MONROE UNFILTERED: THE DAILY BUZZ | July 10
A Walking Stick Bill Comes Due, Five Stops Through Monroe's Past, and Main Street Turns Up the Volume
Friday, July 10, 2026
WEEKEND WEATHER
Friday brings one more round of afternoon and evening thunderstorms, a 36% chance, with a high near 85°F and a low around 67°F. We’re planning to spend the evening watching Jaws from the pool tonight, so I’m betting we’ll be dry after sundown (I know I won’t be). Saturday backs off a bit, with morning showers likely (32% chance) before things dry out in the afternoon, a high of 82°F and a low of 62°F. Sunday is the pick of the weekend: mostly sunny, just a 5% chance of rain, and a high of 85°F. Looking ahead, Monday holds the good trend with mostly sunny skies, an 8% chance of rain, and a high of 85°F.
FIVE BEST OF MONROE: HISTORICAL EDITION
As we just celebrated the 250th anniversary of the United States, this week’s “best of” celebrates some of the best historical sites in the area. We have some amazing history in the area… some permanent, one traveling. So, if you are a history buff, this one’s for you.
The Moving Wall — Stroudsburg High School. The most significant historical event in the county this weekend. A half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is on display at the high school through July 13, open 24 hours a day. An opening ceremony is set for tonight, Friday, at 6:00 p.m. It's a rare, powerful chance to engage with living history. Back in the 90s, I used to visit the original in DC when I lived there. Seeing all those names and realizing that behind each one was a real person is an incredibly emotional experience. Please note: this is a place of reflection, so food, drinks, and pets are not permitted near the display.
Stroud Mansion Museum & Library — Stroudsburg. For anyone who wants to understand the roots of our borough, there's no better starting point than the Stroud Mansion. As headquarters of the Monroe County Historical Association, it offers an unmatched look at the Stroud family lineage and the early municipal development that set Stroudsburg's trajectory.
The Historical Marker Scavenger Hunt — countywide. And speaking of the Monroe County Historical Association, they're challenging you to step outside and become a community historian for a weekend. There are dozens of state-sanctioned historical markers scattered throughout our streets and backroads that most of us drive past without a second thought. Pick one in your neighborhood, stop, read it, and share a photo (or visit all of them!)
Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm. If you prefer a more experiential visit, head to Quiet Valley. This immersive, living-history experience shows the grit and daily labor required to carve a life out of the Poconos landscape in the 18th and 19th centuries. It's a powerful reminder of our agricultural past.
Asa Packer Mansion, Jim Thorpe. And yes, we're breaking our own county rule for this one. Jim Thorpe sits in Carbon County, not Monroe, but the drive is short and the payoff is real: this museum is a perfectly preserved time capsule of the 19th-century industrial coal-and-rail boom that connected our mountains to the industrial centers of the world. Consider it a field trip.
WHAT WERE YA THINKIN’
The Walking Stick Bill Comes Due. A Chestnuthill Township man was sentenced this week for shooting a former tenant. On July 8, Joseph Wadas, 60, was sentenced to nine months to one year, 11 months and 30 days in prison by Monroe County Court of Common Pleas Judge Janet Jackson (Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty), according to the Pocono Record. Wadas had pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to the criminal complaint, Wadas struck the victim with his walking stick before shooting him in the left wrist on Oct. 23, 2025. The victim, a former tenant who had recently moved out, had returned to the property to help a friend weld a vehicle frame when Wadas told him to get off his property. Wadas told police he only meant to scare the victim, not hit him (or shoot him?).
GET OUT: THE WEEKEND ITINERARY
"I Love the 80's" (Sherman Theater, Stroudsburg). The act hits the stage Saturday night.
Straight-Up Magic (Camelback Resort, Tannersville). Jason Bishop's magic show continues its run Saturday and Sunday.
Live Music with Brian Roder (Brix Brewhouse, Brodheadsville). Plays Saturday.
Rhythm and Brews (Shawnee Craft Brewing Company, Shawnee on Delaware). Brings live music to the beer garden this weekend.
Monroe Farmers Market (Courthouse Square, Stroudsburg). Sets up Saturday morning. Save us a few mushrooms, please.
Monroe County Habitat for Humanity ReStore. A sale runs Saturday, good for anyone hunting a deal on home goods and building materials.
The Red, White and Blue Show (Eastern Monroe Public Library). The patriotic art exhibition presented by the Pocono Center for the Arts continues its run through mid-September.