We’ve come to one of my favorite weekends of the year, Memorial Day weekend.
This national holiday really makes me feel proud to be an American and to honor those that gave their lives to keep us a free nation.
We cannot forget their sacrifices over the 248 years under the American flag.
It’s always so moving to visit a cemetery with a sea of American flags waving in the wind. So many generations of men and women having to serve our country either voluntary of through the draft system is amazing.
The month of May might be one of my favor months, if not my favorite. There are so many reasons why I like May including two dates that mean very much to me, plus it’s my father and sister’s birthday month, and of course Memorial Day.
Another reason for my love of May is the weather transition from springtime temperatures to achieving more summerlike weather.
Seeing the trees, bushes, grass and flowers in full bloom makes me happy especially coming off of dark, cold, dreary winters. Winters get more and more depressing every year for me.
Spring sports has been in full-schedule mode and the month of May brings high school sports to playoff time as the school year winds down to just a few weeks left.
For motor head racing enthusiast like me, the month of May means it’s Indy 500 time.
Each May, Indy car drivers spend most of the month at Indianapolis preparing for what is touted as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
When I was younger, my Indy car racing heroes like AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti, Bobby and Al Unser, Johnny Rutherford, and others, really got me interested in open-wheel racing.
When Pocono International Raceway opened at Long Pond, watching those driving heroes of mine was only on TV, but to see them drive in person was so exhilarating.
One year, I bought a garage and pit pass and I found myself up close and personal with them all. I have a photo of AJ Foyt I took when I asked him for a photo. I never did that before and I was extremely nervous doing so. His nickname was Super Tex because of his origins from Texas. He was a fierce competitor with a temper you didn’t want to mess with.
He’s famous for an incident when his car was not where he wanted it to be and his pit crew could not get it right and what did Super Tex do in the middle of a race? He got out of his car, took off his helmet and race gloves and starting hammer out whatever was wrong with the car.
Many of the drivers today are strictly drivers or pilots of the vehicle and know very little about the mechanics of the car. At the very least, they know enough to communicate with their engineer to perhaps fix an issue.
Not Foyt, he was a mechanic, the team salesman and PR guy and he was the driver.
He was the first person in the history of the Indy 500 to win four times and nobody has won more then him and a few others.
AJ is now in his 90s and he’s still owns Indy car teams looking for another Indy 500 win.
Back in 2014, I attended an Indy car race at Pocono and when I saw AJ I had to take a photo of him, naturally. So I shot a few images and when I saw him turn and look right into my lens, I froze like a deer in the headlights and felt like I was going to get yelled at for doing so, but I’m glad I got the shot.
Today will be a huge day for racing when Formula 1 races at Monte Carlo in the early morning our time, followed by the Indy 500 in the early afternoon followed by the NASCAR 600 race later in the afternoon running into the evening.
So if you like to watch motorsports, you literally can be watching over 12-hours of racing all day long.
Tomorrow, Memorial Day, there will be parades at West Wyoming-Wyoming (9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.), Dupont (10 a.m.), and West Pittston-Exeter (11:30 a.m.).
Get out and support your local parade, hang your U.S. Flag and wave them at the parade.
I can’t let this week’s column end without mentioning the proposed tax hike for Wyoming Area taxpayers of 7.2% increase.
The school board and administration has to figure out how to stop the bleeding each year. It’s actually been a blood bath for well over a decade with massive tax increases.
The commonwealth maximum tax hike is 4.1% and has to get approval for something higher. I’ve seen this before where the throw a huge percentage out there and settle for the max allowed. Pencils need to be sharpen and cuts made.
Granted, Wyoming Area doesn’t have commerce like Pittston Area, but it won’t pay to own a home in the district and you may see a mass exodus of homeowners if something isn’t done.
Quote of the Week
“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.” - President Harry S. Truman
Thought of the Week
“Memorial Day remains one of America’s most cherished patriotic observances. The spirit of this day has not changed - it remains a day to honor those who died defending our freedom and democracy.” - Doc Hastings
Bumper Sticker
“On thy grave the rain shall fall from the eyes of a mighty nation!” - Thomas William Parsons
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