Author: jeff

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Mohegan

Goose Make Arena Debut at Mohegan Sun for Goosemas VIII – NYS Music

February 26, 2022 is a day I will remember for the rest of my life. The last time I was this excited to see a band for the first time was for Phish in June 2012. Just over two years since the 1/25/20 “Hot Tea” earwormed me and I dove into the Goose rabbit hole, I was finally able to see them live – and not just any show. The eighth annual Goosemas celebration at and their first ever show in an arena, at Mohegan Sun.

Mohegan Sun was absolutely bursting at the seams from the beginning of the day. I spent most of the afternoon at the PhanArt “The Hometown Flodown” show (shoutout to the El Goose Times and GrooveSafe crew) before heading into the venue a little before showtime. I was stationed with one of my Always Almost There co-hosts Neal on the floor Peter side.

Goosemas VIII was not about massive jams. It was about a single statement: this band is built for arena rock.

Three sets with nary a ballad, two debuts, and a distinct shift away from the expected songs (I hit just two of my Fantasy Goose picks that were largely comprised of longtime setlist staples). Percussionist Jeff Arevalo even remarked how he was glad they had to reschedule Goosemas from December – this gave the band the opportunity to incorporate many of their more recent songwriting efforts that had yet to be debuted in 2021.

The lights dropped around 8:15 and thousands of people simultaneously yelled “GOOOOOOOSE!”. The band walked on stage and started into holiday classic “Linus and Lucy,” Peter’s special grand piano shining from the get-go. Ripping a hot “Yeti” next, the energy in the venue seemed to grow with each note as I basked in finally hearing one…

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Nanticoke

Filling up on Fat Tuesday keeps bakery busy

Customers at Sanitary Bakery in Nanticoke enjoyed the Mardi Gras treats on Tuesday.

NANTICOKE, Pa. — The line was through the door at Sanitary Bakery in Nanticoke with folks looking to grab their Fat Tuesday treats.

“Paczki, my dad sent me for some paczki,” said Cassandra Carannante of Nanticoke.

“Their cakes and everything is fabulous. Well, I really like everything. I like the fastnachts, I like the whipped cream cakes, and I like the hot cross buns. Everything is very good,” said Maryann Shemanski of Glen Lyon.

“This is the place for the paczki out here unless you make your own, and unfortunately, I don’t make my own right now,” said Stephen Geist of Dallas. “Also, I had court, so it was kind of nice and easy to coordinate. Go to court over at Judge Whittaker and then come over here.”

By midday, the staff at the bakery tells Newswatch 16 they were almost sold out of some of the favorites.

Some return customers like Maryann Shemanski got back just in time.

“This is my second time back. My husband and I got a few of them this morning, and then I want to take some for my sister-in-law down in Benton,” she explained.

Customers tell Newswatch 16 they have many reasons to stop by the bakery in the middle of the day.

“Because you want to, well, because you can. It’s tradition. You want to keep yourself fat,” joked Geist.

For some, this trip goes beyond tradition.

“To help small businesses for sure,” said Carannante.”Because the way the world is now, you got to keep them alive.”

Whatever the reason for the visit, customers tell us they were leaving here happy.

Check out WNEP’s YouTube page. 

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Mohican

Mohican State Park lures visitors with fishing, natural beauty

        Wading into Ohio streams is a pretty standard and much-anticipated endeavor for eager Ohio anglers in spring.
        Walleye occupies most of the attention around here, drawing fishing enthusiasts from most of the 50 states in any given year. Yep, fishing the spring walleye spawn in the Maumee River is that good.
        Then there’s the steelhead that come up northeast Ohio streams this time of year. The Chagrin River and Conneaut Creek are among the favored destinations.
        If you want to get away from the crowds – literally thousands of anglers can line up in the Maumee between Jerome Road at Side Cut Metropark in Maumee, and Perrysburg’s Orleans Park – there’s a beautiful trout stream, one of precious few in Ohio, that flows clear, cold, and clean through one of Ohio’s most scenic areas.
        Or maybe you’re not an angler and just want to enjoy a streamside weekend in a beautiful spot. Picture a beautiful stream gurgling as it rushes over rocks while a morning mist hangs, as it often does, adding a wild, mysterious feel to the setting. It will surely bring out the photographer in you.
        Angler or not, the entire region is a popular tourism destination throughout the year. Walkers, bikers, hikers, campers, skiers, canoeists, kayakers all love the region.
        It’s centered on the Clear Fork of the Mohican River, which flows through a magnificent gorge so beautiful it’s a National Natural Landmark.
        To take full advantage of a stay in the area, consider a stay in the resort lodge in Mohican State Park, or better yet, to get the full streamside experience, rent one of the 25 remodeled state park cabins nestled at the base of the gorge right on one of the best stretches…

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Lenni Lenape

Lenape district girls basketball playoffs roundup

Cherokee 59, Gloucester Tech 23: Gabby Recinto led the way with a game-high 19 points as No. 1 seed Cherokee (23-3, 11-1) routed visiting No. 16 Gloucester Tech (10-17, 0-8) in the first round of the NJSIAA South Group 4 playoffs Feb. 28.

Katie Fricker chipped in 10 points, including two 3-pointers, as the Chiefs won their third consecutive game since a 23-17 loss at Shawnee Feb. 22.

“It went well,” said Cherokee coach Ron Powell. “No one got hurt and everyone got a chance to play. It will obviously get more difficult as we move along.”

Sophia Molinari had a dozen points for Gloucester Tech.

Cherokee will host No. 9 Toms River East, a 35-29 winner over No. 8 Egg Harbor Township in the first round, in the quarterfinals 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2. The Raiders snapped a three-game losing streak with their first-round win.

The Chiefs last met Toms River East in 2015 when they rolled over the Raiders, 53-20, in the first round of the South Jersey Group 4 playoffs.

NJSIAA South Group 4 First Round

Feb. 28, Marlton

Cherokee 59, Gloucester Tech 23

Gloucester (10-17) 9-2-4-8 – 23

Cherokee (23-3) 21-15-14-9 – 59

Gloucester Tech: Sophia Molinari 12, Kera McKnight 2, Ava Friel 4, Tamia Scott 2, Brianna Gibson 3; 3s: Gibson.

Cherokee: Surina Leszkowicz 4, Katie Fricker 10, C.J. Apistar 3, Olivia Selverian 8, Brianna Wegner 4, Courtney Furman 9, Gabby Recinto 19, Delaney Jackson 2; 3s: Furman 3, Fricker 2, Selverian 2, Apistar.

Lenape 52, Washington Township 26: Kaitlyn King led all scorers with 15 points as No. 4 seed Lenape (18-8, 8-4) doubled up visiting No. 13 Washington Township (6-17, 2-10) in the first round of the NJSIAA South Group 4 playoffs Feb. 28.

Ava Doughtery had nine points and Kristen Cortese…

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Nanticoke

H.S. Girls Basketball: Lake-Lehman routs Nanticoke Area to clinch state playoff spot

LEHMAN TWP. — The third meeting on Tuesday resembled the second meeting three weeks earlier.

That was good for Lake-Lehman and bad for Nanticoke Area.

Lehman shut down Nanticoke Area’s 3-point shooting and dominated inside with its size just like last time as the Black Knights posted a 55-33 win in the District 2 Class 4A girls basketball third-place game.

Ella Wilson led the scoring with 15 followed by Claire Dougherty with 14 and eight rebounds. Brenna Hunt had 11 and Hailey Kline scored eight and had a game-high 10 boards. Lia Keefe’s defense at the top of the zone constantly disrupted Nanticoke Area’s perimeter shooting.

“Keefe just adds to that,” Nanticoke Area coach Ed Grant said. “She’s long, she’s aggressive, she’s relentless. And Dougherty is good inside. Wilson can hit some shots and she’ll be a problem for a while.”

Lehman (20-4) secured a spot in the PIAA Class 4A state playoffs with the victory. The Black Knights will play the District 3 runner-up — either Delone Catholic (25-1) or Berks Catholic (21-5) — in the first round next week. The District 3 title game is Saturday afternoon.

“It’s big,” Lehman coach Charlie Lavan said. “Last year, they only took one team (because of the pandemic). We’re in a tough bracket. You’d like to be at the arena and like to come home with a district title, but you have to know who you’re in there with.”

Nanticoke Area ended its season at 13-12. The Trojanettes, though, were the only team to defeat eventual Division 2 champion Lehman in during the Wyoming Valley Conference regular season. They did so with an array of 3-pointers. Riley Baird had eight of the 14 treys and finished with 42 points in the 70-58 win…

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Mohegan

Boys basketball: Bears hold off Windham, capture first ECC tournament championship

UNCASVILLE — Heading into Tuesday’s ECC Division II tournament final, Stonington boys basketball coach Jay Wosencroft had acknowledged that defense was not the master key to the Bears’ near-perfect run through the conference.

The Bears allowed too many points for his liking in a number of victories and missed opportunities to upset higher-division powers New London and St. Bernard because of defensive lapses in an otherwise impressive season.

But with 20 seconds left in the D-II final against Windham, and with his Bears clinging to a three-point lead, Wosencroft trusted his senior-laden team to play defense to secure the program’s first ECC tourney championship.

And it did just that. Windham missed 3-point attempts with five and one second left, and top-seeded Stonington emerged with a 65-62 victory — its 15th in a row — in front of about 1,690 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

With three fouls to give before No. 2 Windham would reach the one-and-one bonus, conventional strategy called for fouls to delay an opponent’s offensive attack and prevent a potential tying 3-pointer. Wosencroft, however, instructed his players not to foul and instead play tight defense. The strategy worked.

“We talked about giving fouls, we’ve practiced those late-game situations, but I wasn’t comfortable with us deliberately fouling,” he said. “I wanted us to play tough defense and see what happened.”

Windham’s top two shooters, Travis Mangual and Malcolm Hunter, missed game-tying 3s. Yes, defense evidently does win championships.

It was a well-earned championship for the Bears (19-3), their first in three finals appearances after losing in 2011 and 2019.

The young Whippets (16-7) showed up playing fast and confident. Paced by Mangual, their lead guard, Windham used a 14-0 run to lead 25-13 after one quarter. Mangual already had 11 points. Stonington allowed a number of offensive rebounds, turned the…

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Mohican

Heavy rains cause flooding in low-lying areas, close roads in Northern Ohio

Two nights of rain filled puddles and ponds and caused creeks to overflow their banks across Northeast and North Central Ohio, leaving some motorists stranded and others delayed Monday.

The waters rose so high that a flood was declared in southern Ashland County and a flood advisory was issued for just about everywhere else.

An average of 2 inches of rain fell along the U.S. Route 30 corridor by Monday morning, according to Raelene Campbell, a meteorologist in the Cleveland office of the National Weather Service.

Time for maple syrup: Crowds pour into Malabar Farm for first Maple Syrup Festival since 2019

Rainfall was lighter in Crawford County and picked up further east in Richland, Ashland and Wayne counties. Holmes County saw flooding in the Killbuck Creek area.

Black Fork River hits flood stage in Loudonville

The heavies rains fell in southern Ashland County, based on reports collected by the weather service.

“At Loudonville we have a report of 2.29 inches,” Campbell said. “Southeast of Perrysville we have a report of 2.14 inches.”

Just north of Loudonville, Honey Creek and Big Run both feed into the Black Fork River, which then meets the Clear Fork River to form the Mohican River south of town.

“The only problem we’re seeing is in the Loudonville area,” Campbell said. “The river gauge there has gone into flood stage.”

More: Judge rules Mansfield child rape case from 1990s can proceed, denies motion to dismiss

It was the Black Fork that broke the 10-foot barrier by about an inch Monday morning to put the town into an official flood. That warning, though, was scheduled to expire Monday afternoon.

“I don’t expect it to last longer than 3 o’clock,” Campbell said. “If anything, we might be able to cancel it a bit earlier.”

Although the Mohican River was not into the official…

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Lenni Lenape

Debunking myths about Delaware Water Gap getting a national park designation

By John Donahue

“The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation bill authorizes the creation of a 72,000-acre national park… A full 15% of this nation’s entire population will live within 100 miles of this reservation,” President Lyndon Banes Johnson, Sept. 1, 1965 on the signing of Delaware Water Gap legislation.

The Warren County Commissioners deserve a lot of credit for being leaders in protecting the quality of life for their citizens and for supporting the Delaware River National Park and Lenape Preserve that will enhance the prestige and economy of the existing park and surrounding area. Their leadership on this issue will benefit all Americans. While every opinion should be respected on the management of our public lands, it is important that we share the actual details of the proposal and not misinformation and speculation.

The purpose of designating the Delaware River National Park and Lenape Preserve is to place this gem of our national heritage into the jeweled crown of the national park system where it has always belonged.

Delaware River National Park and Lenape Preserve appropriately recognizes the singularly spectacular natural and cultural resources contained within this park. It recognizes the extraordinary complex of resources found in this one place: the Appalachian Trail, the longest undammed river in the Eastern United States, the Delaware; the Kittatinny Ridge; and 12,000 years of demonstrated human occupation; all this within the homeland of the Lenape people. All these unique elements of our national heritage are found within the heart of hundreds of thousands of acres of connected public lands in one grand cultural landscape. Creating the park and preserve with the correct designations and maintaining the traditional activities, including hunting within the preserve, will fulfill the original intention of Congress to create equity in nature-based recreational opportunities for the now 60 million people living…

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Unami

UNAMI Report: Overcoming obstacles, women shone in 2021 elections; greater political participation is imperative

The performance of Iraqi women in the October elections marks a major improvement from the 2018 elections, with 29 percent representation up from 25 percent. The fact that 57 women from 16 governorates, out of the 95 women candidates, won outside the quota demonstrates Iraqi women’s ability to win on their own merits. Notwithstanding this achievement, the quota remains a key instrument to guarantee women’s representation in the Council of Representatives, the report added.

The analysis highlighted impediments to women’s advancement in the elections, such as security challenges, cultural and traditional gender roles in rural areas, violence against female candidates, limited training, insufficient political party support and financial resources. The report revealed that the majority of women who won were politically affiliated, indicating that political parties remain a key avenue to enter parliament.

The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq for Political and Electoral Affairs, Ingibjörg Sólrún-Gísladóttir, said: “Iraqi women have proven that when they have the opportunity to enter politics, they excel. The 2021 election is a case in point – an unprecedented number of seats went to women candidates, above their quota. I encourage this success to be reflected in the government formation and with senior appointments. Women should take their rightful place in politics and all decision making in the society. The exemplary performance of women in the October elections should be translated into advances in other areas.”      

The report recommended measures to bring Iraq into compliance with international standards such as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to which it is a party, in order to end gender-based discrimination in politics and create a more enabling environment for women’s political participation and electoral representation. Measures beyond quotas could be introduced, including financial support, lower thresholds for candidate…

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Nanticoke

As stores ban Russian vodka, Nanticoke distillery pledges funds for pro-Ukrainian cause

Instead of advocating for a Russian vodka boycott, the LBC Distillery is promoting a Nanticoke vodka fundraiser to assist the people of Ukraine.

The owners of LBC Distillery — which makes its vodka in Nanticoke and sells it in Pittston — are pledging 10% of vodka sales in the near future to a pro-Ukrainian cause.

“Instead of being anti something we wanted to be pro something,” said Maryann Lang, who owns and runs LBC Distillery with her husband, Jonathan.

The vodka sale fundraiser was inspired by a growing boycott of Russian-made vodka that has been sweeping the world since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Pennsylvania has banned the sale of vodka made in Russia at its Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores in response to the invasion.

But, to the surprise of many, the banned list only includes two brands that were regularly stocked — Russian Standard and Ustianochka — and several special-order products with minimal annual sales.

Other popular vodkas, like Stolichnaya and Smirnoff, and bottom-shelf brands, like Nikolai, Crown Russe and Vladimir are branded as Russian, but are actually made elsewhere.

Around the country, people have taken to social media to dump their vodkas — with many discarding the non-Russian-made vodkas like Stolichnaya, better known as “Stoli” and now made in Latvia, and Smirnoff, now made in Illinois. Both do have roots in Russia.

“They dumped perfectly good vodka in an effort to feel good,” Maryann Lang said.

With vodka in the news, the Langs felt it was a good time to remind people there is a family-owned distillery that makes vodka right here in Luzerne County that reinvests in the community.

“If they want to limit the availability of some vodka, that means ours may stand out a little more,” Jonathan Lang said.

The LBC Distillery retail outlet and tasting room at 350 Kennedy Boulevard in Pittston is open Thursday…

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