web1_Anthony-Peters-mug.jpg

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins drop decision in overtime

web1_TTL040518BethGilbert.jpg

Councilwoman fires back at social media attack by former Wilkes-Barre police chief

<p><strong>Diamonds</strong>, an abundant cornucopia of them, to all those individuals and organizations in the region who worked to make this holiday a good one for those less fortunate. Friday&#8217;s front page featured one of the most prominent such efforts, the annual delivery of hot dinners by the Commission on Economic Opportunity, but there are other such acts of kindness throughout Luzerne County that merit equal praise. &#8220;The best part,&#8221; 13-year-old volunteer Leilanni Leon said, &#8220;is when you deliver it and see people&#8217;s faces, they appreciate it so much.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Coal</strong> to those who verbally abused and belittled workers at the Luzerne County Bureau of Elections leading up to this year&#8217;s November vote. And a truckload of coal to each politician or pundit &#8212; on both political sides &#8212; who sowed the seeds of such discontent with constant claims of voter fraud made without a shred of evidence. Voter integrity is essential to our democracy, as is trust in the system. Trying to convince people fraud is rampant without proof is dangerous and, by the way, against the fundamental principal of innocence until proven guilty. Angrily accusing dedicated public employees of such a conspiracy without proof &#8212; indeed, without even knowing who is on the other end of the phone, in some cases &#8212; is indefensible. Consider how you would feel if someone you never met accused you of fraud in your work.</p><p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to everyone of every faith who donned one of the blue yarmulkes used to show solidarity with the Jewish community in the wake of a horrific mass shooting in a Pittsburgh synagogue. At a service at First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre, Rabbi Larry Kaplan &#8212; a man of quick wit and endless compassion &#8212; offered the simplest of truths those of every faith need to remember: &#8220;All that matters is that we&#8217;re all God&#8217;s children.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Coal</strong> to the silence and confusion surrounding what appears to be an abrupt cancellation of the lease Planned Parenthood had with the Angeline Kirby Memorial Health Center. Yes, the divisive issue of abortion is part of this drama, at least in the timing of a proposal to offer the service and the lease cancellation. But it seems that issue could be dealt with separate from the other help Planned Parenthood provides. If it is the reason for the lease cancellation, the center&#8217;s board should state so plainly and any debate be open and forthright. As of Friday, that had not happened.</p><p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to the return of pop-up shops in Wilkes-Barre this weekend. They are a visible reminder of the value of &#8220;small business shopping,&#8221; an important part of our local economy that gets easily lost in the age of online shopping giants.</p><p><strong>Coal</strong> to the raises being doled out to state legislators. It&#8217;s true this is a pre-fixed increase tied to the consumer price index through a law passed after the absurd 2 a.m. vote for a huge pay increase in 2005. But it&#8217;s also true that our lawmakers are the second highest-paid in the nation, and that they could collectively deny themselves another income boost. That&#8217;s what they should do.</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em> &#8212; Times Leader</em></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/2018/11/web1_TTL112318CEOThanksgiving_2-1-.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Karen Dougher, of Pittston, left, and Ann Marie Arnone, of Dallas, prepare stuffing with dozens of other volunteers in the kitchen at First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre as they prepare Thanksgiving meals for the homebound Thursday morning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL112318CEOThanksgiving_2-1-.jpg</photo0><caption0>Karen Dougher, of Pittston, left, and Ann Marie Arnone, of Dallas, prepare stuffing with dozens of other volunteers in the kitchen at First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre as they prepare Thanksgiving meals for the homebound Thursday morning. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>

Our view: Diamonds to volunteers who served others this Thanksgiving