The LuLac Edition #435, March 9th, 2008

PHOTO INDEX: EVIE REFALKO MCNULTY, LACKAWANNA COUNTY RECORDER OF DEED AND SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON.

THE VISIT

Evie Refalko McNulty tried to make history last spring when she attempted to be the first female County Commissioner in the land of the Lac. Finishing close behind Atty. Corey O'Biren, Mrs. McNulty dusted herself off and picked herself up. This spring, she has her sights set on a bigger historical goal: helping to elect the first female President. McNulty is one of the coordinators in bringing to Scranton the former First Lady and current New York Senator. Set for Monday at Scranton High School, the event is expected to attract a huge crowd of very vocal Hillary supporters. Mayor Chris Doherty made a comment to a local paper that it is an honor to have a Presidential candidate who knew the differences between the geographic sections of the city. They say "first in" usually gets thunder and the Clinton camp is making the first inroad into the state. You can bet that with the Mayor's office penchant for putting Scranton in the best possible light nationally (witness "The Office" convention) and Mrs. McNulty's past record of putting on a campaign with panache, well let's just say I'm sure the local politicos in the Lac will overdeliver in their efforts for the Clinton camp. The event starts at 6pm, the building opens at 430pm. Meanwhile, Lackawanna County Democrats Washo and O'Brien who are supporting Senator Obama have made no comments about when "their guy", Senator Obama will be visiting the Scranton area.

ED & BOB

Governor Rendell and Senator Casey made the national Sunday morning news programs on the subject of the campaign. An animated Rendell made the case that Senator Clinton deserved the nomination because she can carry big states with an electoral college majority. He pointed out she has beaten Senator Obama there already. Rendell even offered along with New Jersey Governor John Corzine to raise funds for "do over" primaries in Florida and Michigan. Senator Casey told CNN and MSNBC that Pennsylvania wil be pivotal and that the participation level for voters will be at an all time high.

WILKES BARRE UPDATE

Mayor Tom Leighton told a downtown Business Association that he sees the vacant downtown buildings in Wilkes Barre filling up very soon. Comparing the slow progress to cooking a great meal, the Mayor said there are discussions with an unknown entity that wants to set up an Irish pub in the downtown. That would make that the fourth bar in the renovated area of South Main Street. Businesses that have opened include Cafe Toscana, the Thai Thai restaurant and Peyton’s Place, a birthday party center in Midtown Village. Rapper and recent reality TV star Vanilla Ice will come to downtown Wilkes-Barre on March 13 to celebrate the opening of the Hardware Bar on South Main where the Club Mardi Gras was for a short time.

Meantime, the Mayor has ended the practice of police involvement with the local crime watch officials. The Mayor's office reportedly was not pleased with Crime Watch officials inviting the Guardian Angels into town to possibly participate in crime fighting procedures. Crime Watch officials headed by former Council candidate Charlotte Raup plan to address the issue with city council this week.

HUH????

So they arrest the guy who chopped up the Scranton area woman on Route 80. Went to his house in the Poconos and found her hands in an old newspaper. He was arrested. But get this: from Dave Falcheck's story in the Sunday Times Tribune:

According to a police affidavit, Mr. Hicks has only been in the area for a few months, having relocated from Texas, where he assembled a criminal record that included assault in 2002, sexual assault in 2003 and aggravated robbery in 2007. Mr. Hicks had also been arrested in Virginia in 2006 for assault and possession of controlled substances. He obtained a job in January at the Tobyhanna Army Depot through Defense Support Services LLC, or DS2. With about 500 employees at the depot, DS2, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Corp. and Day & Zimmerman Co. is the largest third-party contractor at depot.

Now is it me or do you find it disturbing that this guy with such a long criminial record got a job, even from a third party at a military defense plant like Tobyhanna? Tobyhanna Army Depot? What if he were a terrorist? Did this third party contractor not have a background check? I know at least 50 good men and women who have been trying to get a job at Tobyhanna for years, some even veterans. And this guy with a criminal record saunters in from another state and bingo, is hired? Isn't there something wrong with that picture?

Everyone (and rightly so) makes a big deal about sexual offenders being "outed" on websites and flyers when they move into an area to protect children. Should we not extend that to people with year long criminal histories who just meander into an area and start killing people? Didn't that Scranton woman, found in pieces on an interstate deserve that type of "heads up"?