Author: paulinemasson

I haven’t posted any new stories on Hometown Matters for a couple of weeks because a mysterious malady, that acted a lot like COVID, put me out of commission. In the interest of full disclosure I should say that I may not have contracted COVID. But chances are good that I did. My body was wracked with extreme fatigue, pain, confusion, loss of memory and impatience. As a bona fide workaholic the guilt of doing nothing only made matters worse. … Continue reading “COVID Like Malady Slows Hometown Matters News”

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Pauline Masson – Johnny Havinear has written a book. It took him a year, sitting at the computer at the Scenic Regional Library, using one finger to peck out one word at a time.  He gained proficiency on the keyboard, remembering by heart where each letter was located. He was not so sure about spelling. Every few minutes, for the full year, he looked up from his task and asked any library staffer who happened to be walking … Continue reading “New Book Details Life Growing Up with Disabilities, and Enough Love and Learning to Share”

_____________________________________________________________________________________ By Pauline Masson – When driving along South First Street, if you happen to look towards Liberty Field and catch a glimpse of a row of vehicles and pop-up tents at the east end of the field and see a flurry of uncertain motion out on the grass, you are probably seeing one of the most engaging free spectator sports to arrive in our town. I dare you to not feel a little jolt of excitement when a man … Continue reading “Disc Dogs Offer High Flying Spectator Sport in Liberty Field and Spectators Are Welcome”

____________________________________________________ By Pauline Masson – By dispensing the funds of the second biker poker run in memory of the late Danny “Turtle” Johnson, the annual Turtle Run joins the ranks of local community service groups, such as Pacific Eagles, Pacific Agape House, Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce and the Safety Net for Homeless Students, with the specific mission to help fund local groups and organizations that serve citizens. Members of the Turtle Run team gathered at the Tri County Senior … Continue reading “Annual Memorial Turtle Run Fund Raiser Joins Ranks of Local Community Service Organizations”

By Pauline Masson – One might not think of a dish of free homemade ice cream as a symbol of collective worship. But there is a unique place in our community where it is. For one local church, the invitation to come and enjoy a dish of ice cream is a tradition appealing to neighbors and passers by, much like the popular gospel tune, “All Are Welcome in this Place.” Once a year, for the past 45 years, the individual … Continue reading “Catawissa Union Church – An Inviting Corner Where Free Ice Cream Is a Beacon of Collective Worship”

The wide swath of excavated ground on the west side of Lamar Parkway south of CVS Pharmacy is not preparation for a new building as some observers have thought. The construction site is being prepared for a new road. By the middle of July motorists are expected to have a second entry into the parking lot of one of the city’s most heavily travelled outdoor shopping centers, the Route 66 Marketplace, 2244-2248 West Osage.  The now under construction Route 66 … Continue reading “New Entry to Route 66 Marketplace is Under Construction, Projected Opening Date Mid July”

The Scenic Regional Library Pacific branch is cool. Any time. But especially in summer when temperatures soar. The library is an official cooling center during all library hours and has been since the day it opened. Library hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 8 p.m. closing time at the library is especially helpful because late afternoon is usually the … Continue reading “Scenic Regional Library is a Respite Against the Heat – How Cool is that?”

The National Weather Service, (NWS) which had previously posted a heat index warning through Wednesday at 8 p.m. has extended that. Post on the NWS page today says EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THURSDAY. But beyond that, weather forecasters are predicting that temperatures will be in the 90s for the next ten days and will reach 100 on three days next week. We as a community need to look out for anyone who might be … Continue reading “Senior Center Cooling Station Closed After a Volunteer Tests Positive for COVID – But Dangerous Heat Wave Continues”

The Tri County Senior Center, 800 West Union is open as a cooling center – now through Wednesday, June 15 – to offer relief from the current heat wave. The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures in the high 80s and 90s this week. In lieu of ROBO calls or mention on the City of Pacific web page, the City posted EXTREME HEAT WARNING on the City of Pacific Facebook page. To see the warning go the City of Pacific … Continue reading “Senior Center Open As Cooling Center During Heat Advisory 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.”

Pacific’s reputation as a good place to stopover on historic Route 66 got a boost that lit up social media along the Mother Road when a pair of North Carolina motorists making the cross country trip heard a little bumping noise in the engine of their 1930 Model A Ford. Arthur J. “Joe” Lamothe, (pronounced Lamott), a retired Coast Guard senior chief and his travel companion Dennis Liu had driven the 949 miles from their homes in Camden, North Carolina … Continue reading “Pacific’s Route 66 Legend Lit up When a Motorist on Historic Trip Needed a Model A Ford Mechanic”