Pittston Progress

Jan 17, 2025 | citizensvoice.com | Katie Kelly |Pittston Progress

The Rotary Club of Pittston is hosting a comedy show fundraiser at Wise Crackers Comedy Club at the Mohegan Sun Casino on Saturday, Jan. 25. Tickets are $25. Tickets are also good for any Wise Cracker Comedy Club shows until April 25. Please reach out to club president Carmen Ciampi for tickets at 570-239-7534. The Rotary Club of Pittston would like to thank Exeter Pack 310, Troop 311 and Troop 311G for their contribution to the Rotary’s Little Free Pantry at the Pittston YMCA.

Jan 17, 2025 | citizensvoice.com | Ed Ackerman |Pittston Progress

The Brooklyn guy, by way of Jersey, couldn’t resist. We met at the Red Mill Tavern a few years ago to catch up over a beer. He was hungry and asked for a menu and I knew what was coming. “What’s a cut of pizza?” he asked. He knew damned right well what a cut of pizza is. He’d lived around here for more than 10 years. But still he laid that ole “It’s supposed to be a slice of pizza” line on me. In spite of myself, I explained that a pizza pie comes in slices, and a tray of “square” pizza comes in cuts.

Jan 15, 2025 | citizensvoice.com | Ed Ackerman |Pittston Progress

“My God,” I thought as I did the math while walking into St. Anthony’s Church to pay respects to Tony Massara, “Massara’s has been part of my life for 65 years!”Tony, who died on Jan. 6, and his wife, Gilda, operated Massara’s for at least 40 of those years, but it was Tony’s father, Jimmy, and mother, Margaret, who were in charge when our family moved to Butler Street, just three doors away, and I became a regular along with every other kid in the neighborhood.

Jan 10, 2025 | citizensvoice.com | Ed Ackerman |Pittston Progress

The start of a new year is a marvelous time to dust off the ole bucket list and contemplate which ones might be attainable during the next 12 months. I have a problem with that, however. I don’t have a bucket list. What I do have though is something I call my Reserve Bucket List. These are all the things I hope I never have to do. It started a couple of years ago when I was flying back from Los Angeles after visiting my daughter.

Jan 10, 2025 | citizensvoice.com | Ed Ackerman |Pittston Progress

A few days before the college closed for Christmas break, I was in the hallway of the building where my office is located talking with my daughter on my cell when a fellow came in holding his little boy by the hand and headed toward the office of one of my colleagues. It is not unusual to have parents as students at a community college. The average age of a Luzerne County Community College student, in fact, is 27.5 years.