web1_Susan-Magnotta-bio-picture.jpg

Institute Insights: Opportunities abound for successful careers in trades

web1_ANDY-WASKIE-AS-MEADE-2.jpg

Meet Civil War Gen. George Meade at Osterhout on March 9

<p>PLYMOUTH &#8212; For three hours, costumes, re-enactments, history lessons and a spaghetti dinner brought 80 people together Sunday for a worthy cause.</p><p>The Plymouth Historical Society in conjunction with the Shawnee Cemetery Preservation Association hosted the Tribute to Our Troops spaghetti dinner to raise funds for both local historical groups at the Shawnee Room on Main Street.</p><p>Members from both groups portrayed citizens and soldiers from the past.</p><p>Among the many characters on hand, Plymouth Historical Society president, Steve Kondrad dressed up as former Plymouth Mayor Edward F. Burns.</p><p>&#8220;Burns was a very notable figure in the town from 1966 to 1994,&#8221; said Kondrad. &#8220;A lot of people might not know it but Burns was a staff sergeant. He was a B-24 bomber flying in 29 missions in Italy.&#8221;</p><p>Each American conflict from the American Revolution all the way to the Vietnam War was represented.</p><p>&#8220;There is so much history in this town,&#8221; Kondrad noted. &#8220;We decided to base this year&#8217;s spaghetti dinner on troops from the area after last year&#8217;s was about coal miners. Most of the veterans from WWI and WWII were coal miners.&#8221;</p><p>Tom Jesso Sr. reaffirmed Kondrad&#8217;s beliefs.</p><p>&#8220;Plymouth has always answered the call for the service,&#8221; said Jesso, Shawnee Cemetery Preservation Association president. &#8220;They&#8217;ve done it all the way from the American Revolution till now.&#8221;</p><p>Jesso said he will put the funds raised from Sunday&#8217;s events back into the Shawnee Cemetery for upkeep and gravestone restoration.</p><p>Kondrad said it took almost a year of planning to organize Sunday&#8217;s event.</p><p>&#8220;The people we are talking about aren&#8217;t our relatives,&#8221; he mentioned. &#8220;We take a lot of time to research what and who we are talking about. We are constantly digging through archives, old newspaper clippings, interviews and really anything we can find.&#8221;</p><p>Bob Keiser, of Warrior Run, is affiliated with the Hanover Green Cemetery, and said he will &#8216;always support events like this.&#8217;</p><p>&#8220;If you don&#8217;t know where you came from, how do you know where you are going,&#8221; said Keiser, 63. &#8220;It&#8217;s extremely important to support our local history.&#8221;</p><p>Keiser said he was intrigued by this year&#8217;s military theme because his father and father-in-law, as well as other relatives served in World War II.</p><p>&#8220;They were our greatest generation, and there&#8217;s not many of them left,&#8221; he added.</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/2019/02/web1_TTL052519TributeToOurTroops_4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A newspaper clipping from May 8, 1945, headlining the surrender of Germany in World War II is one of many historical items on display during &#8216;Tribute to Our Troops&#8217; event benefitting the Plymouth Historical Society and the historic Shawnee Cemetery in Plymouth on Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL052519TributeToOurTroops_4.jpg</photo0><caption0>A newspaper clipping from May 8, 1945, headlining the surrender of Germany in World War II is one of many historical items on display during &#8216;Tribute to Our Troops&#8217; event benefitting the Plymouth Historical Society and the historic Shawnee Cemetery in Plymouth on Sunday afternoon. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL052519TributeToOurTroops_3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Shawnee Cemetery Preservation Society President Tom Jesso, Sr. offers welcoming remarks during &#8216;Tribute to Our Troops&#8217; event benefitting the Plymouth Historical Society and the historic Shawnee Cemetery in Plymouth on Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL052519TributeToOurTroops_3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Shawnee Cemetery Preservation Society President Tom Jesso, Sr. offers welcoming remarks during &#8216;Tribute to Our Troops&#8217; event benefitting the Plymouth Historical Society and the historic Shawnee Cemetery in Plymouth on Sunday afternoon. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL052519TributeToOurTroops_2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">U.S. Army Reserve veteran Joe Slusser, of Wilkes-Barre, fixes a bunting during &#8216;Tribute to Our Troops&#8217; event benefitting the Plymouth Historical Society and the historic Shawnee Cemetery in Plymouth on Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL052519TributeToOurTroops_2.jpg</photo2><caption2>U.S. Army Reserve veteran Joe Slusser, of Wilkes-Barre, fixes a bunting during &#8216;Tribute to Our Troops&#8217; event benefitting the Plymouth Historical Society and the historic Shawnee Cemetery in Plymouth on Sunday afternoon. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL052519TributeToOurTroops_1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Civil War re-enactor Bruce Geiger, of Scranton, looks over glasses from that period during &#8216;Tribute to Our Troops&#8217; event benefitting the Plymouth Historical Society and the historic Shawnee Cemetery in Plymouth on Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL052519TributeToOurTroops_1.jpg</photo3><caption3>Civil War re-enactor Bruce Geiger, of Scranton, looks over glasses from that period during &#8216;Tribute to Our Troops&#8217; event benefitting the Plymouth Historical Society and the historic Shawnee Cemetery in Plymouth on Sunday afternoon. </caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>dstokes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dan Stokes at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @ByDanStokes</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Event honors veterans, raises funds for two historical groups