The LuLac Edition #1383, Nov. 25th, 2010

PHOTO INDEX: THANKSGIVING TURKEY, FORMER BUDGET CHIEF FOR LUZERNE COUNTY TOM PRIBULA, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE AT THE OLDIES HOST SHADOE STEELE, POPE PAUL VITH AND OUR 1966 LOGO.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

To all of my readers of my on line content and my books, I say thanks for your patience and stopping by on this site. As we say our thanks this day, surrounded by loving family and friends, let us make certain we never forget those who are less fortunate than us on this great American holiday. Not only on this day of football, friends and feasting, but every day.

BUDGET CHIEF EXITS

The Times Leader reports that the Chief Budget Officer Tom Pribula has resigned as County Budget Chief. Here’s their story:
Luzerne County Budget/Finance Chief Thomas Pribula has abruptly resigned this afternoon. Pribula said the resignation was due to "professional and philosophical differences." He declined to elaborate. Courthouse insiders say Pribula has clashed with county commissioners in recent weeks over the 2011 budget, which is scheduled to be unveiled Dec. 1. County commissioners have publicly praised Pribula for helping them to prepare realistic and attainable budgets. Pribula, Conyngham Township, was hired in April 2008 and was paid $68,000. Before joining the county, he had worked as a financial advisor for Bank of America Investment Services Inc. He has also worked as an investment representative for Edward D. Jones & Co. and as a manager, financial analyst and accountant at Philip Morris Management Corp. and Nabisco. He has a bachelor's degree in accounting from Wilkes University and holds state insurance licenses. My dealings with the budget chief who is my cousin have been few and far between. But I do know he has been trying to run the county budget in a business like manner. I assume there had to be a lot of frustration from some quarters in the Courthouse. Pribula worked very hard to balance the numbers. Most likely he’ll return to private business where he was a success but do not discount the possibility of a return once the county gets up and running after Home Rule is implemented. The larger issue for now is who is going to help present this new budget and work with the transition team for Home Rule.

LAWMAKERS GET RAISES

Pennsylvania’s legislators, judges and top state officials are about to get automatic pay raises of 1.7 percent. Newly elected and returning legislators will get their raises starting Dec. 1, officials said Monday.
The annual salaries for rank-and-file legislators will increase from $78,315 to $79,623. Salaries for legislative floor leaders will rise from $113,468 to $115,364.
The bad news about all of this is that Pennsylvania taxpayers will bear the brunt of the increase as always. The good news is that maybe with this raise, Representative Ken Smith might be able to make a dent in those back taxes he owes.

STEVENS HEADS COURT

Hazle Township native and state Superior Court Judge F. Correale Stevens has been elected to a five-year term as President Judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. Stevens, a Superior Court judge of 13 years, was elected unanimously by the 15 elected judges of the statewide intermediate appellate court last week. He will serve a five-year term when he succeeds sitting President Judge Kate Ford Elliott after her term ends Jan. 3. “I’m looking forward to giving the position the time and energy that it needs,” Stevens said, adding that the state Superior Court has been tasked with handling large caseloads while under budgetary constraints, and that tackling those issues will be his first priority as president judge. Stevens formerly served as a Luzerne County Judge, a District Attorney as well as a State Representative in the 116th District.

BENEDICT SURPRISES

In a seismic shift on one of the most profound and contentious Roman Catholic teachings, the Vatican said that condoms are the lesser of two evils when used to curb the spread of AIDS, even if their use prevents a pregnancy. The position was an acknowledgment that the church’s long-held anti-birth control stance against condoms doesn’t justify putting lives at risk.This my friends is huge. The Church is recognizing that some form of birth control is needed for those foreign population that keep on perpetuating poverty by procreation. I think Benedict sent the message in a veiled manner using male prostitutes as an example. This is a crack in a doorway that has been shut for a long time. It doesn’t contradict Pope Paul XI’s encyclical humanae vitae but it sure is an opening. And that is a big deal no matter what others say.

SAT LIVE AT OLDIES

This coming Saturday night, it is my pleasure to tell you that I will be part of local broadcast history. I will be a guest on Shadoe Steele’s “Saturday Night Live At the Oldies”. Steele who has been doing the show on KRZ FM, 98.5 will be doing his final show…there. The next week the long running Saturday night staple will be broadcast on WILK. My segment will air from about 9:15PM to about 9:50AM and I will be discussing my book, “Weather Or Knot”.


AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

1966

The Washington Redskins defeat the New York Giants 72–41 in the highest scoring game in NFL history..Barbados achieves independence………….in Pennsylvania long time Internal Affairs Secretary Genevieve Blatt vacates her office that she held for over 12 years. Blatt who narrowly lost a U.S. Senate race in 1964 was defeated by Republican John Tabor in the Republican Pennsylvania sweep of 1966 and in Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties Christmas Club savings are estimated to be more than 18 million dollars. Savings club members (more than 125,000 strong) will be able to spend an average of $232.00 per person. Christmas club checks were distributed by various financial institutions between Nov. 12th and November 28th and the number 1 song in America and LuLac land was “You Keep Me Hanging” On” by the Supremes.

An up and coming hit that was making the rounds was this one by Sandy Posey called “A Single Girl”.
And this song was a sleeper hit that never made the top ten but is one of the best versions of a classic song from the fifties that I ever heard. Billy Stewart and "Secret Love" from 1966.