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Diamonds to, well, diamonds — and spades and hearts and clubs — dealt and played while The Woodlands hosted the American Contract Bridge League District 4 Regional Tournament earlier this month. It is surely one of those hidden gems of our region, coming to town every other year and bringing up to 400 players to our neighborhood — not to mention all the potential puns, including how it suits us, what a grand slam it is for area hotels and how much we hate to bid adieu. This is the sort of event that can quietly bring attention and money to our area … if we play our cards right.
Coal to the person or persons responsible for a fire bomb tossed through a window at the Luzerne County human services building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilkes-Barre. The apparent target: Children and Youth Executive Director Joanne Van Saun’s office. Such contemptible behavior does nothing for the person or any grievance that may have spawned the despicable — and cowardly — act. Most egregiously, if this was about a dispute regarding the fate of children, the actor proved he or she should be no where near youngsters.
Diamonds to Mimmo’s Pizza & Restaurant owner Mark Bronberg and his wife for their 35-year commitment to Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square. The couple have endured substantial changes and persisted in serving the downtown, and it is that kind of belief in a city’s center that can make it work. Here’s hoping Mark’s knees hold up as well as his spirit so he can continue to serve up slices of both pizza and city life.
Coal to area residents for our collectively low credit scores. A recent analysis by WalletHub determined average credit scores for Hazleton, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre were blah at best. While credit ratings are a complex calculation, the path to better scores is not rocket science: Pay off credit cards, don’t borrow more than you can afford, and don’t keep taking out credit cards to live a lifestyle you can’t afford.
Diamonds to the Hazleton Area High School boys basketball team for an impressive 21-4 season capped by winning the inaugural District 2 Class 6A boys basketball championship Tuesday. The team concluded the season with a 64-56 victory over Delaware Valley at Wyoming Area High School, but here’s the rub: The team finished a strong season with a district title, yet it turns out that the title was the finish to their season. Thus …
Coal to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association for creating convoluted state playoff rules that let a team of talented athletes like the Hazleton Area Cougars win a district title but still not get into the state playoffs. Only a group of out-of-touch autocrats would concoct a format that leaves a group of inspired and aspiring athletes scratching their heads in frustration, wondering how far they might have gone if, you know, things worked as expected and a district title meant there was at least one more playoff in their future.