This morning all over the Chicago area Wolves fans are rising, counting the hours until game time and wondering just like kids on Christmas Eve if they can make it til puck drop...Somewhere along route 90 is a bus load of some of the most dedicated hockey fans in the AHL the Wilkes Barre Scranton Boosters. The famed 7th man of the line and a force to be reckoned with. I for one can't wait to see these professional road trippers again, they are some of the best fans in hockey and bring knowledge and infectious enthusiasm to any arena they visit. You can be sure I will be capturing a few images of these folks for their friends back home.
On a historical note, although most of us clearly remember the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans two years ago. In 1972 Hurricane Agnes came through Northern Pennsylvania and Central New York, inundating the towns of Corning, Horse Heads and Wilkes Barre, 117 people were killed . It took years for these towns to recover physically and economically. To those of us in the Midwest and West we often think of hurricanes as a problem of the south. However, for those of us old enough to remember those long days in June 1972 when everyone in Pennsylvania and New York cancelled weddings,graduations, prayed and prepared to do the dirty work ahead we know better. As one of the legions of volunteers sent by various organizations in 1972 to clear,clean and rebuild these small cities the the memories I carry of devastation wrought by rising water are unforgettable. The work and dedication to bring a community, it's heart and livelihood back after such an event speaks volumes of the character of it's citizens.
Wilkes Barre is a town that survived and thrived through mining disasters, strikes, flood, now has a great hockey team and boosters that will be arriving on our doors in the next few hours. As a Chicago fans let's treat them well and give them great memories to take back to the gentle hills of Pennsylvania with them.
The site below has many photos of the flood damage and cleanup after Agnes in WB.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nepaphotos/morepictures_from_hurricane_agnes.htm
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