Happy 2009!!!!!!

Hank Baskett #84 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates the first touchdown against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium on December 7, 2008 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images North America)

©2007 KendraWilkinson.us Copyright 2007-2008 Kendra Wilkinson.

It is hard to say who or what will be the big winners of 2009, but I will go out on a limb. If Hank Baskett's wedding to Playboy model Kendra Wilkinson of the Girls Next Door is a go in June, I would say that Mr. Baskett will be a big winner in 2009.

As a wide receiver in the NFL, you only have a certain amount of time to make your mark. Wilkinson at only 23, looks to have plenty of shelf life left.

Baskett came to Shamokin to play in Philadelphia Eagles charity basketball game and was one of the crowd favorites with his athletic dunks. In conversation with this blogger who did public address that day, he was generally a down to earth guy.

Good Bye 2008!!!!

The calendar year 2008 come to an end tonight as we usher in 2009. In the last century plus 8 years, 2008 is being compared to 1931 and 1968 politically and financially. It is very hard to say what 2009 will bring, but for the most part we will have a new government take office on January 20th.

If our nation's standing on a world stage was damaged for the past 8 years, we will have the peaceful change of government at noon on January 20th.

I don't know if it was of bad timing, but I have said goodbye to so many friends and family over the course of 2008. I doubt if I could repeat the same in 2009.

If you remember back in 1968, Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated, war raged in Vietnam, and racial strife was on the front burner. In December of 1968, three men orbited the moon in Apollo 8. Surprisingly, as all kind of hard rock filled the air, Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge had the number one song in the country, "The Worse That Could Happen" the last week of December 1968. Enjoy the video above.

2009 shows promise.

How 'Bout Dem Cowboys!!!!!!!!!

The Eagle's 44-6 victory over Dallas on Sunday was like finding that extra Christmas present under the tree.


With Lourdes Regional's victory over Shamokin on Saturday night in the Knights of Columbus girls final, it prevented the possibility of both Shamokin boys and girls being undefeated heading into January. Although records aren't kept, I'm sure it would have been a first for the school.

Drexel's Bruiser Flynt shown the door at Sojka

This "fan" in light blue would never yawn at Sojka in the past?

"Twas the Night Before Christmas"

With the bad weather last night like in 2008, I hope Santa didn't end up like this. 

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

Here is what I discovered Christmas morn.

Len Eshmont Award Winner 2008

The winner of the 2008 Len Eshmont Award voted on by the San Francisco 49er players is Isaac Bruce.

Tragedy in Alaska!!!!

Thanks Gort42!!!!

Locals make "A" All-State Football Team

First Team

Aaron Inch - Line Mountain - DL

Second Team

Chase Fraley - Southern Columbia - OL

Jon Fausey - Line Mountain - LB

Aaron Yoder - Southern Columbia - LB

Steve Roth - Southern Columbia - RB

Special kudos go out to Todd Maciejewski who made first team in AAAA as the punter for Red Land. Todd's father Steve and I were teammates at Lourdes Regional and members of the Class of 1984.

Steel-High Video and Pics from Hershey.

Brennan staying put at MCA

Chuck Souders from the News-Item breaks the story. Why would Brennan leave?

PIAA NEWS

Rod Frisco writes about the meeting of the PIAA football steering committe moving up the starting practice date to the second Monday in August for 2010. In 2009, the football season is scheduled to end the weekend of December 19th and 20th. Since logic and the PIAA usually don't go together in the same sentence, there is popular sentiment to move the season back to 15 weeks instead of 16.

According to Brad Cashman, the excutive director of the PIAA, "we're never going to solve this prroblem until someone's willing to sacrifice. Either the regular season has to be cut, the district games have to be cut or state games have to be cut.''

Nobody wants to sacrifice, according to Cashman.

The translation is the schools can't afford to lose a regular season game and no one wants to give up a district or state game. Schools lost a game over a decade ago when an 11-game season was dropped to 10. Why do districts need a fat payday?

Tragedy on the front page

Today's front page of The News-Item, you can take a pick of which story exemplifies the human condition.

A young teen is killed in a car accident. Shamokin City employees try to find a happy medium while their employer is looking at bankruptcy. Although I never seen one before, but that looks like a soupline at a local food pantry. (Remember the line in "It's a Wonderful Life"? Ernie Bishop (cab driver) says to George Bailey, "George, I never seen one before, but that looks like a run on the bank."

Erika Rocks Roanoke!!!

Erika shares her story on WDBJ7 of Roanoke. Erika is 8-year survivor of colon cancer, a native of Snyder County, and of course, rocks!!!!!

Shamokin AD Suspended????

Is the Shamokin Athletic Director suspended? Here is the take in the News-Item. Do you hire a football coach while the AD is suspended? Will the AD have any input? It all remains to be seen if the AD is indeed suspended.

What ever happened to Otter?

Remember the movie Animal House from 1978? We all thought Eric Stratton went on to become a gynocologist in Beverly Hills.

I think he has resurfaced in Illinois.

Keystone State Gridiron Notes: PIAA championship facts

In keeping with the yearly "tradition," here are some PIAA championship game facts to impress your friends with this weekend and make you sound like a walking football encyclopedia:There really is no such thing as "home field" advantage when it comes to State Championship games.

read more | digg story

Schuylkill Haven loss ends impressive streak!

With Schuylkill Haven losing to Steel-High this past Friday, a very impressive streak is coming to an end. Since the inception of the state championships in 1988, the finals featured a school from the WNEP-16 viewing area. The viewing area is made up of all of District 2, and most of Districts 4 and the northern part of District 11 (above I-78).

This Friday when the finals begin, this area will be shut out for the first time in 21 seasons. Most of the appearances were made by Berwick, Southern Columbia and Mount Carmel. Hanover, Dallas, South Williamsport, Pottsville, Riverside, Marian Catholic, Schuylkill Haven, and Valley View also made the finals.

The streak is impressive since the area never had a AAAA representative and hasn't went 8 seasons without a AAA representative (Berwick 1997 to Pottsville 2005).

UPDATE: I somehow forgot Dunmore who made it to the final last season.

Schuylkill Haven Steel-High Pictures

Young injured on the field

A brightspot on the Haven sideline after we both nearly ended up on the bottom of a pile

The Haven crowd an hour before kickoff

Barkett with pregame instensity

Barkett nears moment of truth

Steel-High Schuylkill Haven Video

Video of the Eastern Final

End of the Line for Coach Z.

Last night the Shamokin School Board reorganized to pick officers. A petition signed by 750 residents was presented to the board. A motion was brought up by Mark Anonia to reinstate Zielinskie was seconded by Tracey Witmer.

The motion was defeated on a 5-4 vote.

Former Northumberland County Commissioner in the news

State employee charged with DUI

Submitted from the Patriot-News

by MATTHEW KEMENY, Of The Patriot-News

A high-ranking state employee is accused of having a blood-alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit to drive in Pennsylvania when he slammed his state-owned Chevrolet Impala into a parked car last week in Lower Allen Twp., police said.

Allen J. Cwalina, 49, of the 1300 block of Sconsett Way, New Cumberland, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, failure to provide information in an accident and hit and run of an unattended vehicle.

Cwalina, the deputy secretary for administration for the state Department of Labor and Industry, has been removed of his driving privileges -- pending the outcome of the case -- but an agency spokesman wouldn't say whether he's been suspended or not.

"This is a personnel matter we take very seriously," spokesman Troy Thompson said.

Lower Allen police accuse Cwalina of crashing his Impala into a parked car Nov. 26 about 5:45 a.m. in the 1600 block of Lowell Lane in the Height at Beacon Hills housing development. They arrested him at his home shortly thereafter.

Cwalina was taken to Cumberland County Processing Center, where a breath test showed his blood-alcohol level at .199 percent, police said. The legal limit to drive in Pennsylvania is .08 percent.

We're in a Recession?

Please tell these guys!!!!

• “We don’t believe we’re going to have a recession though.”
[Vice President Dick Cheney, 1/30/08]

• “I think the experts will tell you we’re not in a
recession.” [President Bush, 2/10/08]

• “The answer is, I don’t think we are in a recession right
now.” [Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Edward Lazear, 2/11/08]

• “First of all, we’re not in a recession.” [President Bush,
4/22/08]

• “The data are pretty clear that we are not in a
recession.” [Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Edward Lazear, 5/7/08]

• “I don’t think we are” in a recession. [Director of the
National Economic Council Keith Hennesy, 6/3/08]

• “I think we have avoided a recession.” [White House Budget
Director Jim Nussle, 7/31/08]

• “I don’t think anybody could tell you right now if we’re
in a recession or not” [Dana Perino, 10/7/08]