Dawn of 2023 offers so much hope and promise

Happy New Year, everyone! According to the Chinese horoscope, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit, which symbolizes patience and luck. It might also provide what we didn’t have too much of in 2022 — peace.

Many of us make New Year’s resolutions, or we at least give hope that certain events might happen.

I for one would be thrilled if Serafini’s Restaurant and the LECOM Fitness and Wellness Center finally reopened. I miss them both, and if Serafini’s returned, I would definitely need to work out at LECOM.

Some local families and businesses, despite their best intentions, did not finish 2022 on a positive note. The holiday decorations at Molly Brannigan’s on State Street were beautifully crafted, and many groups planned to hold special parties there during the holidays.

Unfortunately, a burst pipe forced Molly B’s to close and all those plans went awry. It was a tough loss for the owners, who looked to be on the verge of a busy and profitable holiday season.

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Molly Brannigan’s wasn’t the only building in town where pipes bust, due to the unseasonably cold temperatures. Fortunately, many local plumbers were on standby and they interrupted their Christmas parties and dinners to make emergency house calls.

• As I watched and enjoyed the seemingly endless lineup of college football bowl games, it felt kind of sad to see that so many top starters had already walked away from their teams to transfer to another school.

Many of the collegians stood to make a lot of money, which I blame on the ineptitude of the NCAA, which failed for years to give the players at least a small piece of the multi-million-dollar pie. Now the NCAA is out of the picture and millions are being tossed around in what appears to be a reckless way.

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While it’s good that the players are finally able to reap some monetary benefit for their skills, it kind of reminds me of when Major League Baseball’s reserve clause ended and players signed on with the highest bidders. It made it tough on the fans of teams who saw their best players move on.

• Speaking of baseball, the Cleveland Guardians will hold their first Guards Fest since the start of the pandemic two years ago. Nearly 10 players, Manager Terry Francona and coaches have signed up to appear Jan. 21 at Cleveland’s Huntington Convention Center. It’s a chance for fans to meet the players, get autographs and buy memorabilia.

The event replaces the former Indians winter caravan that used to include a stop in Erie every January. Some players would bellyache about the bus ride to Erie in the midst of a snowstorm, but when they arrived at the Barber Center and were greeted so warmly by the fans, many players ended up making large donations to the center. One reserve catcher, whose name escapes me, wrote a check for $3,000.

• Al Swigonski’s latest book, “Erie Baseball and Softball, Vol. 2,” is on sale at Werner Books at the Liberty Plaza. It’s the sequel to Al’s first book, which proved to be so successful. He said the response from readers so far has been so outstanding that he’s already begun researching Volume 3.

• Congratulations to Kathy Lynch, local golfer, coach and former big-time college basketball referee, whose uniform number from when she starred at St. Bonaventure University will be raised to the rafters in the coming weeks. The university doesn’t exactly retire numbers, it just displays the names of the greatest basketball players on banners hoisted to the ceiling. Kathy’s name will be next to that of her late friend and classmate, Bona superstar Bob Lanier.

• For 40 years, George and Helen Katsadas made tempting Greek hot dogs and hamburgers at the Red Hot Restaurant at E. 13th and Parade Streets. George, who always greeted customers by saying, “Hello, friend,” died Dec. 20 at the age of 88. Helen has continued to run the restaurant by herself in recent months, but it hasn’t been easy. George was such a fixture.

1934-2022: George Katsadas

Longtime customers will always remember the night when a couple of young people tried to rob the place, but George pulled out his rifle and quickly chased them away. He was a good guy and he and his wife always served great food.

• The death of women’s golf great Kathy Whitworth on Dec. 24 at the age of 83 brought back memories of her second-place finish at the 1971 Women’s Open, played at the Kahkwa Club. JoAnn Carner won the tournament, which was a surprise given that Whitworth won 88 other tournaments during her illustrious career.

She was a delightful person who made many friends in Erie. I will always remember watching the warm conversation she had at that tournament with Mickey Wright, another of the all-time greats.

• Finally, many local football fans met Franco Harris during his regular visits to Erie over the years. Harris was close to former Erie Times-News executive Charlie Pittman, who was two years his senior at Penn State.

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Their coach, Joe Paterno, often said that while Pittman and Lydell Mitchell would run through a brick wall, no questions asked, Franco would stop, look, and measure the size of the wall, before running through it.Harris died in his sleep on Dec. 20 at the age of 72.

Kevin Cuneo can be reached at kevin.cuneo1844@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Kevin Cuneo: A new year offers hope and promise