It's been called to my attention, several times, by Michael P., that a certain old entry on NEPABlog has had a bit of a stir over time.
I feel I must clarify that the reason that all the comments read the same date is not a paranormal mystery, it's called bad coding on my part. Sorry.
The blog post refers to an old article in the Scranton Times Tribune from Halloween 2002. (Note: Much more appropriate than the W-B witches article really! I don't know why the Times Leader didn't hold off on that story another month!)
I have a friend who lives near Olyphant, and works in Olyphant, and he seems to think there might be something special about the area. But this friend thinks a lot of things, including the benefit of some arcane forms of public meditation.
I don't understand the pyramid connection. Though maybe that was explained in the "original map", which is now a 404 error. (Not my fault, that was a file of Michael P.) Or maybe the guy really was referring to the old mine culm bank.
The fact that there's a ton of churches in Olyphant... The truth is, almost all very old small towns in Northeastern Pennsylvania boast many churches and many taverns. A church and a bar on every corner is part of life in small town NEPA.
Here are some photos I took last month in Olyphant...
Olyphant, August 17th 2004
Olyphant, August 17th 2004
Olyphant, August 17th 2004
Here's a flood photo taken in Olyphant: The Lackawanna Avenue Bridge in Olyphant at 1:00 pm By: Christopher Dolan
'the Cottage' after the flood waters recede a bit...
September 19th 2004 A photo of the same position from last year
The following photos correspond to the the photos on the blog taken the day before...
September 19th 2004
September 19th 2004
September 19th 2004
September 19th 2004 Some old photos from 2002 when the river was high, but not a flood.
September 19th 2004
The top of the table dislodged during the flood.
September 19th 2004 Some old photos of the river birch trees in 2002
September 19th 2004, Taken at Sunset
The flood mud was at 2 inches deep in the yard, and almost an inch deep inside the cottage. The cellar of 'the cottage' was still flooded as of sunset, Sept. 19th, as the top of the cellar is level with the top of the steps to the riverbank, and the river was still that high.
At sunset the scene seemed very sinister. The neighbors had left, and as the sun disappeared behind the mountain across the river I was still hauling some flood mud soaked rugs out. A gust of wind kicked up and suddenly the river water seemed much louder and I turned around and the river was right there! Of course it hadn't changed since the last time I looked, and I was aware it was up to the top of the riverbank steps, but for some reason it startled me in that moment. It's hard to describe how unsettling it is to have something so pretty such as the river, which you've looked at while eating breakfast at the kitchen table, or relaxed in the yard, suddenly to have invaded the kitchen where you've eaten breakfast and the yard in which you've sat and relaxed.
Other old photos of 'the cottage', most in better times, are in my Photo Album, in the section which is labeled @ 'the Cottage'.
I don't know what's funnier... The man in the article, or the newspaper who printed the article... Times Leader | 09/16/2004 | W-B man: 'Witches are trying to kill me' To hear Jake Jenkins tell it, he's battening down the hatches in a battle against evil. As he opens the door on his Waller Street home, the sound of scraping metal and wood escapes through the cracks. He's pulling back the bars and beams that keep his family secure. And the witches out. "Yeah, wood and steel," he said, standing in the open doorway. "Nobody's getting in." Jenkins, 51, and his wife spend much of their time hunkered down in their two-story home along with their eight children ranging in ages from 22 years to 1. He said he home-schools his children. "I'm no fool."
Why on earth the Times Leader would publish such a bizarre article, I have no idea. The man is clearly either an eccentric looking for attention, or possibly in need of some medication. It's kind of sad. And apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so... according to the same paper's reader "Sayso" column: Times Leader | 09/18/2004 | SAYSO IN OVER 10 years of getting your paper, I've never seen something as asinine on the front page, an exclusive, "Witches are trying to kill me." Are you serious? And obviously I hope you guys got a good amount of money for this article, otherwise I have no idea what value journalistically or to your readers it would possibly have. And since you printed "bastards" in the article, I'm assuming you'll print "asinine" in the SAYSO. Editor's note: We received similar calls, some of which drew conclusions about the man who spoke in the article about trying to shield his eight home-schooled children from witches, in part by keeping them in the house. We got on to the story by asking questions about an odd, anti-witch display in a city neighborhood. Jenkins decided to describe his fears and to talk about his children. Do you think we should have simply held on to such information? Isn't it our job to let people know what's going on, especially with children involved?
Clearly they did the article in a very sensationalistic way... I don't know how anybody could deny that. Times Leader | 09/17/2004 | He's wary of witches and of being labeled a 'lunatic' A man who spoke about his fear of witches says he's concerned his comments will prompt the county's child-welfare agency to conduct an unwarranted investigation of his family. Jake Jenkins said a story in Wednesday's Times Leader made him sound "like I'm crazy." He didn't deny talking to a reporter about what he believes is his battle against evil, but he said he thought his name wouldn't be used and that he could give a "generic story about the witches out there." "Now I'm going to be under investigation because the story makes me sound like a lunatic."
Right on - the story does make him sound like a lunatic. Whether he's suffering from some grave mental illness or not, is for psychiatrists to determine, of course. (Thanks to Amy G. for the link)
View from the Falls Bridge, Falls Pennsylvania, September 18th 2004
View from the Falls Bridge, Falls Pennsylvania, September 18th 2004
Market Street Bridge in Wilkes-Barre, September 18th 2004
Flooding of Route 92 near the junction of Route 292
Many roads were flooded out and blocked off.
Flooding at my family's cottage...
September 18th 2004
September 18th 2004
September 18th 2004
September 18th 2004
Here are some old photos of the cottage...
Autumn, October 13th 2001
Winter, January 27th 2002
Spring, May 5th 2002
Summer, July 1st 2002
The table seen in the older photos can be seen in the first 2 flood photos - at center behind each tree... same table. In the 3rd flood photo, the river had risen by that point to obscure the table.
John Edwards, vice-presidential candidate.
I was sent to take photos at the Kerry/Edwards presidential campaign rally in Kirby Park, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on September 1st 2004, for the Rainbow Journal. It's not my usual thing, though I did once get a photo of Ed Rendell when he happened to do some unexpected campaigning for governer at the Bastille Day festival at the Eastern State Penitentiary. And I did once meet Michael Morrill, the Green Party candidate who lost to Ed Rendell.
These are some of the photos from the ralley Kerry/Edwards rally...
Recent law school grad and staff worker instructs people attending the event.
This young lady's parents also volunteered at the rally and were very nice.
The press riser from which I was instructed to take photos.
View from the press riser, including one television videographer.
The press riser was a cramped affair with all the television news stations and their video cameras and reporters and newspaper photographers and such. Since I don't watch television, I didn't really know who they were, and only 2 were polite to me actually.
My friend Margie and Allison arrive at the rally.
Tom H. arrives at the rally.
The mayor of Wilkes-Barre takes the stage at the rally before the arrival of John Edwards.
Crowd gathers on dike in Kirby Park.
Mike (left in tie-dye t-shirt) and his friend (at right of Mike) turn out to support the campaign.
I think it took Mike a few moments to recognize who was taking a photo of him, since I've only met the young man twice through my friend Bri.
The crowd cheers as John Edwards arrives in Kirby Park.
John Edwards on stage among supporters.
John Edwards on stage among supporters.
John Edwards signs many posters before leaving.
John Edwards signs many posters before leaving.
John Edwards reached into the crowd to shake nearly everyone's hand he could reach before leaving the rally.
He had quite an effect on people. I heard many lady remark on how they found John Edwards to be very handsome. Many elderly women were swooning. Of course, it could've been from being out in the sun too long, I know I got dehydrated and sunburned during the 3 hours I was out in the sun for the rally. You can see in the photo that Edwards is drenched in perspiration. I happened to think the gray haired secret service guy looks very much like that one actor who has played a secret service man in several movies. Though I would've much preferred to see Jeremy Piven, (who played a secret service agent in Chasing Liberty), then I would've really been swooning. Though as it stands, I wasn't personally taken with the urge to throw myself at John Edwards. On the other hand, he certainly didn't break my camera.
superficiality >>If the facade is what's important to you, all you wind up with is an illusion. Disillusionment is the gift of substance.
-- Chloe<<
(more)
It is very tempting to take the side of the perpetrator. All the perpetrator asks is that the bystander do nothing. He appeals to the universal desire to see, hear, and speak no evil. The victim, on the contrary, asks the bystander to share the burden of pain. The victim demands action, engagement, and remembering.
