YouTube Weekend

Elvis Costello will be at the Kirby tomorrow,

This is a version of the Tarah Toohil song.

Support the Pittston Library

Local libraries are under great financial pressure these days seeing their government funding repeatedly cut. This should be a good time for a good cause. I understand that Shawn Klush realy nails the King.

From the inbox:

PITTSTON (10-12-12) – The Pittston Memorial Library Board and Capital Campaign Committee have announced that tickets are now on sale for “Shawn Klush, the World’s Greatest Elvis.” The show will be presented on November 24, 2012 at 8 p.m. at the F.M. Kirby Center. Tickets are $75 (VIP), $45 and $35 and can be purchased at the Pittston Memorial Library, Kirby Box Office or through Ticketmaster.

     Born and raised in Pittston, Shawn has been designated the “First Ever Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist” by Elvis Presley Enterprises. He has also been named “The World’s Greatest Elvis” following a vote of 6.5 million international viewers on BBC1 Television in the United Kingdom.

     Also appearing with Shawn at his performance at the Kirby will be special guests, The Sweet Inspirations, who performed for years as backup singers for the King himself.

     Those purchasing $75 VIP tickets will be provided with choice seating and access to a pre-show “Meet and Greet” that will include appetizers, complimentary drink and photo/autograph opportunity with Shawn. The “Meet and Greet” will begin at 6:30 p.m. and go to 7:30 p.m. 

To purchase tickets from the Pittston Memorial Library, call 654-9565 X 25. The F.M. Kirby Center Box Office can be reached by calling 823-4599 or e-mail Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com. Payment can be made by check, money order, or credit card.   

     Library Board Member Marla Pupa is serving as event chair.

     All proceeds of the event will go to benefit the Cosgrove Capital Campaign for library expansion. The library plans to add a 5,175 square foot addition to the current facility at 47 Broad St. in downtown Pittston. The new addition will include a community/conference room large enough for 100 people and furnished with Smartboard, WiFi and teleconferencing capabilities. The new community/conference room will also serve as a home to the Intergenerational Family Center, an all-inclusive program designed to provide support and services to grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. The program will be open to all residents of Luzerne County.

     The library addition will also provide a larger children’s section, arts and crafts room; teen, senior and veterans space; entrance, vestibule and other amenities.

     Sponsorships for “Shawn Klush, the World’s Greatest Elvis” are available as well as space for ads in the show’s Program Book. For additional information on sponsorships, ads and ticket specials, call Carol Crane at 654-9565 X 25.

YouTube weekend

The Australian Pink Floyd Show will return to the FM Kirby Center on Tuesday. This is as close to real thing that you can get.

 I'm very disappointed with the LWV for scheduling the Mundy/Kaufer forum that night. 

Guess which event I'm going to? 

 

 

Immigration again

Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta continues his one trick pony campaign as he tries to unseat Congressman Paul Kanjorski. This web ad takes issue with the standing ovation that members of Congress gave the President of Mexico when he addressed a joint session. I can't actually spot Kanjo in this clip but you get the idea.





I hope that Barletta is not advocating a repeat of that disgusting display that happened outside the Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre when the former President of Mexico Vincente Fox came to town in 2008 when the crowd was chanting "Deport Vincente Fox " and other ugly things.





I'm sure that if Barletta somehow gets to be a member of Congress he will be polite to a foreign Head of State. The woman yelling into the megaphone reminded me of this for some reason.


El alcalde Lou Barletta quiere ver sus papeles and he agrees with the Obama Administration that the US military should be used in law enforcement but wants more troops. For more than a hundred years it has been illegal to use the US military to do law enforcement and that's the way it should be.

Locally the Forty Fort council has decided that they don't want any of "those people" to move into their town voting 5-1 to support the Arizona Immigration law. Last I checked Forty Fort doesn't have an illegal immigration problem. The only sane person on the council on this issue is Joe Chacke who voted against the resolution.



"It's always been my belief, my philosophical, political belief, that immigration is a federal issue," he said. "Local governments and state governments don't belong in illegal immigration. The country is divided and it's going to come to a head at some point, but I just don't think it's Arizona's or Forty Fort's position to address it.

Update: From Ed Mitchell
"Congressman Kanjorski didn't even attend the joint session. Don't let facts get in the way of your propaganda, Lou"

Kanjo to the rescue

The Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre has hit a rough patch lately and some people are predicting it's demise because of the sour economy. I think it will survive but they have to book better acts than Johnny Mathis and Brian Wilson but that's just my opinion.

Anyway, Congressman Paul Kanjorski will announce on Tuesday that he got some money to fix the roof on the place.

The Kirby is a gem and is my favorite place to see a show and we have seen many of them. The upcoming lineup has something for everyone. I looking forward to the imitation Pink Floyd band in the winter.

Kanjorski has been on CNBC talking regulatory reform and working hard in committee meetings trying to figure out how to avoid another meltdown like what happened when Bush was occupying the White House. Note to my Republican friends: history didn't start on January 20th of this year. The government's finances were blown up by the last guy. I haven't blogged much about his work to reform the financial industry because it gets too wonky for me but if you are interested you can read about it here.

He even got a shout out from our Nobel Prize winning President.

Joe Terrana for Judge

Before a crowd of over 200 people today Pittston attorney Joe Terrana at the FM Kirby Center announced he is running for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County. His kids lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance and recounted his roots of growing up in Pittston.
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He was genuinely funny explaining that when he went to confession he hoped to have a priest that couldn't hear him and wouldn't remember what he said. He worked in Washington and locally for Congressman Paul Kanjorski and told a story of how hard it is to say no to Kanjo when he wants you to work for him.
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A few thing connected with me. He recounted when he was just 13 years old he watched the Watergate hearings and was taught that not even the President of the United States could get away with violating the public trust. I'm also a Watergate baby. He said when he was working as an attorney working in DC and Virginia he knew he wouldn't be part of the community and wanted to return home. I felt the same way when I lived in Boston. He stated that he was able to say no to people when they asked him to do something he thought was not on the up and up by asking himself how would his parents feel if he if did something dishonorable.
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There were many lawyers there so I took the advice of my friend David and put my wallet in an inside pocket. Just kidding guys. I spotted Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton and former Luzerne County Commissioner who is now the Chamber of Commerce head honcho Todd Vonderheid in the audience.
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I had a nice chat with Congressman Paul Kanjorski who admitted to reading my blog as Joe does as well. He said he is a big fan of blogs which surprised me. We discussed his new found celebrity as a result of the Bernie Madoff hearings and his scaring the bejeezus of out of us in his C-Span appearance. I also told him that his press secretary, Abbie McDonough, is doing a great job of keeping us informed. He said that "you are only sane one out there." My wife would disagree.
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I asked Joe one question. Another candidate said “I won’t accept any donations from attorneys or members of their families,” Marsilio said. “As a lawyer, I was taught to always avoid even the appearance of conflict of interest.”
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He said "I'm not a rich man." And would take contributions from lawyers.


Here is his press release.


ATTORNEY JOE TERRANA ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR JUDGE OF THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF LUZERNE COUNTY


Wilkes-Barre- Citing his experience as a public servant and years of dedicated service to his clients and community, today, Attorney Joe Terrana announced his candidacy for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County.

“Since graduating from law school, my career decisions reflect an unwavering commitment to our community and an abiding faith in the potential of Luzerne County ,” Terrana explained.

“As a lawyer, local Congressional aide, housing and community developer and volunteer public authority member, I know our community extremely well -- and I have demonstrated that my highest priority is helping our region.”


“At this critical moment, what our residents need and deserve – now more than ever – is a Judicial Branch they can count on for fairness, justice, and compassion. I know I can help restore the integrity of our Judicial Branch because these have been the very guideposts of my two decades of public service. And they will be the pillars of my service as Judge.”


Attorney Joe Terrana practices law in Kingston with Terrana Law, P.C., handling a variety of issues including real estate transactions, business start-up, commercial and personal injury litigation, and estates. He previously practiced in the litigation department of Hourigan, Kluger, Spohrer & Quinn, P.C., and with Joel A. DeBoe & Associates, of Arlington , Virginia . He is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He is also an associate member of the Virginia State Bar.
Attorney Terrana also currently serves as Counselor to Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (PA-11). In this position he assists constituents with a wide variety of federal issues, works with community leaders on projects to improve the quality of life of their residents and assesses the local impact of federal legislation and regulations. From 1992 to 2001, he served as District Director for the Congressman, and during law school he worked on Capitol Hill.


His varied career includes six years as Director of the Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania Community Business Center of Fannie Mae, where he spearheaded efforts to prevent predatory lending practices and foreclosures in the Poconos, helped business in communities like Wilkes-Barre and Scranton assist their employees in buying homes and helped re-build neighborhoods with organizations like CityVest in Wilkes-Barre and the Pine Street Neighborhood in Hazleton.
Attorney Terrana is the co-founder and President of the Luzerne County Housing Partnership, a non-profit corporation that provides education resources to local families, communities, elected officials and housing industry professionals on homeownership and neighborhood rebuilding. He is the Secretary/Treasurer of the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority and the Luzerne County Rail Corporation, a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Pittston Meals on Wheels, and member of the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association. He serves as a Parish Facilitator for Called to Holiness and Mission : Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Scranton. He is a member of the St. John the Evangelist Core Committee, Chairman of the St. John the Evangelist Marketing of Buildings Committee, Instructor for the St. John the Evangelist's Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults and an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist.


Attorney Terrana attended elementary and middle school in the Pittston Area School District and is a graduate of Scranton Preparatory School . He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Villanova University and his Juris Doctorate from George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Virginia, where he was a member of the Law Review and President of Phi Delta Phi Honor Fraternity.


He and his wife, the former Cindy Wysokinski, and their two six year olds, Jake, and Lola, reside in Greater Pittston.

YouTube weekend

We went to a show at the Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre tonight. I bought the tix at the Kirby box office instead of TicketMaster saving hundreds of dollars. I love the place because there is not a bad seat (capacity:1800) in the house. We sat on the first floor just below the balcony about halfway from the stage.


The act was One Night of Queen and it was a great concert.

But there is nothing like the real thing:


Queen - Under Pressure (Live At Wembley Stadium 1986)