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happy birthday to Jaxon Edward Barber!

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Family says police ignored information regarding broken window at house near Wilkes University campus

<p>LUZERNE &#8212;Perugino&#8217;s Restaurant, a staple in the borough for over 70 years, will continue to serve a full Italian-American menu.</p><p>A post on the restaurant&#8217;s Facebook page Thursday read, &#8220;We would like to assure everyone that the restaurant will NOT be closing and will remain open for the foreseeable future, and we hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!&#8221;</p><p>Kingston Township&#8217;s Jim Reino, a regular customer who, at one time, tended bar there for 20 years, said he believes the post was in response to rumors the beloved eatery would close.</p><p>&#8220;I asked them straight out if they were closing,&#8221; said Reino. &#8220;They said absolutely not.&#8221;</p><p>Reino credited Andrea Reilly and her daughter, Jessica, with continuing to run the business after the death of Andrea&#8217;s husband, Ron, about five years ago. Andrea&#8217;s father, the late Andy Perugino, also ran the restaurant for many years.</p><p>&#8220;When Ron died, the family wasn&#8217;t actively involved in the day-to-day activities of the business,&#8221; said Reino. &#8220;But they moved forward, learning a lot, hiring a new chef, continuing to have the support of the community.</p><p>A family affair, Ron, Jr., runs the kitchen and son Andy is a bartender.</p><p>The site had been listed for sale at $695,000 as a 3200 square foot commercial property in the Wyoming Valley West School District. Included in the offering were two adjacent buildings containing four apartments, according to Reino.</p><p>Reino believes the establishment&#8217;s real estate listing will not be renewed when it expires.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a fully-functional, often-crowded, thriving business,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It will be packed from now through the holidays.&#8221;</p><p>Area residents seem to agree the restaurant is a place to have fun, make memories and enjoy Italian-American food.</p><p>Swoyersville Borough Mayor Chris Concert had opportunity to visit the restaurant for the first time a few weeks ago under somewhat unique circumstances &#8212; following a wedding he had performed.</p><p>When asked about her post-wedding celebration, newlywed Lillian Olejnik Gulak said, &#8220;Well, it was fantastic. From the appetizers to the main course, we can&#8217;t say enough good things about Perugino&#8217;s. We are looking forward to enjoying future anniversaries there.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>ggibbons@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Despite building being listed for sale, Perugino’s Restaurant is not closing