web1_ShapiroMug.jpg

AG takes action to protect seniors’ rights in nursing home contracts

web1_bjones.jpg

Superintendent: Hanover Area finding new fiscal problems daily

<p>SAN FRANCISCO &#8212; Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon declined to apologize to residents of his hometown and said his words were taken out of context in a <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/top-stories/670850/our-viewjoe-maddonmust-sayhes-sorry" target="_blank">Times Leader editorial criticizing Maddon&#8217;s remarks on Hazleton</a> during a recent television interview.</p><p>In the editorial printed Tuesday, a few Hazleton residents expressed displeasure with Maddon for an interview with NBC News correspondent Harry Smith on &#8220;Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;They&#8217;re going to save our town,&#8221; Maddon told Smith of the surge of Hispanic residents in Hazleton. &#8220;You have two options right here: Either you get on board and help us as we&#8217;re moving this thing along, or you&#8217;re going to die.</p><p>&#8220;And when you die and go away, you&#8217;re going to get out of the way. You&#8217;re not going to be a part of the problem anymore. So it&#8217;s either help or die.&#8221;</p><p>The Times Leader editorial called for Maddon to apologize &#8220;for insulting the hardworking and fair-minded people of Hazleton.&#8221;</p><p>One resident called Maddon &#8220;full of himself.&#8221; Another said: &#8220;That was terrible. I hate him. I hope he doesn&#8217;t win one game.&#8221;</p><p>Before the Cubs&#8217; game Tuesday night against the Giants, Maddon was asked about the opinion piece from his home county and said he would not apologize. But he did acknowledge his use of the word &#8220;die&#8221; sparked controversy.</p><p>&#8220;There&#8217;s no ill intent,&#8221; Maddon said. &#8220;If you watch the show in its entirety, it&#8217;s a really positive piece. And I think the message is 99.9 percent positive.</p><p>&#8220;So for those who misinterpreted the comments, I can&#8217;t say I even apologize for that because there&#8217;s no ill intent involved. I don&#8217;t wish that on any human being. And actually I wish the opposite.&#8221;</p><p>Maddon long has crusaded to help his hometown, mainly through the work of his Hazleton Integration Project, described on its website as &#8220;a community-based effort that seeks to unite the people of many different cultures who now call Hazleton home.&#8221;</p><p>Maddon said he believed only a small percentage of people were upset with his comments in the interview, adding that he hoped they would &#8220;step on board and be part of this positive situation that&#8217;s going to change our hometown for the better.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;And accept these people who have come to our hometown and saved it,&#8221; he said Tuesday. &#8220;Because without the Hispanic influx that we&#8217;ve had, our hometown would have wasted away in the very near future because there&#8217;s no business coming in, there&#8217;s no cultural involvement, there&#8217;s no youth, no family involvement unless these people come here who want to be here and really make Hazleton a better place.&#8221;</p><p>Maddon said his words didn&#8217;t accurately convey his message.</p><p>&#8220;My meaning is please get on board,&#8221; Maddon said. &#8220;Please be part of this because if you do &#8230; we are going to turn this city around more quickly and then have a greater impact on the surrounding areas too.</p><p>&#8220;For the group that is anti-what I said, I&#8217;d just like to know what their take is specifically on what we&#8217;re doing. I&#8217;d like to hear from them &#8230; why they&#8217;re so averse to what we&#8217;re doing and what they think of the people who are moving to our hometown.&#8221;</p><p>As for his use of the word &#8220;die,&#8221; Maddon said: &#8220;All I meant was &#8230; as we continue to move forward, I really encourage people to become part of this positive movement and understand that if you choose not to, it&#8217;s still going to change anyway when you&#8217;re gone.&#8221;</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/2017/08/web1_TTL121616Maddon2CMYK-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon talks to the media during an event at the Hazleton One Community Center in Hazleton on Thursday, December 15. 12/5/16. Sean McKeag | Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL121616Maddon2CMYK-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon talks to the media during an event at the Hazleton One Community Center in Hazleton on Thursday, December 15. 12/5/16. Sean McKeag | Times Leader</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Gonzales</p><p>and Paul Skrbina</p><p>Chicago Tribune</p></bylineMeta></div>

Cubs’ Joe Maddon responds to Times Leader editorial on Hazleton