The LuLac Edition #2732, September 17th, 2014

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WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

EYEBALLING MOON LAKE

This week’s Write On Wednesday is about Moon Lake Park in Luzerne County. For a few generations the county had Moon Lake Park as a recreational facility that was used by many residents. With the County budget in recovery, albeit a long one, places like the park have been put on the back burner. But our friend Wil Toole has written a letter to the Council and the local newspapers expressing his ideas. Here is what he wrote:
Dear Member of County Council,
Below is a copy of a letter to the Editor I sent with regard to Moon Lake. Many of the points in the letter I made to the county during regular monthly meetings.
One additional point I want to make is that in today's paper, it was noted that the facility having been acquired and built using "Project 70" money might hinder the possibility of timbering the wood lands. I would just point out that the argument could be made that proper timbering could be consider an act of conservation thus protecting the property for future generations.
MY LETTER TO THE EDITOR IS AS FOLLOWS"
Dear Editor,
Over the past few years, I have appeared at county commissioners and county council meetings to offer suggestions on various subjects. I am well aware that the quality of life is always a major contributing factor when big business is in search of a new location. Geographically, Luzerne County has more to offer than any other area in Pennsylvania. We have various cultural and entertainment facilities, quality colleges, access to the Susquehanna river which grows cleaner every year and lakes as well as our great four seasons. The highway system allows for easy access and the WB-Scr Airport are all part of the enticement and the abundance of industrial infrastructure all play a major part. Another important factor is the availability of health care facilities.
Recreation is always needed and appreciated so for us to allow the Moon Lake recreational area to go to waste just doesn't make sense. With the recent suggestion the county invest 2 million dollars in the park, I thought it was time for me to once again offer some suggestions that would help revitalize the Moon Lake facility. I did give these suggestion to a member of the county council but he indicated there was little interest but he would continue to try to move ahead with them.
Please note that some of the suggestions I mention can be revenue producing. The following are the suggestions I have made with regard to Moon Lake:
Create a realistic operating budget and then try to sell the naming rights to cover the yearly operating cost or as much of it as possible. Corporations or even the Mohegan Sun have shown interest is such efforts with regard to the arena so it might work with Moon Lake.
Use prison help to clean up the park.
Offer a section of the park to both the boy scouts and girl scouts to have their own camping area and they can "police" the grounds on a weekly basis.
Build docks and rent season docking space to fishermen and boating enthusiasts.
Ask high school Key Clubs to adopt the park as a club project to help maintain the facility.
Request the Voc-Tech schools to use the facility as a classroom project to repair facilities. This would be good hands on experience for the electrical class, carpenter class and masonry class. If the schools have an "architectural design" class, they can design various projects and if they don't have such a course, LCCC does.
Build some large pavilions for group rental.
Open the park for camping all four seasons. Offer winter use for snowmobiling, cross country skiing, ice fishing and even ice skating.
Offer a concession for food stands.
Refurbish the camping sites. Make season rentals of camp sites available.
A well planned forestry program designed by Penn State and the State Forester would provide income and a safer wooded area.
A walking (hiking) and biking track would be a great addition.
Those are most of what I've talked about over the past several years and there may be things I have forgotten and I'm sure that others would have suggestions if encouraged.
Insist that the Vacation Bureau put an effort into advertising the park facility and what it has to offer.
Looking down the road, a large boat launch on the Susquehanna would be well used and appreciated.
There are no limits as to what can be created with imagination and a cooperative attitude.
Wil Toole