W-b Police Owe Public Answers About Shotgun

Angelo C. Pignatone, 74, Of 4 Benedict Street,

By JOE BUTKIEWICZ joeb@leader.net
 Thursday, February 15, 2001 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





GLENBURN TWP. - The women came in from the rain, cheerful in attitude and
attire, a covey trailing smiles and giggles. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 They wore red bonnets and berets. And crimson caps and flush chapeaus. All
of them. With purple pant suits, jackets and dresses. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; About 20 women gathered Wednesday at Patsel's restaurant in Glenburn in
Lackawanna County for the inaugural meeting of a chapter of the Red Hat
Society. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The group takes the lead of the founding Red Hat Society from California.
Members must be 50 or older and wear a red hat and purple clothes at meetings.
Beyond that there are no rules. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I'm retired and I just wanted to have fun,'' said Lillian Shust of
Jermyn, complete in a borrowed broad-rimmed hat she decorated with fabric
flowers. Shust was one of 27 area women contacted by Mary Zucosky and a few
friends after Zucosky, of Dalton, read a story about the Red Hat Society. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The movement began when Sue Ellen Cooper of Fullerton, Calif., gave a gift
of a red hat and a copy of the poem ``When I Am An Old Woman,'' by Jenny
Joseph. After more gifts of hats and poems, the friends started to meet. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Friends in Florida tried similar meetings. Romantic Home magazine published
a story in July 2000. A newspaper published a feature, which was distributed
to syndicated services. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``Frankly we haven't done anything to seek out publicity,'' said Cooper,
the Queen Mother, in a phone interview. ``We just sit back and marvel at it.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Cooper estimated there are 1,000 to 2,000 members in 100 Red Hat chapters
across the country. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A Web site offers guidance, if not policy. It is suggested hopeful members
under 50 can have a conditional membership if they wear pink hats and
lavender clothing. ``We're encouraging each other to act up, in very ladylike
fashion,'' said Cooper, noting that a chapter in Illinois took a bus trip to
see a performance of an Elvis impersonator. They threw purple panties on
stage. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A freelance illustrator, the 56-year-old Cooper said maintaining the
society has become a full-time job. Chapters must pay $35 to register.
T-shirts, bumper stickers and two styles of hats are sold online. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Lackawanna County group was officially applying for a charter
Wednesday. Most of the 18 who attended the lunch are members of the Century
Club in Scranton said Charity Jennings of Clarks Summit. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The difference with the Red Hat Society? ``No rules,'' laughed Zucosky. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Except for the clothes and age limits, which unify members by eliminating
fashion competition and the taboo of age, Cooper agreed. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I'm past the point of caring. Why not,'' shrugged Jennings, who is 52. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``When I started out, we thought we were glamorous ladies and we weren't
getting older,'' said Cooper. ``But we are. And we're all the same
underneath.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Cooper said the initial intent was to include all women but membership
tends to attract strong personalities. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``The women involved with it tend to have led interesting lives and have
gusto,'' Cooper said. ``They are women who are interested in finding there's a
lot more life left.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Chapter members in Lackawanna County may direct efforts to raising money
for charities. They may travel to New York or Philly for high tea. It's hard
to find high tea served in Northeastern Pennsylvania, they say. And other
things, too. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``Do you know how hard it is to find a red hat in Scranton, Pennsylvania?''
exclaimed Jennings. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I didn't have to go farther than my closet for my clothes.'' said Shust
with the slightest of curtsy and a roll of her hand along her purple polka dot
skirt. ``I'm a purple person.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

``we're Encouraging Each Other To Act Up, In Very Ladylike Fashion.'' Red Heads Have More Fun