The LuLac Edition #1485, Feb. 20th, 2011

PHOTO INDEX: THE VALLEY CREST NURSING HOME, JAMES O'MEARA AND OUR 1972 LOGO.

NO SALE!!!

So how about the fact that the county can’t find a buyer for Valley Crest? How about the fact that the former budget director Tom Pribula said they should not count that revenue in the projections because it wasn’t real? How about the fact that somehow someway the county is going to have to find the extra money to fill that hole? Yeah, how ‘bout that!

MELLOW NEXT

If you think the trials and investigations are over after the Ciavarella trial, you’re incorrect. This is just a lull. But the next big deal might be the investigation into former Senator Bob Mellow. A federal court opinion disclosed that an FBI probe of former Pennsylvania state Senate leader Bob Mellow concerns extortion, fraud and money laundering. A U.S. appeals court in Philadelphia denied the former Senator's bid to have authorities return evidence seized in June 2010 raids of his home and district office. They’re not giving it back. That can only spell trouble for the long time legislator.

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Jim O’Meara, local GOP official and former candidate for State Representative in the 121st district was being urged to run for Luzerne County Council. I was urging Jim to run for Council. He made his decision and I want you to pay particular attention to the last sentence which I highlighted in red.
I decided against running for Luzerne County Council. The prohibition section for County Council reads in part: "...no member of County Council shall...be employed or compensated by any individual or business serving as a contractor to the County or any County authority, board, or commission." I work for a branch of a national food distributor. My branch is not doing business with the county, but another branch has within the past year. Do I think the prohibition section is too sweeping? Yes. If you sweep the floors at an office supply company that does business with the County, you're excluded, as I see it. I may not agree with the way the charter is written in this regard, but it is what it is. This will disappoint some folks, but I'm taking the high road. I think people here are tired of folks who try to work around the system.
If you want to boil the problems of our county down to one sentence, it's this: Too many people in the past felt the rules don't apply to them. I won't be one of them. I plan to run for Board of Commissioners in Plains Township. Win or lose, I will learn a great deal about my own community. Good luck Jim.

2011 JUDGE RACE

During the trial of Mark Ciavarella this week there were people in the courtroom speculating about the 6 vacancies that are going to occur on the Luzerne County bench this year. Candidates are already forming committees and a few have even started advertising. You can be sure that more will be joining the fray. Reports I’ve heard is that there is a backlog in the court cases. So far the candidates running, with the exception of those who ran the last time have little or no name recognition. That could easily be overcome. A retired attorney I ran into during the trial said, “The main challenge the candidates for Judge, or any candidate for that matter will be to convince the voters that they are honest people and will remain so. Here’s a list so far of who’s in by alphabetical order.
John Aciukewicz
Michael Blazick
Mark W. Bufalino
Vito DeLuca
Lesa Gelb
Richard Hughes
Molly Hanlon Mirabito
Jim McMonagle
Fred A. Pierantoni
Paula Radick
Jennifer Rogers
Tony Ross
Joseph F. Saporito Jr.
Joe Sklarosky Jr.
Joseph J. Van Jura
Mike Vough
I'd ask any Judicial candidate to send me his or her contact information to TheLuLacPoliticalLetter@gmail.com LuLac is planning a special TV project for this Judicial Election and I need every one's contact people.


YA’LL COME

State Senator John Yudichak has directed staff members to come to senior citizens the coming weeks to discuss issues of importance. Here’s the schedule:
Staff members from State Senator John Yudichak’s office will visit senior centers and apartment complexes to offer senior citizens assistance with filing the necessary forms for Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program. The passage of the Taxpayer Relief Act is helping seniors and disabled residents remain in their homes through property tax relief.
More seniors than ever before are getting the extra help they need through a major expansion of the state Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program.
The dates are:
Friday, from 9 a.m. until noon at the Apollo Apartments, 161 S. Main St.,Pittston;
March 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Park Towers Apartments, 1 E. Green St., Nanticoke;
March 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Temple Apartments, 5 Heisz St., Edwardsville;
March 18 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Edwardsville Apartments (Community Room at Eagle Ridge) 9 Beverly Drive, Edwardsville;
March 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Oplinger Tower Apartments, 270 E. Main St., Nanticoke, (in cooperation with Rep. Gerald Mullery (D) 119th District);
March 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Nanticoke Towers Apartments, 100 Nanticoke Ave., Nanticoke.

COKE RECIPE UNVEILED

You know how much I love Coke but I’m not going to be making it in my house anytime soon now that the recipe is out. But it is interesting that it came out this week.
According to "TAL," in 1979 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a little-noticed article on the history of Coca-Cola and -- this is the important part -- included a photograph. That photo allegedly showed a handwritten copy of the Coca-Cola recipe invented by John Pemberton -- including the exact contents of Merchandise 7X, "the cartoonishly super-secret, cloak-and-dagger name" of the key ingredient, host Ira Glass said.
The recipe was apparently written down in a Pemberton friend's journal of remedies and ointments, which makes sense since Coca-Cola was originally sold as a tonic.
"TAL" staffers were apparently the first to examine the photo closely enough to realize what it actually showed. Here's the recipe, according to the program:
Fluid extract of Coca: 3 drams USP
Citric acid: 3 oz.
Caffeine: 1 oz.
Sugar: 30 (unclear quantity)
Water: 2.5 gallons
Lime juice: 2 pints, 1 quart
Vanilla: 1 oz.
Caramel: 1.5 oz. or more for color
The secret 7X flavor (use 2 oz. of flavor to 5 gallons syrup):
Alcohol: 8 oz.
Orange oil: 20 drops
Lemon oil: 30 drops
Nutmeg oil: 10 drops
Coriander: 5 drops
Neroli: 10 drops
Cinnamon: 10 drops

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT


MEDIA MATTERS

EVENT AT KING’S

U.S. Congressmen Lou Barletta, R-11th District, and Tom Marino, R-10th District, will speak about their experiences so far in the 112th Congress at a free public forum, titled “Congress on Campus.” The event will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Burke Auditorium of the William G. McGowan School of Business at King’s College.
The event is being sponsored by the Political Science and Mass Communications Departments at King’s College as well as the Communications Club and the student radio station, WRKC, 88.5 FM. The forum will be broadcast live on WYLN-TV, Hazleton, and WRKC. The William G. McGowan School of Business is located at the corner of North River and West Union streets. Free parking will be available in King’s-owned parking lots.

WYLN TV 35

For those who have Service Electric TV Cable, WYLN TV 35 is now on Channel 7. You can tune in to their “Late Editon” news at 10PM every night as well as the Daily News program at 5:30PM “Topic A”.

WVIA CUTS

For all of you people who are so concerned about the deficit, for all of you who wanted to send a message that this huge federal debt will saddle “the children” (please!) and for all of you have apparently forgotten that the GOP ran it up with a sham of a war in Iraq, well take a look at what “your Congress” is going to do to Public Broadcasting. Currently our local outlet will experience a one million dollar cut. It is punitive, short sighted and will hurt “the children” the GOP is so worried about. Where do you think the money comes from for Children’s programming? See this is still another example of how the national GOP is anti family. I think it is hysterical how the Republicans are so in favor of deficit reduction when they voted against the Clinton deficit reduction package in 1993 which actually gave the country a surplus. Look what these guys are cutting and you tell me where their heads and hearts are at. Not for the middle class that’s for sure.

BLOG NOTES

“Write On Wednesday” and “Maybe I’m Amazed” will return to their regular slots next week. They were preempted because of the coverage of the Ciavarella trial.

1972

The Soviet unmanned spaceship Luna 20 lands on the Moon........U.S. President Richard M. Nixon makes an unprecedented 8-day visit to the People's Republic of China and meets with Mao Zedong. This history making trip is surprising to many since Nixon was the ultimate cold war warrior. It also gave Nixon incredible media exposure as the 1972 Presidential election began……….................In Pennsylvania the Shapp administration increases funding for transportation increasing the number of jobs in Penn Dot……..in Wilkes Barre citizens begin to form committees to overturn the Home Rule Charter which instituted a Manager form of Government instituted in the late 1960s…..and the number 1 song in America and LuLac land this week was a remake of the old Tokens hit, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”.