Posts tagged: Serena Bennett
Living in the Age of School Shootings
By Serena Bennett When I was in Kindergarten, they taught us about stranger danger. They taught us that a school is a safe place, and the bad people lay outside of it. In school, however, we are all friends. When I was in second grade, we... Read More
Five Years in Print
Marking a Milestone By Serena Bennett, Editor I have been a reporter for Coal Cracker since its beginning in 2014, and I have watched it grow exponentially ever since — 2018 will be our fifth year in print. While our editorial team used to meet at... Read More
Anthrasights: Snapshots from Around the Region
COAL REGION–Coal Cracker reporters were roving the region, and beyond, this spring, capturing special moments and events. Enjoy these glimpses of life in and around the Anthracite Region. Above, a photo by David Lindenmuth of an empty center court at the Schuylkill Mall, in Frackville, decorated for Easter, on April... Read More
Women’s March: a Once-in-a-Lifetime Moment
By Serena Bennett The Women’s March on Washington on January 21 attracted an estimated 1 million people, and I was one of them. Standing together to support one another was one of the most surreal and exciting experiences of my life. I chose to attend the... Read More
Too Young to Vote? You Have a Voice.
Article by Serena Bennett Illustrations by Sarah Matz With the presidential election coming up on Tuesday, November 8th, many adults will be casting their votes and waiting for the final outcome. However, for those of us under 18 who are too young to vote, seemingly all we... Read More
Edie’s Grier City History Lesson
Know Your Neighbors By Serena Bennett Edith “Edie” Messerschmidt, a local knowledgeable Grier City resident, has lived in Grier City since 1973 when she married her late husband, William Messerschmidt, whom she met at the White Birch Golf Course, in Barnesville. Coal Cracker talked to Edie about... Read More
Citizen of the Year: Peg Grigalonis
By Serena Bennett The Mahanoy City Elks Lodge No. 695 recently named Margaret “Peg” (Guinan) Grigalonis, of Barnesville, as Citizen of the Year. “I was honored by one of the most esteemed organizations in Mahanoy City, the Elks, where my father and grandfather, Abe Hawkes, and... Read More
Comic Books from the Coal Region
By Serena Bennett Graphic Novelist Jimmy Gownley Talks Creativity Coal Cracker recently spoke with Jimmy Gownley, a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator originally from Girardville, PA. Gownley is well known for award-winning comic books such as “Amelia Rules”, which earned 13 Eisner nominations and... Read More
Do Grades Equal Intelligence?
By Serena Bennett Intelligence. The dictionary defines it as “a capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings.” However, schools define intellect with number and letter grades based on the amount of homework and classwork turned... Read More
Are School Lunches Healthy?
By Serena Bennett School lunch distribution is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is in charge of supporting nutritional programs for over 94,000 schools nationwide. Michele Schappell, Cafeteria Director at Mahanoy Area School District, confirms that she is required to follow nutrition standards... Read More