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Kingston Twp. police officer Michael Prokopchak receives Medal of Valor for heroic actions

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Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins beat Hartford 6-2, win third straight

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Before a performance of &#8220;A Christmas Carol,&#8221; the lobby of the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts bustled with 75 people there for the unveiling of the theater&#8217;s 25th anniversary capital campaign plaque.</p><p>The plaque, built by MLB Advertising, was revealed by Scott Burnside, the chairman of the board of the F.M. Kirby Center, as well as former chairman John Nackley.</p><p>The multicolored LED plaque features the names of those who have donated to the campaign over the past five years.</p><p>During his remarks, Burnside said he was first tasked with a million-dollar project &#8220;before he knew how to say no.&#8221; That project restored the lobby to the way it looked in the 1930s.</p><p>&#8220;This,&#8221; he said, pointing to the covered plaque, &#8220;was a $5 million campaign.&#8221;</p><p>Though the center is officially in its 30th year, the campaign was necessary to keep the Kirby open for another 30, said Will Beekman, executive director for the center. &#8220;But we&#8217;re finishing 2017 stronger than ever,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Beekman thanked several legislators &#8211; state Sen. John T. Yudichak, D-Plymouth Township, and state Reps. Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake; Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, and Sid Michaels Kavulich, D-Taylor &#8211; who were in lobby. During the campaign, state and local elected officials were able to secure a local share account grant to help renovate the center.</p><p>Through the grant, the Kirby was able to improve its heating, ventilation and air conditioning, as well as transition over the stage lighting to energy-saving LED bulbs.</p><p>The speech was Burnside&#8217;s last as chairman of the board. He joked that he had a nine-year term, which turned into 14 years. His term officially ends Dec. 31, said Anne Rodella, the Kirby&#8217;s director of sales and marketing.</p><p>&#8220;I told Will the success (of the Kirby) is programming,&#8221; Burnside said, acknowledging the key to &#8220;ensure success&#8221; was to bring in acts whose names Burnside didn&#8217;t recognize. &#8220;It&#8217;s working.&#8221;</p><p>Beekman said the Kirby Center is &#8220;for the community,&#8221; but it also has had longevity in the area &#8220;because of the community.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;That relationship &#8230; is on display tonight,&#8221; Beekman said, alluding to &#8220;A Christmas Carol,&#8221; which was scheduled to be performed an hour after the unveiling ceremony.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">John Nackles and Scott Burnside remove a cloth over the 25th Anniversary donor plaque during a celebration event Wednesday night at the FM Kirby center.  12/14/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_TTL121516Kirby1.jpg</photo0><caption0>John Nackles and Scott Burnside remove a cloth over the 25th Anniversary donor plaque during a celebration event Wednesday night at the FM Kirby center.  12/14/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>New plaque recognizes theater&#8217;s benefactors</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Kirby Center 25th anniversary plaque recognizes theater’s benefactors