The LuLac Edition #1765, September 22nd, 2011

PHOTO INDEX: FORMER JUDGE MICHAEL CONAHAN, OUR BLOGFEST FALL 2011 LOGO, WYLN TV 35'S TIFFANY CLOUD INTERVIEWING LUZERNE COUNTY COUNCIL CANDIDATE BLYTHE EVANS FOR A FUTURE PROGRAM (ANYONE INTERESTED IN SOMETHING LIKE THAT SHOULD CONTACT ME) AND OUR 1972 LOGO.

BLOG FEST

This Friday night at Rooney’s Irish Pub, check out our Fall Blogfest 2011. The event starts at 6PM and lasts until about 11PM. Any candidate, candidate’s volunteers, staffer, media person, reader, poster or interested party is welcome to attend. Buy a drink, meet the people and enjoy a night of chewing the political fat. I will be arriving a bit late this year due to my Friday commitment to WYLN’s Topic A. Also, if anyone is interested in doing a blog, there are many people around to give you some pointers. Blogfest Fall 2011, Friday night.

CONAHAN SENTENCING

Former Judge Michael Conahan will be sentenced this Friday in Federal Court in Scranton. Conahan plead guilty to one charge. There is a maximum of twenty years attached to it. It will be interesting to see what he gets given the harsh sentence of 28 years meted out to his friend former Judge Mark Ciavarella. Conahan for all intents and purposes was the ring leader of the corruption fiasco in the county. He seemed to be the guy pulling all the strings. It will be ironic if he gets a lesser sentence. But it can happen since he will be sentenced on the corruption charge and does not carry the baggage of “Cash for Kids” that Juvenile Court Judge Mark Ciavarella did. I’ll be in the Courtroom Friday morning getting the full story for LuLac and WYLN TV 35. Watch for future editions on the Conahan sentencing and Tune in to WYLN TV’s Late Edition as well as Topic A.

EVANS KICKS OFF FALL EFFORT

Blythe Evans of Plymouth has kicked off the fall portion of his campaign for Luzerne County Council. Evans who garnered 7,000 votes in the spring primary despite being snubbed by the Times Leader endorsement board as well as his own party is setting his sights on getting a good vote total for the fall campaign. Here’s some of his information:
My name is Blythe Evans and I am running for Luzerne County Council. I would like to introduce myself and explain why I am running for a position on the new Luzerne County Council. I grew up in Plymouth where I still live today. My father was an attorney and my mother was a Sunday school teacher. I received an Associates Degree from Valley Forge Military College, a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Moravian College and a third degree in Legal Studies from Harrisburg Area Community College. I own and operate a rental business and a recording/mastering studio based in Plymouth. My grandparents, the Reverend Harold F. Mante and Bettie Mante ministered at the Forty Fort Presbyterian Church from 1953 to 1979. They, along with my parents, raised me in the traditions of faith and family values helping me to spiritually grow in the Christian walk. I intend to carry these values forward during my campaign for County Council and if elected, will continue in my fight to put citizens first.
I believe that we will need fresh ideas to move forward and I hope to bring those new ideas to the platform of the County Council. Some of those ideas include changes in our tax code, protecting our natural resources from special interests and most importantly, a sobering examination of the way money is being spent in the county. We have seen what self-serving behavior and corruption has done for Luzerne County and this must end. I am not a career politician. I have not accepted endorsements from any political groups and I have never taken money from organizations looking to finance my run for County Council. I am simply a private citizen looking to put taxpayers first.
I am a Republican because I want my government to:
Keep taxes low so that incentive is not discouraged like it is in Socialist countries.
Stop Washington DC lobbyists from meddling in the affairs and day to day lives of citizens.
Protect our environment and our natural resources from pollution, fracking and other wasteful practices by corporate greed.
Build and maintain a strong military to protect us from various terrorist threats around the world.
Appoint federal judges who will adhere to the Constitution and not make laws as they go along, bypassing the constitutional provisions for amending the Constitution. Secure the borders.
I own and operate two lucrative and successful businesses based in my hometown of Plymouth. I balance budgets, hire employees and implement business strategies for expansion, all completed under time deadlines and operating costs. I am the current President of the Plymouth Public Library Board of Directors and also hold a Bachelor of Arts degree from Moravian College, an Associates degree from Valley Forge Military College and a third Associates Degree in Advanced Legal Studies from Harrisburg Area Community College.
I voted for and supported the home rule charter in the last election because I think that the system of government we had in Luzerne County was ineffective and was very self serving to the people who were elected to office to do their job for the taxpayers.
The most important challenge facing Luzerne County is the electing of the County Council and the appointment of the County Manager in January 2012 when the County Council is sworn into office.
To address this challenge, I think that both voters and the County Council need to look at the following qualities when electing the Council and the County Manager:
1. Honesty
2. Forward-Looking
3. Competency
4. Inspiring
5. Intelligent
When the people speak in November to elect the new County Council, these qualities should be in the minds of both the citizen AND the elected County Council. If they are not, then we as citizens of Luzerne County will be once again bound and chained to the nepotism. despotism and cronyism that has walked hand in hand with Luzerne County Politics for the past 50+ years. It is time to put citizens first! Because we have always come second; And we deserve better!

SAD STATE

When I was in college and got to King’s late sometimes I had to park on the street. Sometimes the meter ran out and I got a ticket. When I worked at Rock 107 we all had to park on Penn Avenue. We regularly got tickets and wanted to either tear up the marking meter or at least fiddle with it. Well it appears the basic service of collecting money for parking in Scranton has gotten complicated. The city is going to outsource the meters, sell them to cover a deficit in that department. So the city wants to sell the meters for 6 million bucks to the Scranton Parking Authority and then borrow another 4 million to cover a deficit. Okay, say they do that, what happens in the future when there is a shortfall? Where do they get the money then? And I guess I always thought the Parking Authority was run by the city. Can’t the city just appropriate the money? These are the little things that erode confidence in local government. If you can’t get something as simple as parking meters, where do you go? The upside to all of this is it would make a fantastic episode of “The Office”. Imagine Dwight Schrute going into the meter business just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Producers, that’s all I’m giving you. Contact me for the rest or sketch it out on your own.

MEDICAL COLLEGE NEWS

Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania has said they will pitch in to help the Commonwealth Medical College keep their head above water. BCNEPA said they would provide a financial cushion to the school and the money will come from various investments and not premiums paid for by members.
The Scranton Times is also reporting Dunmore businessman Louis A. DeNaples was named chairman of the Commonwealth Medical College's board of directors last week. The position is unpaid. DeNaples served as Vice Chair and a Medical College spokesperson told the Times that he assumed the chairmanship because of a vacancy.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT



MANSION REOPENED

Public tours for the Governor’s mansion in Harrisburg are back on the agenda. As you may remember Governor Corbett was evacuated from the residence during the flood. The Corbett’s moved back in last week. Public tours are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. through October 31, 2011. The residence will re-open for holiday tours in December. Tours are conducted at no charge; however, reservations are required and can be made by calling the tour line at 772-9130.

STRESSED?

Wilkes Barre City and the Chamber of Commerce held a welcome to the City Party for area college students. This is the 8th time they did the event. I can see the city doing it but the Chamber should concentrate on more important things like trying to bring in jobs with a living wage that will keep those students here after they graduate. (And none of this sawbuck an hour crap you’ve been feeding us for the last couple of years). I got a kick out of Peggy Lee’s report on WNEP where she interviewed students who said the recent flood activity really stressed them out. These kids have no idea what stress is. They should visit the folks in Duryea.

MEDIA MATTERS

STORM POLITICS

This week Tiffany Cloud welcomes Alex Milanes, Communications Director of the Luzerne Co Young Republicans. Storm Politics can be seen on WYLN TV 35 THURS @ 9:30 PM • SAT @ 5 PM SUN @ 11 AM, MON @ 9:00 PM • TUES @ 4:30 PM.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

This week on Shadoe Steele’s Saturday Night Live At the Oldies Singer/songwriter Michael Johnson (Bluer Than Blue, This Night Won't Last Forever) this week from the Chad Mitchell Trio which starred a then unknown John Denver. Tune in this Saturday night from 7 to midnight on WILK AM & FM from 7pm to midnight with ABC News on the top of the hour.

ECTV

Area residents have a chance to "meet" some of the people who built Lackawanna
County. They'll meet them at their gravesites! Julie Esry of the 'Dearly Departed Players" will be the guest on ECTV Live for the week of September 26th. She'll join host Judge Tom Munley and his co-host David DeCosmo to discuss the annual Dunmore Cemetery Tour which has been expanded this year. ECTV Live can be seen on Comcast Ch19 at Noon and Midnight throughout
the week.

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

This Weekend On Sunday Magazine
This Week In Harrisburg examines legislation designed to help flood victims. State Senators John Yudichak and John Blake weigh in. Also, highlights of a news conference speaking out against a proposed bill that would change the way elections are held in Pennsylvania. And a preview of the State House Republican's Fall agenda.
Brian Hughes speaks wit Steve Bonner, the CEO of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America about cancer, and the stress of not knowing you have it. And Brian speaks with 6th Generation Winemaker David Mirassou, on the best wines to serve at your upcoming fall parties. Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5:30am on JR 93.7 & 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X, 6:30am on Magic 93 and 9:30am on WARM 590 AM.

1972

An F-86 fighter aircraft leaving an air show at Sacramento Executive Airport fails to become airborne and crashes into a Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor, killing 12 children and 11 adults...Norwegian EC referendum, 1972: Norway rejects membership in the European Economic Community....The Joint Communique of the Government of Japan and the Government of the People's Republic of China is signed in Beijing...The Canadian national men's hockey team defeats the Soviet national ice hockey team in Game 8 of the 1972 Summit Series (French: La Série du Siècle, Russian: Суперсерия СССР — Канада), 6–5, to win the series 4–3…………….The McGovern campaign characterizes the Nixon administration as one of the most war like Presidencies in the 20th century. McGovern says that President Nixon unnecessarily expanded the Vietnam War costing more lives in the process. The Nixon administration counters by saying the Peace talks are still going on and McGovern's criticism isn’t going to help advance them…….in Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Ernest Kline oversees the Shapp administration’s emergency response efforts in the aftermath of the Agnes Flood……..in Wilkes Barre Congressman Dan Flood says he’ll run a low key re election campaign saying that his concentration needs to be on flood recovery. Flood has a nominal opponent and his response to the Agnes disaster in its initial stages virtually assures his re election……..and in America and LuLac land the number 1 song in America was “Saturday In the Park” by Chicago.