Holy Cross sophomore Hannah Carr recently won the Voice of Democracy Audio/Essay Scholarship Competition.
She was selected as first place winner at the Post Level 3474 and then advanced and won first place for District Level #10.
Subsequently, Hannah represented District 10 in Pittsburgh and placed sixth in the state of Pennsylvania.
Local author Bill Ciccotti held a book signing of his World War II action thiller “The Dead Never Sleep,” at the Battle of the Bulge Living History Commemoration at Fort Indiantown Gap Jan. 25-29. The event was especially meaningful since Bill’s father, Angelo M. Ciccotti fought in that historic conflict.
Ciccotti’s book, which he describes as historical fiction, takes place in the Ardennes Forest where a group of worn-out GIs slowed the Nazi war machine down during the end of German Operation Mist.
Ciccotti explains, “On Dec. 16, 1944, Adolf Hitler launched a massive counterattack against Allied forces who were freezing in the forests of Belgium. The troops were caught totally off-guard when more than a quarter million crack German troops and high quality tanks descended upon their positions, led the the elite XLVII Panzer Corps.
“Hitler launched his final gamble on these snow-covered forests, thinking the “inferior” Americans would just give up. But the Allied troops stopped the Nazis cold in small forgotten towns and battles.”
Ciccotti said his book was met with rave reviews and applause during the three days of festivities at Indiantown Gap. The signing event was a lot of fun, and many of the reenactors enjoyed how the book presents the daily life of the average soldier, “Not as heroes, just average guys who had a job to do and did their best to get it done,” as Ciccotti says. “Friendships bonded and tragically ripped away were part of every snowy day.”
Ciccotti’s previous book topics have included family life in the 1960s, Key West adventures, mob crime stories, and World War II historical fiction. He is currently working on several Western dime novelettes, two follo-up Worold War II stories continuing the exploits of Baker Company, and many more Key West Tropical Adventure books.
For more information, look at the book section of Amazon.com.
By Steve Svetovich
If you hit the lottery and buy a baseball team, do you want your dad to be the manager?
Bernie Endino did.
Who is Bernie Endino? Why he is the fictional character in John Errico’s book, “Dad, Wanna Be Our Manager?”
Dunmore’s very own John Errico had his book published this past April by Raven Wood Publishers.
Errico, who is the financial controller for the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, came up with the idea for the book while out on a car ride with his teenage daughters, Maria, 19, and Abby, 15.
“We were talking about what we would do if we won the lottery,” Errico said. “We were talking about the lottery and baseball. And then talked about owning a baseball team. Then the thought came to my head. I think I got it. I have the story idea for a book.
“I can write about a guy who wins the lottery, buys a baseball team and hires his dad to manage it.
“My dad (Johnny Errico, now 73) managed a baseball team. He managed the Schautz Stadium VFW Teener League champions in Dunmore back in 1984. It was a great team and they were back-to-back Schautz Teener League champions.
“The story I wrote is based on my dad’s team and its players. It is based on the things I remember happened when he coached. The kids, five of them, are referenced in my book. I just use different names, but it is their personalities and their stories. There were some true characters with interesting personalities on that team.
“My dad really liked the book. He picked it up and read it in two days.”
Errico, a 1986 Dunmore High School graduate, received a bachelor of science degree in accounting from the University of Scranton in 1990. He worked part-time for eight years with the RailRiders as an official scorer and keeping statistics on computers before taking on a full-time role this year as a financial controller.
He discussed the theme of his book.
“The story is about a guy who hits the lottery. He wants to buy a Triple-A baseball team and hire his dad as the manager. His dad says he will do it, but wants to bring in his own guys. So he does bring in his own guys and coaches. Five of those guys are based on players from my dad’s 1984 team. The stories are similar. In my book, this team goes on to win a championship.”
Errico said he enjoyed writing the book, which is selling, but it will probably be his first and last.
He thoroughly enjoyed the time he spent with the RailRiders this season.
“It was the perfect time to step in full time, with the team winning the Governors’ Cup and Triple-A National Title. It was an amazing season with the RailRiders with all of the call-ups. We just kept having new guys step in and contribute every time someone was lost or got called up. We knew there was no stopping us in the playoffs. I certainly walked into this at the right time.”
Errico certainly has a passion for baseball and writing. His book reflects that.
Errico is married to the former Elaine Danchak, a Scranton Central graduate. The couple’s daughter Maria is a Dunmore High School graduate and Temple University sophomore Spanish Education major. The couple’s younger daughter Abby is a Dunmore High School sophomore and member of the school’s marching band.