The LuLac Edition #128, Jan. 12, 2007

PHOTO INDEX: WLYN TV 35's "CHEF LOU" WHO TRIED TO TIP THE MAYOR BARLETTA'S HAND ON THURSDAY'S EDITION OF WLYN NEWS, A NEW PHOTO OF MONICA LEWINSKY, (SEE COMMENTS FROM LULAC EDITION 127, JAN. 11th, 2007), MAYOR OF HAZLETON AND "CHEF LOU" FAN LOU BARLETTA, AND FORMER LUZERNE COUNTY COMMISSIONER FRANK CROSSIN, JUNIOR.

LOU FOR TWO

TWO FOR LOU

It was quite a sight on WLYN TV 35's Noon Newscast on Thursday. Chef Lou, the TV station's culinary icon was doing his best to goad Mayor Lou Barletta into announcing his future plans for office. The Mayor has been on the set many times with the ubiquitous Chef Lou many times at the studios and on remote events throughout the city. Tempting the Mayor with bruschetta, the Mayor held his ground and asked Chef Lou to attend an event on Monday night at the Elks Club in Hazleton to get the scoop. Chef Lou demurred saying he was going to be in Florida. Speculation is running rampant that Barletta will do one of the following:
1. Announce for re-election to a third term.
2. Announce he won't run and wants to spend more time with his family. (That old saw!)
3. Announce he won't run but will be open to the possibility of higher office, either appointed or elected.
We'll find out Monday night at 7PM. In the meantime, kudos to Chef Lou for giving it the old college try. (Chef Lou's show can be seen on WLYN TV 35 Service Electric Channel 21 Monday nights at 5:30PM.)


CROSSIN FOR COMMISSIONER?

Word is circulating that former County Commissioner Frank Crossin, Junior may be interested in once more joining the fray for County office. Crossin took over for his father in January of 1981 when his father passed away. He joined his dad’s running mate, Edd Brominski in forming the Democratic Majority. In 1983 Brominski was defeated and Crossin became the Minority Commissioner serving under Frank Trinicewski and Jim Phillips. Crossin stayed in office until 1999. In 1987, he and the late Eugene Hudak almost upset the Trincewski team but Jim Phillips got by with a very close vote to retain the Majority. After Trinicewski switched parties in 1988, Crossin teamed with candidates Rose Tucker and Tom Makowski to retain the Democratic majority. Prior to that 1999 election, he refused to run for another term. He had served 19 years in that office. Crossin had come under fire for a drunk driving stop in the Toys R Us Parking Lot on a warm summer night. Crossin was never arrested or convicted. Critics point to that incident as a turning point in his political career but many remember his vote to put the Arena Question on the ballot as a referendum. All the grant work was accomplished from the state, things were in place for the Arena plans to begin until Crossin joined with Minority Commissioner Jim Phillips in the referendum issue. Many local politicos called his action, “The Profile In Non Courage”. The referendum pitted the community against each other with the "Arena No" forces scoring a narrow victory over the "Arena Yes" people. Even though defeated at the ballot box, State representative Kevin Blaum and his committee set out to put together a plan for the building of the Arena, no thanks to Frank Crossin. Crossin also was criticized for being a part time Commissioner leaving the Courthouse at precisely 11:30AM and tending to his insurance business (also inherited from his father) the rest of the day.
Despite those criticisms, Crossin was regarded as a gregarious campaigner, a good speechmaker and cagey political operative who doled out advice to various Democratic candidates. He also amassed some very impressive vote totals and by the mid 80s was politically out of his late father’s shadow establishing a career for himself.
Whether Crossin gets back into the arena (sorry no pun intended) will be interesting. He has name recognition but whether that will work with newer voters remains to be seen. Past Commissioners who returned to the ballot box were not successful. James Post who served as Majority Chairman from 1963 to 1967 was defeated when he tried to make a return in the mid 70s as was Frank Trinicewski who made a bid in 2003 and finished fourth in the Democratic primary.

NEW MONICA PHOTO

By popular request, we provide you with a new photo of my favorite former federal government employee, Ms. Monica Lewinsky. It is current and I can assure you is hanging in no one's work cubicle.