Plates from the Past – Balls, Balls, Balls
On Feb. 20, Bar Pazzo went balls out with their monthly Themed Third Thursday dinner. This Thursday was all about meatballs.
Here are few pics of items from the meatball menu –
Related –
Plates from the Past – Dead Man Walking themed menu at Bar Pazzo
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
40 Years of Rockin’
Rock 107, WEZX-FM, has reached a milestone birthday – 40 Years Old.
Here is collection of images from Times-Shamrock Archives dealing with the station.
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
Time Warp – Rock 107 celebration built on classic music
How does one celebrate 20 years of “rocking on the job?” Throw a massive party featuring rocker Todd Rundgren and the Clarks at the Woodlands Inn & Resort in Plains Twp on Aug. 8, 2000.
Rock 107 brought in the singer, songwriter and producer along with the Pittsburgh-based band for its annual Birthday Bash. Speaking with The Scranton Times that year, Clarks lead guitarist Rob James said the band looked forward to returning to the state’s Northeast corner for its second visit. Its first came a few years earlier when the band played at Tink’s Entertainment Complex, Scranton.
Also on the Birthday Bash bill that night were local bands Hoosier Daddy and Flaxy Morgan.
The tradition of celebrating the station’s birthday with a concert began in 1990 when Rock 107 turned 10. Rick Derringer, singer of “Rock n Roll Hoochie Koo,” headlined that first year, and since then, the bash has featured such acts as the Rembrandts, Blue Oyster Cult, Eddie Money, Quiet Riot, Lita Ford, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. This year, Warrant will rock the ballroom at the Woodlands along with Flaxy Morgan, Kartune and Three Imaginary Boys.
The radio station debuted when WEJL started broadcasting in FM in December 1967, playing what The Scranton Times then described as “bright and toe-tapping music.” Later, the call letters changed from WEJL-FM to WEZX-FM. In 1974, the station changed to a rock music format.
The “home for classic rock” went on the air under the Rock 107 moniker, Feb. 20, 1980, with Rush’s “The Spirit of Radio.” For more information, visit rock107.com.
Past Rock 107 Birthday Bash performers
- Rick Derringer (1990)
- Tommy Conwell (1991)
- Kix (1992)
- The Rembrandt (1993)
- (Pink Floyd Tribute Band) (1994)
- Subdudes (1995)
- Peter Wolf (1996)
- Blue Oyster Cult (1997)
- Foghat (1998)
- Nazareth (1999)
- Todd Rundgren (2000)
- Blue Oyster Cult (2001)
- Southside Johnny (2002)
- Loverboy (2003)
- Smithereens (2004)
- Edgar Winter (2005)
- The Fixx (2006)
- Quiet Riot (2007)
- Eddie Money (2008)
- The Sweet (2009)
- The Romantics (2010)
- Mountain (2011)
- Great White (2012)
- Lita Ford (2013)
- Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (2014)
- Lou Gramm (2015)
- Eddie Money (2016)
- Foghat (2017)
- Warrant (2018)
- The Fabulous Thunderbirds
- ????
Related –
Rock 107 announces headliner for birthday bash
Time Warp – Alice Cooper a familiar face on NEPA stages
Rock 107 announces ‘Night with Alice Cooper’ radio show, 40th anniversary arena concert
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
Photo Gallery – Total Abstinence Parade
Thousands filled the sidewalks of downtown and West Scranton to witness a parade organized by the Catholic Total Abstinence Union on Oct. 9, 1915.
In addition to marching bands, horses, automobiles and demonstrations from people of the Catholic faith from Scranton and surrounding areas, thousands of men from around the region who were proud of their sobriety participated in the parade.
The parade began at Wyoming Avenue, then turned onto Spruce Street and up to Jefferson Avenue. From Jefferson, the marchers continued onto Lackawanna Avenue, walked all the way to North Main Avenue and continued on to St. Ann’s Monastery.
Catholic Total Abstinence Union roots in Scranton date back to October 1886 when the movement’s founder, the Rev. Theobald Mathew, conducted a parade and picnic to help support the parish of the Cathedral of St. Peter.
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
Time Warp – Minus Ginger, English pop girl group spices up region with tour stop
July 6, 1998
Seventeen thousand people spiced up their lives at the Montage Mountain Center for the Performing Arts on a summer night in July. The crowd received a heavy dose of girl power from English pop girl group, Spice Girls.
The four Spice Girls — Baby (Emma Bunton), Sporty (Melanie Chisholm), Scary (Melanie Brown) and Posh (Victoria Adams) — got the show started with “If U Can’t Dance” and “Who Do Think You Are?” The foursome then were joined on stage by the Spice Boys for the song “Do It,” which was followed by “Denying” and “Stop.”
Spice Girls ended the show with “Spice Up Your Life,” “Wannabe” and “Mama.”
Missing from the group was Ginger Spice, Gerri Halliwell. In May of that year, Halliwell announced that she had left the group. Through her attorney, Halliwell said she departed from the group because of differences between members. The remaining Spice Girls said they were saddened by her decision but that they supported her.
Tickets for the show cost $25 for lawn seats and $42.50 for reserved. When tickets went on sale for the show on April 25, people were parked along Montage Mountain Road in hopes of being the first to grab tickets at the amphitheater box office at 10 a.m. By 10:30 a.m., all 5,200 reserved seats were sold.
The Spice Girls appearance also spiced up the local economy. Gary Mesky, of Crystal Candy and Nut Co. on Pittston Avenue, reported that over the months prior to the show, he sold 57,600 Spice Girls Fantasy Lollipops by Chupa Chups. An official with Marvelous Mugs Restaurant on Montage Mountain Road noted they experienced an increase in business when they announced a raffle for two tickets to the concert. Hotels
in the area also saw an increase in bookings that weekend thanks to the concert.
Recently, Bunton posted an image of the group on her Instagram account, and social media was aflutter with speculation. On Feb. 7, TMZ.com reported the Spice Girls were in the planning stages of a tour throughout the United Kingdom and United States, scheduled to take place in late summer. On Feb. 10, Posh Spice, or Victoria (Adams) Beckham, shut down the rumor.
“I’m not going tour. The girls aren’t going on tour,” she said in an interview with British Vogue.
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
TBT – My Snowy Valentine
Over the years, Valentine’s Day in Northeastern Pennsylvania was marked by snow. Here is a collection of images from those snowy Valentines.
1940
1950
2007
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
Time Warp, 1988: Rumors about crowd behavior cause concern after Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith show
Aug. 30, 1988
About 22,000 people filled the Pocono Downs racetrack in Plains Twp. to listen to Guns N’ Roses and Aerosmith.
The two bands were touring in support of their recently released albums, “Permanent Vacation” (Aerosmith’s ninth studio album) and “Appetite for Destruction” (GnR’s debut). Tickets cost $20.
GnR played songs such as “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Mr. Brownstone,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City.” The group also hit the thousands gathered with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”
Aerosmith’s set featured new and old songs such as “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” “Rag Doll,” “Angel,” “Hangman Jury,” “Rats in the Cellar,” “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way.”
Following the concert, rumors circulated about the audience’s behavior, with reports of fighting, drinking, drug abuse and multiple injuries. Days later, Joseph Banks, owner and president of Pocono Downs, said the rumors were not substantiated.
“It was a normal rock and roll concert,” he said. “I’ve been to ones that were a lot worse than this one. Some accounts said that people were scratching and clawing. I didn’t see any of that, and I was right up front with my girlfriend. The media made it seem like a holocaust, and it wasn’t. I thought the reports were totally unfair.”
It was reported that 27 people from the concert were treated and released from area hospitals. Mark Ercolani, a Plains Twp. paramedic working at the concert said, they treated were minor cuts, bruises and heat exhaustion.
“There were no stab wounds, no shootings or anything like that,” Ercolani said. “It’s true that we saw 112 people at the emergency stations, but you have to realize that some of those people only needed a cup of water and to get out of the sun for awhile.”
Banks said the racetrack was back in order by 11 a.m. the next day and the horses were out running that night.
Guns N’ Roses recently announced a worldwide stadium tour for 2020. It will kick off in Mexico in March and arrive in the United States on July 4 in Milwaukee. The group has shows scheduled for Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 8 and Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 18.
Aerosmith has a residency in the Park Theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas in February, May and June followed by a European tour in July.
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
Colleen Townsend visits Scranton
Actress Colleen Townsend had a busy day when she paid a visit to Scranton to promote her latest film ”When Willie Comes Marching Home” on Feb. 10, 1950.
Her day started with a visit to Scranton City Hall where she was presented with a key to the city by City Treasurer Edward Coleman.
Following the key ceremony she was the guest of honor at luncheon held at YMCA sponsored by the United Churches of Lackawanna County. During the luncheon, she spoke briefly about her faith and her recent decision to leave Hollywood in favor of spreading the word of God.
After the luncheon, she made appearances at the Comerford Theater before the matinee and evening showings of her latest film “When Willie Comes Marching Home.”
Between her appearance she had a moment to speak with a reporter from the Times about her decision to give up her career in Hollywood. She said “it wasn’t a difficult decision after I had once made up my mind. You see, you can’t very well make commercial films and do full-time Christian work. The Lord asked me to do Christian work and I don’t feel I can do both.”
She said that her contract expires soon with 20th Century and after that she is already signed to make a film for the Protestant Film Commission on the topic of intolerance. After that film, she said she intends to enroll in theological school in the fall.
Later in 1950, Townsend would marry Louis H. Evans Jr., a seminarian at the San Francisco Theological Seminary. The couple would have four children. Evans would later go onto organize the Bel Air Presbyterian Church in the couple’s home and later be named senior pastor of the National Presbyterian Church in Washington D.C..
Townsend-Evans would work on humanitarian efforts and later served on the board of World Vision, Christian College Coalition and International Justice Misson. In 1986, she served as the chair of the Billy Graham Crusade of Greater Washington D.C..
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
Flashback Friday – The Charl-Mont Chefs
In June 1, 1959, the kitchen staff at the Charl-Mont Restaurant at the Globe Store were featured in an article in the Times.
Food Editor Maureen Connolly spoke with Charl-Mont manager Jack Wingerden about the restaurant and a few ideas for dishes you could make at home.
Wingerden said that the restaurant’s staff usually arrives an hour before the restaurant opens at 9:30am and stays past 7pm closing to clean up.
He said on a daily basis the restaurant sees between several hundred to 1,800 guests. Wingerden shared that Charl-Mont’s grilled hamburger with french fries out sells their prime rib and baked potato dinner 10 to 1. He said the price difference between the two is only 20 cents.
Wingerden also shared his go to meal when having guests over for dinner at his Elmhurst Blvd. home. The meal consisted of broiled steak, baked potatoes and tossed salad. He said after the potatoes are baked he hollows them out, mashes the contents with butter, cream, grated onion and garlic, then returns the mashed potatoes back into the potatoes shells tops them with cheese and places them under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is lighting browned. He said he served the salad with French dressing.
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
Remembering Kirk Douglas 1916 – 2020
Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas died on Wednesday, Feb. 5. He was 103.
Douglas known for his film and stage work in such hits as “One Who Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, “Spartacus,” “A Letter to Three Wives,” “Paths of Glory,” “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” got his start in theater in the borough of Nuangola in Luzerne County.
In the summer of 1941, Douglas appeared in several summer stock productions at the Grove Theatre in Nuangola.
Douglas performed in nine productions at the Grove – “The Male Animal,” “Out of the Frying Pan,” “Broadway,” “Ladies of the Eveing,” “Little Foxes,” “Mr. and Mrs. North,” “My Fair Ladies,” “Shanghai Gestures” and “Victoria Regina.”
Here a few reviews of shows that he was apart of. The reviews all appeared in the Hazleton Standard Sentinel (known today as the Hazleton Standard Speaker) –
“Mr. and Mrs. North”
“Broadway” – Douglas had the lead role in this 1926 play by George Abbott and Philip Dunning
“Little Foxes”
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast