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SWB RailRiders co-managing David Abrams announces he has cancer

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Twin brothers in ‘Operation Gym Candy’ get 23 months in prison

<p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to the Northeast Fair and to similar events in our region that keep the spirit of family summer fun alive. There is little denying that these fairs often have an old-school feel that makes them retro in an age of super smartphones and instant digital entertainment available everywhere. But we need to remember the joy of young child on a kid-size ride, cotton candy melting in our mouths and the community you can only feel in person outdoors.</p><p><strong>Coal</strong> to the spate of shootings and robberies in the area, particularly in Wilkes-Barre, where three instances of gun play were reported in roughly an eight-hour period. This is not the space to debate gun laws, mental health care, policing tactics or the myriad of related issues behind such violence, but there is one point worth raising: Mayor Tony George ran as the &#8220;law and order&#8221; candidate, and he has been in office long enough for such cases to reflect on his success or failure in that field.</p><p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to Misericordia University, Chemistry student Chabely Espinal and pottery instructor/artist Skip Sensbach for what seems like groundbreaking &#8212; or at least glass-crushing &#8212; research into the use of discarded bottles as the primary source of silica in pottery glaze. Done under the auspices of the university&#8217;s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, if they find the right mix of ground glass and other ingredients, this simple-sounding idea could pull bottled glass too costly to recycle out of landfills and use it to replace mined silica, reducing all the energy use and carbon emissions that process creates.</p><p><strong>Coal</strong>, with a caveat, to past Luzerne County administrations for neglecting the truly-irreplaceable gem known as the Luzerne County Courthouse. The caveat: there have been some important and very substantial efforts to repair and restore critical structures, most notably the dome and outside steps. But the fact &#8212; as reported in Monday&#8217;s paper &#8212; that so much remains to be done is still an indictment to the unconscionable inattention showered on this majestic jewel for so very long.</p><p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to the Friends of the Osterhout Free Library annual book sale &#8212; and, yes, you still have time to get there, it ends today. The sale doesn&#8217;t simply support a worthy cause by helping clear some space in a basement that, rest assured, gets pretty crowded with items stored for his purpose. It is a chance to learn at bargain prices, in any field you want, or to simply entertain yourself for pennies per hour as you peruse your purchases.</p><p><strong>Coal</strong> to the politicians who stop holding true town hall meetings and the residents who behave so poorly that eliminating such meetings can be justified. And by the way, coal to politicians who contribute to the demise of civility in political discourse, which in turn fuels this phenomenon. U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Hazleton, is the latest pol to eschew meetings, citing the &#8220;viciousness out there.&#8221; He&#8217;s not the first, but it&#8217;s time to start looking to be the last.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Jackson Smith, 1, of Pittston Twp., has a great time riding on the carousel at the Northeast Fair on Tuesday, June 21, 2016.  6/21/16. Sean McKeag | Sunday Dispatch</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_PSD062616NortheastFair2.CMYK_.jpg</photo0><caption0>Jackson Smith, 1, of Pittston Twp., has a great time riding on the carousel at the Northeast Fair on Tuesday, June 21, 2016.  6/21/16. Sean McKeag | Sunday Dispatch</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>

Our view: Hosting some summer fun earns kudos