your requirements will be a minimal amount of keyboard skills.
 ( The average 10 year old may already be over qualified).

A desire for community involvement.
A love for or at least an interest in our heritage and history.
A need to fulfil a desire of selfless sharing and to  broaden your insight
to our city around you.
A desire to interconnect with other entities of our community.
Being open to the idea that, although our coal history has been a major part of who we are,
there is so much more to learn and share.

Your benefits will be being  part of something special and perhaps being the catalyst that
will take our organization to the next level.
An opportunity to cultivate your own potential:  College students: this will look great on your resume.



We have a rich library of information and as a Society we have an obligation to share that with you.

To restart the process over I am reposting a short story written by our VP about the origins on HNS. Enjoy.

A number of years ago, in the pre-Google world, I stopped into the Mill Library to obtain some information on Nick Adams, actor and television star of the 1960’s. This information was for a friend in New Jersey who had a picture taken with Adams when he was a child. I asked if the library had a local history section or something similar and I was told that they did not. I obtained the information elsewhere and sent it to my friend.
During the ensuing years I often thought about the lack of a repository for the history of Nanticoke. The celebration of Nanticoke’s 200th anniversary in 1993 brought more thoughts of preserving Nanticoke’s History.
In my office I had hanging on my wall a display of a number of old Nanticoke post cards. Mark Regulski , visiting my office one day, noticed the cards and he told me of his collection of Nanticoke artifacts. The conversation then turned to the need to have some sort of an organization to collect and preserve Nanticoke History. The seed had been planted. Mark and I decided that we should make an attempt at organizing such and call it the Nanticoke Historical Society.
We had a notice printed in the paper stating that anyone interested in forming a Nanticoke Historical should meet in my office in the Nanticoke City Building.
That first meeting was attended by Mark and I, Julianna Zarzycki, Helen Buczkowski, , Martha Price, Celia Zeedock, and Lynn Maulbeck. Georgetta Potoski, President of the Plymouth Historical Society spoke to us on the formation of her organization and what we would have to do to start a similar group.
In addition to the fact that all were in agreement that we should go forward in the formation of a Nanticoke Historical Society, it was agreed that from the onset, it would be a first class organization with a Constitution, By-Laws, elected officers, and compliance with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. It was also agreed that we had no intention of becoming a museum but merely a repository for information.
The Constitution, By-Laws, and other legalities were established and Attorney Bernard Kotulak agreed to work pro-bono for the organization in filing the necessary legal documents such as the Articles of Incorporation. In addition to becoming a Pennsylvania Corporation, the Nanticoke Historical Society also has 501 c (3) status with the I.R.S.
Our birthday is June 26, 1995.

The first elected slate of officers were: President-Mark Regulski, Vice-President-Julianna Zarzycki, Treasurer-Janine Whittaker, and Secretary-Chet Zaremba.
With all the “t’s” crossed and the “I’s” dotted, we had a group of enthusiastic people all ready to go, but without a place to meet.

The first few meetings were held in my Police Chief’s office in the Nanticoke City Building through the graces of Mayor John Toole and City Council. The Mill Memorial Library was gracious enough to allow us to hold a few meeting in their facility.

We then rented the “Log Cabin” on Shea Street and set up operations there. We worked out of the cabin for a while until it was sold to a new owner who had other uses for it in mind.
Founding member Martha “Becky” Price then arraigned for us to rent a section of the home next to the First Presbyterian Church on Main Street. We operated out of that facility for a good number of years. As we continued to grow, we needed more space for our operations. Coincidental with the appointment of a new pastor at the First Presbyterian Church who needed our office space as living space, we were offered the opportunity to rent a portion of the historical Mill Homestead next to the Mill Memorial Library. We didn’t realize how much “stuff” we had until it became time to move it to our new quarters. The move having thus been made, we are now operating very successfully out of this most historic building.

NHS

A New Spring To Look Forward To

Ah,

   Here we are, the first day of April.  We have just celebrated Easter and Passover. Winter is slowly but surely coming to a close. We look forward the warmer days to spend in our yards, be it planting our gardens  or tending to our flowers and plants, spring clean-up projects or what ever have you.

    I'm happy to say that I have a reasonable amount of followers to my blog.  The intended purpose is of course is to add a little editorial flair to web site.  But, more importantly to keep a connection to those whom for what ever reason left Nanticoke to pursue a life else where, even perhaps have the intent of coming back home someday. This is your home and it will always be. I try to find stories of interest around town.  Somethings here are changing.  The State Theater is now gone and has been for sometime.  A land mark Bartuska's Furniture has closed.  The Woolworth's Store CVS on Main Street has been torn down to make an new look for Down Town Nanticoke.  Luzerne County Community College now houses a Culinary Arts program facility in new building on the corner of Market and Main Streets and now uses space in the Kanjoski building for even more class work.

   There is talk of a tree line project for Main Street Nanticoke.  Some streets that have been for too long and are in disrepair are now getting the much needed attention they so badly have been in need of.  The economy is slowly but surely improving, perhaps not as fast we would like.  We have a mayor and city council, in my opinion, that is more more progressively minded and interested in the good of our community, that is more caring for the residence and the needs of our community.  The dark cloud has not completely past, but there seams to be a element of hope for a better way of life just as Easter bring the new hope for us in the spring.

  One thing I am most excited about is the Cultural Center At St. Faustina. The website referenced here, when fully completed will have listings of venues available to residences of Nanticoke and surrounding communities.  Through the efforts of the parishioners of Saint Faustina's  and Fr. Nash a vital asset is being added to our community.

    Now I'm not a news reporting journalist, nor do try to pretend to be.  I'm more like the guy across the street that sees with my own eyes and talks to friends and neighbors about our surroundings.  Not everything in my blog is 100% accurate I'm just an everyday Joe with some interest in my community that I would like to share with you.  I have put up a Facebook page to interact with you and I try to ask for your participation in our community interest. I encourage your interaction and contributions.  Our Historical Society is comprised of 4 or 5 people that do the real digging out of the research of our area's history and have the support of maybe a dozens others who help in other supportive ways such as setting up and dismantling our occasional presentations such as the upcoming historic film presentation.

      Our followers tend to be more of an older generation that longs to remember days of a  happier time.  They like to stroll down memory lane and remember the time before they have lost loved ones or have had children grow up and move a way for a better life. There is so much more to the history of Nanticoke other than the Coal Industry that has contributed so profoundly to the our country's rise.  The time when the coal produced from here has had so much of an impact on the steel industry that helped build the great county that were we now live. A trip up to Scranton to visit the the Steam Town Museum and Steam Engine excursions is minutes away and very well worth it.  Did you know that Fr. Murgas was one of the founding fathers or radio telegraphy was a resident of Wilkes-Barre.  We have so much history to research, learn and teach.  Our office manager John Sherrick submits a story of the month to stimulate your interest. We need our youth to become interested and involved. And, we need your support to continue the  good work.  Get Involved.  It is a fun and a fascinating way to learn and explore our past.  We look forward to seeing you when we present the second viewing of our vintage films.  Don't Forget: Thurs. April 25th 7:00 pm The Cultural Center At Saint Faustina's 38 W. Church Street Nanticoke.

A little trivia.  Do you know why we call April 1st, April Fools Days?

sweetclipart.com

Our Constitution

Photo Courtesy of  Creative Commons: Credit below 

     


 In my fascination of history I thought I would like to review what most all of us studied either in grade school or later.  Most of us have seen movies Like “National Treasure” or “Lincoln” that conjure up feelings of Colonial early America.  This is our history; it is who we are and how we came to be.  Movies dramatize and romanticize the era.  After all, it is entertainment. But, in researching our history, it is also important understand the context.  I've come up with a quiz for myself and I invite you to take it as well.  I will not provide the answers nor grade you.  I hope that in the following quiz that you will at least seek the right answers if you do not know.

      I will provide links where I have looked. You are welcome to decide whether these sources are credible or not.  And, you are welcome to site your own searches and conclusions. Perhaps in seeking these answers you will look further into times and events of the era; to better understand the context our forefathers viewed in their time and how it applies to today's culture.

The Constitution

Quiz

1.       What year was the Constitution written?

(a) 1776 (b) 1780 (c)1787

2.       What document did the Constitution replace?

3.       (a) Articles of Congress (b)The Delaware Plan (c)The Rhode Island Plan (d) none of these

4.       What were the Articles of Confederation?

(a) the constitution of the Confederate States

(b)the laws enforced by militias

(c)the first draft  of the Constitution

5.       What were the two plans considered for the Constitution?

6.       (a) The Delaware Plan and the Georgia Plan

(b) The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan

(c)  Charles Pinckney’s  Plan and The British Plan

7.       How many articles were there in the original Articles of Confederation?

(a)  10 (b) 12 (c) 13 (d) 15

8.       Who was Edmond Randolph?

(a) The Governor of Virginia who presented the Constitution in Philadelphia.

(b)An Anti-Federalist who favored States rights.

(c) A Federalist who favored a centralized government

9.       The Connecticut Compromise was a compromise between the…

(a) The Delaware Plan and the Georgia Plan

(b) The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan

(c)  Charles Pinckney’s  Plan and The British Plan

10.   Article IV of the Articles of Confederation declares that…

(a) only Congress can declare an act of war

(b) each states retains its sovereignty

(c)the Articles of Confederation will be observed by every state

1.   Who wrote The Articles of Confederation?

(a) Benjamin Franklin

(b) James Madison

(c) John Hancock
(d) none of the above

12.   Who were “the old patriots”, what were they later called?

(a) The Federalists

(b) The Anti-Federalists

(c) the Tories

13.   Who put forth the Virginia Plan?

(a) James Madison

(b) Thomas Jefferson

(c) Edmond Randolph

14.   In what year was the Articles of Confederation replaced with the U.S. Constitution?

(a) 1776

(b)1787

(c) 1789

http://www.usconstitution.net/articles.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_Constitution

Bill of Rights (the first 10)

Match the correct Answer:

Amendment 1	Bail, fines, punishment
Amendment 2	States' rights
Amendment 3	Search and arrest
Amendment 4	Rights in criminal cases
Amendment 5	Rights in civil cases
Amendment 6	Right to a fair trial
Amendment 7	Rights retained by the People
Amendment 8	Quartering of soldiers
Amendment 9	Right to bear arms
Amendment 10	Freedoms, Petitions, Assembly

http://www.ushistory.org/documents/amendments.htm

Did you know our system of Government was adapted from tribes of Native Americans?

http://www.chegg.com/homework-help/definitions/iroquois-confederacy-or-five-nations-43

http://www.cradleboard.org/curriculum/powwow/lessons/elemsocial/el_gv_ir.html

I feel that regardless of subject, if one is to boast about knowledge, one should be knowledgeable.

Here are some interesting things about our history.
http://www.landofthebrave.info/colonial-times.htm

photo credit: Bradley Jones via photopin cc

December 2012

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who attended our November presentation "Vintage film of 40's, 50's and 60's".  Our Historical Society is alive and growing. The need to expand is increasingly becoming larger and with the co-operation of St. Stan's Community Center and the St. Faustina's Parish we will have access to the new facility for events such as this.  Unfortunately, while it is in its construction phase the Center is not available.  Our home, the Samantha Mill house is quite adequate for housing our business needs but undersized for presentations such as this.  With the growing interest in our Society we hope we can better serve our community. We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you and plan to present the films again in the spring at the new facility.

   

On Thursday evening of the 29th the Historical Society gave its presentation to about 30 guests whom tightly packed our limited seating area.  The presentation was on early events in Nanticoke donated to the Historical Society. Chet Zaremba, whom took on the task of acquiring and transferring the films to digital, gave the presentation.

How the films where acquired:

 Years ago in Nanticoke there was a photo store, Borofski’s photo. Chet Zaremba got know Norm Borofski, the son.  Then last year, when he passed away these films were found in his basement. We were able to acquire these films through the people who did the house sale, a store in Plymouth called Yesterday’s Treasure’s an antique store.  When they realized the historical value they donated them to the Nanticoke Historical Society.  The original films were on 8 mm and 16 mm formats. We had taken four of the most significant films and had them transferred to a digital format for a presentation such as this.

The first film of  WWII vintage were made somewhere around the time of 1942-1944 and showed enlistees or draftees boarding a train in Nanticoke leaving for the 2^nd World War.  The Pennsylvania Railroad rail station, by recollection of some of the attending guests, was located down on Lower Broadway.  The first film only ran 4 minutes, but the significance was that they were in color.  Considering the age the images were quite clear and the transfer process preserved and enhanced the original media.  The film also showed a parade and the crowd that came to see the boys who went off to war.   At the time Nanticoke had two train stations a freight station and a passenger station.  In the film you could see the train arrive, the boys board the train and the train leaving.

A second film in B&W showed an early 6 County Firemen’s Convention Parade, showed Nanticoke in a way that probably few remember with streets filled with busy shops and businesses and crowds of people. Guests pointed out how slim everyone was and how people were well groomed and dressed and how the Ladies all had worn hats.  Fire apparatus was then all open cab and some guests could identify the years in which the machines were made, some dating back into the 1940’s.  Visiting companies from Hazelton and Tamaqua could be seen.

A third film showed a high school football game. Players had no pads and referees wore no stripped uniforms.  The old high school stadium could be seen.

Chet continued the presentation with photos of Nanticoke selected from his vast library. Photos showed Main Street Nanticoke from the pre 1900’s. Included were photos of the old State Theater, Frank Matheson’s Nanticoke Hotel, the old post office, the old Acme, Al Fink Oldsmobile Dealership.  Photos showed store fronts which had window displays and what Chet referred to as Islands or window displays with passage ways to the main entrance to the store on either side. Photos showing old telephone poles had up to seven cross members to support a separate subscriber wire line for each telephone customer. Chet also showed photos of Diamonds Candy Store after the closing with ornate trim, seating booths and malt shop decor. Everyone immensely enjoyed the presentation and we are looking forward to making it again when we can use the facility.

Luzerne County Community College Tree Festival

Katy Sweeny again did an outstanding job with a unique tree decorating design for our entry.  The theme of course was history and the ornaments were cleverly crafted vintage photos of Nanticoke.  The event feature delectable creations from the Culinary Art students with an assortment of baked Holiday treats. The event was held on Friday Nov. 30^th in the Conference Center of the LCCC Campus off of Prospect Street and was open to the public from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Fall / Labor Day / Halloween 2012

Pumpkin Patch at Braces Orchard

Hurricane Sandy devastated most of the east coast and damaged quite a bit of the central United States.  Fortunately the Wyoming Valley was not hit as hard as many other places.  Nanticoke was graciously spared. Now with Halloween behind we can look forward to Thanks Giving and some of us who were spared the devastation of the Super Storm have a lot to be thankful for.

But, in spite of such misfortune there was some good things about this fall to celebrate. The Fall season typically starts with the unofficial close of the summer, Labor Day.  The Fall equinox, which  occurs around the 22nd of September, marks the time of the year when the tilt of the Earth''s axis is neither towards or away from the Sun.  A time of a change of seasons, a time when daylight hours grow shorter, a time when the sky takes on a yellow-golden-red hue,  a time when the weather is neither frigidly cold as in the winter nor brutally hot as in the summer, a time of magnificent color.  Our thoughts often turn to cool morning and evenings, warm afternoons, crisp fresh apples, gourds and pumpkins, corn stalks and scarecrows and yes apple cider. The Fall is perhaps the most pleasant time of the year to get out and enjoy.  With so much to partake in one must choose.  Here are some of the things that I have chosen this year.

Mt. Airy Lodge & Casino - Labor Day

 A leisurely ride in the country side makes for a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.  I, myself am not much of a gambler.  But, the ride out to Mt. Airy Lodge was pleasant and relaxing.  I had gone with friends, while they went off to wager for some good fortune, I strolled around the grounds where there was plenty else to do.  It was the Labor Day celebration at Mt. Airy and had much for others that did not choose to enjoy the gaming.  There were food vendors, live entertainment, fireworks, horse drawn wagon rides and the very pleasant Lodge grounds to stroll around  and enjoy.  We stopped for lunch inside the Casino in a 50's style dinner.  The food was quite good.  Service excellent.  And the prices, considering that we were in the Poconos  were quite reasonable.

Carlisle Fall Auctions

On a Friday in October I took a ride down to Carlisle for the Fall Auctions.  If your not familiar with the Fall Auctions, they are all about a vintage automobile enthusiasts and their cars. No matter what vehicle of choice is yours, anything and everything you might imagine is available here. Whatever your year make or model, there is something for your restoration project. New re-manufactured stock, new old stock, used old stock, it's all there.  Many times parts for your old car are simply not made any more. Fellow enthusiasts may buy old cars from people who may have old vehicles in barns or fields for parts and then sell off parts they may not need for themselves.
I, myself am not into automobile restoration, but I do have a friend that is.  My interest was in visiting South Central Pennsylvania, the Shippensburg area in particular.  There is something about the South Central PA that I've liked since visits to Carlisle. Just slightly warmer by a few degrees the fall colors were at their peak. The area, very close to the DC area, is a very pleasant place to visit. I immensely enjoy visiting my new friends Teri & Chris Pensinis, proprietors of North Hanover Grill Carlisle. Their restaurant, only a few minutes from the Carlisle Fair Grounds is a great place to get something to eat and beverage or two. Chris's establishment is very pleasantly styled in concert with the N. Hanover Street Historic District in Carlisle.

Wheels @ Nuangola Halloween Bash

Cindy and Roz stop for a picture. My friends Roz and Bruce setup for an evening of good music.  R&B DJ's, you would think would be Rhythm & Blues, but they do all kinds of music.  This evening at Wheels @ Nuangola they had an impromptu Halloween Bash.  Good food, Good prices.  When your up in Mountain Top stop by for a quick lunch. Visit them @ Wheels

Center Street Hot Dog / Block Party

Vampira came down with the bug to the Hot Dog Block party on Center Street in the Hanover Section.  Yes, it was contagious,  But we loved it. About 200 hot dogs were passed out to ghosts, goblins, pirates and hobos.  There might have been a few little angles there as well. Hurricane Sandy hit the night of "Trick or Treat", fortunately Nanticoke was not hit as hard as a lot of other places.  So, the block party did go on.  During the day there were lingering  showers and although the evening was seasonably chilly the party did go on.
On a closing note:

Members of the Nanticoke Historical Society are working with Fr. Nash and St. Faustina's Parish Community Center to help bring the Arts back into town as well as  civic and community related events for the betterment of our town. The old St. Stan's Church makes for a fine small size hall for such work.
We plan on some upgrades and improvements and hope to have a first rate facility for everyone to enjoy.

  We appreciate and thank you for your support.

Fall events 2012

100 Years!

Sometimes I can't think of anything to blog about and again there are times when there is so much that you can not choose.  Several events have happened lately that deserve honorable mention.
A great deal of work went into the preparation of the 100th Anniversary of Holy Transfiguration.  Centennial books, dinner preparations, invitations and so much more.

The Transfiguration of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church Nanticoke Pa celebrated their 100 Year Anniversary on Sept. 23, 2012.  A Celebration Mass was held at 2:00 pm that afternoon. I had done a blog spot earlier this year while centennial preparations where in progress Transfiguration-100-years. The Mass Celebration was followed by a dinner at the Church Hall. Guests  included: Rev. Stefan Soroka, Msgr. Peter Walso, Rev. John Seniw, Rev. Volodymer Popyk, Rev. Roman Petryshak, Rev. Volodymer Klichka, Msgr. Myron Grabowski, Rev.John Wysochanski, Rev. Paul Wolensky, Rev. Nestor Iwasiw, Rev. James McGahagan, Rev. Adam Sexton, Sister Thomas Hrynewwicz and Sisiter Martin Rodko.

Dr. Richard Barno has been the choir director for 37 years.  He has masterfully instructed and directed the Holy Year Choir with dedication and commitment.  This day's celebration included a magnificent performance. The choir's harmonies were precise and tight and added a great deal to the joy to the parish on their special day.  The day concluded with dinner at the Church Hall.




St. Stanislaw's Community Center

 Sept. 29, 2012. The Nanticoke Historical Society hosted Charles Patrillo - Historian.  Charles had earlier presented a lecture on steam boats on the Susquehanna River at the Samantha Mill House.  This day, Charles offered a presentation on Hansen's Amusement park.  Charles interestingly explained how the early trolley companies built the amusement parks to promote ridership on the the trolleys.

This was the first time Historical Society had the opportunity to use new community center and although there is plenty of work yet to be done, it holds great promise of great things for the community. They have already done a children's talent show and may possibly move the Christmas Nativity play held at Holy Child picnic grounds to the new venue, just one possibility of many.

Father Nash with Board member Jack Minsavege stops for a snapshot.  They have been working hard planning and organizing future events at the new center. Jack offers to the board a vast knowledge and experience in sound engineering and mixing that he has acquired in his very own recording studio right here in Nanticoke. http://www.highersoundstudio.com/
His professional expertise will help local productions here at the community center.

St. Faustina's Pork -N- Sauerkraut Dinner

Sunday October 7 St. Mary's Hall Hanover St.

Tickets will be available after Masses at St. Faustina's and St. Mary's

Support the Church and the Community!

Many people have been working hard on this first ever pilot project.  This fund raiser will generate proceeds for the general maintenance fund.  But, that's really not what it's all a about.  It's really about community involvement with Church and Community, fellowship and friendship.  There's always someone behind the scene's rolling up the sleeves and doing the work.  The idea probably originated the basement of Jimmy Kline.  It's kind of a tradition to make the homemade Sauerkraut and when they do it's no small project.  Helping out making cabbage out of sauerkraut for the Church are his buddies Rich & Franky.  If you see them at the dinner thank them for the fine effort!

Our Story of the Month

This one is extraordinary as it has been the fruit of almost a quarter century of research.  John Rynkiewicz has been doing extensive family research that has shown to touch the lives of so many here in Nanticoke.  There is a fascinating story of the family homeland in Poland with photos and documents of the past generations. It is an ongoing quest for knowledge. As this unfolds, I'm sure like a web this will in some way touch your own personal life by acquaintance or relationship.

Local Model Airplane Show

I've taken a little break from Blogging, but I haven't forgotten about all my loyal followers.  With so much happening around our community, getting around can sometimes be a challenge and this aging beat up body doesn't get around like it used to.  So much to do and see, I had to pick something.  This month's blog is about something I've been involved with in the past.  It's something I've enjoyed for many years.
Although I do not fly models myself, I admire and enjoy the skills these gentlemen have accomplished.  I had enjoyed the company of the members of the club for a few years now. And, many of them are residents of Nanticoke. I have posted on YouTube videos that I had made to help promote club, not for personal gain but for the love of the art.  Now I write this blog to help you keep connected with the old home town or if you have moved away or you don't mind my endless ramblings and your just looking for somewhere to surf on the web.

Model airplane flying can be an expensive and challenging hobby.  It involves a learned skill set, as crashes can be painfully expensive as well as dangerous. To be a member of the Wyoming Valley RC Flyers organization you are require to have bond protection in the event of an accident. It requires commitment, as some people may have a natural ability with hand-eye coordination and spacial cognizance others may need to develop it through perverseness and dedication.  Computer simulator programs and hardware can be purchased for a considerably less cost that an actual model and although crashes are a lot less costly than with an actual model, they are equally as humbling.  It requires a level  of dedication, as these gentlemen are truly pilots. If you have any doubts, ask a pilot to let you fly with a buddy box.  It is a device were the owner can take over control when you are headed for an eminent disaster.  Believe me, unless you have trained andd I have tried, your flight will be short. It requires a basic knowledge of radios, aviation, small engines, aircraft design and rules of operation defined by the AMA the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Radio channel assignments must be administered by a coordinator so that signals from your controller do not interfere with another pilots aircraft at least in public venues such as this. Understanding  the difference between analog and digital controllers and receivers helps the pilot determine range and control limits of his aircraft.  Although younger people enjoy the hobby,  it is well suited for the older person, as it keeps one's mind sharp with physical and metal exercise.  It is a hobby better suited to an individual who has the time and resources to dedicate to the purpose.  If you are an individual who's time is consumed by a career, occupation, family or other responsibilities then perhaps your considerations would be better applied else ware. If you have the fortitude to maintain all that is necessary for the hobby your rewards will be great.  As for myself, perhaps I will venture forward to the challenge one day in the future, but for now I prefer to watch the pros fly. That  is good enough for now.

 I have visited in the past, the Wyoming Valley RC Flyers. To watch the planes soar and  fly lends to the imagination what it must be like to pilot of a full scale aircraft. Moon Lake Park, where the hobbyists fly, is one of the finest assets Luzerne County has to offer.  It was at one time  a well maintained facility offering the residents of Luzerne County some real quality of life alternatives with camping, fishing, a beautiful public swimming pool. The degradation of the park and loss of the amenities  has been a devastating set back for the residents of the county.  The lake is still accessible for fishing and the club still has access to the field where they have for years honed their skills.  It is a relaxing ride to a haven from from the reality of real life of being unemployed or under employed.  To take an hour or two to enjoy water and fresh air regenerates one's soul. And, to take up conversation with people who share your interests is both satisfying and refreshing.

A few weeks a go I did just that and took a ride out to Moon Lake Park to take in the the fresh air and water.  When I go, I always stop at the model airplane field and usually find a pilot or two to visit with and chat.  Upon entering the park I had noticed signs of the upcoming event of which was Sunday Sept. 9, 2012. I sat and chatted with pilots,  we talked about the radio controllers and how the park was once quite the place to visit. One gentleman was adjusting the fuel mixture of his plane as the idol of the engine would drop off and the engine would stall which could be a disastrous in flight experience. While I was there it happened. But, because of the skill of this pilot, he saved his air craft with a powerless landing.  Simply Awesome! The other pilot had a battery powered electric plane that when took to the air accept for the much quieter whrrr of the motor seemed more like a bird rather than a model. I made note of the date of the pending show, told the gentlemen I was looking forward to them and was off on my way.

 At one time the club had a website where information about events such as this could be found.  But, as time passes, people come and go and things change and the website is no longer available..  After some surfing and searching on the web I managed to find information to confirm what I thought I had gathered. And thus, proceeded.  On Sunday of Sept. 9, I started out a little after noon.  The show already started at 11:00am and when I arrived a respectably sized crowd had gathered for the event. They had a tent set up where hamburgers and hot dogs could be had in return for a donation to the club,  raffles and chances were available and prizes provided by Walter's Hardware where kits and accessories for the hobby are available.  A flight simulator was set up with a nice HD monitor, where you could fly without crashing a model. A pit area was setup for exhibitors to prepare their aircraft weather it be fueling, assembling, tweaking or adjusting.  Spectators were asked to refrain from entering for their own safety as well as the welfare of the models.  During intermission periods the spectators were allowed in side the pit area to view the aircraft up close. The decals and extraordinary detail were amazing.

This was a  fine show by some amazing gentlemen.  Thank you for your contribution to our Community.