web1_rozzi.jpg

Legislator raped by priest pushes for change in state law

web1_TTL090317HSFCoughlinPrep3.jpg

Follow the leaders: Familiar faces look strong at start of LFC season

<p>FORTY FORT &#8212; It&#8217;s a bird, it&#8217;s a plane, it&#8217;s not Superman, it&#8217;s &#8230;. the Goodyear Blimp!</p><p>The iconic blimp was seen across the area Wednesday afternoon as it touched down at the Wilkes-Barre/Wyoming Valley Airport to pick up lucky passengers and afford them the opportunity to see Luzerne County and the surrounding areas from 1,500 feet above.</p><p>Jack Williams Tire &amp; Auto in Kingston held a Facebook contest July 16 asking people to like and share the post and tag people in the comment section who you would like to bring with you for a chance to soar in the skies aboard the Goodyear blimp.</p><p>Jack Williams has been a loyal Goodyear provider for over 40 years, and that made the contest possible.</p><p>Eric Weister, of Lebanon, won the contest and opted to take son Andrew and wife Jill for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.</p><p>&#8220;It was a no-brainer that I would take my 11-year-old son and wife with me,&#8221; said Eric Weister. &#8220;We were just so excited.&#8221;</p><p>Eric and Andrew did not show any fear after soaring over 1,000 feet in the air.</p><p>&#8220;It was such an awesome experience,&#8221; Eric said. &#8220;It really wasn&#8217;t scary. It felt like you were in a glider with a little motor.&#8221;</p><p>He continued: &#8220;We had to be seated for the first 1,000 feet. But after that, we could stand and walk around and look outside.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;The windows were so big in the blimp,&#8221; Andrew added. &#8220;We saw so much.&#8221;</p><p>When Eric and his son got off the blimp, other winners had the opportunity to climb aboard as well. Jill Weister, Eric&#8217;s wife, was one of them.</p><p>&#8220;I spoke with the pilot and she told me there was an extra seat available on the next trip,&#8221; Eric mentioned.</p><p>&#8220;I just couldn&#8217;t believe the view,&#8221; said Jill about her blimp ride. &#8220;Everything looked so tiny, the roads, houses and trees.&#8221;</p><p>She compared her experience to being a passenger on a boat.</p><p>&#8220;They told us that we should remain seated because the blimp can rock a bit,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It makes sense because of the winds that you encounter.&#8221;</p><p>There are three Goodyear blimps based in the U.S., according to the blimp&#8217;s website.</p><p><strong>Residents flock to see</strong></p><p>Since 1917, Goodyear has had a blimp in the sky over many sporting events across the United States, including over the Little League World Series in Williamsport.</p><p>&#8220;I thought the blimp was here because of the Little League World Series,&#8221; said Melissa Zerbe, of Swoyersville. &#8220;But they haven&#8217;t flown over Williamsport for that event for the past two years so I knew it had to be something special.&#8221;</p><p>Zerbe said her 7-year-old son Dawson really wanted to see the blimp.</p><p>&#8220;We drove over to see the blimp but when we first got to the airfield, it was already up in the air,&#8221; she said. &#8220;So we went to the park before coming back.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;I begged my mom to come see the blimp,&#8221; said Dawson. &#8220;It was so cool seeing it land.&#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/2018/08/web1_Blimp2.jpeg-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Eric Weister, of Lebanon, at right, won a Facebook contest to take a ride in the Goodyear Blimp. He opted to take son Andrew and wife Jill as his guests. Jack Williams Tire &amp; Auto in Kingston, a longtime Goodyear dealer, held the contest. The Weisters got their ride Wednesday when the blimp stopped at the Wilkes-Barre/Wyoming Valley Airport. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_Blimp2.jpeg-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Eric Weister, of Lebanon, at right, won a Facebook contest to take a ride in the Goodyear Blimp. He opted to take son Andrew and wife Jill as his guests. Jack Williams Tire &amp; Auto in Kingston, a longtime Goodyear dealer, held the contest. The Weisters got their ride Wednesday when the blimp stopped at the Wilkes-Barre/Wyoming Valley Airport. </caption0><photoCredit0>Dan Stokes | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_Image-2-3-1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Goodyear Blimp is shown landing at the Wilkes-Barre/Wyoming Valley Airport on Wednesday. Many people saw the blimp flying over the area throughout the afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_Image-2-3-1-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>The Goodyear Blimp is shown landing at the Wilkes-Barre/Wyoming Valley Airport on Wednesday. Many people saw the blimp flying over the area throughout the afternoon. </caption1><photoCredit1>Dan Stokes | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Contest winners treated to ride</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>dstokes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>BLIMP FUN FACTS</strong></p><p>&#8226; The Goodyear Blimp is made up of 22 parts.</p><p>&#8226; The fastest a blimp can fly is 53 mph.</p><p>&#8226; Blimps are made of polyester and rubber.</p><p>&#8226; A CBS producer paid $1,000 to use the Goodyear Blimp to provide aerial shots for coverage of the 1960 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em> &#8212; Per the Goodyear Blimp website</em></p></factboxMeta></div>

Goodyear Blimp takes contest winners on unforgettable ride