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A cliff-hanger of survival for the peregrine falcon

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Lyme expert: Don’t let fear of disease keep you inside

<p>If you&#8217;re in downtown Wilkes-Barre on any given night, there is a bevy of places to go.</p><p>There are Italian and Mexican eateries. There&#8217;s nightlife consisting of some fun bars with outdoor seating. There&#8217;s the F.M. Kirby Center, booking magnificent acts every week.</p><p>But, there&#8217;s also a smaller spot just a block away from Public Square called Oyster (inside Best Western Plus Genetti Hotel &amp; Conference Center), popular with many because of its fine dining, picturesque atmosphere and well-attended turkey lunches on Tuesdays.</p><p>On Thursday nights, the bar &#8212; a city-style lounge setting &#8212; turns into a live music venue beginning at 8 p.m. with all sorts of fabulous artists. The most recent Thursday consisted of Mike MiZ playing solo on guitar and vocals.</p><p>Beloved locally for his original and cover music, the Pittston native who recently returned to the area from a performance trip to Nashville, put on a night of effortless entertainment. Most stopped their conversations with friends to pay attention.</p><p>He&#8217;s playing this Thursday inside Oyster too, so if you haven&#8217;t heard this talented fellow, I can only suggest you stop by.</p><p>Vine Street, a rock group made up of four friends who make their own music and cover bands like Fleetwood Mac, Kings of Leon and Johnny Cash, played the venue the week before.</p><p>While I couldn&#8217;t attend that performance, I&#8217;m told it was a packed house, thanks in part to Special Guest App, the entertainment booking app that&#8217;s becoming increasingly popular in the area.</p><p>The app is easing the pain for artists looking to book gigs &#8212; something revolutionary since it&#8217;s blending mobile technology and traditional entertainment booking.</p><p>An added plus was catching up with Kris and Robyn Jones. The duo is running the app business, along with co-founder Damon Wayans Jr., the LA-raised actor who starred in &#8220;Happy Endings&#8221; and &#8220;New Girl.&#8221;</p><p>I could ramble on about a new venue having some live music on a weeknight and the latest and greatest in mobile technology; it&#8217;s surely a welcome addition to the downtown scene and the area overall.</p><p>I also stopped by The Caf&#233; &#8212; An American Bistro on Route 315 in Plains Township last week, where all sorts of spring cocktails are on display featuring none other than familiar friend Jim Beam.</p><p>There&#8217;s the &#8220;Honey Lemonade,&#8221; made of honey whiskey, lemonade, syrup and lemon juice. Or, you can try the &#8220;Whiskey Vanilla Latte&#8221; with vanilla whiskey, whipped vodka and RumChata. Other specialties include concoctions with apple or cherry whiskey.</p><p>It&#8217;s an appetizing cocktail menu for an after-work happy hour or simply to sample during dinnertime.</p><p>I&#8217;ve always been a fan and love stopping by during lunch, where the daily specials, homemade desserts and eclectic crowd make it the perfect break from a busy day.</p><p>We all need those reprieves and breaks, don&#8217;t we?</p><p>Whether it&#8217;s listening to live music at Oyster, a scrumptious lunch or something else, we all should make sure to take those breaks in our lives.</p><p>That&#8217;s what I hope happens every time you read this column.</p><p>I hope you think of new places to go, new bands to hear, new things to do and more.</p><p>Even though we&#8217;re all so busy, there&#8217;s nothing wrong with &#8220;breaking&#8221; when you can.</p><p>Enjoy whatever you do to take your break today.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Mike McGinley is the Times Leader Media Group&#8217;s major accounts executive. Reach him at mmcginley@www.timesleader.com or 570-704-3945.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Around Town: Live music, great food and a stop for spring cocktails