Crestwood School District confirms second case of ‘whooping cough’

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Charity founded by Jerry Sandusky asks for OK to close

<p>Give a rousing round of applause to the <a href="http://www.kirbycenter.org/" target="_blank">F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts</a>.</p><p>The main entertainment venue in Wilkes-Barre earned a top-200 spot in Pollstar magazine&#8217;s annual ranking of theaters, based on 2015 ticket sales. This marked the first time the Kirby, coming in at No. 114, cracked into the concert trade publication&#8217;s list.</p><p>&#8220;We are not yet where we want to be, but we&#8217;re very proud of how far we have come,&#8221; said Will Beekman, the center&#8217;s executive director. He indicated the theater&#8217;s staff would next be aiming for a top-100 slot. (A separate Pollstar ranking of large arenas&#8217; ticket sales for last year registered the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township at No. 157.)</p><p>While the significance of the Kirby&#8217;s appearance in Pollstar can be debated, it strongly suggests the arts-minded people behind the scenes at this Public Square landmark &#8211; board members, managers and employees &#8211; are doing something right.</p><p>Since its resurrection as the Kirby Center nearly 30 years ago, this building has served as the area&#8217;s cultural touchstone, allowing audiences to laugh, sing, clap, cry and otherwise share our humanity. It&#8217;s the place we go to see comedian Gallagher whack a watermelon and philharmonic conductor Lawrence Loh coax heartache from a violin. It&#8217;s where President George W. Bush campaigned and countless area graduates convened for commencement ceremonies. It&#8217;s where, when the lights go down, our senses rise. Emotional clarity happens here, almost daily.</p><p>The Kirby&#8217;s <a href="http://www.kirbycenter.org/events/" target="_blank">current lineup</a> hints at its ability to touch diverse audiences: &#8220;Madama Butterfly&#8221; (Jan. 29), &#8220;God Save the Queen&#8221; rock band tribute (Feb. 5), Los Lobos with Ballet Folklorico Mexicano (March 4), Irish dance (March 13) and &#8220;Seussical&#8221; (March 31).</p><p>And that doesn&#8217;t include the center&#8217;s movie offerings, as part of the W. Curtis Montz Film Series, and its relatively new &#8220;Live from the Chandelier Lobby&#8221; concert series.</p><p>None of this programming would be possible, of course, had the one-time moviehouse been demolished. In the late 1970s, area residents under the collective banner of S.T.O.P., an acronym for Save The Old Paramount, rallied around the structure, as did retailer Al Boscov and philanthropic friends a few years later.</p><p>In the Kirby Center, the people of the Wyoming Valley found and polished a pearl. As the venue approaches its 30th anniversary season this fall, it&#8217;s worth considering how we intend in the years ahead to handle this gem.</p><p>Without <a href="http://www.kirbycenter.org/support/our-case/" target="_blank">community support</a>, the Kirby Center becomes nothing. And without the Kirby, this would become less of a community.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Will Beekman, executive director of Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, hopes the theater will continue to climb Pollstar magazine&#8217;s list of top-selling venues. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_KirbyCenter.jpg</photo0><caption0>Will Beekman, executive director of Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, hopes the theater will continue to climb Pollstar magazine&#8217;s list of top-selling venues. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>

Our Opinion: As Kirby Center approaches pearl anniversary, it hasn’t lost luster