The Lulac Edition #681, Dec. 30th, 2008

PHOTO INDEX: THE CLINTONS, HILLARY, CHELSEA AND BILL, ALL VISITORS TO LULAC LAND IN 2008, SENATOR CASEY AND THEN SENATOR OBAMA ENJOYING WAFFLES AT A LOCAL ESTABLISHMENT AND GOVERNOR ED RENDELL.

TOP 10 NEWS STORIES


l. OUSTER OF JUDGE LOKUTA: The big news was the ouster of Judge Lokuta by the Judicial Review Board.
2. REASSESSMENT: After 40 years, county residents' properties were reassessed pretty much without incident except for residents of Harvey’s Lake.
3. ELECTION OF 2008: LuLac land became the hotbed for visits from the likes of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Governor Rendell, Caroline Kennedy, John McCain, Sarah Palin and not to mention some of the lesser lights of both national parties.
4. BONUSGATE: Top Democratic aides who were using their positions to campaign for their parties’ nominees and doing opposition researchwere indicted in a sweeping summer event that rocked the Capitol.
5. CATHERINE BAKER KNOLL/JAMES RHODES: Two Harrisburg mainstays, Ltn. Governor Catherine Baker Knoll and State Senator James Rhodes died this year. Knoll from cancer, Rhodes from an auto accident.
6. POLITICAL SPLIT: The short lived partnership between Greg Skrepenak and MaryAnne Petrilla came to an abrupt end early this year when the one time running mates clashed on human resource issues and reassessment. A larger split this county has not seen since the days of Crossin and Wideman.
7. LOUIS DENAPLES: The guy uses his own money to rehab a broken down resort. He then gets banned from the Casino because someone said he stretched the truth. Then the guys who threw him out of the Casino business he uilt with his own money come back to him for a handout. If I were he, I’d use one of my middle fingers when anyone mentioned a handout.
8. COUNTY BUDGET AND THE COURTS: The County of Luzerne is trying to balance the budget, the employees think they have a mortal lock on jobs and shouldn’t get laid off. The Judges say none of their people should get downsized. A mess that will continue into 2009.
9. GOVERNOR ED: Cited by Politico as one of the faces of the 2008 campaigns the wags in Washington will miss. The Governor never met an open mike he didn't like. While many across the nation will miss his free spirited banter, we in Pennsylvania will always have the Comcast Chevrolet Eagles Post Game show.
10. KANJORSKI’S COMEBACK: Left for dead by many political experts nationwide, the Congressman from Nanticoke fought a spirited and expensive campaign that returned him for still another term in D.C.