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Monday, June 08, 1998 Page:
SAYSO
About two months ago, Mayor McGroarty had in the newspaper that he was
going to take legal action and try and make the police officer come back and
live in the City of Wilkes-Barre. Well, to this date, he hasn’t done anything,
he hasn’t started any legal action. What’s this, another ploy, a grandstand
for re-election next year? He’s just telling us white lies to get re-elected
next year? We’re not stupid, Mayor McGroarty, you have to do action, not just
run your mouth.
Editor’s note: In a written response, Mayor Tom McGroarty said, “I am
committed to any effort that would make our police officers live in the city
that pays their salary. Unfortunately, we are bound by a collective bargaining
agreement and an arbitrator’s ruling which allow our police to reside up to 10
miles outside the city limits. There is no question that I am opposed to this
and the feedback I received indicates most residents want the police to live
in the city. We have made every attempt to negotiate with the Police
Benevolent Association for concessions on this issue. Our latest attempt to
find some middle ground was an offer to PBA President Ed Soltis that all
police officers hired after June 1, 1996 shall be required to establish
residency in the city of Wilkes-Barre within six months of the date of their
hire. Mr. Soltis has not responded to this offer. We will continue to fight
for police residency and research the legal aspects of the residency issue if
we are forced to take this matter to court.”
In a recent interview, Soltis said the union was considering accepting the
mayor’s demand for a trial period, in the hope that it would encourage him to
hire more officers. An officer was hired on June 1. He lives out of town and
will not be required to move.
Why can’t potholes get fixed in Wilkes-Barre? Is it true he only allows
once a month to fix potholes, that’s why we have so many holes throughout
Wilkes-Barre? They are using at the present time four garbage packers. He’s
knocking one garbage packer off, so only three packers to collect the whole
city of Wilkes-Barre. He always says, “He’s running the city like a business.”
What a rotten job.
Editor’s note: In a written response, Mayor Tom McGroarty said, “If the
caller knows the location of dangerous potholes, please call the Department of
Public Works at 826-8270 and report it. Crews are dispatched to fix potholes
on an as-needed basis.”
Well, the councilman that voted for that amendment to let Mayor McGroarty
have the money to spend as he pleases, they better not run for council,
because if they do, they’re not going to get voted for. Al Boris always has
been in McGroarty’s pocket and always voted with him, whether it was for the
people.
Wilkes-Barre city and its prime clown mayor going out helping people up at
Lake Carey or going out to North Dakota, or whatever, it’s amazing that this
man would go out and help people, instead of staying with his nitwit team in
Wilkes-Barre and throwing people out of their homes. He should be in them
homes, helping them people clean up and straighten their homes. That makes no
sense.
I’d like to say that when a juvenile commits a crime, their name shouldn’t
be printed in the paper, because discipline doesn’t start in a newspaper, it
starts at home. If the parents do not discipline these children, then it’s the
parents’ fault. If the kids commit a crime, they know they did it wrong. The
paper shouldn’t be the person to discipline them, their parents should.
Editor’s note: What do others think? Does it depend on the severity of the
crime?
Well, here I am again calling about your Red Barons’ box scores being
totally wrong. Thursday’s box score in Friday’s paper, Carlton Loewer’s
pitching line, totally wrong. Every statistic except for his innings pitched,
as well as Roberts, the pitcher for Toledo, his statistics are wrong. If you
do need somebody to do box scores, I’d be more than happy to do it, because
I’d get them correct.
Editor’s note: Loewer’s pitching line is off. It looks like we missed a
number typing in the box and the wrong numbers got in the wrong columns. Part
of the reason for this is the fax was barely legible; part of it is human
error. Roberts’ pitching line is correct. Box scores are a special
“challenge.” The sports team, however, cordially invites this person in for
one night to type in box scores. Call Steve Sembrat at 829-7229.
I’d like to report an incident I witnessed this morning. I was on my way to
work, and I subscribe to your paper- I have for a while. There was a truck
pulled off to the side of the road, I guess he was a delivery boy, an older
gentleman. His car was parked in the middle of the road. The door was open. I
had to stop and wait, I couldn’t pull around him, I couldn’t see any cars
coming down. I shook my head because the way the man was parked. And as the
man was walking towards his car, he made a gesture with his hands.
Editor’s note: Please call Jim McCabe at 829-7137 and give more specific
information if you’d like us to look into your complaint. Thank you.
About this so-called arena to bring in this so much business and to help
our economy out in Wyoming Valley here: truthfully, I would really like to
know how many people from this area get on bus trips, go to Shea Stadium or go
down to Philadelphia stadium to watch any sports game, truly leave the parking
lots where the buses drop you off and go to the downtown area shopping? I’ll
bet $10 to a donut that it’s zero, and I say, ZERO. You go to your complex,
you go to your game, you walk out to the gate of the game, you get on your
bus, and you get on your bus to head home. How is that helping the economy?
I’d just like to say that if I was a resident of the Lake Carey area, that
I would get my American flag, and I’d get my arms, I’d get my rifle and my
pistol and so on, and in the middle of the night I would return to my
residence, and I’d fly that flag in the morning, and I’d sit there and I’d
defy anybody that would tell me that I shouldn’t be there on what was mine, my
home, my property, while other people are allowed to go through these rooms.
To the person who believes Earth Conservancy is helping our area, they are
wrong. Number one, this not-for-profit organization has used our tax dollars
to purchase land and in their organizational statement they said that they
were going to reclaim this mine-scarred sections of land. The fact of the
matter is there has not been one mine-scarred section of land reclaimed. All
this group has done is to clear-cut beautiful treed areas, have sold off
parcels of more sacred land that was beautifully done by nature and put money
into their own pockets. All I ask is show me the mine-scarred land that has
been reclaimed. EC is nothing more than a ’90s version of the
turn-of-the-century mine owners. This is all being done with our money.
Editor’s note: The Conservancy says it can show you lots of reclaimed land,
and plans to reclaim much more.
I am a resident of Pittston Township. I would like to know why the meetings
that take place are not advertised, yet you make a big splash about nonsense
concerning the incident that took place outside the municipal building. I
wonder what the supervisors, who hold control, along with their administrator,
who calls all the shots, have to say about this. About the garbage, take a
ride around the town and see who can have more than three bags.
This is to the Wilkes-Barre police officer that harassed me down on Public
Square the other day: you give me back my cafe that you took away from me and,
you know what, I’ll go hang out somewhere else. But for right now, the
Square’s all I got. You go tell your boss McGroarty that if he wants us off
the Square, public place, Public Square … give us somewhere to go, because
he took where we used to go.
I would like to comment on the article about Pittston Mayor Michael
Lombardo handing out jobs to his relatives and pals. I believe Jim Erdman
overstepped the bounds of journalism trying to create a story instead of
reporting a story. There seems to be a lot of information missing. For
example, why would he report on Lombardo’s brother Robert when the mayor had
nothing to do with it? It was a civil service position. And why not even
mention that the mayor’s brother Frank is also a longtime volunteer and the
mayor’s brother John gave his life for the city. These were things that were
already in the workings before Michael became mayor of the city. His family
has long