The LuLac Edition #173, March 14, 2007

PICTIRE INDEX: LACKAWANNA COUNTY COMMISSIONER CANDIDATE COREY O'BRIEN AND THE FAMILY, DEMOCRATIC LACKAWANNA COUNTY COMMISSIONER MIKE WASHO AND WILKES BARRE CITY COUNCIL IN DISTRICT D CANDIDATE TIMOTHY ANDERSON.

A SERIES OF FIRSTS

Someone has to jump into the pool first and from our scant observances the past few days, this is what we found.

FIRST SIGNAGE OF THE SEASON

Those road and yard signs that dot the campaign trail, you know them, you love them, you can't live without them. In Lackawanna County, Corey O'Brien had his signs wrapped around telephone poles just in time for the big parade.

In Luzerne County, District Attorney Dave Lupas has signage and it's big. Saw a Lupas sign in downtown Pittston in the storefront formerly Terry's Bagel Shop. Terry Best, a good friend and former classmate of mine at St. John's is set to run for another term on the PA School Board and you can bet his name will be festooned alongside the DA's.

Wilkes Barre's race for the signs was won by Council Candidate in District E. Virgil Argenta has a multi colored royal blue and fuscia sign sporting his candidacy.

FIRST WEB SITES FOR WB COUNCIL

Two council candidates for Wilkes Barre City Council are on the world wide web. Timothy Anderson in District D and Charlotte Raup in District E.

The sites are:
http://www.electtimothyanderson.com/
http://charlotteraup.tripod.com/.

WASHO FIRST ON THE AIR

Mike Washo, Lackawanna County Democratikc candidate for County Commissioner was the first politico to hit the airwaves with his campaign. Washo ran spots on ESPN Radio WEJL/WBAX, AM 630 and AM 1240 talking about the past performance of the Cordaro/Munchak team (which he found wanting) and how he could do better.

MURDER IN NORTH END

The two crimes committed Wednesday morning in the Northend are certainly food for thought. The home invasion on Darling Street was absolutely scary and one wonders how the candidates in District E will address that issue.

In the meantime, a murder at 21 North Street points to how important it is for landlords in the city to screen their tenants better. The North Street property surrounds young college students just starting out their way in life, not to mention long time North End residents who have hung in there for their neighborhood. The revelation that the murder victim was himself a convicted murder felon in 1988 and that the man accused of killing him today was himself convicted of murder in 1996 is chilling news. The landlord, Ms. Gildea justified her landlord policies in a hodgepodge of information given to reporters. Too little, too late. Check to see if you are renting to killers, especially when your property surrounds young men and women who have parents sending their children to Wilkes Barre with the expectation they'd be safe. Perhaps a background check would cut into the massive profits the landlords make. And by the way, wasn't it the Gildeas who recently asked Wilkes Barre council for a tax break for their properties?

TRANSITION

We've been away for a few days, Mrs. LuLac is transferring my gigantic file folders to a new computer system that will better serve LuLac readers. That old "I.T." tech is even letting me keep my Genna Davis photos. Ain't she a sport!!!!????

BARRY THE BARBER

A BarberShop is a hotbed of political gossip and talk. As a boy I was introduced to baseball, football and politics at a BarberShop. For many years, Scranton residents as well as the creme de la creme of politicians and journalists used the services of Barry Prandy on Prescoltt Avenue in the Hill section of the city. Recently, Barry's shop was closed because of an illness incurred by the affable Dodger devotee, Ronald Reagan loving, Richard Nixon justifying, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity listening barber. I'm happy to report Barry is doing well but I have to share the hysterical e mail from mty fellow Junction-ite, Barry the Barber.

Local Barber snatched from the jaws of death.

In what can only be described as a harrowing chain of events, local Barber
Barry Prandy---- AKA---Barry The Barber was plucked from the jaws of death and is now in his third week of a well needed rest and recovery.
The drama began to unfold several weeks ago as Barry The Barber ---AKA--- B THE B noticed an increased thirst, which began to, over the next several days, spiral out of control. For 4 days the thirst methodogically increased and vast amounts of liquids were consumed---BUT---to no avail. On the fifth day, B THE B, who is not and will not complain, remarked to his faithfull and devoted wife that his tongue appeared to be swollen. This as it turned out to be, was a cleverly disguised symptom of what we now know was------ SUGAR---- diabetes. At the persistent urging of his faithful and devoted wife and with great reluctance, B THE B agreed to be transported to the emergency room at Geisinger hospital. After a short 3 1/2 wait, B THE B was ushered to an examination room were he was asked to urinate into a cup----always a degrading and humiliating experience. B THE B with strong persistance from his faithful and devoted wife finally complyed. A preliminary sugar test was done and to the shock and dismay
of the Technician the urine sample went off the chart. It was stated at the
time, from a well placed source, that the technical device used to measure the sugar exceeded it's highest reading. It can now be revealed that this was indeed the case and the actual reading was an astounding--- 860--- normal be between 70 to 120. This began a flurry of activity with several of the Nursing staff rushing to Mr. Prandy's---- AKA ---- Barry The Barber, side urging him to lay flat on the examining room table befor he blacked out and fell off the examining room table. Numerous technicians were now escorted in to the room to remove endless viles of blood, and a constant stream of Doctors were added to the mix. The examination room was now a bee hive of activity. It was at this point, some 5 hours into the ordeal that a key test revealed, what appeared to be an abnormality in the heart. This piece of information would later play out as the single most important piece of information to be unearthed in this drama.
Mr. Prandy---AKA--- B THE B, was now informed that he would not be returning home, but would be admitted to the hospital for further tests. The news was not received well by Barry The Barber----AKA--- B THE B and a strong protest was voiced. The protest was short lived however as it was immediately quelled by Mr. Prandy's faithful and devoted wife. Mr. Prandy was transported to the main hospital and to a comfortable and quite room.
The following morning began with once again an endless flow of Nurses,
technicians and doctors and it was then that MR. Prandy----AKA---Barry The Barber was informed that something was indeed amiss with his heart and he was immediately scheduled for the dreaded-----Stress Test. In the next few hours the --- Stress Test was administered and the results were obtained by the administering doctors. Dark clouds appeared on the horizon. The test revealed more abnormalities and a catherization was immediately scheduled. More dark clouds, and as suspected, the catherization test revealed-- not 1----not 2---but 3 blocked arteries, two severe and the third 95% blocked. This was, as the reader could well imagine, devastating. Tripple by pass was the only option, a
very unpleasent prospect. The mear thought of having one's chest split open like a Turkey on Thanksgiving day was ---appalling. A strong protest was again voiced, however Mr. Prandy----AKA--- B THE B was litterly hit in the face with a bucket of ice water as the lead physician layed out the stark and raw facts.
With the tripple by pass---- 95% recovery success rate. With no by pass ---25% survival rate. And so, after an extensive review of the facts, Mr. Prandy agreed to the by pass. A crack team of Geisinger surgeons were assembled and numerous Nurses assisted in the 6 1/2 hour operation. The operating room gallery was filled to capacity with on lookers. The result----100% success. Later, as Mr. Prandy was struggling to fight off the post operitive anesthetics, the chief of the surgical team asked a somewhat groggy Barry The Barber how he felt. Mr. Prandy, struggling to regain his senses could only mutter a somewhat cryptive message----- You----You----You can take the boy out of the junction, but you can't take the junction out of the boy.