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Damaged reported to vehicle parked on South Main Street

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Kyle McHale: College aid from Wilkes University not something I take lightly

<p>Would it be a good idea to &#8230;</p><p>&#8230; add spice to Greater Wilkes-Barre with food trucks?</p><p>Mobile restaurants appear to be more than an American fad, instead fueling the entrepreneurial dreams of today&#8217;s daring chefs and serving as the centerpiece of food festivals.</p><p>On Saturday, for instance, the inaugural <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1076411772381784/" target="_blank">NEPA Food Truck Festival</a> is set for noon to 5 p.m. at PNC Field, Moosic. Benefiting a Catholic middle school in Scranton, the fundraiser reportedly will feature the food trucks of, among others, the Peculiar Culinary Company, Southwest Savory Grill, Sweet Lush Cupcake Camper and Taste Time to Love Us.</p><p>Can food trucks be incorporated into more Wilkes-Barre events &#8211; such as RiverFest and the city&#8217;s Fourth of July celebration &#8211; to pump up attendance? Might the trucks&#8217; increasingly varied and healthy menus appeal more regularly to lunchtime crowds near college campuses or certain workplaces?</p><p>Eateries on wheels are nothing new. Pushcart vendors began catering to hungry passersby in New York City before it was named New York City. For decades, curbside customers in Philadelphia have been accustomed to buying cheesesteaks and other grab-and-go food.</p><p>About five years ago, however, a culinary revolution took place in cities from coast to coast. Writing for Smithsonian magazine, Jonathan Gold credits much of the shakeup to Los Angeles&#8217; influence. His article titled &#8220;How America Became a Food Truck Nation,&#8221; published in March 2012, explains that trucks allow for both low-cost business entry and inspired cooking.</p><p>&#8220;At a time in America when finances are shaky, yet even modest big-city restaurant spaces involve multimillion-dollar build-outs, when consumers have wearied of giant chains but still demand food that is novel, inexpensive and fast,&#8221; he wrote, &#8220;food trucks are the new incubators of culinary innovation.&#8221;</p><p>Devotees in many metro areas can connect with these transitory restaurants by visiting online sites such as Roaming Hunger.</p><p>Locally, food trucks only lately began to make major inroads. In August 2015, a Food Truck Rally on Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s River Common drew participants such as The Wandering Chef and What the Fork.</p><p>Do the Wyoming Valley&#8217;s existing trucks have this market cornered? Is there room for growth?</p><p>Can local festivals further promote food trucks? Or does that unfairly siphon customers from brick-and-mortar restaurants?</p><p>Give us your feedback by sending a letter to the editor or posting comments to this editorial at timesleader.com.</p><p>Likewise, tell us your ideas for improving the community and making area residents&#8217; lives better. Maybe we&#8217;ll spotlight your suggestion in a future editorial and ask readers, &#8220;Would it be a good idea to &#8230;&#8221;</p><style>
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Our Opinion: Food trucks can steer more pedestrian traffic to city streets