Bill O’Boyle

Nov. 29—WILKES-BARRE — Trying to find a parking space Friday night, I turned a corner, and for some reason, I looked up, and it caught my eye. There, in a second-floor window, was a brightly lit Christmas tree. Maybe a bit early for the season, but I never gave that a second thought. I thought about what that tree meant to the people inside — especially if there were little kids in the family. ...

Dec. 27—WILKES-BARRE — Another holiday season is winding down, and 2025 is just about in the rear-view mirror. As we dismantle our Christmas trees and put away the decorations, we vow to get in good enough shape to fit into all those nice clothes in our closets that we used to fit into not that long ago. As we digest our pork and sauerkraut, we now look ahead to a bright 2026. Spring will soon ...

Jan. 3—WILKES-BARRE — One of the most memorable trips of my life was to Oklahoma in 1997. I had reasons for wanting to go there — my childhood hero, Mickey Mantle, grew up in Commerce, OK, and I always wanted to visit his hometown. So in 1997, I decided to visit my friend Leeland Alexander and his wife, Diane, in Tulsa, but the trip became much more than Tulsa. I met Leeland when we were in ...

Jul. 4—WILKES-BARRE — It took an act of Wilkes-Barre Township council to settle the decades-old struggle to correctly pronounce the name of the township and the city of the same name. And it happened ...

Jul. 11—WILKES-BARRE — Several years after Mickey Mantle retired, I met him at a news conference in the Poconos. A group had brought Mickey in to speak at a dinner in the Poconos, and they had a press briefing. I got to meet Mickey, shake his hand, and I told him a story. After hearing the story, Mickey gave me two autographs — one for me and one for my Aunt Betty. It was a thrill of a ...

Aug. 1—WILKES-BARRE — Sept. 14 will mark the one-year anniversary of the death of my "good buddy" — Bob Shivy. That was a very difficult sentence for me to type. Whenever Bob would call me, he would a...

Aug. 15—WILKES-BARRE — Fantasy football has allowed me to endure being a New York Football Giants fan. Since the real Giants have been less than competitive for years, I've managed to be pretty formidable in the fantasy football world. The key here is I refrain from selecting members of my beloved New York Giants. Now, some will say that fantasy football has eroded the true meaning of being a ...

Aug. 22—WILKES-BARRE — Joe Barna once said something during an interview that will stick with me forever. Mr. Barna said, "To live each day to it's fullest, to appreciate your family and friends. To r...

Aug. 29—WILKES-BARRE — The world will soon mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 — and how that event changed the world forever. And on this 25th anniversary of the terr...

Sep. 6—MOCANAQUA — Today is Sept. 6, and I just can't let this day pass without talking about my friend, the late, great Seth Zimolzak. Seth and I met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation of NEPA — I wa...