<\/p>\n
\u201cNo matter what happens in life, the world keeps turning.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was my opening sentence of this column six years ago today. Little did I know, it would be long after when the world was faced with a pandemic that hadn\u2019t been seen in 100 years.<\/p>\n
If you think the first sentence was predicting the future, the second line is even crazier.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust when we get settled, and things are going well, and everyone is happy, the applecart eventually will overturn, and your world goes completely upside down.\u201d<\/p>\n
At that point in time, we were caught up in the tragedy of the loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter in a fatal helicopter crash, and I was reflecting on that scenario, not the approaching COVID crisis or coronavirus as it was known then.<\/p>\n
I followed up by saying this, \u201cThere are two things I know: 1. No one knows the future. 2. We take life for granted.<\/p>\n
We can get caught up living day-to-day, and that can just take the wind out of our sails. We never get to smell the roses, we never get to tell someone \u2018thank you,\u2019 and we often forget how much we love someone.\u201d<\/p>\n
All those statements are still true today.<\/p>\n
After that week, six years ago, all hell broke loose with the virus, and the world eventually shut down.<\/p>\n
It took a great deal of time, and millions of lives were lost worldwide, but eventually, we got out of it and moved on to the point where it almost feels like it never happened.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo matter what happens in life, the world keeps turning.\u201d<\/p>\n
We all get so upset when our daily routine is compromised, don\u2019t we?<\/p>\n
A road could be under construction, and a detour in place, and everyone is throwing their arms in the air. And we all know that with one of the Greater Pittston bridges shut down, again, people were up in arms about it.<\/p>\n
Well, it\u2019s been several years now, and everyone has adjusted to having one bridge to manage, and really, it seems like rush hour to and from work is about the biggest inconvenience drivers experience, and yes, it does take a bit longer to get over the Kridlo Bridge, but it\u2019s not that big of a deal.<\/p>\n
Probably the next big inconvenience bridge-wise will be, not the taking down of the Firefighter\u2019s Bridge, but the closing of the Kridlo Bridge, when everyone will have to get to either side of the river over the newly constructed Firefighter\u2019s Bridge.<\/p>\n
Water St. on the Pittston side and Luzerne Ave. on the West Pittston side will be a bear to travel over.<\/p>\n
Luckily, the plan to have the new Kridlo Bridge down will not be as long because the plan is to start building both bridges at the same time.<\/p>\n
While the Firefighter\u2019s Bridge is being built, the Kridlo Bridge on the Pittston side will also start construction from Mill St. to almost halfway to West Pittston. Once Firefighter\u2019s is built, the Kridlo Bridge will come down, and the second half of the new span will be constructed.<\/p>\n
Sounds confusing? Perhaps, but both bridges are tentatively to be completed by 2030.<\/p>\n
When the Firefighter\u2019s Bridge closed, and the plans were made for the two new spans, 2030 seemed like forever away.<\/p>\n
It still seems somewhat far away, but I know that when demolition and eventual construction start, hopefully, the time will fly by.<\/p>\n
I know there are a lot who doubt the bridges will be built because nothing has happened that we see, but there have been tons of meetings, brainstorming, revisions, testing, and more testing behind the scenes, which may make it look that way.<\/p>\n
It will be interesting when the first bridge gets demolished. I think everyone will take tons of photos throughout the process to document it.<\/p>\n
Once the spans are done, traffic flows, and it\u2019s business as usual, it would only be a matter of time before all disruptions and difficulties are forgotten.<\/p>\n
Moving on, yippee, it\u2019s March 1, and for the most part, it looks like we survived the worst of winter.<\/p>\n
Now I\u2019m not that na\u00efve to think winter is over, but I\u2019m keeping as optimistic as possible.<\/p>\n
We can now focus on one of the longest party celebrations of the year in St. Patrick\u2019s events.<\/p>\n
Things kicked off with the annual Little Miss and Little Mister Leprechaun contest yesterday, and last night was the always fun, always loud Pub Crawl.<\/p>\n
Today, the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick 2026 Irish Woman of the Year lunch will take place at Fox Hill Country Club, honoring Sandra VanLuvender.<\/p>\n
The big St. Patrick\u2019s Mass and parade will take place on March 7 and on Tuesday, St. Patrick\u2019s Day; the Friendly Sons will hold their dinner at The Banks.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t forget the huge St. Patrick\u2019s Parade in Scranton on Saturday, March 14, and the Wilkes-Barre St. Patrick\u2019s Parade on Sunday, March 15.<\/p>\n
So you see, St. Patrick\u2019s holiday is a big deal in NEPA, in particular, Greater Pittston.<\/p>\n
Sadly, the 5K Leprechaun Loop race has been cancelled for 2026, which is not only a big draw for many runners near and far, but it is a fundraiser, and I was told the profit from the race was going to Shop with a Cop.<\/p>\n
Quote of the week <\/p>\n
\u201cSt. Patrick\u2019s Day is an enchanted time \u2014 a day to begin transforming winter\u2019s dreams into summer\u2019s magic.\u201d \u2014Adrienne Cook <\/p>\n
Thought of the week <\/p>\n
\u201cSt. Patrick\u2019s Day is a time to celebrate the heritage and culture of the Irish people and their enduring spirit.\u201d \u2014Unknown <\/p>\n
Bumper sticker <\/p>\n
\u201cThe heart of an Irishman is nothing but his imagination.\u201d \u2014George Bernard Shaw<\/p>\n
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