I had a wonderful trip this week to speak at an event in Wilkes-Barre. I met alot of amazing business people and learned alot about the history and economic development of the region.
The Great Valley Forum Series brings in business leaders from all over the country. I was glad that I qualified! As I have continually said in this blog, visiting smaller business communities in this country is always such an honor since they always roll out the welcome mat in a big way. John Augustine, Larry Newman, and Scott Sanfilippo had dinner with me at the Woodlands Hotel the night before. The hotel has been run by the Kornfeld family for 40 years and two generations. The food was fantastic and again, the hospitality was unsurpassed. I especially liked the review of my talk in the Citizens Voice.
Larry gave me a great history lesson on the area that used to be part of Connecticut, how the city is only one of two in the country with a hyphen in its name (much to the displeasure of the US Postal Service)- it was named after to British Lords, and how the economy suffered in the early 1900’s when the coal industry collapsed. (Wilkes-Barre was the energy center of the US in the late 1800’s).
Wilkes-Barre/ Scanton does have its own airport. Unfortunately only two flights a day to Chicago. They had just built a new 60 million dollar airport which was opening the day after I left! It was an amazing thing to be delayed at the airport for almost 5 hours and watch them dismantle it (since the new one was opening the next day). I even got to take a few "airport signs and souvenirs" home with me! The flight that goes in and out of the airport for United is #7253. I got these display numbers to remember the last flight out!
