Wilkes-Barre

Wilkes-Barre PA is a dying city.It is time to pick ourselves up by the bootstraps and begin our return to glory.In the middle of the last century, Wilkes-Barre’s population was approaching 90,000. Today itis 43,000. This did not happen overnight. Over the years, many of the city’s kind benefactors,such as the Kirby family, helped keep the city vibrant. Whenever it needed a boost, they werethere to rejuvenate.Having had half the population move out of town, Wilkes-Barre no longer could count on alocal family to be there at the right time with the right answer.Wilkes-Barre saw its population declining with the mines no longer sustaining the City. Wenoticed stores, even the best of the best shutting down or moving out from necessity. We allnoticed that other businesses that once provided hundreds of jobs not being able to continue.Mark Twain once said that 'The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.'Wilkes-Barre officials and residents over the years have heard the death knell for the City andinstead of contesting it fiercely, allowed it to happen. Like Twain, our demise has been greatlyexaggerated.Those times are in the past. Wilkes-Barre can and must find its way out of the mire and returnto glory. May good leadership help Wilkes-Barre find a way to reclaim its future.Those who grew up in this City, as well as those who love our Diamond City, will enjoy thisbook. Few books are a must-read but Brian Kelly’s Wilkes-Barre, PA: Return to Glory! will meltyour heart as your author recounts some great stories from the past and points out how to stopthe decline and move this city back to Glory. This book needs to be at the top of your readinglist, especially for those who have lived or now live in Wilkes-Barre.