Edmund “Buster” Piaski, Olympian (1915-1995)

Edmund “Buster” Piaski, who grew up in Moosic, competed in the Polish Olympics in Warsaw in 1934. Piaski placed third in the high jump and fourth in the 800-meter race.

In 2004, Moosic Borough officials dedicated Elm Street Park in Piaski's memory.

An article in the Scranton Times from July 4, 2004, titled "Moosic Honors Former Athlete," can be read online by clicking here.

The Reference Department has a "Sports-Olympics" Local History Vertical File containing newspaper clippings about Piaski; the file also contains an article about Dr. Walter Tewsbury of Tunkhannock, who won five medals (two gold, two silver, and a bronze) at the Paris Olympic Games of 1900.

Much thanks to Judi K. for the information included in this entry.

Field of Dreams (1989)

Our wonderful Head of Reference, Miss Evelyn G., informed me of a Scranton connection to the 1989 Academy Award nominated baseball blockbuster Field of Dreams. The film stars Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella, an Iowa corn farmer who hears voices saying "If you build it, they will come." Ray interprets the voices as a command to build a baseball diamond in his cornfield; he does this and, indeed, the Chicago Black Sox come.

The late, great Burt Lancaster plays one of the baseball ghosts, Dr. Archibald 'Moonlight' Graham, who was based on an actual baseball player for the Scranton Miners. The real Archibald Wright Graham was a left fielder for the Scranton Miners in 1905-07 and, at the end of the season, he practiced medicine in Scranton before moving to Minnesota. There were even several articles in the Scranton Times on Dr. Graham in the early 1900s (including a team picture of the Scranton Miners, including Dr. Graham, on Sept. 12th, 1908).

Field of Dreams is available to borrow from the Lackawanna County Library System. If you'd like to reserve the DVD, click here; if you'd like to place a hold on the VHS, click here.

Thanks again to the kickin' Evelyn G. for the info.