See Coal Miner Statue And Be Awed
11/25/2003

The rock-solid miners' character comes across perfectly.

Just as he was ...

Just as he's remembered by those who knew him ...

Just as future generations should see him ...

The coal miner as memorialized in a statue dedicated Sunday in Nanticoke is magnificent.

The rock-solid character and strength of the men who worked in the mines comes across perfectly in the awesome new statue.
From the lamp on the helmet, to the ruggedly-handsome face, to the steel-toed boots, to the workshirt, to the dinner pail, the representation is a perfect one.
More, the details of the sculpture, the material from which it is made, and the realistic style in which it is rendered convey the qualities of the individuals who worked in Wyoming Valley's first industry from the 1850s to the 1950s.
"In this monument's face, you will see what the coal miners sacrificed," said Alma Berlot, who organized a grass-roots campaign to create the statue and whose father died in the mines when she was younger.
In her, and in the hearts of those who helped her make the monument a reality, the legacy of the miners and their wives -- the commitment to family and community and better lives -- continues on in the Greater Wyoming Valley.

Every man who worked in the mines and lives today ...

Every child of the industrial era ...

All residents of this community -- especially young people -- should visit this statue in Nantiocke at the corner of Kosciuszko and Main streets.

All should be impressed, inspired and proud.

©The Citizens Voice 2003

Statue honoring miners unveiled in Nanticoke
By Robert Kalinowski , Citizens' Voice Staff Writer 11/24/2003

Many years ago they came to towns like Nanticoke - not for riches but to provide a better life for their families.
Their work was once the key to economic growth in the area and the country. These people were the brave Northeastern Pennsylvania coal miners.
On Sunday, a monument was dedicated to them in Nanticoke, which was once bustling coal-mining town. Hundreds gathered at the corner of Kosciuszko and Main streets to witness the statue's unveiling.
"In this monument's face, you will see what the coal miners sacrificed," said Alma Berlot, who organized the grass-roots campaign to fund the
$38,000 statue.
"We thank almighty God for memorializing the coal miner today," added an emotional Berlot, whose father died in the mines when she was younger.
"Alma was really the driving force behind this," said Alan Cottrill, the sculptor, who drove in from Zanesville, Ohio, to attend the ceremony. "It was a pleasure and honor to do this statue."
Months ago, when Berlot told state Rep. John Yudichak about the monument idea, he asked her who was on the committee.
"She said 'Me and God'," Yudichak recalled. Since then, many people volunteered time to make the monument a reality.
"You are all a part of this historic day," Yudichak told the crowd. "We are here to celebrate family. We're here to recognize our fathers and grandfathers."
In addition to raising funds for the statue's construction, Berlot also dealt with a problem that surfaced when the monument was near completion - there was nowhere to put the statue.
After being denied by a few locations, Berlot asked the representatives at CVS Pharmacy in Nanticoke.
She was told the land on which the CVS was situated was owned by Sam Marranca.
Berlot then called Marranca, who was open to the idea
"Alma, how do you say no to the coal miner?" she remembers Marranca saying.
During the ceremony, John Vengien, an anthracite historian and former coal miner, shared personal experiences from the mines.

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