web1_apple-256262_640.jpg

Superintendent: No threat made toward Dallas students

web1_TTL040817peters.easter.jpg

Easter Egg Hunt at St Peter’s Lutheran Church

<p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to King&#8217;s College for honoring, yet again, the sacrifices of coal miners who were so instrumental in this region&#8217;s history. Despite a truly soaking rainfall accompanied by cold air all day Thursday, the college unveiled the first batch of names on the Miners Memorial Wall of Honor next to King&#8217;s on the Square. The names are a tribute to lives spent &#8212; and lost &#8212; in making the Industrial Revolution what it was. The memorial is a suitable complement to Sue Hand&#8217;s expansive art display &#8220;The Anthracite Miners and Their Hollowed Ground&#8221; given a permanent home inside the long lobby of the building. The names reflect a blunt reality that the hundreds of hexagonal panels in the piece evoke in more universal ways.</p><p><strong>Coal</strong> to the business climate, the social changes, the bigwigs in charge and anyone else responsible (and, indeed, we may all share some blame) for the looming demise of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum &amp; Bailey Circus. The 146-year-old mega-icon show folds up the big top for good in May, and this weekend is the last chance for area residents to see it at a local venue as the acts play out at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Yes, it was a noble decision to drop elephants from the act, but how could such a move lead so quickly to the end of this era? The people who made up the bulk of the show are still as skilled and dedicated as ever, and deserved better. It seems a sad day indeed when America outgrows the circus.</p><p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to Don Rickles for a lifetime of showing the world how insult comedy is supposed to work. The man, who passed away Thursday at the age of 90, was successful for so long because he was funny at insulting, not because he insulted to be funny &#8212; a distinction lost on many who try to mimic his skill. It was always clear his heart didn&#8217;t buy what his mouth was selling. True, he&#8217;s not a local figure, but he played in our area, and even riffed on Wilkes-Barre during a 2016 appearance in Bethlehem, saying he was told &#8220;if you do good here, you can go to Wilkes-Barre!&#8221; In an interview with Today&#8217;s Al Roker last October, he summed it up this way: &#8220;I&#8217;m never hurtful. It&#8217;s always something sarcastic, but fun.&#8221; Godspeed, you hockey puck.</p><p><strong>Coal</strong> to cyclists, pedestrians and drivers who induce tragedy by ignoring both common sense and rules of the road. In the most recent example, Herbie Gant was struck and ultimately killed by a motor vehicle while riding his bicycle at the junction of Market and River streets. Blame has yet to be fully ascertained, but there are two immutable facts: 1) Either cyclist or driver disregarded the rules of the road; 2) When it comes to car vs. pedestrian or cyclist, it is the driver who controls a machine weighing typically more than a ton traveling at speeds that break bones and crack skulls on impact. The law requires motorists to share the road with cyclist, and for cyclists to follow most of the same rules as motorists. Too often, both mandates are bent or ignored outright. Avoidable deaths can be the consequence.</p><p>&#8212; Times Leader</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_TTL040717miners6-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">King's College president Rev. John J. Ryan blesses the Miner's Memorial on Thursday, April 6. 4/6/17. Sean McKeag | Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_TTL040717miners6-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>King's College president Rev. John J. Ryan blesses the Miner's Memorial on Thursday, April 6. 4/6/17. Sean McKeag | Times Leader</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>

Our view: King’s right to honor coal miners