45 15 4132 https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/d2153d5cde7ac480ad0dbfcf146c1f78.pdf e77934b89b62c39bab085752f3568eb5 PDF Text Text ������������������������������ Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletters and Institute for Regional Affair Newsletters, 1952-1975 Subject The topic of the resource Political Science; Luzerne County; Institute for Regional Affairs; Wyoming Valley Description An account of the resource A collection of newsletters created by the Political Science Department at Wilkes College from 1952-1975 for Luzerne County and later the Institute for Regional Affairs. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department (Hugo Mailey) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1952-1975 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletters Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletter, 1966 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1966 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletter https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/55ea6b550c880860a7d8d42521123c4c.pdf d08afa70d3fbf9fba48c804e450ac97e PDF Text Text I IB l'.|; 7 ■ i- ■ M! » . 1; '1 -■ ..i i HUH ��XS^-51 T+13 Vl-t, ists" Mb courses^E^ SE SHORT Municipal CjQ\ The lnsu^. Institute“ of service training a number of in conduct a n designed to ma) These '«rials T1"36 c0UrSC Sappmnted officials means of improving in th I duties. I I I I The courses being offered this spring s Arms Course--an introductory course in. the c olver, including firing for record; Zoning Course-a comprehensive study of a basic plan .f-iaio^tdeoisions upholding major foni tals of Fire T F‘’ ghtinE Course-a course desion 'nsh to qualify , as instructor<o nf r 'b-"1to be held at La« CourseP°Wers- duties“ “d -°™erToe 1 shire Wrote. ^°Uc;a ’•1 la a rP„ on Of "fle» Ha SS°QiiaHon, the officiai 48 Pul y Gal^ghe J and to ^Us Ptesant M: arPate. Ja «°VolUr“Peare°ughciti■ es <asi», V<' <■ as r ?Uch , as ° *’■ S5 86 cent fors to a ShSe!^s> GT"f11° s tc g*Uon $2 t/ * a c P at . stat/ ;>r S'. i ‘s S ,e^f Pl-iPali‘Us ce s cd b°th t*sta:he t0 to d h?Ve sD 10 ■h 1 loc ai <>ti Of n D �(fatty Tlwtectot. VOL. XIV, NO. 1 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE PA., JANUARY 15, 1965 SHORT COURSES -- SPRING SEMESTER The Institute of Municipal Government at Wilkes College will again conduct a number of in-service training courses for municipal officials. These courses are designed to make available to elected and appointed officials means of improving in the performance of their duties. The courses being offered this spring semester include: Small Arms Course--an introductory course in the care and use of the revolver, including firing for record; Zoning Law and Administration Course--a comprehensive study of a basic planning tool, with emphasis upon basic court decisions upholding major zoning practices; Fundamen­ tals of Fire Fighting Course--a course designed for those firemen who wish to qualify as instructors of the fundamentals of fire fighting. (One to be held at Wilkes College and another to be held at Dallas); School Law Course--a casebook review of the legal principles governing the powers, duties, and responsibilities of school officilas. CENTRALIZED PURCHASING In a recent edition of the official publication of the New Hamp­ shire Municipal Association, Jay Gallagher of the State News Service wrote: "New Hampshire cities and towns are dribbling away, in total thousands of dollars through present amateur uninformed and disjointed purchasing practices. . . " Mr. Mann made a survey of municipalities who were paying as much as 12. 4 cents to 32. 7 cents for a gallon o regular gasoline; 86 cents to $2.65 for a ream of mimeograph paper; and $2.10 to $8. 55 for a gallon of traffic paint. have been able to buy office supplies For years, municipalities plus 10 per cent markup to cover cost from the state at state prices, Few bothered to do so until needled by Mr. Mann. of handling. used the state contract In some instances municipalities have the state price, Mr. Mann Price as a lever to win local bids at or near said. 77741 �He said substantial savings for all hands might be made in purchasine heavy road building equipment, for instance, if municipalities were aware when the state would seek bids. Volume buying, again, would result in lower bids and savings all around. AND AGAIN - The OKLAHOMA CITY TIMES reported recently that almost unbelievable discount prices are being obtained by local governments of the State of Oklahoma through purchasing on State contracts. Ira Baker, Purchasing Director for the State of Oklahoma, reports some examples as follows: light bulbs, 50% off; tires, 30% off; and office sup­ plies and furniture, 30 to 40% below retail costs. Mr. Baker said that the number of cities, schools and other local units taking advantage of the central purchasing price catalogue issued by his agency has doubled in the last year. However, he said the majority still do not take advan­ tage of the volume buying power of the State. The catalogue is available to any unit of local government and discount from list will average about 33%. Local governments can buy the items from local dealers in most cases and obtain the discount made possible by competition and state­ wide volume. Mr. Baker pointed out that this helps the local govern­ ment because it gets cheaper prices, and it helps all units of govern­ ment since a manufacturer will bid lower in anticipation of high-volume sales. A corollary use of the State price catalogue has been the action by local government officials in taking the catalogue to local merchants and using it in bargaining for lower prices. Mr. Baker said that 26 schools, 13 cities, 2 county commissions, and 8 other units are parti­ cipating in the plan. --taken from the NIGP LETTER SERVICE. DON'T LITTER HELL Keep America Beautiful, the national anti-litter organization, has been collecting littter I bags from all over the U. S. They are used as part of its educational program. But every once in awhile one comes along that produces a chuckle. ^£5 bag "with Proof that the ght toucb sometimes works comes from the Hell Chamber of Commerceeliminated litter in Hell. t is amazing how much these litter bag shave We have no problem whatsoever. " (Keep this in mind for next spring!) �ulT'S SO He said sul chasing heavy were aware v would result in lower AND AGAIN - OKLAHOMA CITY TIMES r ported recently that almost The discount prices are being obtained by local governments unbelievable of Oklahoma through purchasing on State contracts. Ira of the State Rak'pr Purchasing Director for the State of Oklahoma, reports some examples as follows: light bulbs, 50% off; tires, 30% off; and office sup. plies and furniture, 30 to 40% below retail costs. Mr. Baker said that the number of cities, schools and other local units taking advantage of the central purchasing price catalogue issued by his agency has doubled in the last year. However, he said the majority still do not take advan­ tage of the volume buying power of the State. The catalogue is available to any unit of local government and discount from list will average about 33%. Local governments can buy the items from local dealers in most cases and obtain the discount made possible by competition and state­ wide volume. Mr. Baker pointed out that this helps the local govern­ ment because it gets cheaper prices, and it helps all units of govern­ ment since a manufacturer will bid lower in anticipation of high-volume sales. A corollary use of the State price catalogue has been the action by local government officials in taking the catalogue to local merchants and using it in bargaining for lower prices. Mr. Baker said that 26 schools, 13 cities, 2 county commissions, and 8 other units are parti­ cipating in the plan. --taken from the NIGP LETTER SERVICE. SUGGESTIONS FOR PURCHASING -- 'levels of governmentt can do much to procurement at all Public The methods by which this can be done are: combat price fixing. ------------- 1. (KeeP this in no problem whatsoever. " mind for next spring!) Procure public needs on open competitive bids. 2. and particularly the multiple Avoid negotiated contracts, award type wherein a contract is awarded to several sup­ pliers for furnishing the same item at identical or similar prices. 3. Eliminate " most favored customer" or "price reduction" clauses in governmental contracts since they tend to discourage reductions in prices both to governmental and nongovernmental buyers, and to coincidentally fix prices. 4. Seek out new sources of supply. 5. Question price increases. Verify prices paid by other ment agencies and their methods of purchase. eVeryOnce in awhile one C°meS r, v Proof that the hght sometimes works comes from the Hell Chamber of Commerce, mttouch • amazing how much these litter bag shave IT'S GOT TO WORK ?ems at the square. 6. The Ktest litter bag "with a 1. laugh1' came from Hell, Michigan. It bears the s °gan, in large red ietter“ > "Don't throw your trash all over Hell. " • ' ; bound to get attention, " Columbia, Tennso horrible , it's Hit's manager E. S. Bartlett commented. city essee. around the of the lines; and directional arrows He was speaking a fluorescent pink. H „_re. they are painted ; ,ntown square. dowi ~ explained that it is being reflect at night. Bartlett The paint will control traffic-pedestrianprobto see if it helps <------------used experimentally DON'T LITTER HELL along that prokTeTT chucki°egram’ horrible" 7. gov- Review patterns of bidding" on prior purchases of commodifies, s owing price acceleration or wherein prices remain static °ver several years. Give Publicity to bid c openings involving limited t>ef. competition" ore> during and after -~r advertising for bids. 8. S e c" eure bids sufficiently in advance Praisal and readvertisement of j of need to permit reapresults are n°t consistent with therequirements wherein bid i public interest. 9. .Consider the Use of alternate lirnited products wherein or where there is flxing. competition an indication of possible price �• said substantial savings for all hands might be cavy road building equipment, for instance, if T rnade in r, re when the state would seek bids. Volume b • ult in lower bids and savings all around. ying, again, "IT'S SO HORRIBLE" GOT TO WORK "It's so horrible, it's bound to get attention, " Columbia, Tenn­ essee, city manager E. S. Bartlett commented. He was speaking of the lines > and directional a: arrows around the downtown square: they are painted ;a fluorescent pink. AND AGAIN e OKLAHOMA CITY TIMES r .ported recently that almost >le discount prices are being retained by local governments te of Oklahoma through purchasing on State contracts. jra :rchasing Director for the State of Oklahoma, reports some is follows: light bulbs, 50% off; tires, 30% off; and offiCe sup. urniture, 30 to 40% below retail costs. Mr. Baker «-■ ■~ said that r of cities, schools and other local units taking advanta' ------ ige of L purchasing price catalogue issued by his agency has doubled year. However, he said the majority still do not take advan volume buying power of the State. The catalogue is available of local government and discount from list will average about 11 governments can buy the items from local dealers in most obtain the discount made possible by competition and statene. Mr. Baker pointed out that this helps the local governise it gets cheaper prices, and it helps all units of govern: a manufacturer will bid lower in anticipation of high-volume corollary use of the State price catalogue has been the action ivernment officials in taking the catalogue to local merchants it in bargaining for lower prices. Mr. Baker said that 26 3 cities, 2 county commissions, and 8 other units are parti - The paint will reflect at night. Bartlett explained that iti.b • used experimentally to see if it helps control trTffic/ptX^prT lems at the square. p SUGGESTIONS FOR PURCHASING Public procurement at all levels of government can do much to combat price fixing. The methods by which this can be done are: 1. Procure public needs on open competitive bids. 2. Avoid negotiated contracts, and particularly the multiple award type wherein a contract is awarded to several suppliers for furnishing the same item at identical or similar price s. 3. Eliminate "most favored customer" or "price reduction" clauses in governmental contracts since they tend to dis­ courage reductions in prices both to governmental and nongovernmental buyers, and to coincidentally fix prices. . the plan. 4, Seek out new sources of supply. om the NIGP LETTER SERVICE. 5. Question price increases. Verify prices paid by other gov­ ernment agencies and their methods of purchase. 6. "patterns of bidding" on prior purchases of corn­ er wherein prices remain modities, showing price acceleration static over several years. DON'T LITTER HELL nization, ep America Beautiful, the national anti-litter orga are used collecting litter bags from all over the U. S. They comes its educational program. But every once in awhile one 7. produces a chuckle. ie latest litter bag "with a laugh" came from Hell, he slogan, in large red letters, "Don't throw your all r 8. 11 the HeU ■ oof that the light touch sometimes works comes frombags We of Commerce: "It is amazing how much these litter d litter in Hell. We have no problem whatsoever. (Keep this in mind for next spring!) 9. Review • js involving limited "competition" Give publicity to bid opening advertising for bids. before, during and after a-.. need to permit reapSecure bids sufficiently in advance of of requirements wherein bid praisal and readvertisement consistent with the public interest. results are not < Consider the or where there is an indication is limited fixing. P �essee "It's so horrible, it's bound to get attention, city manager E. S. Bartlett commented. Columbia, Tenn­ He was speaking of the lines’ and dlrectional arrows around the downtown square: they are painted ;a fluorescent pink. lems at the square. fflc-pedestrianprob- SUGGESTIONS FOR PURCHASING Public procurement at all levels of government can do much to combat price fixing. The methods by which this can be done 1. Procure public needs on open competitive bids. 2. Avoid negotiated contracts, and particularly the multiple award type wherein a contract is awarded to several sup­ pliers for furnishing the same item at identical or similar price s. 3. Eliminate "most favored customer" or "price reduction" clauses in governmental contracts since they tend to dis­ courage reductions in prices both to governmental and non­ governmental buyers, and to coincidentally fix prices. 4. Seek out new sources of supply. 5. Question price increases, Verify prices paid by other goveminent agencies and a.— their ------ methods of purchase. 6. Review "patterns of bidding" on prior purchases of com­ modities, showing price acceleration or wherein prices remain static over several years. 7. gsinvolving limited "competition" Give publicity to bid opening advertising for bids. before, during and after a-.- -------„ ’ 3 of need to permit reapSecure bids sufficiently in advance t of-requirements wherein bid praisal and readvertisement cconsistent with the public interest. results are not < of alternate products wherein competitio 9. Consider the where use there is an indication of possible pric is limited 8. �enter fields with limited corn. supplierS to Encourage new 10. petition. requirement’ to the maximum extent practical Consolidate .ttractive to industry, but not 11. ’”akeJ“t”h«.'Srre”u'rem.»t becomes so large it ex_ to to the the production capacity of smaller but capable suppliers eeeds 12. 3 "price fixing" is suspected with Consolidate items where from available 1- -- the same industry to stimulate other items the total requirement both from the stand­ competition on able to meet the combined need and to attack point of vendor s xpand their facilities to meet the combined need. others to e: x Where practical, employ longer term contracts to co m kat 13. "taking turns. 11 14. Provide adequate staffing and compensation in public pro­ curementoperations to assureintegrity and wisdom in spend­ ing funds. 15. Report all cases of suspected price fixing to the Attorney General with any supporting evidence. yC>L XV, NO. 2 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. , FEBRIL THE CITY BEAUTIFUL novation and re-designing of American cities iscurrs The re: • t many Americans; the re-creation of our cities is recogr effecting ential if they are to survive as places for decent human living as esse— and cultural centers. The excerpts below present tv, as economic aspects of of the the City City Beautiful Beautiful Movement. Movement. The first artic the many from the Annual Wherrett Lecture <on Local Govern: 10th Annual excerpts , former Consultant on the Arts under Pres: by August Heckscher Kennedy. The second article is excerpts from a talk given by I Paint-Up, Fi: Hackendahi, Director of the National Clean-Up, Bureau. AUGUST HECKSCHER AFFIDAVIT OF NON-COLLUSION An affidavit of non-collusion is contained in an advertisement for bids on a public works project in Savannah, Tennessee. Every bidder or agent must sign the agreement attesting that he has not en­ tered into an agreement with any person relative to the price to be bid. Thus begi "Cities given, the problem was to light them, We could famous essay on gas lamps by Robert Louis Stevenson, take the sentence for our text. Cities given, the problem is to fill with music, with movement and color--the life of the arts. So lo the great city remains a utilitarian thing merely--an agglomerati physical structures, a collection of services--it must seem a du' uninhabitable place. The arts touch all with their liveliness; they c the substructure with their particular grace. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY ”nh'e'hV0"eb"” P"Sid»' - One place in church. great many have y people get just as much as ever for a dime is publication This News-letter, published monthly as originated in the Institute of Municipal a community service. Notes and inquiries may be addressed toGovernment Dr. of Wilkes Collegeof Municipal Government, Wilkes Colle Hugo V. Mailey, Institute ge, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsy-1 vania- In the western tradition, the creation of great art has a invariably been a social act. The individual artist may pride hi upon seeing the world with a vision entirely his own; he may-i he must-eschew all ideas of interpreting his age. But in fact he child of his times, and he is never so creative, never so truly hir as when • he is in the midst of forces which inform his vision and his1 Perceptions. The city is his natural home. Its cafes and sti literary circles and artistic clubs, its newspapers, reviews, s; even its public squares and streets, have been the seed-bed of the Not oniv'd616 anot^ler sense in which the city is related to the °esthe city need the artist and the artist the city: in a < �0. Encourage new suppliers to enter fields with limited petition. 1. Consolidate requirements to the maximum extent pfa to make the requirement most attractive to industry, bu 1Cal to the extent where the requirement becomes so large it UOt ceedsthe production capacity of smaller but capable suppiiei.X' .2. is t”' — Consolidate items where "price fixing susPected with to f other items available from the same industry ■ stimulate competition on the total requirement both from the standpoint of vendors5 able to meet the combined need and to attack their facilities to meet the combined others to expand < need. 13. Where practical, employ longer term contracts to combat "taking turns. " 14. Provide adequate staffing and compensation in public pro­ curementoperations to assure integrity and wisdom in spend­ ing funds. 15. Report all cases of suspected price fixing to the Attorney General with any supporting evidence. VOL XV> NO. 2 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., FEBRUARY 15, 1965 THE CITY BEAUTIFUL The renovation and re-designing of American ,n cities is currently effecting many Americans; the re-creation of our cities is recognized as essential if they are to survive as places for decent human living and as economic and cultural centers. The excerpts below present two of the many aspects of the City Beautiful Movement. The first article is excerpts from the 10th Annual Wherrett Lecture on Local Government by August Heckscher, former Consultant on the Arts under President Kennedy. The second article is excerpts from a talk given by H. R. Hackendahi, Director of the National Clean-Up, Paint-Up, Fix-Up Bureau. AUGUST HECKSCHER AFFIDAVIT OF NON-COLLUSION An affidavit of non-collusion is contained in an advertisement ids on a public works project in Savannah, Tennessee. Every r or agent must sign the agreement attesting that he has not eninto an agreement with any person relative to the price to be THOUGHTS FOR TODAY No woman has ever been President -- but a great many have ne speaker of the house. One place many people get just as much as ever for a dime is urch. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community servicemated m the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes Colleg6' Institut6 s an inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, unicipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Fennsylv*,ni 1 a- "Cities given, the problem was to light them." Thus begins a famous essay on gas lamps by Robert Louis Stevenson, We could well take the sentence for our text. Cities given, the problem is to fill them with music, with movement and color--the life of the arts. So long as the great city remains a utilitarian thing merely--an agglomeration of physical structures, a collection of services--it must seem a dull, an uninhabitable place. The arts touch all with their liveliness; they crown the substructure with their particular grace. In the western tradition, the creation of great art has almost invariably been a social act. The individual artist may pride hirnse upon seeing the world with a vision entirely his own; he may--in ee he must-eschew all ideas of interpreting his age. But in fact e is e child of his times, and he is never so creative, never so truly himse as when he is in the midst of forces which inform his visio t jios perceptions. The city is his natural home Its -les and, 1 s literary circles and artistic clubs, its newsp p even its public squares and streets, have been the see the arts. related to the arts, i which the city is There is another sense in in a dram•tistand the artist the city. Not only does the city need the art �atic way the city can be itself a work of art, perhaps the most striking and durable of all man's great works. The city is made. It is shaped out of the myriad decisions, conscious and unconscious, which deter­ mine from day to day and from epoch to epoch the outward forms of its The fact that each year the free n reau contribute to the success of thousands^6 materials of the * programs is ample proof that people today ^°mrnunity’wide Clean UePther for the improvement of their commuX t0‘ tureau show that over 100 million Americans thlt repres^O n life. This talk of granting money is a poor way to make real the cities have to play in support of their arts. For money, though it important, is only an element in the picture. We need to make clea , S role that individuals play in leading and stimulating the whole moverne t we need to see not only what money is given, but how it is given, thr ’ whatprocesses and institutional procedures; we need to have some fe 1 ing for the result that is achieved. The only way of avoiding mediocrity and of providing distinction for the city is through the creation of a body which is outside the politi­ cal flux, and which is composed of men knowledgeable in their parti­ cular field. It should not be impossible to create similar institutions at the municipal level. Indeed one must look to the handful of newly-estab­ lished municipal arts councils as an essential step in developing in this country a better relation between art and local government. The United States has wakened to the possibilities of urban exist­ ence. The old belief that the true values lay in the farm, that city life was corrupt and menacing, has given way only gradually--persisting long after the facts had shown us to be a nation, not of farmers but of city-dwellers. But give way in the end it must. Today the good life in America will be found in cities--or it is not likely to be found at all. And the cities will meet man's need only in proportion as they manifest again the qualities whichwe associate with urbanity, indeed with civili­ zation itself. They will become an abiding home only insofar as they of the cities and towns throughout the UnitedStates are exposed totheT words: Clean Up-Pamt Up-Fix Up, and enthusiastically embrace its simple philosophy of self-help. Clean Up programs have accomplished three things: 1) resulted in the voluntary expenditure of many millions of dollars in home, business, and neighborhood improvements; 2) been the catalytic agent in bringing together many diversified efforts and pro­ jects under one banner of home and community betterment; and 3) be­ come an integral part of our way of life in the American tradition of util­ izing local initiative for the self-improvement of property and area ap­ pearance. There are five objectives of the Bureauand one only has to study these objectives to realize the univer sal appeal and scope of this volun­ teer program. These objectives give any community the freedom of choice for concentrated effort on any single objective or combination thereof. Taken separately, each is a basic attribute to the ideal com munity. Collectively, they are the motivating force for the mass elim­ ination of blight--the generating force of civic pride--the magnet that at­ tracts newbusiness and economic development, improves area appear­ ance, and keeps people moving to a city, not from it! The five basic objectives are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Home and Community Beautification Prevention of Slums and the Rehabilitation of Blighted Areas Improving Health and Safety Standards Teaching of Juvenile Decency Supporting Fire Prevention Programs nourish the arts. A beautiful city cannot be legislated, and yet sufficient codes and pronances are a basic necessity for any successful s____ - - ■ improvement . gram, This country, being a nation of law, has more statutes on the books nationally, state-wide and locally than any other country in the mind can think of has world, Practically every problem that the hun Consequently, the breakbeen r written into some form of legislation. 1 down is not the law itself--or lack of laws--but: most often lack of strong enfor cement. ,. R. H. HACKENDAHL What is Clean Up-Paint Up-Fix Up? Simply stated, it is people working together to improve their community. It can be a week long, month long, or year long program that harnesses the enthusiasm, dedi- cation and talent of all citizens into one team of volunteer workers, united m a common civic improvement effort. Clean Up programs create a personal, as well as a community, desire to maintain, irnP beautify, to restore and preserve privately owned properties, and God-given natural resources of the area. We must face the stark and discouraging reality that slums will end up up unfortunate y doll.ars going for new housing to replace slums will end �TUtM-Uttw slums unless there is a great chan tomorrow's new s ; attitude and habits regarding indiff8® * a ,in °f the ^midst blight, the less they care, the l<y e«ce laTS ore people live a lower they sink on the human scale iWer tMr' Xal standards beCSme and all other familiar problems ot X„ile deU»1««»c’’ “ Thus, in the interest of human welfare neighborhoods result vlV, NO. Ju- WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, ilvi„g be associated wrth greater and dig. civjc —nce • municipal MARCH MEETING BONDS The Institute of Municipal Government at Will, a bi-monthly dinner for local officials at Wilk* r * C°Uege will hold 1965 at 6:30 p. m. The featured speaker for th S Onirnoi}s on March 18, Post, Chairman of the Board of Luzerne CounnT ?e James Bwill discuss "The Progress of the Reassessment Wh° --rsSi'SSSSsSS' entire legal his PA. , MARCH 15, 1965 and the u. S. Treasury. The case revolves Company ot , t-on tax formula applicable to insurance comabout the ef^ ° las Company contends indirectly results in its paying panies which the AJould have to pay solely because it owned a higher ta which heretofore had been presumed to be tax free. How“““'tanlications of the case extend beyond the mere technicalities i rffte application of a tax formula and could extend to a review of ths ously upheld constitutionality of the tax exempt status of bonds .sS by state and local governments from the federal income taxes. Last year’s meeting on the assessment program was timely and successful. Now that the program has finallybeen adopted, all local of­ ficials will want to know something concerning the operations and pro­ cedures under the program. Mr. Post will be accompanied to this bi­ monthly meeting on March 18 by his colleagues and the Board of Assessors. LOCAL NEWS James B. Post, chairman of the Luzerne County Commissioners, and his colleague, William Goss, called on the Board of Assessors to re­ view all church parsonages, including parking areas, and to adjust their assessed value to about 10% of market value. The new arrangement reflect that about two-thirds of the propertyis usedfor churchand re i- THOUGHTS FOR TODAY The only thing people learnfrom experience is that they'vemade another mistake. ■ gious purposes and one-third for personal living. Those who want to live a quiet, peaceful life have picked the wrong time to live. Wallet ■ Something " you pay luxury tax on when you buy it, inout of come tax on what - you put into it, and sales tax on what you take it. PUBLICATION This News-letter, y service’ Inst't t published Published monthly monthly as as a a communi community originated in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wi r^gti^6 -3 ma k ^unic*Pai Government of Wilkes otes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. e^’ sylva»ia' ' - J?® _acidressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, umcipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, ?e The Forty Fort Borough Council adopted a budget an occupational privilege tax of $10. 00, the first such levy by y Side Community. At a special session of the Swoyersville Borough s Mary Harzinski was elected to fill the une ° Harzinski. Her bus office caused by the death of her husban , ^ed. -pbe app< —----:pointment of his band was in his 5thterm as Mayor when e mem^er of the Harzinski wife will mark the 20th consecutive year a g woman in family has filled the Mayoralty post. Mayor, Josephine ■ -' —. Mrs. the history of Swoyersville to hold t e 0 to c’ complete the term of her ®rominski was appointed to the post in husband, Dr. John Brominski. �The Supreme Court in dismissing th< appeal, and and upholding upholding the the opini'on of the lower court, stated: "This Court cannot measure the degree :tent of noise, dust, odor or traffic or exl • • It It will will suffice suffice to say the" was sufficient evidence to sustain the findingr ■ n gs of the Board and we can find no abuse of discretion. " ene^l cove e rs grant of $33, 61* U” ._ition cost of $112, 050 for the area kno' 30% of total land * Township. It is off Route 29 about two,Wn as Ioon miles Lake Park m Ply knQwn as Mud Pond or Reakes Pond. • The CerbeOdevelo^ednfor activities such as swimming, boating, fis}V area Lng and BILLBOARD ban hiking. adopted^at^taeeting^nd publi^he^r^ng^'^Wy^omin^Plar^d^ng^Cornrni^i^ ae / Jan antibillboard ordinance of Metuchen, New Jersey (United Ad­ upheld vertising Corporation v. Metuchen). Th/ordinance will be recommended to Council for adoption. SERVICE AWARD Every year at the Annual May Dinner, the Institute of h4unicipal Government presents the Service Award to those local officials who have contributed untiringly over a long number of year s in the service of their respective governments. The Institute will offer these awards again this year in May at the Thirteenth Annual Dinner. Included in those eligible for the Award are school board members and secretaries, police, fire­ men, councilmen, mayors, solicitors, engineers, planning and zoning commissioners and township supervisors. ThisAward is given as an ex­ pression of appreciation for ability, wide experience and untiring efforts as an outstanding public servant over many years. Send in the name of the recipient who is deserving of this Award. I The majority opinion drewa sharp distinction between treatment of billboards and business signs. "Even if the baleful effect of both be in fact the same, " the court reasoned, "still in one case the sign may be found tolerable because of its contribution to the business or enterprise on the premises. " The court then turned to aesthetic factor s and economic effects. "A discordant sight is as hard an economic fact as an annoying color or sound. We refer not to some sensitive or exquisite preference, but to concepts of congruity held so widely that they are inseparable from the enjoyment and hence the value of property. " A dissenting opinion argued for banning billboardss as outright " ' . The decision eyesores, without shifting attention to economic effects, ' ” : factors in addition to tradiis noteworthy in its recognition of aesthetic L~----- -------threat to public safety. tional arguments that billboards are a t------- VALLEY FORGE INDUSTRIES APPEAL The Plymouth Township Board of Adjustment denied Valley Forge reqUeSt f°r a sPecial exception for the construction of a build ordinalthepaVjngof Hslotfor the storage of asphalt trucks. The zoning its meetinaUt °riZes the reQuesteduse as a special exception subject to its meeting certain criteria. proposed use would sibihties. denyi"H Valley Forge's application, found 111*1 * ec aracteristics ascribed to the use were only P CLUSTER ZONING the proper use of zoning regulations. The met o liar is the requirement of oversize lo s in classification, and an increase in the size the last ten years. An acre minimum is not a zoning regulation has been affirmed in decis in several states. Even higher requiremen s the courts, two acres in New York, three acr Connecticut and five in New Jersey. of higher notable trend of an(j ^tg validity as Supreme Court been sanctioned by Missouri, four in „ �thod of securing open development. is another nn6 developer to take something off the As Clustering zoning, it permits the re­ , lots, but only if the reductions ha: residential building applied to n­ land to be kept open. Ina residential de. quirementtofor the community as 1.---• t a zone restricted to lots of one acre, ded over of 50 acres, located in ‘Aitted 1Ot °part £ 30,' T ““ tof«b‘evelopment may be "permitted Lu —lltteto ;°”ora that of it,7 found the developer than 13, OOO-foot reduction, ‘ ’, --"'3 by U the the community for public recreand the more --2, mi^ 'ightb® . would, in most cases, be handled fit for the purpose would, in most cases, be bLhlv conditioned exception, and certainly t ation. This ‘ option -‘•--r to’ tU and ... zoning ordinance3 the submission by the developer of a plan in the ~ Planning commission or other specified comof the conditions x.: one I of the plan ^ nd tQ be deeded to the community the approval cf for -y. The fitness o clustering method of securing open munity agency, ttialinthe success the validity of cluster zoning was is an essent development- The 3 zoningbulletin o£the New York Regional ai.c.s..d 1« «“Fe‘'T'L a Superior Court case in New Jersey mvolv. yOb- J York and Philadelphia. Whether cluster zoning will appeal to developers is yet to be proved. They may save something in road construction, They may produce a more interesting residential pattern, and one more attractive to buyers. There maybe an advantage in house frontages on open land instead of the more conventional frontage on roads. I A penny saved makes the coin shortage worse. PA., APRIL 15, 1965 ANNUAL DINNER Plan Association.TownShip, locatedabout halfway between New THOUGHTS FOR TODAY XIV, NO. 4 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE I The Thirteenth Annual Dinner for award winners will be held at the Wilkes College Commons on Friday, May 14, 1965 at 6:30 p m This will be a gala occasion for local officials and local government employee s in Nor the a s ternPenn sylvania, particularly in Luzerne County. This Dinner really brings to a climax the activities in local government which the Institute of Municipal Government has conducted. The main speaker of the evening will be the Honorable Daniel J. Flood, member of Congress from the 11th Congressional District of Pennsylvania. His efforts in interesting the Federal Government in the Susquehanna River Basin are now beginning to bear fruit. Congressman Flood dreams of the day when the whole Wyoming Valley will be a thriv­ ing, prosperous area in the Susquehanna River Basin. His remarkswill be related to the part that local officials will play in revitalizing Wyo­ ming Valley. This is Ladies Night. The wives of all those who will receive Certificates or Awards are welcomed to the Dinner. He who laughs last probably didn't hear the punch line. municipal bonds PRISONER HANDLING Prisoner handling in one-man patrol car s in Glendale, Califo^^^^ ts facilitated by using a seat belt. The prisoner is handcuffed and "safety-belted" safety-belted" to the seat. (The Police Chief, April 1959) publication Thls 1 Notes and^inq^. Institute ofMuniVi m°nthly as a community service, ofMunicipalQ riesrn*y be addres Government of Wilkes College. 1G°Ve^ent, Wiik^ cV, t0Dr- Hugo V. Mailey, Institute 0 ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania- The United States Supreme Court•J711* ^^asury has the right ments on a case that may determine whether municipal bonds, to levy an indirect tax on the income from a • eSS eXpenses, generally At issue is the que stion of whether or dinary as deductions in pro fully deductible to businesses, should be i received. Portion to the amount of tax-exempt incom The case, which has been run Treasury against the Atlas Life Ithough the decision will direc y -r- . 19“;.?'”“> the . , since April. Cornpany of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the life insurance industry, �is "the knowledge and belief for any inV| ■ eallyisatSta pxempts will be excludable from taxes. ; "e®tor Th^ what i1 -3 from tax e and local governments is his income Olilhi01li, l bonds issue Federal taxation under the < terest on 1 t0 eX :: P al immunity. That is, the Federal Gove believed .-"■“beni doctrine of resX and local government bond interest, and viCe versai would not tax ■ much feeling, however, among many in the ]leSal Pro. There roneress is possesses the power to tax such inter -rest ifit fession that >< to do so. The exemption of interest has been the should choose Strenuous debate and recently has been argued 'j Subject more Otl of frequent and —mic and political impact than on the subject ofcoi the theory of economi msti. of Federal taxation. Tax-exempt bonds have tutional limitations rallvbeen thought of as the rich man's investment. A personin a 70 Per ex , ” have to earn, for example, about 10 per cent cent bracket would on a » thesame income as earned on a tax$10,000 investment to derive exempt The person in the 36 per cent bracket investment yielding 3 per cent. c- 'The leading decision is Commonwealth vs. Hanzlik, 400 Pa. 134 . That case involved a second clas (196the storage of abandoned or j ' ‘ coTst^«4 (earning $30,000 a year) would have to earn almost 5 per cent to get a similar yield. Commercial banks, which buy about half of all municipal bonds issued, have found that this form of income has enabled them to pay higher rates on investor savings accounts and corporate time deposits. Municipal income has also been a help to casualty and fire insurance companies in offsetting the heavy loss experience of recent years. The exemption from Federal income taxes is particularly appealing to banks and insurance companies, which are limited in their range of invest­ ments. For the state and local governments, if the Treasury wins "mu­ nicipal bondswill have to become more attractive (that is, pay more interest) if they are going to meet the investors1 objectives. " Last year and local governments sold $10 billion of tax-exempt bonds. The cent lnterest cost on the bonds ranged from 3. 04 per cent to 3. 27 per jJUNK YARD ORDINANCES a»7o2P"£"lhUM!,’lesislati''e'authorization as found in Clause 12, 1933'p: ' - X 53 x; as amended, t0 Prohibit nuisanc U Zati°n is g iven second class ■ authorizati, is given to second class township® including mobiles. Various CouV^ 1118 the storage of abandoned or junk au ° storage of abandoned or ‘he Act of May J ing e unlawful. The Supreme Court of T .... ---I Pennsylvania held that the le^Y/ture did not define the storage of junked glS se is unauthorized and thus invalid. The automobiles as a nuisance principal has been restated Daugherty vs. Messner, 404 Pa. 235 (1961). This principal is furJher enunciated in Roglaski vs. Upper Chichester Township, 406 Pa. 550 11962) which held that an automobile junk yard is not a nuisance per se. Also, the Montgomery County Court in Recent decisions _______ ..has followed same principle. ^For example, in the case of the same .......... c. of Limerick Limerick vs. Lonnie Wiseman, No- 62-8593, Judge Honeyman m a decision dated January 4 1963 held that by reason of clear unequivical language of the Supreme' Court of Pennsylvania in the case of Commonwealth vs. Hanzlik, to the effect that the legislature has not given to second class townships the power or right to promulgate ordinances declaring the storage, junking, abandoning or burning of automobiles as a nuisance per se, the appeal should be sustained without the necessity of a hearing and defendant should be judged not guilty and the fine of $100 assessed by the Justice of the Peace against the defendant be refunded to the defendant. In the matter of Township of Upper Merion vs. William Haney, 63-4136 a similar problem under the provisions of a second class town­ ship ordinance was raised. Under the date of July 9, 1963, Judge Honey­ man entered an Order upon the authority of Commonwealth vs. Hanzlik, sustaining the appeal from a conviction of guilty under the ordinance, discharged the defendant and directed that the fine paid by the defendant be returned to him. In the Upper Merion Case (Supra) the ordinance stated that it was unlawful to store or deposit any abandoned or junked automobiles or parts thereof in any place in the township. A further section of the ordinance said that such action in violation of the ordinance * would be deemed to be and would constitute a nuisance. It is clear under the Hanzlik decision that such an ordinance is invalid in that it seeks to declare the activity in question as , Per se and the courts have held that the legislative authorizai oni only to a nuisance in fact. Similarly the ordinances in the. Hanzlik d^ cision and in the Limerick Township decision soug , therein the storage of any abandoned or Glaring such activities to be a nuisance. aiven to second class various decisions is that the statutory authority g an activity Unships is only an authorization to the township o’ in the se_ t° be a nuisance. This is strengthened by ot er ? the right to c°nd Class Township code which give to the supervise egulate such activity. Reprint from May Reporter �CumtttLS-^np incompatible OFFICE§ — .tables may not Cons borough editor township °r Of the executive, as officers -> eXCept d mTv United States —’ ah policemen and may b°titledas constable, excep^ rve as aidermen or justices of the Peace, directors, district attor . judiciary departed neys of the g service. Constables mayents serve receive all costs and fees to which he as is costs and fees derived frombor. c0Hected by the borough mayor and yOL- XIV, NO. 5 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. , MAY 15, 1%5 ough ordinance sury. There is no provision m the laws gov. aid into the borough t«ittiny constableS to serve as policemen, how- ANNUAL DINNER ever, notniug , Scranton (second class and second class A cities In Pittsburghandg silent concerning the question of a con­ respectively/, me law silentQnd concerning nnoo*. vectively), ,, . 6 the question <->f the law is is also a ciaSs city law does provide that stable serving as a . es amtoreceive a fixed salary, which would seem to be all city employes f the office of constable. However, in in conflict with the fee sy u ^ Edwards, 58 Pitts. 102, 1909,a ~ - —gh " and Scranton would also oe poiu-cu Third class city law specifically prohibits a constable being ap­ pointed as a policeman. In first class townships a constable may be a policeman, however, he may not receive compensation for his duties as a policeman. Second class township law provides that a policemanis an ex officio constable. He would not be entitled, however, to the fees of the constable except for the allowable traveling expenses. But, in most second class townships the elected constable performs all police functions and this compensation problem is thereby eliminated. This will be a gala occasion for local officials and inn i 6'3° P‘m’ the employees in Northeastern Pennsylvania, particuiari . / g°Vernment This dinner really brings to a climax the activities [ “J Lu*erne c°unty. which the Institute of Municipal Government has conducted g°Vernment The main speaker of the evening will be the Honorable Daniel J. Flood, member of Congress from the 11th Congressional District of Pennsylvania. His efforts in interesting the Federal Government in the Susquehanna River Basin are now beginning to bear fruit. Congressman Flood dreams of the day when the whole Wyoming Valley will be a thriv­ ing, prosperous area in the Susquehanna River Basin. His remarks will be related to the part that local officials will play in revitalizing Wyo­ ming Valley. This is Ladies Night. The wives of all those who will receive Certificates or Awards are welcomed to the Dinner.. NONTRADITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS^ Reprint from March Internal Affairs THOUGHT FOR TODAY Any man who calls derstand either women or his wife his better half probably doesn't un­ fractions. After careful analysis of the work of duty of in­ men at West St. Paul, Minnesota, have be business licenses specting businesses to determine thatfirst a in a program to make use of is the are current. The assignment i- — in areas which are not traditionally available fir e department manpower assigned to the fire department. publication This News-letter, originated in the Institute published monthly as a community service, Notes and inquiries r" of Municipal Government of Wilkes Collegeof Municipal Government, Wilk, may be address , . , ■ Institute ed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, .11 — :es College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylv Lnia- at all times. The ■ the department Usually four men are on duty in d^n„ f-w0 men out in the depart­ license inspection program involves sen emergency equipment, nnent's station wagon, which is e<lU^PP^0_way radio. One man makes Because of firemen's personal equipment, and a tw0_way radio, the inspection while the other stands by yed in the course of a year, the relatively small number of alarms r �occasions will arrive when the men in. alarm, although this has occurred °nce. sPec, REASSESSMENT duty wiU be c permitted the fire department to duties also have commercial buildings. Durin| The new ment its regul -nlar ;nthsitisplan"eJ summer mo— Luzerne County adopted a long n ment program on October 1, 1964. A pr“ aug~ lg sist the inspection operation to as ^ck of construction activity in the cit the I— , of ..nontraditional" service to which fire manAs an example g out the following criteria: (1) it power can be put, the pr g ed in the community while remaining in is work which canbe ? hestation; (2) it is work which can be dropped constant radio contact wi to respOnd to an alarm if neces­ sary. Public Management, June, 1964 6 I HAZLETON MUNICIPAL TORT LIABILITY LEGISLATION Legislation was enacted in 1963 by the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin relating to municipal tort liability. The traditional defense of "governmental immunity" was abandoned by a Minnesota Supreme Court decision in 1962 (Spanel v. Mounds View School District). The 1963Minnesotalegislationbecomes effective January 1, 1964 (Laws 1963, Ch. 798). The law preserves some immunities, sets limits of recovery in tort actions against governmental subdivisions and clarifies the procedure for* pPurc’hasingo insurance .7. ” — and paying judgments. The maximum liability under the------1963 3 act shall not exceed". . . (a) $25, 000 when the claim is for one <death ’— ’ by wrongful act or omission, and $50, 000 to any claimant in any other c' , , case; (b) $300,000 on any number of claims arising out of a single occurrence, include punitive damages." No award for damages on such claim shall l«»g-delayed ment program is assessment equalization ot the reassess pays his fair share toward government on h everY Propertv were notified of the county assessment vfl^11Pr°perty owners explained the new assessment figure. One of by mail- A Pamphle of the program was to uncover and place H he notable achievement. 6,000 taxables who had been dodging their obhAt^ r°US appro™tely valuation for Luzerne County was $245 518 n' The old assessed show an increase of $126, 778, 388 for a’total nf t J?\new ass^sments communities, such as Wilkes-Barre Citv th *362, 297> 3<4. In some sessed valuations (-8. 6); whereas in other co^ WHS * decrease in asTownship there was an increase (+237. 9) orntT>unities such as Salem Hazleton has been named among those to receive All-Amsrica City honors, it was announced by the National Municipal League and Look Magazine, co-sponsors of the annual competition for the nation's cities. The All-America City designation is given each year to eleven cities whose citizens have made outstanding progress in solving com­ munity problems. The winning cities were picked from a field of over 100 by a jury headedby Dr. George H. Gallup, director of the American Institute of Public Opinion and chairman of the National Municipal League. !) I The Wiscon * a subdivLdieoanthallegedlycaus(edby4anvreq]UlreSnotice within 30 days of inser°r volunteer fire nypol^ca! corporation, governmental to be '^ployee Corporation or subd^ °.r ltS officer, agent or employee The first industrial resurgence in n^^^^ffX^nVdustrial organized a Dime-a-Week campaign to uy 1956 and 1963, three park, then cleared the land themselves. CAN-DO, Inc. , an in­ fund-raising drives netted over $2.2 ^lh°"°Jhelln buildings to attract dustrial development corporation which bui unemployment is down industries. Withl6 new industries gained to a e, ^az|etonians have from 16 per cent to 6 per cent. In addition, v0|Unteer labor and funds, created a 175-acre community park throug ei a2ny- The act lim tt t1V?1Onand°n such officer, agent or 00° the amount which may be recovered against a municipXtSort0 dividual fOr <darnage or injuP ty °r lts officer °r agents by any one inProvides that- sPecial rights or reTt^ °f a sin§le tort. The act also by °ther statutes Or injury, damage oV Pr°vided against municipalities - -le new law 5 death shall supercede the moneen such other statutes applY1 WYOMING VALLEY I SANITARY AUTHORITY- recently t a special meeting Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority at advance an application for an Passed a resolution authorizing the filing of <- �grant of Finance w- with Community Facilities Administraf and Home Agency, to be usedin preparing fjnal 1On> Ho of $372,000 proposed $22, 000, 000 sewage treatmentworks for Wyomin Plans f°r the Finance munities. & •eY com. yOU. XIV, N°. 6 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA JUNE 15, ■ ■ ntiVE pLANj^OUR^^^2r^TRA^ EDUCATIONAU^UCouncil recently approved and indale, California / tive Plan prepared and sub- Theitsr entirety ani EducationaHncenti^e plan prepared .g designed to en_ Educational Incentive Plan plan is designed X'X® ’Edwin Edw‘ T. Powell. ■ -- The --------' self-improvement in the employee sand to recognize and reward HIGHWAY CLASSIFICATION REPORT courage employee for accomplishments. the iindividual ---- created by 1) All City employees who, on their own time, succes sfully com. plete the requirement of anapproved three-unit course will be eligible for a $5 per month increase in their salaries for as long as they are on the city payroll. 2) An approved course is one that is endorsed by the respective departmenthead and the city manager and directly pertains to the present duties and responsibilities of the employee or is associated with the next stepon the promotional ladder. 3) Two approved two-unit courses will qualify and the employee will have $5 per month increase and have one unit start toward his next three units. When six units are com­ pleted, it will qualify the employee for a $10 per month increase and so on, with $5 extra for each three units successfully completed, up to a maximun ofsixty units, or $100 per month per employee. The success­ ful completion of a two-unit course will not result in an increase untilan additional unit is completed. 4) If the employee, after receiving per­ mission from the department head and the city manager attends class on the city s time, he will not be eligible for this extra reimbursement be­ cause the city already has encouraged hisimprovement by not deducting from his regular salary the hours he was absent from his job while pur­ suing an education. —.3 week. the The report, omirled "Arterial Transport Sy.te„. lor Pe^aHa.' 11 * prepared for the Committee by the Automotive Safety Foundation, report recommends that the General Assembly "reassign govern­ The mental responsibilities for roads and streets, establish corresponding equitable fiscal policies, improve intergovernmental relations, and pro­ mote more efficient administration inboth state andlocal governments. " The report states that "revised financing policies should accompany changes in jurisdiction, " but other than citing the need for fiscal studies in several areas, and other than recommending that the 1/2 cent aid to the county be abolished, the report does not specify what the "revised financing policies" would be. The report recommends five road responsibility assignments: (1) state primary (rural and urban)--state responsibility; (2) state sec­ ondary (rural and urban) - - state responsibility; (3) other urban art erials - city and borough responsibility; (4) township roads--township responsi­ bility; (5) access streets--city and borough responsibility. THOUGH rs FOR TODAY Heat travels faster Work is a fine township roads, and city streets wou ^ncreaSe of 537 miles, sibility. " Cities and boroughs would have a ne ds WOuld betranstownships--11, 877 miles. All 613 miles o .co> ^tensively on "interferred to other jurisdictions. The report wn__and rightly so, begovernmental relations" in highway adminis } relations matter, cause classification is really an intergover citiesin the CommonIn referring to the more than 1,000 boroug sseS of communities-- than cold -- you can catch cold! way to escape being bored. publication ., . monthly as a TM’Mdd^WrtM atale °PH^nsned £M ™‘ta>S°G thly as a community communit stitute of Municipal Government of Wilkes>' 5""ce' Miciw s may be addressed t , Wilkes Colleege, Wilkes-Barre,Pennsylvania. -Ivania- I wealth, the report divides the group into those under 5, 000 population, those between 22 communities over 30,000. qqq and 30,000 and the 1965 �v • the smaller category, the report Sp the 766 boroughs inbe provided by the tto_per centmoney - For h of the arterial which are connecting links Of L fieS Department the ^tem. Additional arterial streets Would HighWay mary and secondary Y -priority development" by thJ municipalitynicipal agreements Governor William W. Scrant State’s share of the cost of operation of mgned into ^w a bill fixing the ment plants at two per cent annually T?1UniciPally-owned sewage treat sidy will give the Wyoming Vallev S fuU two per P- ce cent sewage sub$400, 000 toward the operating costs as3"^17 Authority/ approximately about $240, 000 under the old arrangement based on 1. ]o S ‘against z cent. -phasizes the importance of int—: P street operations. The report comesi to • hAtween 5.0°° and 3°’ ““num and the conclusion that the 216 boroughs and lation "should be able to efficiently Lterial and access streets. " There. streets would lie with the municipality "Under the previous law," the Governo ted to only 1. 19 per cent per year for the thrT "payments amounof this administration. At our request, theGe^ Pri°r t0 the start priated enough money to pay the full two per AssemblY hasapproLast year, this amounted to $5. 5 million. T1 60 Since 1963more than $6. 2 million, and next year $7. ] m-]iS year’ tbe flgure will be ments. This new act makes the full two ner raIT a"tlclPated in paymity with the Intent of the State's ™tionally.k„owfc“a‘'"yei"mX'" sponsibility tor de’^P"6 the state primary or secondary system. and they would be a Pa and boroughs would aga.n be earmarked State aid allocated to thes within the municipality. In the larger for use on the arterial lation)j arterials would be the o'the municipality "-n0 stat, aid or control. state aid or control. Comparing these three population categories, the report recom­ mends that purely local roads would be purely local responsibility in all three categories; that is, purely financial and administrative responsi­ bility. Also, in all three categories the state primary .and secondary system would, of course, be the responsibility of the state. It is in the category of arterial streets that the difference is found. In the small places, most the arterial streets would be the administrative and fis­ cal responsibility of the state. In the medium-sized places, the arterial streets will be municipal responsibility with ear-marked state aid of their development with state supervision. In the larger municipalities, the arterial systems would be the sole responsibility of the city or bor­ ough. rpi governments, by theffin/8 by rec°mmending certain "actions" by local For the latter, some of the^ t epartment; and by the General A ssembly. routes to the state highwav 1OnS mentloned are: refrain from adding and streets to local governtransfer responsibility for local roads inH°’jnpensate for suchtransf11 S’ revise state aid to local governments bod U e’ Stressing the policy erS'v Forlocal governments, the "actions" all XdSeleCtingacareer. quaw Hlng responsibilities of the legislative -nic^ StTeet derations; Veek nOn~elective employee to supervise Populatin gr°Ups to improve fr ■ C00perative agreements with other «gall Md' f°' boroughs over 5, 0™ a^hlslX1?11 Secondary, an« Panning, financing, and traffic COMMUNITY ANTENNA TELEVISION A43-page report reviewing guidelinesand practices for boroughs in regulating community antenna television firms is now available to local officials. It includes a survey of current regulations in 51 boroughs and copies of franchise and permit documents. A complimentary copy will be sent to each member-borough upon request from the Pennsyl­ vania State Association of Boroughs. f j SPECIAL LICENSES The special license plates for mayors and is pecially for borough officials have bee" ^JJJ^ndsome special plates rapidly being depleted. If you want one send $1 00 with "Mayor" or "Councilman" on it for the fro y. to the Pennsylvania State Association of Boro g new LEGISLATION • j to tlie secrcAct No. 20 - The combined amount of ^^^pensltion for I tary and treasurer as salary, wages or n of the annual tax up reTi exclusive of the compensation for pr/^emoney paid out by thetreas shall not exceed three per centum dollars per annu but it shall not be less than seventy-Lv �to Third Class Cities provides fOr t relating ' ,6 - This Act . officers for overtime emergency adddi. Act No. sati°n for police :y. tional cOinPerequire any• police officer to work more then eight h 8 more then forty-f Our hours,, nor N° city ca conseicutive , Fs cases for the suppression in emergency <■ of riots When the Mayor of a Thir — <i ClaSs •vation of public peace. or the preset: an emergency and requires police officers to r’ remain On City declares shall be compensated on the basis . such officers — their duty overtime annual salary. xiv> I I PA. , JULY 15, You are cordially invited to attend and participate in the FIFTH ANNUAL COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE to be held at Wilkes College, on Wednesday, September 29, 1965. In an attempt to come to grips with the more pressing problems of our area, the sponsors of the COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE are pleased to provide this unique opportunity to share experiences with nationally known authorities who have been invited and will participate in the CONFERENCE with us. This FIFTH ANNUAL COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE will provide an opportunity for the exchange of ideas among the various organizations and individuals concerned with the solution of the more practical problems related to the social and ec­ onomic well-being of our area. The CONFERENCE will bring together all those people interested in planning for the area. It is designed to set a pattern for future cooperative efforts among local government offi­ cials, builders, realtors, industrialists, developers, and interested such police. Act No. 28 - Second Class Township supervisors shall receive not less then $6. 00 nor more then $10. 00 for each meeting which they attend, the amount of the compensation to be determined by the township auditors. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY citizens. The early bird is usually the best dressed, especially in a family of girls. j But smarter people, from WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE fifth annual community growth conference t of the school directors in a borough the Act No. 9 - Upon request^ bory appoint special school police who shall serve at the ough council may • , council and whose compensation shall be fixed by th >e pleasure of the c d jointly by the council and the school borough council and s determined by the borough council and board directors, in a ratl° ° borough council and board of school directors of school directors. ° of compensation of the police tobepaid ^^h^cho^Vc^an^boTrd, each shall pay one-half of the c ompensation of Smartpeople speak from experience experience, don't speak. NO. 7 1 MARK THIS DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR. IMPORTANT MEETING! DON'T MISS THIS ADVERTISING FOR BIDS A woman doesn't mind admitting she's thirty-nine years especially when she's fifty. old, PUBLICATION This News 1 n- "-"“•I1; Uy service, Wilkes College............... ... ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. When a Borough advertises forbids ^ust realize that no what appears to be a satisfactory bid, t e ritten contract, emcontractual relation shall arise therefrom acceptance has been for bodying all material terms of the °ffeI’ the motion whose adoptioni is mally entered into. In the instant cas , meant merely that t e evidenced by the minutes of Borough Counci and execution of a forma preparatio. posal was accepted subject to the prepara _ded before the con r contract; or to the -n any way hrnit or subject subject to the motion motion being being rescm which was all the motion adopted amoun e Was all the motion ; Bor °ugh Council's freedom of future action. 1965 �ACT 19 1 cooperation Law is one of the most important pi The General C P pennsylvania municipalities. It is a P es of enabling legisla‘10” roblems on a common basis. When the law for solving area-w r did CQntain a contiguity restriction r originally passe the law that only adjoining n 19451 SUCh auw Inter into intergovernmental agreements. There & ' cipahties coul g when contiguity is not important for an effec ’ however, many five intergovernmental agreemen . Act 19makes it possible for municipalities that are not contiguous to enter into cooperative agreements under the General Cooperation Law, Municipalities may join together, under the General Cooperation Law, to perform almost any function or service they can perform separately. Joint agreements have been used for sewerage, police, protection, re­ creation, purchasing, and many other municipal functions. in women and children to their homes. children congregate. Policewomen maybe assigned to the shoplifting detail in department stor es, and to the records division, where they may perform various clerical or administrative jobs. In many cities local law or police policy requires that a policewoman be present at every questioning involving women suspects or victims. 'I POLICEWOMEN Crime prevention is a relatively new idea in police work, and policewomen have done much to translate this idea into action. The first fullfledgedpolicewoman, appointed inLos Angeles in 1910, was a former welfare worker. Her idea, which she finally sold to city officials, was to have a force of trained women charged with the supervision of dance halls, skating rinks, and other places of public entertainment. Crime that might involve women and children could be caught at the breeding places and prevented by methods similar to those of social work. After World War I the number of policewomen increas ed rapidly, and with this growth in numbers came a growth in understanding of the tion of women in police work. In In 1922, 1922, policewomen policewomen got got another another oost w en the International Association of Chiefs of Police, at their onven ion, passed a resolution upholding the need for this new force chiefs ^;7PTement- "The aPPointment of policewomen, " said the program for h, 6 purpose of carrying out a preventive and protective women and chXCenTUnity’ WiU include the social protection of and protective in r most present-day policewomen is still preventive Policewomen still1 wl*?’ The emPhasis is still on women and children. r with social agencies, both public and private, But duties of a may vary from ordinary patrol work to assignmentas aern f policewoman ‘ mgerprint expert, a member of the narcotics s9uad, or a radio a dl° dlsPatcher. Plain-clothes woX I Of the police departments that responded to a survey survey made made by by the IAWP, 48 per cent required a civil service examination of appli­ cants for policewomen positions. An additional 13 per cent hiredpolicewomenon the merit system. Civil service exams for policewomen vary considerably. Many of them cover such subjects as sociology, crimin­ ology, civics, government, English, and history. Over half the police departments in the United States require a high school education or better. According to IAWP surveys, 16 per cent require their police­ women to be college graduates. Educational standards for policewomen are rising especially in large cities. In some cities the majority of policewomen are college graduates, with a few holding master's or PH. D. degrees. With increasing numbers of more highly educated women in the ranks of police, the educational level of the occupation as a whole is rising. A number of colleges and universities offer courses in delin quency control, crime prevention, police science, or criminology. A major in one of these subjects with a minor in social work or psychology would be ideal for a policewoman. The majority of police departme offer some sort of in-service training to policewomen recruits, end of the formal training period, rookie policewomen spen mainder of their probation on regular police duty under t e c lice_ vision of experienced officers. The list of former occupations of p^ women is almost endless. Social work, nursing> an teac police, the occupational backgrounds of a considerable number oJback. Women who have served in the armed forceshave a ver policewomen ground for police work. Unlike their male counterpa_ ’ most frerarely wear uniforms. The sort of duties to which they a help. UniQuently assigned made a uniform more a hm r ormed women in department stores or on patro mp ed by potential lawbreakers and avoided like scar would be spotAbout the �average policewoman wears a uniform an. only instances ^ceremonial occasions—unless, of course, she's t^ffic detailor some other post where a uniform ishel s' parades or other occupations, the number of po ice will increase J' signed to thet—As in most service growing population. Women police should increase keep pace with the because of the growing acceptance of cnme preventiOn faster than men increased realization of the need for co-operation between work and an . police and social agencies. I I I No. s WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., AUGUST 15, 1965 VOL XIV, NEW LEGISLATION Acts 67 through 73 - Second Class Townships First Class Townships> Boroughs and Third Class Cities are permitted to make use of non­ debt revenue bonds, which havebeen available to local governments on a limited basis under the Municipal Bond Law. These Acts make non­ debt revenue, secured by project revenues and not subject to constitu­ tionaldebtlimitations, more attractive to the investor. Non-debt revenue bonds do not pledge the credit of the municipality nor create any debt against the general revenues of the municipality. The cost of tnany facilities previously financed through the authority device can now be made by issuing non-debt revenue bonds. Whether the bonds are re­ tired annually by maturity or by a sinking fund the sum of the payments for principal and interest in any year shall not exceed the sum of the payments for principal and interest for any prior year by more then five thousand dollars or twenty per cent of the prior sum, which­ ever is greater. The maturity shall not exceed forty years. Munici­ palities may also refund non-debt revenue bonds except that such refund­ ing bonds shall bear an interest rate not exceeding the bonds to be re­ funded and the maturing of such refunding bonds shall not exceed twenty years. I' fifth annual community growth conference I You are cordially invited to attend and participate in the FIFTH ANNUAL COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE to be held at Wilkes College, on Wednesday, September 29, 1965. ! In an attempt to come to grips with the more pressing problems of our area, the sponsors of the COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE are pleased to provide this unique opportunity to share experiences with nationally known authorities who have been invited and will participate in the CONFERENCE with us. This FIFTH ANNUAL COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE will provide an opportunity for the exchange of ideas among the various organizations and individuals concerned with the solution of the more practical problems related to the socialand ec­ onomic well-being of our area. The CONFERENCE will bring together all those people interested in planning for the area. It is designed to set a pattern for future cooperative efforts among local government offi­ cials, builders, realtors, industrialists, developers, and interested E citizens. 1 I thoughts for today MARK THIS DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR. IMPORTANT MEETING! There's nothing like having an excellent reputation to make some people wonder what you're hiding. SALOPEK V. ALBERT The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania upheld th. Raising children is like drafting a blueprint--you have to know where to draw the line. °f 1 court directing the Mayor of a Borough to assign to t e p >les of the chief of police, which office the plaint.en- PUBLICATION This News-lptt-- -a Originated in the Institut"’ Polished monthly as a community service, ries m ° Municipal Government at Wilkes CollegeNotes and <- — inqui • ' • tODr- Husov- Mailey’ of Municipal g, kes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. DON'T MISS THIS I Borough Council had appointed the plaintiff ie 0 chief of Police, acted an ordinance specifically defining the duties chief duties conDespite that ordinance, the Mayor had assigne to e* and had sistent with those of a patrolman, and not of a ie p a t r olman, patrolman, " repeatedly suspended the plaintiff for refusing with back pay, Rowing whicJ the plaintiff was repeatedly reinstated, °y Council. �u t the duties to be performedby the var. are within the prerogative of Council, The court pointed out1 tha -artment to be performed is the ious ranks in the police depai the manner in which the deSlgw nr therefore, exceeded his authprerogative of the Mayor,■' The.f of Police duties pertinent to the rank iedto the Chie d^ty of the Mayor to enforce all ority when he assigned 1 " "J Furthermore, it is {ailure to recognize the duties asof patrolman. —» Of the Borough, and hi a lawful ordinance constituted ordinancesu cfChief of Police by Counci signed t0 the X official duties. a dereliction LOCAL GOVERNMENT local news r£he City of Wilkes-Barre in the iiexi tnree years will save a next three operation of the municipal minimum of $49, 500 in management fees' in m operation of the Lock facility. The Council approved a new three-year conapproved a r- ■■ New Jersey to par'•X an Edison Parking Corporation of Newark, Park —_°fJSIew ark,for New Jersey tract W1 the he pa rk and Lock. The new ccontract calls management manage ^ qq a year as compared with $52,000 a year under its of only $35, 500 a year as compared with $52'“O“on fees of °n * . Twelve bidders submitted bids for the management sent contract. Twelve bidders submitted bids f present con r facility. or of the ' COOPERATION Unless presenttrends are changed, the eleven-county regionbetween Trenton and Wilmington can expect an increasingly troubled future. As the region's population increases from its present five million to an expected eight million by 1980, suburban areas will have steadily mount­ ing population pressures and ever greater traffic congestion. There will be increasing air pollution, sewerage difficulties, disappearing open space, and intensifying competition for decreasing water supplies. In addition, the problems of the central cities along the Delaware will soon be hitting the older suburbs and gradually spreading into newer areas. These areas can expect increasing blight and obsolescence, overcrowd­ ing, and confusion. The only practical solution is increasing cooperation among the nearly 400 local governments in the region. Such cooperation will be aided and made more systematic by the recently established Regional Conference of Elected Officials. Cooperation across governmental boun­ reduce daries can stem the tide of disorder as nothing else can. It can for our tax the duplication of services and give much greater mileage traffic and dollars. It can help to work out practical solutions to our attract new mwater problems. It should also make it easier for us to dustry to the region. an arena Such a focus of cooperative interchange could constitute ettled. where pressing regional issues can be raised, negotiated, and s< thresh ■ 1 wou^d To the extent that agreement could not be reached, the discussion conc-j °Ut and suPP°rt whatewQfor public-spirited “h “*-------------------provide a center of attention citizenss concerned to ldered to be in the in r solutions to unresolved problems they St of the region. ard cer®" (From an address by John W. Bodine at the annual awa j-els monies for governmental officials and employes sponsored Ly anfa.) Institute of Local and State Government, University of Pennsy would have completed 60 years of service with the City. He filled every position in the City Engineer's Office starting as a clerk in 1905. He received meritorious service citations from the American Public Works Association, the Institute of M inicipal Government, and Wilkes College. Ata meeting of the West Pittston Borough Council it was decided to update and revise the Borough ordinances under the direction of Penns Valley Publishing Company. Mayor John Dempsey of Wyoming died on July 8, 1965 while ser­ ving his sixth term as the borough's chief officer. Market value of real estate in Luzerne County in 1964 totaled $726,636,100, for an increase of $10,955, 100 or 1. 5% in the 1963 mar­ ket value. About 90% of the land within the Hazle Street Redevelopment Pro­ ject area in the City of Wilkes-Barre has been committed or sold Plans call for expansion of a manufacturing company, construction post office, and construction of a super market for the area. SEWAGE DISPOSAL -------- 3, is al,fficial will be conways with us. That being the case, the di se of it. The Institute tinually alert to new and up-to-date waySblications on file that will help of Municipal Government Library has pu weicome the opportunity to him in this effort, and the Institute sta make them available to him. ex—" > special re­ The American Public Works Association P methods for home disposal Ports from time to time evaluating sew g �does does the U. S. Public Health Service. The , municipality alike, as blishedby the latter agencyin 1957> a" al of Septic Tank Practl ’ TPhe Public Health Service also issues ■s anexpecially useful handb° construction activities tabulating type ,1’rougl”,,t the country- in s | Public Works Association reports meritAmong the America erv.ceCharges," 1953j Summariz. ing particular attention are cities 5> 000 population) and ing information on se wagte D.sposers,„ i951, considering "Evaluation of House o installation of garbage grinders, and public works problems a tQ ulate their use. The Institute of Muaction taken in certaini c onfUe a number of studies relating nicipal Governmen Cities regarding sewage handling, and to the to experiences o sp stems. "Sewer Rentals in Pennsylvania Municipalities, P I Planning Commission. are two helpful bulletins Periodicals also carry frequent articles on current trends in techniques and methods of sewage disposal. "Public Works" and "Wastes Engineering" are special journals in this field, and "American City" in­ cludes many references on the subject. Municipal league magazines likewise often report developments in the treatment of sewage, not only in their localities but elsewhere. publication This News-lette originated in the Institute of isbe<^ rnontbly as a community service, N°tes and inquiries may be ^mcipai Government of Wilkes College, Gove„meVt 1 to Dr. Hugo V. Malley, institute ge, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania- FIFTH ANNUAL COMMUNITY GROWTH PA. , SEPTEMBER CONFERENCE MARK THIS DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR. IMPORTANT MEETING! ! THOUGHTS FOR TODAY One man's meat is another man's cholesterol. NO. 9 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARrEj In an attempt to come to grips with the more pressing problems of our area, the sponsors of the COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE are pleased to provide this unique opportunity to share experiences with nationally known authorities who have been invited and will participate in the CONFERENCE with us. This FIFTH ANNUAL COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE will provide an opportunity for the exchange of ideas among the various organizations and individuals concerned with the solution of the more practical problems related to the social and ec­ onomic well-being of our area. The CONFERENCE will bring together all those people interested in planning for the area. It is designed to set a pattern for future cooperative efforts among local government officials, builders, realtors, industrialists, developers, and interested citizens. on that subject. Anybody who believes that people think alike hasn't seen very many refold a road map. xiv. You are cordially invited to attend and pa. participate in the FIFTH MNUAL COMMUNITY i iieoe on Wednesday, GROWTH SeptemberCONFERENCE 29, 1965. CD to be held at Wilkes of Local Govern™., Penn-" "Sanitary Service Charges in Tennessee, Some people seem to make up their minds with concrete. yOL DON'T MISS THIS a SHORT COURSES anumThe Institute of Municipal Governm iwill offjcaeain ials. conduct These courses ber of in-service training courses for municipa & 'ojnted officials the are designed to make available to electe a means of improving the performance of their■ presented in cooperation with the Public* of Public Instruction, Commonwealth -phe COurses are Department u ania. include: Funda6 s t ethose The courses being offered this ■f 11 seedmfor firemen who mentals of Fire Fighting -A course ndaTnentals of fire fig 1 • ; Basic wish to qualify as instructors of the tun the neW x___ recruit an acPolice Procedure - A course designs work: Principles of quaintance with the duties and techniqu 15. 1965 �a • iroductory course designed for municipal inspectors Inspection -introdu^y^u,^^ principles of Assessing - A including building,.^ m’agistrates and justices of the peace with the fUn. designed to a Jch as treSpass and assumpsit; Basic Auxilia Jr n I A basic course in Police work for Civil Defense Police; Basic | | ( I ’ A course in basic rescue work, covering the fundamentals Of CM1 Defense Rescue; Light Duty Rescue - A course to provide training dividuals who will become members of a Rescue Squad; Auxiliary Fire"- A course designed to train auxiliary firemen in the fundamentals I of fire fighting; Civil Defense for Local Government - A general course that reviews the powers, duties and responsibilities of elected official^ The enclosed brochure makes no mention of the fact that the Institute courses are co-sponsored with the Public Service Institute of the Department of Public Instruction. In expanding the brochure of the In­ stitute of Municipal Government from six pages to eight pages the co­ sponsorship with the Public Service Institute was inadvertently omitted The Institute is delighted to state that the Public Service Institute will co-sponsor the in-service training program of the Institute of Munici­ pal Government for the fifteenth consecutive year. STRIP MINE CONTROL OnDecember 16, 1964 Luzerne County adopted a zoning ordinance containing strip mine control provisions, which was to become effective January 1, 1965. On the day of adoption 21 coal firms went before Pres­ ident Judge Pinola of the Court of Common Pleas and petitioned for a preliminary injunction. The jurist grantedan enjoiner which subsequent­ ly was made applicable only insofar as the excavating control provisions were concerned. The coal firms c~--' contended that the State preempted the field of strip mine regulations by its c—• own legislative acts and that the County had n° right to enter into that field? harm and in th. " the absence of an , and that they would suffer irreparable jurisdiction. adequate remedy at law, that equity had The Board to dissolve the prelimin- '• “““ll“lbS10riers petitioned the local court nance would not have been ? ?njUnctlon 'm- The The County held that the ordieffective UntU JanuarY 1. that no attempt had eon made to enforce the ord P^-iHfi ms didhavean X-"ordinance ;against the coal firms, and that the adequate r 61^6^7’ and a statutory remedy must e Pursued. Their petition waTdtL -*1 was denied by the - —- court en banc. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court concurred with the r ’ ’ County Commissioners. In ; hL t0 ■ decision it held thatof the opinion lower equity courts did not 1 - v?^1SdlCtiOn Since the ordinance -t the offers procedures to test its itself wa? hY’ WaS Unanimous the opinion that the coal company action , , . nought into the lower court prematurely since no action had been takenagainst an operator under theprovisions of the ordinance. Thus, on July 1 the Supreme Court vacated the preliminary injunction. The issue of whether or not State regulations preempt County regulations was not argued or resolved. | I I MANDATORY police T RAINING "The Legislature of New Jersey hereby finds and declares that a serious need for improvement in the administration of local and county law enforcement exists in order to better protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens,. . . that the present need for improvement can be substantially met by the creation of a compulsory educational and train­ ing program for persons who seek to become permanent law enforcement officers wherein such persons will be required, while serving in a pro­ bationary capacity prior to permanent appointment, to receive efficient training in this profession. . and that by qualifying and becoming profi­ cientin the field of individually and collectively better insure the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of this State in their respective com­ munities. " This legislative declaration clearly states the need and the objective for mandatory ---- 1~'*' — police training. The recent enactment into law of the Police Training Act will have a profound effect on law enforcement. Effective July 1, 1965, every municipality in the State, shall, as a condition of employment, require all persons who seek to become permanent law enforcement officers on or after this date, to attend and successfully complete a training pro­ gram approved by the Police Training Commission. Municipalities that operate under the provisions of the State Ci­ vil Service Law, should be particularly interested in Section 52 which states that the three month probationary period does not become operative until the police officer has completed his training. It should a be noted t’ that the training and three-month probationary period must completed2 la in a total period not exceeding one year from the date of the original appointment. nnsylvania has a law pending before its Legislature. It provides that a officers who are regularly employed by any local political subdivision <°f the State having three or more members shall attend the School unless theyr were on the force at the time of passage of the law. �Civil service employment. An intermediate course of 80 hours is Vol. untary for New York police officers. I yOL. ( I NEW LEGISLATION Act No. 102 - Second Class Townships may contract with any other Se­ cond Class Township, First Class Township, Borough, or City for the purpose of securing police service. When such a contract has been en­ tered into, the police of the employing municipality shall have all the powers conferred by law on the police of the township which has con­ tracted to secure such police protection. ( I BATTLE PLAN HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT ACT (Reprint from Public Administration Bulletin) & Poise is the ability to understand why you should feel embarrassed, The best things in life stay potential all their lives. This News letter, r—monthly as a community service, published monthly as a c nT a theInstitute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College, Municipal Government of Munici laqrUlrleS may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. to Dr. The new rent supplement program authorize. Urban Development Act, signed by the President on August 10, 1965 has commanded the bulk of press and public attention, Because other features of the new Act offer new tools to municipa ° icia ® summary. with urban problems, these are emphasized in t e o o When funds are appropriated ($200 million ajear^are^a^ are taxable. -PUBLICATION A dinner meeting has been scheduled for November 17, 1965 to hear Richard S. Funck, who is the Director of Civil Defense in Le­ banon County. His remarks will relate to the establishment of a joint communications center for all emergency services such as civil defense, police, fire, and ambulance. Such a communications center could link together in a mutual aid network all of the emergency systems on which the welfare of our communities depend. It is only by such a joint center that the people of Luzerne County can be given day and night protection for every day of the year. Such a system could save countless lives and property damage. All local officials, fire chiefs, police chiefs, and civil defense directors interested in such a communications system for Luzerne County can ill afford to miss the meeting of November 17 with Richard S. Funck, the Director of the Center in Lebanon County. A battle plan is under consideration for Phoenix, Arizona fire­ fighters to show them the best way to close in on and fight a fire. When the fire alarm sounds, the dispatcher turns to an index card which details the best assignment of equipment for the particular area and refers to another card which charts the proper moves for backstopping in the area of the station vacated by the fire-fighters going to the scene. Spinsters are potential wives who PA. , OCTOBER 15, 1965 CENTRAL COMMUNICATIONS CENTER Act No. 8 - Third to Eighth Class Counties (which includes Luzerne County) may now make appropriations for police, fire and other public safety radio and tele-communications networks for the erection, opera­ tion and maintenance of a county system. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY XIV, NO. 10 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, t i I until July 1, 1969) 50 percent grants maybenna^^^^ facilities. Public and agencies to finance basic public water an treatment, purificawater facilities could include works for the storage, tlon, and distribution of water, but "treatment works"1 as treatment works' as defined in the ild not be eligible for a grant Federal Water Pollution Control Act woul facility. Projects must be under this new program as a public sewe seeable growth needs of the area designed to serve the reasonably for forea unified or officially coordinated and be consistent with a program �prehensively planned development of the area. If the land purchased with grant assistance is not utilized within five years for the construction of facility planned for the site or the land is directed to other uses the Administrator may require repayment of the grant. An authorization of $25 million a year is made for grants for the advance acquisition of land (Title VII, Sec. 704) sewer facilities system of the area. Before a 1 -r of Health, Education, waste material carried by the sewer will be adequately treated befOre :arried by the it is discharged discharged into into a a public waterway. A community of 10„000 population or less without an adequate public sewer facility and with an unemployment rate 100 percent above the national average for the preceding year could receiveup to a 90 per. cent grant for a basic public sewer facility if the community could not finance the facility without increased grant assistance. Prior to July 1, 1968, discretionary grants could be made if a program for an areawide water or sewer system is under active preparation but not yet comple­ ted, if the facility can reasonably be expected to be required under an areawide program and the facilityis urgently needed. (Title VII, Sec. 702) When funds are appropriated ($50 million a year are authorized until July 1, 1969), two-thirds grants could be made to local public bodies and non-profit agencies to build neighborhood facilities such as commu­ nity centers, youth centers, health stations, and other public buildings toprovide health, recreational or similar social services to a neighbor­ hood. (In areas designated as a redevelopment area, three-fourths grants could be made.) The grant could cover the cost of acquiring land, necessary site improvements, and construction of the facility. The facility must be located in an area to serve a significant number of low or moderate income residents and be necessary to carry out a program of health, recreational, social, or similar community service in the area. Priority is to be given to projects which will further the objec­ tives of a community action program approved under the Economic Op­ portunity Act. A facility constructed with a grant may not be conver­ ted to another use for 20 years without the approval of the Housing Ad­ ministrator. A facility may be developed directly by a local public body or agency or through a nonprofit organization approved by the local body if the Housing Administrator determines the nonprofit organization has , T" ^nanc^’ an<f technical capacity to carry out the project and the public body will have satisfactory continuing control over the use of the facility. (Title VII, Sec. 703) To assist communities in acquiring land sites before prices rise acquiring sites before pricbe made for public works and facilities needed in theland future, grants could to cover the interest cost of a loan incurred to finance the land acquisi­ tion. The grant could be for the interest cost between the date of the loan and the date of construction of the facility but for not more than m neeth40St 7 HVe yearS- The Housing Administrator must deter- and that thefnSU>Ctl°mW111 initiated on the facility within five years that the facility will contribute to economy, efficiency, and the com- The Open Space Land Acquisition program authorized by the Housing Act of 1961 is expanded by increasing grant assistance from 20 percent to 50 percent; permitting grants for the development of land ac­ quired under the open space program; and permitting grants to acquire, clear, and develop land in built-up urban areas. (Title IX, Sec. 903) I I I ( 6 i A grant may be made only if the Housing Administrator deter­ mines the acquisition and development of open space land is needed for carryingout a unified or officially coordinated program for the provision and development of open space and as part of the comprehensively plan­ ned development of the urban area. (Title IX, Sec. 905) The term "open space uses" is now defined to mean use of land for park and recreational purposes, conservation of land and other na­ tural resources, or historic or scenic purposes. (Title IX, Section 902) I i I Although major structures such as amphitheaters, swimming pools or large buildings would not be eligible for "development" grant assistance, development would include activities such as landscaping, provision of basic water and sanitary systems, small shelters, and re­ creational apparatus. Development funds are available only for land acquired under the previous or current Open Space Program. If a local government body determines adequate open space areas cannot be pro­ vided through the use of existing undeveloped land, 50 percent grants may be made for the cost of land acquisition, demolition, and develop­ ment for open space use. Relocation payments must be made to indi viduals, families, and businesses displaced by the purchase oflandswith open space funds, and federal grants are authorized to cover relocation Payments. I I I (Title IX, Sec. 906) Communities which develop a program^^ anj private resources public areas which involve all available pU . beautification programs would be eligible for federal grant assistance ° ublicareas, provision such as tree planting and landscaping streets anb decorative paveof street furniture, pedestrian malls, founa^tbe amount a community rnent. A grant could be made for 50 perce ntunder an approved pro­ spends for urban beautification and improvem activities. Pro­ gram which exceeds usual expenditures for c with with $5 $5 million million authvision is made fora small demonstrationp �to beautify public areas. (Title IX, Sec. 906) The authorization for open space and urban beautification proillion (Title IX, Sec. 904) VOL. grams is increased trom for urban beautification. could be used for grants Grants may now be made to a city or municipality to cover twothirds of the cost of demolishing structures which, under state or local laws, have been determined to be structurally unsound or unfit for human habitation and which the community has the legal authority to demolish. A city could receive grant assistance to demolish unsafe structures with­ in an urban renewal area or outside of an urban renewal area if (1) the community has an approved workable program for community improve­ ment, (2) the demolition will be carried out on a planned neighborhood basis and will further the urban renewal objectives of the community, (3) the community is carrying on a program of enforcement of its hous­ ing and related codes, (4) the structures constitute a public nuisance and serious hazard to public health and welfare, and (5) the community's governing body has determined that all other available legal procedures have been exhausted to secure remedial actionby the owner s and that de­ molition by governmental action is required. (Title III, Sec. 311) A dinner meeting has been scheduled for November 17, 1965, to hear Richard S. Funck, who is the Director of Civil Defense in Le­ banon County. His remarks will relate to the establishment of a joint communications center for all emergency services such as civil defense, police, fire, and ambulance. Such a communications center could link together in a mutual aid network all of the emergency systems on which the welfare of our communities depend. It is only by such a joint center that the people of Luzerne County can be given day and night protection for every day of the year. Such a system could save countless lives and property damage. I THOUGHTS FOR TODAY ““ tO‘"ant’ th<! °V"‘ PA. .OCTOBER. 15, 1965 CENTRAL COMMUNICATIONS CENTER I wHelm1„7™jrr“yy”°.Ta"eJhri£,y' XIV, NO. 11 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, I All local officials, fire chiefs, police chiefs, and civil defense directors interested in such a communications system for Luzerne County can ill afford to miss the meeting of November 17 with Richard S. Funck, the Director of the Center in Lebanon County. LOCAL NEWS One way to teach children to listen is at the top of your voice. Habit is the easiest way of doing something wrong. I I I I _ The city when purchased by the bag. Some of the savings is _ sue of the anti-trust suits brought against the sa tcomp with the rock salt on the Street Department will mix calcium chloride v- ( hills and at the dangerous intersections. PUBLICATION This News-letter, originated • ;.eWS'letter. published i--------Institute of M.mic'in^lTaS & community service, Notes and -3 may be add P Government of Wilkes College. _ y be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute °f Municipal Gow —to Hugo ■ —uolleg'' ollege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Wilkes-Barre will save thousands of dollars in its ^hases of rock salt because of the bulkform purchases which it will make, salt he obtained at a cost of $11. 30a ton instead Instead of o .^ thet$28. *d28o80 8“a*J,. I I I Plymouth Borough is presently making plan- Presentatives for its centennial to be celebra Charter made Plymouth a borough on April 1866 reThe Borough �COOPERATIVE PURCHASING SUN OIL COMPANY SALISBURY. TOWNSHIP V. Cooperative purchasing came to the Lehigh Valley June 15 1965 when the Borough of Catasauqua and the Township of Whitehall entered into an agreement to pool their needs and attempt to save their taxpayer s money. Pursuant to that agreement the Purchasing Council, which is composed of the manager of each community, designated the Borough of Catasauqua to receive bids for the furnishing of road aggregates, blacktop oils and mixes, calcium chloride, and rock salt. ordinance" as a matter proby the Township Commissioners. Sun of right, Sing e ^y vided that approval Commissioners for permissionto construct a gas staOil applied to the C. — - denied. (In the "final" zoning ordinance, enac­ tion, but its request was ted in January, I960, the property in issue was retained in the single- I Sun Oil chose to ignore the Commissioner's refusal, and with­ out taking any appeal, began construction. The Township sought, and secured, an injunction restraining Sun Oil from completing the service station. Sun Oil appealed the injunction, arguing that the interim zon­ ing ordinance was invalid. i The Supreme Court in its decision pointed out that since the stop­ gap ordinance expired at the end of January, I960, the question of the validity of the interim ordinance was one with which the Court need no longer concern itself. It stated that if Sun Oil now wished to obtain a permit for its building, the Company must comply with the provisions of the current ordinance. The Court added that, despite mootness of the appeal, it could not help but repeat its well-established rule that the proper procedure for Sun Oil to have followed would have been to appeal the adverse decision of the Commissioners to the County Court, and in this way put the validity of the interim ordinance to the judicial test. I I I i i i burglar alarm system with permission of th^ECc" W1U Skokie, Illinois, will be installed installed in in Skokie, Illinois, quarters via two-way radio ’ Th automaticallY reports to police head­ ing device at police 6 sYstem includes an electronic decodthe building or propertv with a digital decoder and printer. At short burst of coded tones R PJ°tected a radio transmitter sends out a headquarters and translated bC transrrdtted automatically topolice , e decoder- A number simultaneously is printed °n a tape. This shows the location of the particular transmitter so s that the policed to the scene. The decoding e ?atcber can send the nearest patrol car transmitte ;ers which can be act^T*?61* handle UP to 290 separate cells, andJ other devices (pnkr \ r door switchers, photoelectric (Pubhc Management) i f f I I I The Purchasing Council prepared specifications utilizing appli­ cable standards of the Pennsylvania Department of Highways and the American Society of Testing and Materials. Bids were received at the regular meeting of Catasauqua's Borough Council held August 2, 1965. The results of this first venture were far from conclusive, but they did evidence that cooperative purchasing can result in considerable savings. Despite the general increase in the price of road aggregates in 1965, Catasauqua's prices ranged from 3.0% to 9.7% lower than their 1964 figures. However, Whitehall Township's prices reflected the general trend and their costs increased from 3. 5% to 14. 2%. The quantities Catasauqua ordered did not add enough to Whitehall's quantities to force their prices down. The bids received for blacktop oils and mixes were approximately the same as the 1964 prices paid by both municipalities. The story was different for rock salt and calcium chloride. Catasauqua uses these chemicals exclusively for snow and ice control while Whitehall stilluses a considerable quantity of ashes. Consequently, Catasauqua's Catasauqua' orders were a significant increase over Whitehall's needs alone. Catasauqua realized a 12.9% savings and Whitehall a 16. 4% savings over 1964 prices paid for calcium chloride. Catasauqua realized a 2. 6% savings on t e price of rock salt, while Whitehall did not order saltin 1964 and, there­ fore, no basis of comparison exists. These savings on chemicals are are possible where the com­ the strongest indication that real economics bined needs of the cooperating municipalities significantly in conindividual needs. The state of competition is also a ac or ck_ sidered since there were only two bidder s on road aggregachloride calcium chloride top oils and mixes while there were three bidders on ca and four bidders on rock salt. , Whitehall Whitehall is is only only the third coThis venture by Catasauqua and municipalities Pennsylvania. operative purchasing agreement in Pennsylvania. subdivisions have are cooperating in Bucks County and three poi savings have been Pooled their needs in Allegheny County. Const er at least three realized in both cases. Cooperative purchasi g d£tjes in combenefits: (1) Lower and uniform prices for many �■- V f cooperative, of materials and c ontrac (3) Delivery as needed. * . . * edge. Luzerne County communities should explOre f the concept of cooperative purchasing. I parent. don't realize their offspring are PUBLICATION 'i*hi s g ctt c originated in the Institute nfU^Shed monthly as a community service, Notes and inquiries may be addUniClpal Govemment of Wilkes College. °f MuniciPal Government, WUkesr^ V‘ InstitU^ 0 ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania- Once again the Institute of Municipal Government will provide non-degree educational opportunities for elected and ap­ pointed officials. They are presented in cooperation with the Public Service Institute, Department of Public Instruction, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Instruction by the Institute staff is supplemented by guest lecturers. non -credit, J i I I thoughts for today using, DECEMBER 15, 1965 SHORT COURSES "I believe that a general delegation of authority to a fire admi­ nistratorcan be upheld, even though a finger cannot be pointed as a grant of power to do each specific thing, so long as the official does not dis­ criminate classes whichare not based in reason, that his action is rea­ sonable as distinguished frombeing arbitrary, and his actions are direc­ ted toward achieving the desirable intentions of a fire code, 11 said Judge Langtry. The judge cited a number of recent Cases where fire authorities and other city officers have been found by courts to have implied powers beyond those specifically spelled out in charters and codes. A few de­ cades ago, he said, courts most frequently did not rule this way. But "a general liberalization of strict rules of construction with reference to municipal powers is apparent in the field of municipal law. There are two sides to every argument, and they1 re usually married to each other. XIV, NO. 12 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., I FIRE PREVENTION OFFICIALS Fire prevention officials can act in many situations where fire codes do not give them specific powers, an Oregon jurist has stated. But their actions must be reasonable, non-discriminatory, and direc­ ted at achieving the desirable intentions of the code, advised Judge Vir­ gil Langtry of the Multnomah County Circuit Court of Oregon. The jur­ ist addressed the Fire Marshals Association of America on the subject of implied powers of fire marshals. VOL. I | I I During the Spring Semester, the following courses will be pre­ sented: Fundamentals of Fire Fighting -- A course designed for those firemen who wish to qualify as instructors of the fundamentals of fire fighting; Penal Code -- A refresher course for advanced police officers covering the elements of the penal code of 1939 as contained in Penn­ sylvania Criminal Law and Procedure; Councilmen and Commissioners -- A basic course that presents the organization, powers, and functions of borough and first class township governments; Street Maintenance -- An introductory course in the techniques and methods for the proper construction and maintenance of roads and streets; Shelter Managers -- A course for the training of managers for local shelters; Radiolo­ gical Monitors -- A course for the training of radiological monitors for fixed stations and shelters; Civil Defense for Local Directors--A course to provide civil defense directors with the necessary training in their responsibilities as directors; Civil Defense Adult Education - A cours intended to train members of families to meet emergency situations; Basic Auxiliary Police -- A basic course in Police work or iv fense Police. I I I I I I RECREATION CENTER cu. the building - • • -r has accepted The Borough Council of Shickshinny haS the ^ C^g creation Center Recreation knOW”ouncil the officials of and grounds on Main Street formerly know unCu and the from the Shickshinny School Board. , renter for it will provi of the Center for it the Borough are publicly appreciative �the youth ol th. community with an opportunity to engage in a full Pro- lywood, Florida, takes the position that sidewalks should be included in the initial development plans for subdivisions. He points to the fact that many communities throughout the country are requiring sidewalks in subdivisions as a means of providing for community orderliness, good planning, and neighborhood stability. gram of recreational activities. WOULDN'T YOU BE? A reporter inquired of a U. S. Astronaut, "Aren't you sacred when you take these space flights?" The astronaut replied, "On the morning of the shot I get up at 4:00 A. M. , go down to the launch pad, and for an hour and a half I’m getting worked into that suit. I go up in the elevator in that gantry, 17 floors. It takes an hour to get strapped in that position, and all the time realizing that I'm sitting atop the most explosive, most volatile fuel known to man; that in a matter of minutes I shall be 250 miles out in space, going approximately 20, 000 miles an hour. Underneath me there are 14,409 small working parts -- all sup­ plied by the lowest bidder. You're dam right I'm scared. " Opposition to sidewalks often stems from the question of cost. Who will stand the expense of initial construction as well as the cost of cleaning and maintenance? Another point of objection revolves around the defacing of property. In many communities the subject of sidewalks arises after a community is settled and grown to the extent that increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic prompts their consideration. Residents then have serious objection to the destruction of trees, shrubbery, lawns, and driveways which abut on streets. Some of these basic objections are lessened or eliminated when sidewalks are constructed as part of the original street plan. Lower costs result. Ready identification of street lines permits property ow­ ners to develop lawns and driveways in confidence that they will remain undisturbed. The grading of lawns and driveways is also facilitated since the finished sidewalk provides the resident with a guide to the final grade of street property. PRISONER WORK A recent survey conducted by the National A ssociation of County Administrators reveals widely varying practices regarding prisoner workand compensation. Fifty-eight of the seventy-five responding coun­ ties do use prisoner labor at least occasionally. The .type of work ran­ ges from odd jobs around the jail to forest fire fighting and agricultural labor furloughs. Forty-three counties provide compensation, usually in the form of reduced sentences or small daily payments (up to two dollars). Six counties reward work with such incentives as cigarettes, more and better food, and extra visiting hours, Fifteen counties which use prisoner labor do not compensate prisoners in any way. "Getting out of the cage is its own reward, " commented one administrator. There are other advantages to including sidewalks in subdivision construction. Street drainage is controlled, thereby retarding the de­ terioration of pavement and erosion of adjacent land. There can oe more effective planning and installation of utilities when sidewalks id­ entify street limits. From thebeginning, sidewalks will also aid in pre­ venting costly and unsightly edge-of-pavement damage that often results when vehicles are not confined to street right-of-ways. Walkways do much to avoid a ragged appearance that frequently accompanies property development without them. The resultar mity of community appearance, has a tendency to atabilize property value by adding a degree of orderliness and stability which provides an SIDEWALKS Sidewalks are a controversial issue in many municipalities. .Advocates claim that th, ey are not only desirable, but are a necessityr in elWoef!1’°rdered COmmunity and should be uniformly required. Opp°n" ents often argue that it ic uneconomical and unwise to require sidein.oPOgraPhiM1. ---- uuse variations intopog actually injurerather than Sidewalks ■ in some instances, nity interests. an benefit Property values and over-all commu- Neno John SpaagnaleDPPearing in * r~" recent issue of "Street Engineering, 1 P g a, Director of Planni: inning and Zoning Department in Hoi- tive for property improvement. i Where do Luzerne County municipalities stand on thi , g.s of sidewalks in initial community development? Periap-, e nreof municipal subdivision regulations in Luzerne Count;'d^^e the num_ Pared by the Luzerne County Planning Commission ot subdivision regulations requiring sidewalks. s°ry examination of subdivision ordinances show a in quiring sidewalks ? such a curr 777-11 �FACTORS IN LAND USE the Nation is onthe the demand threshold a masLand use experts ,be beve^ ble or triple forofland fOr sive recreation boom that come fromforests and farms withsuch purposes. Most of tn nters. but some may come from city in easy access of “rb^/^National Institute of Farm and Land Brokers. L H Bushart, president of the Institute, said the trend for more recreational land has just begun and will be accelerated by four factors. These Bushart identified in a recent speech c ■ . ’ as the -population < ------- 1 explosion, ■* the Nathe trend toward urban living that will double the population of tion's cities by the year 2000, high speed expressways and iimproved vehicles of transportation, and the spread of more leisure time by means of "the gradual steady decrease in the hours of the work week. " WATER BILLS c Customers may pay their water bills in Kingsport, Tennessee as much as a year in advance, and receive interest on the prepayments at the rate of 3% per annum. The city will save four cents on postage alone every time it does not have to mail out a monthly bill, which is 2% of the $2 minimum monthly bill for inside-city customers, Other savings in billing and bookkeeping costs are also anticipated. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Middle age is the time in life when your're still young, but only once in a while. Nothing is better for baldness than getting used to it. Christmas Club: What you save to o pay for last year's giftsl PUBLICATION This News-letter, originated in the Institute of Mu'161- monthly as a community service, Notes and inquiries i— ’ maybe addUmC1Pal Government of Wilkes College. of Municipal Government, ■ Wilktr5; t0 Dr- HuS° V. Mailey, Institute ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. qpeennqs I �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletters and Institute for Regional Affair Newsletters, 1952-1975 Subject The topic of the resource Political Science; Luzerne County; Institute for Regional Affairs; Wyoming Valley Description An account of the resource A collection of newsletters created by the Political Science Department at Wilkes College from 1952-1975 for Luzerne County and later the Institute for Regional Affairs. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department (Hugo Mailey) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1952-1975 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletters Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletter, 1965 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1965 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletter https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/bd078e50cca65b5a2f623444bea8c304.pdf 6a0ac1f5bc803f8653ff5c9716c1713d PDF Text Text ■ Vr. >4i3L<t ��Kes Cihge litan LIBRARY WTLKES-BARRE PENNSYLVANIA �pA* * archives ,7<^ Ji wi^ES pfiGP’ ^5 *^1 p4 H V, 13) Z3' sH2Si a:OuS.s^ ent Govefn^ elect* eS ^°r witP ? of instil®. ti° nal Commc ‘il,tbee educa1 res eihe d in true*1 ^eaga:<■degree lemenl Ins is supp ...:> 11011 They are P of P*bliC staff .rd institute the :^stitute,toStr»etio» by co°Peratl°C ■■ >1- f r the following courses , the «“”STiTf rue Fighting - A course design. -ld!T!oUwy as instructors of the fundamen yXXXs -- A general review of the powers -islilities of elected school official s; Smal L Arms .inthecare and use of the revolver, including fil ’i".shipSupervisors -- A general course that reviews -dresponsibilities of elected township officials- Yc ^V^in’Uen? COntro1 for law enfor. Count, a„detheUDen'» Sp°nSorshiP of 1 Department of Public Wei CONTEST . Mii^ ok the success of Chamber of I Co nine y eatr s of /Mw^uroto stimulate annual H^Mears, beginni mmerceand its co - ' develo -spons ing January 1, 1964 and Ldary j St2?ms teve li year period contest er '"■MW. ct^hs. -sted on the Official cot^p" th e P^rti Inco— projects V community this Vno-ocai ’j W.“"S t0 ^»tds°is ,to d • C ^vill ' ete rthine 6ting of Your corr you Lize �S COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. , JANUARY 15, 1964 VOL. Xni, NO. 1 SHORT COURSES Once again the Institute of Municipal Government will provide non-credit, non-degree educational opportunities for elected and ap­ pointed officials. They are presented in cooperation with the Public Service Institute, Department of Public Instruction, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Instruction by the Institute staff is supplemented by guest lecturers. During the Spring Semester, the following courses will be pre­ sented: Fundamentals of Fire Fighting -- A course designed for those firemen who wish to qualify as instructors of the fundamentals of fire fighting; School Directors -- A general review of the powers, duties and responsibilities of elected school officials; Small Arms -- An introduc­ tory course in the care and use of the revolver, including firing for rec­ ord; Township Supervisors -- A general course that reviews the powers, duties and responsibilities of elected township officials; Youth Control -- A practical course in delinquency control for law enforcement offi­ cers. This course is offered under the sponsorship of the Juvenile Court of Luzerne County and the Department of Public Welfare. BETTER-COMMUNITY CONTEST Building on the success of nine years of annual contests, the Pennsylvania State Chamber of Commerce and its co-sponsors have re­ vised the program to stimulate local community development and to co­ ver two calendar years, beginning January 1, 1964 and ending December 31, 1965. During this two-year period contest participants must c°mplete the projects they have listed on the Official Entry blank to ob­ tain maximum point credits. Incomplete projects will score esser Points in the judging. I determine what your community needs The first thing to do is to meeting of your citizens and reprein th,eway of improvements. Call a 67913 �INTER-COUNTY RELATIONSHIPS community's needsand seDiscuss __ your sentatives ol all civic groups 1964 and 1965. l.ct the projects you will work on in 1. Having decided on your co-sponsoxM 6 g--r3 and sub-commit­ co-sponsoring groups tees and the jobs they are to do, do, you're you'r well on your way. At this point, be sure to mail in the Official Entry Blank with the projects listed. This must be postmarked not later than April 1, 1964. should be parceled out to sub-committees and other ProjectsThese groups, working under one central organization, civic groups. civicmake groups. will it easier for a community to accomplish its objectives in the contest period; and will also make for a well-rounded community with civic, agricultural and industrial improvements to report as achieve­ ments. Appoint a contest chairman to keep track of the various pro­ jects and accomplishments. He should oversee the taking of before and after photographs of your projects. Pictures before the various committees start working on improvements and after they have com­ pleted their jobs will offer visual evidence to the judges on what has been done. The chairman should also accumulate newspaper clippings and other material. News items should be marked with the name and date of the newspaper. I If some one were to Sum up in a , meeting of Luzerne and Lackawanna 0^7 acc°mplishments ,ight well be termed, "A New Approach Civic representative! of the itold problem, " of course, is that of the time ° ” 01d Problem'" The II lousy and rivalry which has existed primarT0?8^ feeHng of jeaWilkes-Barre and Scranton, and in a lesser d etWeen the cities of and Lackawanna counties. The "new approach^66’ between Luzerne Mayor Slattery and Mayor William Schmidt f aptly defined bY attention upon a vital need for both their mJcini?0"’ “ focusing spirit of cooperation. nunicipalities - an improved With both communities and counties facing the same common problems, it is time for leaders of both the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys to make a reappraisal of their problems, of their efforts to solve them independently, as well as the tremendous loss of time, mo­ ney and energy which could be eliminated, at least in some fields of ci­ vic betterment, if such tasks were undertaken jointly. Primarily under discussion at the meeting of the two mayors, along with representatives of city and county planning commissions, urban development, regional industrial development and affiliated agen­ cies, was the problem of public transportation. Toward the end of the contest period, get in all reports from all committees and co-sponsors. Have this material re-written into one consolidated report which will beyour Record Book of Progress. In other fields of cooperative effort, the list isalmost inexhausti­ ble - mine drainage programs, sewage treatment, need for new indus­ tries to create more jobs, inter-city and inter-state highways linking the communities of both counties, uniform zoning restrictions, to men­ Every community in Pennsylvania is eligible to participate in this contest, including sub-divisions of large cities. However, only one entry per community or sub-division will be accepted. Entrants may be a Chamber of Commerce; an organization with similar functions; or any association of men or women interested in community betterment. A special group may be formed for the specific purpose of engaging in this contest. tion only a few. The contest period is from January 1, 1964 to December 31, 1965. Record Books showing the varied local promotions must be re­ ceived not later than midnight March 1, 1966, by the Better-Community Contest Committee, Pennsylvania State Chamber of Commerce, 222 N. Third Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 17101. Regional, state-wide and special award winners will be announced on or before June 1, 1966. Presentation of awards will be made by a member of the contest committee or a person designated for the purpose. The time has come when neither the municipalities of Luzerne °r Lackawanna County can afford to keep on the way they are going, under separate actions and independent thinking. (Reprint: Editorial, Wilkes-Barre Record, January 11, 1963) jointpurch^I^ . the Regional Cooperation Seven local governments ^^“^^ia, have prepared Council of Lower Bucks County, Pen" ? mater ials and iaterials and suppheS dfications for joint purchase of cer }964 and 1965. �-— - Pipe; trac gas. mixes, and, oils’ storm —and calcium; cinders: gateS’ ndamotoPr oil; fuel oik concre and janitorial suppl^ f01inieine paint: hig^Y ationS is a tabulation of approximate qUan. nanvingthebid specifica :■ y.“ estimates it will use during the Tf “S„ ot«■’ “'cutive board °c ,he *'■ xs X“»iu bemadetotbe,lo'"'at- gicnri Co»P“’ti“ rC°“.ch sponsible bidder for eacn awarded the entire busin item. Ordering materials municipality. VOL. XIIL NO. 2 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA IMPORTANT DATES February 10 (B. Bristol a»d Morrisville. This is the second tvo-y.ar joint agreement entered into by the Council. The previous agreement, covering 1962 and 1963, resulted in savings estimated at $16,000 per year. MISCELLANEOUS An automatic recorder monitors telephone complaints as well as radio calls to the mobile emergency crews of the water, sewer, and street maintenance branch of the Greater Winnipeg Water and Sanitary Winnipeg, Manitoba. This system is a sure way to keep the record aight on all customer complaints and emergency operations handledI over the telephone. (Willing Water, March, 1962.) to ^artT^T^stio^^ thoughts Committee; What FFp 1 Send Form MERB-20 and January payroll deductions to the Municipal Employees' Retirement Board 15 FileForm 450-A (Withholding-Old Age Tax) if required; that is, if employees' tax deductions together with employer's tax liability for January exceed $100 1 Cities file annual financial report with the Department of Internal Affairs 10 Send Form MERB-20and February payroll deductions to the Municipal Employees' Retirement Board 15 File Form 450-A (Withholding-Old Age Tax) if required; that is, if employees' tax deductions together with employer's tax liability for February exceed $100 31 Municipal Water Authorities and municipal water depart­ ments file Form 6 with the Department of Internal A March a Sewage treatment plant can be used cals and assuring earlv J hUS SaVlng the c°stof neutralizing chemiJanuary, 1962.) pr° UCtaon of sludge gas. (Wastes Engineering, lost. FEBRUARY 15, 1964 eparate item. Thue, one supplier bc municipalltles participating ln that ts are the responsibility of each FOR TODAY 31 y°u refer a bill to when you hope it will get 31 About the only exerciq °f Internal Affairs °me people get is jumping to conclusions. 31 publication T1jis News-lett, originated :er> Published r.; an"d the Institut, monthly as a community service. Notes ’ and inquiries r- I Government of Wilkes Collegeof Municipal G; aadre Uovernm. 7 ssed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute ”lent. Wilke College, Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania- mayb7a2*unicipal Municipal electric utilities file Form 3 with the Department 31 Motor vehicle registration for non-commercialvehicles ex pires Return affidavit certifying number of police employed per month during previous year to Auditor General's Office �CITY MANAGERS The council-manager growth in 1963 as 8 a i ,g now used by 954 communities Canada adopted the p an. mogt popular form of local government in North American an 1 Q00 and 250, 000 population. Over onein American cities between 2!5, 0“ on group are council-manager half of all American cii , Directory of Council-Manager Cities," soonStoabCeCprubHfhed by the International City Managers' Association. Leading the states with additions to the Council-Manag er Directory in 1963 was California with 16 communities followed by Pennsylvania with 12. Nine communities were added in Michigan, and four cities and one county in North Carolina. Five new council-manager communities were reported from Canada. Since 1950 the number of cities using the council-manager plan has increased by an average of 75 per year. Sixteen of the 51 American cities with populations in excess of a quarter-million are council-mana­ ger cities. Four of these have populations over a half-million: San Antonio and Dallas, Texas; San Diego, California; and Cincinnati, Ohio. The largest local government with the council-manager plan is Dade County (Miami), Florida, which has a population of 935, 000. I ■ The council-manager form of government is 56 years old. It star­ ted in 1908 when the council of Staunton, Virginia, appointed a general manager. Four years later, Sumter, South Carolina, become the first city in which the plan was adopted by vote of the people. A survey reported in the Directory indicates that most of the men pp inte as managers during 1963 had previous public administrative ser r>e USUally as a manager in another city, an assistant manayeLs of head‘ M°St °f the new aPPointees were under 40 years of age at the time of their appointment. POLICEMEN'S TEN COMMANDMENTS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Ask God to give me the strength to do my duty as it should be done: To improve myself mora y, mentally, physically, and spiritually: To be obedient and carry out all orders frr>™ ™ To protect life and Property: • my suPervlsor: To report for duty' Punctually and To be firm and still be < to be presentable at all times: courteous: respectful at all times: 1 would like to have them treat me: To live my life so as to be a credit to mv n. f To remember always that I am a public P iession 10. to give the best I have in me. servant and 9- am obligated EXCESS CONDEMNATION In our nation, planning, which involv. es the imposition of control exercised by or in behalf of the entity we call society, is bound to encounter the wall of constitutional limitation, One of the prime ? areas of social control is formal or governmental control; this thesis3 deals with one of the less commonly employed means of social, formal --.-1 control, i. e. excess condemnation. Excess condemnation is best defined as the practice of acquisition by public authority under the right of eminent domain of more property than will be actually occupied by the contemplated public improvement The concept of excess condemnationhas no meaning outside of the law of eminent domain, being a portion, an extension of that power. The power of excess condemnation is utilized primarily for three purposes: one is the taking of remnants created by takings for purposes of highway construction or street widening; another is to provide re­ striction and protection for the area arounda great variety of public im­ provements; the final and most controversial, is taking of excess pro­ perty which, following the completion of the public project, will be sold in order to recoup either all or part of the cost of said improvement. The theoretical justification of this latter procedure is the right of the government to provide for itself a part of the unearned increment or the increase in value of property adjacent topublic improvements whichhas been brought about not through an act of the owner, but rather by the development power of the state. The creator of value, not a fortuitous person, should reap the rewards. Excess condemnation has not been extensively usedin the United States. Reasons for this disuse include an emotional antipathy based Reasons for this disuse include an sacramental quality of property rights in our society, an un gOnservatism on the part of city attorneys and solicitors, the nega ive antlc*l nature of the words, the high initial political abuse and manipulation, and the < . 1C1al approbation. Excess condemnation, particularly particular y w k ded fo: by by statute statute rather rather than than constitutional constitutional amendment, amendment tos has been stru dov7 b/ the courts under the doctrine of public' use. use The n « do trine lneof Public use, -use by the public," is an anachronism rebunedby "use by the public," i«»» housing, legal acceptance of■ a broad concept of public publtc bene i i Th. etslum clearance, and redevelopment cases in the �in addition to eliminating the le. feet of these cases in redevelopment ’attack excess condemnation, aiSo gal doctrine which had been used to for eXercise of the powers of excess eliminated much of the necessity al cloud which hung over excess concondemnation. In actuality, the.engotbeen lifted since no court which had ---------demnation for over aa <century ' — has'ubiic use has ever reversed its holding, doctrine of pu excess condemnation violates the applied the the narrow whether question of °f^ federal Constitution even when provided Moreover n 1 -Fourteenth Amendment of the not been answered. for in a state constitution has ’i excess condemnation has the most The planning activity in which taking of land for protection of right of future is highway planning. The t. restriction of adjacent land is a valway, limitation of remnants, and ■inal land acquisition. uable method of marginal !?’ (Abstract of a thesis by Benjamin H. Renshaw III, Fels Institute of T cal and State Government, University of Pennsylvania. ) road improvement In 1869 the city fathers of New York floated a $377, 500 road im­ provementbond issue. Maturity date was to be year 2147. By that time the 7% interest rate will have cost the city more than $3 million. The two miles of plank road the issue built have long since disappeared. Is there a moral? THOUGHTS FOR TODAY It isn't the load that breaks us down, its the way we carry it. The best place to look for a helping hand is at the end of your arm. If there's on--e thing that will make your wife's eyes twinkle, mink H- VOL- XIII, NO. 3, WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, pa MARCH 15, 1964 LOCAL OFFICIALS' DINNER The Institute of Municipal Government at wiv hold a bi-monthly dinner for local officials in th C°Uege wiH Wednesday, March 18, 1964, at 6:30 p m Th f 1 kes Commons on the evening will be Mr. James B. Post who winX^^ County’s Reassessment Program,” uss> Luzerne The amount of money received from the real estate tax, local government's most important source of revenue, depends upon three factors: the assessed valuation of real estate, the tax rate, and the pro­ portion of total taxes that is actually collected. The making of assess­ ments in Luzerne County is really a County rather than a local govern­ ment function. At the heart of local government's financial structure is the whole Assessment Program. In 1957, the Luzerne County Commissioners adopted a Reassess­ ment Program in order to remove the inequities then existing. Because delays were endured over the last six years in the adoption of the Re­ assessment Program, pressures were built up over inequities and dis crimination. The new County administration, under the chairmanship °f Mr. Post, has the adoption of the Reassessment Program as one of its primary goals, Mr. Post will be accompanied to this bi-month y meeting on March 18th by his colleagues Mr. Goss and Mr. Wi email, the Board of Assessors, and the new Mapping Director, Mr. Flattery won't hurt a man, so long as he doesn't inhale. jfUZERNE COUNTY BOROUGHS ASSOCIATION MEETING PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community serviceoriginated in the Institute of >CollegeMunicipaltoGovernment Notes and inquiries may be addressed o- •-of Wilkes ' nnsy^ va" Instil6 of MunicipalGovernmt.«s College, Wilkes-Barre, ernrv, . , —-oocu co Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, ernment, Wilkes ~ ” ,nia- The Luzerne County Boroughs Association will hold its meeting ■-*1 18, 1964, at the Wilkes College Commons following the 6:30 March T- M. meeting of local officials All boroughs in the County should be ^Presented at the meeting. Dinr_ Among the items to be . are the Annual election of ° of the Institute of Municipal and the A of the “-a Luzerne County Boroughs As®.ation of Boroughs, Conventi on of the Pennsylvania As so �ofth«P«»»»vw“laAsS0Cla,i°n of Boroughs. Convention of the r INSTITUTBCOMPIUN2 mailing list c the Luzerne County Newsletter, published The mailing list for ™ ernment. must necessarily be brought bv the Institute of Municipal This task can only be successfully comup to date after each e ec'■' municipalities. pleted with the assistanc . . .nnreciate the cooperation of all municipals The Institute w<°Uforwarded to us its list of officials. Please do ties which have not yet that the mailing list of the Institute can be ups0as soon as possible so dated. CONSOLIDATED INSURANCE POLICIES ings on cies. Orange, California, (pop. 35, 000) has realized substantial savcity insurance by negotiated proposals and consolidation of poli- The procedure did not involve employment of an insurance ana­ lyst, use of sealed bids, and other formalities. Instead, a letter was sent to each local insurance agent pointing out that the city had 24 poli­ cies with 13 different anniversary dates and that their evaluations and tentative quotations were desired for better coverage at less cost. The appropriate financial and statistical data were enclosed with the letters. Only four proposals were received, and these were checked to arrive at a firm consensus on appropriate coverage. It was decided to place all insurance in three groups: fire insurance; surety bond premiums; Final’ liability, comprehensive, burglary and robbery, and all other. Fl-listings then were prepared and each of the four agencies was asked to quote firm premiums for the coverages shown. "all other" group hav **7® been dramatic. Premiums for the with greater coverage and fu red^Ced from $18, 904 to $15, 590 per year bonds’ with city council ° pollCles replacing six policies. On surety e annual premiums have b ^°r rea^Snrnent of some coverage, .7™ P°licies one polir,eeiLredUCed from $6> 607 to $2’ 07-6’ and e 10 fire insurance poHc’ eg°tiations are now under way to con- H tcies mto one policy. ^-ntagi1^^-this method , qeveral of informal negotiation ha ork' lng out exact cove forna'.al al procedures, including flexibility in task in prenarges-Lbetter — relations with local agents, and an preParing specificati| —ions. oraltests for publicpersonnelse^ The process of selecting employees 1 by means of competitive examinations, a process originating with the L j beginning of the merit >is the cornerstone of the public personnel' system „.„1 program. The exami nation system evolved not only as a result of the abuses of patronage but also because of its inherent merits. C Competitive examinations have wed to be a successful method in determiniiig^eTaHve pro1 ___ j competence ,ointment. for apP' The oral testis being used increasingly in public service exami ning programs as an integral part of an examination process which may include written, performance, and oral tests, as well as an evaluation of experience and training. It is most frequently used for higher job levels, when public contact is required of the appointee and where the position will require supervision of other employees. Its primary func­ tion is to measure such personal characteristics as initiative, poise, tact, sociability, vocal expression, presentation of ideas, comprehen­ sion, and potential leadership ability. Oral tests are usually one of two types. An individual oral test where each candidate is interviewed by a panel of two to four examiners is the most commonly used type of oral test. The group oral test, a more recent development in oral testing, differs from the individual oral test in that a group of candidates are seen at one time rather than individually, and the candidates interact with each other rather than with the examiners. not impossible to develop in the individual oral e fore reveals some factor not observa e in . , oraj testas a follow leveland supervisory positions using the in i Rd basis for evaluation, np to the group oral test provides a more va The effectiveness and value of the oral rate the can- the abilities of the interviewers who con uc examiners is of prime didates. Therefore the selection and trainl”“ x agencies consist o importance. Training activities of mos P holding brief sessions. Providing written material to the exami excellent training devi Practice interviewers have proved to be •al test is effective to the wherever id that the or: in summary it may be sa: -n important instrument degree it is used properly and is an essentialonsidered to be tests °f personal attributes are cc — �commonwealth vs BUTLER of the city of Pittsburgh Pension Fund, The executive secretarydirectors of the pension fund, was employee hired by the.b0 false pretenses and embezzlement charged with misbehavior in use of a fictitious name, a sum of because he had withdrwan, y^ time thig was done, the defendent money from the pension tun he had withdrawn> The had on deposit with tne relating to embezzlement and false pre­ Grand Jury ignored the coun relating to the charge of misbehavior tenses, but returned a then filed a motion to quash the in­ in office. Counsel for the dictment. The Court of Quarter Sessions of Allegheny County ruled that a city employee, the nature of whose employment does not meet the stan­ dards of a "public officer, " cannot legally be charged with the crime of "misbehavior in office." An employee, hired by the board of directors of the city pension fund, having no fixed term, receiving no fees or em­ oluments, and performing duties that were purely ministerial in char­ acter and not defined by law, is not a "public officer. " Consequently, the court granted the defendant's motion to quash the indictment charging him with misbehavior in office. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Youhave to doyour own growing — no matter how tall your grandfather is. I takes a long time for some people to recover from an illness --it compensation sets in. publication monthly as a community service, Municipal Government of Wilkes College1 to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. VOL. XIII NO. 4 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-barRE, pa..april15 1964 annual dinner The Twelfth Annual Dinner ffor award winners will beheld at the Wilkes Commons on Wednesday, May 13, 1964 at 6:30 P. M. This will be a gala occasion for local officials and local employees in Northeastern Pennsylvania, particularly in government Luzerne The dinner really brings to a climax the activities in local ...J County government which the Institute of Municipal Government has conducted over the pastyear. The main speaker of the evening will be the Honorable Henry D. Harral, Secretary of Highways of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Secretary Harral has had a distinguished career in public service and highways as an Advisory Associate at the Fels Institute at the Univer­ sity of Pennsylvania, as Chairman Chairman of of the the Policy Policy Committee Committee of the PennJersey Transportation Study, , , , as both the Deputy Commissioner and the Commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Streets, , and as Execufive Director of the Delaware County Planning Commission, Mr. Harral has been in municipal engineering work since 1924. Llay 13 is Ladies Night. Wives of all those who will receive Certificates of Attainment and Service Awards are cordially welcomed. COMMONWEALTH EX REL. FOXY. SWING, 1962 ship treaCOrnPlaint in quo warranto was filed againsta first class townsurer, who had been elected to the office of county commission,er, ; " eging the offices of township treasurer and county commissioner had functio: -uns, duties and responsibilities that were incompatible, and, therefore, the positions were held illegally. The appellant filed preliminary objections to the jurisdiction of the lo. *Wer court contending that the power to determine whether or not two Public offices are incompatible is vested in the legislature (Article XII, Sectio:'n 2, Pennsylvania Constitution of 1874) and that the question �decided by the courts. The preliminary cannot be - - argumentt and appellant was given 20 of incompatibilitydismissed after taken to the Supreme Court of An appeal was tobjections were answer. i— days to file an Pennsylvania The Supreme Court ruled, in November, 1962, that the offices „f county commissioner and township treasurer ... not ine»mpatible Of county declaring them to be incompatible. The ConXTon ofTennsylvania, in declaring that "The General Assembly may by law declare what offices are incompatible " has provided the method of declaring what offices are incompatible. Therefore, the courts have no power to hold offices to be incompatible merely because the legis­ lature has failed to act. The order of the lower court was reversed and the action dismissed. PENNSYLVANIA V. MC HUGH, 1962 " > Pennsylvania Supreme Court reversed On March 13, 1962, the Commonwealth Court which had held that the public judgment of the C-------irom Pennsylvania Selective Sales and Use Tax didnot apply with respect to the purchase of materials for use in constructing new public utility facilities. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's opinion squarely holds that materials purchased for use directly in rendering a public utility service as exempt from Pennsylvania Selective Sales and Use Tax, regardless of whether such materials are for use in recon­ structing and maintaining existing facilities or in construction of new fa­ cilities. The exemption may be claimed either by the public utility or by the construction contractor. . . S°rne companies may already have paid the tax on purchases of decision °r use ianew construction in reliance upon the lower court's Revenue o” January 10 N°’ 25 DePartment °f fund with the Pennsylvania D C°mPanles maY file petitions for refrom the date of payment of t®Partment of Revenue within five (5) years The Supreme Court ruled that of the panel can be advisory only> P mental authorities). This is employees, f (although the recomm 68’ " £ not endations have no means of negotiatinga emPloyees, unlike ° T^^ with‘heir i r '"W-r. employer •»« .er™. employment, a governmental unit lacks the power tn J° ?e future- In most instances, terms of a contract. P tO blnd ^elfto its employees bythe through collective bargaining, settin/f including wages, for a npecin’dp:"^ Grievances affecting municipal employees, therefore, are not merely the day-to-day complaints which. normally rare settled by the grievance procedure in the industrial context, Rather, in the governmental situation, these grievances also c __ concern the main elements of an employee relationship, matters which in the industrial situation are determined in the collective bargaining agreement. Therefore, > to deny municipal employees the right to invoke grievance machinery to present demands concerning wages, hours and working conditions would be to defeat the entire purpose of the Anti­ Strike Act. The provision of this facility for discussion is designed in no small measure to compensate for the inability to strike. SUN OIL CO. V. ZONING BOARD OF PITTSBURGH, 1961 An application for permission tobuild an automobile service sta­ tion on a heavily-traveled main highway in Pittsburgh was turned down because the zoning ordinance required that major vehicular access points for such a thoroughfare must be at least 300 feet apart. The oil company objected to this on the ground that it would force them into un­ necessarily large sites. However, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court up­ held the regulation on the ground that "Adequate distance between ac­ cess points tends to avoid the likelihood of congestion on the station driveways, and to prevent situations where vehicles waiting to enter pr trude into the highway traffic lanes. " ^^^jBjLZIGHTERS LOCAL NO, 1 V. BARR, 1962 The Supreme Court of P _----- common Pleas All u ennsY^vania reversed the order of the Court of Cc------ —s seeking t^ <~'ount3r> which had dismissed a compiaint in mandamus e Public Emn? COrnPel the city to submit to the grievance procedure in th. mand for a wageformula tying°yeIS Anti‘Strike Act, the firemen's dein the City. e wages of the firemen toother wageS DONAHUE V. WHITEMARSH TOWNSHIP, 1963 Pennsylvania Supreme Court decisions in I960, J9*1 aadJ^ ; meaning of the statutory presented --J a slowly evolving discussion of the ------ o accordance wi withi aa enaent that zoning ordinances be adopted adopted in in accordance require^. _ c°mprehen‘ isive plan. �H lllwo uO QW policy approach. Nevertheless, a number of cases hadbg.' started through the courts, basing their zoning attacks upon the absence of a master plan document. The Donahue case is one of those cases. Whitemarsh Township amended its zoning ordinance to authorize an apartment house district but did not designate any such district on the zoning map until six weeks later. Objectors attacked the amendments on the ground that they crea­ ted an invalid floating zone, but the Supreme Court upheld the amend­ ments by pointing out that no step-by-step procedure for obtaining rezoriing had been inserted in the ordinance, as was done in the Eves case ordinance. Thus the importance of shrewd ordinance draftsmanship was underscored. The Whitemarsh apartment amendment also showed good draftsmanship in that it contained an articulate declaration of in­ tent, upon which the court relied. In answer to the objectors' argument that a separate master plan was required, the Court pointed out that a comprehensive plan can be embodied in the general zoning ordinance itself, thus again indicating that the legal comprehensive plan requirement mandates only a consis­ tent policy approach. VOL. XIII, NO. 5 WILKES COLLEGE, • In j y Wilkes-barre, pa., - MAY 15, 1964 .ANNUAL dinner The Institute of Municipal Government culminated another suc­ cessful year of activity with the Twelfth Annual Awards Dinner for local officials in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Certificates of Attainment were presented to 187 men and women who completed the following courses offered by the Institute: Rural Assessment, School Directors, Small Arms, Township Supervisors, Arson Detection, Criminal Investigation, Fundamentals of Fire Fighting, and Magistrates - Criminal Law. An additional 56 officials and employees received certificates in Police Handling of Youth. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Isn't it too bad that World conditions success makes failures out of so many men. today are a direct result of mess psychology. About all the average person learns from his be an exPert in making mistakesis howto J excuses. pubucation This News-letter, originated in the Instituti published r~ monthly as a community service, Notes and inquiries r~ e _of Municipal -----1 Government of Wilkes Collegemay be addressed to Dr. I’ _ --------- - ’ * lvaniaof Municipal Government, Wilk, Hugo V. Mailey, Institute ~ —,;es College, ---Wilkes-Barre, Pennsy Service Awards were presented to 24 officials and employees for their experience and untiring efforts as public servants in.their com­ munities. Persons receiving the awards were: Stanley Meholchick, Ashley School District; Edwin F. Henry, Central Luzerne Jointure; Elliott Miller, Courtdale School District; Harold Brobst, Dallas Bor­ ough; Peter Wanko, Edwardsville School District; Angelo Russo, Exeter Borough; Henry Nork, Fairview Township; Roger J. Kirkhuff, Forty Eort Borough; W. C. Wint, Hanover School District; John Emanuel, Hanover Township; George Bulford, Jackson Township School District; Christopher C. Gowran, Jenkins Township; Frank Green, Jermyn Schoo ^trict; Ralph Schmoll, Kingston Borough; Nellie J. Brown Laflin School District; Oscar Wagner, Nescopeck Borough; Clarence P. Shat ?kesc°Peck School District; Simon Russin, Plains Township Sheldon Plymouth Borough; Stephen R. Francis Ecker, °u§h; Wilb >urT. Nauman, White Haven School District *fanci s V. Murphy, and Clement W. Perkins, Wilkes-Barre G y lhot*ias, j �BUSINESSMEN'S ROLE IN URBAN RENEWAL Although there is unanimous agreement that the United S faces a severe urban crisis, the majority of our cities either lim ^es with a do-nothing policy or at best get a meaningless surface c °n® treatment. The reason for this bungling approach, to put it blunti*16^ the lethargy of the American businessman. In an area of com *S vital self-interest, it appears that free enterprise is pro • eX an<^ neither free nor enterprising, but timid, passive, and defeatist^ 2tSe^ few exceptions, it has been government that has taken the ' urban revitalization. 1111 laUve in Now that government has opened the door, the public should de­ mand that all attributes associated with free enterprise--daring, imagi­ nation, creativity, the willingness to take risks--come to the forefront to push the slow bureaucratic process into speedier action. In the framework of a free democratic society the task of revitalizing our cities can be accomplished only by the bold efforts and intimate partner­ ship of both government and free enterprise. The few experiences with government-busines s partnership for urban revitalization suggest the following guiding principles for free enterprise: 1. Business must take the lead, for the businessman has most to gain from urban renewal. 2. The presence of influential business figures on revitaliza­ tion committees blocks opposition from less influential sources. RULES SET FOR WAGE tax COLLECTION Representatives of the City of Wilv T- $10 levied by all three communities, it wa"?*1011 tax which hadT*' It will was b/ be adopted whereby the tax deduction a standarl fo^m ted whereby the tax deduction will b a standard identification form will be pay. A standard identification wiU ‘he employee" show that he had paid the tax. 0 the employee to Agreement was also reached on regulations to govern such workers whose jobs change between communities, such as construction workers, bakery truck drivers, and ■< insurance agents. It was decided that if a person's office were in i a community not levying the tax, he would still be obliged to pay it if he earned at least $800 annually in „ he any community carrying the tax. All three communities ragreed upon a standard method of recordkeeping. The tax office of each a community will determine who had paid by checking tax receipts with names and addresses in directories, The payment is mandatory for all workers who earn $800 annually, whether they be self-employed or not. The tax is binding regardless of occupation. It is the employer's duty to determine if their employees will earn more than the minimum amount during the calednar year. If em­ ployers are iin dotibt, they , may withhold the tax, and those who do not meet the $800 requirement will1 receive a tax refund. 3. Financial support provided by businessmen multiplies the effects which government revitalization efforts can achieve. WHERE DO THEY FIND THE SPACE? 4. Businessmen must realize that flowerpots are not enough; simple city < ’ beautification measures, as opposed to full-scale revitalization, are aboutt as effective as treatment of cancer by aspirin. 5. Above /' all, businessmen i----- 1 " * ernment officials. must work hand-in-hand with govNeither should attempt to go-it alone. (Excerpt from Harvard Business Review, May-June, 19&3) An analysis of more than a million auto trips in Pittsburgh indi­ cates that 93% parked free. About 38% found space on the street; 25% lots, 1% in garageSj and 28% on residential property. Half of the 7% who paid to park used street meters... . The parking indus ry’ 2*_the fastest growing chain operations in the U.S. , is currently doing $350 r •” million worth of business. The largest such company, w lalizes in —i airport lots, operates 94 facilities in 55 citie �REFUSE DISPOSAL „ l recently conducted a special refuse of Oregon The University• 100, ooo“ in population. The larger cities oi th. survey of cities over d generally have regulations which prohibit United States, it was f discarded tires and building materials and waste the open burning information provided by 38 cities in response to the oil, according to .prohibited. Disposal of waste oil in sewer systems also is generally oquestionnaire. L VOL. XIII, NO. 6 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA-> JUNE 15, 1964 regulated or ] A majority of responding cities assume some responsibility for disposing of waste tires and waste building materials. Ten cities re­ port full or partial responsibility for waste oil disposal. The limited number of cities with responsibility for waste oil disposal may be par­ tially due to the extent to which this material is reclaimed. Discarded tiresand building materials are generally disposed of in sanitary landfills. However, most of the cities utilizing this method report that it is not entirely satisfactory. Some cities incinerate dis­ carded tires and building materials and report this to be a satisfactory method of disposal. Waste oil is collected and reclaimed by private agencies in most cities. Discarded tires are also salvaged by private agencies in a number of cities. Two cities report that waste oil is used to hold dust on roads. HENRY D. HARR AT. Speaking at the Twelfth Annual Awards E‘ Dinner of the Institute of Municipal Government, Secretary of Highways I’ L. „ 3 Henry D. Harral announced the creation of a State Highways Commission to develop a sixyear construction program for the Commonwealth so that county countv and mu­ nicipal governments will be able to plan road construction projects in their areas. He reported that the Highway Department is engaged in a comprehensive statewide classification study of all 105, 000 miles of roads, streets, and highways in the State and local systems. The pur­ pose of the comprehensive analysis is to set the criteria for the place­ ment of roads, standardize construction and maintenance, and develop a financial plan involving the allocation of revenue according to class. (The Street Cleaner, May, 1964, Vol. 48, No. 4) THOUGHTS FOR TODA Y Women can keep a secret just as well as men, but it generally takes more of them to do it. Experience is what makes your mistakes so familiar. publication This News-letter ki • originated in the Institute oA/ ^ m°nthly as a community service, of°wS and inquiries may be adri™101^1 Government of Wilkes College. Municipal Government, Wilk^ru t0 Hu§o Mailey, Institute 0 lege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. "For the first time there will be an announced program of what is within the Department's resources so that cities, boroughs, towns and counties can proceed with their highway planning with a good idea of when the Department will come into local areas. That means we have to work together. This concept means there must be a complete mesh­ ing of State and local desires to accomplish a complete and adequate highway program. " they were In the past, highways were judged a. equate if attrac tive. safe, The convenient, swift, smooth, economical, P regarding the adequacy new philosophy, according to Secretary ’ adds promoting of highways" not only includes the above but als^ c economical health of an area, m se^VWgconforming to communi y sources enhancing urban values, an in sign. Secretary Harral described highways as as the the "adhesive that ti aU tria_nsport modes together. "An airport without highways leading to lt could n°t be used. A railroad station without opportunity t^brmg goods nd people to it would not be helpful. Even water tra P ave roads that come to it. " �APPALACHIA PLAN_ Governor Scranton — coupled with prompt A personal appeal by resulted in the addition of $10. 62 million Presidential approval - has td rFederal-State economic development pro­ for coal regions to a propose's five-point program to get rid of for coair s Governor' gram for Appalachia. Th. . included in the Appalachia proposal to « begin > million in Pennsylvania alone. If Congress agrees, the money estimated to cost $436. 25 Pennsylvania's 210,000 acres of strip pits are so ugly that they repel tourists and keep industry away. In addition, they are a sourceof aJd drainage which pollute streams and create waste which could be­ come a valuable land resource, both recreational and industrial. At an estimated cost of $500 per acre in the anthracite fields, nearly 1, 000 acres are now being restored eachyear by the State on its own. If funds are made available by Congress under the Appalachia program, the job could be done five times as fast. The immediate impact would be a boost of from 1, 000 to 5, 000 acres to be rehabilitated during fiscal 1964-65. I Currently, 27 underground mine fires areburning in Pennsylva­ nia — endangering human life, destroying surface property, and driving industry away from the hard-hit coal regions. Since 195 3, some 45 oth­ er fires have been extinguished at a cost of $250, 000 annually in State funds, plus additional $150,000 a year from the Federal government. Today, a major urbanrenewal project is underway in Carbondale where about 404 families in a 100-acre area have been affected by a major un­ derground mine fire. At Laurel Run, an underground mine fire that has been burning for fifty years threatens 181 homes, parts of Wilkes-Barre Township and the City of Wilkes-Barre. The urban renewal formula again will be used to evacuate residents, clear the area, put out the fire, and rehabilitate the land. Inclusion of an allocation for burning fires in the Appalachia program means the problem can be attacked in other are­ as where the fires are fully as dangerous. . A major factor which has deterred industrial expansion in Pennsylvania1 ’ 7 ' Jregions is the danger of surface subsidence above abandoned coal mines, Because of this, the surface gives way, building5 collapse, feWer UneS are destroyed, and families forced to flee their hoi ustry, which could take up some of the unempl°y ment slack, shuns ■ns such areas. Since 1953, Pennsylvania already ha5 treated 49 such < back in to mines in as in the bituminous fields by flushing fill material ,u,^’e5 °^co^apse. Eight similar areas have been completed in the anthracite fields. Presidential approval already ba been given to a requested $1 miUion ventive measures on a long-ramm k approPriatiOn tn $700, 000 to be used in urban renewal^18 " as WeH as C°ntlnue Pfewould step up Pennsylvania's own fij^0^8, Egression additional still remaining to be treated in the bkum” Subsidence approval the hard coal regions. ummous fields, r>lu_ 7 areas P Us others in Long deplored by Pennsylvania outdoo as the major disease that has killed some 2 GoSTT11 Conservationists acid mine drainage must be cured. Action 63 °f State strean>s, abandoned mines and build effective plants P^°grams to both seal off or treat acid mine drainage also are needed" Pr°CeSses to eliminate Appalachia report already contemplates re'searVh^V-that the more economical methods of reducing acid ■ actlvities towards Johnson already has approved Governor Scranton- drainage’ Pre5ident begin practical anti-pollution measures immediatelyPerS°nal appeal to Both Pennsylvania's anthracite and bituminous areas are dotted with hundreds of burning and non-burning culm piles and other spoil banks of the mining industry. All are unsightly, discourage job-cre­ ating industry from locating in the area, use up needed land, and, when ignited, form a serious air pollution health menace. The current count is 25 in the anthracite areas, plus uncounted hundreds of non-burning refuse banks. The Legislature has already appropriated $325, 000 to be used on burning banks, $200, 000 of it to remove "hot spots" and the balance — to be matched by Federal funds — to design, construct and operate a pilot plan for elimination of air pollution. In addition, the Legislature is currently considering a bill appropriating $400, 000 to de­ sign, construct, and operate a cleaning plant to process non-burning refuse to be used as underground fill to prevent mine subsidence. Con gressional approval of an allocation through the Appalachia program will mean that Pennsylvania not only can begin a detailed survey for planne action but can actually spend $2 million of it on removal of both burning culm banks in the next fiscal year. RENTING AUTOMOBILES FOR POLICE USE According to a 1961 survey,done ^^^“^JpaHties have reau of- th, «ie League of Minnesota Municip. . Police Adminisbeen iusing a relatively untried technique in lersfor use in police tration, that of renting automobiles from loca ea ^ce Departments Such a rental system is intended to P^° sa me WOrk« rentai “'"without at the same time burdening with ,.properly purchasing, Pyop,erly equipped squad cars .basing, rf repairing andothMunicipal budgets with irregular cos erwi s maintaining such vehicles. er wise �it was tried in the early 30's, and local of. It was The idea is not new. t has prOven successful. Rental a. The idea is —.rally reporte contain a large number of provificials have genei_„i3 can, and probablys of both the municipality and the les. greements nd define the responsibly^ responsibilities is a crucial first sions ai*— Mutual understanding . of a successful program. sor. towards harmonious reiat step discussion of the car, provision fOr periodic maintenance and servicing, i of police equipment, replacement of gTand'oIl, Insurance, and amount of payment, payment fOr cars, length of contract, method < VOL- XIII. NO. 7 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., JULY 15, 1964 • /ZVXS-bE: Pe URBAN REDEVELOPMENT repair of damages. are “mo““f"m service to repairs and maintenance work, ability to ’.place cars with new equipment more frequently, lite of the rental cars exceeding the usual life of a police car. While the Minnesota and Illinois dealers willingly participate, Kansas municipalities found that their auto dealers were reluctant to provide cars on a rental basis and assume the required risks. Such an attitude is likely to raisethe rentalfees which the dealer s would require. I 1 In summarizing, the only statement that can be made today is that some municipalities have tried the system and have been satisfied with it. Their success coupled with the fact that it provides a method through which some of our cities can obtain police cars without making large capital outlays and without assuming the risk of possible heavy re­ pair costs does seem to recommend that more municipalities might give serious consideration to the advisability of adopting the plan. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Leon E. Hickman, Executive Vice-President and Chairman of the Finance Committee of Alcoa, made a number of constructive remarks, concerning urban redevelopment at the National Mortgage Banking con­ ference held in February 1964 in Chicago. Mr. Hickman's look at urban redevelopment is significant because he sees troubles that need resolv­ ing before renewal activity can become an aggressive generator of urban redemption. While it is impossible to reproduce all of his remarks printed in Urban Land, May, 1964, some pertinent excerpts are worth noting. "Something is plainly wrong. Of 22,000 acres purchased by cities for redevelopment since the federal program began in 1949, only 6,800 acres have been resold to developers. Of the remaining 6,000 acres haven't even been cleared of old buildings; while another 3, 300 acres have been cleared but no redevelopers located. Some 5, 900 acres are cleared and appear close to being sold to redevelopers. Obviously, there are sserious gaps between acquisitions, clearing and redevelop- ment. " ’ie redevelopment "Part of the problem is the responsibility of- th The best place to look for a helping hand is at the end of your arm. agencies. ' «« capable of total redevelopment in one or f. the cancer is but wise, you have only an island; or, to change the figure. Some business partly removed. " careers are carved; others are chiseled. PUBLICATION This News-letter, Institute of Munrnontlaly as a community service, originated in the L. -Jrr naybeadrirJ C1R1G°Vernment of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries ‘ ' cS®d t0 Dr- Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes 0 lege, Wilkes_Barre> Pennsylvania. 1 t of confidence in his to have "A private redeveloper has got U> prOgramslocal redevelopment authority to buy. the community t0 redevelopment authority to buy veloper needs to know that the au -ng the total proje deveiopauthority, are reasonably sure o be cornmits or a gubstanoompletion. He needs confidence oeCific program ove flexnaent which obligates him to build to ncy will berea tial number of years, the redevelop^ �-chedules and in revisions of Program, ible in its insistence upon time sc the original concept to be uneconomic. " where experience indicates a share of the responsibility. Urban "The community also has > be undertakenunless the municipality is or redevelopment ought not to total program. Anything short of that means ganized and dedicated to a I ultimate defeat. " number of such aroused communities and they There are quite a are usually the ones that are staffed with able and dedicated urban re­ ones that are newal officials. Short Short of of such sue total dedication, urban redevelopment is fraught with peril and maybe a vast waste of money. This is not a game for halfway measures and weakly-sponsored programs. " "Our municipalities are so hungry for funds that redeveloped properties are placed placed on the tax rolls at figures which too often simply kill the attractiveness of the project. This happens before the develop­ ment is ever filled up with tenants, before it even gets off the ground. In far too many cases a project teeters between red and black ink de­ pending upon the tax assessment. " "In need as municipalities are of tax revenue, there ought to be a better understanding than now prevails that the early and heavy im­ position of property taxes will in the long run defeat this urban renewal concept and the hoped for improvement of the municipal tax base. If taxes could be imposed at lesser rates in the earlier and more difficult years in recognition of the fact that the developer has got to make a rea­ sonable profit on his development and his management if such programs are to continue, urban renewal would have a much more certain future than in the case today.11 TIPS ON SNOW CLEARANCE Abandoned or stalled vehicles in the streets was a big hindrance to snow clearance efforts last winter in a number of communities. To orestall such a situation the following suggestions were listed in a re cent issues of the Local Government News Letter: Have a municipal ordinance, compliance, requiring cars to have backed up by stiff penalties for non­ ered streets. snow tires or chains on snow-cOV' Request tn ’’ ucking and delivery firms to remain off streets a all.-night snows until they have b een cleared for traffic. Designate vacant areas in COn™ere1al dislricts parking zones where drivers can leave th streets with them. e their . autos rather emergency than block Clear municipal parking lots as -mailable other than on the main roa^0*?8 Possible * so Parking will be ,n av; t will be working. s wherea snow removal equipmenCoordinate all emergency forces , in a special storm center so time can be saveT’/^6’ public works sual or dangerous situations during snows Savedwhen reacting to unu Some Do's and Don't1 s Don't wait to buy new snow equipment until old equipment can longer be repaired. New equipment will be found easier to operaU efficient, and less expensive to maintain. H e’ Don't wait until snow has accumulated several inches before be­ ginning plowing operations. Do purchase chlorides in bulkand store them in or near the same building with spreaders. This puts the vehicle on the road faster; no time is lost in opening bags. Do have rosters of men who would be available for work during snow emergencies. CITY MANAGERS AND SOCIAL CLASS Much more conscious effort must be made to provide for political participation by all social groups in council-manager cities if the plan is *to continu ' -LL.ue its development. This is the major conclusion to be drawn from a a recent recent survey of 74 suburban cities in the Chicago area. The cities were arranged in rank order of median dwelling uni values, and the definite coincidence of high housing drops, a few more n°n-manager cities appear. About halfway down the list, manager an n°n-manager cities are in about the same proportion. Be ow ® rank city in value of housing, all of the remaining 31 are non-manage cities. cities had a higher It appeared that on the average debt per capita, expenditure per capita, a lower net ^ip^ g pattern and high undoubt­ P^Perty taxes per capita. The maj suburban c-------cities which have choedly is th. e greater wealth of many o Sen the council-manager plan. ed to study Citi ®rouPs which have an interest in council-manager plan e Problem of communication with those in the community 67913 �h uld be explained more in detail rather social rank. The ~ •>” b“6iMSS corpota,ionof lower merely using the an? than i— tatus persons have less opportunity to It is stated that lower lection at large is employed. In addition, hold municipal office where 36 ; in lower status groups have relativeit is probable that many persons how they can achieve representation in ly more difficulty understanding The surVey shows some evidence that the the council-manager plan city. T apparent to members of different so- not^ually VOL XII, MO. 8 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE PA- > AUGUST 15, 1964 FOURTH ANNUAL COMMUNITY GR0Wth CONFFp._ benefits of the plan areAdministration nc Review) cial classes. (Public i Youare cordially invited to attend and nartM- miscellaneous „The citizen's Citizen's Part Part in in Crime and Accident Prevention" is the title of a pamphlet issued by the police department of Statesville, North Carolina. The pamphlet lists many useful suggestions for businessmen, housewives, and school children, who, if they fully cooperate with their local police department in following the rulesand suggestions set forth, can substantially reduce the number of crimes and accidents in their community. (FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, May 1962) Police officers who direct traffic on dark streets in Memphis will wear bright orange and white vests, enabling motorists to see them better. (The Municipal South) THOUGHTS FOR TODAY 1964 may go down as the the greatest greatest entertainment entertainment year year ever, what with the World's Fair, two national political conventions and the plunging neckline. Try praising your wife even though it may frighten her at first. PUBLICATION This News-letter of Municipal r m aS a community service, monthly “ngmated in the Institute’ Published mn ma y be addres V Government of Wilkes CollegeNotes and inquiries ’ Wilkes nJ? tO Dr- Hug° V. Mailey, Institute °f Municipal Government, ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania,nia- . . annual community growth conference s College, on Wednesday, September 30, 1964 ° ntheF0URTH e held at Wilkes In an attempt to come to grips with the more pressing problems of our area, the sponsors of the COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE are pleased to provide this unique opportunity to share experiences with nationally known authorities who have been invited and will participate in the CONFERENCE with us. This FOURTH ANNUAL COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE will provide an opportunity for the exchange of ideas among the various organizations and individuals concerned with the solution of the mor e practical problems related to the socialand ec­ onomic well-being of our area. The CONFERENCE will bring together all those people inter ested in planning for the area. It is designed to set a pattern for future cooperative efforts among local government offi­ cials, builders, realtors, industrialists, developers, and interested citizens. gener as W The theme of this yearns CONFERENCE will relate around the Pr°blem of housing and its importance if older communities yoming Valley are to attract new industries. DOES WYOMING VALLEY HAVE A HOUSING PROBLEM: FACT °R myth ? The registration fee ior entitle the registrants to luncheon, coc Proceedings. We sincerely hope that y also urge interested citizens in joining Ibis opportunity. mark this date on your °RTANT MEETING! 00 This will and a »< attend, and tha y will in taking adva of CALENDAR. DON'T MISS THIS �DELgSSiSSi 25, D.C. The new publication offers the followi concerning the use of fluorescent lights: ments < taxes □ T auent taxes for the years 1962 and 1963 total of $96,350 mde Luzerne County Treas_ £cted during the7 ” icipalities willbenefit the most from this a WaS C°qchooldistricts an m for school districts and $17,209 for urert tax collection--$^> delinquent tax municipalities. check will go to Hazleton school district in The largest single the amount of $6, 291- d their school districtswill receivenothThree municipalities — ’a”h as no tax delinquencies were forthcoming in this description!, • -— a inasmu _ Jeddo Borough, and Yates-,-Conyng a 33) will go to Nescopeck Towning from the threeThe smallest ville Borough. T ------ ship. The Borougl ing: Kingston, L-- POLLUTION OF GROUND WATER Each person in the United States produces, on the average, four a nf refuse every day. This means that every day the urban popu uXpXoe. over 400mIllio» pounds of refuse which must be disposed I . of. Refuse includes garbage, rubbish, ashes, street refuse and^soh industrial wastes. When refuse is deposited on top of the gr tential effect on ground water may be considerable. Groun wa er polluted by removal from the refuse of the soluble minerals y lating waters (leaching) and for leaching to occur these basic con 1 must exist: 1) the refuse must be deposited in or near a water ear rock formation, 2) the refuse must be completely soaked (supersa rated), and 3) fluids removed by solution from the refuse must be a to enter the water-bearing rock. The coexistence of conditions 1 an can be prevented by careful site selection. Condition 2 is mor to occur in open dumps than in sanitary land fill, but if the site is intermittent or continuous contact with ground water, it will ma ground water in the vicinity unfit for domestic or irrigational use. SEARCH tilUte nritSSe11 Petreat of Green Bay. Wisconsin. Cit°NOTlJ? yPur Public Buildij. c’ P^ished bv f^SU£ °5 a new Publication titled RE" ervice, General q6 °ffice of Buildings Management, Prices Administration, Washington • lnteresting com - Sometimes, turning off your fluorescent f light costs more than leaving them burning. Studies conducted by the e " Ressearch Division have shown that each time a fluor escent lamp is turned off and on again, between 12 and 13 hours of useful lamp life are expended, A little calculation will show that in areas where turnoffs are ffrequent, added lamp replacement costs exceed the cost of the electrical1 energy cnsaved. Actually, the lamp life loss resulting from one complete on-off switching cycle would buy about four hours worth of electrical energy. Intermittently occupied areas may requires to 10 turnoffs a day. Each turn­ off would buy 4 more hours worth of electrical energy. For this reason, reason a program encouraging occupants not to turn off their fluorescent lamps produces long-run economies of operation. These economiesarebased entirely upon added lamp life and do not include the extra benefits of less frequent replacement periods and better lighting levels over longer periods of time. We must emphasize, however, that this procedure applies only to fluorescent lamps. Incandescent lamps, if operated in this manner, would cost a great deal more. Many pieces of electrical equipment operating for only a few minutes will consume enough electrical energy to light an office for two or three days. FIREMEN'S RELIEF ASSOCIATION V. HANLON Municipalities--PaidFire Department--"Replacement" of Volunteer Fire Companies --Share of Foreign Fire Insurance Tax Moneys. no municipality may replace a volunteer The law provides that favorable referendum. For many years, fire company except after a favoraoie 1 . a city. The city both used by a city, paid firemen and volunteer firemen were ervices of the volunteer services c. then enacted an ordinance"dispensing with withttheVnj.gpia.ee " thevolunteer replace" fire company" and claimed that action 1 n° aiready in existence, fire company since the paid fire departmen nsurance tax moneys The city further turned over all of the foreign firemen, reived from the State to the relief assooauon The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ... ■ ordinance was originally to "rep­ ■** department and was, therefore, dum had been held. firev amPle evidence that the volunteer Furthermore, there was amp �yOL. PA" ®PTEMBER151 1%4 of Second Class Township--Report of Beroughs-'A^^^Xcretion of Court. . Fact-Finding Comm . fact-finding commission, appointed under Despite a rTP°«0 Recommending that a petition for the Act of 1953 P. L. 5b. township to a borough be denied, a lower anne xation of a portior of a s*cond order approving the annexation, a low, court confirmed its pr withhold its approval where a majority stating that "this court is Power exoressed their desire to be annexed to the of the persons involved ha P Borough." The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reversed the order of the lower court and remanded the matter to it for further consideration, pointing out that an order of annexation, based solely on the fact that a majority of the freeholders in the area proposed to be annexed desire such annexation, is erroneous. The r"’ intent of the law is that there be an initial determination by the court,, iinterlocutory in nature, of the legality and propriety of the annexation, and __id a a final final determination of the legality and propriety of the annexation on the basis of all the facts then before the court. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY It is better to give than receive--and also it's deductible, made aJother^misUke.1’601’16 frOm exPerience is that they've Raising lg J chUdren is like drafting a blueprint--you have to know where to dr: : “*aw the line. publication Yhis News-left S”Xd"'heI"sHt«r<; Xu„hed mon,hl>'as a community service, “fM«nicipaJ’c"'‘e”,i,>'beaddresC1PH1 Govern'n<s”« of Wilkes College. °Vernment, Wilkes t0 Dr> HuS° V- Mailey, Institute 0 ege, Wilkes-Barre,Pennsylvania. FOURTH ANNUAL COMMUNITY GROWTH conference The Fourth Annual Community C Growth Conference at Wilkes College on Wednesday, September 30, will be held * . 1964. The theme of this year's CONFERENCE 'll general problem of housing and its importance if ni\ ar°Und the Wyoming Valley are to attract new industries DOeRwvRRtT^63 aS LEY HAVE A HOUSING PROBLEM: FACT OR S? “ VAL' MARK SEPTEMBER 30 ON YOUR CALENDAR. THIS IMPORTANT MEETING! DON'T MISS SHORT COURSES The Institute of Municipal Government will again conduct a num­ ber of in-service training courses for municipal officials. These courses are designed to make available to elected andappointed officials the means of improving the performance of their duties. The courses are presented in cooperation with the Public Service Institute, Depart­ ment of Public Instruction, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The c-----courses being offered this fall semester include: Magistrates Course, ; " , a general review of the fundamentals of civil law re quired by •y magistrates and the proper operation of their office, Com munity - Planning, "’InnnLig, a survey course concerning the fundamentals o p ni n rr * designed J • ning for planning commissioners, council members, and in­ terested laym laymen;,Hydraulics, a general course for firemen, revi~ g •he generating of water pressurei pressure control, the necessary for Fighting. such service; Assessment Problems, an the admin. for assessors, discussing o -r -----Fundamentals of i specialized problems comm_ , a istr; 'ation of municipal assessment, wish to qualify aS c°urSe <’ instructors designed for those firemen °n the fund; Jamentals of fire fighting. POLICE PROBLEMS police ^ailY> I receive letters from citizens, wanting t0 know why ePartment isn't addressing itself to the many ill �in Chicago, Why wasn't a policeman in forcement that need correction sister was as saulted? Why do the police the park last week when my to roam our streets? Why do the police permit well-known gangsters , Why, in Heaven's name, don't not punish criminals caught in the act? Every police officer recognizes the police do something about crime? he himself has been asked them and similar questions, because these by angry citizens. . mselves arise out of a misconception. Most The questions the too> for that matter) do not realize citizens of Chicago (an e agency in Our country operates that, contrary to popn ar ’ Some of these restrictions are written under very strict linn a are part of the checks and balances into the Constitution i se . justice. Still others have been inibuilt into our system of X/pretation. posed through Supreme Court interp Citizens who raise these questions are well mtentioned. We, as v ffirP-A have an obligation to help them under stand the problems feetag the police. Below are score of the answers we give to the per- nor can they be searched unless there is PERSONS ACCUSED OF rnn 4 arrest- catise’ 5. TAIN RIGHTS. We cannot take acts ----- , We cannot take action tivity complained of is, in fact, defined or the laws of either our state or city Are GUADax *p ^XtsT?/er- lng Cri^inal by feri the ac' >lained of is, in fact, defined ; dividuals without an adequate fo ' 6 P°lice cannot a al law laws of either our statebasis or city. crime has without a constitutional right to bail A an adequate basis for T??/ arrest A pers°» accuTn recently heldconstitutional that a confession U’ S< d °f a right obtain to bail.a 5^ TheU. S Supreme C confession obtained by the police'prior the prosecution. with counsel e tlrne tke Staged offender fs allowed L cannot be used in b. ALL CRIMINALS CANNOT BE PROSECUTED The police are aware of many individuals who we have a strong basis for believing are actively engaged in criminal activity or are profiting from such activities. The techniques by which they operate, however, prevent us from obtaining the evidence which we need with which to arrest and prosecute them. Many, for example, carry on their criminal activities over the telephone. We are prohibited, bylaw, from listening into telephone conversations. sistent questions we are asked: 1 THE POLICE DO NOT MANUFACTURE CRIME. Crime in a community is caused by a variety of factors - varying from the mental or emotional state of a given individual to poor housing, poverty, un­ employment, lack of education and other environmental conditions over which the police have no control. 2. THE POLICE CANNOT BE EVERYWHERE ALL OF THE TIME. The police do not have enough funds and personnel to place a police officer wherever a crime may occur in order to prevent that e from occurring. We undertake to deploy our manpower in lo­ cations where crimesare most likely to occur and during the hours when they are most likely to be committed. PREVENTED. Many crimes crimes occur “ PHvat. ALL CRIMES CANNOT BEPRE VENTED. Many fas ,^^na^e in the back reaches of a person's mind and are the result of prevent such crimes' 1 impulse- N° amount of police protection can 4- the police 2 are urged lo^ UNDER LIMITED AUTHORITY. Everyday, the police °ur democrat! which we are without authority to do. Under control as to th ' °rrn 8overnment, citizens are not subject to strict They cannot b rnovernents and actions; their privacy is secure e taken into custody without legal 7. THE POLICE DO NOT PUNISH PEOPLE. It is the function of the police to apprehend criminals and charge them with the crimes they committed. It is the function of the State's Attorney to prosecute the alleged criminal and of the Court to judge whether or not the person is guilty. Contrary to frequently expressed views, the police do not have anything to do with deciding whether or not a person is to be con­ victed, and if so, what punishment is to be meted out. (Editorial, Chicago Police Star, August, 1964). URBAN RENEWAL urban renewal is paying its way After 17 years and $210 million, city officials, it's bringing suburin Chicago. As an added bonus, say city ice. By the late 19banites back to the City at a better than exp i of others ., throughout the 40's, Chicago's white citizens--like rnillio^ * suburbs while slums spread in their country--were streaming to the of real estate and tax revenue were wake. Assessed tax valuations dropping. • 1047 with the Hyde Park­ reverse the tide beganunl?4 States. The battle to Benwood Conservation Project, first ° 1 , al funds was spent m re More than r $36 million in city, state and Fe buildings, renovate o next 103 years to build new homes and apar prOjects later, city 0 nnits, and tear down dilapidated ones. °w> extend into almost ficialis estimate that the developments, w 1 luation of the inv° Part of the city, eventually will increase th teal estate by more than $48 million. �D. the E. increase MacKelmann, deputy of Urba estimated in tax yield at commissioner 115 per cent since th^ renewal, newal programs were initiated. The city should be able tQ6 Ur^an rel millions invested by 1975, "Don't forget, " he said, >.the ° Pay °ff the eludes not only the projects which are developed privatel"0^86 inmany that do not increase such as ^ut alSo r the projectsthe tax returns, grounds. M^-nrofit community works are part of the > S ar “^PIay not increase t program. Ur an reneWaI Non-profit c— VOL xiii» N°- 10 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE pA. , OCTOBER 15, 1964 COLLECTINGJIETER^OI^ meter coins in the City of Memphis maybe Collecting par mg firm. Estimates were submitted to handled in the future by^a P^ found that one company quoted a the city by private firms charge The city is now paying more than $1,000 per month minimu e loyees to make collections, in addition $1,200 in salaries to ou^ ng a truck and paying office personnel to “ ”th"dC°„“”cC.i»siSb«lore depositing them. (Memphis Commercial MUNICIPAL NEEDS OF 100 FAMILIES cognition Dinner remarks posed this question to the local offictali-k'Thhat does thihs gJeat increase in population me- to™nmumty like the ones in which you people hold office?" Appeal, February 19, 1962) IT'S AN OLD, OLD PROBLEM! "The prophet Isaiah said a long time ago, 'We continue to place house against house and field against field until there is no place in the world to be alone. 1 From then until now, we have continued so to place and have done little about the resulting confusion. " As an answer to the query she propounded, she quoted from Horizons, a publication sponsored and distributed by the Institutes of Local Government of the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Pennsylvania: "When 100 families move into a medium-large city, services will they call for and how much will it all cost? what new --Charles A. DeTurk, Director California State Department of Parks and Recreation THOUGHTS FOR TODAY worry and a.Vera®e ^e^°wis torn between his doctor telling him not to about. awyer outlining all the things he should be worrying 1. 65 high school rooms, which will cost h'igh,’and 25 50 of the children will be in grammar sc oo , nfieded. In all, the in senior high. Four more school teachers wi ,ldpetof the school 100 families will add $30, 000 a year to the operating budget system. Money is the jack of all trades. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community ser«^ originated in the Ini istitute of Municipal Government of Wilkes g^£tute Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, aI1iaofMunicipalGovernment, , Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsy street cleaning, more garbage "The families will mean more City parks and city health will collecting, and more tax collecting, department will have to pump The water need more looking after. will have to buy approxi10, 000 extra gallons of water a day. The c*ty school, high school, mately four acres of land; one e,:ach for grammar Parks and play areas. "This will mean hiring rno need 0. 84 new employes in the po 1 ne^ fireman. Probably four othe . The city will t and two-thirds of a departrnent t0 be added to the city have t_ �Win *----- The new stall wu. — L and boost the general payroll v — payroll. fire department, 000 to $15, 000. °y an expenses, from $12, " *,c $2, 820 to amount ranging 100 500 newnew families require ’ >Lii $10,the 000); books will for the librarlnC1Ude: "Other things which 'adda new hospital bed (price annual budget); and a fraction of => a CeH in the ing $675 to the library's jail. " PROJECT 70 1963, the voters of Pennsylvania approved a On November 5, water $70, 000, 000 bond issue to provide funds to acquire land and sites for recreation, conservation, and historical purposes And just which will last month, the legislature ajpproved~ the enabling ’ 1 ’— legislation _x. make Project 70 a reality. These sites could include any use of land for public park, fishing hunting, boating, open space, scenic or historical purposes, or for any related public out-door recreation project. The objective of this imaginative program is to preserve the state's scenic and recreation areas before they are permanently lost to competing land-use. The present pattern of urban growth and develop­ ment appears to be accelerating at the expected rate. For example, in one rapidly urbanizing county, if the present rate of consumption of open land continues for two more decades (160-200 acres per 1, 000 new re­ sidents), the entire county will be covered by urban sprawl, and all the desirable tracts of open land will have vanished. eligible for a grant of fifty of the ill be cost of the land land for f0: a eation, conservation, or historical merce, Bureau of Community Dev 1 Pr °Jectrecr' The Department of administer this portion of Project 70. 6 °Pment- will be' Com' -e authorized to Land could be acquired for smaller DarV residential areas where they could be used i “ and ud playfields Piaytield cch i„ cilities would be designed for active and bas^ day-to-day basis. be -designed for active and passive leisure °uIdneeds to meet the of- all age groups in a municipality. eiSUre activities would be provided for adequate picnic areas M°re space pools, tennis courts, ball fields, apparatus facilities o’ swimming Pools, education areas Whatever the recreation facility needs of theor outdoor ° °F Nation i community ject 70 grant would provide financial assistanc ?Unity may maY be, a ProProThe development of recreation facilities wouldb ? f i" ac(luisition. sp< development of recreation facilities would bee a local financial reionsibility. !n addition to projects for park and recreation purposes a com munity could acquire stream valleys, forest land, watershed areas, and scenic areas for conservation purposes. Historic and cultural sites could also be secured. Project 70 would help make possible the preservation of those areas now in exis­ tence and point the way toward restoration of many sites which have fallen by the wayside or are in danger of being lost forever. Counties and municipalities should immediately make prepara­ tions which will enable them to take advantage of the Project 70 pro­ gram. Actions which should be undertaken by public officials and citi­ zens without delay include the following: 1. With these problems in mind, the state's planners conce' Project 70 proposal to expend the $70, 000, 000 by 1970. A sum t^stat <' 00?’ 000 WiU be allocated out of Project 70 funds for acquisition of s' and for future development of regional parks and reservoir sites. poses. 2. A su^ of $10,000,000 will k 6 made available by Project 70 to provide• new fish and wildlife eserves and more access to our rivers, thus bettier accommodating Th municipality should consider the political jurisdiction -7 ± the site. A playlot, which could most appropriately acquire cquired lity park could best be a, neighborhood park or communi , . county. Intermunicipal by a group of municipalities oran a asset for many proposed cooperation would certainly be A land acquisition projects. of acquiring the site nsylvania fishermen and hunters. 3. wealth001°° t0 be all°oatPeXo all^r °f Project 70 is in the sum °f Project 7 0 is in the sum 8titutedmunicina]nty’ City’ b^ough^^1 Subdivisions in the CommonniC1Pal authority Orea ’ °Wn’ or township, or a legally conzed for park and recreation purposeS’ Develop an overall plan and policy concerning the acquisi­ Develop an tion of land for recreation, conservation, or historical pur­ A municipality should study the means °r preserving open space. _o >n to determine the cost of acquir4. A preliminary investigation considered. ing a site should be <----- �5. determine the most feasible method A municipality should site, - base price of the site. A Project 70 An additional of financing the P'>UrfCfty percent of of the the cost. cost, percent could be obtained from the grant could finance? “ could be < ’ grant of twenty or V-mder the Open Space Land Program under the Open Space Land Pro. Federal gove rZ Housing Housing and and Home Home Finance Finance Agency. Ag, XIU> N°* 11 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRg pA \f0^- November by ,be t be raised from local sources. Local The balance ZZZed from donations, the general operathe funds may ^/a municipality, a capital reserve fund ting budget fo: ' 1 obligation bonds, the issue of municipal issue of g<enera — or possibly a short-term bank note finanauthority bonds, cing program. 6. The municipality snouiu “*tauuuluoUiL1 or agencies which will be responsible for developing vising, and maintaining the proposed recreating cons^611' tion, or historical project to be acquired. a' If a county or municipality takes the foregoing steps, it will be in a better position to take full advantage of the Project 70 Assistance Program. SHADES OF LONG AGO According to an item in the April 18, 1 914 Wilkes-Barre Record, Wilkes-Barre-has had a Planning Commission for more than 50 years. On that date the following were unanimously confirmed by the CityCouncil to serve on the Commission: J. C. Bridgman, A. C. Campbell, F. G. Darte, H. S. Smith, and J. A. Hourigan. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Seems there's one advantage of being old--you can whistle while brushing yOur teeth. Vacation-Three weeks rocks. on the sands; the rest of the year on the 15. 1%4 REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS Wilkes-Barre with its six urban renewal • than twelve million dollars, has made giant striri Pr°-)eCts filing more ment Authority established an office four vM ^SlnCe the Redevelopjects, including the State Street General. Ren/wafpi Six pr°execution stage. Plan, five are in the HAZLE STREET, the first project, consisting of approximately 38 acres, is being developed for commercial and industrial reuse. A million dollar post office and a million and one-half dollar Acme Service Center covering a tract of 12 acres, are two of the commercial struc­ tures which will be built on South Main Street. A convent bordering the future Pennsylvania Boulevard, was constructed by the first redevel­ oper. An attractive manufacturing plant, built by the second redevel­ oper in the Hazle Street Project Area is now in operation. Another in­ dustrial plant, adjacent to the latter, is now under construction. mately £tc^ was ^^^XdTvT- ing Authority as the site for the 400 low-income city, schools, opment area was selected due to its proximi estak}ishments. The churches, transportation facilities and com me units for famiproject will consist of 200 units for the e e £our bedroom dwel­ ls. There will be a variety of one, two, thre* new street t0 take lings. The Redevelopment Authority wi e P a new railroad, thus the place of Lincoln Street between creating the necessary buffer between t surrounds PUBLICATION Notes and inqutrij1181^6 ^uScLT'g^17 ** * CommunitV service, of MuniCipa] r beaddr P 1 Government of Wilkes CollegePal Government, Wnkes cn bailey, Institute ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania- The DYER LANE PROJECT, the municipal garage which was construe thenar kin^ Auth°rlt^ major step hi land sold by the Redevelopment Authori J* e,s Central BuSineShMain dernization and rehabilitation of Wi buildings which face ou° from trict. The creation of a mall behind ively accessib an<i South Washington Streets will be a Not only dll this pro­ the uPper side exit of the Park and Lf^^ff street parking facilities. Ject beautify, speed shoppers fl°w r �. . ms for the businesses in the area, but it win oblems and solve delivery Pr°M e aking Dyer Lane readily accessible to end fire-fighting hazar^^ as other emergency equipment. The fire apparatus of a urban renewal project has been received by adoption of this area±°rprchants with enthusiasm and it is expected that the South Main Street m bemade with the consulting assistance thnr«l»M““*ion”£*A„thorlty. of the Redevelopment Au .mirMT STREET PROJECT’ approximately 3 acres, will The —^ynT^d^ational facilities and to increase permit Wilkes o eg eria t0 accomodate 400 students and a 250 enrollment by 2b . f_,irfPd unit dormitory will be constr COLLEGE PROJECT, approximately 9 acres, is the The KING'S ' first step in a threeMillion dollar expansion program by the college. A dormitory, student center and a gymnasium will be constructed. The STATE STREET GENERAL NEIGHBORHOOD RENEWAL A REA, ab out 60 acres in size, is strategically located between the Dyer Lane-and King's College Projects to the north, the Lincoln Street Pro­ ject to the south and theHazle Street Project to the west. It is predom­ inantly nonresidential in character and its location permits the area to be redeveloped for a combination of parking, commercial, public and traffic improvement. It will combine conservation and rehabilitation and will be carried out in four stages or projects over an eight-year period. Project No. 1, consisting of about 38 acres, has just been ap­ proved. The INDUSTRIAL PARK URBAN RENEWAL PROJECT has not been included in Wilkes-Barre's six projects because it is in the plan­ ning stage. It covers an area of 220 acres and encompasses almost the entire railroad belt which traverses the City. Approximately seven years will elapse before all the land is under redevelopment. Two years this time will be spent to conduct the necessary studies and to pre­ pare the necessary plans. jQfOMING VALLEY SANITARY AUTHORITY approxiIXly?onrorAnhgefirmv°f Albright and Frie1’ InC* haS comPlet^ tract of $176,000 ah W°r^ enta-iled in the preliminary planning c° lines, 50% of the nr T tbe aer^ photography for the intercept°r and force mains and ^a^ou^ study in connection with the sewe Pieted. The engineer % °f the studVP1ans and profiles have been coin­ design for the hydraulic11"6 presently working on the development of t ’ and tPle Pump and lift stations. It is expected that the preliminary plannir, ted by the end of February. Monthly progress n« rwill b e COHl- sports are made by P neers to the Engineering Committee of the WVS a" eIlgl£ull Authority at its regular monthly meeting The which reports to •^located locally at 308 Wyoming Avenue, Kingston. engineering firm NEW BUILDING Ground was broken for a new $157,000 municioal b„im, Township to be erected on the site of th. iX Xtb"1 " plains ■. The federal government will provide $90, 060 or c. 58% to Street School, Land on which the building will be conward the. construction costs. structed was purchased for $1 from the Plains Township School Board that the building will be ready for use in 1965. It is expected t . JOINT LIBRARY Four West Side Communities have agreed to participate in a 21month library demonstration program to be conducted with the Hoyt Library in Kingston. The program is aimed at demonstrating to Court­ dale, Edwardsville, Luzerne and Pringle that library service can be permitted to use the library facilities free for 21 months at the end of which time the four towns may agree to continue at the rate of 30 cents per person based on the I960 census. LAFLIN Laflin Borough Council is among the municipal legislative bodies which must study new assessment figures and compute a new tax for 1965. But Laflin councilmen aren't too concerned. The town oper­ ates on only $912 a year. For 1964, a tax levy of 7 mills was require to raise that much revenue. A levy of 2. 76 mills should work out well for 1965. A UT HORIT Y - OWNED BUILDINGS ..ty established an The Borough of West View in Allegheny C y of a private water Authority in 1942 to acquire the property and asse s c__ ordinance napany. In 1949the Borough passed an c.--or purity to acquire, improve and operate, either y aiding on specified lots. t a two-story building' A building, in part a one-story and in p rtliority used by the Aut — Was cconstructed. * private enterPart of the building was Authority to r water rproject, and part was leased by the Prises. �was leased to the Borough, which in of the building Attocomme--, enterprises. The entire second story, ercl,a waS rented to private groups for soturn leased *to the; LBorough, “&t free by such "public groups" as Fireused’ rf----whichWai ns and was uChamber of Commerce. (faulty The - from this set of circumstances and The problem which aroseMunicipal Authority Appeal, 381 Pa „i View I. this Authority property was exempt from taxa- ,oh. N0- 12 WMES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., DECEMBER 15, 1%4 tion in whole or m part. for which property is used and not the nature ft is the Purp0S\nes the tax exemption status of the property, of us owner that determlthat where public property is devoted partly to It was held, th®ret°rc^mmercial uses, it may be divided for tax pur­ public and partly o c^ by private business and exempting the noses by taxing the p part devoted to a public purpo WYOMING VALLEY SANITARY AUTHORITY by the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority. S been made FINANCE AND TAXATION I Completed urban renewal projects increase tax revenues "an average of 300 per cent," says David M. Walker, commissioner,Urban Renewal Administration. He called higher tax revenue and improved physical plant a means of achieving the goal of "social and Spiritual ad­ vancement--better environment for living and working. " (Texas Town & City, July I960). Depressed expressways cause less drop in adjacent property values than do those built on an elevated roadway. (Bulletin, Decem­ ber, 1959). This Authority which is composed of 14 municipalities in the Wyoming Valley area stands as an example of progress thatcanbe made through functional cooperation. The Chairman of the Authority, Mr. Reuben Levy, will present the progress report and will discuss the ac­ complishments to date and the anticipated time table for completion of this cooperative venture. This is a meeting that should be of interest not only to the officials of the cooperating municipalities but it is also open to all interested citizens who would like to keep informed as to the remarkable progress of the Authority. CLEAN UP-PAINT UP-FIX UP THOUGHTS FOR TODAY There are 1two kinds of people that cannot be trusted: those who speak badly about- everyone and those who speak well about everyone. clawed. When a woman lets the cat out of the bag, somebody's apt to get PUBLICATION _ . This News-letter, and inqutrlJs8^6 • ■ les may be a, JOvernment, Wilkes of Municipal G< * communitY service, pal Government of Wilkes College. tO Dr’ Hugo V- Mailey, Institute ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania- representativeorganimtioM Because of the response by — “ XndaMat the to the remarks made by Mr. Richar . ring committee wl monthly meeting of municipal offictaiaations and munTJiscuss to evaluate and discuss the role'‘^X^esentativet Will play in the Spring campaig ■ continuing organ the participation, timing and goa s of the Wy0Tning {act will be designed to upgrade the appear meeting emphasi campaign The response of the individuals at th a onCe a y ^tee that "paint up, cleanup, fixup" m n<^he Area ApP^111^® much inut that it is a continuing program. , Commerce is oups Par" of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber oicitizens g terested in having not only municipa baSis. ticipate in this program on a continuin �HAZLETON 1Qzc budget, Hazleton City will levy a $10 °Ccu~ As part of the IV taX which will be paid by aU Persons national privilegeJa*. is expected to raise upwards of $80, > ooo gainfully employed in * 0Q0 deficit in the budget. It wiu o and will be used to increases for the City's 140 employees. be used to provide wage COMMUNITY PARK of Community Park f0, f4 ^^iaerappfOV'sdCby'the^Plym 0’1^1from ®orouSk C°U"Ci1' d f 65 acres has been acquired for recreational purposes, it expected thatit will bepart of a planned recreational area under Pro•ect 70. There still remains 33 acres in the Borough that can be ac­ quired for recreational purposes. f TAX COLLECTIONS The Luzerne County Commissioners have adopted a new tax col­ lection program. Under the program the County will bill and collect its and the Institution district's taxes early in the year to eliminate past practice of borrowing against current tax collections. Municipal tax collectors will still get their commissions for collecting the County and Institution district taxes, but they will not have to prepare the bills. The County is using its new data processing center. The step is intended to save the tax collectors time and postage in the preparation of separate bills. It has been the common practice for collectors to group all tax bills on one card and then mail the card to the property owners in the towns. The County program is based on the belief that most property owners would rather divide their tax bills for the year. Growth requires a broad viewpoint 1. f ..downtown Denver iis dependent for olitan area’ an economicanY successful state ana n nealthY me*d lnfluential busitr°P°ties throughout a wide region of the nation He said successful ^"motion of downtown development must be coordinated ^promotion of the metropolitan and regional economic —.1 success­ complex. There must be continual communication z 2. and coordination ! many and diverse organizations, and between between The coordinated efforts of the Downtown'Denver Im" citizen efforts. < pi-ovement Association, Downtown Denver Master Plan Committee, and Chamber■ of Commerce in concert with some 40 other public and gencies were cited by Mr. Koch as instrumental in creatprivate ag healthy ing a L—— . climate for new investment in Denver's central core. 3. "Redevelopment of a city is a never-ending task." Mr. Koch cautioned civic and business leaders to maintain constant vigilance over the health of downtown. "The nature of American life is changing rapidly, and the cities of America are swept along on this wave of change. In planning our cities, we try to be farsighted and intuitive of the future, but the horizon of our imaginations is much too near. So, our planning had to be flexible, our analysis continual, and our work unceasing," Mr. Koch concluded. Illustrating the effect of concentrated planning for downtown im­ provement, Mr. Koch said the Mountain States Telephone Company de cision to remain in its downtown location and undertake a building pro­ gram that will total $15 million, was made largely on the basis o e work being done by the Downtown Denver Improvement Associa individual leaders in the revitalization effort. Nearly 10 years agothe Council made a panel study PRINCIPLES OF DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT Three principles t t° guide central city development based on Denver's experience over the past 10 years were to a national ir on WC1C presented U1C seminar Land In" r Urban By stitute1 r Koch, President of the Mountain States Teleph°n® developers, real estate experts and investo throughout the United States that the eX" "Ponthet^pXple^011rom ^ las taken place in downtown Denver depenided 1 Walter K Denver problems which helped set the stage for the exte . the Coun°pment of recent years, An evaluation of Denver Pr0^ three-day sescil and a series of proposals for the future climaxe si°n. (Urban Land, Vol. 23, Number 10 - November, JOHN T. MULHALL .ttack on OcAttorney John T. Mulhall died s^ddan^n°ff a heart al —nBorough , W pct Pittston Solicitor for West r tober 24, ociation from '> 1964. Mr. Mulhall was the S-l-"4"”" inly Boroughs A.so-y association and an active member of the Luzerne Coui Solicitor to the eoun'Y ' the Wyoming sin ttirne ^rne of its formation. He was the Vice-Chair^" “‘J' Pittston on - } 1952. 952. Mr. Mulhall was also representing the Boroug i»' Authority’ �FRENCH vs ZONING board OF adjustment Zoning Ordinance designated as residential The 1933 Philadelphia °in the otherwise residential zone were ate.-bfo*ar~°Oho C.ty. properties. These were cUssiHea 2 existing, ’“'"'Te commercial properties was used prior to the orical. One of th ■ ca. and thereafter, for for the the purpose of passage the Z°ning tiyTpermit was was granted granted for for its its use use as as a a superoring taxicabs. Relation objected, contending that the six l objected, contending that the market. A neighborhood a spot_ZOning. The objectors took the "constituted spot-zoning. The objectors took commercial co were, in reality, ------ enclaves u .reels reality, nonconforming nonconforming uses. They position'.tat'X"the that these parce tion of the garage termination garage use use on or. the the property in argued thatstatus with as thea nonconformity ^nnformitv ce ased, and issue, iS cased, and that that it it can can now now only be used for residential purposes. The The Supreme Supreme Court agreed that the action of the City in Zoning the six commercial parcels constituted spot-zoning, holding that:: "The property in question must be treated as containing a nonconforming use and not as (a commercial) Parcel. " I Contributor's Comment: It should be noted that the Court's de­ cision hinged solely on the question of spot zoning. It stated no conclu­ sions with respect to the objectors' argument that the garage property lost its original use. This issue will only be decided when an applica­ tion is made to occupy the garage premises for another nonconforming purpose. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Actress: I didn't want to marry him for his money, but there wasn't any other way to get it. . 'll D1Sarmament wiU hurt heavy industry? - -Not nearly as much as it will hurt the toy toy manufArh,.p_ manufacturers. PUBLICATION This News-letter, monthly as a community service, originated in the Institute Published monthly Notes and inquiries mavbp° MuniciPal Government of Wilkes College, - y Wilkes addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, Colleg dvaniae> Wilkes-Barre, Pennsy. 8 9«9 chpistmAs qpeetings ��. . \ ;1 1 S .. . ■ ■ < '■■■i^v.7 /All'l l :1"'' ’•'•fll 'l ■ "•:' ■:.■ ..-.-5 ; . ■■ . . .. . . *”s >' ■'■' •■ . ■ f .. '; -I . ■ ' ■ . ■ ' . >: 11' ■ ■ .■■ ■ ..■■'■ < . . • ■ ■ a a, .. ; ■ 11 1; " . • 1 :/ .1 . - ■• a ■ I '1 ■ . ' - 11' 11 7. :. ' : . 1 a. a <1 "11' . ■' ■::■■■' / a- ..,: 7^ ■' llllilllll <1' . I•** ■ ■ 1^,0 '7 I ! it ■a| ■ , ... - . ■- \ ww . ■ H iisW ■.' a '.'V a'-. .A'vaiy ■ aAa'.x7'lal <aaaalia-. ■ ' ■ ■.a ■-v v',■ .'.’■'yr’-aa■<. '.<>ya.a<.a. a.'lv a. .;? •'.'.■...■■/ .> <7''\-a7a.-Y?-a3\aa'\.. I. -a ■ . -'.’ -a » .1 1 ' I ' \\ isasss --..v i Ha . ■ iBi'!- ■’ \ j 11 : W - 7 ■'■ jin 7 111" !}-W vih’4i ' \ . a. ■ :<i<.a-aa^^^-‘'‘ 77 I ■111 . gw II ■ ■'<. till .. '. ■ "■ '. iiHiila ■ ■ ■ aaaaaa- • /.:■ 7; ■■ Il»^aia77 i Hl . - \all\;;l;71'a7':/'>^ ' a - --------- - . ’1 ■■ 11 . . ■■ .... 7<.v7. ■ • ■ . ■-. ■ • ■ . ' . 7 . ... ■ ■■ . ■ ■' . ill ■ : ■. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■. . ' 1 ■ : - ■ ■ . ' * .... ■- . . ■ ' •• ■' 7 . ' . - ' ■ 7 -... ' � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletters and Institute for Regional Affair Newsletters, 1952-1975 Subject The topic of the resource Political Science; Luzerne County; Institute for Regional Affairs; Wyoming Valley Description An account of the resource A collection of newsletters created by the Political Science Department at Wilkes College from 1952-1975 for Luzerne County and later the Institute for Regional Affairs. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department (Hugo Mailey) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1952-1975 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletters Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletter, 1964 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletter https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/4238cb3324c5a50ecd9d7be6990f4886.pdf 80f31f21689baa455147d52a5ee1493b PDF Text Text ��VOL XII, NO. 1 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. , JANUARY 15, 1963 SHORT COURSES - - SPRING SEMES TER The Institute of Municipal Government at Wilkes College will again conduct a number of in-service training courses for municipal officials. These courses are designed to make available to elected and appointed officials means of improving in the performance of their duties. The courses being offered this spring semester include: Small Arms Course—an introductory course in the care and use of the rev­ olver, including firing for record; Magistrates - Civil Law Coursea general review of the fundamentals of civil law required by magistra­ tes and the proper operation of their office; Councilmen and Commi­ ssioners Course--a basic course that presents the organization, powers, and functions of borough and first class township governments; Report Writing Course--a course to acquaint the police officer with the pur­ poses, values, and principles of basic police reports; Fire Fighting Instructors Course--a course for those who wish to qualify as teachers of the fundamentals of fire fighting. MIDDLE-INCOME HOUSING IN PITTSBURGH A million-dollar building experiment is being conducted in Pitts­ burgh by a team which includes a private developer, architects, lending companies, the Federal Housing Administration, manufacturers, build­ ing and construction trades council, and city and county agencies--all cooperating on a housing community for middle-income families. The project--East Hills Park--although experimental now, as reported by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, could be a model for middle-income housing in other cities. The plan, directed by ACTION-Housing, Inc. , Pittsburgh citizen group, and financed in part by the business-supported Pittsburgh Dev­ elopment Fund, calls for four neighborhood sections, complete with residential, commercial, and public lands in accordance with a new zoning amendment passed by the city council. This amendment, per­ mitting more than a single zoning use in the area, was on y one o e several "revolutionary" acts characteristic of the project. Other unu­ sual features are as follows: ■ SI! r �xC.dVES pt-lL? V’ >s, ^(o3> --The building and construction trades ^council of ^Pittsburgh developer of the East Hills project, made several concessions to the c agreements made were: the guarCatranel, Inc. Out-of-the-ordinary of disputes, with Catranel authorantee of no work stoppages because if”the union failed to supply workers within ized to hire non-union labor i- — - ------, On regular work days to be made 72 hours; bad weather work stoppage up the following Saturday at regular - -■_ j Saturday at regular wage wage rates--not overtime; wage scale for workmen workmen to to be be 10 10 percent percent lower than the going commercial I-. wage scale most of scale for for most of the the construction. construction. In exchange, Catranel agreed labor and to subcontract only with union shops. to hire only union 1------ -------New building materials are being experimented with, one of which is colored aluminum roofs harmonizing with colored bricks of the buildings; gas incinerators with the advantages of reducing air pollu­ tion and management and maintenance problems, underground electri­ cal connections and telephone service wires, for utility and beauty. --Groups of houses clustered around courtyard areas--a step expected to save open land for playgrounds and parks, segregate living areas from auto traffic, save space and cost in road and utilities instal­ lation, and reduce by a big 40 percent the average cost per dwelling unit for site work. --Availability of building trades union pension funds for buyers1 mortgages gives the buyers in the fir st neighborhood phase of East Hills Park an interest rate of 4-3/4 percent for 35 years. Mortgages are FHA-insured. --Other factors of interest: Purchasers will pay $10 a month to a cooperative maintenance association to free them from cutting lawns, shoveling snow, caring for general upkeep of houses and grounds; and an elementary school will be housedin a two-story 10-apartment build­ ing provided by the developer, which if housing demands become over­ whelming can be converted back info apartments. Predicted cost of living in one of the 210 units in phase one of East Hills is $79.50 per month for a two-bedroom house to $115 for a four-bedroom house. OCCUPATION TAX RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL The Supreme Court Court of Pennsylvania declared unconstitutional xne oupreme and invalid an "occupation" occupation" tax tax of $10 yearly levied by a city upon non­ residents engaged in any occupation within the limits of the city. tax is not an occupation tax, but a head tax, a direct levy on persons, since no distinctions <------are made fXed $10 levy fallS Up°n aU nonresidents. ” among occupations and the _ _ Head taxes may be imposed only upon residents of the taxing districts, since residence alone furnishes the contract necessary to render a person amenable to the'direct levyEven if the tax were truly an occupation tax, it would violate the ■formity provision of the Constitution of Pennsylvania because of the Justified distinction between residents and nonresidents. The tax bears none of the incidents of an occupation tax which is a flat rate levy measured by the assessed value of a particular mode of employment. Here no distinctions are made among occupations, a fixed ten dollar levy falling upon all nonresidents. The useof the word "occu­ pational" adds nothing to the levy and does not conceal its real nature as a capitation tax. The tax is imposed because of the protection which a govern­ mental unit affords to persons residing therein, and is designed primar­ ily to requite contribution from all residents for the services rendered them by the taxing authority. Consequently, per capita or head taxes canbe imposed only upon residents of the particular political subdivision since residence alone furnishes the contact necessary to render a per­ son amenable to the direct levy. Such a connection is lacking here since the only persons subject to the levy are those residing outside of the city. Residence cannot be made the basis of discrimination in taxation of persons engaged in the same occupation or profession. To permit such distinction would be contrary to the well-established principle that the validity of a classi­ fication is whether it produces diversity in results or lack of uniform­ ity in its operation either on the given subject of tax or the persons affected as payers. SAVING VEHICLES FROM SALT IS EXPENSIVE T. M. Galloway, City Purchasing Agent of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, has made available to NIGP the following inter­ esting article from "Civic Administration" magazine of February 1962: Municipalities planning to use a phosphate additive in road sa t to crease vehicle corrosion would be well advised to change their plans, n extensive research project carried out byOntario OntarioResearch Researc Founda. ___ ~ tlon, in cooperation with metropolitan Toronto <officials and'I Ontar^ ePartment of Highways, indicates such ch additive may.no may exPense. For metropolitan Toronto alone, use of inhibi C°st an estimated $500, 000 more a year than salt a one. �to provincial highways fanning "And without similar treatment of it would be of questionable s use out from the urban area, Toronto' carried out last winter on a test rig value. The research project was Various shaped pieces of which simulated actual driving conditions. body and frame manufacture the various types of metal’ used — in car from wet snow with salt, and snow a varying exposure fr were subjected to * J_— to addition, fender sections and other metal test with inhibited salt, ' • varying lengths of time to simulate the effect samples were heated for vehicle overnight in a garage. Besides the out­ of regularly parking a v... door test rigs, engineers studied corrosion on cars driven a controlled number of Lies on urban Toronto streets during the winter and ex­ tensive physical and chemical tests were carried out in the laboratory. "When the results of all tests were evaluated these conclusions were reached: Inhibited salt results in an average reduction of corro­ sion of 55%. The shape of the metal concerned has a major effect on degree of corrosion. Thus V-shaped frame members, which retain the wet salt corrode faster and to a greater degreethan a shape from which salt can freely run off. Storing a vehicle overnight in a heated garage accelerates the rate of corrosion. Corrosion due to de-icing is depen­ dent upon time, not on miles traveled. " MUNICIPAL BOND ISSUES An overwhelming majority--86. 6%--of the volume of municipal bonds sold in 1961 were financed through public invitation of bids rather than negotiated sales. A recently published report by the Investment Bankers Associ­ ation shows that general obligation bonds are sold this way even more frequently: 96. 6% of the $6 billion sold in 1961 were by public sale. yOto XI1’ NO. 2 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, KINGSTON MUNICIPAL BUILDING Groundbreaking ceremonies were recently held for the new Kingston Borough Municipal Building. The ceremonies paved the way for construction of the $162, 000 municipal building which will replace borough offices which are now housed in several structures through­ out the community. The new building, at Wyoming Avenue and Price Street, will be one and one-half stories high and will house police headquarters and have three jail cells; a garage for both cruisers; offices for the police chief, borough secretary, engineer, building and health inspectors and council chambers. It will be of Colonial-type design. Cornelius Daly, regional director of the Communities Facilities Administration, under whose sponsorship the building is being erected, congratulated those in attendance and stated that the new structure was the first project being undertaken in a six-state area. Mayor Husband, during his brief talk at the ceremonies, stated that thebuilding should be dedicated sometime during the month of June. A parking lot will be located at the rear of the building on the Price Street side. The front grounds will be landscaped. On the other hand, revenue bonds sold only 60. 6% by public bidding. IBA suggests that the reason for this is that most revenue bond acts permit negotiated sales. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Time: What some people waste, others use, and the rest spend. Diet Mix: Product whose makers live off the fat of the land. publication This News-letter, .wvi.cx, published originated in the Institute of Municipal Goj-'t-ute monthly as a community service, s Institute Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V.ofMailey, lCollege. nS ’ vernment Wilkes may be ^dres’seFto' of Municipal Government, Wilkes-College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsyl van Hugo V. Mailey, Institute PA., FEBRUARY 15, 1963 T.EHMAN TOWN HALL Lehman Township Supervisors will breakground fora newmuni C1pal building and public park as soon as weather permits, according said to Plans made at a recent meeting. Michael Godek, chairman, JJat five acres of land including a pine grove and small stream~oni the Huntsville Road adjacent to the Lehman Golf Course has been acquir rorn Joseph Park. Godek said plans call for a municipal building. The Board also m as possible means of revenue. area in addition to the Psed a transient salesman fee �LUZERNECOUNTLACCESSROAD A ToYffighJays toprepare aerial photographs and submit maps Department of H location studies for a new access road fro^ “e existing Susquehanna River bridge and the Anthracite Expressway How are we going to get communities we u t industries and industrialists? Mr R Whlch are going to uo attract suchwe will have to get "greater mileage ou^V^8 * WOnlt be j easy-that ’ industry and government. "The time ’ eVery dollar, spent by both .'when we are not going to be able to afford’ says Robert H. Ryan, rating." the luxury . of-- not i coope: in Luzerne County. The proposed work includes a study to determine the most feasi­ ble route to provide a four-lane limited access highway between the river bridge and Sugar Notch interchange approximately 0. 3 mile north of Nanticoke City. After the location of the route is determined, the design will include two 24-foot lanes separated by a four-foot median. The project will be about 3.5 miles in length in Sugar Notch Borough and Hanover Township and will be an extension of Legislative Route 786 from Legislative Route 40036 to the interchange north of Nanticoke COOPERATION CALLED "MUST" TO ATTRACT INDUST RTES Intergovernmental cooperation was the discussion at a recent gathering of Allegheny County local government representatives at the University of Pittsburgh. They heard some straight-from-the-shoulder talk on the subject from Robert H. Ryan, new head of the Regional Industrial Development Corporation, As reported by William Allan in the Pittsburgh Press, Ryan said: "More and more of the men iin industry making the tough decisions, where to locate a f ___ plant,, where to expand, x , are paying more and more attention to the total livabilityr of a community. "Taxes are relatively low on their lists. "They're 1looking ‘ o for __ good local schools, good universities, good symphony orchestras, , good highways, good water and good government. "They're worried not so much about what you're spending. what you're spending as for "The days of locatir- • materials are •ng industry where there's cheap labor and over. They're r building electronic -J not building ships and tanks. They're devices that cost thousands of dollars. you can hold in your hand and which IN THE BAG College Park, Maryland, is the first citv in h, a city-wide system of refuse collection using d‘ natlon t0 adoPt After a 60-day test period among 106 household6 Paper bagsapproved adoption of the new system. Ninety percent f C°Uncil test group endorsed the paper bags as more * f those ln the than the standard metal cans. 1 ary and less noisy The system uses a strong, weatherproof bag that is clamped over a round collar on a permanent metal holder. An odor-tight lid keeps out flies, birds, and animals. Each residential property owner will be furnished one wall-type holder and two paper bags per week. The cost of this basic service will be borne by the city. Should the property owner desire a stand-type holder or require more holders, the additional cost will be charged to him. New bags will be furnished at the time of regular semi-weekly refuse collections. The containers can be used for most kinds of garbage and rubbish. A separate weekly collection is provided for grass clippings and yard and garden trash. Although the new system will increase present refuse collection costs, it is expected that it will be offset by savings in labor costs. The system will enable the city to transfer the equivalent of eight fulltime employees to other public works projects. Other advantages of the plan are: the system eliminates setting back cans, it permits crews to work ahead of garbage trucks without unsightly crew conditions; it eliminates the purchase and operating expense of packer-type trucks since open dump trucks can be used; it permits refuse crews to work at a higher rate of speed; use of open trucks should eliminate 907» o special trash pick-ups; and less physical exertion is require Part of the crews handling paper bags as compared with heavier me Cans- (Reprint from Pittsburgh Local Government News-letter, ary> 1963.) CITIES NEED SEWAGE PLANTS , "With modern - ■ where and the fellows tranrsportation these plants can be located any they want to li, “ industry are - -ive." going to locate their plants wher 5> 290 lion c °ver the next decade, according to r®P t-’ S‘ • Public Health Service. Grants un e —;rol Act to help meet this nee wi • noiv ---- r involves ent needs ... —-j of $600 milrecently issued by the Federal Water Pollumilli°n for fiscal �nd $100 million for each of the next , MO 000 for fiscal 1963, a up to 30 percentof construct­ under the Act. Annual ex1962, aiswears A city can now four fl£T Ir $600, 000, whiche7facilities by federal and local governion costs qftWage treatmen million a year since passage penditures for sewage averaged approximately ments have of the Act in 1956. yOE. XII, NO. 3 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. , MARCH 15, 1963 SOMETIME.. . Sometime when you're feeling important, Sometime when your ego's in bloom, Sometime when you take it for granted, You're the Best Qualified in the room; Sometime when you feel that your going Would leave an unfillable hole, Just follow this simple instruction And see how it humbles your soul. Take a bucket and fill it with water, Put your hand in it up to the wrist, Pull it out and the hole that's remaining Is a measure of how you'll be missed. You may splash all you please when you enter, You can stir up the water galore, But stop and you'll find in a minute That it looks quite the same as before. The moral in this quaint example is: Do just the best that you can; Be proud of yourself, but remember. . . There is no INDISPENSIBLE MAN. (Public Administration Review, Dec., 1962.) THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Used Car:" One that teach. es the buyer how hard it is to drive a bargain. Neurotic: A T,. „ who, when asked how he is, tells you. publication Ihis News-letter -- --------originated in the Institute ofi?^. m°nthly as a community service, and “Airies may be add UmClpal Government of Wilkes College°f Municipal G.r°vernment, Wilke^r3601 tO Dr’ Hugo V- Mailey, Institute ollege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania- STREET USE REGULATIONS FOR A SNOW CONTROL PROGRAM New traffic ordinances to assist in snow control have been put into effect in Buffalo, N.Y. In essence, these ordinances give the Streets Division the power to post "No parking" signs where required; and they provide more efficiently for the removal of improperly parked, stalled or abandoned automobiles. About 120 miles of streets, includ­ ing main arterial highways and the downtown shopping area are desig­ nated as "snow emergency" streets. During a declared emergency, all vehicles on any of these streets are required to be equipped with snow tires or tire chains; and parking is also prohibited during a snow emer­ gency. Pertinent portions of the ordinance are given below, local data, such as street names and ordinance numbers being omitted. For more efficient enforcement, and in lieu of towing a vehicle to the vehicle pound, where such vehicle is found parked in violation of the ordinance a police officer may place a warning tag on the vehicle. Any owner, operator, chauffeur or driverto whosevehicle any such tag has been affixed must obey the instructions or directions thereon and any refusal or omission to actin accordance therewith will be followedby the issuance of a summons. A new subdivision provides fo^Unat^f^. emergencies, a vehicle during snowstorms, floods, fires or other pu any street is found (a) parked, abandoned or una en constitute an obstruction or highway as defined in the ordinance, so . jing Or parking is Pr° °f traffic; or (b) any place where stoPP^g’e vehicle pound. Before the hibited, the vehicle may be removed remove it from the cusowner or person in charge of such ve ic e evidence of his identi y tody of the police department, he must ^^^^eipt for the vehicle and ownership or right of possession, mu a inCUrred ineffec 1 and must pay all expenses actually and ne of $15 for towing, such removal, such chargesnot to excee th tjmethe vehicle rem $1 for each day, or fraction thereof, during in the pound. �r declare that an emergency ex­ The commissioner of police may section or sections thereof, whenists in the city of Buffalo, or in any £ snow drifts or other natural pheever snow, freezing rain, sleet, ice, t of the commissioner, is likely to nomenon creates or, in the judgment impeding or likely to impede the free create, hazardous road conditions emergency or other vehicular traffic movement of fire, health, police, nd welfare of the community. The declaravital to the health, safety, ar^ '"p shall create an emergency period of 72 tion of such an emergencyr be terminated earlier by the commission hours, but such period may vplowing and/or sanding operations are satisfacer if the necessary-----snow] 1 ~ --Public Works torily completed. ' COURT UPHOLDS HOME RULE The Oregon Supreme Court has ruled that a state law requiring all political subdivisions that employ four or more full-time firemen to maintain a firemen's civil service system is a violation of home rule (State ex rel. Henig V. City of Milwaukie). The case came beforethe Court on appeal from the city of Milwaukie. The Court maintained that establishment of a civil service system for city firemen is a local mat­ ter of state-wide concern. It then delcared that the state legislature does not have authority to enact a general law applicable to all cities when the enactment relates to matters that are predominantly of local concern. Charles S. Rhyne, general counsel, National Institute of Mu­ nicipal Law Officers, has stated that the opinion will ". . . receive nation­ wide attention as a classic in the field of home rule. " The opinion is available from the League of Oregon Cities, P. O. Box 5177, Eugene. SPECIAL DISTRICTS NOW OUTNUMBER MUNICIPALITIES, TOWNSHIPS Special districts now outnumber every form of local government except school districts, a preliminary report of the 1962 Census of Government shows. one-thirdof special dist ’ sourcesOnly activities. The all remaining twoXitn functions. The largest group of special d 22, or 17. 6 percen( 6ngaged « natural Perform largely , X On the other hand, multi-purpose districts--often cited as a mising approach to metropolitan-wide functional problems--number pr° 11(1 or 1. 7 percent of the total, only The Census report shows a grand total of 91,236 governmental units in the United States in 1962, a decrease of 11,156 from that shown in 1957. There has been a continuing sharp reduction in the number of school districts, 34, 678 in 1962 compared to 50, 454 five years ago. In the same period, 782 more municipalities were reported. Townships declined by 54, and counties numbered seven fewer--3, 043 vs. 3,050. More than 4, 000 governments are found in each of seven states: Illinois, 6,453; Pennsylvania, 6, 202; Kansas, 5411; Minnesota, 5,213; Nebraska, 5,125; South Dakota, 4,464; California, 4,023. These states account for nearly 37,000 local governments, about 40 percent of the national total, --American Municipal News. CONTRACTS FOR DATA PROCESSING Saginaw, Michigan has awarded a contract to a local service bureau to concert certain major functions of the department of finance to electronic data processing. Functions to be converted are. real es tate and personal property taxes and special assessments, real estate taxes return roll and delinquent tax accounting, water and sewer bi mg and related accounts receivable, and preparation of payrolls and related reports. The city reports that conversion to data processing willeii inate six bookkeeping machines, bring long-range savings in per costs, and increase capacity for handling an expanding work There were 18, 323 special districts compared to 17,99? muni palities and 17,144 townships in 1962, according to the survey. The substantial STlha'n SPeCial districts--up nearly 4, 000 over 1957--is partially due —ge ln c^assification, which now counts as special districts some units P eviously consider ed as dependent agencies of other governments. NevertheL ess, entirely aside from the effect of these c g g if ^ore ica — tion changes, the number of special districts shows an increase than 2, 200, or about 15 percent, between 1957 and 1962. PUBLIC RELATIONS Proper timing is important from Jould be such things as good public relations. Examples of P°° , .n„ a period of temporary­ placing needed restrictions on curbpaiin during the summer mon. > business recession; increasing water ia fataiitv at that loca a fatality at the installation of a traffic signal the day a 1! �a few days before the street is completely torn patching anasphaltsiree' under a new program; cutting a new pavement for „p and reconditioned lines shortly after the new pavement is installed. water and sewer --Texas Town & City. meetings of the mayor, city commission, and Monthly breaktaj^______^,.^ urban renewal have proven sucother Memphis officials con t Only one participant has missed cessful for coordinating an anj that because he had to be out of a meeting over a two-year p ' town. --Public Administration N yOD. XI1 NO. 4 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, pA APRIL 15, 1963 ELEVENTH ANNUAL DINNER MAY 22ndIS A RED-LETTER DAY. CIRCLE IT ON YOUR CALENDAR! POLITICAL ACTIVITY OK The Alameda County (California) Superior Court ruled recently that a provision in the Alameda County Charter forbidding political ac­ tivity on the part of county employees is unconstitutional. The decision was based on two points: (1) the provision is vague as to what conduct employees may engage in without fear of punishment, and (2) it dis­ criminates unreasonably between employees in the classified civil ser­ vice and those in the unclassified civil service. Framers of the char­ ter pointed out that the language in the charter is identical with that in number of other jurisdictions. --Public Management. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Forbidden fruit is responsible for many a bad jam. Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there. The Institute of Municipal Government will hold its Eleventh An­ nual Dinner for award and certificate winners at the Wilkes Commons on Wednesday, May 22, 1963, at 6:30 p. m. This dinner really brings to a climax the in-service training activities in local government which the Institute has conducted over the past year. The main speaker will be Colonel E. Wilson Purdy, newly ap­ pointed Commissioner of Police for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvan­ ia. Commissioner Purdy, who received his graduate degree in Police Science from Michigan State University, will devote some of his re­ marks to professionalization of law-enforcement. The in-service training activities of the Institute have intensi­ fied and incr eased in number over the last eleven years. It is quite evi­ dent that many local officials in Northeastern Pennsylvania are making every effort to avail themselves of these short courses and thereby raise their standards in local government. The awards dinner is, therefore, a fitting climax to their sincere efforts to widen their horizon and vision. *** DON'T FORGET MAY 22nd! *** PUBLICATION $181, 540 AID GIVEN TO CITY This News-letter, published monthly monthly as a community service, originated in - the -’..j L. Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed of Municipal Government, Wilkes Coll- to -J Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Accelerated Public Works c«y° was made to Mrs. Ethel Price, head of ^"ation of th. grant states ment, by Congressman Daniel J. F oo ' days. that work on the project must begin wi . on the specifications will begin iniMrs. Price stated that wor Government will pay 58 per Mediately. Under the grant, the Fe e be req, mired to pay the cent of the total cost, $181, 549, while the �or $131,460. Request for the Federal aid was remaining 42 per cent, 7 1962. The moneys will be spent on three sew submitted on November Project 1, sanitary interceptor sewers in North er projects in the city: residential 1 development; Project 2, reconstruc r in South Wilkes-Barre and Mill Creek Sewer in Wilkes-Barre for a new tion of D. and Barre, H. sewer andinProject 3, improvement of North Pennsylvan. ,„jr. The Federal agency yesterday also granted $8, 787 to North Wilkesia storm ■land sewer Borough to provide resurfacing of Ridge Street. The work is Freel„___ to begin in 40 days. AT.BTTQTTF.RQUE SAVES ON RENTAL CHARGES -By MODERNIZING ITS FIRE ALARM SYSTEM A modern fire alarm system has gone into operation in the fire department of the city of Albuquerque. The Class A system is required by the National Board of Fire Underwriters for all departments answer­ ing morethanl, 500 alarms in one year. During the last fiscal year, the new system, Fire Cheif Simon Seligman said, will help keep low insur­ ance rates in force in Albuquerque. With the new type A system, fire alarms are received at central headquarters and by responding compa­ nies only. The class B system, formerly in use, transmitted all alarms to all stations. It has been estimated that the $111, 640 contract price of the new system is but one-tenth of what the city would have to pay dur­ ing the next 30 years (a conservative useful life expectation of the new system) under a plan which proposed leasing a telephone type reporting system. stallation design. The r keadquarters alarm room is a model of mproximately 16 feet bv 20°f^<- °U®lngthe central office equipment is apTypeB system, when the citv h^ °riginaUy built for a six-circuit, A equipment which has an ir Only ten engine houses. The new type es has been installed in lmate caPacity for handling 30 engine housn rtle same room. Included in th. 1uipment is of the latest Modular ede2nal ?fiCe e equipment is an operator's console ly installed to the rear of th ontrolling switchboards have been neatports a fire or requests the e ispatcher's facilities. When a person rethe main fire alarm office. escue unit by telephone, he is connected to dtu^ineTro'md1 tim?8; new operators system the'ai'arm operator W°the alarrn will be on duty inW0 the new system the alarm operator v-ing to ' the -J call andwilW Pani es location responsible for respon and vail transmit tbe the com alarm and to these conaP* nies. The dispatch cards,required for the new syste the correct companies to dispatch to anytvne eJ? glV6S the °pertO anyl°ati°n in the city. These cards showthe first due cnm cati°n ond and third alarm assignments to every location168 the sec of to these planshave been worked „ S° that the theFire Fire departdepartment is"All able function effectively under anv Chief Seligman said. All incoming calls to theY xemergency condition," ed as a means of preventing mistakes. operator immediately plays back the recording ; d bt’ the ala™ the caller gives the operator accurate informal! & d°Uble check- "If nature of the emergency it is possible tn ho, aSt° thelocati°n and seconds, " the chief said. Plans caU fo, appira,«s » •>>, way i„ dude two more planned fire stations. -Western^ '° ern City Magazine. SET-OUT, SET-BACK SERVICE COSTS TOLEDO $333, 000/YR, The original separate collection of garbage and trash has been replaced by a single collection on a once-a-week basis with pickup and iplaced by setback of cans in the city of Toledo, Ohio. A study was recently made to see how well the newly installed collection system was working; and to make any additional recommendations for further improvement of the efficiency of pickup and haul. ' ’ s5 refuse collection Using I960 as a test year, the city of Toledo' costs were determined from budget analysis. Each E__- individual costs, id amortization, was divided such as labor, operation and maintenance and into the general categories of: a. pickup costs b. haul costs . Pickup and haul costs were in turn, subdivided into: a. costs related to time and b. costs related to miles of travel. tons of material By relating each of these costs for the test year of handling one handled during that period, it can be state a haul for tbe year I960, ton of refuse was $13. 40 for pickup and ag $0 3795 per ton Haul costs were broken down further, an e p ,Xstance basis. mile with the mileage computed on a roun ri _z ? collection proof Toledo's refuse „ One of the expensive features by picking up and a- returning refrather thanleaving thanleaving this this work to the in­ cedures is the additional service gi in most cities. It is estimated that if USe cans to the rear of the houses ra cities. It Is c~ deleted, about $333, 000 per year will dividual householder, as is done this pickup and return of cans is 4! �ly the return of the empty cans to the other hand, wy would be saved. be saved. IL on the rear of the houses was .■^tPdinthe city pickup procedures were ana. Recent changes instlt* system presently being employed ap. lyI.d statistically. The anyone felt possible, and the average nears tobe working farbette 5 9 hOurs. Part of this reduction is due to *ork day has beenreduced.■15_minute coffeebreaks allowed dur- VOL. XII NO. 5 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. , MAY, 1963 ing the regular 8 hour f irther analyzed, and it is concluded that some The situation was c could be expected by keeping the additional total increased ei workload in a gradual manner as pop­ present system and increa individual truck route areas are adjVsted^o^e^iwHz^^ota^work^loaji^^m^on^CO^lle^Hjm^cre^w^s^Ifth^ effeteS^^enrLVeXe system would probably break down This is considering an 8hour workday less 2 coffeebreaks or an effective work neriodof 7-1/2 hours. The anticipated breakdown would be due pnmarilyto seasonal occurrences of considerable period of overtime being re­ quired. TIPS WORTH TAPPING XXalr;-1S.®™ ' • WeStPal ” Be”=h- FIa' (F”"k La’ent ln a local PaPer Prior to PrePar‘ r citizen suggestions. Those responding tions were incorporated into th bJ°nSe was g°od and several sugges- THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Nothing makes paying your taxes a refund. seem fully justified like getting Lots of people laugh i one way and vote another. --Will Rodgers. PUBLICATION PofbLished monthiy of Mun1CipalG( The Institute of Municipal Government will hold its Eleventh Annual Dinner for award winners at the Wilkes Commons on Wednesday, May 22, 1963, at 6:30 p.. m. This dinner brings to a climax the in-service t ------ ' ■■ ■■ ■ _ in . training activities local government which the Institute has con­ ducted. The main speaker of the evening will be Colonel E. Wilson Pur­ dy, newly appointed Commissioner of Police for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Commissioner Purdy, who received his degree in Police Science from Michigan State University, will speakabout the profession­ alization of law-enforcement. ***DON'T FORGET MAY 22nd!*** Gaylord, Mich. (Kenneth D. Northuis, manager), has a monthly cola™ in the local newspaper written by the city manager. . . . Roanoke, seve 1 dUT ' °WenS’ mana£er)> sent notes of apology and roses to trashpickuVat^h126^6 Suffered through an especially long delay in ing the annual budget to ask to the ad were sent- r ELEVENTH ANNUAL DINNER Municipal GrWilkes Con?0 °5. V. Mailey, Institute ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. RECENT PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATION AFFECTING MUNICIPALITIES The Governor has signed the bill which a™®*d®^townships and izingthe establishment of historical districts in of’Historical Armunicipalitiesby requiring that members o e wnshiP or municipality chitectural Review be residents of the C°^ formerly provided that in which the historic district is locate . only a majority of the Board be residents. eno Another law amends the act entitled separately or jointly, to power cities, boroughs, towns, and towns anj constructing certain its, and within or without the county m which eements with other municipalities to enter into arrangement a^oving the prohib^on Public authorities for the purposes o uPon municipalities to construct dams Poses, and increasing the amount o w be let without competitive bidding an flood control or ot improvements w t^sernent. may i' �NOW exempt ---- THIRD OF from TAXES example of the manner in which Wilkes-Barre is an outs bei steadily whittled nicipal income from ^/'.contrasted to the state average which m \tions InWilkes-Bar d llar collected--almost one-third i tn taxes lost fpom paying faxes. The 1%1 as. ofall th. property th the a grade total of $115, 900, 000 of sessment, for example, sh ty which is exempt from taxation is property, the total value tax exempt listincreases $37,466,754, or aboum^perty added by means of changes of the law. „ f the exemptionshave been granted in recent years is T“ 7O'i 7 n 19M a. total was so that the tnshown by the fact th Q()0 000 thg last decade. This contrasts crease has been a mos , > . R in ^30 when the total was little 7*7X7.“mF™ years later. In 1930 the exempt total was $28, 648, 535--only some $200, 000 less than in 1950. All through Pennsylvania exemptions are becomong a big head­ ache for local government officials. With a trend toward more and more exemptions whittling away at local tax bases, they must seek new sour­ ces of revenue. When local taxables are shaved by exemptions, state subsidies to school districts and for other purposes--normally based on local real estate values--are increased to help make up the difference. ilready on the books. In addition, the 1961 lesisiot gave final gaVe tfo» )val_-andthe voters concurred overwhelming —-------- -------- .. B/y at the November apPr°1"' -to a constitutional amendment exempting the Property of needy eiectionamputee, blind and paraplegic veterans. multipl® 1.This latest amendment is the first of a new P the^oTr f affects property of individuals and is certain to tvn open which properties in other classes of persons ’ " « dd amendments to, exempt Philadelphia chief assessor. Martin Steiger A review of exemption provisions and so-called abuses has been The Joint State Government Commission, research urged for years, arm of the legislatur e, followed up the resolution by appointing an 18member committee to study the problem and report to the 1963 session. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS INCREASES Technical assistance, a concept and practice familiar in inter­ national relations, is increasingly utilized as a form of domestic in­ tergovernmental cooperation. However, "in the concern about grantsin-aid and other methods by which one level of government may super­ vise or control activities of other governments, " the importance of tech­ nical assistance has received less consideration. To remedy this lack of attention, the Council of State Gove Eo„-H^e0rgn FT’ research and statistical expert of the State Tax toq school1 diqf°artd’ estlmates at least $80> 000> 000 in taxables are lost d S ““°“gh The cost to the state tn in- ™£ 7' oo°’ oo°- A survey prepared by 1950, while taxable exempt property rose 20% between 1935 and in the next 11 years, in—d only 9%. The margin narrowed 1961, while taxable nm eXemPt Property still rose by 65% from 1950 to property increased by 63%, A long list of p--------is spelled out in the State Constitution and general laws tiexemptions , WOrship, and property^ 1HClude all public property, places of actual P™* orations and public utilities, charitable and non­ military veterans groups. Despite the billsPproproesmade C°nstamiyPforblem by local taxing bodies, ateralAssemb\7 exemptieo7snwmOre eXemPtions’ Twenty-five ted by charitable W° Were enacted n lntroduced in the 1961 Gented access hi»K °rSanizations- tk ne exempts concert halls operah*h»«y.. Th. lat”Bp'.7 other excuse, land used for Uffli- erelya classification of an exemp' ments has published a report on State Technical Assistance Governments, by William L. Frederick and Marilyn Gitte . Though technical assistance has been basically state supervision the authors state, it is o en a of accomplishing goals sometimes sought through confr "increasingt0 ly the emphasis at the state level is upon assism t0 make certain do a better job, rather than merely supervising state governthat minimum standards are observed. In 1S w which otherwise ments can better rely on local units to furnish service might have to be shifted entirely to the state be mandaJ"^diting services, Other tory, for instance providing budget particularly from state agenaid programs are available upon reque educations.,nd health or consulcies concerned with professional ser takes several form^ and ;C ial studies with staff functions. Technical assis a ,ngtituteSi spec Nation and expert advice, conference , arnS, ana:.nuals and nv.odel ^Ports, clearing house and informaHon^^ogra laws. --Public Administration Technical assistance for local �NICIPALITIEST2-^ SHARE OF GAS TAX MUN_ Wilbur c. Webb announced recently ton has authorized distribution Of Acting Secretary of William W. Subdivisions throughout the state. The that Governor $29, 390, 232 to the 2560 polity Share of the Liquid Fuel and Fuels - - cent of their moneyrepresents 90per .... t fisealy«'“>e”dI“ for the fiscal y Use Tax T------- yOL. XII, NO. 6 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, Legislative Act 6S5. notM guarantees annual Department dis4 1/2 cent tax--or $30 million, whichever tribution of 20 percent ofthe; qualifiedby submitting budgets is more-to the municipa’^hat at least 25 per cent of the alloca­ tor approval. The Act ^cstruct.on and reconstruction and the balance tions must be spent for , roads bridges. for maintenance on local This year,for the sixth time, 90 per cent payments will start in April so that money is available for use during the summer construc­ tion season. The remaining 10 per cent willbe paid in October as specfied by the Act. Payments will be made to Fir st and Second Gias s townships, bor­ oughs and cities. Although counties receive no payments, amounts go­ ing to municipalities have been compiled, for simplicity, to show totals by county. thoughts for today A successful man is one whoknowshow toget ahead of the people he has to get along with. Fault ha;s never been too easy to find that people stopped looking for it. publication This N< ews-Ietter, originated in the IInstitute Polished of MunV- tr.; monthly as a community service, Notes and inquiries _°f Municipal "* 5 nray b e addres^A Governnaent of Wilkes College, of Municipal Government, Wilke -as r n tO ^r‘ HuS° V. Mailey, Institute ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. PA. , JUNE 15 , 1963 ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER The Institute of Municipal Government culminated another suc­ cessful year of activity with the Eleventh Annual Awards Dinner for lo­ cal officials in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Certificates of Attainment were presented to 103 men and women who completed the courses of the Institute in property assessment, police report writing, fundamentals of fire fighting, civil law for magistrates, personnel supervision, munici­ pal fire administration and small arms. An additional nineteen officials and employees received service awards for experience and untiring ef­ forts as public servants in their communities. The following officials received service awards: Dr. Robert M. Bodycomb, Dallas school board 18 years; John T. Jeter, Dallas Borough engineer, 46 years; Henry Cislo, Dupont police chief, five years; Mi­ chael Kravitsky, Edwardsville police chief, 29 years; Vernon A. Cease, Jackson Township school director, 24 years and justice of the peace 14 years; Anthony Krauzlis, Kingston police officer, 38 years; Anthony Panaway, Laflin solicitor, five years; Frank Marcinkowski, Nanticoke councilman, 16 years; Joseph Mazzarella, Pittston Township fire chief, 18 years; Anthony Kulikowski, Plains Township commissioner, eight years; Lawrence Kendig, Plymouth police chief, 33 years; John Bren­ nan, Pringle police chief, 12 years; Charles Arndt, Salem Township school board, 23 years; Joseph Tirpak, West Wyoming official and sec­ retary of the school board, 21 years; Charles Morgan, Wilkes-Barre chief of police, 20 years in the department; Carl Naessig, Wilkes a City assessor, 30 years; Albert Harrison, Wright Township sc oo i ^ctor, 15 years; Carl N. Smith, chairman, Wright Township Planning Commission, three years; George Samuels, Forty Fort Ver> 27 years. COMMISSIQNER PURDY ‘■■j of “-----. Dinner of the Institute —- c. of the In an address at the Eleventh. AnnuaCommissioner Municipal Government, Colonel E. ^11S°di£ference of citizens vwho failed Pennsylvania State,Police, scored the i 11 t �. itizenship in demanding and supporting p the responsibility —of -i c , Commissioner, the police oft00ad law enforcement. — f.° - iS the first line u flCe olice department and the dedicated offiCer "A strong hometown P on hope to p: ieS without which no community can “propet,y’"he declaied' He advocated and urged police depar open door policy with regard to the public press toenCourage visits from the general pubinformation on law enforcement activi- lic as a means Act 23- -Increases the maximum compensation of auditor in any townshiphaving apopulation of 10, 000 or lessnotto exceed $200 for any calendar year. Auditors are not to receive™ -re than $400 for any calendar year in townships having ar ’ population in excess of 10, 000. In addition, an auditor is to receive $lo” . - J per day to audit the accounts of a vacated public office (1) P# 66. Act 29--Authorizes ordinances and certain resolutions tobe in force af­ ter attachment to the borough ordinance book, and validates certain borough records. (5) P# 833. against police officials setting themselves up NON-RESIDENT OCCUPATIONAL TAX as semi-official censors. If law enforcement agencies want to improve their public image and gain the support and respect of the people, lack of which Commis­ sioner Purdy decries, it would be well for them to ponder Purdy's words seriously. COUNCILMEN'S PAY BILL The Councilmen's Pay Bill " was signed into law by Governor ranton. It is the first bill pertaining to borough government to comP 6 a lts tripthrough the legislative process this session. H. 352 aletinatti " ast ParagraPb °f Section 1001 of the Borough Code by deanv monthmg phrase: "No compensation shall be paid in meeting of counc^d1 ™h°has failedto attend at least one (regular) missed the re 1 m°nth’ " ThiS would Permit a councilman adjourned meeting^ C°UnCil meeting, but who attended a special or that month. ring rnonfb, to be paid his monthly salary for In June, 1962, this column reported the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's knockout of the City of Johnstown's attempt to impose a flat $10 "occupational" tax upon non-residents working in the city. Johnstown came out of its fiscal corner counter-punching with the fact that it also had put a $10 per capita tax upon every resident. But the court said that the tax on non-residents was itself a per capita tax and therefore inval­ id because of lack of jurisdiction to tax. Danyluk v. Johnstown, 406 Pa. 427 (1962). But that was only a preliminary. Next, into the Superior Court's ring, came the Borough of Midland, also seeking a way to get residents of neighboring towns to kick in for the services they receive. But, as we reported in September, 1962, Midland also lost, despite the fact that it carefully imposed its $10 occupation tax upon everybody employed in the borough, resident and non-resident alike. The Superior Court, be­ lieving that it was following the Supreme Court's decision in the Johns­ town case, kayoed the Midland tax on the ground that it was also a per capita tax because of its flat rate; and a true occupation tax, the court said, must involve a sliding scale of charges varying with different clas­ ses of occupations. Guernsey v. Midland Borough, 197 Pa. Super. V (1962). local government Act 6-- Provides for th. a Vice~Chairman of the Board of SuPerviSors for Serr.CtJ°/^ n Class Townships. (1) P# 52. Act 7-- The supervision of supervisors whentb ’wnships affairs shall be by five township court has provided for election of two ad (1) P# 67. Act 16~ Two r- ^embers of any board of supervisors consisting of three members -3 shall c institute a quorum, and three members of a flVe membe: rboard -J shall constitute a quorum. (1) P# b0. . The City of Allentown, Now, however, comes the main even . which also put a $io like Midland, brought to the Supreme o , -n an occupation within in levy on all residents and non-residents engaged eng theC“y' hlth..^AnytMn6Acf. As we noted last September, the;factt J^ssly sets a $10 (Act No. 481 of June 25, 1947, P. L- 11 Lonal privilege taxes' suPplid imum for "flat rate occupation and occup a pretty good hint that the solons m Har . °ccupation tax must have a sliding sea urg don't think tha I �n recently filed, the PennsylVani: The court says that, in So, in Gaugler r. Alientow , ia Allentow n ' s^lethat an occupation tax, in order Supreme Court upheld the it did not intend o rding to the mode of employ. Johnstown case, Of necessity vary to be valid, must ment. VOL. The Johnstown case, the court states, was different b 'ecause the lawyers there virtually admitted that the "occupational" tax ■ was really per capita tax on non-residents. PA., JULY 15, 1963 LAWS AFFECTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT The Allentown opinion points out that the Tax-Anything Law ex­ pressly mentionsboth per capita and occupation taxes and expres sly puts separate limitations on both. Ac Amending Section 1709 of the First Class Township Code (1931 p_ l. 1206) to increase the millage limit for general township purposes from 15 mills to 20 mills. Approved March 25. Act 15-- Amends Sections 2 and 3 of the act of 1936 P. L. 95, relating to flood control, by authorizing cities, boroughs, towns and town­ ships to enter into arrangements and agreements with other public authorities for the purposes of the act; removing the pro­ hibition upon municipalities to construct dams for flood control or other purposes, and increasing from $300 to $1000, the amount of works or improvements that may be let without com­ petitive bidding and advertisement. Approved April 15. For good measure, the Allentown decision says that municipal­ ities had power to impose occupational license taxes even before the 1947 act was passed. For extragood measure, the Supreme Court also backs up its view of the occupation tax by citing an 1885 Pennsylvania case. Don't throw out those old law books yet, solicitors; they come in handy, sometimes. The Allentown opinion did not expressly overrule the Superior Court Midland decision. But don't be surprised if Midland seeks a re­ turnmatch. (Reprint of article by David W. Craig, Esq. in the LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWSLETTER, May, 1963). Act 21-- Amends Section 610 of the First Class Township Code (1931 P. L. 1206) to allow county association of township officers to hold quarterly conventions, as an alternative to semi-annual or an­ THOUGHTS FOR TODAY nual conventions. Act 30--Enlarges the right of Authorities to charge a tapping fee, and provides for payment to the person or corporation paying for Keep thy eyes wide cp open before marriage, and half-shut after­ wards. --Benjamin Franklin. Everybody is ignorant, only on differ ent subjects. XII, NO. 7 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, ~~ the construction. 1 (1) P# 74. Act 46-- Regulates the compensation of townships secretaries and treas urers as to salary, wages, or a certain percentage on all.men eys received and paid by him as determinedby the super PUBLICATION This News originated in the L.-letter, Published nmonthly as a community service, institute Notes and inquiries , of Municipal "3Jnay be addrer — 1 Government of Wilkes Collegeof Municipal Government, Wilke ssed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute -es Coll, -—lege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania- (1) P# 57. i Authorizes supervisors to transact business other than organi­ zing as a boardat meetings on the first Mondayof January. ((6). Act 48--Validates ordinances heretofore book for third class cities. Act 49--Validates ordinances nance book for second class to the city ordinance 1 ordittached to the township (7) P# 280, I �,0 Act5° nficationof members of the board of health Further fixes the qua f p# 281> rei.ti»s“>^8‘“a by separate departments and bureaus whoseinprimary instead °fim piy to acquire needed materials quickly order tointerest get on simply to acquire needed materials II ■ bn to the Veterans of World War I of . t 56—Authorises an appr0P“a_„ Act 00 TT c A . Inc. '(8)• P# 695. The U. S. a. , missioners may appropriate, annually, to °f W°rld WaT 1 the U‘ S‘ A‘ ’ InC> Act (8) P# 706. Act 76--Authorises townships . to remove and impound illegally parked vehicles. (3) P# Act 78--Authorizes the reassessment of a building or buildings con­ structed, or where major improvements have been made after the township supervisors have prepared a duplicate of the as­ sessment of township taxes. (4) P# 835. CENTRALIZED PURCHASING "If thel5 percent saving often claimed for centralized purchasing is correct, Richmond, Virginia taxpayers have saved nearly 12 million dollars since establishment of the city's central purchasing agency 20 years ag°’ A 81011111011(1 Times-Dispatch editorial appraising the muni^slng agency after 20 years of operation is quoted in the NaHonal Institute o£ Governmental Purchasing Letter Service. purchasine 6 'm?rovements came about through questioning of previous rsupplier yTbX™! “Ssa'e editorial ”°uswho had always sol/^?6^1 *eS phoned fir" a typewriter ribbon partment, and said h ribbons at $10 a dozen to a certain city deThe supplier then cut hi^ .S going °ing to 1° look for a lower price elsewhere. Price to $5. 50. Richmond was f editorial continues, and one, cS,' ‘ S’. city to use foreign small cars, the foreign ones, with operating and i e first to use domestic compacts. The cost 1, 2 cents less per mile thanmaintenance costs of 2. 1 cents per mile, chasing agency's recommendation, ' conventional cars. In 1947, at the purservicing city-owned motor vehicle’ consolidation of the three city shops n,, eS brougbt further economies. •--vxgauon and innovation, observes in icate "the savings realized through having P11 Professional1 buying agency that seeks to save mon NEWS ABOUT FIRE Portland, Oregon—— A plea for closer cooperation between fire . building officials was voiced here today by C. M. Christiansen, building inspections director of Portland. "If your city does not now have the kind of cooperation you would like, " he said, "you will need to rid yourselves of monopolistic codes and 'little kingdoms. ' Little kingdoms, favors shownto a few, and ego­ tism in the job have no place. " While personnel is vitally important, Christiansen said, the most competent administrators "are literally stymied without proper codes." The ideal code, he told the group, requires "specific minimum stan­ dards of performance rather than specific materials, " thus getting away from the monopolistic code under which only the products of a particu­ lar manufacturer or dealer can qualify. In the past, code requirements often called for inefficient work methods and "stand-by" labor. These codes were so restrictive and monopolistic that they were barriers to new products and modern tech­ niques, he said. Granted good codes to work with, cooperation can only be achieved if fire and building officials have an understanding of "What and why they are enforcing. " Each group must be well informed as to the other's problems so that there can be teamwork resulting in accom­ plishment. "The principle of public service impartially applied is the only oundation for the enforcement of code provisions, " he said. INTERIM ASSESSMENT * has now been extended The right of interim assessment limited basis at least. House 1—- Bill boroughs of the Commonwealth, on a IL — 356 is now Act 80 of 1963. --cedto give the borThe Boroughs Associationhac “““ now available : ; to assess for taxation purposes, new c duplicate has been prepared for the y ,he “ �, t.mes on its journey through the legist - I several tim buiiders' groups. When it ap. 356 stalled H. position from s® itted and might die, the Associa. ture because of oppc bill would be reco amendments were inserted and peared that the L— amendments. tion agreed to some ed and is now law. the bill advanc The amendments provide that the new property shall not b ill It L purchased or occupied whichever is 6 as~ , shall sessed and taxed until it is the pi postponement of assessment e .earllerwhich’ the In no case, however, -11 next annual tax duplicate is completed0^ ^e~ VOL. XII> NO. 8 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. , AUGUST 15, 1963 yond that date on THIRD ANNUAL COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE DEBT LIMIT Senate Bill 37, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth, is on its way to the Governor. This bill, as a- mended, would increase the local government debt limit to 5 percent of assessed valuation without voter approval, and to 15 percent of assessed valuation with voter approval. The current limits are 7 percent with voter approval and 2 percent without. S. 37 originally applied only to school districts and to school debt. After Senate passage, it was amended in the House to include all local governments, was quickly passed, and, the Senate concurred in the House amendments. The Boroughs Association is urging the Governor to sign this bill, although its long-standing policy on debt limits favors changing the basis from assessed valuation to market valuation. A ConsJutioi7XndXTUre be approved by the voters W°Uld be °nly the SteP’ must Pass two successive legislatures and THOUGHTS FOR TODAY A DEBTOR is a man who owes money to a CREDITOR who thinks he will get it. A penny fOr most Sjuyesr* People's thoughts is a fair price. PUBLICATION T :er’ published monthly as a community service, N° es a”d inquirieInstitute of Municipal Government of Wilkes Collegeof Municipal ' 28 ^ay be ; “ addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute vernment, Wilk, ’”ill;es College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsy.•Ivania- The Third Annual COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE will again provide an opportunity for the exchange of ideas among the various organizations and individuals concerned with the solution of the more practical problems related to the social and economic well-being of our area. The CONFERENCE will bring together all those people interes­ ted in present and future planning for the area. It is designed to set a pattern for continuing cooperative efforts among local government offi­ cials, builders, realtors, industrialists, developers, and interested citizens. In examining the more vital problems of our area, the sponsors of the COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE hope tobenefit from shar­ ing experiences with nationally known authorities who will participate in the CONFERENCE with us. COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE willbe The Third Annual < held at Wilkes College oni Wednesday, September 25, 1963. Watch for the final program announcement and registration form. DON'T MISS THIS IMPORTANT MEETING! MARK THIS DATE ON your calendar! LAWS AFFECTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT xtends the eligibility for military leave of absence under Act 93__ tthe Veterans Preference Act of 1957" which includes em­ ployes of counties, municipalities, townships, authorities Or other political subdivisions of the Commonwealth to times emergency proclaimed by the Governor or President of the U. S. A. county solicitor Act 95-- Provides that no elected county officer oror tax collector of as treasurer shall at the same time serve �u incorporated town or township, any city. •cions of existing law relating to supervisors, tes exemptions from payment of real estate Act 104- Grants and reg a ,ncluding land upon which it stands of taxes on any bu paraplegic or have suffered the war veterans w ° limbg> imposes duties on the State Veloss of two or prohibits the sale of certain real es- Fuel and oil additives have been qUipment on a trial basis over a period of on P°lice transport ver, Colorado, with worthwhile results rT ^rs iln *' costs may prove their use to be valuahl' .Reducti°ns in maint en' OWMa vehicles Their finding, in e “ lrMSm...ton additive repair. ont,ansmi!> ” 50 per cent. The problem of dismantli aut°“ « ?'“ ov„ been eliminated. s aromatic transmissions has the gasoline supplement, five po- grant of an exemption. Act 106-- Authorizes municipality authorities to file tax and munici­ pal claims not filed within the time specified by law. Act 114- Department of Highways shall have the power to declare as surplus any bridge or structure and sell at public sale after giving first preference and priority to purchase to the local governments within which the bridge or structure is located or in adjacent counties. Act 115 A majority of the remaining supervisors may appoint a suc­ cessor, and upon their failure to make such appointment with­ in thirty days after the vacancy occurs, the court of quarter sessions shall appoint a successor upon the presentation of a petition signed by a supervisor and not less than five registered electors. the gasoline additive also greatly reduced carburetor maintenanc tt of the motor oil supplement resulted in reduction of valve-lifter trou" ble and crankcase sludge. trou- ADVANCES IN FIRE FIGHTING TECHNIQUES On September 18, 1963, at 7:30 p.m. in Stark Hall, WilkesCollege, the Institute of Municipal Government will sponsor a series of films on fire fighting. Mr. Bill Gross, Fire Instructor at IMG, is in charge of the program. The following films are scheduled to be shown: (1) Fire Fighting in the Nuclear Age (2) Water Fog -- Master of Fires (3) The Nozzleman (4) Kansas City Oil Fires (5) Building the Line (For­ est Fire Fighting) (6) Know the Cause (Arson). All firemen from the surrounding area are encouraged to attend. troller°rmgh lnStead of electing three auditors, or one concounts bv a7 Pf°7lde by ordinance for the audit of its acauditing wor^er 1 pu^c acc°untant or a person skilled in Act 131- Provides tha* tion of process o stitute a felony. * of pnbl“;" th. sut0,„at c COURT UPHOLDS CLUSTER ZONING , irl a "cluster zoning or di or beating an officer in the executhe Perf°rmance of his duties shall con- ADDITIVES RE'. —^££-^aintenance COSTS The National Institute Of r. study made by the Denver D<'ePartm ^ernmental Purchasing reports a with police maintenance f" garages j6*1 General Services in connection tomatic transmission additiv< ' --/e, a'a?' ierViCe tests were made u6ing aU' tive manufactured by one c°mpany S° lne addItive> and a motor oil addi- nance Planning Board) The zoning approved by th. subdivision tract deeded to the munlCip 1 X^r may reduce cent. board for public purposes, then the 10 “ “n sizes by 20 to 30 per cent and minim stress on over q_ The court upheld the provision becau .tfi attempt hthis rather than on traditional lot-by-lot ^dividual subdivideJS iglation. spaces. The benefits derived by^ otherwise valid leg Provision do not, ruled the court, (New Jersey Municipalities, April 19 �yoL XII, pioe Cleaning Company, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania The Robinson F P ,nnovation in sewer and pipeline maintenance has announced an exciting in ,nspection via closed-circuit televisi^ Robinsonhas now added in to its varied services. THIRD B Schaff, company president, the inspects on According t0 ' manner: a section of a sewer, for examis performed in the manhole to manhole with the Robinson Power pie, is first rod e r ,g then attached to the rod and is pulled Rodder; the televisi parties sit in weatherproof comfort in the through the line. n and watch eVery tile come onto the screen. PhX'oHhe'monitor can provide a permanent record , The camera is lights provide needed illumination. The camera can be placed on skids or even on a boat or raft for inspecting large diameter pipes, and addi­ tional outboard lighting can then be provided as needed. annual community growth conference citizens. In examining the more vital problems of our area, the sponsors of the COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE hope tobenefit from shar­ ing experiences with nationally known authorities who will participate A typical inspection job was performed recently for the Borough of Greentree where approximately 850 feet of 36" concrete storm sewer was the subject. Robinson had been cleaning the sewer and after remov­ ing literally tons of debris encountered an immovable obstruction at ut halfway point (two openings available were at two extremities), ince collapsed pipe was suspected, it was decided to make the TV in- in the CONFERENCE with us. ofthe hr v 6 camera confirmedall suspicions, and the exact locations pleted in onX^ rthT^ Wele noted- Inspection was comoay- (The Borough Bulletin, March 1961) ) The Third Annual COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE will be held at Wilkes College on Wednesday, September 25, 1963. The theme of this CONFERENCE will be "The Need to Rehabilitate the Older Com­ munity. " At the panel session, prominent individuals will discuss the following topics: Survival of the Central Business District, Effect of Urban Renewal on Land Values, and Measurement of Community Re­ discussion of The newal Needs. The CONFERENCE will conclude with ac.------- Role of the Citizen in Community Growth. thoughts for today A chip on the shoulder always indicates there is wood higher up. i SHORT COURSES ■einpl Governmentt will provide tunities for elected el and apwith the Public non-credit, non-degree tea eoopemuo. Vof Pointed officials. They are PreS Instruction, Commonwealth C Service Institute, Department of P staff supPlern' taff is supplemented by guest Pennsylvania. Instruction by the In lecturers. Once again the Institute of PUBLICATION This News-letter, originated in the Institute published monthly as a communityr service> Notes and inquiries r*' ma ^un^cipal Government of \. ------- Colleg®’ Wilkes of Municipal Government, ® addresse<i to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Instil • Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Penney•Ivania- SEPTEMBER 15, 1963 The Third Annual COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE will again provide an opportunity for the exchange of ideas among the various organizations and individuals concerned with the solution of the more practical problems related to the social and economic well-being of our area. The CONFERENCE will bring together all those people interes­ ted in present and future planning for the area. It is designed to set a pattern for continuing cooperative efforts among local government offi­ cials, builders, realtors, industrialists, developers, and interested rnotos ui work. Encased in a waterproof "X^-^easures 5 1/2" indiamete. Inboard Some people are like blotters - they soak it all in, but get it all backwards. NO. 9 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA . �11Q mester, the following courses will bepresentedDuring the Fall bem^ew of Firemen<s responsibility in the Arson Investigation — arson and fraud fires; Criminal Investiga. detection and prevention observational and scientific techtion — An advanced n of major crimes; Magistrates - Criminiques used in the inve g of the important points of criminal law nal Law---A Sener^ in the proper fulfilling of their office; Rural required by magis course for assessors with prior experi. assessment: field i„ rural areas. SWOYERVILLE The recent decision of Judge Jacob Schiffman regarding a mo­ tion by the Swoyerville Council for a preliminary injunction to stop the erection of a million gallon oil storage tank strongly points up once more the importance of zoning. Note the comments made by Judge Schiffman in denying the motion. "The record does not reveal that the tank is un­ safe because of the material or equipment used or the manner of its con­ struction. Nor does the testimony indicate the proposed structure will necessarily or with practical certainty, result in fire or explosion with resultant drastic effect upon neighboring residents. On the contrary, the record reveals the construction involved meets the requirements and has been approved by the Bureau of Fire Protection, Pennsylvania State Police of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Not only is the re­ cord barren of the necessity to prevent irreparable harm and injury, it also does not denote that greater injury would result by refusing the preliminary injunction than by granting it. 11 "On one hand, the plaintiff alleges noise and odors during the «-‘ruction, but the evidence- does —not not /eveal reveal they they were unnecessary or among XnTe^ CirCUmStanc - ™eed, circumstances. Indeed, there there are are scattered other industries, commercial establishments and vehicular traffic in the ~“ area- Nor do the fears and apprehension of these residents constitute fhe balance of the scales a legal reason to now enjoin the defendant. ight that this action was °f equity and justice must be viewed in the the property upon which commenced after the defendant had purchased the <-•storage tank is located. The relief sought 1S after substantial constr, toe n^esp”,iba“- 'had Progressed with its concurrent fiCOMMITMENTS AND ACTIONS BY PRECLUDED BY ANY ZONING CLASSor OUCH... ER restricting ordinanceI WITHIN THEBOR- mCAUON XTE N°T i I Once again, local officials have sadly learned that - ' sible to prevent certain undesirable activities simnlv bit is legally imp°s activity as a nuisance. A decrease in value of P Y Y/ construing the property cannot be the basis of any legal relief nearby residenAn injunction is tial substitute for a well-written and adequately enforced not a -1 zoning ordinance. Courts in the United States have continually held 1that the only •thod of promoting the best use of land is by means of a- zoning ordime' This is the tool of comprehensive planning that is intended nance -wusl tO safeguard investments in homes and schools and it provides for orderly growth and wholesome living. If Swoyerville had adopteda good zoning ordinance, the residents of that area would have been spared their concern. The ordinance would not have allowed commercial or industrial uses in a residential area. Only fifteen of the seventy-three municipalities in Luzerne Coun­ ty have some type of zoning ordinance. There is a real need in every one of the remaining fifty-eight communities to enacta zoning ordinance sufficiently definite to convey to a landowner a clear concept of what use may be made of his land. Only then can the best interests be ser­ ved and the orderly growth of these communities be adequately pro­ vided. The sad lesson of the residents of Swoyerville should be enough incentive for municipalities'in Luzerne County to draft their zoning or­ <i I r dinances with deliberate speed. i i i LEGISLATION IN REVIEW passed by the 1963 General AsA great deal of legislation was \ Some of that legislation will sembly which will affect local government, of the NEWSLETTER. A more complete be summarized in this issue c. -------list of legislation affecting local government will follow in subseque issues. Fir st, an appropriation bill was passed w^h ^nwealth, as appropriation bill Percent sewage aid payment to municipa i • 'nalities which have apart of their clean streams program, pays tom the municipalbuilt sewage disposal plants, an annual sum to e ^se ygum t0 be used 2 ’■tles which have built sewage disposal plants, a £tbese plants. The y the municipalities for maintenance and operatio theplantand ^°unt of this grant is based on the cost of • e taw specifies that this amount shall be up I' I �the percentage has been far below recent y.«=. Pcent years, Many municipalities proceeded In 1 119 cent in motion that the full 2 percent would be 1. 19 per percent this fl8ure’ tion with theaSSU P o effort to discourage this belief. itruction with with cons the state ma m transcends municipal bounforthcommg^ce dean stream PS blem> and since municipali_ FUT fond is, therefore, a sta ateSt amount of an effort to lI I I VOL. Jar have long made a manda. part of its legislative program. eliminate stream pollutionfull two percent grant a dated this full 2 percent did not pass, tory sufficient to provide the full two The bill which would have but the appropriation bill m am municipalities and authpercent did. The result 1 * increase in the amount of sewage aid orities can expect to receive does not mean, however, they receive from ® forthcoming in subsequent year s. This guaran­ that this amount will be ectives in the 1965 Legislature. tee will be one of our mam objecti Glendale, California, recently entered into a lease-purchase agreement with an insurance company to lease two parking lots in the central business district at a rate of 5 per cent of the land acquisition cost per year. The city spent its own funds to purchase a land parcel contiguous to the other two lots; to clear the land; and to install paving, lighting, meters, and other improvements. The city may purchase the property within five years at the original land purchase price of $51,000. The entire off-street parking program in the central business district is self-financing, and the cost for new lots is derived from revenue from existing lots and on-street parking meters. Since initiation of the CBD off-street parking program in 1954, the city has spent about $1.1 million for 12 parking lots and a 240-unit garage. the cost of public works contracts as much as 30 percent in some areas, and many municipalities were forced to either postpone or cancel need­ ed public works, or devise ways to circumvent the law and its regulations. This new act, basically, does four things: it raises the limit from $2,000 to $25,000 on projects covered by the law; defines "locality" SAVINGS ON CITY INSURANCE from which the prevailing wage is to be determined as meaning the mu­ nicipality or the county in which the work is performed; establishes an ppeals board on which municipalities will also be represented. I THOUGHTS FOR TODAY About the only sions. exercise some people get is jumping to conclu- PUBLICATION This News-letter, e of Municina?°r^thly as a community service, originated in the Institute Notes and inquiries r' be address H G°Vernment of Wilkes College’ Wes Cnu tO Dr’ Hu8° V- Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania- PA., OCTOBER 15, 1963 LEASE-PURCHASE PARKING LOTS The second piece of legislation passed this session if the bill which amends the Compulsory Wage Law (Act 442) of 1961. Rarely has a new law received such a spontaneous outburst of opposition from lo­ cal government officials asdid Act 442 of 1961. This law, not well con­ ceived in the first place, was administered in a way which increased Some persons grow with responsibility - others merely swell- XII, NO. 10 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, i Rockville, Maryland (26, 090), has effected a savings of 25 per cent on insurance costs by competitive bidding. Specifications were developed by the city finance department to cover workmen's compen­ sation, automobile and comprehensive liability, and public and insti­ tutional property fire and extended coverage. The specifications doubled coverage to $1 million for single limit liability coverage and provi e 100 per cent replacement costs for all city-owned buildings under fire and extended coverage insurance. MERCHANTS OFFER BONUSJPJliSS . -ties throughout the Merchants in about thirty ci £ at least $2 to $6. After customers free transit rides with a Pur5 giveS the buyer a free a Copper makes a purchase, the cler receipt, making7 it valid for transit token or stamps a transit companyr * dollar's wc"or th of mera free ride home. In some cities, buying fare, chandise brings a five- cent refund towar �successful program in c Tucson, Arizona, has had ahave given over one-halfoperation ' million ;rchants since 1956. Since then, me: free rides to customers. NICOLETTI VEITCH et al. , APPELLANTS to veto an appointmpru, 7? of a Borough has no authority The ^CouncirofT^e^on'to fill a vacancy in the office /i Council of a person by the Boroug ,s de ite the fact that the Borough Code gives the This is despite t.__ councilman resoiutions and that the Code provides that, in Sasye°ofaaUvacancy in the office of councilman, the council fills thet vacancy by appointing, by resolution, a r<egistered elector of the Borough, The latter, however, does not require a formal resolution of council; a mere roll-call vote, properly entered on the minutes of council, meets the requirements of the law. The substance and not the form of councilmanic action is gov­ erning in these matters. The Mayor'8 authority to veto extends only to ordinances or resolutions of legislative nature, and not to actions of executive or ministerial nature, regardless of whether they may be called resolutions or ordinances. The court further based its decision on the fact that: (1) in Sec­ tion 1003 of the Borough Code there is a distinction between ordinary resolutions of council, and those dealing with the filling of vacancies; (2) to allow the Mayor the veto over such appointments would lead to confusion and complications because the Mayor returns his veto at the next regular meeting of Council, and Council is by law given only 30 days to fill the vacancy, otherwise the duty to fill the vacancy devolves on the courts. bills affecting local government Act 15 — Act 16— Act 80— Extends the time during which actions of assumpsit may be brought for the recovery and collection of municipal claims to six years. Increase mills. e authorized rate of tax in certain cases to twenty Whenever in ’ ' -r °maS1 thereis anY construction of a buildlng> buildings, or r ■ --dad 1improvements after the borough ouXThas prepa-d ough taxes, the Property sha]1,^6 °f the assessment of borbe reassessed and added to the duplicate. Act Act 14g_- Excludes from certain advertising ; borough real or personal -1 property corporations engaged in community j— requirements, certain to be -J sold to nonprofit industrial development. 162 — No elected county, city, borough, town or townRv or auditor, and no controller or auditor appolXlTni" vacancy in th. office of county, city, borough, t„w„ .hip, controller or auditor, shall he employed , oth„ capacity by a school district or joint schoolboard if he audits any finances or any funds belonging to or controlled by the school district or joint school board. Act 167-- Provides for payments from the tax on premiums paid by foreign casualty insurance companies when a municipality furnishes police protection to another municipality pursuant to a contract. Act 176-- Increases the millage of annual tax for road, bridge and gen­ eral township purposes to 14 mills. Act 180-- Increases the maximum amount of annual tax for general borough purposes to 25 mills. Act 297-- Excludes from The Realty Transfer Tax Act any transfers to nonprofit industrial development agencies, and provides that such exclusion shall be retroactive for a specified period. LIQUID FUEL TAXES The largest amount of money in history will be returned by the State Government from liquid fuel taxes to local municipalities this year. Local governments will receive a total of $10.2 mill: street maintenance. This amount brings the 1963 paymentt to a record total of $37.2 $39. 6 million. In 1962, local governments received a U. nuillion. are based on the volume of liquid Payments to municipalities ommunity during the year. The largest fuel taxes collected in each cc----t is $31, 501.96 to WilkesPayment by the State Highway DePa?*m®“ + is $66. 07 to Jeddo Borough. Barre, and the smallest payment i- . can use liquid fuel tax monies for Under the law, municipalities ibe following purposes: construction, re­ must be used for in that community are 1. 25 per cent of the amount instruction, and resurfacing, if all c— the roads �oved, If they are impr not improved, tenance. maintenance, i. e. > 2. Usual fences, repairing mantling of snow of small tools. 3. Purchase chased. 4. 5. this money can be used for Mainsnow removal, erection and disof roads after spring thaws, etc. No major equipment may be pur- l VOL. XII, NO. 11 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. , NOVEMBER 15, 1963 Purchase of snow fences. when applicable to State accounts. Salaries and wages INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION FQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT PROGRAM I Middletown, Connecticut, is beginning its third five-year plan for motor equipment replacement. The plan combines a modified deprecia­ tion reserve fund with level annual appropriations to finance capital ex­ penditures. The current plan calls for annual appropriations of $80, 000 so that $400, 000, plus interest, will be available for the fourth five-year plan beginning May 1, 1968. The replacement plan originated in 195 3 with a bond issue of $400, 000 for initial financing. During the first decade annual appropriations of $60,000 were made, and the initial bond issue was retired from general revenues. At the beginning of each five-year period, the capital expenditure committee of the town council meets with department heads to review their inventory with respect to age, condi­ tion, and operating costs. The five-year plan then is projected on the basis of present and anticipated needs. The program covers all motor equipment except police cars which are financed on an annual replace­ ment basis by regular appropriations. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY The real tragedy of ulce: rs is that you can have them and still not be a success. In the continuing attempt to solve mutual problems, the East Side Sanitary Landfill Authority has been formed. This Authority is composed of the City of Wilkes-Barre, the Borough of Ashley, and Hanover and Plains Townships. It has as its expressed purpose the development and maintenance of a sanitary landfill for the garbage and rubbish collection in the four municipalities. This follows by only a few months the creation of the West Side Regional Sanitary Landfill Authority. EdwardsThis Authority is composed of nine boroughs:: Courtdale, Edwardc ville, Forty Fort, Kingston, Larksville, Luzerne, Plymouth, Pringle, and Swoyersville. Both of these authorities have been established for a two-fold purpose: the elimination of the open dumps as required by the State Department of Health, and also to provide effective, economic disposal of refuse for the affected municipalities. As has been stated in this Newsletter a number of times, "Too many times cooperation between towns is avoided because it is too full of common sense. We have got to learn that all communities in an area sink or swim together; that the economic well being of one community affects the others. " OCCUPATIONAL TAX LITIGATION ing for ZhMeMmanaChelOr islooking for is anidealgirl who isn't look- publication This News-letter, originated in the Institute of Munmontk^y as a community service, Notes and inquiries may be add^niC1Pal G°Vernment Wilkes College. of Municipal Government, Wilki ~ -tes^n6 tO Dr- Hug° V. Mailey, Institute ege> Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. In cases now before the State Supreme Court the city of Johns town and the Borough of Franklin have asked the court to rule consti­ tutional their $10. 00 occupation and occupational privilege taxes. These Municipalities are appealing a decision of the Cambria County o are asking the Supreme Court to consider their taxes simii ar ‘ -n which the higher court upheld in March. asking the Supreme Johnstown City Solicitor, reasoned to the irnposed by the city of Allentown the same as the Allentown ordinDe Francesco, J_'..~ Samuel R. are Franklin ordinances exempt resicourt that the■ occupational taxes and ^nce’ except that the Johnstown < $600 or less a year. dents and non--residents who earn �_dotttget_int£A- FRENZY OVER FOAM! porled nnnds Of detergents are used every year by this -Four billion p pounds g0 down the drain. „ Qn clean nation. .. ana of statistics may epen Lt actions of a great American industry an rocesses, stream — , of of gewage sewage treatment treatment p processes, ;upply systems. ”s- importantas this sounds, the solution does not lie in getting into a frenzy over foam resulting from the presence of detergents in sew­ age ^n sewage plant effluents, in receiving streams, and in public water supply sources. revealed that of 115 ?0, 000 or more population, 71 per: cent ce„t of of them lhe„ „ '■ required the'7eVe7op' installation where it is j- called _ " - t„ by P to pay for 1“ all al storm sewer retaliation ,n regulations. In those cities where costs <-- L were shared by dev­ division and community, community, the the breakpoint breakpoint is is usually basJd on the size of eloper and usually based the pipe- For example, Long Beach, California, requires the developer t0 pay for all storm sewers under 30 inches while the city pays 30 per cent of the cost for sewers over 30 inches. Fort Worth, Texas, re­ quires the developer to pay for the full cost of storm drains 36 inches in diameter or less; for those over 36 inches, the city pays 25 per cent. In a few communities, the city pays all costs for pipes over a certain size. --------- n over detergent pollution offers four alterna­ The current•concern Providing sewage tive procedures 1tor coping with the ABS challenge: treatment processes for eliminating ABS in effluents, streams; manu­ facturing ABS detergents which are readily biodegradable, and dis­ continuing the use of ABS detergents by legal edict or voluntary action of manufacturers. These four alternatives constitute the total line of attack on the new and vexing problem; that is all there is. (Progress Report, Commission on Water Resources Planning, State of New York. ) SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS (Reprint) A perennial problem in the development of subdivisions is making provision for future storm water drainage. Often a small subdivision is constructed in the lower section of a drainage area without storm ater pipes. As more development occurs in the higher elevations, the nee or large pipes becomes quite evident. Below is additional inforhve I?0"1 1theAmerican Society of Planning Officials on the compari- arrangements for paying for storm drainage facilities. xS?-’—x1 x" A 1958 comparative analysis was done by the Tennessee State Planning Commission. The report summarized existing practice in sev­ eral states. The percentage of cities in which the developer paid all of the cost of storm drainage or sewers was as follows: North Carolina (24 cities replying)--75%; Tennessee (38 cities replying)--82%; Connecticut: (cities 10,000-50,000) trunk lines--83%, lateral extensions--83%; (cities 50,000 and over) trunk lines--67%, and lateral extensions--83%. From the findings of these few studies, it is apparent that the ......................... burden of storm drainage installation primarily fallss on the developer. The surveys showed that about 80 per cent of the communities charged The surveys showed that i------all of the cost of storm drainage to the developer. But the question remains, What about the other 20 per ,th they operating under antiquated regulations that are not in ar present day trends? The justification for sharing th. cost,of storm drainage facilities stems from the belief that su in er required to pay for oversized drainage and storm se ’ ilities that are larger than the particular subdivision needs. The issue is stated succinctly in the Urban Land Institute Techni­ this matter: cost analysis. communities; com munities; or on the basis of a type of benefit- cal Bulletin No. 27: to installing at his improvements he expense such utilities as are required or rar-niect However, he needs in creating the residential lots of of his his own own Pr0JeCJ; installations, are made for i----d°es object when excessive demands are m the benefit of his own of area not for thebe: street pavements or assignments of area must be geared tot e Pr°ject. Specifications for site irnpr0^e roject with which the devtype, the size and the price bracket o ’’The responsible developer has no divisionSeVeral agencies have undertaken comparative studies of sub On lmProvement costs f’XiTthafole /^unities in Inthe1952, New the Regional Plan Association ----- / York Metropolitan Region an regularly charged the cost of storm j �ecifications of the subdivision regfu. .n, But, if ^der for example, to install and pay Or eloper is ? Lper is req"ir® a’vier than his project needs, or if he lations, the be paved h water lines intended to serve roadways th ide trunk sew municipality has exceeded is rei areas of equity and the bounds L- VOL. XU, NO. 12 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., DECEMBER 15, 1963 • Advisory Service Information Report that No. Planning . „ _r suppO rts the c ontention The. ASPO . 109 is especially pertinent and generally - be based portion of the drainage the cost to — t developer J on - that the s' . ’ 1 . Three methods are sugfacility benefiting the particular subdivision, of the cost of' that portion of the facility servicing the gested to take care Csurrounding tributary area: r , nr countY canneeded pay for excess cost­ 1. over t^capacity of government storm sewers to the serve the sub excess divided area. 2. 3. (Lancaster The city or county government can establish a revolving fund whereby the government initially pays for the excess capacity. As additional areas are developed and additional connections made to the storm sewer system, the city is reimbursed so that additional funds are available for storm sewers in other areas. The r"’ city government thus assumes the financial risk for further development of the drainage area. A third method is to have the contractor pay for the excess capacity for storm water, Reimbursement is made to the developer as further connections are made to the system, Under this plan the developer is taking the financial risk for further development of the drainage area. y Planning Commission Newsletter, October 1, 1963.) THOUGHTS Politician's for today siogan: If at first you don't mislead, lie, lie again. Committee: A group of men TAX COLLECTOR GIVES COLLEGIANS AID Remember back in 1961 when James Walsh, 63 of Exeter, cam­ paigned for tax collector in thatborough on a platform that every cent of his commissions would be used to aid students to finance their way through college? Well, Walsh won the tax collector's post and has kept his promise. Tax Collector Walsh reported that last year his commis­ sions totaled $5, 695. 75 and that the sum was divided among three Lu­ zerne County colleges for financial aid to 29 students from Exeter. A total of $1, 859. 94 went to College Misericordia, Dallas, where 10 Exeter students each received $190 toward tuition. At King's College 11 students each received about $165. Total outlay for Exeter students attending King's was $1, 874. 40. At Wilkes College, eight students each received $225 toward their tuition, for a total expenditure of $1, 859. 21. Walsh, a widower who operates a restaurant at 1246 Wyoming Avenue, Exeter, states that interested college students from Exeter Borough must register to participate in his plan. Student recipients of the tax money are expected to aid the tax collector in preparing taxreturns, mailing them out, and keeping accounts of collections. ' is ’ 5 a very good The tax collector stated that he believes the work form of practical experience in local government ifor — the — college students. "I'm in a a few years that other persons in n 'I'm hoping hoping in Hfe will take up the idea," Walsh said. "I just want to help the kids take up the idea, They've got (Wilkes-Barre Record) got their their whole whole life life ahead ahead of of them. them. "" who keep minutes and waste hours. publication ori ' News-left InBf? r’ o7M publis hed ^Wasa community service, M-8?andd in the Inst itute Sned institute Notes ..--ia"d»q«We, maybeof Of J' Government of Wilkes College. -jjnay be addrer- ' of Municipal 0Vernment, to Dr- Hugo V. Mailey, Institute s Colle Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania* SHORT COURSES nce again the Institute of Municipal Government will provide redit, non-degree educational opportunities for elected and apnon­ j wjth the Public �I pe.nsylva.ia. Instruction by the Institute staff is supplemented bygUest FIRE DEPARTMENT VIOLATION lecturers. tags In Minneapolis, you don't have to beanow ■■ parker or careless driver to collect a tag. A unique tag used inertime thi' - —is city is handed out by firemen, not policemen, and it goes to violators of fire department codes and ordinances. .g Semester, the following courses will b o --------preDuring the Spring “"Xhting for of ^ Fire Fighting -- A course designed fooe 6 those sented: Fundamentals o */ as instruct ors of of- fire instructors of the the fundamentals fundamentals^ firemen who wish to quality- A general ral revie w of the powers, duties review dut/* and fighting; School Directors officials; Small Arms -- An introducresponsibilities ofelecte of the revolver, including firing for rec­ torycourse in the care an _ general course that reviews the powers, ord; Township Supervisors township officials; Youth Control duties and responsible ie, control for law enforcement offi- A practical course in the spOnsorship of the Juvenile cJurt of^Luzerne County and the Department of Public Welfare. in that city. otection Association conference held Tagging violators isn't the only modern technique used by the Fire Prevention Bureau which he heads, Palmer explained. They have lie detectors, finger printing equipment and a complete photographic laboratory. TRAINING IN HUMAN RELATIONS, COMMUNICAT IO NS While this equipment is used primarily to investigate deliberate­ Supervisory personnel from the Texas cities of Mesquite (34, 900) and Irving (45, 985) and the Mesquite Independent School District recent­ ly completed a dual training program covering communications and hu­ man relations for management. The program and speakers were ar­ ranged by the Institute of Management of Southern Methodist University. ly set fires, the bureau conducts extensive training and educational pro­ grams in hospitals, schools and industrial plants. The bureau's whole aim, said Palmer, is to stop fires before they start. REGISTERED BONDS GAIN ON COUPON BONDS Fourteen weekly sessions v. were held from 4:00 to 6:00 p. m. on Tuesdays with lectures and discussion -*“*i sessions. The first seven sessions dealt with the communications <-----: 1. topics of writing letters, reports, and other materials; personal techniques in speaking; increasing read­ ing speed and understanding; and comprehension, evaluation, and other aspects of listening to all communications. The remaining seven <=Q<, ■ for management, includin SSlons were devoted to human relations ating personnel, morale ng recent social trends, motivating and evalusonal conflicts, administ f sa‘f sfaction, behavior patterns and Per" ment of attitudes. lye communications, and origin and developSpeakers fOr both resno^k^^ ^Usiness> and fhp ^ramS Were recruited from university is beUev jltles and supervisor/^,6 partlcular attention to management critical / atthese ‘lining pr/eatl°nshiPs in a11 o£ the sessions. It port writin P°nSibilities for comm^™8 WiU enable supervisors to meet c°mprehenfiondaSJeaking’ ^^eas'in/th^ 8 effectivelV through re­ peal factor <.k’and eidarging th«S tbeir ability for oral and written inS i® vital fn motivate pe0Djlr underatanding of complex psycholoan age of increasing °ff the job- Such understandS echnology and urbanization. I I The paperwork haters are making progress in their campaign for the use of registered bonds instead of the old-fashioned coupon bonds. The trend has been pressed by banks, insurance companies, and other institutional investors. A registered bond is recorded by the issuer in the name of the owner, and periodic interest payments are made to him by check in the same manner as dividends on stock. On the bearer type, interest coupons must be clipped and presented for payment, ordinarily through a bank. A committee of the American Bankers Association headed by I I I Russell H. Johnson, Executive Vice President of theUnited States Trust Company of New York, has been campaigning for wider acceptance o the registered type. each year being cut and counted, "There are 300 million coupons " Mr. Johnson says. "It recounted, presented, audited, and cremate > . anything but upset with is very difficult for me as an operating man og — —----------- — of paper be thrown into any system that year, demands 300 million pie promises to grow year by every andthat the bundle of waste a furnace Year." 65S-S I �, clipped each year, 112 million are Of the 300 from federal bonds, and the balance dcipal bonds, 15mi i egtimates that 452 manyears of effort from muni- . “ corporates, — d^sXut coupons every year. Other advantages for the from are itandard use of registeretnd mailing costs by 80 per cent; si Reduce insura stolen bonds for loan collateral; Protect againtSt2hdecall notices to be mailed Allow intere^ communications with bondholders; and Permit di loopholes, increase safety and save space (The state ofTaXia reduced 1 1/2 tons of paper in the form of coupon bonds to 87 pounds of registered i Another sign of a growing awareness of the whole paperwork problem is the increasing use of the $5, 000 denomination in the case of m^cTpals,’formerly issued entirely in the denomination of $1, 000. NEW TRENDS An automatic recorder monitor s telephone complaints as well as radio calls to the mobile emergency crews of the water, sewer, and street maintenance branch of the Greater Winnipeg Water and Sanitary District, Winnipeg, Manitoba. This system is a sure way to keep the record straight on all customer complaints and emergency operations handled over the telephone. (Willing Water, March 19&2) Seed sludge obtained from a sewage treatment plant can be used to start a new digestion tank, thus saving the cost of neutralizing chem­ icalsand assuring early production of sludge gas. (Wastes Engineering, January 1962). 1 I thoughts for today A woman's chief asset is a man's imagination. Flattery won't hurt a man, as long as he doesn't inhale. I I PUBLICATION This News-lettf er, published monthly as a community service, Notes’ll in hlStitute - --i Municipal Government of Wilkes Collegeof ^’“'^ipal'ccwernmenth Tirm reSSed tO ^r" Hugo V. Mailey, Institute ’ W1 Wilkes *kes College,Wilkes-Barre, College,Wilk. PennsylvaniaSEASONS GREETINGS I �H :I In I *T 1 I ' ■ fl It■■ 4 j I/ I I �• 1 ■ -<• H � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletters and Institute for Regional Affair Newsletters, 1952-1975 Subject The topic of the resource Political Science; Luzerne County; Institute for Regional Affairs; Wyoming Valley Description An account of the resource A collection of newsletters created by the Political Science Department at Wilkes College from 1952-1975 for Luzerne County and later the Institute for Regional Affairs. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department (Hugo Mailey) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1952-1975 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletters Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletter, 1963 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1963 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletter https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/45406df95643e36aa279278d66b381d3.pdf 15cd52f8f3a2e3b020b9ecfcc83aff56 PDF Text Text ■ : ��LIBRARY �c^' Ah-C.^S 1 5^ P4M sgS^ iicip' ouT" ktAet vaila a^ce rfor^'1 to ' IUA b---518-■An..1 . '• d this s ltov>n8 ac heinQ, oftcT t? eral c a‘C° c2rse-a gen elected t rse that p agement Coarse--a. basic coa technique cers with a knowledge of the -a co traffic functions; Zoning Course­ g corr planning tool designed for planning School Dire and zoning administrator s;■ School , and responsibilil of the powers, duties, -a general r« and Magistrates Course-la» required by magistrates INTOXICATION AND LA'. i Beginning on February 5, 1962, live Mondays, a lecture series on Int ’'illbe presented by the Institute of Mu oi lectures is f-by the followi hlley Motor csponsored, ^b Scania PoliCe , Police Executives Chiefs Association, 1 u”'1®®. Di 1 """'Count, LiJistrict Attorney's O aw and Library Ass Q ^ers \uVeS YS °pen without 1 tninor h,a: • ^cem eined, fee law enfos, a Cernent. Si ehin Q1 Ci -ivii this hi; a. -<TS of Ch e^al tOceh eS b.re 7 �VOL XI NO. 1 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, pa JANUARY 15, 1962 SHORT COURSES--SPRING SEMESTER The Institute of Municipal Government will again conduct a num­ ber of in-service training courses for municipal officials. These courses are designed to make available to elected and appointed officials means of improving in the performance of their duties. The courses being offered this spring semester include: Town­ ship Supervisors Course--a general course that reviews the powers, duties, and responsibilities of elected township officials; Traffic Man­ agement Course--a basic course that provides responsible police offi­ cers with a knowledge of the techniques necessary to improve police traffic functions; Zoning Course—a comprehensive study of the basic planning tool designed for planning commissioners, council members, and zoning administrators; School Directors Course--a general review of the powers, duties, and responsibilities of elected school officials; and Magistrates Course--a general review of the important points of criminal law required by magistrates in the proper fulfilling of their office. INTOXICATION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT Beginning on February 5, 1962, and continuing for six consecu­ tive Mondays, a lecture series on Intoxication and Law Enforcement will be presented by the Institute of Municipal Government. This series of lectures is sponsored by the following organizations: The Wyoming Valley Motor Club, Police Executives Association, Northeastern Penn­ sylvania Police Chiefs Association, the Luzerne County Magistrates Association, the District Attorney's Office of Luzerne County, and the Luzerne County Law and Library Association. , members of the Bar, The series is open without fee to police members of the minor judiciaries, and others directly or indirectly concerned with law enforcement. Physiologic Effect of Alcohol, Topic s included in this series are. t of Criminal Liability, Legal Aspects of Civil Liability, Legal Aspect Constit^tVoL'f Aspect's* oTcheml'oaTlests,'Equipment Demonstration, and Examination Procedure. GOSS7 �, TESTING PAPER REFUSE RECEPTACl.p MONTCLAIR, N. J, testing the use of disposable baa g conducted over a two-mon!k Montclair, New Jersey, is fuse containers. The experiment, being is the first United States test f period at 540 homes in in the the community, i_ this new method. The purpose of the test is (1) to ascertain the feasibility of sub­ stituting easy-to-handle, disposable sanitary bags, for the present metal garbage can, and (2) 2‘ to ■ > determine determine if the labor saved from loading and unloading the bulky metal metal cans cans will will sufficiently offset the cost of the bags. An official of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, a manufacturer of the product and sponsor of the project, said that this new method, called the Westvaco Refuse System, might change the gar­ bage collection habits of the nation if the Montclair trial proves satis­ factory. The experiment takes a predetermined route "typical of the town's residential area" in central Montclair, said Harold Johnson, Montclair superintendent of service. "A preliminary survey of the 540 households on the route indi­ cated that 99% polled approved of the new system," said Johnson. The survey was made by field workers after Commissioner Robert G. Hooke, director ounced last July that the town had agreed to the terests of improving present methods of garbage of the paper company of public works, ann­ experiment "in the in­ collection. " The center of the experiment is actually a chemically-treated double-layer paper bag which the company maintains is unaffected by rain, tear or wear. It is mountedIon a permanent metal holder equipped with a hinged lid. Each bag can hold 1 twenty to thirty gallons of refuse. l_ en fUU.’ bag is simply lifted from the rack and tossed into the garbage truck, while a new °ne is left under the lid by the collector. The cost of the paper bag, however, hasnot yet been determ' The West Virginia Puip and immediately went into investigation of th” Company took the idea and garbage collection systems of a dozen cities along the East Coast Montclair was finally selected for the first trial, the Company said, because it has "an efficient refuse collection system, and a conSa ~ing program to Seek imProvement-" BUYING BULK SALT GAINS POPULARITY The storing of salt in bulk has become quite popular during the past three years in the Western Pennsylvania area. In municipalities where storage facilities do not exist, or where the seasonal bulk order is not sufficient to warrant renting facilities, officials have constructed bins, hoppers, sheds, and variations of these, mostly out of scrap materials. In Penn Hills, a hillside bulk storage shed is rigged with a gra­ vity flow chute to load spreaders quickly. In Mt. Lebanon, a salt room and chute principle permits the loading of a six-ton spreader in three minutes' time. There are two major advantages to the buying of salt in bulk. First, it greatly reduces the material cost of salt and practically elimi­ nates handling expense. Thus in the face of increased demands for more and faster protection against snow and ice, additional funds could be made available for purchasing additional equipment to aid in fighting snow. Second, buying salt in bulk greatly increases the efficiency in winter maintenance. The immediate availability of salt provides for quick application to slippery streets. In the case of light storms, icy coatings can be completely removed; if the storm gains in velocity, the salt will -facilitate plowing by thawing the crusty layer of packed snow that forms over well-traveled highways. Other Other Western Western Pennsylvania Pennsylvania communities communities' participating salt buying program are Monroeville, Turtle Cr rnont, and Johnstown. The bags are to be purchased by the municipalitie s and pro­ vided free to the individual household, the Company said. The paper bag trial was first conceived at the American ^en Works Convention C at the New York Coliseum in September, 19 > ^sS< a sanitation -l-i expert was invited from Stockholm to explain its use u E°n'SUClbi8si,aVeb«» widely England. used in Europe, especially Swe West- MUNICIPAL BOND MARKET : in recentyears. Revenuebonds have become increasingly popular , in this method disadvantages O f f. e are many advantages, as well as disadvantages, Ther llnancing. -> deriving the It is obviously sound and equitable that those 1. should pay the benefit froi'm the construction of the public improvemen cost. �Many facilities, such as parking systems, are utilized by not persons not living living within within the the taxing taxing jurisdiction jurisdiction where the facility is to the cost of the located. It is only fair that those persons contribute <------- 1 facility. B 12 1962 yOM XI NO. 3. The necessityfor certain capital improvements is not always immediately apparent to the public at large. Therefore, many econom­ ically desirable and financially feasible improvements would lag behind if revenue financing were not used to provide the funds. 4. By using revenue bonds to finance self-liquidating projects, municipal officials are afforded a greater degree of fiscal flexibility by reserving tax supported issues for projects of a more general public nature. This is of particular importance because of statutory limi­ tations imposed on the amount of general obligation bonded debt which may legally be incurred. As mentioned above, there are certain disadvantages to the use of revenue bonds: 1. Revenue bonds are frequently more costly in terms of in­ terest since they are not secured by general tax support. 2. Excessive use of revenue financing may lead to circumventing debt limits and/or avoiding the necessityfor voter approvals of specific debt authorization. 3. "" The absence of legal liability of a revenue bond as a claim against general fund money is clear but the ' —------moral responsibility remains. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Some people work so hard to make to live. 2 IVILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. , FEBRUARY 15, 1962 LOCAL OFFICIALS DINNER The third meeting of Luzerne County Local Officials, sponsored the Institute of Municipal Government, will be held on Thursday, Febby ary 15 1962, at 6:30 P. M. in the Wilkes College Commons. The speaker for the evening will be Mr. Harry Butera, a realtor, from Norristown, Pennsylvania, who will discuss "VOLUNTEER PROP­ ERTY INSPECTION. " Mr. Butera was the initiator in 1949 of a volun­ teer property inspection project which succeeded in removing many un­ sightly conditions in the town. The Norristown Real Estate Board est­ ablished a Committee on Local Improvements to cooperate with the building inspector, the fire department, and the health department. Mr. Butera's campaign started a chain reaction of local improvements which has lead to the upgrading of 9, 000 properties in the Borough of Norristown. VOLUNTEER PROPERTY INSPECTION has been so successful that it has made the national headlines. It was the subject of a pamphlet published by the American Council to Improve Our Neighborhoods, Inc. The Luzerne County Boroughs Association will holdl a very important meeting following the remarks by Mr. Butera, Election of officers will take place. Every borough should be represented. a living that they forget how A CHECK LIST FOR MUNICIPAL COUNCILMEN The person who says youth is a state of mind invariably has far more state of mind than youth. 1. ticipal ordinances and council Havel familiarized myself with themun. rules? PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originated in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. 2. °o I make an effort to under stand reports andrecomme pared for the council's information and action. 3. Do I find out if similar ordinances have been other cities? used successfully in amendments designed 4. Am I open-minded about proposed ordinance citizens? to make an ordinance more acceptable to �5. Am I familiar enough with the budget to kno->w howwell it fits the needs improvements? of the municipality for new services and capital c I think that the proposed budget will provide adequate salaries and 6. Do wages for municipal employees? ' ’ , meet the basic needs of the muni­ 7. Does the budget, in my opinion, in the next fiscal year? cipality for new equipment t „ 8. Do I give time to selling needed policies, services, and projects to the voters? 9. Do I carry my share of public relations in dealing with voters, the press, radio, and television? 10, Am I tolerant and fair-minded toward my colleagues in the council? PARKING PROBLEMS In the past, municipal officials have been reluctant to take the steps necessary for the removal of curb parking where necessary or expedient, for the acquisition of sufficient off-street facilities toreplace this curb parking, or for providing for additional parking needs. As of this date, the Department of Highways has not seen fit to force munici­ palities along these lines. However, the Department has, under Sec­ tions 1103 and 1113 of the Vehicle Code, the power to remove or cause to be removed, parking along these major thoroughfares which are a part of the State Highway system. If, with the continued increase of traffic, the municipalities continue to ignore the seriousness of this problem, it may become necessary for the Department of Highways to take the authority vested in it through the law as stated and erect signs prohibit­ ing this parking along State Highways in municipalities. It is not the desire or the intention of the Department of High­ ways to infringe on home rule. However, if it becomes necessary for the Department to take this action, it will only be the result of the muni­ cipality's not doing its part to solve a problem and thus retain its cher­ ished right of home rule. We sincerely hope that the municipality will becomei seriously interested and active on its part, since action by the " Department will1 certainly not be one that will be met with any degree of approval by the local officials. Parking meters were primarily designed to „ Unfortunately, they lend themselves readily to a source of income in­ regulate parking. stead of a source of control. It is quite obvious to the Department of Highways after completing numerous parking surveys throughout the State, that in very few communities are the parking meters being used as ol items only. A few facts from these nap­ contr control could alter the use of curb parking Tindi<^e how have found that rigid.verage shopper parking in a downtown busTn’ the a'L a minimum of 23 minutes to a maximum oT 38dlStriCt con^mes Ki*xg for shopping. The manor woman stonnTna !minutes of curb from business purposes, such as paying bills call’ the downtown area parking minimum of 23 minutes to a maxim., “r Cust°mers, etc. forosumesa L_ minimum of 23 minutes to a ^m of 42 minutes. These coi surveys indicate that a worker in a downtown area parking at the same consumes a minimum of one hour, 9 minutes to a maximum of 3 curb minutes of curb parking time. hours, 5 of illegal curb parking encourages hazard, The thatabuse is, the and double parker orWcreate h another traffic surveys that in a normal 8-hour period we ha'v 6 f0Und from our mately 1,700 illegal parkers as toposition, th^is^t °fapproxistops, etc. In these surveys, double parking . Ilre Plugs, bus of 0. 7 per cent to 6. 8 per cent of the total parkers the are^"1 & Illegal parking is not due to the driver's having a complete dis­ regard for your ordinances. It is primarily due to the insufficient num­ ber of parking spaces within a reasonable walking distance of the down­ town section and the abuse of available curb parking spaces by the long time parker. If this long time parker is discouraged and the spaces thus occupied become available for the short time parker, the illegal and double parking will be reduced and perhaps eliminated. In the planning of off-street parking, it is essential that this offstreet parking be provided as close to the demand for parking spaces as possible. Our surveys indicate that the people of Pennsylvania are not willing or in the habit of walking any great distance from the point of parking to their destination. We have found that the parker invariably will not walk much over 150 to 300 feet from his parked vehicle to his destination. Our surveys also show that 75 per cent of the people park ing either legally or illegally park within 300 feet of their ultimate des­ tination. This is extremely important to a community when considering the purchase and improvement of off-street facilities. The faclhtle® must be within reasonable walking distance of the area they are e £ to Serve. If this distance is beyond a reasonable walking dis ance, only wiHit be undesirable to the parker, but it may prove to be un WHAT'S THE "TAKE" FROM PARKING METERS? ", in about $85 per year in coins, The average parking meter hauls plus $16 in fines, for an average total t----- of $100. --o, meters; have t 25 years ago; Since their initial appearance about countries. About and 87 foreign c— spread to nearly 4, 000 U. S. cities �— Average number of meters for a city is two million are now in use. approximating $40, 000. Cost of meter opera400, with annual grosses tion totals about $5, 000. VOL. MAD "JO 1QO XI no. 3 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE PA. , MARCH 15, 1962 REHABILITATION PROCEDURES ISSUED The Urban Renewal Administration issued procedures to implement demonstration of rehabilitation techniques in urban renewal areas as authorized by the 1961 Housing Act. "How-to-do-it-laboratories"on repair and rehabilitation of build­ ings may be set up and included as part of the cost of urban renewal projects. "This is a brand new tool which should provide the impetus to upgrade entire neighborhoods," said Urban Renewal Commissioner William L. Slayton. "Rehabilitation is a comples, individualized pro­ jects, varying almost from building to building, yet it holds the greatest potential for good housing. "In the past, property owners have been hindered by lack of practical, experienced guidance. Now for the first time, local agencies can purchase rundown buildings and demonstrate on a larger scale the benefits of sound, economical, rehabilitation practices," Slayton said. According to to the the procedures, procedures the building must be in an urban According renewal area and must be designated in the urban renewal plan for repair or rehabilitation for residential -------------*„1 uses. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Some people are easily entertained. down and listen to them. SERVICE AWARDS .wa^ZeeLX^ long number of years in the service of their res U ! Untlring1y over vice The Institute will offer these awardsagain this vaJ^ governmentsa Annual Dinner. ln May at the Tenth Included in those eligible for the award are school board mem­ bers and secretaries, police, firemen, councilmen, mayors, solicitors, engineers, planning and zoning commissioners, and township super­ visors. This award is given as an expression of appreciation for ability, wide experience, and continued efforts as an outstanding public servant over many years. Names of nominees should be sent to the Institute of Municipal Government by April 1, 1962. NATIONAL DRIVER REGISTER SERVICE Pennsylvania is one of many states that has joined the National / the United States Bureau of Driver Register Service, inaugurated by file Public Roads. The Driver Register is a fl on motor vehicle operators for driving while intoxiwhose driving privileges have been withdrawn a cated or for conviction of a violation involving traffic fatality. All you have to do is sit The world does for what a person does not pay for what aperson knows, But it does pay with what he knows. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a originated in the Institute of Municipal Governmc community service, Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo entV.ofMailey, Wilkes College. of Municipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. “ Institute States will furnish the names and data on d privileges have been withdrawn for the specitie may request the roads agency to check on app The file already contains information on near y whose driving causes. The states for new licenses, drivers. The neighboring eU.ee of Ohio. New become part of this program. REAL SAVINGS estimated $137, 000 per The City of Dayton, Ohio, ^^01ins submitted by city emYear for six years by the adoption stjon contest and awards prizes Ployees. The city holds an annual sugg �for the best suggestions. The prize money is furnished by the local associations of independent fire and casualty companies. The judging committee consists of current city officials, former city officials, and representatives from the city employees. Awards are presented at an annual award dinner. TORT IMMUNITY ABOLISHED Municipalities in Michigan no longer have common law immunity from tort liability, according to a September, 1961, decision of the Mich­ igan State Supreme Court. By a five-to-three decision, the Court abol­ ished the distinction between governmental and proprietary functions, and all activities of a municipality now can be considered proprietary in nature. Some of the activities which were formerly immune from lia­ bility and for which the governmental unit may now be held responsible in tort include: operation of police and fire departments, park and rec­ reation activities, safety and engineering departments, and the main­ tenance of public buildings. It seems that many state courts are remov­ ing the distinction between the two types of functions. FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1961 This legislation, which amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, (” transfer of the Act's administration -------------- -----'. provides: x ----- : (1) from the Surgeon General to the Secretary of Health, Education, 1----- ■ • — and Welfare; (2) the extension of Federal authority in water pollution abatement to all navigable waters and the granting of power to the Secretary of HEW to institute remedial action to correct interstate pollution and to enter intrastate situations at the request of the Governor of any State or other designated State agencies; (3) that the annual authorization for Federal grants to municipalities for the construction of waste treatment plants be increased from the present maximum of $50 million per year to $80 million for fiscal 1962, $90 million for fiscal 1963, and $100 million per year for the following four years; (4) that the single grant limit be raised to $600, 000 or 30%, whichever is the lesser, and in the case of joint projects that a ceiling of $2.4 million be imposed; (5) the establishment of at least seven field laboratory and research facilities in various parts of the United States along with a special program dealing with the waters of the Great Lakes. INSURANCE POLICIES Olivette, Missouri, has revised and erage to- -----provide ‘ ‘better protection for expanded its insurance covm the area of bonding. city government, especially HOMEJMPROVEMENTS A^Zg£ggRTY CONSERyATION Conservation and rehabilitation are the latest t a community level to up-grade entire neighborhoods. s developed bn The objective of the Nor ristown, Pennsylvania Reai f x . , 1949) was to stem property deterioration in the com™ > u B°ard (inVoluntary Property Inspection Program. A Committee of relltoL”.”! a ’■ ,ted to serve as volunteer tnspectors, assisting the building ™ ■ the lire department, the health department, and othe! law crea' spectors enforcement: officials. A two-man team of volunteer inspectors exam in town for structural, physical, sanitary, and ined every property : aesthetic conditions. Where the property clearly showed evidence of ithetic cdeterioration, the committee sent a form letter to the owner advising him of the conditions. F our repeat surveys have been conducted inorder to remove many of the conditions which tended to down-grade the com­ munity in previous years. Since 1956 a similar systematic program for eliminating blight and improving property conditions--Conservation and Rehabilitation- has been in operation in Newport Beach, California, A City Building and Safety Department carries out the program. Both of these programs are dependent uponi community-wide iy oxhjlxxqxj. -t, around the country, the local support. As with many similar programs a*-----------two communities have given excellent support by newspapers in these twc - ------------------publicizing the objectives and' procedures ’ >s of the program from its incepincep­ tion. The Volunteer Property Inspection Program in Norristown, Pen­ The Volunteer Property Inspection Program pamphlet by the American Council nsylvania, has been the subject of a ] Inc. 'The latest step in the Newport to Improve Our Neighborhoods, Beach program has been for the city government ana me iccai ----------board to jointly finance preparation of a pamphlet "Procedure for Im proving Property in Newport Beach" which covers all aspects of prop­ erty ownership. The pamphlet lists the city's departments and agencies where information can be obtained. . ht have is that of inOne fear that many property owners’ condition of their creased assessment if they invest in irnP' -n many communities have homes. In order to allay this fear, ass®s the jot>s thatcan be mailed statements to home owners pom mg other improvemen without risk of higher assessments, and also of these state which will probably cause higher assess ments is that of the City of Detroit, Mic which lists the two g gories of home improvements. --7 assessmentt increase without any of existing The work which can be done and replacing c epairing ancludes the following: repainting, r �modernrzati^nhC wirin^rncxlerni^ation; added electrical outlets; outdo^ electric cable and outdoor lights; new fences; lawns an landscaping, lawn sprinkler systems; new roof; outside and inside painting; plaster repairs; redecorating; repairing and replacing porches and steps; asphalt or asbestos siding placed over existing siding; new kitchen cabinets, cupboards, and counters; added closets and other built-ins; new ceilings; new wall surfacing; insulation, weather stripping; storm windows and doors; exterior awnings; repairing or replacing sidewalks or drives; automatic hot water; removing unused porch and dated exterior trim­ add or replace gutter downspouts; put numbers on houses; light near house number; replace dilapidated sheds and garages with a rear lot parking area; pave rear lot parking area (500 feet or less); and adding of built-in vents. The improvements which might bring an ? * assessment increase are: change from single-family to multiple-family replacing no basement or part p—1 ofr basement; added use; new basement ’ rumpus room; new rooms furnished in attic; any change ! resulting in largi ger building; complete modernization and conversions; forced air, cut. automatic heating-replacing hot air gravity or stove; add extra bedroom, place, or porches where —, bathroom, firenone existed. If the Wyoming Valley area is to enjoy a good reputation as a fine place in which to work and live, to establish a respectable family, and to raise children under a healthful community environment, a forceful policy of maintaining and up-grading property will have to be by local officials and civic-minded groups. This is the one adopted this area can reflect a high degree of collective civic pride as will way that netically attract industry and people. mag- thoughts_fOr TODAY Ever notice how d°gs win friends even reading books? and influence If you educate a woman, people without you educate a family, says the old adage. PUBLICATION This News-lett er> published originated in the I monthly as a c — institute of Municipal JNotes and inquiries r~* service, 1 Governmentcommunity of may be addre v ' Wilkes College. of Municipal Government, Wilke _SSed Dr. Hugo V Mailey, Institute s Coll, e8e> Wilkes -Barre, Pennsylvania. VOL. XI NO- 4 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE. PA. , APRIL 15, 1%2 TENTH ANNUAL DINNER MAY 16th IS A RED-LETTER DAY, CIRCLE IT ON YOUR CAL- ENDAR! The Institute of Municipal Government will hold its TahH, a Dinner for award winner s at the Wilkes Commons on Wednesdav mTa 1962, at 6:30 p. m. This dinner really brings to a climax the 6’ training activities in local government which the Institute has co’hd™ The main speaker of the evening will be the Honorable Benjamin R. Jones, Justice of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Penn­ sylvania. Judge Jones is well known to local government officials, and therefore needs no introduction to many of us. His timely message will be on "The Role of the Local Official in the 1960's." Certificates will be awarded to 217 local officials and local gov­ ernment employees. The number of in-service training classes has in­ creased from one in 1951 to eleven in 1962. The first class, con uc e by a member of the Political Science Department of Wilkes College, held for borough officials in 1951. The number of certifica e. winne each of the short courses for 1961-1962 is as follows. ma HishSchool Educational Seeretaries-22; Planning-15; Pena C°de"2^ way Malnlenane.-ZO; Munleipa! ervisors--15; Traffic Management--12, Zoning 26; Magistrates-Criminal Law-25; and Intoxication Lecture _20 The In-service training activities of the ^“^^^e'evident fied and increased in number over the last VeaJ £,uzerne County are that many local officials in Wyoming Valley a tcourses and theremaking every effort to avail themselves of t ese .^nner |s> therefore, by raise their performance standards. The awa uorizon and vision. a fitting climax to their sincere efforts towi en * * * DON'T FORGET MAY 16th! *#* ! �SEWAGE j qGAL disposal plant appeal lost ruled agianst Wilkes-Barre earlier this A Commonwealth Court i a Sanitary Water Board order to stop month in the City's appeal from into discharging untreated sewage i..L the Susquehanna River. "We can see no valid reason why the City of Wilkes-Barre should be treated differently from any other city in the Commonwealth, " the Court said in a 12-page opinion, adding: "Many of the cities on the Susquehanna River south of it (WilkesBarre) will be affected and endangered by its continued dumping of raw sewage into the river. " The City appealed a board order to stop discharging untreated sewage by March 13, 1963, and to build a sewage treatment plant. The City had argued that the board didnotprove conclusively that City sewage was causing pollution. Wilkes-Barre also argued that construction of a plant would be a waste of money because of subsidence or earth movements in the area due to underground mines. Judge Walter R. Sohn, who wrote the opinion for the court--a special division of Dauphin County court handling State matters--said that the City failed to support the subsidence claims. "Subsidence, we feel here, has been amply demonstrated to be nothing more than an engineering problem which can be solved by appli­ cation to the proper engineering firms, " Sohn said. The court said there are many large cities subject to earth movement, adding: "It cannot be that the whole west coast of California, where earth­ quakes are quite frequent, with its crowded populations have not pro­ vided proper sewage disposal plants despite the occurrence of these phe­ nomena. " An appeal will be taken to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court by Wilkes-Barre City from the ruling of Sanitary Water Board requiring the City to stop discharging untreated sewage into the river by March, 1963. At a recent meeting of City Council, officials directed the City Solicitor to file the appeal. The Wilkes-Barre Board of Health unani­ mously recommended the City to file the appeal. years y pre'-’ UNITS COOPERATE ON COMMON PROBLEMS Six local governments in Lower Bucks County have had several f successful experience in a cooperative approach to common through the Regional Cooperation Committee. The Committee, which meets monthl representatives of the respective governing bo^i eT^8 °f designated studies and prepares recommendations to be tak k “ COnducts its own local governments for approval, modification the resPective the Committee has no operating authority or fund^tT6^011' Alth°ugh mal mechanism for bringing these 2overnmmf"’(haSprovided a forbasis. Organized in 1957, the charter memb to8ether on a planned Bristol, Falls, and Middletown and the Borough TZt townshiPs °f Makefield Township and Morrisville Bom.^n k Tullytown. Lower urougn nave since joined. The Regional Cooperation Committee was organized originally to deal with some of the street, road, and sidewalk problems caused by the large-scale housing development of Levittown. Since then the Com­ mittee has studied many municipal services, including agreements to divide boundary streets into sections for maintenance purposes; a study of refuse collection and disposal practices; contracts for joint animal control services; organization of a special training course for super­ visory employees; joint purchasing of materials and supplies; and stan­ dardizing ordinances on building regulation and real estate operations. Without resorting to legislation or governmental changes, the a systematic way for local officials to pool their Committee provides a systematic way ideas and resources as well as their problems in the search for better coordination of services. (Article by Charles M. Melchior, Township Manager ship, BOROUGH BULLETIN, February, 1962.) , Middletown Town- NEW GO-TO-MARKET CENTERS PROGRESS_INFIX^-^ "downtown" as the marin many cities, large and r orts from. C fivei of the cities, small, throughout the country. Pr°gres Retjevelopmen mt Officials' Jourin the National As sociation of Housing an way from i 1963 to the year nal of Housing, list completion dates 2000. . this summer, Charles Scheduled for first building ^"fnished, a 33'acr® "^downtownCenter in Baltimore will occupy, wh functionS in the hea site providing a concentration of Y City-center renewal projec s ketplace are at the advance planning �The Center will provide space for offices, retail services, and relate^ commercial activities. Core Superblock" for the redevelopment of its Fresno plans a " ■. The 85-acre site will be closed to general central business district, traffic and laced with a pattern of pedestrian malls designed vehicular t- atmosphere for shopping and buying. The superblock is the to create an a central core area of 2500 acres, which will hub of a larger plan for , convention hall, medical complex, institutional include a civic center,-------complex, and residential area. Expected completion date for the total plan: 1980. Both of these redevelopment projects will rely on federal financial aid. Plans for revitalizing the 350-acre central area of Binghamton, New York, call for two five-year "phases and eight projects. The first, to be known as Valley Plaza, will be the expansion and renewal of the retail-commercial district with a new grouping of businesses around an open square of a seven-acre parcel of land. Subsequent projects include clearance for industrial redevelopment, and clearance, rehabilitation, and concurrent construction of new housing and recreation facilities. The second phase will include the clearance and renovation of the present downtown shopping area and the construction of a center of civic and government buildings. Financing will be shared three ways--26. 2 mil­ lion dollars federal aid; 10. 5 million dollars state aid; and 7. 2 million dollars local. "Centre City" in San Diego, comprising approximately 1100 acres, will serve as the location for nine new city, state, and federal office buildings, including a civic center and convention hall, and numerous new privately built structures. Ground was broken late last spring on the first construction--a 24-story office building. Completion date of the final public construction is the year 2000. thoughts for today If the cigarette industry ever succeeds in making man think for himself, the government will be looking for a new source of revenue. The modern boy scout helps an old lady across the street by slowing down his convertible. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly originated in the Institute of 1' ' \ , as a community service, Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed JJ ------ J to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes Colleg e, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. VOL. XI N°- 5 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. , MAY 15, 1962 TENTH ANNUAL DINNER Institute of Municipal Government will hoW it„ . A Dinner The lor award winners at the Wilkes lenthAnnual 16, 1962, at 6:30 p. m. This dinner really b"°“ t“ We,d“sd^ service training activities in local government whlehtte w,? conducted. the Institute has The mam speaker of the evening will be the Honorable Benjamin R. Jones, Justice of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Penn­ sylvania. Judge Jones is well known to local government officials, and therefore needs no introduction to many of us. His timely message will be on "The Role of the Local Official in the 1960's. " # * # DON’T FORGET MAY 16th! #** TO SPUR STATE'S RECRBAUgjgSS™PROJECT 7 0 PLANNED by the State Project 70, recommended to Governor Lawrence Summarized Planning Board, is a four-point development program, briefly, the plan will: 1. Create three major federal recreation areas in Pennsylvania —• lalthwith by 1970. 2. Ring the major population centers of the Commonwe. flm major population centers $70 million 'green belts" of ] ’ -J cmces by 1970 financed by a parks and open spaces by . bond issue. and water areas with 3. Acquire important fishand wildlife land bond issue to the State Fish five million dollars allotted from the same and Game Commissions. urfa vacation land in non­ --round American existing State Lands. ^sta.blish a new yearrecreation on un counties by diversifying 1 than areas with more plan, population Under an urban areas �- ' for ' : "open space" grants for use in de 25, 000 persons will be eligible and velopment of land, water, fish — — wildlife, historical or scenic areas The Planning Board recommended that the necessary amend— ment to the State Constitution authorizing the $70 million bond issue ue be presented to the 1962 session of the Pennsylvania General Assembl —ly. It is hoped to have the proposed amendment on the ballot for voter consideration in 1963 if it passes two separately elected legislatures. In 1915 the city set up three main drainaa ■atment; by 1923 the first of three proposedareaS f°r sewerage and tre;, protect the Torresdale water intake treatment plants —s was built to A sewer rental was initiated in 1944 Northeast Works was opened in i951 The 125 million gallon Southeast and Southwest Plants (opened in ig^?116 1923 plant. The die 136 million gallons daily, each. D' 55) are designed tohansince May, 1961, hauled to sea. Rested sludge is lagooned or, CITY MODERNIZES SEWERAGE SYSTEM AND WATER SUPPT,Y Philadelphia, which once poured thousands of tons of raw sew­ age solids into the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers each year, now treats 96% of all its raw sewage, besides millions of gallons daily from neigh­ boring communities. Public support has helped. In eight short y-years the city has stepped up its treatment of raw sewage from 82 million ■ion gallons daily to 355 million gallons, and the rise is still going on. Spearheading this far reaching change has been a $260 million program for modernizing the city's c* century-old sewage system; of the 2, 352 miles of sewers, more than 800 -J are of brick, built before 1900. Changes since 1940 have ] that looked bad, with offensive !1 been impressive: public water supplies -taste and odor, have become of w ally high quality; -----raw sewage and industrial w ---- gener-■ abated; boating and other recreational uses wastes of the rivers 1 discharges have been come possible and enjoyable; where once hydrogen -. sulphide s have again befumes destroyed ships' paint, Philadelphia (third largest city sewage of J United States) is is now the nation's leading foreign trade center. ■ the Credit for the change is due to local and state pollution control programs: the early and continuing interest of the Sanitary Water Board in uprgading stream conditions in the area, the awakened zeal of Dela­ ware River and Schuylkill River communities, industries, and organi­ zations, and Philadelphia's River own program for sewage disposal and water supply improvements. ia's own All of Philadelphi; La's public water r ware and Schuylkill Rivers, supply comes from the DelaThe need for guard these sources from *• extensive pollution was measures to safe apparent. Growing complaints about the water fiye filte: —.er plants between 1901 and 1909. suPply led to construction of "RANDOM SAMPLING" USED IN ROAD BUILDING A scientific technique of quality control in road inspection is now in use in the State Department of Highways. Developed by private industry and known as "random sampling," the technique is relatively new in road building. The system eliminates the element of personal preference in deciding what section of a roadway should be tested for quality. Through random sampling, the best possible finished highway is more certain. The Department, which is now perfecting state-wide use of the procedure, initiated the system in District 6, which comprises Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. Department laboratory technicians and materials engineers were processing and testing the system prior to recommendation of the Amer­ ican Association of State Highways Officials in I960 that random samp­ ling be adopted. State inspectors continue to make daily checks^of Aments, but work being done by contractors. Random samp mg does not replace, re gular testing and inspections. nf the roadway have an equal In random sampling all portions por example- the tester chance of being selected for quality samp i gnuTnber on a specia chooses a number from 1 to 100. He the”. J. The number finds t e random sample table prepared by statis start of Pr°ject an 1 corresponding factors which tell distance is the portion to in th, roadway. This point oi th.joadw The tur.y of tested. Personal preference ..S thus^e « oj.cts extend the process to �COOPERATIVE purchasing in metropolitan areas Oldestand most successful of joint buying arrangements in met­ ropolitan areas is the Cincinnati plan. In the depression year of 1931> the Cincinnati Bureau of Governmental Research put forward the idea as an economy measure. Purchasing agents for the city of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, and the Cincinnati Board of Education immediately began the cooperative action, and the program has continued for over twenty years. Savings on the first joint purchase of coal, amounting to some $50,000, attracted the interest of two other public agencies, the Cincinnati public library, and the University of Cincinnati, both of which quickly joined the program. United action to achieve greater economy and efficiency has not meant loss of independence of action by member agencies. Each parti­ cipating unit maintains its own purchasing organization and operates independently where it is impracticable to make group purchases. In addition, there is also a body composed of the purchasing agents of each member, known as the Coordinating Committee of Purchasing Agents of Hamilton County. A major cause of the committee's success was the manner in which it began its work. Instead of attempting an immediate survey of all articles which could be purchased collectively, the group discussed at weekly meetings the possibility of combining the pending contracts of each of the several units. When it was possible to develop common specifications for generally used articles, vendors were requested to submit bids on the total quantities desired by all members. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Every man complains of his memory, but no man complains of his judgment. VOL- XI NO. 6 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE PA. >> MAY 15, 1962 ANNUAL DINNER The Institute Government a for award winnersofatMunicipal the Wilkes Commons held on wits a T th Annual Dinner at 6:30 p. m. This dinner was the culmination ofth68^’ May 16, 1962> activities in local government conducted hv Government. y h, / ln‘service training e Institute of Municipal Certificates were awarded to 217 local officials and local government employees. The number of in-service training classeshas increasedfrom one in 1951 to eleven in 1962. The number of certificate winners in each of the short courses for 1961-1962 is as follows: Small Arms--8; School Educational Secretaries --22; Planning--15; Penal Code--25; Highway Maintenance--20; Municipal Fire Administration--11; Township Supervisors--15; Traffic Management--12; Zoning--18; School Directors--26; Magistrates, Criminal Law--25; and Intoxication Lectures--20. It is quite evident that many local officials in Wyoming Valley and in Luzerne County are making every effort to avail themselves of these ort courses and thereby raise their performance standards. j . -^xcerpts from the speech of the Honorable Benjamin R. Jones, us ice of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, are . C °sed with this Newsletter. His remarks point up the problems and enges which local officials face today in the performance of their duties. Being young is a fault which improves daily. A DECADE WITH THEJNSTITUTE_ PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originated in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. nr Huso V. Mailey, Director At the Tenth Annual Awards Dinner, • the philosophy which °f th.e Institute of Municipal Government, reco mun^ty service, has guided the Institute throughout its years nt today. Training "Training is an important trend S. atest developments in par not ("1, keeps local officials in touch ,he education whtch ticui; Iar fields, it also provides the basic occ p �so often lacking. Most local officials never have any preservice trainin for the workthey do, and this is as it shouldbe in a democracy. Thebene, ficial results of inservice training can onlybe measuredand demonstrated in the work that local officials do--not now and immediately, but next month, and next year, and in this coming decade. "How will local officials perform their assigned tasks and duties? Will this bea better community as a result of the course work that has been taken? Will police training result in dropping of the traffic injury index? Will the s .... , . xx . . • ______ schools improve? Will the streets be repaired in better fashion, at the lowest possible unit cost? Will fire losses drop? If local officials can just lose that blue-sky campaign promise and that hazy notion offic­ ial duties and how to perform them, then this training has done you some good. You are to be commended for embarking on the training. "There is still another reward and benefit that needs mention. The general public must put a premium on learning and training in Luzerne County. Pay scales and promotions must be based on ability, experience, and seniority, and training. In Luzerne County, training has been com­ pletely ignored. I am hoping for the day in Luzerne County when the gen­ eral public recognizes the importance of training, when training is given its proper place in pay schedules, when the voters reward those who take training on their own time, when an incentive system is created for learning. Perhaps I'm dreaming again, but that's whatl was told tenyears ago when the Institute first started. I wonder what the next ten years has in store for us. Why don't all of you you who are here tonight dream a little; can't tell where we might be ten years from now. "One obligation of the local official of today is vision--not just the anticipation of tomorrow but the creation of tomorrow. A public official may identify the permanent forces in his community, he may have the will to act, and he may ever act with restraint, but unless he sets the goals of possibility-, unless he sees the community not as it is but as it ought to be and can be, he is not fit to be a local public official. The central question in the mind of a good local public official is: what kind of community do I want to help build? What should it look like twenty-five years from now? Because most local officials have failed to dream, local governments set their sights too low--far Far too many local governments low- - ' .. too low. x behave as though their only were to repair a few hundred yards though their only functions functii of streets, remove remove snow, snow, etc. etc. These activities may keep a treadmill going, but they will never build .11 never build a civilized community. The main job of a house­ wife is not not to to dust dust under under the bed, it is to raise a decent family. ThereooHcv H1 government gO77ment must become an effective instrument of social dr come true must ""wi, dream drearrls about the future, and help those dreams Why don't all where you & tO.night dream a Can,t tel1 you might be ten years from tonight. " THE BREADTH OF democracy xxld , > too, O friend, suppose democ Did you, ditics, and for a party name? I sa d Tacy Was only for elections, o. —*----- x * on and come to its flower amTZ^ iS Only of use there for P°b that it paS stforms of® interactionbetween men -S ln mai manners, in the , colleges and school................. and their beliefs. . in religion, highe£” Hterature Walt Whitman ADVISORY COUNCIL The Institute of Municipal Government h councils to assist in the development of instructors115116'1 two training a Programs for police and firemen. The purpose of the Police Training Advisory Council willbeto eval­ uate the police training program of the Institute, identify the training needs of men from the area, and also to coordinate the training programs of the local governmental units. The Fire Training Advisory Council will assist in formulating the training program for volunteer and paid firemen, and coordinate the program of the Institute with that of the Northeastern Penn­ sylvania Volunteer Firemen's Federation, The Lewistown Fire School, and the local governmental fire departments. SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN ASSOCIATION The Susquehanna River Basin Association was orgamzedlast month at a luncheon meeting of the Board of Directors of the Association; Association is anon-profit, non-political, impartialfe era a_ izations and individuals. Membership willbe open t0 „Jizatlon tions and individuals along the Susquehanna River Basin. and parthas been established topromote citizen interest, un er ’ of the iclpation toward the orderly development of the water resoorc basin. x_ fives of non-profit organVoting member ship is limited toip is available retXXn izations and institutions. Nonviduals who express an interes At a reeentmeeting of the tions were presented for adop 10 the Charter and the corporate seal o the President and Secretary to see Association, Internal K-e d authoriza 10 ”s“ ' y, r of resolu- nue Service the Presexplain the aPProval as a tax-exempt organization, abrochure that will ident to name a committee to prep tion, °hjectives and activities of the Asso �The Association expects to supply speaker s on virtually every a of water resources of the Basin, to notify groups and individuals ak 6Ct hearings by Federal and State Officials on water resources problem Ut arrange for regional and local meetings on water resources probl ’ t0 and to discuss and maintain a full flow of information on the water S’ sources of the Basin. re ~ VOL. XI NO. 7 Eventually the Association hopes to see created anlnter state Com mittee for the Susquehanna River similar to the plan for the River Basin (INCOHANNA). Te F. A. Pitkin, representing Governor David Lawrence at the Binghamton hearing of the Joint Government State Commission, stated that many of the economic ills of the region could be placed on the lack of development of the Susquehanna River and that the true potential of the Susquehanna River has never really been realized. The three governors of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York have all expressed an interest in the development of a comprehensive plan for the development of water and land resources of the Susquehanna River. This meeting of the representatives of the three states on the Basin water problems is the first step toward the complete development of a Basin with 2, 000, 000 people living in 300 communities. THOUGHTS for today A big man not only makes mistakes--but he is take he makes. bigger than any misNowadays the only males years old. s whoboss the household are less than three publication This News-letter, p.u.unsned monthly as a community service, originated Published Government of Wilkes College. Notes and in the Institute of Municipal community service, of Municipal inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo-rV.’”111 Mailey, Institute —3 College. .. of Mun­ icipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Mailey, Institute WILKBS COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., JULY 15, 1,62 SEWAGE DISPOSAL The Public Services Committee of the Cha pollution. The purpose of the meetings is to review = abate stream whole sewage program in Wyoming Valley the elopments and disposal court decisions since completion of thein Albrighflnd F i Report of 1954. The Committee, steeped with baeitaXeX that it has accumulated over the last 12 years, hopes that as a res^t of these informal meetings a joint cooperative effort can be revived to ward the solution of a problem that has affected heavily Wyoming Val­ ley's economic and industrial progress. According to a recent statement by the Honorable Maurice K. Goddard, State Secretary of Forest and Waters, State joblessness can be tied to pollution of rivers. Dr. Goddard, speaking at the National Symposium on the Control of Coal Mine Drainage, stated, "If you were to draw a map of Pennsylvania's polluted streams and another of the State's depressed regions, and superimpose the two, you would find that both areas correspond exactly. Industries simply will not move into an area with polluted streams. While stream pollution may not be the only cause for unemployment, no steps can be effective in correct­ ing the situation until the streams are cleaned up. " • G Breth, Chairman of the According to Representative a^,1S ’ legislation will be mtroJoint State Government Commission, s i A_„eTnbly to protect Penn duced in the coming session of the General Asse sylvania' s public water supply- has changed The City of Trenton, N. J. > ^f^the new public ^^risk its form of property insurance co^®^cific class of fi*e in^vernmental 1onal property form. This is a P designed for institutions that serve public, such as �units, churches, colleges, hospitals, and schools. The change has resulted in a refund of $24, 968. 54 in current insurance premiums, and stated m accordance with author do not that, abut the sewer as required r„in ^is State does intervene beyond the center of th/® instant caSe’l ® proPerties on the other side of the street, r sk ® reet and the p he Sewer laid there is no authority for assessment of be Statad thaT °f the Sewer LOOK WHO'S TALKING The Civil Service Commission of a large city was holding a pub­ lic hearing on the request of an operating agency to remove one of its positions from the competitive service. The Director of Examination testified that it would be practical to hold a competitive examination. Despite this, the Commission by a 2-1 vote placed the position in the non-competitive class after the next speaker declared: It is desirable to have a man experienced in the performance of the duties, If a competitive employee were engaged, he could not be disposed of so easily as a non-competitive employee in the event the performance was not up to the desired standard. " Section 2408 of the Act of 1931 L sever Specifically states that the assessmentis to be made "upon(pthe on the sewer"--not on the street on which the propertiesabutting Courtwent on to state that to abut means "to touch^1 iS placed- The or lean against at a joint of construction " ° ^errninate, Theassessment Supreme Court to effectuate b JUdlClal ’ a- • Pr°nouncement the of allrefuses properties touchin tf/ ing a sewer system. Abut must mean actual i Mtreet accommodatferred that the amount of benefits accruing to J°lning‘ The Court inthe sewer line open for their accommodation, whether TV not, is irrelevant since assessment can „n!y attach the ab"ta“ ” NEW PERFORMANCE REPORT The speaker was the President of the Civil Service Commission. William Brody Philadelphia Department of Public Health SIMON APPEAL Under the first class township code, assessment ar-------- ----- — of benefit for sewer construction may be made only against r~*_ properties the sewer." Where boundary of a lot terminates in the "Abutting on 1_ j center of a street, that lot <1. does not abut on the sewer and, under the First Class Township Code, is s not subject to an ? assessment for benefits. The question of whether th, e property actually benefits by the since the law -i .. sewer irrelevant, provides that only abutting properties can be is assessed for benefits. In a case handed down by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on January 2, 1962, the Courtwas faced with the question: When do prop­ erties abut on a sewer? The sewer was laid out on the other side of the street across from the properties and beyond the dividing line in the middle of the street. Since the boundaries of the lots in question in the case1 terminated in the center of the street and the sewer lines were laid out out bevr>v.a beyond the middle line on the other side of the street, the Court ---- adopted A Park Ridge, Illinois (32, 659), has a new performance replace the former graphic trait rating system for city employees to 1 scale. The new and simplified version was adopted to overcome the problems of "secret" ratings, lack of standardization, and difficulty in standardizing job elements. The The new new performance rating system provides only six job factors with four possible evaluations: generally superior, as expected, not as expected, and unsatisfactory. The new system places responsibility directly with department heads for rec­ ommendations for salary increases, and they are encouraged to pro vide descriptions and explanations for recommendations. GLASS DOOR ORDINANCES 3 doors was adopted sliding glass Western City MagaA safety ordinance regulating --norted in recently in Seattle, Washington. As rep< i of increasing pop­ eet the problem ion and the construction 3nd the acz^nei the ordinance was needed to me-in residential co^ ndardg require that parity of sliding glass doors —. ^^^hlavier cidents caused by shattered glass. The Th® Seattle Sbe one stanc of the must be one of the glass in sliding door installations muquarter inc d ^ass. , -roved one-quarter : P'orsd laminated safety glass, W^'drh°or heavier tempered g approved one-quarter inch or 1— wired glass, or < �Similar ordinances have been adopted by Kent and Bellevue, ’ Washing ton, and all three ordinances exclude French doors and multiglass paneled doors. YT NO. 8 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRr -da VOL. X1 t>ARRE> PAi> August 15) FIRE-POLICE REORGANIZATION aSSSSSSSSs® i?62 Forty policem, men annual salary of $5, 902 as compared with $5, 590 for regular policemen igular polic and firemen. The dual-purpose policemen serve in 10 districts and serve in 10 <” perform regular police duties until there is a fire incident. Fire re­ i fire incident, sponse also is provided by a fire truck with a captain and driver and by captainwith and driver a fire department flying squad of three men riding the assistant riding with the onu r chief and his driver. Thus any fire alarmbrings men > a minimum of 10 and three pieces of fire equipment. The reorganization was undertaken largely to meet mounting departmental costs. Provision for 40 dual­ was undertake: Provision for departpurpose officers allows a reduction of 40 positions in the fire positions in by the allowing fire ment itself. This reduction is being accomplis'hed the budgetary authorization by allowing the _ a for vacant positions to lapse, by resignations and retirements, and finally, as needed, by layoffs. This represents a reduction in the total authorized strength in both departments (310 positions) of about 13 per cent. gggHTS FOR today H you want a job done, give it to secretary do it. a busy man. Conceit is what makes knowledge. a little SECOND ANNUAL C™MUNItyc^^ The Second Annual COMMUNITY GROWTH again provide an opportunity for the exchange of id °NFERENCE will organizations and individuals concerned with th eaS among the various practical problems related to the social andeconnm° °f the more area. The CONFERENCE will bring together all th^ of our in present and future planning for the area It is d e pe°ple lnterested budders, realtors, industrialists, developers, and interested In examining the more vital problems of our area, the sponsors of the COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE hope to benefit from sharing experiences with nationally known authorities who will parti­ cipate in the CONFERENCE with us. The Second Annual COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE will be held at Wilkes College on Wednesday, September 26, 1962. He'll have his Watch for the final program announcement and registration form. DON'T MISS THIS IMPORTANT MEETING! MARK THIS DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR! squirt think that he is a fountain of COOPERATIVE PURCHASINGITpME™D2^D^ Duplication This News-letter, originated in the Institute Published mmonthly as a community service, Notes and inquiries may be°f Municipal 1 Government of Wilkes College, of Municipal Government, Wilke addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute -as Coll, ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.' ~ * Oldest and most successful of joint b^epression year of 1931, ropolitan areas is the Cincinnati plan. £ h put forward the i ea the Cincinnati Bureau of Governmenta of Cincinnai > as an economy measure. Purchasing ag of Education in^me 1 r Hamilton County, and the Cincinnati m haS continue 0 ing began the cooperative action, and t e p hase of coal, a™encies, twenty years. Savings on the first join P public ag q{ to some $50, 000, attracted the mtere . ersity of Cincinna , the Cincinnati public library, and the which quickly joined the program. �=^7^ Sating unit maintains its own purchasing organization and operates independently where it is impracticable to make group purchases. There is also a body composed of the purchasing agents of each mem­ ber, known as the Coordinating Committee of Purchasing Agents of Hamilton County. Through all the years of its activity, and despite the magnitude of its achievements, this coordinating committee has never had specific legal authorization. Rather, it has been supported by the voluntary cooperation of its combined membership. A major cause of the committee's success was the manner in which it began its work. Instead of attempting an immediate survey of all articles which could be purchased collectively, the group discussed at weekly meetings the possibility of combining the pending contracts of each of the several units. When it was possible to develop common speci­ fications for generally used articles, vendors were requested to submit bids on the total quantities desired by all members. As experience in­ creased the following procedure evolved: 1. 2. Standardization of specifications for major commodities as a continuing process. Re-education of bid fo: >rms and price inquiry to a single standardfor all the units, 1 to eliminate possible misunderstanding with vendors. 3. Establishment °f uniform legal conditions in contract bid forms. 4. Estimation of all departmental needs by each unit, so that purchases of a year s supply could by made at one time. 5. Adoption of uniform contracting dates by all units. As far as j Possible, pussioie, the work divided■ among among the the agencies. Thus, of negotiating the joint contracts is by any one of the members. T’ bids may be taken and contracts made one of the Usually the unit requiring the largest amount of a particular item takes bids f the work load and capacity of thfor it, although consideration is given to - -ae various offices. NEW_yqrk ^^IGpRogram FOR MUNICIPAL POLICE nniExPerienc e in the fl. Police offiCers first state — has obtained e mandatory training program for local -J widespread —J. and wholehearted acceptance and Police Training Council for the^ro^am^ports ini state' ,nt issue of State Government, journal of the Council of State Governreceiments1 The New York Municipal Police Training Council Act, passed in fter more than 14 years of state and local cooperation, aims at the 1959 ation of broad state facilities at the request of the local representautiliza 1° assist them to do a better job of police training than they could tives> The act provides for an 8-man Municipal Police Training do al°.?e' pointed by the Governor as an advisory and policy board for Counci and a fuil-time Executive Director whose most important the Pr supervise procedures for certification of training schools and g’ltotes of such schools. Under this act each police officer appointed since July 1, I960, • d to satisfactorily complete an approved Basic Training Course iS ^^lldition of permanent appointment. The first task of the new aS a u was to formulate a curriculum for this Basic Training Course. TheTesult was a minimum requirement of 80 hours' training in 17 subT\ a few of which are: The Role of Law Enforcement, Police-Com- muniiy Relations, Firearms, Civil Rights, Patrol Function, Handling of Juveniles, and Code of Criminal Procedure. Training schools are held on an area or local basis and, since the beginning of the program, 35 basic schools have been approved and certified by the Executive Director of the State Council. A to a 0 new police officers from 267 municipal police agencies have comp the requirements for graduation. Instructors have been drawn ron different agencies. Since most classes are held in various types of publie facilities and instructional services are free, the cost of the program to the municipalities involves only the salary of the men during the train­ ing period, 200 rounds of ammunition and, in come cases, travel expenses to and from school. according to Mr. York, that police The Council is convinced, o{ a state-mandated pro­ training can be improved through the m of local initiative and gram without i removing the important in§ on t^e localities.. He says without unduly imposing the will of the s areas eof -in-service the Council c envisions further deve ^^college-level courses in police Irainii -Ing, administrative training, an science and administration. REAL ESTATE certifications Real estate owners in Philadelphia now must furnish property �' ProPerty -J bY the The certificates are issued by the department of licens es and in. spections at $5 each. The city is com;iplying with a recently enacted state --------- ' proper rnnerty offered -------for sale is that j „ not . in viola, law requiring certification c----. y tion of the city's housing, fire, building, or zoning codes. Under 1 a buyer not receiving such a certificate can demand the refund of the purchase price. The city reports that requests are coming in at a rate of 100 per week and are increasing. The purpose of the law is not to prevent transactions but rather to make purchaser s aware that violatio—ons exist. city yOP- xl N°- 9 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. SEPTEMBER 15, 1962 second annual community growth conference The Second Annual Community Growth Conference will be held t Wilk®5 College on Wednesday, September 26, 1962. BROADENS PROMOTIONAL EXAMS Covina, California, has added the factor of supervisory f \ ratings to promotional examinations to help evaluate candidates, Previously only written and oral examinations were o given, and each was weighted at’ 50 per cent of the total. Nowthe thewritten writtenexamination, examination, oral oral examina­ x . Now tion, and supervisor's rating are considered in that order and each is weighted at one-third. The supervisor of each person qualified to take the promotional examination is given an employee evaluation form. This evaluation is placed in a sealed envelope, and it is not opened until after the written and oral examinations are completed and scored. The new completed and scored, procedure allows for consideration of reliability on the job and contribu­ •eliability on tions to carrying out the department's program. thoughts FOR TODAY The girl who searches too long fo: up with a crumb. 'r a smart cookie is apt to wind Last year's Conference, the first to be attempted in this area provided an opportunity for the exchange of ideas among the various organizations and individuals concerned with the solution of the more practical problems related to the social and economic well being of the area. Several hundred delegates from Northeastern Pennsylvania att­ ended in an attempt to scrutinize the more pressing problems which all communities face in a pace-setting era. Sponsors of the Conference will provide an opportunity to share experiences with nationally known authorities who will appear on the discussion panels. Included among the topic s to be discussed at this Second Annual The Key to Community Growth; What Conference are the following: —Governments ----- -Local Can Do to Promote Community Growth; What the Individual Can Do to Promote Community Growth; and Community Growth --A Partnership. DON'T MISS CALENDAR. THIS MEETING! MARK THIS DATE ON YOUR One of the troubles with large doses. small talk is that it usually comes in SHORT COURSgtl publication This News-letter, originated in the Institute Published monthly as a community service Notes and inquiries 1— ’ of .w., J' .... Municipal Gover: nment of Wilkes College. may be addres of Municipal Government, Wilke --ssed to Dr. JHugo V. Mailey, Institute S College, Wilkes”-Barr ------ re, Pennsylvania. ill again conductt a numThe Institute of Municipal G°Ve™™icipal officials,. These courber of in-service training courses °relecte(j and appointed . officials the ses are designed to make available 0 their duties, The courses rneans of improving in the performa gervice — J ' 1 1Institute, Departare presented in cooperation with t e c of Pennsylvania. nuent of Public Instruction, Commonwe Assessf n semester include. The courses being offered for assessors dth prior ex-nel SuperCourse, an advanced course field'. Perienceand familiarity with thetaxa landing ole that the the major r vision, Municipal of' personnel; and an introductory course in u j. c • supervisor must play in the managem �Fire Administration, a comprehensive course for command mffiCer° covering the basic techniques of departmental organization and i ment. In addition, under the sponsor ship, of the Juvenile Court anage^ “ of W erne County and the Department of Public Welfare, a course in control will be offered. This is a practical course in delinquency Youth ’ control for law enforcement officers. BORROWING LAW AMENDMENT UNCONSTITUTIONAL A 1961 state law that would have made it easier for municipality and school districts to float loans without voter approval was d 1 65 unconstitutional by Pennsylvania's Supreme Court. ed The unanimous decision of the six justices--there is one vacancy--struck a harsh blow at many school districts and municipalities The law would have permitted increased borrowing for needed capital improvements. N. J- CITIES LIABLE FOR POLICE training The New Jersey Supreme Court in a ruling cr * wide implications, has stated that ’ on a civil suit with a municipality isrespc jonsible for training its policemen to handle firearms ■ms and is liable for acts o of negligence committed by an employee in the line of d ' The suit resulted from an injury to a <■ cheting bullet fired by a reserve policeman\ nager caused by a ricocourt noted that the policeman had never re Uring * disturh>anc. • The firearms. The decision upheld a lower courf61^ training in the li ­ of use the theory that the policeman had been inadeq 1^ &gainst the cit7 r on A Court of Appeals decision has upheld a verdict this same theory in a casein which a nnT against the CitY of Newark on discharged the back of a girl m the adjoining apartment. entered -b k- fashra:hlay^ A spokesman for the Department of Internal Affairs, approve all bond proceedings, said that no school district which must or municipality has issued general obligation bonds under the 1961 act. The Municipal Authority, publication of the National Institute of Municipal Law Officers, reports that at least four other suits have been started in New Jersey against municipalities based on this theory of inadequate training of police officers. The spokesman termed the department and administration had court's action "a disaster. " The supported the bill when it appeared before the Legislature. CITY TAKES STEPS TO DEVELOP PROPERTY CONSERVATION The high tribunal took c ’ i original jurisdiction of the taxpayers suit filed against the s school district of Baldwin ----- -.^in Township, Allegheny County. The district last - January 10 authorized sale of $2. 5 million worth of bonds. Chief Justice John C. Bell Jr. agreed, contending the 1961 law-which amended the 1941 able ’ andJ was merely municipalborrowing law - - was "clearly unr easonan obvious attempt to circumvent the constitution and double or triple th' e borrowing capacity of municipalities. " in the illegal amendment, said Bell, was in def■»'«««. iMreasedtehe of taxable property as "market value. " This, debt limit of school districts, he said. The constitution p-t0 tw° Per cent of provides that a i assessed —1 valuation ofmunicipality can borrow only up approval. taxable property without voter Since mid-1956, Newport Beach, California (pop. 26,564) has developed a systematic program for eliminating blight and improving property. Called "Conservation and Rehabilitation," or C-R, its ob­ jectives are to halt progressive decay of older buildings, to correct structural and safety hazards, to reduce overcrowding by preventing "bootlegged" additions and alterations to buildings, and to prevent illegal subdivisions and alterations of buildings for living quarters. . rarries out the C-R P*0' and imust — be either rehabilitated or en^e-ng identified. buildini —igs with excessive occupancy are community wide support. All buildin Th • 6 Pro§rarn is dependent upon v comn ~—/ on law violations but also °n tactfuinSPeCtors bave been trained not.gh only with property owners. Their Gaining i aPProacfia-nd firm follow-throug with discussionof common continued at weekly staff meetings �^cc^ute problems and techniques. Each building inspector carries cation card and wears a badge, and each inspector shows the 0 talking to a property owner, without being asked to do so Card wheil Local newspapers have given excellent support by r ’ Publicizins the objectives and procedures of the program from its inception,' Th" latest step was for the city government and the local real estate to jointly finance preparation of a pamphlet, "Blueprint for Im] hoard Proving Property in Newport Beach, " which covers zoning, building and lhousing codes, off-street parking, and other aspects of property ownershi->g pamphlet is liberally illustrated and lists the city departments and P- The agencies where further information can be obtained. --Robert A. Glenn. Director of Building and Safety, Newport Beach. BEATITUDES FOR BOARD MEMBERS Blessed are they C who notify the Clerk < of the Board when they must be absent from. the C.j meeting, for they shall .1 not be held accountable for his ulcers. Blessed are they who do not talk c (nor read the daily newspaper),over the time-of-day during meetings , for they shall obtain knowledge of what's going on. Blessed are they that listen, for they shall inherit the right to go home early for some sleep. Blessed are they who follow the agenda, for they shall see business finished on time. ■American School Board Journal. THOUGHTS ■£QR today wHk A gem cannot be P°liSheti without trials. Ail Sonae girlc take them out of it exPect from n„ a man perfected the business world is a husband to publication This er, originate. s in the Institute of monthly a community service, Rotes ?as ant of Wilkes Collegeand inquiries mav be pa?mC1Pal Governme of Ml-micipal ^ernmelt.WilkeVc3!?'001 ,Ve' rnrnent Hug° V' ca 10 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRF RRE' PA-. OCTOBER 15, 1962 yOL INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION A dozen Wyoming Valley municipalities recently took the first . step toward cooperation and solution of the sewage problem when they unanimously endorsed the concept of a joint sewage authority. Action was taken at a recent meeting in Hotel StPrT t sentatives of the various communities arranged bvPnhr c S.°f repre’ mittee of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber nfr bllC Services Comwer oi Commerce. The committee has been meeting with all the communities indi­ vidually over a period of months and those represented recently had previously indicated, by resolutions of their councils, a willingness to participate in discussions which would lead to the formation of an auth­ ority. Although Edwardsville has indicated its interest in the coopera­ tive move, its formal intent has been pending for several weeks. Han­ over Township, up to the recent meeting, had declined to join the dis­ cussion with the other communities. Decision of the municipalities to av they would form a Valley Authority an esig leaders to serve on it, was preceded by a e joint authority and a county authority. van a each were evaluated. Concluding this phase o munities were polled and the voting was una method of approach. own community appraisal of such a an(j disadvantages of meeting, the comfavor of the joint 1of a formula to determine There was similar unanimous aP?^ty could name to the gov^ the number of representatives each C° ula adopted would pe* { of eming body of the authority. The ^^/or fraction thereo community one representative for ea would have on -Rilkes Population. In most cases each eo»»^Nanticote wo. However, Kingston would be entitled Barre five. eS College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania- The spirit of the meeting was such tha^ the of representatives to serve was minimi Qumb i regarding eacl ch commun- �us problem faced by the Valley and the the mechanics invo ve ice C1Dreme Court of the state disavowed « J'd “ th'/“tU'e all«>• P“Wic bodies °?ho , siblliV «* legislate aM )»»»• I” lts decis‘°”. the Court said- ° ‘ feilur« to M*,<’Cept ’“PMW»« corrective authority* Greater stress was placed upon the fact that each community wiu be represented by at least one individual it being the responsibility Of the community to find a capable dedicated and civic-minded citiZen to be its designee. of municipal tort im s te rics: e. g. ,rule governmental function ship of "The governor to Municipalities represented at the meeting were: Wyomin; lg > J ohn Shoemaker, Mayor Jack Dempsey, George Metcalf, Council Preside lent Leo Chiavacci; Plymouth, Mayor Donald Hosey, President John Barney; Plains, Clem Falchek, John Stasik; Pittston, Peter Butera, Mayor Robert Loftus, Solicitor George Spohrer. been made upon it. Exeter, Mayor Dan Ripa, Anthony Pace; Kingston, Mayor Bert Husband; Nanticoke, John Dudrick; Jenkins Township, George Kemezis, Simon Kapoczius; West Pittston, R. Nelson Myers; Forty Fort, Arthur Piccone, Jr; Swoyersville, Anthony Wallace, Stephen Gavlick; WilkesBarre, Mayor Frank Slattery, Council members Mrs. Ethel A. Price, Edward J. White, Luther Balliet, Engineer Guy B. Walker. LOCAL OFFICIALS' DINNER The institute of Municipal Government at Wilkes College will hold the bion y dinner for local officials in the Wilkes Commons on Thursday, November r‘ 15, 1962, at 6:30 p. m. The featured speaker for Me evening will be Mr dence Fund. He will di.• Vincent W. Raba, Director, Coal Mine Subsiscuss the topic "Mine Cave Insurance. " This topic t L. should be of great interest to municipal officials of northeastern “ Penn, __ .isylvania. , The Anthracite and Bituminous Subsidence -r und was created for th damag es resulting from P rpose of insuring home owners against the will c__ _ individuals 1 coa mine subsidence. The insurance program enable $4, 000. 00 rire their homes in amounts ranging from .-J to $20,000.00. and the risks involved. Mr. es will vary according to the coverage and answer any questions that aba will be able to explain the program may arise- Plan to attend. schoolsaND TORT liability Municipalities n° longer he 1 immune from 111 Wisc°nsin-and Klng can do tort claims r school districts as well_"WiH no wrong, h In th| under the old doctrine that "the Solving a UttL c Holyt ~ e girl who was e case °f . ;z vs the City of Milwaukee, injured in —1 a tot-lot public playground, the ls knee-deePm i legal esoproprietary function; relationgoverned. The dogma of the rule is so deeply in­ law that we deem it necessary to consider the hisgrained in our case torical origins of the rule and some of the critical assaults which have The rule of sovereign immunity developed in this country from and has been applied in the United States far beyond doCtHne conception. The doctrine expanded to the point where the its originalsovereignty of kings was relied upon to support a protecthistorical s e for municipalities. . . . ive perogativ Perhaps clarity will be clarity will be afforded afforded by by our expression that hence­ forward, so far as governmental responsibility for torts is concerned, far as govei------the rule is liability--the exception is immunity. In determining the tort a municipality it is no longer necessary to divide its operawhichare proprietary and those which are governmental. liability of tions not broaden the government's obligation so as to make __ into those Our decision does it responsible for all harms to others; it is only as to those harms which are torts that governmental bodies are to be liable by reason of this decision. " In making this decision, Wisconsin °th’ safe condi- Oregon, and New York in setting up reSp0_ „rounds. School districts tion and operation of public buildings an p officers, agents, an will be liable for damages for the torts o of the sChools. The employees in the course of conducting t e have will be adequa e °nly protection which the school districts School Board Journal, insurance.----- William C. Bruce, "The Ame August, 1962." PARKING METER CHECKING IMPROVED oved inspection has pr i costs -r meter Per-year operating Use of motor scooters ifor narking cy. 3-wheel Ohio. successful in Washington Court ed with al ~ibout $400 for a — o, the i°r the scooters has been $40, co evdoUsly- Proof of its name > inspect Motorcycle which had been used P traffic, einabling police to i_ scooter is adaptable and versatile More meters on a tour of duty. �SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY FOR POLICEMEN The increasing necessity for study of inter-group relati0 police work is indicated in a recent publication, "Intergroup Rel for Police Officers." It provides information on how policemen Ca principles of social psychology in their everyday work. The book USe that since law enforcement arises out of conflict, the policeman' is not limited to mere apprehension of law breakers. He is ren S duty called upon to deal intelligently with conflict situations using his^6^ judge. ment and offering his services as arbitrator to placate disturbed j d citizens. This requires that police officers have an understanding of diff. erent social classes and ethnic groups, that they know the prejudice and discrimination toward minority groups, and t’ ea.S°ns for and that they have a feeling for the American tradition of equality. The book i - is designed to be used as a study manual for groups of students. Several chapter Z“hXXX^»»Prr*le,”S thatare aC‘Ually WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA- . OCTOBER 15, 1962 XI n°- 10 INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION A dozen Wyoming Valley municipalities recently took the first big step toward cooperation and solution of the sewage problem when tbey unanimously endorsed the concept of a joint sewage authority. Action was taken at a recent meeting in Hotel Sterling of repre­ sentatives of the various communities arranged by Public Services Com­ mittee of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce. POLICE ANDFIREMEN IN PHYSICAL TRAINING police and firemen J bling1 provided by monthly fee paid by the citv e.ty. Pr°gram f°r Abllene, Texas, Th Y * private health club at a $500 The program is on a 6-month test basis. VIOLATIONS nnt7 ''c°urtesy" tickets notify citizens of of city ord,da“ ”e"b"rgh’ to garbage collection (_ governing rubbish and few weeks' experience' - indicated that one ticke,■ the is third violation. A usually sufficient. ®ESHTSroRTODAY Probably the best told another woman's age meinory expert is ful--he a woman who has once been The man Wltha lot of irc_ may be a.Wfu]JV die es in the fire isn't y disgusted necessarily success­ -J with hi s golf game. ^SiTCATiON_ :er, originate; Puhlished monthl Notes —- of Municipal Gov^ HS a COrnmunity service, Of ^icipalK may be addressed to °f Wilkes College. ''Overnm l nt, Wilk( -le es College, WilkeTJl Mailey’ Institute Barre, Pennsylvania. The committee has been meeting with all the communities indi­ vidually over a period of months and those represented recently had previously indicated, by resolutions of their councils, a willingness to participate in discussions which would lead to the formation of an auth­ ority. Although Edwardsville has indicated its interest in the coopera­ tive move, its formal intent has been pending for several weeks. Han­ over Township, up to the recent meeting, had declined to join the dis­ cussion with the other communities. Decision of the municipalities to favor joint action, in which they would form a Valley Authority and designate their own community leaders to serve on it, was preceded by a lengthy appraisal of such a joint authority and a county authority. Advantages and disadvantages o each were evaluated. Concluding this phase of the meeting, the com­ munities were polled and the voting was unanimous in favor of the join ttlethod of approach. There was similar unanimous approval of a formula t°det the number of representatives each community could naaae each erning body of the authority. The formula adopted woul pe f> of immunity one representative for each 15, 000, or rac ion ee> it s I° — PUlation- In most cases each community would have one d ^g^ however, ’ Kingston would be entitled to two, Nanticoke w , Barre fi, LVe. the regarding The spirit of the meeting was such that discussion •ach commun­ Qunaber of‘ representatives to serve was minimize , �ity recognizing that the enormous problem faced by the Vail benefits it stands to gain through joint action outweighed in the mechanics involved in the number of individuals who waU.J.Q , and the Pll-i/J authority. 'e1 the Greater stress was placed upon the fact that each community^ be represented by at least one individual, it being the r responsibility of the community to find a capable dedicated and civic / be its designee. Vlc-nmnded —1 citiZent0 Municipalities represented at the meeting were: Wyoming, john Shoemaker, Mayor Jack Dempsey, George Metcalf, Council President Leo Chiavacci; Plymouth, Mayor Donald Hosey, President John Barney; Plains, Clem Falchek, John Stasik; Pittston, Peter Butera, Mayor Robert Loftus, Solicitor George Spohrer. Exeter, Mayor Dan Ripa, Anthony Pace; Kingston, Mayor Bert Husband; Nanticoke, John Dudrick; Jenkins Township, George Kemezis, Simon Kapoczius; West Pittston, R. Nelson Myers; Forty Fort, Arthur Piccone, Jr; Swoyersville, Anthony Wallace, Stephen Gavlick; WilkesBarre, Mayor Frank Slattery, Council members Mrs. Ethel A. Price, Edward J. White, Luther Balliet, Engineer Guy B. Walker. LOCAL OFFICIALS' DINNER The Institute of Municipal Government at Wilkes College will hold the bi-monthly dinner for local officials in the Wilkes Commons on Thursday, November 15, 1962, at 6:30 p. m. The featured speaker for the evening will be Mr. Vincent W. Raba, Director, Coal Mine Subsience Fund. He will discuss the topic "Mine Cave Insurance. " This topic should northeast,tern Pennsylvania. of great interest to municipal officials of Fund was The Anthracite and Bituminous Subsidence i created for the pur; damages ] pose of insuring resulting from coal mine ------ home owners against the will enable 1 - individuals to insure their homes The insurance program subsidence. $4, 000. 00 to $20, 000. 00. Rates will vary a' s into amounts and the risks involved. Mr. Raba will be able t x — ranging from and answer any questions that may arise. Plan according to the coverage to attend. explain the program SCHOOLS AND TORT liability Municipalities i no longer be immune fr in Wisconsin--and King can do no wrong." :om tort claims r school districts as well--w^^ involving a little girlwh. In the case of Holyt under the old doctrine that ' the ; -z vs the City of Milwaukee, o was injured inJa"’tot-lot public playground, the Court of the state disavowed the long-f standing precedents and Sup^me that in the future all public bodies of the th, state must not withstanding accept responrule,d 1 withstanding the the legislature's legislature's failure to pass sibility. ..„ decision, the Court Raia- said: the Court corrective In its la^s- ’ rule of municipal tort immunity is u -- , governmental function vs propHet^6"/^ in le8al esoe. gterics: governor to governed. The dogma of the \ UnCtion= relationship of our case law that we deem it necessaJ? 1S S° deePly grained in of the rule and some of the criticJ C°nsider the historical made upon it. assaults which have been ii The The rule of sovereign immunity developed • . an English doctrine and has been applied in the U countrV fr°m its original conception. The doctrine expanded T StateS far bey°nd historical sovereignty of kings was relied u °t 6 P°lnt where the ive perogative for municipalities. . . P°n ° suPPort a protect­ Perhaps clarity will be afforded by our expression that hence­ forward, so far as governmental responsibility for torts is concerned, the rule is liability--the exception is immunity. In determining the tort liability of a municipality it is no longer necessary to divide its opera­ tions into those whichare proprietary and those which are governmental. Our decision does not broaden the government's obligation soas to make it responsible for all harms to others; it is only as to those harms which are torts that governmental bodies are to be liable by reason of this decision. " In making this decision, Wisconsin joined1 condi. Oregon, and New York in setting up respon ds School districts tion and operation of public buildings an P ayS . officers, agents, and will be liable for damages for the torts o e egs of the schools. The employees in the course be adequate only protection which the school districts w c^00Will ^ goard Journal, insurance.----- William C. Bruce, "The Americ August, 1962." PARKING METER CHECj£INGJMPROVg— tion has proved Use of motor scooters for Par^n^.I^e per_year operating7 costs for thSS^U^ i*1 Washington Court House, ,r a 3-wheel e scooters has been $40, compare^ wi “ "proof of its name, the n^otor,cycle which had been used previous y ’enabling police to inspect scoote:ir is adaptable and versatile in traffic, Tier e meters on a tour of duty. �SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY FOR POLICEMEN Thk ^JnTicSd^reTei^pXutaHln, proyides information on how policemen can ’ in >ns use that since law enforcement arises out of conflict, the policeman's duty is not limited to mere apprehension of law breakers. He is repeatedly called upon to deal intelligently with conflict situations using his judge. ment and offering his services as arbitrator to placate disturbed citi­ zens. This requires that police officers have an understanding of diff­ erent social classes and ethnic groups, that they know the reasons fOr prejudice and discrimination toward minority groups, and that they have a feeling for the American tradition of equality. The book is designed to be used as a study manual for groups of students. Several chapters conclude with discussion problems thatare actually faced by the police­ men in their everyday work. police Pol^.^r officers „ XS' sociai ^ci“iogyin the;r rery£1dayt wt°hrk- ,The book POLICE AND FIREMEN IN PHYSICAL TRAINING A voluntary physical fitnesstr; program for Abilene, Texas, police and firemen is being provided aining by ; Ky a private health club at a $500 monthly fee paid by the city. The program is 23 Qn a b-month test basis. WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE p. v0k*nO- LOCAL OFFICIALS' DINNER The Institute of Municipal Government at Wilkes College ;,i'„ . _monthly dinner for local officials in the Wilkes Commons on hold the 1 November 15, 1962, at 6:30 p. m. The featured speaker for Thursday,^ be Mr. Vincent W. Raba, Director, Coal Mine Subsithe evenm„ discuss the topic "Mine Cave Insurance, dence Fund, n This topic should be of great interest to municipal officials uf northeastern Pennsylvania. The Anthracite and Bituminous Subsidence Fund was created for the purpose of insuring home owners against the damages resulting from coal mine subsidence. The insurance program will enable individuals to insure their homes in amounts ranging from $4, 000. 00 to $20, 000. 00. Rates will vary according to the coverage and the risks involved. Mr. Raba will be able to explain the program and answer any questions that may arise. Plan to attend. RESIDENTS TICKETED FOR GARBAGE VIOLATIONS "Courtesy" tickets are notify citizens of violations of being used in Newburgh, New York, to garbage collection. Court actioncity is ordinances governing rubbish and few weeks' experience indicated that instituted on the third violation. A one ticket is usually sufficient. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Probably the best , told ano*-ber woman's^.memory ’ expert is a woman who has once been . , The man with a lot of irons in the ful--he maybe awfully disgusted with hi fire isn't necessarily success­ s golf game. ^5LIGATion his News-letter, published monthly as a community service, Originate Notes and ?- Jn t.elnstltute of Municipal Government of Wilkes Collegeas a c of Municipal 'Wines may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute .-1 Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, ernment Pennsylvania- HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT REPORT Rnreau of dollar Materials Testing The State Highway Department... taxpay ers' to guarantee and Research, in effect watch dog o cifications, broke records all purchases of road materials meet rigi SP items used in constrlast year in the number of samples ana yze sand, cement, pain., uction and maintenance. Samples of asP ya^oratories operating — steel and fuel oils were examined in the year, Th-this important bureau, in Harrisburg, tota ® routine testing of road is 4,853 more than the I960 figure. In a 1 10 on extensive resea--^d bridge materials, the laboratories carry ays and bridges. Projects to improve better and more dura ■^ePartment th as an essential adjunct to the State Highways Cr the State <?«• 6 ®ureau has occupied the large building in the shadow reet Bridge since August, 1930. ■er> __ 67 c°ttnties „ , leJ-h laboratories using surveying Corp buses cover the N4obile f, 1 j er the supervision of materials engineers. �The five separate laboratories in the Harrisburg inst. •aUatio, chemical, asphalt, soils, sand and cement and physical, Each 111 are. equipment ranging from ovens producing intense heat, zero degree freezing chambers and intricate distillation apparatus, to a c°mpre machine with a capacity of 400, 000 pounds to determine the ssion ■'e structustrength of concrete and the tensile strength of steel. Jral CLOVERLEAF INTERCHANCrs verleaf interchanges, not too long ago regarded as the height C ent for handling traffic on high speed highways, already are of achievembsolete! Fewer such interchanges will be constructed as highway ffic 011 an STUDY OF COMPACT CARS FOR POLICE Robert K. Lowry, City Purchasing Agent, F ort Lauderdale Florida, has made available to the National Institute of Government Purchasing a <lcLa.llcu,xepuri. me use oi detailed,report on. the of six compact automobile the police department. The purpose f s in of the study was to determine if an automobile of the compact size was suitable and satisfactory for the rugged use to which vehicles tare subjected in police patrol duty. - The -ae report is divided into five sections .L..s dealing with: Driver Reaction, Cost of Gasoline, Maintenance Expense, Depreciation, , and Total Costs and Summary. In concluding his report, Mr. Lowry writes: " report, Mr. the annual savings of $2,709.40 justifies the use of the It is vdoubtful if police patrol duty when considered in the light of efficiency, compact car in when c ~ ‘ ’ and safety of the police department. The results of x, morale, police department. not be used to judge the compact vehicle for this report should patrol duty in the city. use in other than police city. It is believed that in < will prove to be efficient, economical, and desirable, other services the compact interesting and detailed 19-page study are ____ „. " Copies of this available from NIGP. MOTOR SCOOTER Washiiington Court Hi of successful experience with a (P°P' 12’ 388)’ haS had tW° e with 539 parking meters. The sco t 0 or scooter as an aid in control for The In previous years, annual 0De° t* replaced a three-wheel motorcycle, annual • aged $400 to $450. T Total Costs ^or the motorcycle had averotal on & been about $40 per year. in loc^ costs for the motor scooter have meter -c. ... °ns totaledIn$37 1958, C°"lecti 6 laSt fuU year with the motorcycle, $44,000, a.L . a?d in i960 to $46 goo t 1959, collections increased to parking ticket; are being is’sued addition, about 65 per cent more 15 per cent, police patrol: er reasons fOr Parking turnover has increase ■man <has been assigned rneter enforcement are that one scooter is more adaPtable and versat--/1*116 tO this work> and the motor can be inspected du: Uring a tour of duty S tra^c so that more meters -gn engineers discover better--and safer--ways to get tratoday-s modern highways. erS report that the federal interstate highway program Engindeparture of the cloverleaf design. Where two interstate j^rect connection or semi-direct connection interchange is has'Xening " -i direct connection or semi-direct ge eliminate 270-degree turns common to cloverleafs. routes. rneet a These eliminate 270-degree turns luired. , , , ■ ■ __ ja 270-degree is reqt left on a cloverleaf the motorist must traverse To turn is difficult in many cases because of on the This automobile. loop, •ntrifugaTthrust always moving right. the cei----- „ On a direct connection interchange the motorist makes a 90degree turn to the left by means of a gentle curve to the left. A semi­ direct connection interchange is even better because unlike the direct connection the motorist ends up in the right (slow moving) lane of the highway he wants to use instead of the left (fast moving) lane. This is accomplished by constructing a bridge over to the highway to be entered. Highway designers thus sacrifice money for safety. The interstate pro­ gram under which the federal government supplies 90% of cost of con­ struction and acquiring right-of-way makes that worth while to the high­ way department. Because direct and semi-direct interchanges require more elabe ayouts and more structure than the cloverleafs, they are more Or^enS^ 6 and take longer to construct. Often they require two, three, tanc Ur. level structures. But the directional types reduce travel dise’ *ncrease speed and vehicle capacity, avoid loss of direction as occurs • • g a loop, and eliminate v weaving. /’ a vehiclin rivin Weaving occurs when r ipft turn has _ -----------------------------o lofj . tnrn h as to pass vehicle leaving the main highway ° tine i— ~ 4 cars comroad mg onto the main highway from the ^erS®ften ca usesbefore the passing much dangerous Car itself leaves the th“ main road. car 1S hifting from lane to lane. however, and are regarded as Cloverleafs are still being used, Sa-tisf;factory when the traffic is not heavy on main and subsidiary roads. same general direction is The crossing of traffic streams moving m n°t so common then. incompw r • - its compaCtIU'. • An advantage of the cloverleaf the with the sprawling directional type g^pfett aPd k u tv.'e ^eaf advantag eous in urban areas. ' ■ �change is known as a diamond design. This requires on a and only one structure. Its advantage is that it require" across traffic for some vehicles entering and leaving subo d' way. Diamond interchanges are used mostly where the crosses a secondary road. ^ain nate hig? a hiShway Direct and semi-direct interchanges are 1being used in areas where traffic on main and subsidiary roads is n u*ban *J heavy. EX; in Pennsylvania are City Line Interchanges of the Schuylkm’ :atnples v ——-.J. way in Philadelphia and Brady Street Interch; tange of the Pen: PressParkway in Pittsburgh. in~Lincoln ONE-WAY STREETS PAIRED IN OREGON Travel time and accident rates , mties in Oregon following adoption of one-way "pa maj°rity °f Highway Research Board reported recenHv T P°f Streets> the n all five situations where before-and-after’d /aVel tlme was reduced 56 w (Per miUi0n vehicle-miles) dron d available- Acci56-3%, while the rate remained unrh °PPed m seven cities, 18 2 to verity rates were cut inX" ciZ v CitieS’ Ac<^ se unchanged. Accident cost rate (doll’ 6'7t°53-7%> with seven cities lower m nine cities> te (dollars per million vehicle-miles) was average for all 12 dropped fro’ I^reaSed occurred in three, PPed from $12, 000 to $9, 000 or 25%. THOUGHTS FOR.TODAY It:'s wasted effort to sit up and take notice if afterward all you do is sit there. Peophe who liVe in glass houses neighbors. certainly do make interesting -^SilCATlON This New, .riginates in r s-letter, Published monthl the Institute Notes and inquiries mav h of Municipal Gr> Y as a community service, °fMunicipalQay be addressed to DVer^ment of Wilkes College. -^mment, —;es Colleee w-n Ug° V' Mailey, Institute g ’ Wllkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. 12 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., DECEMBER 15, i962 ^0- ^g-TOPYjTf THE WYOMING VALLEY SANITARY AUTHORITY As long ago as 1944 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ordered \ Valley communities to provide primary sewage treatment Wyoming ■ Nothing happened and the matter was placed in the hands of plants. I — --y General. One year later, Wilkes-Barre pleaded for time the Attorney about regional cooperation for the sake of economy. This to bring :— lification effort ended in failure. uni Between 1946 and 1952 no progress was reported, but a number of communities were cited before the Sanitary Water Board. In the fall of 1951 the Chamber of Commerce expressed its recognition of the urgency of the situation by creating the Public Ser­ vices Committee. The Committee requested an extension of time for the area. Although no extension was granted, the Board assured the Committee that action against the towns would depend upon the good faith shown in cooperating with the Committee, The Committee immediately set about getting information on the feasibility of a joint Project. An engineering firm was employed to study the advantages of a joint project for 15 communities. The report was submitted to the communities in the fall of 1954. Meetings were held with consulting var’ eerS) ^scal agents, bond attorneys, and investment bankers on joint°US ?hases of the report. April, 1956, was set by the Board tor ction by all the communities participating in the study. enter . Public Wee number of communities expressed their willingness t a_j°int project by submitting a resolution so stating to e ®rvices Committee. When Wilkes-Barre notified the om- “■OnwniK..11 dld n°‘ int“d to enter into any joint project with °t n?r ?°urt am-63’ the Board decided to cite the City and procee e w C, munty co1On‘ The Wilkes-Barre case had been before the Dauphi c, for the last five years. �Recently the Pennsylvania Superior Court ’ denied r Barre's appeal from a Health Department order to build Wilkes a sewa, posal plant. Wilkes-Barre therefore had lost its aaPI>eal in a„ to set aside the order of the State Sanitary Water Board' e««M WhiCh^ led Wilkes-Barre to erect a disposal unit. In the spring of 1962 preliminary meetings w. We , - --------Committee ------ — of the Greater ~ . s were held b1 ■' 1 Public Services Wilkes-Ba Commerce. After a series of exploratory meetings3^6./^^6? pared by expert bond counsel were adopted by all of Participati municipalities, and on December 3, 1962, the last t V ities executed the articles of incorporation. ° t e= municipaR dinner On December 12, ’n62 TbeeymWZeeX£„the orBanizati purpose of Judge Frank L. Plnola’ President Judge Lus rHon°rable Common Pleas. The By-Laws were annr’™ n I C°",y Co“ « These proceedings> -ere felled by aX7 K bO7ri°S the £ the Authority and■ their «speette the evening was r 'he Honorable Dr. Charles L Speakl!r retarV of Health, Con™ --■.onwealthofPe„„sylvaaia; Wilbar, Jr. , Sec- by Dr^^HNSAHEAD Secretary of Health Jr. • major program of PennAs Chairman of the Sanitary lch has a special official re­ streams program, I am y°u with to speak to you about —a maintaining and imays, particularly the SusN°rthi Branch of that river. °ccasion for a ■cWirSnst. T*ehanna ot P®»sylv‘°„■ “d wy°«4 v""1” ‘o partis that. poll««on Of a' '"•'■“■■ge'wlr "Use. i In the fo_ o£ the '' lrnportant milestone in N»'th W:U be a The abatement of un'h' P“'p-« SXT the ^ehan"^ “ oiiminating d result of the f R1Ver- That, we all formation of this Author- Thus, _ a11 o£- us with responsibility and concern for th. , long the live a'-riot the eSsary ... v waste^ream. Present pollution of the Su estic .filed tbe.ted by by the the construction construction and and operation operation of of sewage treatment del. ly eliminaidequate treatment of acid mine drainage , adeq^-- — . de and flow control plant3 future > dams. JThis^ This program requires8 a P^g^.^T^ * considerabl Consid^able amount from fpublic support, by municipalities, industries, mditure,, and1 thus " "" "" \ of exP e: tsmen's groups, citizens groups and government. sp1 The Sanitary Water Board fully realizes the economic probs involved in the program. Many of the communities are economlenJl depressed and the hard coal industry is unquestionably hard 1CeSsed to maintain its existence. However, we feel that procedures for removing pollution from the Susquehanna can be and are being developed which are both practical and feasible. Toward this end, the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority has been created for the ex­ press purpose of financing and constructing sewage treatment facili­ ties for its 14 participating municipalities. I am confident that this Authority will now proceed without delay to accomplish this purpose and that soon we will be witnessing the construction of sewage treat­ ment facilities that will adequately serve the people of the Wyoming Valley. Sewage is not alone to blame for pollution of our rivers. In­ dustry's wastes and acid and iron from active and abandoned mine operations are a major cause of pollution in Pennsylvania. Acid and iron contaminants from deep mines are particularly serious in con­ nection with the pollution of the North Branch of the Susquehanna. Industry has made much progress in the last dozen years in °ur state in meeting its obligation under the clean streams law. Acid wme drainage from deep mines is the major source of pollution of the °rth Branch of the Susquehanna River. Improvements have been but there is still considerable work to be done. Very large PastUntS iron an<d acid from pumpings and gravity overflow rom and present mining go into the river. have • TW° tributaries of the North Branch of the Susquehanna eerne?Pr°Ved to such a degree, as far as acid mine drainagen con* reclas’-f the Sanitary Water Board, after proper ean ’ d4reSeSlfied the- to a cleaner class. This now requires a higher ties bo °f sewage treatment and industrial wastes by the m > reclassifiCati°n oe ering them- These are Black Creek, where the River, where urred several years ago, and the Lackawanna �the reclassification occurred this year. I have listed for you a number of the specific p number of specific activities which have been taking 2° lenas and solving the clean stream problems as far as the Susque^06 toWardas particularly its North Branch, is concerned. Development1111^ cleanliness of the Susquehanna Basin requires certain 1 ^^ate comprehensive studies, which are now under way The^ terrtl and of Health has, for a number of months, been undertak'6 DepartlUent hensive study for pollution control needs in the North B & C°mPrelarly with reference to acid mine drainage. It is a nti raUCh’particustudy will be ready for presentation to the Sanitary W^tT^ this mg the early part of next year. Further, the Con.rZ t"B°ard Cr­ ated specially marked funds for the United States vme as well as for the Corps of Engineers to mil study of the Susquehanna River Basin for wat control needs for the next 50 years. This sT^i ™y -.« <= estatea aat it C Health dr­ REFLECTIONS ON INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION are au u2 cleaner North Branch of the Susquehanna “ intimately with a pollute as toTrac^, one which is so free tional activities ' aud old and new industries, recrea­ determination of te Sanitary WateT R Zt is the dutJ and ti0n the Susquehanna^R^ 1'^ Water. Board f . u River is elimi^?° hel? tO See that pollu" must be done without i 1Ver Zs eiiruinated 1Wel*-dof^^ without jeopardizin„ the tl? existenc e ’ Bhis can be done and ~le People who live ir, axistence of industries and the - *ive m the basin. I have r Pointed out to SuiQg its duties you that th,e Sanitary Water Board, in pur““““ipalities-s under the clean and major — ams Xaw> has issued orders to times We h , coal corporations for :T?’^we have to take the treating wastes. At ! n°t lost a ! , matter before courts of the Common­ court. We case in this connection in recent years are always J^tream (- r®alize that reluctant to take cases to no °ne really planning and : . d- that the wants to harm his neighbor difficulty' —mcing eS lie mandates yet te Boar^ •*’ -u ;adequate understanding, -s duty-bound Seditiously 1S ----- J. to carry out the as Possible. , UnQUesti°f P, ennsylvania alonj ■y Wat, Board and the Government financial to help , -.unioipalitios and industries °f all wate: pollution. led in —i obtaining governmental ctl°uwith th, ”le necessary abatement e»X‘”VSSiS‘“' I congratulate each municipality and each individual wh< ticipated in the formation of the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Author^ Pt7ch is getting underway this evening. I know that with your leaderV and hard work we can expect that proper sewage treatment fa<-qXs will soon be in operation and that the Sanitary Water Board cL. b1 pridefully present at the dedication ceremonies." & ComPrehensive P°Uution take -rt%T:reaith' Thus; when Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Nanticoke Ki™ t Plymouth,Exeter,^Swoyersville, West PittsUr? wardsviUe’ ' Township, Jenkins Township, Plains Townshi ------ ip and' Forty I Ha»°ver treating their wastes before they renter ■ the Susquehanna Fort are trough one or more sewage treatment plants," giver 1 loud "well done" as to conquering of municipal we can all exwaste pollutior press a major waterway. on this Many years ago Patrick Henry said, "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided and that is the lamp of experience. I know noway of judging the future but by the past. " The wisdom of his words should not be forgotten, nor should they be lost at this time. If the experience of the past fifteen years, as we have lost in­ dustries, people, and federal aid, has not provided oil for our lamp of experience, the pathway is dark indeed. One obligation of the local official of today is vision--not just the anticipation of tomorrow, but the creation of tomorrow. He must see the community not as it is, but as it ought to be and can oe. me central question for him must be: What kind of community do I want to help build? .q Effective local government depends not so much upon the macnPosVe emPXoy; as the spirit we have. Good local gox Xe unless we first discover our goal and unless we think creaty about human resources and human relations. Xt seems self evident that small town government is m danger Of submergence. It is threatened with a withering away o 1 Actions and a loss of power to make fundamental devi-kr dai ger of dan Emergence is more than imaginary. Can it be avoided. One important American political tenet is that Pow< ers of government shall be handled at the lowest possi to <- �a closest to the people concerned. assigne , °{ intergOvernmental Ca which they can Nation between towns is avoided be. . X1.-C he done? cause it's . ’ Too many We have got to learn that all community too full of common SsX together, that the economic well being Of■es in one an area sink or community affects the others. cc°op««C . rs of the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority; the Tothe member { pOgitive that the principle of intercreation of this AuthOr?Jn is the only method available to municipal, governmental coopera'blerns and still retain local home rule. This ities t0 S01vethCe°^duct of a genuine spirit of cooperation among local officials of this area. AUTHORITY MEMBERS AND OFFICERS The members of the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority rep­ resenting their communities are: Term Expiring in 1963: Samuel Zarembo, Wilkes-Barre; George Spohrer, Pittston; Anthony Shipula, Hanover Township; John N. Shoemaker, Wyoming. Term Expiring in 1964: Guy Walker, Wilkes-Barre; Robert J. Hourigan, Forty Fort; Reuben H. Levy, Kingston; John Stasik, Plains Township. Term Ex­ piring in 1965: Benjamin L. Jenkins, Wilkes-Barre; Chester Nocek, Edwardsville; Harold R. Wruble, Exeter; Nicholas R. Lakatos, Nan­ ticoke. Term Expiring in 1966: James J. Law, Wilkes-Barre; Frank Gerosky, Jenkins Township; John T. Mulhall, West Pittston; Henry Levi, Nanticoke. Term Expiring in 1967: Sheldon Wintermute, Wilkes Barre; BlytheH. Evans, Jr., Plymouth; Charles Pfifferling, Kingston; JohnKolesar, Swoyersville. At the 6 °f the Authority, the following officers ’were ---- elfcteTfor^T „ ’ ' ~ Mulhall; Vice S rmaU ’ ReUben H’ LeVy! ViC6' Chairman, John T. 1" w_*ce"Chairman, Nicholas R. Lakatos; Secretary, Harold R. Wruble; J Treasurer, Guy Walker. FOR TODAY Christmas Club: What y°u save to pay for last year's gifts. Perfect Wife; hslps her husband with the housework. publication ^his News lett ! �' - L T / ,'. ■ " ! ’ ;■• I ■ ?'.. - ■ ' ■ ' • ;$. ;■ ?... ■ ■ > ■ I va’l'1 . ' 11 I ■ ■; i' . '<W<' ■ ' ■ tHMKS kF . ■ ' .'. ' ' . ■ ! Oil ■ a #<< ■ ■i ■ *'.■<! ■ �■ -I ■ H - *3 J � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletters and Institute for Regional Affair Newsletters, 1952-1975 Subject The topic of the resource Political Science; Luzerne County; Institute for Regional Affairs; Wyoming Valley Description An account of the resource A collection of newsletters created by the Political Science Department at Wilkes College from 1952-1975 for Luzerne County and later the Institute for Regional Affairs. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department (Hugo Mailey) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1952-1975 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletters Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletter, 1962 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1962 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletter https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/709f0de6f7098babed5be10ea0a7d96a.pdf ce51631b4a8b0306a0d6731e2c752791 PDF Text Text / ■ - ■ ' ■ ' ■ . 0 ■: . - ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ . . ■ ■ ■ SS«? �•v H 1b III ' I lyi Iff Hi' �* 'V . ■ • ''. ’: I- >■* ■ ■ ; A ■ •'■■ i W ■ri-ipj I ; ;|1 .' ’' I '<••! ;!■ 11 il l ’’■I f J?" ' Ij. vi R'4 ^9 tr' fa/1> WW <d'd! WARY WILKES-BARRE PENNSYLVANIA ih i " It1 ' i ____________ �- ------------------------- --------- --- ----------------- Vc/i-t V0L. X No. 1 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES BARRE, PA. JANUARY 15, 1961 INSTITUTE OFFERS THREE COURSES The Institute of Municipal Government at Wilkes College will present three short courses for municipal officials in its spring semester training program. Beginning January 24, 1961, the Institute will offer a course for police chiefs of larger municipalities. This course will be for fourteen weeks and is designed to acquaint police chiefs with such important topics as: Organization, Prevention of Criminality and Delinquency, Crime Investi­ gation, Vice Control, Communications and Records. Guest lecturers from the Philadelphia Police Academy and State Police Headquarters in Harrisburg will join the instructor, Mr. Philip Tuhy. Beginning February 10 will be a second course for assessors of North­ eastern Pennsylvania counties. The course, offered for ten sessions, is designed to orient these officials to their duties and responsibilities. The course will cover such subjects as: Assessment, Administration, Depth Factors tables, Judicial Standards of Value, Exempt Property, and Property Record Systems . The instructor for this course will be Mr. Edgar H. Wood. Acknowledged experts will join the class on some of the topics. Tne third course in the spring semester will be for police officers who have completed the basic police course. This course will begin on February 7 and run for twelve weeks. Such matters as the following will be discussed: Law of Arrest, Use of Force, Search and Seizure, Hearings, Evidence, Witnesses, and Confessions. The instructor will be Mr. Charles A. Connolly, who will bring to the class a wealth of experience and a varied police background. Certificates of attainment will be awarded to all those who complete the courses. HIGHWAYS: NO BOON TO CITIES The following .s a reprint from Engineering News-Record of several years ago. Conditions have changed. The great new national highway program wi not solve traffic problems in U. S. cities. In fact, it could strangle them w still more vehicular traffic. "No highway program-however big^or .^^^vorL'rlm A highway program to the traffic problems of the grea > i i �UBCHASING already overcrowded vehicles to the city's V- ~ Siniy bring more and more congestion. greater . p streets, creating even ■ ' ; matter that seems to affect There's a peculiar blind spot in this and municipal officials -but also many not only the general public engineers. of what must be transported to ’ --not vehicles , people. 'the city aliveTFuing its work done are Considerations of keeping with what transports them. concerns,ed primarily with people, not v........... — Y,/0 IUI c, %• £ S5X i. poffibL- And, when the traffic problem is recognized as primarily one of moving people, the answer is not hard to find, The answer is mass transportation, rapid transit and railroads, There is no need to argue the point: A single track can carry more people than a 20-lane highway, someone has figured. We hold no brief for highways vs . rapid transit. Both play a part and both make business for construction men. And, while rapid transit passage is paid for by the user, there is truly no such thing as a "free" road--all highways cost money and must be paid for by someone, of course. But, there is this difference: In many city areas, the rapid transit facilities exist. They may be outmoded and rattling--but they exist. It may often be cheaper to refurbish them to handle more people than build new intra-city highways . It may be cheaper, in fact, to subsidize rapid transit, which seems a necessity now, than to build more arteries that will pour still more traffic into the hearts of our cities. And, if subsidy is necessary, think of it in the proper per­ spective: as spending for the movement of people--not as a subsidy to a given railroad or rapid transit line, but as a subsidy to people, and to the city itself." ——-— of the Richmond (Va. staff wrlterrt/le that the City Gm Ed Grinnsley. - recent feature uai experiment th< anticipating in anmental supplier the method of bXheir Purchasing and war effect on a consolidation of their officl; involves moment the conS° d they are confident of At the 1- heCit7::rie sXi Board conducted se so far has the past, the its Warehouses . This arrangement and each had A few years ago, however, a consultant p countryThey aj City and the Board would co-operate. if the C In Buffalo, New York, reflective aluminum stre nine month test with flying colors . Test results w‘ City Council and, if approved, the present steel sig replaced. The new signs can be manufactured in po and are about 40£ cheaper than present signs supplii COMPACT CARS New Jersey reports that its I960 revenues from 4 or 5 million dollars below expectations, and blarm compact cars. New York's estimated loss because million dollars in gas taxes and 1.1 million in reel in"uitao^°LWel6ht' Gas-tax collections below exp Illinois, Ohio, and Florida. P Looking ahead, f 7 the Sun Oil Company, C of Philad of 330 ’" ]million dollars r-- -- ' J per year in tax would be revenues by 1< ~J a federal loss . C • Gas-tax revenues °f the nation's road building? are reli liability insurance liabwt^nce prfe°Xmsh:: 4°% aving of almost 40% Specifications were based on a mod i formal request for bids . ation of Insurance Agents . Six fi 6 prePared by the California Associcompany specializing in auto in"™3 SUbmitted bids, with a nation-wide offered by the successful bidder w^t Jecelving tbe award. The policy automotive, and it was the onlv com & rateS f°r a11 coverages excepting would be unchanged for the lifef of Se^oHcy1 W°Uld 6Stablish rates that i 1 F '■ ■■ I 1Cy- Would a tax boost solve l Institute. the problem? No <= = Higher taxes 3 would just can ’ Say£ J t cause more peopi speaking H ere is a lett about thos e who grip forthe refuse cr> SprinSfield, Mas sachuS£ about refuse collection. To q �lore vehicles to the city’s • greater congestion. ar blind iblic and al ready overcrowded spot in this matter that municipal officials--butSeerns also to affect rnany i in be ting 'ith the matter of what must be transported to brought in is p people—not vehicles , people. the city alive, people, not wi, getting its work done are uth what transports them. ■affic problem is recognized as primarily one answer is not hard to find, The answer is rapid transit and railroads . There is no need .ingle track can carry c------- more people than a :one has figured. for highways vs. rapid transit. Both play usiness for construction men. And, while s paid for by the user, there is truly no such .-all highways cost money and must be paid for PURCHASING Ed Grimsley, staff writer of the Richmond (Va.) TIMES DISPATCH, reported in a recent feature article that the City Government and the School Board are participating in an unusual experiment that could have a profound effect on the method of buying governmental supplies and equipment. It involves a consolidation of their purchasing and warehousing programs. At the moment the consolidation is partial but officials say the experiment so far has been successful and they are confident of additional progress. In the past, the City and the School Board conducted separate purchasing programs and each had its warehouses. This arrangement is typical throughout the country. A few years ago, however, a consultant predicted significant savings if the City and the Board would co-operate. They agreed to try. In Buffalo, New York, reflective aluminum street signs have passed a nine month test with flying colors. Test results will be submitted to the City Council and, if approved, the present steel signs will be gradually replaced. The new signs can'be manufactured in police department shops and are about 40£ cheaper than present signs supplied from an outside vendor. COMPACT CARS 5 difference: In many city areas, the rapid They may be outmoded and rattling--but they cheaper to refurbish them to handle more ntra-city highways. It may be cheaper, in fact, sit, which seems a necessity now, than to build L pour still more traffic into the hearts of our /■ is necessary, think of it in the proper perfor the movement of people—not as a subsidy rapid transit line, but as a subsidy to people, I,T ABILITY INSURANCE % on public almost 40% effected a saving of . for bids. , has as a result of a formal ns model prepared by thej California Associ, with a nation-wide a firms submitted bids Six the award. The policy o insurance receiving t’for - all coverages excepting dder was at firm rates establish rates that only company that would life of the policy. New Jersey reports that its I960 revenues from gasoline sales may dip 4 or 5 million dollars below expectations, and blames much of the loss on compact cars. New York's estimated loss because of compacts is almost 2 million dollars in gas taxes and 1.1 million in registration fees, which are based on weight. Gas-tax collections below expectations are reported in Illinois , Ohio , and Florida. Looking ahead, the Sun Oil Company, of Philadelphia, predicts a loss of 330 million dollars per year in tax revenues by 1965, of which 130 million would be a federal loss. Gas-tax revenues are relied on to finance much of the nation's road building. Would a tax boost solve the problem? No, says the American Petroleum Institute. Higher taxes would just cause more people to buy small cars. SPEAK ING FOR THE REFUSE COLLECTORS Here is a letter to the Springfield, Massachusetts UNION which gripes about those who gripe about refuse collection. To quote: I '■ �collections. gto. -MXM M FEBR WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BAB RE, Some people have under- t X yOB. * NO • Xhgo’gXe.T'.o k..p i» th. liquid so « dribbles out along the I IMP AC T STUDY street. Some p— —iace broken handles with wire or rope, making it more difficult for the collectors. A few, enough to slow up work, replace the regular containers with common water buckets, about half the size of the original con­ tainers, then thoughtlessly dump in garbage to the top of the concrete outer jackets. These are not supposed to be picked up, but when some people call up, the department cooperates by sending a truck and crew to take the garbage away. When trucks and crews are sent on such special jobs, the regular collections are slowed. People are told when to expect collections, but still cars are often parked right over the containers . 1 j I i s Now for trash. Some cans are as much as 40 years old and, even when empty, weigh three times more than newer ones . Often the cans are left outside with no covers, the contents get soaked and become heavy and hard to handle. Although collection routes are listed, the collectors often have to shout to wake people up in the morning so that they can get in the cellar or garage for the barrels." Unquote. Administration. Two-thirds of the cost of the project will be pal Federal Government, and the other one-third of the cost will be J State. There is no cost to the city. This project is only one of t carried out in the nation and will be the only one of its kind in thi of the study when finished will be distributed to 2300 communities The project will apply techinques of data collection, analysis to the work being done in Wilkes-Barre. This completed report as a guide to other communities in applying the techniques which possible the proper planning and completion of urban renewal pro TAX LOSS nguXg',jhiP2fe“tCofalS L“Zerne C°Unty £aCe many Problems Coal CorporationXXXX™ thoughts for today One thing about the Middle East--it sure is in the middle. He who has a sharp tongue soon cuts his own throat. face the prosnect of This News-letter, published in the Institute of Municinal Co rnonthly as a community community service, service, origniated may be addressed to Dr. Hueo °f Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylv’ InStitute of Municipal Government, The loc< 'r°n> the coal eorporattoXTause of to Whlch creases might be one of the r °£ to aXalXI' ■>< at least a dozen municipz A sc*" ations of r- ’ X nJate 22% decr PUBLICATION anticipated tax revenue. • as ‘ Glen Alden' XnXrfsPXeX a—- -—e properties gives the coal U. tax bill. HaLXtXiXXX Hanover city!tS °f the decrease> followed by Newport Township, > Ashley, ; The ssettlement in ^icipated s on the basis < ' -T total t p giv®s the community fro . .■ anover-all redaction of $X X’201 to « b^^ssion'company reduction becauSe th stated that they watered into the coX' Th° Luz they felt that it ?resent c°nditions. Th represented Th h a re ln'iustrV since it Drn • ,ey ^ave also been al evali «-• promase and y°£X X employment 3- retent' at hlSh rates of pay. �garbage c°Uections . Sotv, these were . Norrie n People hav ^axsed about fOu : e under> they wouldn't ~Lr inches bF Putting get full. Of Water • The parHo and ™eigh three ruck ng rba§e men can't dump ■ Our trucks, the out the keep m the lia„iH most modern — r-- water renLn v X1quid so it dribbles out alo available , nj replace broken hand! ’’-ng the es with wire or lit for the rope, collectors . 3 slow up work r ’ Replace the rregular COnt^ers tckets, about half thTsIz^f — eesize sssly dump in garba to H,of !the riglnal con—j ° original off. the C°ncrete are not supposed to be pickedtop P ° >artment cooperates bv^ P’ bUt when some ray . When trucks and ere' lar collections are slowed5 g * — SUCh when to expect collections, but still cars are r the containers . Some cans are as much as 40 years old and, gh. three times more than newer ones. Often de with no covers, the contents get soaked hard to handle. Although collection routes ors often have to shout to wake people up in ey can get in the cellar or garage for the thoughts for today Iddle East--it sure is in the middle. ngue soon cuts his own throat. VOL. X NO. 2 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. FEBRUARY 15, 1961 IMPACT STUDY A $90,000 contract by which the city of Wilkes-Barre will be used as a study area and guide for other communities undertaking urban renewal was signed by David M. Walker, Commissioner of the Federal Urban Renewal Administration. Two-thirds of the cost of the project will be paid by the Federal Government, and the other one-third of the cost will be paid by the State. There is no cost to the city. This project is only one of twelve being carried out in the nation and will be the only one of its kind in this area. Copies of the study when finished will be distributed to 2300 communities in the nation. ! The project will apply techinques of data collection., analysis and report to the work being done in Wilkes-Barre. This completed report will then serve as a guide to other communities in applying the techniques which will make possible the proper planning and completion of urban renewal projects. TAX LOSS Municipal officials in Luzerne County face many problems as they begin figuring the effect of an agreement between Luzerne County and the Glen Alden Coal Corporation which cut the anticipated tax revenue. The local officials face the prospect of raising money to offset revenue which will not be coming from the coal corporation because of the agreement. Additional general tax increases might be one of the results in at least a dozen municipalities. A settlement of Glen Alden's appeal from the I960 assessment and valu­ ations of coal and surface properties gives the coal producing firm an approxi­ mate 22% decrease in its tax bill. Hanover Township will bear the biggest effects of the decrease, followed by Newport Township, Ashley, and Wilkes-Barre city. •PUBLICATION originated mUnity?"Xes anTinquiries ■ ’ ' as a corn: dished monthly ■- of Wilkes College. Municipal Government. il Government c ; Maliey, Institute of U. lugo V. — Pennsylvania. arre 1 The settlement in dollars on the basis of the I960 assessments cuts the anticipated total tax yield in the community from $1,848,201 to $1,480,388. It gives the company an over-all reduction of $367,812. The Luzerne County Commissioners stated that they entered into the compromise and settlement because they felt that it represented a real evaluation of anthracite coal under Present conditions . They have also been concerned with a retention of the coal industry since it provides male employment at high rates of pay. IV �I JOINT BUYING and Upper Southampton, Northampton, and The governing bodies °^L°^e^ount have informally agreed to share the £"IOid ’ i was made at a session of the Announcement of the joint purchasing plan by Ray Westerfield, Township manager Lower Southampton Board of Supervisor not been put on paper as yet, it is already in effect. Although the agreement has “ said that Lower Southampton Supervisors V.D. Platt and C .A. Stroh have been pushing the cooperative purchase idea for three years . But heretofore, it was in effect between Lower and Upper Southampton only. STREET SWEEPING The magazine Public Works reported recently on the savings made by the borough of Leonia, New Jersey, when it went to mechanized street sweeping. Its machine swept 1,766 curb miles of street at a cost of $3.01 per curb mile, for a total cost of $5,317.34 consuming 1,019.4 gallons of gasoline , 5 fibre main brooms and 6 steel wire brooms. The gutter wire brooms swept 294 curb miles each; the main brooms swept 353 miles each. -I I i. This sweeping cost is based on empirical monthly overhead charge of $161.68 (made up of $49.18, an annual interest charge of 6% on the $10,000 cost of equip­ ment; $10.50 insurance cost; $20 garage rental; and $82 depreciation); to this is added the gasoline cost, operator's time, cost of fibre, cost of steel wire, labor and part costs. Hand sweeping costs came to $25.00 per curb mile; the $3.01 per curb mile for 1959 compares favorably with the $3.54 of 1958, and is a tre­ mendous saving over the hand sweeping, according to the magazine story. THE WRONG WAY TO RUN A CITY? ' members of the League of Minnesota Municipalities, which1 co-sponsored the institute. DISAPPEARING CONCRETE HIGH WAYS ».dared under the joint pureha.ing plan will be appor. “oned among the iour lown.hips for their reepeot.ee road program. . I Improvising from a rough script, men attending the conference played the parts not only of council members, but also of irate citizens wanting everything from an ordinance for bell cats to more courtesy from village employees. The mock council meeting climaxed a <1_, day of serious study for the mayors and councilmen, as well as for city managers, - . clerks and finance officers and public works officials. i d •°U®agUe'S face’ Another made a motion Jecl^ed to "skip some of this stuff m the anyway lessons to be learned from tho nYway .• " It was all in fun, but there were mock C council and councilmen at Minnesota uX--_ °UnCil meeting at a conference for mayor3 diversity. to abolish minutes because it ain't important Thousands of miles of expensive concrete roads have disappeared from view in the last 8 years . Most of these roads have had to be covered over with asphalt paving to restore a satisfactory level of riding safety and comfort. Concrete surfaced highways are actually disappearing from the records of the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads faster than they're being built. A recent report showed that from 1940 to 1958, despite the fact that more than 30,000 new miles of concrete roads were constructed, total concrete mileage decreased by over 50,000 miles. This is a decline in concrete mileage 9,000 miles greater than the entire new Interstate Highway System now being built. During the same period, according to the Bureau of Public Roads, records show that high type asphalt-paved mileage increased over 180 thousand miles. And today, over 90% of America's paved roads are asphalt-surfaced. CIVIL DEFENSE In compliance with agreements with the Office of Civil Defense Mobili­ zation and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the following policies regarding the payment of acquisition service charges for surplus federal property for civil defense have been established in Pennsylvania: 1- Political subdivisions will make payments on bills for acquisition service charges on surplus federal property for civil defense to the State Council of Civil Defense. These will be in the form of checks made payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, State Council of Civil Defense, Surplus 2. Although printed checks from the billed political subdivision are pre­ ferred, in those instances where separate Civil Defense Funds have been established, printed checks drawn on those accounts will be accepted. ' f ,1 1 �'TtetM,-letter 3. Checks in the following classes are not acceptable: VOL. X NO. 3 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. MARCH 15, 1961 a. Personal checks b. Fire Company checks c. School District checks d. Money orders e. Cashier's checks . with the stated policies, those civil defense In instances of non-compliance to acquire property until acceptable payment organizations lose their privileges I is submitted. FUELS MONEY USE EXPLAINED At the March meeting of municipal officials, sponsored by the Institute of Municipal Government, officials of the State Highway Department spoke on "Liquid Fuels Money for Municipalities." In attendance were 65 officials from 22 municipalities in Luzerne and surrounding counties. The speakers were Michael Newcombe, Director of Municipal Services, and Carmen Dapipi, auditor in the same bureau. purpos es. While not objectionable in itself this could result in practices which violate the intent of the civil defense donation program, particularly if these private individuals or organizations are given possession of such property. Although the source of a civil defense organization's funds used to pay expenses connected with acquiring the property is a matter of local concern and is required only to be in accord with State and local law, it should be made very clear to all such contributors that donation of such funds does not give a perse or firm a right in the property or in its use. Neither does membership in a civil defense organization carry with it any individual rights in donated property or in its use . All State, county and local civil defense directors are cautioned against practices which violate these principles. Both speakers stressed the regulation by which 75 per cent of the liquid fuels money is allocated for maintenance and 25 per cent for new construction, The municipal officials were ireminded that the money allocated for new construction cannot be used for maintenance, _________ _ When money is used illegally by municipalities, the municipalities may be surcharged, If the municipality does not use its funds for new construction or does not have a project approved, the entire allocation may be lost for the year. Mr. Newcombe explained that a municipality i . ’ . must have approval .. - --for it s project before they start in order to receive liquid fuels money, otherwise local officials are liable to surcharge. If a project has been approved and has not been completed within the required time, it must be cancelled and rewritten to avoid surcharge, Newcombe said. He reminded local officials that they cannot use 1961 funds on a I960 project. Local officials must observe closely to see if the money is spent on maintenance or new construction. thoughts for today A good woman inspires ;a man; a brilliant woman interests him; a beautiful woman fascinates him; but a• sympathetic woman gets him. her tongW Mr. Newcombe stated that since June, I960, any road resurfacing less than 2. 5 inches in thickness is maintenance. If a municipality classifies all roads as improved and, therefore, has no new construction projects, a munici­ pality will still receive its full allocation. m°VeS is his heart; when a woman dies, PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly Government of e> FeXylvLu Mailey, Institute ’ ' °£ wS.b:cCoUege, ad.d"*sedWilkes-Barr to riginated Government, Mr. Dapipi explained that liquid fuels money is apportioned on the basis of 6o ]per cent for mileage and 40 per cent for population. Communities, he said, receive $1. 06 per person based on the I960 census and $291. 60 per mile basedI on mileage as approved by the State Highways Department. For a mumcipality to receive mileage credit for its roads and streets, it must meet 'be Squired width. The minimum width for a township road, right-of-way, is 33 feet and for a borough, 40 feet. �WHAT CAN YOU DO WlTH_A concrete MANHOLE COVER? a cast-iron ma: What can you do with 1 • when they --Missouri, found the answer are so.,ld for scrapcast-iron manhole covers ' Louis public works people have been the St. covers. What can you do with a To get around the problem, with concre Tq date> none have been stolen. dacing the standard covers v.z manhole cover? Apparently repJ concrete CITY L* WORKSHOP FOR teachers Twenty-five school teachers in Aurora, Colorado, recently particiPat in a one-day Government-Teacher byManaee^ the cit government. "Local The workshop began with an Workshop" orientation sponsored talk by City Robert O. Wright accompanied by color slides of municipal facilities. Ne*t was a tour of city offices and the library followed by a bus tour of park and recreation areas, drainage areas, and work under construction. Afternoo tours included the sewage treatment plant, city garage, and police and fir departments. The workshop closed with a critique and question-and-answe session at the city hall.government Informational materials were prepared and distribut to the teachers on city services together with a list of projects U 6d ■I: r indicating how school assignments could be tied specifically to local Govern­ ment operations. ° GROWTH OF METROPOLITAN AREAS ( h o Approximately 85 per cent of the increase in the total population United States between 1950 and I960 occurred in standard metropolitan s tical areas (SMSA's), that is, in cities of 50, 000 or more and the outlying areas surorunding them. The 209 SMSA's increased by 22. 5 million Pe^|°"s’ and of this increase 17. 6 million occurred in the outlying parts of the _ and 4. 9 million in the central cities. Thus the population increase in the lying parts of the SMSA's accounted for about two-thirds of the total popu increase in the United States since 1950, and more than three-fourths of t e total increase within SMSA’s. The growth of population in the central citi accounted for 19 per cent of the total population increase of the United Sta and 22 per cent of the increase within SMSA's. aCCOrding to the0DiIrf7ernments op^raHnJ the number of 1 les’ towns a H places were added in I960 to “"der,he cour‘cil-manager plan. . Cities tO be published soon by mxilies wer communities as of January 1, 196I Ofthi^ ’ x g a £rand total of !, 7 56 States, one in Puerto Rico' andi 59 inUnited I Five states now have more than 100 council-manager places. California leads with 209 places, followed by Texas with 148, Maine with 138, Michiga n with 128, and Pennsylvania with 105. Spokane, Washington, was the largest city that adopted the plan in I960. The population of all places operating under the council-manager plan now totals 41. 5 million. I Twenty cities held referenda during I960 on continuation of the council­ manager plan, and voters in five of these cities decided to abandon the plan: Ottumwa, Iowa; Hot Springs, South Dakota; Rosenberg, Texas; and Marinette and Watertown, Wisconsin. The first council-manager charter was adopted by a popular vote 49 years ago. Now 49 per cent of all cities in the United States over 25, 000 population have council-manager government, and 38 per cent of all cities between 10, 000 and 25, 000 have this form of government. In I960 a total of 339 city manager appointments was made. Of this number, 175 men became managers for the first time. A total of 88 per cent of all man­ agers appointed in I960 had previous public administration experience. Sixty­ seven per cent of the total were managers and former managers (48 per cent) and administrative assistants to managers (19 per cent). ISSUE INFORMATION BOOKLETS Salinas, California, recently issued a 16-page booklet entitled Making Salinas Your New Home? as a guide for persons moving into the city. Infor­ mation is provided on schools, major streets, location of houses with respect to sun and wind, land titles, zoning, building permits, street improvements, and property taxes. The booklet was published and distributed jointly by the city government and the Salinas Board of Realtors. . . . San Antonio, Texas, has issued a Citizen's Guide to the City of San Antonio to provide information on police, fire, general city government, taxes, public health, and other munici­ pal services. The 24-page booklet is liberally illustrated with photographs and line drawings and has a minimum of text. The back cover has a map showing the three area service centers that serve as branch city halls for the convenience of citizens. . . . Riverside, Illinois, recently mailed a folder to village residents entitled For Your Protection. It describes precautions to be taken by home°^ners and renters to minimize burglaries. . .. Albuquerque, Mew Mexico has issued a booklet, Your Rights in Municipal Court, to outline the rights o e en ants and the cons^^Tces of guilty and not-guilty pleas. ... The second issue of ^2£mation Please, published by Lower Southampton Township Bucks County, for the information of their citizens is at hand. It is a breezy, bright, and lntormative publication. , I* �* jaunty purchasing tlv that voters in St. Paul, Minnesota '’dXTpurchasing operation that is expected to Purchasing Week repo: have approved a joint city an The new setup merges Ramsey County's 2 mil. '' T th that of St. Paul which totals $18 million save some $2 million a year, lion dollar purchasing operate ratl°n County Legislative Research Committee and The measure was backed by thi6 il and Board of 'County Commissioners. opposed by the St. Paul aux City —, Counc -al the "paper clip" bill because some of office supplies. St. Paul officials pointed The commissioners L^^th^a^a the claimed savings are in area 10 thedepartment operates on a budget of $75, 000 a year out that the ctiy's purchasing the ^ork of buying the $2. 1 million worth of supplies and could easily the — a--------------- absorb . ?L sey County outside of contracts. The city purchaspurchased annually for Ramsey ing staff consists of 17 persons. „ l dnp A>ent Harold S. Wickham of the County of Dallas, County Purcha g = system that will pare paperwork by Dallas, Texas, has p“'' s tons road and bridge districts. The 7S% ” with Hv. carbons attached. The carbons take the '™ce* “re. old form. and eliminate th. necessity for maintaining one comn Pte set of files Mr. Wickham says the new form means that suppliers will aet their money faster since the County pays suppliers as soon as it receives In invoice to match up with the County purchase order. — VOL. X NO. 4 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. APRIL 15, 1961 LOCAL OFFICIALS' DINNER The Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College will hold the Ninth Annual Dinner for Local Officials in the Wilkes Commons on Thursday, May 18, 1961, at 6:30 P. M. The featured speaker of the evening will be Dr. John H. Ferguson, Director of the Institute of Public Administration at Pennsylvania State University. Certificates of attainment will be presented to the participants in the Borough and Township Secretaries Course; to the police officers who have participated in the Basic Police Course, the Advanced Police Course, the Small Arms Course, and the Municipal Police Administration Course; and to the participants in both the Assessors Course and the Magistrates Course. Also honored will be the local officials who have served their municipalities for especially long periods of time. This award will be in the form of the Service Award, of the Institute of Municipal Government. Over 250 local officials will attend the affair. r Under the old system, the invoice went out to the supplier who held the contract. The supplier completed a form and then made delivery. Then three more forms were filled out at the shop, with a transfer of various order num­ bers and the stacking of copies in a file. Eventually, the paperwork got back to the courthouse, to Mr. Wickham's office, to the County Auditor's office, and finally, after being checked, cross-checked, and double-checked, the supplier got his money. ! PLAN TO BE THERE. GOVERNOR SIGNS TAX COLLECTOR BILL On Tuesday, March 14, 1961, Governor David L. Lawrence signed into law as Act 23, Senate Bill 178. Act 23 amends Section 35 of the Local Tax Collection Law pertaining to the compensation of tax collectors in boroughs and townships of the second class. The words "salary, wages or" are added to the first sen­ tence as follows: Ii THOUGHTS FOR TODAY A baby-sitter is somebody who lets the refrigerator get warm and the children get cold. Coining together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. "The tax collector in boroughs and townships of the second class shall receive as compensation for the collection of county, insti­ tution, district, borough and township taxes, salary, wages or a commission on all such taxes, to be fixed by the respective taxing authorities levying such taxes not exceeding five per centum of the amount collected." Section 2 of the new act amends Section 36.1 of the Act added May 16, 1951, PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community servic inQu^r1^ ^e orig^ at the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes rpineIlt’ may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Gov Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. I-*- 314) to read as follows: "Section 36. 1. When any taxing district or taxing authorities pro­ pose to either raise or reduce the compensation or salary for the office of an elected tax collector, such action shall be by ordinance ! �finally passed or adopted at least two days fixed by law for candidates to withresolutions or from nomination previous to the day to the last day prior draw their names ■lection." of the muimicipal e. the act shall take effect immediately 3 of Act 23 of 1961, states that Section reported inhave last week's "Capitol Hill Reports, " there is some fPlni°n that As boroughs may until two days before the deadline to withdraw r7 the to that change the compensation of the tax the municipal prevailing election opinion is March 18th is the deadline, Thecollector former ’ alth°u8h would give boroughs until sometime in August to act. °Pinion Thefor Pennsylvania Boroughs supported th' x-1 * and worked its passage.State TheAssociation Associationoftakes no position on the rate of tax compensation. We supported the bill because it is th Jnet^lod or Association that the borough should have the right to determine th 6 °f the rate of the compensation. Cities, school districts, and townsh' 6 method and class had this right previously. 1PS ^he first I1 SAVINGS ON PUBLIC EMPLOYEE BOND I 1 'I >1' will reduce its annual insurance premium by almost Zanesville, Ohio, v,— --------' ! on employees by use cl one-half for faithful performance bonds of Ll_.-l._t. blanket bonds and competitive bidding. The bid specifications asked for a blanket faithful performance bond in an aggregate of $100, 000 to cover all employees in the municipal court and in the offices of the city manager, treasurer, auditor, and for income tax collection and utility billing. The city also asked for a blanket dishonesty bond in the aggregate of $10, 000 to cover about one-half of the other city employees, excluding the fire department and street, sanitation, and water crews. Nineteen proposals were received, but only one followed the specifi­ cations strictly. This also was the low bid with a three-year advance premium of $1,074 or an average of $358 per year. The city has been paying an annual premium of $689 for 12 individual faithful performance bonds on specifically named employees and two blanket faithful performance bonds covering 10 em- L™ «.“oo“ 7£co““ “ilily billi”s- The“ 14 »“ds r“Sed in am0°"‘ POLICE LIABILITY ENLARGED On February 20, 1961, the United States Supreme Court decided the case of Monroe v. “ against the policemen individually. 11 1 a P—such 1Ustated a cause of action The plaintiff's claim was that the policemen had broken into his home in the early morning hours, routed the family out of bed, searched every room, emptyiriS drawers and ripping mattrees covers. They then took the plaintiff to the station and held him for 10 hours, questioning him about a two-day-old murder. He was not booked nor taken before a magistrate nor permitted to call his family or an attorney. No charges were preferred and no arrest warrant or search warrant was ever issued. The action was brought under Section 1979 of the Revised Statutes (42 USC Sec. 1983). Eight members of the court ruled that the complaint stated a good cause of action against the individual policemen because where the misuse of power is made possible only because the wrongdoers are clothed with the authority of state law, the action is taken "under color cf state law. Justice Frankfurter did feel that the complaint might be allowed to stand as to the allegation that the plaintiff was held in custody for ten hours incommunicado, as he felt that the Illinois decisions were not clear as to whether such detention was unlawful per se. This decision may very well stimulate others to bring complaints against police actions in the Federal courts. Policemen will undoubtedly be concerned as to this increase in potential litigation against them. It is well to remind all concerned that Act 59 of 1951, enacted with the support of the Michigan Munici­ pal League, authorizes cities and villages to indemnify their policemen for judgements recovered against them, except where the action results from the willful misconduct of the policemen. Though not specifically mentioned in this statute, many municipalities have seen fit to obtain insurance covering such a risk. At least one Michigan insurance company indicates that it will write this type of insurance as a rider to a general liability policy protecting the city. Where no such general lia­ bility policy is carried, this type of risk may be covered only through special­ ized insurance companies such as Lloyds of London. WATER WORKS AND SEWAGE PLANT OPERATOR LICENSING BILLS SENT TO COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE Senate Bills 342 and 344 pertaining to the licensing of water system oper; respectively have been referred to ators and sewage disposal plant operators Health and Welfare. Senator George Sarraf the Senate Committee on 1Public - -------------The names of the Senators Allegheny County is chairman of this Committee. Reports Number 3." -------- 4r> ’’Canitol Hi' �TRENTON TO BUILD NEW GARBAGE INCINERATOp Trenton, has appliedloan to the U. S. Community Fa• ltie8 istration for aNew $103,Jersey, 000 interest-free to finance the enginee AdtW a new city garbage incinerator. This will be applied to the ove W°rk on plant and truck garages, estimated at $1, 600, 000. ra c°st °f the sewage treatment plant, the Slated to be constructed near the city's new Operating capacity of 500 tons. incinerator would have a 24-hour oj j Waldron says this would be enough to Public Safety Director William ,„d 'surrounding townships. Neighboring .heir take care of the needs , of the ™(.i€ipaliti« Io join the venture; no decision want iucia township officials this as yet. has been made on i the application for Federal planning funds The estimated overall cost on Waldron said the cost can be held to about is listed at $2, 200, 000. However, some refinements. $1, 600, 000 by "eliminating RECREATION WORKSHOP The Pennsylvania Recreation Society will hold its 14th Annual Pennsyl­ vania Recreation Conference in Wilkes-Barre on May 1, 2, and 3, 1961. i The Society has agreed to add an additional session for the citizenry of Wyoming Valley in order to review the general philosophy of recreation. It is the feeling of the organizations sponsoring the workshop as part of the Annual Pennsylvania Recreation Conference that this might be a good time to discuss the whole municipal recreation problem--its philosophy and its function. All local public officials should be interested in the general program of the con­ ference and particularly in the Workshop provided by the Conference. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Sooner or later, every man probably wishes he had cooker instead of the good looker. married the good It's mighty nice to have untold wealth, except when it's untold only VOL. X NO. 5 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. MAY 15, 1961 LOCAL OFFICIALS' DINNER The Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College will hold the Ninth Annual Dinner for Local Officials in the Wilkes Commons on Thursday, May 18, 1961, at 6:30 p. m. The featured speaker of the evening will be Dr. John H. Ferguson, Director of the Institute of Public Administration at Pennsylvania State University. Certificates of attainment will be presented to the participants in the Borough and Township Secretaries Course; to the police officers who have participated in both the Assessors Course and the Magistrates Course. Also honored will be the local officials who have served their municipalities for especially long periods of time. This award will be in the form of the Service Award of the Institute of Muni­ cipal Government. Over 250 local officials will attend the affair. PLAN TO BE THERE. ALTON SAVES MONEY A new procedure for purchasing city insurance worked out between the Alton Association of Insurance Agents and the city of Alton, Illinois (pop. 43, 047) is saving the city more than $5, 000 annually on automobile and property coverage. Under the cooperative program, one agency is designated by the city as insurance advisor and the costs of its work are paid by the Association of Insruance Agents. After determining the exposures to be insured, the type of insurance and other pertinent requirements, specifications for a policy are prepared by the insurance advisor, reviewed by the city and submitted to the member agents for preparation of sealed bids. Bids are reviewed jointly by the city and the advisor with the award being made by the city manager. Previously, individual policies were obtained for various pieces of equipment and buildings for various coverages. Under the new plan insurance coverage has been increased at premium costs less than under the plan formerly used. income tax report. EMPLOYEE'S HANDBOOK PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community ser vice, and in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. y Govei*11116 may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municrpa Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The Township of Lower Merion, Pennsylvania (pop. 59, 420) has released a 24. Page Employee's Handbook, the first of its type to be published by the town^°Pic Ship. ^tended to promote better employee relations, the handbook covers such Cs as hours of work, overtime, pay procedures, promotions, employee benefits, ■ �j qji public business, s.nd. tips to automobiles leave privileges, use of private equirements, telephone use and personal f residence * employees on gratuities billboard controt. mail. WLKES^BARB^TOWNS^ efforts of State Superintendent of Public Works to acquire an easement over land to prohibit the property owner from maintaining outdoor advertising on his private property along the highway. The State contended that this was an exercise of the power of eminent domain for a public purpose, and the court agreed by a four-to-one decision. a Township Commissioners have appointed a Township The Wilkes-Barr P future development of the township Planning Commission to ma Studies will be made of' e schools, recreation a ’ ation, economy, housing, land use, transportation, and general appearance Deveiopment Committee has expressed an interest ’ tract. cOand in th. PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD PROGRAM promote the industrial expaneion®^tSn °‘ A program for recognizing superior public service has been announced by Radio Station WDZ in Decatur, Illinois. The awards will be granted each month for outstanding work "above and beyond the call of duty. " Recommendations will be made by supervisors and department heads, and the radio station news staff will make the final selection. Each winner will receive a United States Savings Bond with a maturity value of $25, a certificate of commendation, and a letter noting the award for his personal file. the community. WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP VS OSWALD There is no means available under the Uniform Declaratory Judgements Act by which political subdivisions may test the constitutionality or validity of their own ordinances. This right is available only to a person whose rights status or other legal relations are affected by the ordinance. It cannot reasonably be said that the municipality's rights, status, or other legal relations have been adversely affected by its own deliberately intended enactment, and to construe the Uniform Declaratory Judgements Act as granting such a right to a governmental body would be to encourage legislative irresponsibility and to constitute the courts as legal advisors of municipalities with respect to their legislative enactments. So said the Supreme Court in the case involving the Township of Whitehall in Lehigh County. This township had enacted an ordinance providing that no person shall occupy any trailer coach for sleeping or living quarters outside a duly permitted trailer park. The chief of police of the township gave notice to Oswald, one of the appellants who purchased and occupied a house trailer, that he was in violation of the ordinance and subject to the fines and penalties provided therein. Without any effort td enforce the ordinance against Oswald, the township filed a petition in the Court of Common Pleas of the county praying a declaiatory judgement affirming the constitutionality of the ordinance. The court accepted the township's argument that it was a conflict of judicial opinion tnnk0^ 6 constltutlonality of the ordinances of this type. The court, therefore, jurisdiction and decreed that the ordinance was constitutional. municipality to^ctl^or^4 Unorotbodox as it is extraordinary for a determination of its consth 1.nanCe and tben forthwith supplicate a court's of an ordinance is to be pas'sed^ * question concerning the constitutiona the sequence of an actual UP°n a court' it can be done properly only as validity remains established Cr°Versy and 80 l°ng as the ordinance in question PERSONNEL A professional training program for city employees in Hollywood, Florida, offers a real incentive for making good grades. The employees enrolling in the program pay all costs in advance. An employee completing the course with a grade of "A" gets a 100 per cent refund; of his costs; a grade of "B" entitles him to a 74 per cent refund; the "C" grade employee gets a 50 per cent refund; and a grade of "D" or failing grade means the student must bear the full cost of the course himself. (The Municipal South, February I960) ! A "human relations" course is required for all city employees under the supervision of the city manager in Roanoke, Virginia. According to the city manager, this course is not only to acquaint employees with good public relations, but also to bring together representatives of various city departments. In this way, an opportunity is provided for employees to discuss, understand, and apnreci^ nf rlpnartments other than their own. (The Municipal South, June 1959) TRAFFIC AND PARKING ,d „lo-, then the sign should If 85 per cent or more drivers violate a speed sign, >laced where there is enough be changed, not the drivers. Slow signs should be■ for the low speed r°adside development to cause the driv drivers see roadside ®f to ° ^^culous sign, the answer is not 8ign. When practically everyone disregards a i. d respectable citizens, to Put radar out and make law violators out of safe drivers and Put radar out and make law violators (Street Engineering, but to J a more realistic one. ( change the speed limit to a more April l96~o) �TfatuA,-fatten, e favored over the conventional square Co corners help to .peed up traffic at 1" Round SOTtl” F‘brUary intersections, t Ou- d .. i nermits cost Milwaukee motorists fOur Over-night street par ig get the cars off the 8treets r.?a*8 to get the cars off the street This charge charge is is per however, is used to buy parking lots i/, per month. This ----- Money than to raise money. one, /American Municipal News, April i960) botI» areas I business and residential areas. • 1 r Kir nsqfl -23S on business was tested in Toledo rVnTtraffic wasSowed in the aUowed^in the central central business business district district which which ’was^ For 45 days no ?() per cent o£ the merchants reported esri ‘ X‘£h" Z a year a80 e._ Away from the mall, only 56 pan per cent noted Imp,.,, ed sales. (The Bullentin, October 1959) POLICE AND FIRE Compact cars were chosen for use by Burbank police after a two-year trial period which showed that they had many advantages over a three-wheel motorcycle for parking enforcement. These advantages included: use as an all-weather unit; lower initial cost for the vehicle and the two-way radio; savings of motorcycle pay; and greater comfort and safety for the driver. The cars are equipped with right-hand drive. (WesternCity, May I960) Fire alarm cable is now being installed under the streets in Phoenix, Arizona, in telephone company ducts. The telephone company installs the cable without charge to the city at the same time that it installs telephone lines. (Public Management, January I960) THOUGHTS FOR TODAY the month. 8 aP6 where everything is farther away except the first of Hght alar's""' T1,e suspicion that the other fellow might be PUBLICATION • *>. TThia News-letter, L Berv.ce> originated ln the Institute of Munici’ PuMlBhed monthly aB a comm -y be addressed to Dr^F H«SO V °£ *ilke« C°UeS<>- Notes and inquiries Wilkes Coll, —lege, Wilkes-Barr” , Pennsyiva InStitUte of Municipal Government, VOL. X NO. 6 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. JUNE 15, 1961 LOCAL OFFICIALS' DINNER Over 200 local officials and their guests attended the 9th Annual Dinner for local officials in the Wilkes Commons onThursday, May 18, 1961. The dinner this year attracted the largest attendence in the history of the Institute Dr. John H. Ferguson, Director of the Institute of Public Administration at Pennsylvania State University delivered the principle address. Dr. Ferguson described "deep-seated forces," <-among them population, growth, urbanization and nationalism, which he said1 are revolutionizing present attitudes and institutions. Unless we adapt our attitudes and institutions, these forces will overwhelm us or force us to bypass the institutions which do not respond, II he declared. He described problems of adaption as follows: How to divide powers between geographical divisions of government; how to organize these forms of government in the days ahead; how to allocate responsibility as between public and private sector; how to keep governments responsible. "These forces are more powerful than ever before, and democracy is on trial not only overseas but at home. We must muster all the intelligence we can; we must train young people as well as older people in the art and science of government. We need to double technical skills to a greater extent, encourage and expect of our people greater interest, less lethargy, in political science and government than in the past. It will take a great deal of dedication to achieve. " The expanded program of the Institute, made possible through the generous assistance of the Ford Foundation, included the offering of eight courses in instruction. Certificates of Attainment were presented to 11 people who completed the Municipal Police Course; 27 persons who completed the Magistrates Course; 11 persons who completed the Borough Officials course, 34 police officers who completed the Advanced Police Course; 21 police officers wh° completed the Small Arms Course; 20 persons who completed the Basic Police Course; 26 Assessors from North Eastern Pennsylvania who c°mpleted the Assessor's Course; and 7 who completed a First Aid Course. �--rented by the Institute of annually Pres service, were presented to ; Tnd r faithful PbUC ervice < In addition, S' long Government fo Luzerne County. officials in a) It worked actively with the Luzerne County Planning Commission in the preparation of a comprehensive plan for park and recreation service in the county level which was published in December, I960. FCREATION - A MAJOR CHALLENGE publi£3l-—-—— “ ' — Annual Governor's Conference on Recreation, held The Fourteenth * Barre representatives from communities ar early *‘3s the M,y' A'khlirhto =“ccrn With ,he Of public M state and higmig'“ recreation programs. Locally, the need from emphasis; on this portion of our overall services stressed in the Community Services S to the people of Wyoming Valley was i Study of 1959: 1) Considering Wyoming ling Valley Valley as ; a whole, our group work and recreation programs appear to have "grown like Topsy", revealing a lack of overall planning and coordination. The report commented that "the community can no longer justify a pattern of service whereby special groups or selected geographical areas are benefited and other groups or areas neglected ] I : • 2) "The retarded development of tax-supported recreation in the area adds tc the difficulties. . . . It is generally accepted that it is the responsibility of tax supported recreation to provide the floor of facilities and services to meet the. ... needs of the citizens as a whole, and the specific and emerging needs". xs i services. It hasmeantthat the United Fund, hard press > burden of needs of its member agencies, has been trying to carry t e u support. some services which are generally accepted as appropriate or 4) The study urged the development of public recreation Pr°g^county area, emphasizing the need of working toward the establishemn time. Park and Recreation Board. As there was no planning Council -ation ta^e the study recommended that the Playground and Recreation Associ the lead in promoting the cause of public recreation. The Association, under the leadership of its new director, J° " ^erb wayes' “epted the challenge of these recommendations and set about I*"3*™, airs' *° lh™- Ouri»S the past two years it has worked in sever b) It has provided consultant and advisory services to eiti, several communities working for more adequate Lax a Cltizen groups in programs. Q ’ tax-supported recreation c) It completed such a plan for the Cityof Wilkes-BarrP xsr ,hc eMi" ,he n WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN WILKES - BARRE After reviewing all aspects of its program, the Playground and Recreation Association felt the most practical start could be made in helping Wilkes-Barre, which represented the largest single operation of the Association, to develop its own department and program of recreation, At the time, the Association's services to the city consisted of administering and supervising recreation activities. Funds made available from City Council and School Board provided leaderhip, supplies, and equipment. The Association prepared a three-year transition program which was presented to the City Council and School Board for consideration. It provided for the following: 1) Establishemnt of a five member Recreation Board to be responsible for making and enforcing policies for the proposed program. The ordinance creating the Recreation Board was approved in May, I960 and the five members were officially appointed last November. 2) Participation by the City in the Extension Recreation Program which makes state funds available to qualifying local communities for leadership costs of youth programs. This would enable Wilkes-Barre to receive reimbursement °f 62£ for every $1. 00 spent for leadership, plus 62% reimbursement on a maximum of $4, 800, toward the salary of a full-time director. Under this program, reimbursement is made through local school boards. 3) A three-year financial plan, initiated in the summer of I960, for the assumption of increased leadership costs until reimbursement starts c°ming back from the state in 1962. 4) Equalization of City Council and School Board Participation. �F ith a greatly expanded program qualifi meant that f e"*ionS far in excess of the position ed This P^n ha^ applying for barely enough applicants, pet5„,,»=l “"vi„sly, the program. availablenualifications> regardless oi q approved and Miss Sally Jervis of , rh 6 1961, this PlanfaSs Rector. As of July 1, 1961, the °n ^Hon's Staff was name ely independent of the Playground the Associa^ ^ogram wiU be co that this plan wiR serve W11oeS'reation Association. IIt is communities in the area, and to the and ^Crtment of parks and recreation. LAWSAnTO^Q^ government Act 89--Provides that supervisors, assessors, auditors, and tax coll of second class townships must be electors of the townshi • eCt°rs to be eligible for office. ln Order Act97-- Authorizes class townships to condem land disposal andsecond land fill operations. & for aBe I I WILKES-BARRE, K Act 93--Permits boroughs to make appropriations to industrial development agencies. Act 84--Authorizes cities of the third class to install traffic signals on all local highways within such cities without prior approval of the Secretary of highways subject to uniform standards. PA. JULY15, 1961 HOUSING RENEWAL MUST REPLACE 20 :9b" establishment of a cou KE I VOL. X NO. 7 WILKES COLLEGE A vaccine to has been devised by ant, Pratt Institute, icipants through the Officials. CLEARANCE guarantee a neighborhood against becoming a slum George M. Raymond, planning professor and consult­ and has been widely discussed by urban renewal part­ National Association of Housing and Redevelopment We cannot move all the people from the deteriorating ~z ig parts of our cities nor can we afford to clear and rebuild all these sections, However, property owners and local governments hesitate to invest in a neighborhood which is beginning to run down. They do not modernize residences or public services such as schools and sewers because the gradual deteriora­ tion soon will result in slum clearance, and a waste of the new investment. The result is that no action is taken to keep older neighborhoods from slipping into slums. If we could guarantee that buildings would be replaced when they became too old to serve properly, it would pay to spot-clear dilapidated structures, rehabilitates sound but aging dwellings, and modernize public services, including traffic patterns. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Time Zoning Parents spend the first part of a child's life urging him to walk and talk, and the rest of his childhood getting him to sit down and keep quiet. Time zoning is the vaccine which Professor Raymond prescribes against the decay of a part of a neighborhood which infects the whole. Many a man who marries a wisp of a girl is astonished at the will o' the wisp- PUBLICATION This News-Letter, published monthly as a communi y p;otes and ee. c^Pa in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes Col eg seryiNluni inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institu Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Under Mr. Raymond's plan, older neighborhoods could be im­ proved through government financed clearance of the worst parts, gov­ ernment backed financing for rehabilitating other parts, and improved public service. Then, a time limit would be set for the use of all the buildings. Each building's useful life after rehabilitation wuuld be bought by the government. It would be similar to the government's buying the land and giving the former owner a lease for the estimated useful life of the structure. A plan for the continual up-dating of the neighborhood would be developed showing what will become of the property after its present i �:o thatnew eachhomes, property willwill know mnds, andowner schools be b °-Pen is prohibited, so use 1SPandplaygr°’ spaces — s for the value of the property .property owners to property l..g would be partially reimbursed City Payments ■ • -yg — zoning ’ away by timi ~' esent renewal laws. Payment to which it ta^ jnt under pr slum property usually has an actwernmeu eded because. by the federal go its socially useful life is ended. owners is ne property even after lal economic value Ui----Ground Leases A device similar to time-zoning —ground leasing—is used sue. ■ „.sMly i» Europe “ lim“ th' °f P-Perty to enewal have expressed some critOthers working on urban r • i at conferences of the National Asicisms of Professor Raymond's plan nd Redevelopment Officials and in the association's sociation of Housing ai------ journal. )5 ' i " t a property owner will allow his building Some are afraid that end of its legal life approaches. Mr. Raymond to run down as the e.------replies that this is not Europe's experience with ground leases. The government retains influence on the building's upkeep through building code enforcement. Continuous renewal involves the least amount of government intervention which can assure a continually livable com- munity. COMMUNITY OPINION SURVEY GUIDES COUNCIL ACTION A community opinion survey in Boyne City, Michigan(2, 797), has provided guidelines for policy actions by the city commission as well as indicating areas where citizens are not well informed on their city government. briefcheck eiaht yes-or_ *<citizensAcould ^uestr°nnaire was prepared so that a °ts were distributed bv 1 answers on election day in November. e availa^e through other emPtoyers m the community and were able publicity to the s" JJTT' The 10Cal newspaper gave considto?8' “ w7at. “*'d “P The questions dealt °f tpeXT™ °fthe cn>' doek.'Vo'V 3 SPeCial S‘reet tinuance of th SSessrnents, evna ’ • ** lnuance of the city trailer park, °f the clock. The greatest benefit of a r----■ survey of this kind is the information it provides for the city commission ion in in planning planning future future programs and in stimulating citizen interest in programs and projects needed for ’ the ec------onomic well-being of the community. HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE public control periodically. II and improvements unless they are reasonably well informed through public information pregrams. Zoning, for example, which is essential to orderly community development, was a pproved by the narrow margin of 175 to 166. Other essential items such as special assessments for street, sewer, and water improvements, and expansion the municipal airport were turned down decisively even though a great of need'f^h^ actions was evident. s k t need tor these eXpansi°n of the city airport, and discon- The results s eem t0 indica-te that people will not vote lor pr°g«"S Crash tests, conducted by the California Division of Highways, determined that the combination cable--chain link barrier satisfied all criteria as the most efficient of the 15 barriers tested. It functioned efficiently both in low-speed, low-angle collisions and in high-speed and __.i high angle collisions ■with ‘itl. 1buses, --------- It also will support a growth of ivy or other vines to serve as a screen. (Civil Engineering, Nov. 1959) Speeding ambulances have killed more people than they have saved, according to a committee appointed by the American College of Surgeons to study problems involved in transporting injured persons to hospitals. According to a report of the committee's findings: "Speed is, for practical purpose^, seldom, if ever, a factor in the preservation of a life. And speeding ambulances have occasioned more traffic deaths than lives saved by rushing pell-mell to medical facilities. (The Knoxville News Sentinel, January 15, I960) FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION TAX ON FREIGHT CHARGES A ruling of the United States Bureau of Internal Revenue relating to the three-per-cent tax on freight charges is of unusual interest to boroughs since municipalities have to absorb the tax in the cost of con tracts if the shipment of materials going into the performance of their contracts is not handled in a manner which permits the taking advantage of the municipal exemption from federal taxes. ---• ts of the Internal Revenue Code The ruling modifies the requirement from the three-per-cent Transportation Tax as regarding exemptions i —folio-jws: "1. A contractor doing work for a State, County, or City may hav e materials shipped to the State, County, or City, c/o himself, in �cent Federal Transportation Tax on order to avoid paying the three per freight charges, provided he has written approval to do so from the State, County, or City. State, County, or Cit A general authorization by the obtained by the contractor must id 1S.not The authorization of project involved. ' entlfy "2. ■ VOL. X NO. 8 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. AUGUST 15, 1961 sufficient- : contract cf l the speclflC terials must obtain a written certifthe mat ,nnlier of ot me »•“ (the contractor) has obtThe°c«»>'a"°r- "^such certifying »»> 'Authorized by bid, ' ’Authorise authorization, irate fret" ,hori»t.o». , •a'«d,hTXtl»ri“db>' ' contractor to the supplier claiming -^"ilaHon is insufficient. It must be in writing. ,<4. A verbal statem insufficient. It must be in that he has the proper a- by contrac , prepares the bill-of-lading showing how the 'Borough of Blankville, c/o John Doe "5. Since the supp shipments are consignedB1^kviUe’ Pennsylvania, 1 they are held reConsturction Company, records to back up the authorization to sponsible for maintaining proper make shipments this way. "6. If the suppliers are audited by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and their bills-of-lading are not backed up by the proper certificates from contractors, they will have to pay the three per cent federal transportation tax. "Do not criticize your supplier if he demands your prompt cooper­ ation in this matter." (The Borough Bulletin, May, 1961) I t » FIRST ANNUAL COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE This First Annual COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE will pro­ vide an opportunity for the exchange of ideas among the various organ­ izations and individuals concerned with the solution of the more practi­ cal problems related to the social and economic well-being of our area. The CONFERENCE will bring together all those people interested in planning for the area. It is designed to set a pattern for future cooper­ ative efforts among local government officials, builders, realtors, in­ dustrialists, developers, and interested citizens. In examining the more vital problems of our area, the sponsors of the COMMUNITY GROIVTH CONFERENCE hope to benefit from sharing experiences with nationally known authorities who will participate in the CONFERENCE with us. The First Annual COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE will he held at Wilkes College on Wednesday, September 27, 1961. Watch for the final program announcement and registration form. DON1 T MISS THIS IMPORTANT MEETING! MARK THIS DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR! THOUGHTS FOR TODAY A man, head over heels in love, usually gets back on his feet after he's married. If you agree that it's poor judgement to quarrel before c ompany > remember that two is company. S^acation Act 62--Authorizes boroughs to have recreation boards of either five or seven members. Act 55--Provides for a vice-president of the borough council and specifies the duties of the president and vice-president of the coun- cil. an dinqujirnies nstitut eofMunici as a community service, originated th^T^ 8 ~letter ’ PublishMi iciPal Governn.payt be Pressed to nG°Vernment of Wilkes College. Notes Wilkes Colle° Dr„ LAWS AFFECTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT V. Mailey, institute of Mun- ilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. the findings of the Civil Act 56--Permits a borough council to appeal Service Commission. Act 54--Provides that copies of budget ordinances shall be filed in the office of the Departm for third class cities �_ztpr a'dopti°n- • ■thin thirty dayS within . t cUss tovznships shall be public], bidS Public meeting of a committee appoi y yi.jes that )ublic _Auth°riz' or at an open meeting of the commis ied and read at Act 69opent-or liSSi comm ­ thercontract >ntract shall be awarded at a subsequent by the dssioners. sioners and that of the com®1 meeting -WILKES-BARRE POST , netting a $2. 500, 000 ultramodern post office _es-Barr3 may be g back contract and return tax Wilkes-Barre built by private inte Three potential sites are under conto be b— t0 the city g°ver" outh Main street in the Hazel Street Urban revenue t ,„jn—a plot facing 1(jt along South Pennsylvania Avenue now oc. siderationl Project Area, a_p an area on South Washington Street Renew;.a— ike South Street Bridge. cupied by the between £-• «• The city offici in view of the ac are most interested in the lease back arrangement are most revenue will be provided for the city. It will Qff.ce Department. In this way the structure, leasedtothe^U. S. Goverameat, will be a taxable item for local government. YMCA CITY OF READING erty used for dormitories and for a coffee shop should be exempt from the real estate tax. It reversed the decision of the lower court that the portion of the building rented to other charitable organizations as office space should be tax exempt, and ruled that this space should be subject to the local estate tax. BETTER NOT SLASH THE SANITATION DEPARTMENT Firemen in Kawano, Japan, angered by plans of city officials to re­ duce fire department personnel, turned hoses from 11 pumps on city hall, drenching assemblymenand flooding the telephone exchange and the mayor's office. NANTICOKE I I) I . assigned to canvas a certain area once , tures of unsightly and littered places, every three months, taking picWhen the information has been completed and turned in to the Board, a letter and photograph of the littered spot are mailed to the property owner, with* the A —- —- request that he take steps to improve the site. — (Keep America Beautiful) The federal government has granted Nanticoke Redevelopment Au­ thority anadditional $161,483 to expedite its downtown business district urban renewal project. The appropriation is based on progress made to date and supplement grants totaling $330, 081 the city previously re­ ceived. A Nanticoke agency has already purchased 48 properties, op­ tions have been taken on 11 others. WILKES-BARRE Wilkes-Barre has been refused a stay of proceedings by Dauphin County Court in the city's appeal from an order of State Sanitary Water Board to construct a sewage treatment plant. The city motion was reon the ground that the city has an appeal pending from the adjud cation of State Sanitary Board and thatunderthe circumstances the Com™p7nX\Td in a P°sition t0 bring a lawsuit while the appeal Pendmg before the court. The appeal will be argued in October. ^BWITFICATION DETECTIVE FORCE SEWER PERMITS REQUIRED Officials of 2, 500 municipalities in Pennsylvania have been notified that it is unlawful to construct sewers without a prior permit from the Sanitary Water Board. Letters have been sent by the State Health Department to all cities, boroughs, and townships, informing them that before any sewer can be constructed or extended, an application must be made to the Board and a Board Permit secured. Dr. C. L. Wilbar, Jr., State Health Secretary and Sanitary Water Board Chairman, explained that during I960 it was necessary for the Board to issue seven "cease and desist" orders to municipalities found to be building sewers illegally. "Permitsare necessary", Dr. Wilbar said, "before sewers can be buUt to make certain they do not cause additional pollut.on where Board crdersfor treatment plants havenot beencomplied with or where ex ing treatment plants are already operating at capacity. Board. The CiVisA part °f the Birmingham Beautifica^0” lty 13 divided into sections and a member of theBoar^ �-3 of housing subdivisions Board approval. Before agreeingbuild to nSeV(rers MthOccasionally developers iwerage ah 1 °okup oval.the municipality must s out first obtaining ' — ecure a■ ^°ard system the with a municipal se1 permit. MANUALl^- VOL. PR materials issued a Homeowners Handbook to pro. Michigan, recently i other reguiatOry codes and orP°ntiac' n building- zon ’vided on ordinance requirements, vide inf°rm^ecise information 1 lties> and appeal procedures. A dinanCeS‘obtain facts on P^®1 ’ -deS data on contractors, inspectors, I section providr X'‘~p“-“tcbe r iej»g p.“ervaCW activitiesimprovement and conse ACCOUNT I: B ■ i it Ssfef renewai areas £oth°"« classification manual The City of Rockville, Md. , (pop. 26, 090) has prepared a '' Manual of Standard Classification of Accounts. " Prepared by the department of finance, the Manual is the first document of its type in the City's history to bring together in one publication a systematic presentation of the classification and codification of accounts used by Rockville in its gen­ eral accounting. Revenues are classified by source; expenditures are classified by function, activity, and object. Each account is briefly de­ —------- --------- /}^KES C°LLEGE’ WILKES-BARRE, PA. SEPTEMBER 15, 1961 FIRST ANNUAL COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE The First Annual COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE will be 1 eld at Wilkes College on Wednesday, September 27, 1961. The First Annual COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE v. will provide an opportunity for the exchange of ideas among the various _3 organizations and individuals concerned with the solution of the more practi­ cal problems related to the social and economic well-being of our area. The CONFERENCE will bring together all those people interested in planning for the area. It is designed to set a pattern for future cooper­ ative efforts among local government officials, builders, realtors, in­ dustrialists, developers, and interested citizens. In an attempt to come to grips with the more pressing problems of our area, the sponsors of the COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE are pleased to provide this unique opportunity to share experiences with nationally known authorities who will participate in the CONFERENCE with us. scribed and accounts are numerically coded. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Parents spend the first part of a child's life urging him to walk and talk and the rest of his childhood getting him to sit down and keep quiet. A married man soon realizes that it not only doesn't pay to argue with his wife but also that the hours are too long. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, ° ® In many smaller communities there is no need to engage in long range renewal projects involving the tearing down of buildings. The need may be one of conservation. One of the present purposes of the Housing Act of 1954 is to renew those neighborhoods which are basically soundbut are beginning to show evidence of deterioration. Such neigh­ borhoods can be up-graded through cooperative efforts of public agencies and individuals who own properties. It would seem that this objective is one well within the reach of smaller communities in developing a program for Community Improveibility which the locality can asment (Workable Program), a responsi. Since this Program is of sume for eliminating and preventing blight, local official should make vital inter est to all local governments, every It will afford an excellent �SHORT COURSES river DEVELOPMENTS of Municipal will a training coursesGovernment for municipal offic^T C°nduct a to make available to elected and S’ ^eSe number courses * Theln^f c°urses improving —^mance of their dtti’es^^ °fficial of i-8of ^ available -is the in the performance are design­ means c* - .is fail semester include: Small Arms The courses being offered this fall rSes being offere7. officers in the care and use of the rL introductory course for ipolice - Course, a review of the basic ThVctoryco^ sefOr P Secretaries aniver; ntr°t hool Educational EdUCati°n^ Se {unctioning of a school office staff; School v01ver’leSs necessary Io^thePonPerning the fundamentals of planning; necessary for principles course advanced police officers covering a survey Planning, * re£r esher cours and subsequently amendeda refresher ^Telemenisi of of the the pent. ^ductory course in the techniques and L ahway Maintenance, Maintenance, an truction and maintenance of roads and HlgL 2 for the proper nistration, a comprehensive course for greets; and Municipal FireAd^ techniques of departmental organ­ command officers cover ization and management. local improvements Local improvements made right in our own midst may be so "obvious" that we take them for granted. A great deal of "face lifting” has been going on in the city of Wilkes-Barre and its environs, concrete ev­ idence that many have faith and confidence in the future of the Valley. Many improvements have been made in Central City where many of the commercial establishments have remodeled and improved their fronts. In addition to the numerous open air parking lots, there is the new Miners Bank 400 car parkade which adjoins the 168 car parking ramp of the Boston Store. Soon the Parking Authority will begin conruction of a million dollar, 500 car garage, to be located between South as mgton Street and Dier Lane, north of Jefferson Lane. Provision SouthMa^Stree^ from Soutk Washington Street and Greater Wilke^-B^rre Jf the WilkeS’Barre CitY Parks Department e tremendous project of cj 10r Chamber of Commerce has undertaken es on theKincrci earin® and beautifying Nesbitt Park—the jungle that .ndli,the £, ehe Riverbetween the North Street P*rk'»8 ««e the and a te„M«'"i ™s wil1 b= ’ These and ON TUFSiVe attitude of the mProvements are beginning to reflect the 0N THE MOVE. the People of Wyoming Valley. THE VALL-ey is 'L The first major steps in the formation of a Susquehanna River Basin water resource rgamzation have been taken with preliminary meetings ans appointment of a steering committee to draw up by-laws for such an organization. The early discussion has centered on the mechanics of setting up such an association along the Susquehanna River for the pur­ pose of flood control, recreation, sanitation and pollution control, soil conservation, industrial growth, irrigation and reclamation, and water supply- At the invitation of Mayor Frank Slattery of Wilkes-Barre, Frank W. Dressier, Executive Director of the Water Resources As­ sociation of the Delaware River Basin, explained the formation of his organization along the Delaware River. Congressman Daniel J. Flood and Major General William F. Cassidy, Director of Civil Works for Army Engineers, have already testified before a subcommittee of the Agriculture Committee of the House of Representatives on a resolution authorizing a two million dollar comprehensive survey of the whole Sus­ quehanna River Basin. The purpose of the contemplated water resources association is to look beyond the proposed survey and assist in making recommendations on the projects on the River Basin and solicit public support for many of the projects intended for the Basin. Committee officials attending preliminary discussionmeetings came from the following areas: Wilkes-Barre, Birmingham, Sunbury, Nan­ ticoke, Harrisburg, Scranton, Williamsport, Lockhaven, Clearfield, and Havre-de-Grace. WEST SIDE PLANNING Community leaders on the West Side have expressed an interest in conserted planning for the whole West Side area. Several meetings have already been held to coordinate future planning for the various munici­ palities of the River. With Courtdale and Larksville taking action, this makes 4 of the 9 boroughs proposed to be included in the regional plan­ ning commission to coordinate planning upon the West Side. Such a re­ gional commission will have one representative from 9 of the boroughs who will be entitled to have one vote. In this way a comprehensive re­ gional plan can be developed in such areas as street and highway trans­ portation, housing, schools, recreation, land use, utilities, and sub­ division regulations. Only with proper regional planning can many problems be solved cooperatively and money spent more wisely. STRIP MINING LEGISLATION b much bickering and many setbacks compromise legislation on lilmg of strip mines was finally passed by the general assembly month. It has been held that strip mining not only constituted a ce to health and safety but also impeded the future economic devel- �' opment oi m. - in many respects • Stripth mining abuses haVe correction. While e enacted legisl( e ,been f the anthracite area' need of it is a step forward in assisting the whole anthracite 1Onitl*y b( e ^eak, ° While in many itself. It is a start and will be of some benefit to t^^ tO re^h- "a -ate forward in as civic leaders who have sought stronger back , e Hard ■big P“‘g egi«atio?'o'ki, start ai— the VOL. ire abandoned pits within 7 50 feet nations w»»ld iU „p areas, schools, and cemetart„ of ™ 'Institute8' t wall H they ” feet to to the t"P °f ‘ B ri„ mining operator would be requiIed in be r, to depth, . the Greater Wilkes-Barre Real Estate cover thebOtt°m ““"d“’oXpi-"b5fe't0£ear,h' incal groups, mcluQ * and the Luzerne County United Comrda"he Chamber of were among those who urged stronger munity Development Confer > community grOups stated that pres^gislltion. ^^detrimental to the important industrial developent practices have ment program- LAWS AFFECTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT Act 109--Redesignates the burgess as the Mayor. V 1 I I IF J 1 •K i ( Act 223--Specifically exempts all property used for public highway from taxation. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY A bride is someone who wants her silver to be sterling and her hus­ band to be stainless. A free country is one where you don't have to get permission to travel except from the fii.nance company. PUBLICATION . This News-letter and inqX?eeslnStitUteofPMun7clptirOnthlyaS a cornmunity service, origniciPal Gover?^ be lesseeI tn n ernment of Wilkes College. Notes ftient, Wilkes Colle r' ^ugo V. Mailey, Institute of Mu- Se> ilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania- X NO. 10 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA OCTOBER 15, 1961 EXCERPTS FROM FIRST ANNUAL COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE. "The future demands a fresh outlook and unfettered imagination. I believe with all my heart that if a city or a community is worth saving it can be saved. There are some towns, undoubtedly, which would scarcely justify the effort it would cost to save them, but they are not located in this valley. They are not Wilkes-Barre, or Hazleton, or neighboring Scranton. For these communities possess far more than the richest anthracite fields on earth. They possess the attractive sur­ roundings, the strategic locations, the water, and the raw materials which form the foundations upon which any thriving human settlement must build. . . . "Community planning requires only that you have a point of view on three basic issues: first, know what your present difficulties are; second, know where you want to go; third, decide the best way to get there; and fourth, sell these points of view to the community so that you can find the energy and leadership to achieve the results you are after. . . . "But remember, there is no magic in the word "planning". Noth­ ing happens miraculously merely through the creation of a planning agency. The people involved must have vision, must have an under­ standing of the potentiality of the planning process, must have a willing­ ness to study the field and then to find out what tools are available to them and how they have worked in similar circumstances elsewhere. There must be a willingness to support these activities not only on the part of the elected officials but also by the community as a whole. And this is your job. No one in Harrisburg or Washington can do it for you. "The raw resources are here for growth. You stand at the end an era--the erawhen you depended upon the market for one commodity to Sustain you. Now you must change your focus, as you have already d°ne in the field of industrial development, and shift your gaze to a broader, more diversified view of your role in a growing me How Do You Plan for Community Growth? Francis A. Pitkin, Executive Director Pennsylvania State Planning Board �’ -.e within the community k . that industry'® plac i must be informed of the b& bet' Industry Set® aad "In order local citi^nsrial development. D arising as a consequence of i^Ust be erstood the • with industrial ter unders connected l..g ini housing and schools, increased^^1 on problems liabilitieS to cooperate ■ auto_ willing such as over crowding local streets, and the like. And Of must be made aware of industry's ° equal on growth* and truck traffic willing. ;al people m<iobile ,ortance; the loc: ich matters. imp< irate on sue.. ness to coope: ’ ; community must be willing to rcooperate " ~r hand, the in such a way that, within the fram■tework of "On the other citizen such services available to industr with the corporate c. as are -•5, it makes development. Also, the community must not atits resources, industry's industry more than its proper share in D needed for . The will for cooperation must exist on both side""8 f°r from tempt to wrench it must be worked out carefully--before situations'28 and local servicesindustry and the community develop. The conn °f ten' the terms for and must create mutually beneficial relations and sion between mutually beneficial relations w with the continuance *th each industry can --e of this desirable relationship, both other. To ensure still appraise the prevailing attitudes each or better, must periodically, holds toward the other. on summary then, industry's role in community development is threefold: ; ; r contributes directly to the economic well-being First, industry -ity through the employment it provides; the wages itpays of the communil other financial contributions it makes to the local treas­ the taxes and c... — ---ury and charitable institutions; and the business and income it stimu­ lates in other ancillary industries and service occupations in the com­ munity. Thus, industry has an obligation to itself and the community to operate in such a way that it remains economically healthy and com­ petitive. ment through^he^nfluen by way of its pmnk ■ Ce 1 lndirect role in community developexerts on industry--seeking communities facilities and Many communities have unprad a i T exPanded Plant facilities. such ini" Pavements would mak th • Conditions in the hope that t,-' seekers. e eir town more attractive to prospective site *^rti,y and de"And third, industry plays a cooperative roie 1p in community cooperative velopment by actively participatinga in communityrole a aiin and helpin§ t0 solve local problems." "Financing is the key to all development, whether it be public or private. We can plan, we can zone, and we can dream, but we have to be practical and nothing is accomplished unless it can be financed, and the users of our end product ------ are satisfied with the results. cannot sensibly force growth and have Y ou ------- a it economically sound. •■There is no set pattern for financing growth. If the elements that justify it are there, or can be developed, both demand for use and financing will be found available. Because the types of properties to be developed and the users vary widely, both as to their special nature and credit of the users, all types of financing are required in the early stages. But the original real estate development decisions are influ­ enced substantially by financing ability. It is typical in the business to have a buyer finance a major portion of the investment by purchase money mortgage, syndication, second mortgages, front money loans-or a combination of all of them. . . . "The local financial climate and local confidence has a lot to do with fixing prices and establishing current values. On Urban Rede­ velopment the statement that we hear quite often that the Government pays two-thirds and the City one-third of the net cost of urban renewal is true as far as it goes, but it is misleading. "The funds available for study and planning and the right of con­ demnation ar e tremendous tools, but although Urban Renewal has existed for over a decade, and has included acquisition funds, actual accomp­ lishment of new private building in connection with it have appeared to be rather negligible. "This is notcritical of past or present administration of the pro­ gram; actually it is complimentary, as haste does not produce sound planning. Also, there is a distinct question as to how much Urban Re­ newal any given area can afford in a short period, or, unless it is actu­ ally accompanied by sound growth and increasing employment, in the immediate area involved. . . . "Our experience seems to indicate that many facts gathered by hard work in many agencies need coordination and interpretation to be really meaningful in relationto the fiscal problems of the area involved. Surely some of the experiences of your bankers in studying the re­ sources of communities, and of private businesses, and calculating the risks of courses of action which require financing, can be applied to local urban renewal problems to assist communities and potential de velopers to reach sound investment decisions. , . . Financing Needed tor The Role, of Industry in Community DeveLopment Max S. Wehrly, Executive Director Urban Land ----- 1 Institute —-- Vice Pr.s.d»< The First National Bank of Boston �e----- *5 that it is often more ^onom ical . gic would tell us -e than to tear it down structure nand stan >.gimp?le J 10-lean exists5 neighborhood area. The < decision-. pder>'nlZ: besaid for• a repair and ,can oe not always a simple one, but We are same ? U The nervation-'15 a more proficient freshconsei accummlating ’ Set Of -ledge and are clearanceo 0 I” in know! growing L — ewal indicate conservati, toolsb n renewal iuuivo..- that- -^** = ervatiOn is nifold objectives of renewal. n-phe econoi , the Federal Gover - means for potent aTin getting the most from its money invested t will pardon an ■ thi8s money can eliminate if you Lin, eliminate a a future future req„ire. money na< quiterban > renewal. Where this ted in clearance projects, it is money well renewalinvested incleara: inu b, a greater neater sum mv^....--g involved surely are interested in micipalitie ment forSecond, : the ™unlCt^n “the city benefits in that many potential spent, flically. Economically.se conse rvation planning, conservation planning, and, and, Out economycan be obviated be iished. Thirdj be accomp accomplished. Third, problems - a-given1 ^^conservation area, and here should be our primary of individuals within a^ meang foj for_ improved improved living living opportunities, opportunities, :^mi^^—ience- I „ nroiects will involve some clearance. From ■ ''MOrfO"hereVntire project, then, the procedures are the same the viewpoint o same series of applications, the same as for a clearance projec . obvious difference is one F.d.„l Grant rahos and so forth. The conservation LX conservation than for a clearance effort in the same project. " Conservation in Urban Renewal Areas James T. Leigh, Deputy Regional Director VOL. x NO. H WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. NOVEMBER 15, 1961 LOCAL OFFICIALS DINNER The Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College will hold the bi-monthly dinner for local officials in the Wilkes Commons on Wednesday, November 15, 1961, at 6:30 P. M. The featured speaker for the evening will be Mr. Robert H. McKinney, Jr. , Pottstown Bor­ ough Manager, who will discuss "The Manager Form of Government. " Although there are few manager forms of government in North­ eastern Pennsylvania, more municipalities than ever before are adopt­ ing this form of government. Mr. McKinney will discuss the role and the function of the manager in local government. Mr. McKinney has served as President of the Association of Pennsylvania Municipal Man­ agers. The Luzerne County Boroughs Association will hold an important meeting following the remarks of Mr. McKinney. In viewof the import­ ance of this meeting, every borough should be represented. EXCERPT FROM FIRST ANNUAL COMMUNITY GROWTH CONFERENCE Urban Renewal Il THOUGHTS FOR TODAY By the time most men learn to behave themselves, they re old to do anything else. too A good salesman is the fellow who can convince his v/if looks fat in a fur coat. "It is widely recognized that present land use controls are often inadequate in their approach to land use and development. They are in­ adequate in the sensethat they provide too little flexibility for situations in which variations from normal procedures are called for, and inade­ quate in allowing room for the exercise of imagination. . . . "Many zoning ordinances trace their roots back to the concept °f land development as it used to be practiced on an individual lot by lot is undertaken by sub­ basis. Today, however, most new development dividers, who take a tract of land and develop plans for the entire area, for other activities, in addition to resifrequently including provision .... We should think in terms of land and Us use as atoge dential uses. scale matter, and of the relationship of a piece niece o an ' ■ PUBLICATION This News-left service­ originates in the Instin ? P^bllshed monthly as a community may be add ‘ -------------------------5 College,Otes and inquiries Municipal Government of Wilkes ;titUt£! > WilkeVr-5^ t0 Dr’ Hu§° v- Mailey, InS °£M*MG.ve„me„t pennsylvani College, Wilkes-Barre, - - 1 -1 - r ounding s... . x^evlh facing us, especially in the With very great population growth of accommodating great numbers of urban areas, we must find means of . land. . . . People in ways that will not waste our 11 i �most promising proposals are tho "Out of this survey, the , under which the density of a giv° re. lating to density control zoning fixed specifications for individual io.n afea is established, rather than fl.. ;es, ■ments; cluster zoning, in which buildi. arrangements, each with priva'u S are frontage and yard require: -anient Arrangements, each v/ithpriva’t space grouped specifically grouped in with conve:the excess -s space grouped into into a a '.c/yard than made a part 010,1 space of its own, rather but part of of each each individual individual lotlotwhich outright provision is made for =Panned .utright provision is made for usable open area, ----------- ,n ,------- ___ a comb;, unit developments, in which O' within an overall tract, on a previ<>Usly nation of dwelling and use types avoiding the homogeneity of a mass of housing arranged basis, thus character. types all of the same device, which yet offers latitude, is that "A relatively simple r'.' jjeu of fixed minimum lot sizes. instead of average lot size zoning,’ Virement of 12, 000 square foot lots, t the of a standard minimum req' average of 12, 000 square feet, allow!: - ..ing ordinance could provide for an low as 9, 000 square feet and some within some lots to be developed as In this way variety the same subdivision upto about 15,000 square- f' t and allowance for terrain variation can be L introduced. I 1 i 1 --- incorporate ■ ■ > more and more of these ideas, "Good planning will you consider them in the future development of and to the extent that t this County, there will be that much more progress toward an environ­ ment which will be increasingly beneficial to the overall economic picture." Flexible Zoning Robert C. Ledermann, Director Community Facilities & Urban Renewal National Association of Home Builders CHARGE FOR THE SERVICE The mayor and council of Berlin, rWisconsin, reflecting public opinion, early this year passed an ordinance which r «< large lot. from depositing .now on city street ’s -a prohibits the owners under specified charges. ---- 3 unless they do so F or years, filling-station operators. £•■--supermarket managers and others who maintained large 1 open expanses had snow from their lots onto city pushed the fallen / streets. There it causes slowed the snow-removal operations <— problem and of the Department ofaPublic Works substantially. It resulted, too, ... in —i more overtime, a drain on the snowremoval budget. Two solutions were apparent. One was to require these owners to find someone who would remove their snow, a difficult task in a city of less than 5, 000 population. The other was to continue the snow removal by city forces with regulation of and a payment for the service. The choice of the second resulted in Ordinance A-18 which the ............. e council unanimously passed last January. These are the provisions of the Ordinance: No one shall deposit any snow, leaves or debris from private property onto public property except as covered by the ordinance. Those wishing the r -* snow-removal service shall apply to the city not later than October 1 of each year and shall sign a contract agreeing to pay for the service. The Director of Public Works shall measure the area of property served. ?! DEBT LIMIT REVISION SIGNED BY GOVERNOR Senate 40; ThVn8181?6 int° laW as Act 398 bY Governor Lawrence last Bill week. aW to base the constitution 1 aW amends the Municipal Borrowing The owner shall pay annually a minimum charge of $10 for each section containing 2, 000 square feet or less, plus $2. 50 for each in­ crement of 500 square feet over the minimum. ert”tS°n the market rather tl^ °rrowing capacities of local governb y- he new law permits bo*" °n the assessed valuation of real propuPon theCllmaniC action and an adZ^8 UP tO tW° Percent of market value le aPProval of the electorate^0"*1 Percent of market value Each owner shall, at his own cost, windrow or pile the snow on his own property where practicable or in the street at the direction and control of the Director of Public Works, The new lav-raised the outdated debt limits of local governments and standardized these limits throughout the state. There is . some indication that local governme nts will wait for a court decision before making use of this new la to The city will not remove snow not piled orwindrowed according to instructions. The few weeks' experience with the new provisions at the begmning of this year gave promise of better days ahead with regard to tus difficult problem of the past. Ben Grota, City Clerk Berlin, Wisconsin �Eg£££g2ALBBACKTO^ SURPACE - is using synthetic rubber in rtment of Highways an ex. The DepaL, surface along assection of former State Route 12 near in Monroe County. Saylors l»ke . is to determine whether the synthetic The aim of the expe rinMengthen pavement life and provide rubber blended with asphalt W1U , B ,i,ich is a butadiene-styrene more rUbber asphalt mixture. type, stability. The i__ ' ntCoX .xcent wx comprised three pe: ■3 used in the wearing course only ari(j The rubber• compound was lights inch, which is considerably thinner depth of three-ei^ was applied t0 a < .LMg course depth. The sandsand-asphalt-rubber a<5ru , mixture than the usual wearing conventional bituminous paving can be placed by This is not the first use of a rubber compound in a road wearing surface in Pennsylvania. It is. however, the first use of this type of synthetic rubber for a road surface in the Commonwealth, Neoprene rubber has been used elsewhere experimentally. COMPETITIVE BIDS FOR INSURANCE Ashland, Kentucky, has revised its insurance program to con­ solidate policies, provide improved coverage, and permit each qualified insurance agent to bid for city business. Total savings have reached almost $3,500. The city's insurance coverage was consolidated into three groups: public liability, workmen's compensation and fidelity bonds, and fire insurance. Specifications were drafted " ith the help of local agents and competitive sealed bids were called for. The liability coverage included police cruisers for the first time. Companies which did not —' coverage previously were willing to do so when the cov..„t fgrant erage was applied to all city vehicles, The new fire coverage was almost three times the previous amount, yet there was an annual saving of $450 on this item. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY A wife is gh all the a woman who sticks with her husband throug troubles he wouldn't have if he hadn't married her. Today is the day you worried about yesterday. PUBLICATION This News-ietter, published monthly as a cOinI^r^es Coll®^ ews -Ietter, of Municipal Government of se* vice originates in the Institute 1 •t InS ti^. a’ institute Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. NlalpennsYlva ■as of Municipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre. yOL. X NO. 12 "VVILKeS COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, pA. , DECEMBER 15, 1961 MINE DRAINAGE More than nine million dollars has been available to fill mine stripping3 in the anthracite area. This money was part of a 15 million dollar fund created jointly by the General Assembly and theStateof Penn­ sylvania to help the coal companies meet the ever increasing cost of pumping underground water. The plan also included workon the surface to divert certain streams which were finding their way into mines; to fill in stripping holes which gather water from all surrounding areas and cause it to go into deep mines. According to a ruling by the State Attor­ ney General, money in this fund could not be used for filling strip mines except those located above active mines. For this reason new legislation was necessary by the State Legis­ lature, especially authorizing the use of the funds for strip mines. More­ over, the Federal Government had to change the legislation, too. The Pennsylvania General Assembly did amend previous legislation provided to fill mine strippings; however, a similar bill to change the original law has been "delayed" in the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee. Congressman Flood has hopes that this bill will be released in January of 1962 when the Congress reconvenes. According to this measure, two million dollars of the current program fundswill remain for mine pump­ ing stations while seven million dollars will be allocated for strip mine filling. PLANNING NOTES Commission has submitted The Wilkes-Barre Township Planning ' '* most of the an application to the Federal Government for a -T , Zoning Ordinance and cost of the preparation of a Comprehensive^Plam Township, the technical work Subdivision Regulations for Wilkes-Barre - - Planning Commission. to be done by the staff of the Luzerne Coun y Township recently agreed1 to pay the The Lions Club of Jenkins ,n of a Comprehensive Plan an iocal share of the cost for preparatio: ■ • , and also Laflin and Yates Developmental Controls for Jenkins Towns ip. were agreeable. yille Boroughs, if these boroughs ’■------ - �r 1 , the Townships of Fairview, Ricej S1 ,1a Borough and banning Tuning commissions toprepare to prepare cor^' hJuang0' -med l° cal.P lities an d to coordinate ^cipalities and coordmate the plans their mumoip Area. hensive plans for the the Mountain regional plan VA^oFjn^QD^^UTO-M2BiLjL TRANSPOBTA-----------------------. executives will be interested in the follc-„ °wing Public purchasing gent t0 the Mayor and City Commission — * of portions of a commU^Ca L Purchasing Agent Lloyd M. Head: Jackson, Michigan, by City ! attached information will permit you to study the 1,1 ^^rsure of the AMA specifications of thirty-eight models facts, at your lei duced by American manufacturers. >duced of passenger cars no p "These thirty-eight different models are produced on sixteen dif. ferent wheelbases and from this comparison it is quite obvious that there is norelation between the length of the wheelbase and the interior dimen. sions. "It is also clear that the price of a car has nothing to do with its passenger capacity when you notice that the $6,800 car has no more head or leg room than the $2, 000 car. "There are twenty-seven of the thirty-eight models or 71% of the cars that have headroom in the front seat of less than thirty-five inches or less. Exactly 50% of the models provide legroom in the front of fortyfour inches or less. : ;! i "The power factor is determined by a formula which gives an approximate indication of the acceleration and hill climbing ability of each model. The higher the figure, the better the power factor. Com­ parison of the power factor of a car selling from $4, 000 to $6800 shows that price is no indication of performance. The only conclusion that can e made from this comparison is that neither wheelbase nor high price is any proof of the actual transportation value of the present day auto. based on whe Teadily see that arbitrary arbitrary or artificial restrictions lationtoperfolma6 °ther factor that does not have a direct re- actually prevents °eS nOt lnsure anY added value to the City, possible in the purch fr°m takin§ advantage of the economies no doesnot seem logicatth tf *Ut°mobiles- I believe you can agree that lng for $7000 are not * dlmensions that are acceptable in a car sell" acceptable in a car selling for $2000. ^ts.concerning^he trtnltTf15 bUying Only transportation and °nly asing automobileSt " P T atlon value should be considered when P PENNSYLVAMAAGTWYAFFEGT DEbt LTMrrfl During the 1961 Pennsylvania legislature session an act V.X ’ was3 .adopted-which ultimately may have an effect on the debt limits of local ~U1 govgovernments in Pennsylvania (Act 398) The r new act amends the Municipal "mar- X „P to 2% ol the o! XX f” a'bt over ,hat ■» •“ “X of 7% of assessed valuation. Since assessed values are generally lower than market value, this would in some cases tend to inLease the debt limit as much as five times for general obligation debt, andon the aver­ age three times the current limitation. Using market value as a base the debt limit would be uniform throughout the state rather than varying from community to community, a situation that can can ~z.; now occur because of differing levels of assessment used by the communities, -... — It is reported that a test case of the new act in the courts has been arranged by the Pennsylvania Local Government Conference. Another amendment to the Municipal Borrowing Law (Act 368) is intended to make revenue bonds issued by local governmetns in the State more salable. The maximum term of the bonds was increased to 40 years or the life of the project, whichever is shorter, and permission was granted to sell such bonds at a discount. MUNICIPAL INDEBTEDNESS CLIMBS In the 15 years since the end of World War II, local government debt has climbed 37. 6%, from $13. 6 billion in 1946 to $51. 2 billion at the end of fiscal I960. Frederick L. Bird, until recently Director of Dun Bradstreet's Municipal Research Department, recently told the WALL STREET JOURNAL, "Local governments haven't begun to finance the improvements they need. The trend in local debt is up, and it is going to continue to be up for a long time to come. 11 Bond market analysts predict 1961 municipal bond sales will sur­ pass the $8 billion mark for the first time, exceeding last year' s $7. 2 bond underwriter, billion total by some 10%. According to one major i the issuance of state and local bonds has doubled since 1910 and is ex­ pected to approach $15 billion by the late I960 s. With many cities now approaching the statutory debt limits set »«. I„ lheit „,cal years ended in 1961, ,he '"‘fromlheStates from other governments, with $1.9 aid from other governments m fiscal 9 Tot” 45% over fiscal 1956. i �service, This News-letter, published monthly as a community College' originated in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes Institute Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, •Ivanin of Municipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsy. »> 3E $ Jtotiday tycttiinfys Mid test wishes fot the hew tyeaA- �I b. ■" I JS451 PkL9 v. lo 1961 c. 2 *he Luze. 1 I 5702? JSh51 57029 letter, PhL9 v. 10 1961 c. 2 The Luzerne County News-letter, HIE BI DATE I! il i JSU51 PULS V. .10 1961 c5 2 5702? �■ ■ ■ - � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletters and Institute for Regional Affair Newsletters, 1952-1975 Subject The topic of the resource Political Science; Luzerne County; Institute for Regional Affairs; Wyoming Valley Description An account of the resource A collection of newsletters created by the Political Science Department at Wilkes College from 1952-1975 for Luzerne County and later the Institute for Regional Affairs. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department (Hugo Mailey) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1952-1975 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletters Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletter, 1961 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1961 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletter https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/82667afc7ee0e472e9da69fb1d217c99.pdf a4c97a17d452092411d6797cc0a153ca PDF Text Text ��VOL- VIII NO. 1 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., JANUARY 15, 1959 . WHAT IS GOOD BUDGETING? Originally a budget was a leather pouch in which monies or other valuable's were carried or put for saf ekeeping. It is interesting to speculate on the gradual transition from the leather pouch or wallet to the meaning attached to the word "budget" today. In the expression "to budget time" even money or valuable goods has dropped out. The usual meaning of budget today comes through the great leather bag in which the King's Treasurer brought his documents of the country's needs and resources to the English Parliament. Today budgeting is the process by which the financial policy of a municipal government, including its monetary requirements, is formulated, adopted, and carried into effect. Municipal budgeting is common-place now, but it is of comparatively recent origin. A significant date in the rise of municipal budgeting is 1912. The major impetus for the growth of municipal budgeting has been undoubtedly the de­ sire to exercise better control of public monies. Important as is such control, good budgeting goes far beyond this limited objective. i • Municipal budgeting involves not only a document, but a whole series of steps that carry throughout the whole fiscal period. These steps are involved: 1. The formulation of the budget - the preparation of estimates and the framing of a financial plan. 2. The authorization of the budget - the legal adoption of the plan through an appropriate appropriation measure. 3. The execution of the budget - the carrying out of the plan as author­ ized through the measures of budget control. A fourth step is suggested by some - the accountability for the budget as executed - the audit and review of financial operations. Most municipalities have devised accounting systems that facilitate the assembly of data needed for the preparation of the uniform budget, appropria­ tion and financial reports required by the state. The budget has possibilities as a dynamic force for governmental planning, as a useful tool for programming muni­ cipal activities. I �Ts^$7 of # take advantage < . wel citizens jood thing. It may be oint. The fact that few th scale. Perhaps ■ this thispoint time. is 1 - - not necessarily a gbroad i is not necess could view municipal operations on a 1 functions which ope isures for.icipal expenditures for certain ’ ■; be les S i there might .ditur es at budget ti sacrificing other functions. Perhaps broached i -r other /V L- 1 v.g'? A good municipal budget is, above all, a plan for action during o the coming year It is not a static set of figures, nicely devised to balance neatly ---r— I W Ccdff. feVenues and expenditures. Rather is it a compelling program of decisions and actions affecting the lives of all the people who live, work , or visit within the boundaries of the municipality. Good budgeting is more truly the planning of the dumber, extent, and quality of the governmental services to be rendered in the coming year that it is the very necessary balancing of municipal income and outgo. - i Budget time is a decision-making time. Good budget information and good budget preparation are necessary if the members of the local legislative body are to make good decisions. It is probably only with the study of the bud­ get that local legislators can obtain an overall view of the workings of the whole governmental organization. It is probably only at budget time that they can see the needs of one department related to those of each department and to the needs of the municipality as a whole. Only then can emphases in municipal functions be recognized and sound decisions be made as to desirable shifts in emphases among the several functions. At other than budget time, attention is largely directed to details of this and that service, to the planning and carrying out of specific pro­ jects, and to the solution of rather narrow problems. Budget formulation, con­ sideration, and adoption provide the best overall planning time for legislators and administrators . Budget time is reappraisal time. It is a time to consider the adequacy of the various municipal operations. Comparison of a function's expenditures with those of other years, or with those of comparable municipalities, may provide some guide as to adequacy. Small appropriations are not necessarily signs of economical operations; they may merely indicate inadequacy of operations. Good budget information can be the basis for a review of the efficiency of work methods. Marked variations in unit costs from those of other years or of other jurisdictions are signposts to further investigations . Budget study should concern itself with a restudy of the organizational structure of the municipality. Did the existing organization just grow into its present form? Can it be simplified for more effective and efficient operations ? All personnel should be scrutinized during the preparation of the budget. Is each employee in the right spot? Can a better division of labor be made? Should a weak man be replaced? Is a new employee needed to make the organization click? Are employees being lost to private industry? Should changes be made in personnel policy regarding wages, vacations, sick leave, or pensions? Will inin­ service training bring better operations? Budget Budget time time is is a public-relations time, A good municipal budget can be a valuable aid in informing the citizen. He has the right of review and recom- taxes or new policies if the matters were policies obtained Y >od budget information or reports to back them up . rmation or to new Such uses of the budget and of budget time are not uncomrr gOI perhaps they are not common enough. Sometimes budgets are so usee Such uses sciously as the struggles to prepare and adopt a municipal budget pro they are better budgets will result and local government will be strengthened ii the of all concerned are directed deliberately to the positive objectives ol geting with which this article has dealt. LICENSE fees and SERVICE CHARGES Today local governments face a bigger task than, ever befo taining reveunes adequate to meet governmental costs. Many are and long-postponed public improvement programs . At the same time, the viding residents with new and expanded services -- garbage and ref us tion; parking accommodations; and water, while inflation has meant higher costs for taxes, the chief source of local revenues, underAct 481 often are inadequate to meet sewer, and other services labor and materials . Local and the new non-property t this demand for new funds . Regulation is the basis for licensing and the cost of such r is the historic reason for a license fee . But for many years , in many palities , license fees have returned monies well in excess of the cost volved and the surplus has been an accepted part of the general manic venue. Faced with the need income, mi need for for additional ; expanded li, icense system to satisfy a part of their . 0-1110 ip al iti e s busini satisfy a part of their needs r ess and amusement license fees because of the high• degree of They justify quired bbecause of iy general businesses and amusements in the police and fire traffic -f s ( control and parking; in highway construction and water, prot< sewer, and electrical facilities. maintenanc e; muniicipality ‘ It ^st try The must fit to its :licensing r ' eliminate ----- j inequalitie c°de to its cs betw'sen business own. loc --3 typeSj do aw ay �ipal budget is, above all, a static set of figures, nicel'- plan for action during the is . Rather is it a compellin; y devised to balance r5 of all the people who live, *ig program of decisions3.tly 3 th and iality. Good budgeting is rr work , or visit within quality of the governmental more truly the planning of e the very necessary balai 1 services to be rendered in .ncing of municipal income and ‘ a decision-making time. Good budget information and .re necessary if the members of the local legislative cis ions . It is probably only with the study of the bud­ can obtain an overall view of the workings of the whole n. It is probably only at budget time that they can see mt related to those of each department and to the needs hole. Only then can emphases in municipal functions be isions be made as to desirable shifts in emphases among other than budget time, attention is largely directed to twice, to the planning and carrying out of specific pro­ of rather narrow problems . Budget formulation, conrovide the best overall planning time for legislators and reappraisal time. It is a time to consider the adequacy perations. Comparison of a function's expenditures with ith those of comparable municipalities, may provide Small appropriations are not necessarily signs of jy may merely indicate inadequacy of operations. Good the basis for a review of the efficiency of work methods, costs from those of other years or of other jurisdictions vestigations . restudy of the organizational ould concern itself with a ga_nization just grow into its ty. Did the existing or_ efficient operations ? for more effective and mplified of the budget. Is each the preparation ru.tin.ized during of labor be made ? Should a division ? Can a better needed to make the organization a new employee industry? Should changes be made in lost to private , sick leave, or pensions ? Will ing wages , vacations 5r o-operations ? 1 public-relations time. A good municipal budget can ing the citizen. He has the right of review and recom- mendation at this point. The fact that few citi^enc j portunities at this time is not necessarily a «ood thine “ age °f their “Pths citizen to view municipal operations on a broad sells p’rttao '"th' m lower pressure, for expenditures lor certain function,' which oould'Xb”. obtained by sacr.f.cmg other functions. Perhaps there might be resistance t0 now taxes or now polm.es if the matter, were broached at budget t.m. wS good budget information or reports to back them up. 8 Such uses of the budget and of budget time are not uncommon, but perhaps they are not common enough. Sometimes budgets are so used subcon­ sciously as the struggles to prepare and adopt a municipal budget progress. But better budgets will result and local government will be strengthened if the attention of all concerned are directed deliberately to the positive objectives of good bud­ geting with which this article has dealt. LICENSE FEES AND SERVICE CHARGES Today local governments face a bigger task than ever before in ob­ taining reveunes adequate to meet governmental costs. Many are undertaking long-postponed public improvement programs . At the same time, they are pro­ viding residents with new and expanded services -- garbage and refuse collec­ tion; parking accommodations; and water, sewer, and other services. Mean­ while inflation has meant higher costs for labor and materials. Local property taxes, the chief source of local revenues, and the new non-property taxes allowed underAct 481 often are inadequate to meet this demand for new funds. Regulation is the basis for licensing and the cost of such regulation is the historic reason for a license fee. But for many years, in many munici­ palities, license fees have returned monies well in excess of the costs in­ volved and the surplus has been an accepted part of the general municipal re­ venue . Faced with the need for additional income, municipalities look to an expanded license system to satisfy a part of their needs . They justify the general business and amusement license fees because of the high degree of services re­ quired by general businesses and amusements in police and fire protection; in traffic control and parking; in highway construction and maintenance; and in water, sewer, and electrical facilities . The municipality must fit its licensing code to its own local problems. It must try to eliminate inequalities between business types, do away with 5584.0 ! �C'i regressive rates, establish a flexible rate structure to take care of changing business conditions, examine long-run implications of the proposed license structure, and anticipate administrative difficulties. Before revising its licensing system, the municipality should deter­ mine its legal power to license. Then it should decide whether or not it de­ sires revenue as well as regulation from its rate structure. It should make a list of all establishments in the community that can be licensed. Finally the municipality should decide on the types of license fees and taxes it wishes to have and the appropriate rate structure for each type. There are many bases for levying fees and taxes. What base to use for a given type of business will, of course, depend upon local conditions and the classes of business being regulated. Some of the common bases for li­ cense fees includes: (1) type of occupation; (2) value of goods, stocks, or in­ ventories on hand as of a certain date, or the value of the average stock within a given period; (3) rental value of premise occupied; (4) amount of street frontage; (5) amount of floor or ground space; (6) seating capacity; (7) number of rooms or units; (8) number of units of some essential equip­ ment; (9) number of employees; (10) number of salesmen; (11) number of com­ panies represented; (12) amount of fee or admission price charged; (13) volume of purchases; (14) volume of gross receipts; (15) amount of invested capital; (16) volume of actual production , productive capacity of plant, or kind of and size of product produced. (to be continued in the next issue) I THOUGHTS FOR TODAY If you've made up your mind that you can't do something - you're absolutely right. Politics is like roller skating; you go partly where you want to go> and partly where the darn things take you. PUBLICATION 1 This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. FFR 25 VOL. Vin NO. 2 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., FEBRUARY 15, 1959 LICENSE FEES AND SERVICE CHARGES ( Continued from previous issue ) Charges for muncipal services are taking a more important position in local finances with each passing year. Charges most common are for garbage and refuge collection, for fire protection outside municipal bounderies, for sewer rentals, and assessments for special purposes. The idea is that many services, once paid from general funds are now charged those who receive the service. The use of service charges for refuse collection and disposal is growing. There are advantages to the use of the service charge for refuse collection and disposal over and beyond the revenues to be obtained. The service charge can be related directly to the service given. General fund money is released for other functions . Of course, there will be criticism. Many citizens may feel that cer­ tain services such as garbage and refuse collection are a rightful function of local government. If a municipality makes charges for any service, a complete list of payers must be prepared for use in billing and enforcement. In the case of garbage and refuse collection such a list should include the names of all tenants (whether property owners or not), address, and classification of property (residential or commercial). Many local units of government set up a service charge system for residential property only. Commercial establishments must find their own methods of collection and disposal. A separate accounting fund should be established for each service. Either the secretary or treasurer can be designated the collector of the revenue, so long as the billing is done from a central office. Some times the bill for the rental or service accompanies the tax bill. Billing can be done annually, semi-annually, quarterly, or monthly, depending on the service. No council or board should change from a policy wherein a service has been financed from the general fund to a policy wherein the service will be financed from charges or fees without careful study of comparative costs and without completely informing the general Public. �SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCE Since September 30, 1958 local police officers are no longer entitled to a special income tax deduction of up to five dollars a day for statitory subsistence allowances granted in 1954 under Section 120 of the Internal Revenue Code. That part of the Code was repealed by Congress. Apolice officer may exclude from allowances received from January 1 through September 30, 1958. He may still, however, deduct such travel expenses and subsistence costs to which he is entitled under general income tax regulation. ACT 481 Political subdivisions may legally tax certain amusements and not tax other amusements. Local governments have a wide discretion to classify for tax purposes under Act 481. Any challenge to a tax ordinance or resolution under Act 481 based on the uniformity provision of the Pennsylvania Constitution is not likely to be successful. This <’ . _1_ also apply to second class ' decision would townships which have the power to tax under Act 430. (Coe V. Duffield, Pa. Superior Court, 1958) by Public Administration Service for the Sacramento Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee. The basic recommendation of the report was for con­ solidation of the city and county government (involving absorption of smaller municipalities within Sacramento County) under a home rule "metropolitan charter" for the new government. The repository of local legislative powers would be the 11-member Metropolitan Council. Six members of this body would be selected at large, and five elected to represent each of the five boroughs proposed for the consolidated jurisdictions. The boroughs would have elected councils serving as a tie with the Metropolitan Council, as administrative districts, and possibly as areas of extra ____________ local services. Also suggested \ra.s :riCL», o-m-x _ ______ . _____ oc» establishment of differentials in taxation and in services by division of the the c cons olidated territory into zones of "urban" and "rural" territory, proceeding via (1) a carefully written charter provision that would define what constitutes urban and rural territory and would justify added urban taxes to meet the costs of added urban services; and/or (2) ;a state permissive law allowing a city-county charter to contain such a tax: differential for urban services if protected by adequate safeguards. L E GIS LAT ION AFFECTING BOROUGHS URBAN RENEWAL INCREASES REVENUE I! Cities participating in urban renewal projects stand to reap benefits of increased tax yields. These increased yields will enable the municipal govern­ ments to pay off construction costs within relatively short periods of time. New Haven, Connecticut, will put $575,000 into its Oak Street project and revenues will increase $375,000 annually. The tax yield in Sacramento, California, will increase $300,000 a year through urban renewal. Ten projects in New York City will cost $29,965,000 and return a tax of $3,700,000 annually. At that rate the total cost can be written off in seven years. The picture is clear. Therefore Congress ought to be urged to recognize the long­ term needs of urban renewal and authorize a ten year program for its accomplish­ ment. Local officials ought to also urge Congress to amend Section 701 of the Housing Act of 1954 to (1) make planning assistance matching grants available to cities of less than 50,000 instead of limiting the aid to cities of less than 2 5,000, (2) increase the fund authorization for the planning program. SACRAMENTO Considerable attention 1 has been attracted to Sacramento a 1957 report on "The Government' i of Metropolitan Sacram as a result of ento " developed A proposal, approved by the Local Government Commission, and not sponsor ed by the Association of Pennsylvania Boroughs, would amend the Third Class City Code to permit a borough to be annexed to a city if the borough council passes an ordinance after three-fifths of the taxable inhabit­ ants present a petition accompanied by written consent of a majority in numbers and interest of property owners of the borough asking for such annexation. It should be understood that the Local Government Commission consideration and approval precedes the introduction (or possible introduction) of a bill before the legislature. DELAWARE COUNTY COOPERATION Delaware County Commissioners recently created a County Disposal The The new department is to take the place of the Delaware county Tentative plans call for the issuance of bonds to Department. Incenerator Authority, ,tz~3 to serve every municipality in the finance the building of three incinerators ’ ’ • incinerator plan will be more efficient and county. It is felt that number a county-wide i of smaller ones. Also, the disposal problem less expensive than a i*---- individual in the county and not just isolated local is one which affects every cooperation of every community in units and will, therefore, call for the Delaware County. �LOCAL UNITS COOPERATE Ten. communites in the Harrisburg area recently held a joint meeting to discuss a very acute problem common to all. Seven boroughs and three townships located on the west shore of the Susquehanna, directly opposite Harrisburg, are faced with a serious problem of garbage and refuse disposal In an effort to remedy the situation, the ten municipalities are jointly investi­ gating the problem and discussing the several courses of action open to them. Individuals experienced in the various methods of disposal were invited to appear at the meeting and presented films and short talks on various aspects of the disposal problem. t 1 The West Shore Chamber of Commerce made a study of the disposal situation in the ten communities . In its report on the problem, copies of which were distributed at the meeting, the Chamber concluded that the immediate solution to the problem lies in the establishment of a sanitary landfill for the area. The report also suggested that a joint collection scheme be instituted in the ten communites. Such a : " x. --------------------------------- lusiuuiea system, they point out, would provide for efficient systematic, regulated, and economical1 operation u rather than the piecemeal approach now in effect. VIn NO. 3 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., MARCH 15. 1959 VOL- VEHICLE USE STUDY Six out of every ten gainfully employed Pennsylvanians use private automobiles to get to and from work, according to a Vehicle Use Study prepared bu the Depart­ ment of Highways planning division in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Riblic Roads. Nearly 23 percent of gainfully employed residents of the Keystone State use public transportation--largely buses--for conveyance to their jobs, while 14.5 per­ cent walk. Eighteen percent of workers in cities with more than 25,000 population (excluding Philadelphia and Pittsburgh) are conveyed to their jobs by public transpor­ tation facilities . Use of cars to get to work is more important in cities of more than 100,000 pop­ ulation than in cities of 25,000 to 100,000 population. In the former 64 percent use cars and in the latter 57 percent. In places of under 25,000 population, the lower the population, the higher the proportion of auto users. Two - thirds of suburban — _ make their way to their jobs in cars, One-forth use public transit fringe weUse of.autos to carry nonnio people tr> to work work as as n; passengers rather than as drivers facilities . is most common in communities nf fewer than 1,000 communities of fewer than 1,000 persons. persons. In those places almost to work by car do so as passengers. one-third of employed persons getting SECOND CLASS TOWNSHIP The officers of the Second Class Townships Association in Luzerne Coui are: President-Arthur Smith, Kingston; First Vice-President-Alan Major; Lehman; Second Vice-President-Fred Kendiz; Secretary-Clark Rinehimer, Dorrance. THOUGHTS FOR TODAYSome workers make use of their opportunities; others seem to create a lack of them. Lots of parents take their kids to the circus and send them to Sunday School. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Tll.es LiO ' College. Notes and inquiries Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. HARVEY VS ALLEGHENY COUNTY RETIREMENT BOARD The Supreme Court ruled that once a member of a retirement system for public employees has complied with all the conditions necessary to receive a retirement allowance, he connot be affected adversely by later legislation changing the terms of a retirement contract. Employees who have not become eligible to retirement allowances may be affected adversely by changes in the law only if such changes enhance the actuarial soundness of the retirement fund. Increasing the minimum age for retirement would enhance the actuarial soundness of the fund, and, therefore, present employes may be compelled to work for a longer period of years than wouxd have been the case had the law not been changed. On the other hand, a new require­ ment restricting the kind of employment to be engaged in by retired persons does not enhance the actuarial soundness of the fund, hence would not apply to persons who were members of the fund before the change in in the the law law.. DAHL VS WOOSTER ' ' ■ : collector, the Borough of Ellwood City To fill a vacancy in the office of tax elector of the Borough, who took the oath of appointed the plaintiff, a qualified cl-cT �office and made a written request to the school board to fix his bond, The sehool board, however, appointed the defendant as collector of school taxes, Fonowi this action of quo warranto,the court ruled in favor of the plaintiff and ousted the defendant as collector of school taxes. The court stated that the intent of the law is that the borough tax collector whether elected by the voters or appointed to fill a vacancy, is to collect school taxes as well as borough taxes. The only circumstances under which the school district is authorized to appoint its own tax collector is when the person elected or appointed as borough tax collector fails to furnish proper bond within the time limit set out in the law. In this instance, the plaintiff's failure to furnish bond was only because he was prevented from doing so by the failure of the school board to fix his bond following his written request. White Haven, Conyngham, New Columbus, Dallas, Avoca, Yatesville, West Wyoming’ Highestown, Exeter, Duryea, Courtdale, Wyoming, Edwardsville, Laflin. Ashley, Plains Township, Luzerne, and Newport Township. BOROUGHS ASSOCIATION The following are the 1959 officers of the Luzerne County Boroughs Association: —-j,, President, Forty-Fort; John Mizin, Vice President, West Wyoming; Alan " Bare • ’ — Nicholoson, Vice President, White Haven; Brinley Crahall, Secretary, Luther L------ Courtdale; and George Weiskerger, Treasurer, West Pittston. REAL ESTATE TAX SALE LAW LIQUID FUELS TAX A discussion of liquid fuels tax distributions was led by John T. Corrigan, Field Auditor, Liquid Fuels Tax Department of the State Highway Department, at the last dinner meeting of local government officials at the Commons on the Wilkes College Campus. Mr. Corrigan established the Department in 1956 and is in charge of the field auditors. In his talk before about 7 5 local officials, Mr. Corrigan explained the allocation to municipalities in the State of the thirty million dollars on the basis of population and mileage. Each municipality receives two hundred and ninty-seven dollars for each mile of improved streets and one dollar and eleven cents per person. In order to be eligible for the money, a municipality must set up expenditures for road work. The report must list the expenditures. All the money received may be used for maintenance if all the roads in a town are improved as determined by highway engineers, otherwise twenty-five percent of the allocation must be used for new construction. Curbs and drainage are considered new construction if all the roads are improved. If the "new construction money" is not used within two years, the money reverts back to the Highway Fund, and the municipality is penalized next year by receiving that much less money. The local officials should emcumber the "new construction money" for a job even though they may rewrite it for another construction. The idea is to encumber one year to receive the money next year. Relaying storm lines and snow removal are considered maintenance. Cinder removal in the spring is not considered maintenance. A two inch roll with bituminous is con­ sidered maintenance. If oil and chips raises the type of road, it is new construc­ tion; otherwise, it is maintenance. SURRENDER OF HEALTH FUNCTION The ffollowing municipalities in Luzerne County have voluntarily relinquished their health function a to the State Department of Health: Nuangola, Laurel Run, Recognizing the inequities in delinquent tax procedure, the State in 1947 passed Real Estate Tax Sale Law. This law consolidates all delinquent real estate the claims throughout a county in one agency--the Tax Claim Bureau. It eliminates tax the accumulation of delinquent taxes, and the two year redemption period after a tax sale. It also makes it possible to convey a clear title to the purchase at a tax sale. The property owner has at least two years from the date tax was first due before any property can be sold for unpaid taxes. One sale procedure is provided by the Tax Claim Bureau. The law benefits municipalities in a county in the accelerated collection of delinquent real estate taxes without working undue hardship on the delinquent property owner. It has reduced the amount of delinquent real estate taxes heretofore accumulated through liens filed with the prothonotary. The end result should increase the total tax yield for properties> are continuously on the assessment and tax rolls. The provision for conveying a clear c----- — title does attract purchasers to tax sales. By transferring non-tax paying properties; to the current is converted tax rolls in the hands of responsible taxpayers, a delinquent tax liability lie1- into a tax revenue. plains township decided to adopt an ordinance At a meeting of the Board of Commissioners it was r at the ‘1 percentt rate. It was to impose a real estate transfer tax in the township will be realized from this estimated that approximately two thousand dollars -source and will be used to increase wages of township employees■ .. The tax was necessary in view of the fact that the board had to relinquish to the t..- school board dollars and fifty cents per two dollars and fifty cents from the township seven capita tax. �NANTICOKE Nanticoke probably will match the $ 320,000 redevelopment grant from the State Housing and Redevelopment division with services. The city can provide the equivalent in new sewers, lighting, street paving and similar services. EDWARDSVILLE President Judge John J. Aponick confirmed nisi a report of a three man commission which recommended the abolishment of all the ward lines in the borough. There are not seven wards in the borough. The commission stated, "It is the opinion of this commission that the affirmation of this recommendation will suit the convenience of the inhabitants of the Borough and the interest of the taxpayers property owners and residents." TERM OF OFFICE Borough secretaries and treasurers are no longer to be elected every biennium but, along with all other officers and employees appointed by the borough council, are to have indefinite terms of office subject to removal by the council. Act 194, approved June 20, 1957 amends Section 1001 and clause I of Section 1005 of Borough Code. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY A woman may be outspoken, but seldom by her husband. Liquor makes you see double and act s ingle. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. '■- j flPP 27 toro VOL. VIII NO. 4 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., APRIL 15, 1959 the dinner The Seventh Annual Dinner of the Luzerne County Local officials group will be held at the Wilkes College Commons on Wednesday, May 6, 1959 at 6:30 p.m. The speaker will be an old friend to many local officials in this area, Dr. Harold Alderfer, presently Deputy Secretary of Public Instruction. This will be a gala occasion for the local officials in Luzerne County. This meeting really brings to a climax the activities in local government in this area. Certificates will be awarded to township supervisors and school directors who have completed a prescribed course. Awards are made to local officials who have served faith­ fully in their communities. Make your reservations early. REVISED DEBT LIMITS Debt limits based on market value was part of a report recently presented to the Governor and to the General Assembly by the Pennsylvania Commission on Constitutional Revision. The Commission, appointed by former Governor Leader and by the General Assembly to study and recommend changes in the State Constitution of 1874, proposed 20 major changes. The Constitution now stipulates that the limit of councilmanic or non-electoral debt is two per cent of the assessed value of the taxable real estate of the munici­ pality, with an additional five per cent allowed after a favorable vote of the people. The Constitutional Revision Commission recognized the inequities of basing debt limits on assessed valuation and recommended that market value be used instead. The Commission stated that the change would permit " a municipal subdivision to relate its debt to its real ability to repay its obligations-- market value of taxable property." --1 no constitutional limit be placed The Commission also recommended that created with the approval of the electorate, on the amount of debt which can be add additional limitations or restrictions , but that the General Assembly may both on councilmanic or electoral debt. Further recommended changes would authorize the General Assembly to apportion authorized borrowing power among the political subdivisions, which means that the legislature may set a total debt limit for an area and assign a percentage of the limit to the municipality, the school district, the county and the institutional district. �The new section would also prohibit further use "of <authority financing whi^ depends on general revenues under a lease or other arrangement, " but would provide that any debts incurred for self-liquidation projects such as s ewage disposal plants where the cost of the plant will be paid through sewer charges not be included within the debt limitations . It was felt by the Commission that these changes would eliminate the inequities of the current debt law, provide means of giving the municipalities the added borrowing power that is so urgentl needed without forcing them to resort to authority financing. WHAT IS A SUPERVISOR ? Reprint From Township Supervisor 1I I Strange as it may seem supervisors are human, Just like the rest of us they eat breakfast, sleep in a bed and most of them brush their teeth, In fact until a certain election day came along they were one of us . Many in this part of the country are males, although they do not have to be. They come in various sizes . This sometimes depends on whether you are looking for or trying to avoid one. Most of them have homes , all covered with roses and mortgages . If he drives a big car he's a chiseler; a little car, "who's he kidding." His credit should be good because his salary isn't. Figuring what little recompense he gets compared to the hours put in and it is only pennies . The supervisor is a 'meeting man'. He puts in endless hours and many nights of meetings. Although some will be enjoyed others must be endured. When he gets to all the meetings his family wants to know when he is going to move home again. When he misses some the public says he is neglecting his duty. If he can help you he is a good egg. When he helps the other fellow he is in a clique. If he trys to take care of a ticket for you, he wants your vote. If he refuses , he only plays politics with the other fellows . When he makes a mistake "he's a grafter and that goes for the rest of them,too." When he withstands pressure, he is stubborn; if he gives in, he is a push over. No matter what decision, he makes he will be ace high to some and a dirty double crosser to others. He gives long hours, thinks wide and his answers must have depth. To many he is a game, to see how many of his faults can be found. He has some. He also has some good points , but if they are found nobody lets on. The supervisor continually hums the song, "Yield Not to Temptation." Not so much to resist bribes but to refuse unwarranted favors from deserving friends. To last , a supervisor must have integrity. If he has he will face even complex problems, straight forward without putting off or side stepping. He will stand win ctmeTrst^H dlSre8ard Political reaction, as community welfare or ^01^0^ hZ B Ve T tO the deservinS without respect of person or political party. He will work without recompense- he will tot i „ithoul ,evenge, vA11 acknowledge So you see a supervisor has to be a real softie, toughie, as wise as Solomon and hope he has no babies to divide, spread himself thin to reach all constituents, yet be able to lump up when there is a warranted need; say a sympathic "no" and a good many yeses, but to live in a glass house with some loose stones handy just in case. Why does a man want to be a supervisor? The reason must be a noble one or else has been disillusioned. It is interesting work. He will have the satisfaction of knowing the municipal government is run honestly and he will have a feeling of having done his part to make his community a better place to live. If with a deflated ego, a flat pocketbook and stooped shoulders, the supervisor can still take punishment and runs for re-election, one of the most rewarding things that could happen to him would be for him to receive your vote. REFUSE COLLECTORS PROVIDE CLEAN CANS A new refuse collection plan which has been in operation in Nottingham, England, deserves a try on this side of the Atlantic, too. The collector takes an empty refuse can to a house, leaves it, and picks up the filled container which he empties into the waiting collection truck. So far, this sounds familiar, but now he inserts a power-driven bristle brush which is installed under the truck and scours out the can with disinfectant. This clean container is then taken to the next house and the filled container picked up. By this process the collector makes only one trip to each house and in each places a clean, disinfected garbage can. A simple ordinance and small fee could accomplish this here in many of our towns. EXPLRATION OF COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP The term of office of members of borough council expires at 8:00 p.m. on the first Monday of January next succeeding the municipal election. This is the opinion of the Department of Justice, which was written by Deputy Attorney General Harrington Adams in the early part of 1958. This information was requested by Miss Genevieve Blate, Secretary of Internal Affairs, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to determine whether the action of a borough council in over-riding the burgess' veto was legal. Members of the borough council had voted between 7:30 and 7:50 on that Monday evening, just a few minutes before the deadline. �(twenty VOL. VIII. NO. 5 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., MAY 15, 1959 A A legal legal opinion opinion on the exact time at which borough councilmen s terms of office expire was necessary since the fate of a bond issue hinged on determining the legality of the councilmen's vote in over-riding the burgess' veto. All bond issues must be approved by the Secretary of Internal Affairs and her decision to approve or disapprove the issue in the case in question was based on establishing the validity of the vote of the borough council members . PAVING LIEN Nanticoke City Council has written off paving liens totaling $72,552. 93 and therein lies a story. The money can't be collected and members of the body know it. They are simply getting down to earth in preparation for the time when the city debt will be eliminated. It seems the paving liens were improperly filed when the work was done more than three decades ago . In spite of this , howe ver , each succeeding ad­ ministration continued to list the item as an asset and, making matters worse , even borrowed against it. It won't be possible in the future. As a result of the cut, the City's 1959 budget is finally free of fat. There is no need for additional loans so municipal assets are no longer inflated. The paving liens listed at $73,552.93 only a year ago, now have a more realistic value of $1,000. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY A public official is a man who can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but not his private secretary. Hors epower was much safer when only the horses had it. PUBLICATION This News-letter LOOKING AHEAD FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT The speaker at the Seventh Annual Dinner of Luzerne County Local Officials, held at Wilkes College, was Dr. Harold F . Alderfer, Deputy Super­ intendent of Public Instruction, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A part of the message that he gave to local officials follows in abbreviated form. "After more than a quarter of century of work with Pennsylvania local government, I have come up with one deeply-rooted, rock-bound belief -that local government is linked to human freedom, and that when one grows the other grows with it, and when one goes , the other goes along with it down the road to oblivion. To me, the highest good is freedom; I want it for myself, I want it for all people - all over the world. But we must constantly work for it. When we have freedom we can live the best life our human and natural resources will allow. We may not be rich, but we won't starve, we won’t lack shelter and we will have as much as it is possible to have because when we all have freedom we will help each other and that is the central motivation of every com­ munity . "But, in our day, local government is being challenged as never before by big government, both state and national. We must admit that local government here in our own state as well as in the nation, and in fact all over the world, has exhibited some glaring weaknesses. It needs to be modernized. It needs freedom of action, increased powers and more revenue. It needs to be geographically adjusted to the tremendous changes which have come about. "Its present weaknesses are what enemies of local government parade to the public. They say, 'Look, local government is ox-cart. It can’t do the things that must be done. It does not have trained p ersonnel, its umts are too small, it lacks money. Let the state or the national government take over. They have what is necessary.' "And then some of our local government officials, looking at their own inadequate resources reply, 'Sure, take over. Local government costs us too much money. We can't find more money; we can't raise our assesse va na­ tions . We cannot inaugurate new taxes. Our people won t go a ong. ey not elect us and they will hate us .' �"The state and national governments have been whittling away at such functions , once entirely local, as highways , police, health, education, public assistance, welfare, housing - in fact in almost everything except fire protection. And why not fire protection? I have an idea that the volunteer fire departments have a lot to do with that . They have numbers , they have citizen members, they have local interest, they are inactive. They make fire protec­ tion fun as well as useful. The climate of fire protection is not dull like that of most local functions. "So we must help local government to be strong. The state govern­ ment through the General Assembly and the Governor mustgive it more power, more financial resources, more flexibility, more modern ways of doing things, up-to-date machinery. Local government law must reflect the best possibili­ ties, the legal shackles and restraints must be lifted. State departments can help through various kinds of advice and assistance. But again, it must be said, the real job must be done at home. "Let's take a look at the most pressing problems of the anthra­ cite region. I would like to suggest a few ideas along this line, knowing all the while that I am an outsider with little detailed knowledge of the community. But this sometimes has a few advantages and I am willing to take advantage of them for the good of the order. "First, I would like to see some functions of the state govern­ ment decentralized and some of the offices set up in the anthracite region. There are about 65,000 employees in the government of the Commonwealth, most of them in the Harrisburg area. It is increasingly difficult to get persons who are qualified for various positions in the lower salary echelons to come to Harrisburg, and to live there and survive economically. They could do better living nearer home. Many of them now drive from the lower anthracite region to Harrisburg every day to the detriment both of their health and their work. The increased possibilities of decentralization should be explored. "Second, I would like to see the entire anthracite region united in an organization designed for and with full power to work towards improved economic conditions of the whole area. Such an ; authority should be established by state law, given an appropriation to get under _• of residents appointed by the Governor on the r"' way, be governed by a board recommendation of the various occupational, professional and industrial organizations of the a capable staff appointed on the basis of merit, and given full region, have powers to seek all available means to do better economically, to utilize existing resources, acquire property and even to set up new industries if resources to are available. "One word must be said about the place of local government in such a picture. ocal units would remain as they are, they would cooperate together through such an Authority. They would carry on their present functions with their present resources, but they would receive aid and assistance from the Anthracite Authority when requested and where possible. " SERVICE AWARDS These awards were presented to the following people: Roy Andrews, Shickshinny; Miner Aylesworth, Ross Township; Miss Bertha Blakeslee, Buck Township; Peter Chronowski, Wyoming Borough; Mrs. Burt Durland, West Pittston Borough; Mayor Frank E. Kielar, Nanticoke; Ceola Kishbaugh, Nescopek Borough; George Kohl, Laurel Run Borough; Raymond E. Kresge, Bear Creek Township; John A. Learn, Dennison Township; Michael Mastroianni, Wilkes-Barre City; Howard Perry, Exeter Township; JohnRoskos, Rice Town­ ship; George Sobeck , Jr. , Luzerne Borough; William J. Storm, White Haven Borough; Michael Sunder, Hazle Township; William Thomas, Fairview Town­ ship; John Wawryzn, Sugar Notch Borough; Harvey VanFossen, Dorrance Town­ ship; Harry Bogart, Kingston Township; and Allan Sachs, Wright Township. SCHOOL DIRECTORS CERTIFICATES The following people received Public Service Institute Certificates: Peter F . Albano, McAdoo; William H. Clewell, Dallas; John Contrady, McAdoo; Alvin H. Cunfer, Butler; William E. Davis, Dallas; Allen Feinberg, WilkesBarre; Carrol Hansen, Fairview; William J. Hodakowski, Edwardsville; Alphonse J. Hozempa, Edwardsville; H. Merritt Hughes, Wilkes-Barre; Frank J. Jagodinski, Plains; Richard H. Kerschner, Butler; U. Craig Peters, Wilkes-Barre; Willard Reese, Wyoming; Louis M. Sauers, McAdoo; Moderno D. Sciamanna, Conyngham; Floyd S. Siegfried, Wilkes-Barre; Julius A. Skwayek, Conyngham; Mrs. Harriet Stahl, Dallas; Girard G. Stish, Hazleton; Raymond W. Tubridy, Wilkes-Barre; Albert C. Wagner, Butler; J. Stuart Weiss, Kingston; Mrs. Volma Whitesell, Hunlock Creek; and Russell Worrall, Hunlock Creek. TOWN SHIP SUPERVISORS The following people received Public Service Institute Certificates: Daniel Bafunno, Dorrance; Otto Biery, Lake; Stephen Bodnar, Salem; Harry Bogart, Kingston; Keith Bonham, Hunlock; Adam Crahall, Bear Creek; Mason Davenport, Hunlock; William Fink, Hunlock; E. Cleaver Geist, Salem; Otto Good, Hollenback; Walter Hoover, Lake; Edward Jeffrey, Jackson; William Jenkins, Fairmont; George Kemezis, Jenkins; Lloyd Kishbaugh, �Salem; E. Raymond Kresge, Bear Creek; Wesley Lamoreaux, Jackson; Arlie MacDougall, Salem; Jacob D. Martz, Huntington; Harold R. Maye, Lake; Calvin McHose, Lake; Charles B. Mowery, Lake; Thomas Murphy, Bear Creek; Howard Perry, Exeter; Howard Piatt, Lake; Steve Radonavitch Jackson; Reynold Rehn, Wright; Edgar Ridall, Huntington; Clark Rinehirner Dorrance; Keith Rinehirner, Dorrance; Michael Semyon, Jenkins; Warren Scott, Exeter; DonaldSmith, Wright; Paul Smith, Exeter; Carl Swanson, Lake; Bruce Thomas, Salem; Sharon Whitesell, Lake; Fred Wolfe, Hollenback; Leroy Zeigler, Kingston. 75th BIRTHDAY A huge celebration is in the plann ng to celebrate the 75th anni­ versary of Edwardsville Borough which was incorporated June, 1884. The clebration is being planned by off.cials and organizations throughout the town. tetter VOL.VIII- NO. 6 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., JUNE 15, 1959 • • 'J consolidation' ?< Jb ■ 2 2 i.’bS < Consolidation of Wilkes-Barre and Plains, Hanover, and WilkesBarre Barre Townships (First Class) went down to a crushing defeat on primary elec­ tion day at the hands of voters of the three townships, while in the city the vote was overwhelming in favor of the proposals. Annexation Edwardsville Borough, which was named after Dnaiel Edwards, early resident, has a colorful history. Prior to 1884 the land wh.ch consti­ tuted the incorporated borough of Edwardsville consisted of certain sections of two townships , Kingston Township and Plymouth Township. I REALTY TRANSFER TAX Six Luzerne County communities so far this year have imposed a realty transfer tax to bring to 22 the number which now re :quire payment of such tax. li The municipal tax, which is one per cent in all cases, except for Hazleton City, which requires payment of a realty transfer tax of three-tenths of one per cent, is in addition to the one per cent State Realty Transfer Tax. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY If you want a youthful figure , ask a woman her age . No one but a convict likes to be interrupted in the middle of a sentence. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in. the J.j Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries rmay , be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Ma.ley, Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes Coll -- —-lege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Wilkes-Barre Township Wilkes-Barre City on Wilkes-Barre Township Plains Township Wilkes-Barre City on Plains Township Hanover Township Wilkes-Barre City on Hanover Township Yes 340 10,233 789 9,608 1,122 9,621 NO 1,107 1,732 2,812 1,674 3,815 1,645 That such a decision must be accepted without rancor goes without saying. That is the American way. Consolidation is one of a set of 8 or 10 solutions to metropolitan problems. Of the various plans for meeting the govern­ mental problems of metropolitan areas, only three’are sufficiently comprehensive to afford permanent relief on a large scale. Consolidation is one of these three. A lengthy study of all possible solutions must precede acceptance of any one of them for our particular area. Moreover, an understanding of the basic reasons for the movement of people out of our cities is most important. Because many people lack that understanding, few know the "metropolitan problem. The real job necessary to develop integration in American metropolitan areas in the foreseeable future is education. Above all, there is the need to foster a feeling of unity within the entire metropolitan area that will aid in bringing about the urge to make the necessary improvements that are so urgently needed. new town hall obtained court approval yesterday Fairview Township supervisors , Mountaintop, for $6,400, the to purchase property at 144 North Main Street Premises to be used as a Town Hall. 'I 1 �The building, the supervisors noted, would supplant the munici­ pality's present town hall which is old, of frame construction and in need of considerable repairs and maintenance. Petition of the supervisors also pointed out the present township building is no longer adequate in size or facilities due to tremendous increase in new residences, business and industrial establishments and the large growth of population within its borders. The supervisors also noted the present structure can be sold at public sale and the proceeds applied on the purchase price of the new property. SALE OF ZONING RIGHTS FOR PARKING The Lower Merion Township of Pennsylvania has come up with a plan to share the costs for off-street parking, required under their zoning law, between the municipality and the benefitted merchants. Under the plan, the Township will accept contributions toward the cost of municipal off-street parking facilities and, in return, will issue to the contributor Certificates of Participation which will be acceptable in lieu of off-streetparking required under the zoning ordinance, at such time as the contributor chooses to remodel, expand, or rebuild. The contribution required for each certificate will equal one half the average cost per car space. Highlights of the plan include: - A policy is established that parking funds will be used in any area on an equal matching basis; - Certificates of Participation are prepared for parking spaces with the price based on one half the average cost per space; -Certificates are offered for sale and for a period of a year are limited to persons with an interest in property within 300 geet of the parking lot; -The number of certificates are limited to the number of spaces required under zoning if the private building were constructed today; - Certificates may be issued in return for land dedicated and ac­ cepted as part of the parking system, on the basis of one certificate for 150 square feet of land accepted; - Certificates are 1transferrable between individuals until such time as they have been used in lieu of ~ required off-street parking for new construction, expansion or change of use; -Parking meters or other means of charging can be used to cover the municipal cost. Municipalities requiring off-street parking under 5 may find that the Zoning Certificate plan provides a solution tozoning r ordinances older downtown areas , and enable them to compete with suburban o revitalize the centers. —a shopping COOPER, APPELLANT, V. READING In, Cooper, Appellant, v- Reading the city was held liable for the , o f two children by drowning in a pool formed by the discharge of storm death ■ S3 water mto the bed of an abandoned canal. The city had obtained an drainage asement permitting it to discharge storm water into the canal in 1911, while eathe c anal was still a navigable waterway. At that time the water was carried off as part of the overflow of the canal. The pool is shallow around the edge, but near the center the constant flow of water from the city's outlet pipe eroded the former canal bed and caused the formation of a hole about 16 feet deep. For many years, children in the neighborhood used the pool for swimming in the summer and sliding in the winter. The area was unfenced and easily accessi­ ble to children. No attempt had been made to block access to the pool, even after the drowning of a child three years before the death of the Cooper children. In the lower court,the verdict of the jury was in favor of the plain­ tiffs, but the court set aside the award and entered judegment n.o.v. in favor of the city. The Supreme Court reversed the judgement in favor of the city and reinstated the verdict of the jury awarding damages to the parents of the drowned children. The Supreme Court ruled that the city, through its easements, completely controlled the land on which the pool was located. Therefore, it must be held to the duties of a possessor of land, as to the responsibility of guarding against injury to trepassing children. In this particular situation, factors making the city responsible included the following, (1) There is little doubt that the city knew or should have known that the pool was a place where children were likeunreasonable risk to trespassing childly to trespass. (2) The pool involved an of shallowness around the edges, with ren because of its deceptive appearance no indication of the deep hole in the middle. (3) The pool was of no use to the city, and the danger could have been eliminated by the city with little effort or expense. as being without merit, the city's argument The court dismissed, could not be considered as the proximate cause of the that the city's negligence accident. Finally, the court stated that there was no merit in the city's con­ tention that, even if it were negligent, it would not be liable because, m main­ taining the storm drainage system, it was engage m a governm 1 The court pointed out that the city did not create the pool storm drainage project; it merely PaSS^^ been disposed of, to form into a pool upon tne ianu its easement. controlled because of l| �MEETINGS VII NO- 7 Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, Annual Convention, Phu delphia, June 14-17. a~ Pennsylvania State Association of Townships Commissioners, Unity House, Poconos, June 14-17. Governor David L. Lawrence signed Senate Bill number 29 on April 15 , 1959 . The bill amends the Borough Code by authorizing Civil Service Com­ missions to designate the times when applicants for positions and promotions in the police forces and paid fire departments shall take physical examinations. This will allow Civil Service Commissions to require physical examinations AFTER the applicants have passed the other examinations . SEWER SILT Kingston Borough Street and Sanitation Department is in the process of removing silt and dirt from the Mercer Avenue sewer line which has become blocked by caving in the area and from the creek flowing into it from Swoyerville. I Operation at Mercer Avenue sewer is being done by a 30-inch bucket which is run back and forth through the line, removing silt and debris and loaded into a truck for hauling away. The operation is slow due to the necessity of pumping water from the line each day before actual work on silt and debris can begin. Recent surveys show that 4 out of 5 of a metropolitan government for the area in and around Seattle, about the ' The committee carefully explored seven forms of government ihington tfasl trooolitan government for the area. Teams from the committee for a uniascertaining the merits and shortcomings of these different ■L reseacoanties ^d cities and reported back to the main group which did much forms iin — d°theirCpossible applicability. discussei Here are these possible alternative forms or changes in government: 1. The direct annexation of substantially all of the metropolitan area by Seattle was considered inadvisable. The financial burden on the city would be too great. City government would become farther removed from the people and less responsive to them. Some local public functions can be more efficiently performed by smaller units of local government. Community spirit and citizen participation can be more effectively developed in smaller cities. The value of keeping local government undesirable to proceed by direct annexation close to the people makes it i—. particularly where only certain functions of the entire metropolitan area area-wide administration and planning. of government really require example, the water rates. barely an urge. women haters are women. PUBLICATION This News-letter, p ’ ’ UL-published in the Institute of Municipal Govern —ti; monthly as a community service, originates _ . -rnment Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mail , of . __ Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. ey, Institute of Municipal Government, -1- . swyo£ mdpaUieWita eMciusi0M to violate the fundamental principle that the go should represent the people in the area governe . people being served with city water should have a THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Chinese currency is so inflated that the yen is now PA., JULY 15, 1959 metropolitan government A co: GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, yO^- , transit, and other 3. The creation of separate metropolitan sewer, ---- arefully examined, districts, each to handle a particular unc ion, .round the country, the Based on the experience of other CO^^“.^Sle function districts makes . committee concluded that the crea Kotwpent different di£fex“*- functions — it more difficult to achieve coordination drainage drainage is directly a.. ”-----related ’ Functions are related to each other. -plated construction, elated to to road road cons to sanitary sewage disposal and bot closely related to mass transporta related to mass t Road construction and financing are c land use> Establishing spe< speci sound use. Establishing willto impede over-all tion. All functions are related soun a sound, over _all solution. solution, districts for each function �4. Consolidation of the city and county governments within the metro­ politan area and the performance of all governmental functions within that area was considered impractical because of the difficult position in which the remainder of the county would be left if the metropolitan area with its wealthy financial base were separated from the rural area. Two counties would have to be created, one a city-county and one a rural county, and each would require its own structure of government. The new city-county government would amount to a very large city in itself and would be subject to the same disadvantages as the direct annexation approach. A taxpayer contended that the bonds, if a debt, would violate the Consti­ tution. Dld the b°nds create such a debt? The Court said "No" under the ding of the ordinance. The Court puimea pointed out nut mat th at many improvements x , woramg have been financed through the Authority method and that authorities do not create a debt of the incorporating municipality contrary to the Constitution. The Court then said that if the municipality could do this indirectly through an Authority, it could do its borrowing directly. TELEPHONE SYSTEM 5. Expansion of county government to enable it to give city-county services in the metropolitan area would be effective only if the county were at the same reorganized to permit sound administration of such services. i 6. Combined city-county agencies would be set up to perform some, but not all of the metropolitan functions . However , they would not be representative of the smaller <_xkxes cities ,. and would be too limited A------------- --------------in power to accomplish comprehensive solutions of many metro­ politan problems . 7. After reviewing the available alternatives, the committee concluded that the creation of a representative metropolitan government charged with the duty of handling common problems within the area, while leaving traditional and local county functions to the individual counties, cities and towns, holds the greatest promise for a sound, ultimate solution. THE EPHRATA DECISION One of the impetuses to the formation of municipal authorities has been the fact that they are self-liquidating projects and their debts are not considered to be an obligation of the incorporating municipality within the Pennsylvania Constitution. The Municipal Borrowing Act of 1941 provides for the issuance of revenue bonds by a municipality. In an opinion by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on March 24, 1959 (Elmer Beam, et al v. Ephrata) sustained the issuance of municipal non-debt revenue bonds by a boro to borrow the money necessary to pay for improvements to its electric system. The ordinance of of the boro provided that the bonds were payable solely out of electric revenues and that no taxes would be levied for the payment of the bonds or the interest that might accrue and that no property of the boro may be taken to satisfy either the principal or or interest interest requirements. Upper Darby Township recently installed a 24-hour a day public emergency call telephone system. The system, which was designed originally for reporting fires, is now used in many cities throughout the country for reporting all types of emergencies. The system comprises 40 public telephones which are located on utility poles or special special standards standards.. The --- telephones are contained in bright red boxes , on the outside of which are the words , "FIRE, EMERGENCY, POLICE," in large white letters. On top of the telephone boxes are continuously-burning blue and amber lights. The telephone lines are connected directly to the switch­ board of the police department in the Township building. The switchboard operators have direct telephone and radio connections with eight fire companies, twelve police cars (two of which are emergency cars which can be used as ambulances), and two detective and motorcycle squad cars. All foot patrolmen can be reached through the system by the switchboard operators who can flash lights on top of the boxes to attract the attention of the patrolmen while they are patroling their beats. Locally, Nanticoke has adopted the system and from all reports it seems to be working efficiently. Perhaps, the idea could be explored either in center valley or a switchboard for the east side and a board for the west side of the River. Costs could be shared by each municipality if the idea were adopted for the west side. HOWLING alleys A 1th, first of its kindin the State, and which has no preA ruling whic Tudee James Henninger of the Common cedent in the nation, was handed down by Judge James He g Plea, Court of Lehigh County who decided that howltngjdley. are ay.artoftb. real estate on which they are locatedI a»d t the of ttree eal estate in which the alley, were installed. �1 I PLYMOUTH The newly purchased Elgin street sweeper has arrived and is in service Sentiment of the people indicates approval of the council action in securing the mpchanical sweeper. Businessmen have purchased containers and placed thein at intersections so that people discard paper and waste matter in the baskets. These two projects will certainly go a long way toward making the community a better community. VOL. VIII. NO. 8 NEW LEGISLATION Act 95 - Provides for the acquisition, maintenance and enlargement by second class townships of certain sewage collection or disposal systems . Act 76 - Empowers boro council to adopt a procedure for the sale of personal property of an estimated value of less than $200, such procedure not to require the approval of each individual sale by HANOVER POLICE PENSION FUND Last April the State went to the Supreme Court to regain money it had paid into a newly dissolved private police pension fund. The twenty members of the Hanover Township Police Pension and Benefit Association voted to end the non-profit corporation in 1957 when the Township established its own retirement fund. The fund held over $132,000. The Commonwealth had contributed over $67.000 between 1946 and 1957 . At the time of dissolution only one policeman was on pension. Luzerne County Common Pleas Court directed that the State money be placed into the new township fund which would pay his pension. The balance of the money, after expenses, was to be distributed to the members of the Association. The State, in asking reversal of the lower court decision as to the Commonwealth contributions, stated that when the private police pension fund was dissolved the moneys allocated by the State for pension purposes must be returned together with interest for redistribution for the same purpose. council. school police in second class townships. Tree Commissions where there is no Commission. - Authorizes townships of the first-class5 and of the second class to exceed 5% on unpaid assessments. impose a penalty not to e--------- Act 7 Provides that commissioners of first class townships may act as the Shade Tree Commission where there is no Commission. Act 3 Increases mileage allowance for delegates to meetings of state associations from 8 cents to 10 cents. Act 4 Increases minimum compensation of supervisors for attendance at meetings to six dollars and the maximum compensation to ten young, try running up two flight:s of steps . published monthly as a community service, originates ral Government of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, to Dr. Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Provides that council may perform duties and obligations of Shade Act 5 dollars . PUBLICATION This News-letter, Provides for the election of councilmen upon consolidation of boroughs. Act 6 Trouble is only opportunity in work clothes . If you still think you’re so Changes the provisions relating to the compensation of special Act 69 Act 2 thoughts for today WILKES COLLEGE, WILKE^Aifefi’F’PA. August 15, 1959 Authorizes second class township supervisors to regulate junk Act 9 dealers, junk yards, and salvage yards. Provides for the annexation of boroughs having a population of Act 12 Act 21 10,000 or more inhabitants. for delegates to meetings of State Increases mileage allowance from 8 cents to 10 cents. Association of Boroughs ■I �Hazleton desires to annex the land in question so that the latter can become a part of the Can-Do Industrial Development plot in the Boro. One of the arguments placed before the Court was that Hazle Township would lose revenue if the tract of land was annexed by West Hazleton. The difference is age old - whether or not a second class township is equipped to provide all services necessary in an area of 550. acres, which eventually would hold about a dozen plants with a possible payroll of 4,000 to 5,000 people. The supervisors contend that the added revenue from the development will provide more than sufficient money to provide the necessary services. The Boro argues that the township cannot and that it will be years before West Hazleton realizes any revenue. The Court was not at this time ruling on the annexation report, but on five legal issues raised by the petitioners: 1) Is the Act of 1953 consti­ tutional despite its failure to provide for the giving of notice to aggrieved persons ?; 2) Can the Boro of West Hazleton in one proceeding annex lands situated in two different townships ? ; 3) Can the Boro of West Hazleton annex land which is not contiguous to the Boro, but which is con­ tiguous to other land to be annexed in the same proceeding?; 4) Is it sufficient that the map of the territory to be annexed filed in these pro­ ceedings contains a description of the entire territory by metes and bounds, or must it show in addition the location of each individual tract of land within that area?; 5) Will the Courts permit a loss of assessment in affirm­ ing an annexation? ■ I The Court considered the merits of each of the legal issues raised and then entered the order saying it was satisfied of the legality and propriety of the proceedings . THOUGHTS FOR TODAY group of cities is about even as between charging and not charging the whole group record information, more than a half-dozen cities without such for policeindicate 1------ an intention to develop such fee schedules for early adopcharges tion. SCRAN TON HAS PARK PLAN detailed plan for developing The City of Scranton is considering a h will include a new imunicipal __ 375 acres of new parks and playgrounds wh -> 61-acre s and one 33-acre and one _ golf course, 14 new neighborhood playfields_____ district park. The plan has been prepared by a professional city planning . The plan has been prepared by a firm and requires that the city make annual purchases of new land areas in and requires with a 1definite expenditure program adjusted to the financial accordance of the city in order to fulfill the goal. Scranton already comes close ability o* -the standard of the National Recreation Association for one acre .. meeting of playground space for each 1,000 residents and the projected new parks to and play areas will greatly exceed this standard and will help to increase the attractiveness of Scranton to new Industry. TR AFFIC LIGHTS HARRISBURG -- To assure that motorists see traffic signals and that they see them soon enough, the Department of Highways now requires that two separate lights face in each direction. Previously, the Department approved single installations, because the municipalities, which pay for installation and operation of the signals , did not desire to assume the cost of operating a second installation. New policy calls for two faces in each direction whether the signals are on or off the State Highway System. The usual arrangement will be for the right side signal to be on the far corner and the left side signal on the near corner. However, conditions at each location will govern the choice of arrangement, including whether overhead Honesty is the fear of being caught. Conceit is a form of "I" strain. signals should be used. ANNEXATION PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Institute of Municipal ~ rilkes College. Notes and in­ quiries may be addressed t. to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes Colleg je, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. ■ J X Objections to the legality and propriety of annexation proceedings involving West Hazleton Boro and the townships of Hazle and Sugarloaf w«e dismissed by the Luzerne County Court en banc and a board of three commissioners was named to study facts and submit a report to the Court f°r final approval. The objections were raised by the supervisors of Hazle Township, the School District of Hazle Township, four individual tax­ Township, and and four payers of Hazle Township. There were were no from Sugarloaf no complainants complainants fl Township. West Hazleton is the annexing boro.. The The propos proposed territory annexing boro t0 be annexed is located for the most part ’ in Hazle township. Township. West I ! �TAX DEDUCTIBLE EXPENSES OF NON-PAID MUNICIPAL flukes uOiiese iaur di y officia is The Internal Revenue Service has issued a revised ruling, 59 -160, which reads as follows: "To the extent that mayors, councilmen, and/or other elected or appointed officials, who render the services of such offices for cities or other municipal governments without compensation, can estab­ lish that they actually incurred unreimbursable expenses directly connected with and solely attributable to the performance of their official duties (i.e. , are not personal expenses), the amount of such out-of-pocket expenses con­ stitute contributions within the meaning of section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and are deductible in computing taxable income, subject to the limitations imposed by that section." POLICE RECORDS YIELD REVENUE [ The money-making possibilities of a service that was once an accomo­ dation is increasingly the vogue among city police departments, as the result of an American Municipal Association survey on this relatively new develop­ ment. The minor bonanza is being found in the police records, frequently consulted, for legitimate purposes, by attorneys, employers, insurance com­ panies, and others. San Francisco is one city that authorizes charges for supplying infor­ mation from police records of individuals , traffic accidents, etc. An ordi­ nance authorizes establishment of fees for '‘furnishing reproductions of re­ ports, records, documents, data or other material to the public." Initially adopted charges require payment of $2.50 for the first copy of a complete report, duplicates being made available for $2.00 each. Individual page charges range from $1.00 for the first copy of a first page, to 75£ for addi­ tional pages or additional copies of any page. Governmental agencies, foreign and domestic, are exempted from the charges, which may also be waived by the Chief of Police for "any persons or institutions affected with a public in­ terest, as a matter of policy or reciprocity". The increasing tempo of establishme nt of such by the fact that San Francisco is the sixth sizeable city charges is indicated schedule of charges for access to information in police to recently adopt a newly developing the revenue potential of record room service ar Others records. D.C.; Akron, Ohio; Wichita, Kansas; Jacksonville, Florida; and are Washington, Mississippi. Several anticipate that the revenues to be derived will c 1 Jackson, the cost of rendering the service. These hopes appear justified from service. ..—I exceed experience of more than than twenty-five twenty-fi­ cities having longer .1 the ules of charges for records fn-r room service. records for -established schedIntensity of interest in th cities ^iedbytheAssociX,; subject is ] reflected in the rin its current response of 60 -i survey. While practice among VUJjo VIII v NO. 9 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE,z PA., SEPTEMBER 15, 1959 . I . I OCTOBER MEETING The Fall meeting of local officials will be held Monday evening, Oct­ ober 12, 1959 at the Commons at Wilkes College. The dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting followed by discussion will begin at 7:30 p.m. The speaker for the evening will be Mr. Edward Heiselberg, Director of Planning, Luzerne County Planning Commission. We have heard Mr. Heiselberg before but since the planning Commission is now prepared to adopt subdivision regulations, his remarks will be all the more timely. His topic will be "The Adoption of Subdivision Regulations for Luzerne County." He will re­ view and discuss the regulations on which the Commission has already held one public hearing, with other meetings to follow. This meeting on the 12th is really an opportunity for the local officials to be heard. Certainly, the adoption of these regulations will have an effect on every community— its plans for the future and its capital budget in the present. The Luzerne County Boroughs Association will hold its meeting immed­ iately after the discussion on subdivision regulations. Every borough should be represented in order to hear a report of the major pieces of legislation passed at this session of the General Assembly. PLANNING COURSE A seven-session course on planning, zoning, and community develop­ ment will be offered to local officials for the first time in north­ eastern Pennsylvania as part of the instructional program of the Institute of Municipal Government at Wilkes College. The course will be co-sponsored by the Luzerne Counaty Planning Commission, the Public Service Institute of the Department of Public Instruction and the Institute of Municipal Govern­ ment at Wilkes College. The course is designed to provide local officials-members of councils, zoning hnarns planning commissions, township boards, redevelopment author­ ities and school boards - with an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the latest developments in the planning field and to discusss problems ox mutual interest. The instructor for the course will be Mr. Edward Heiselberg, Director of Planning-for the Luzerne County Planning Commission, assisted by a number of expert lecturers on specialized topics. includes such important topics as zoning, land ,, The tentative program ,: and utilities, housing and redevelopment', planning subdivision, transportation for schools^and other community facilities, and economic development. �The course will be held on the fifth floor in Parrish Hall at Wilkes College on seven successive Monday evenings beginning October 19, 1959. . session will begin promptly at 7:30 p.m. and close at 10 p.m. Registration will be limited to local officials on a "first come, first serve" basis. The is no charge or fee for the course. Registration will be limited to 35 perso 5 in order to provide adequate time for discussion. s Those attending six of the seven sessions will receive a certificate at the annual May dinner of Local Officials. fl I SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS The developer has as much to gain as anyone through community surveillauce of his plan. With the plannig commission’s stamp of approval on his map, his lots become more saleable. He has the ad van tn gp of the expert’s examination of'his layout to protect him against costly mistakes, to guard him for example, against a street plan that unnenessarily requires too high a percentage of his land. In addition he benefits from the rec­ ommendations for improvement in the attractiveness and utility of the site which ultimately will lead to increased investment profits for him. The subdivision of land is essential to the general growth of almost every type of community and can be a great benefit if it provides proper living conditions for new residents and at the same time gives assurance of economic maintenance and service and a long term addition to the community’s resources. On the other hand, poorly planned, poorly located or premature land subdivisions become a permanent handicap to any community’s growth. In many localities, the increasing population, caused by the rapidly expanding subdivisions, has brought tremendous burdens upon the local govern­ ments and school boards. In numerous instances the increased income from taxes is far overshadowed by the cost of providing educational and municipal facilities for the new citizens. No community in Wyoming Valley that is growing can afford this. While many communities may have to focus much of their attention in development on rejuvenation of the old, subdivision control offers a com­ munity the opportunity to prevent future substandard residential areas by compelling subdividers in new areas to comply with a certain set of stan­ dards in regard to let layout and subdivision plan. Subdivision to assure the orderly Subdivision regulations regulations should be be designed designed to ---- ■' ' of residential areas,, the development ” coordination —4"*— of n'p existing streets and public buildings and shopping areasp the proper provision of open space location of future sites for passive and active recreation and the proper 1. '‘ ---- -■<+== In order to attain this for schools, public buildings and shopping areas,,! concerned with the land, purpose, complete subdivision regulatinns must be < easements and streets and roads, blocks and lots, building lines, utility uuxxxujr --- --- ----the provision of improvements such as sidewalks, planting, water mains, sewers, and other facilities. THE BOEER OF A COMMUNITY TO C01~0L x. SUBCONTROL THE DIVISION OF LAND IS OF DIRECT BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY, TO THE POTENTIAL PURCHASES OF A HOME, AND TO THE LEGITIMATE DEVELOPER HIMSELF. The community gains by forestalling future 1 , --health hazards, slums and blight which may appear as the result of excessively narrow lot specifications, excessive building over the land, and the failure of the developer to allow sufficient space for necessary community facilities, such as water service, sewers and parks. The community may forestall hazzards to the safety of the future residents, particularly to children, by redesigning the street layout, so that residential streets feed into collector streets, which in turn feed into arterial highways making it impossible for local residential streets to become heavy traffic arteries. The community may save itself substantial amounts of money (initially by a redesign of the subdivision to eliminate unnecessary lengths of street or area of paved surfaces, and may save itself heavy future expenses in repaving, snow removal, cleaning and other such costs. The potential purchases can invest in this confidence if he knows that the entire lot with considerably more subdivision has been e" approved by the Planning Commission, examined and investment can be protected against < He° knows -- that the values —J of his nei rfihnA—J ' - Lot sizes- often bitterbone bone of contention, since narrow --- _ provideaabitter frontages are important important to to the the developer developer and a. broad lots are usually desired by __ the community. However, it sl._ should always be remembered that — ---__ "7. However, it . the most important economy lies in the provision of decent living conditionss the most important economy lies for the future. In addition, the increased road and improvement costs entailed by the provision. of wider lot frontages frontages may be entirely offset by a wider mayofoften decrease in lot depth and lot proper planning block arrangements and utility depth and proper planning c systems. In semi-urban areas where public water and sewer mains are not avail­ able witnin a reasonable distance, the developer might be required to install water and sewage disposal facilities that will meet minimum standards. In order to insure a healthful separation of water supply and sewage dis­ posal in such situations,lot sizes will be necessarily be much larger than when off-the-lot mains are installed. If If the the lot lot size is too great, the developer may find that the resulting maller 1number of saleable lots resulting ssmaller — �I (jaunty. yOL will offset any advantage of individual installations. In fact, he might well be money ahead to provide off-the-lot sewerage at the outset. Where extension of public mains to or near the site is comtemplated in the near future, the developer and new owner will probably find it more economical to install the local mains and connections within the subdivision at the time of development and to provide a temporary community water supply and sewage plant. The cost of any installation is not complete until connection has been made with the public system. Consequently, if the laterals and local mains of a community plant were initially used, part of the cost, of the public connectinn will have been saved; if, on the other hand, cesspools or septic tanks were originally installed nothing can be salvaged the property owner will have paid twice for the same service. VIII NO. io, WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., OCTOBER 15, 1959 RETIREMENT BILL Senate Bill 699, the Municipal Employes Retirement Bill and one of the most important parts of the Boroughs Association's and the Authorities Association's legislative programs,, was signed in to law by Governor Lawrence on September 23, 1959, ■as Act Number 390. The bill, introduced by Senators Stevenson and Mallery, had the full support of all the local government associations and passed both houses of the legislature by unanimous vote. The signing of the bill into law is the culmination of much work by the Retirement Committee of the Boroughs Association and the Assoc­ THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Janitors might be called floor flushers. A wife is a woman who sticks with her husband through al 1 the troubles he wouldnot have if he had not married her. iation staff. ACT 390 amends the Municipal Employes Retirement Law which has been "on the books" but has not been used since its passage in 1943. The amendments would co-ordinate the provisions of this existing retirement system with Social Security. With the co-ordinated system most boroughs and authorities should be able to afford retirement for all their employees. PUBLICATION This news-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates originates in the Political Science Department of Wilkes community College. service, Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Malley, Political Science Department, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The retirement pay will be about 1.6 per cent of the employe's final salary multiplied by the number of years employed. The plan would go into effect as soon as municipalities having a cumulative total of 250 employes sign up for the service. The system will be administered by the State Employes Retirement Board. 3 are preparing an explanatory The staffs of the Associations of ACT 390. lease on the full provisions c- �I INSURANCE PLACEMENT PROCEDURES In the past, the City of Glendale, California, distributed its fire insurance to local insurance agents on the basis of the volume of insurance business which they wrote in the city. This resulted in the city dealing with 50 different agents. Following a conference between the city's insurance committee and representatives of the Glendale Insurance Association a new procedure for placing fire insurance on city-owned property was adopted. The Insurance Association will act as the city's broker for fire insurance and will issue fire insurance policies . The association will also keep the city insurance committee advised of changes, revisions, and desirable protection, The city has the right to accept or reject any proposals submitted. As commissions are earned they are placed in a trust account; amounts not disbursed for actual expenses connected with handling the city's insurance are to be transferred to a welfare account from which sums may be disbursed upon authorization of the Insurance Association for projects such as safety, fire prevention, community, civic, and other welfare projects. None of the commissions from public business will be distributed to any member of the Insurance Association except for reasonable and approved expenses. principal of the original loan shall be paid annually and that such obligation or obligations may be paid in full or in part each year when the taxes are received and reborrowed again the latter part of the fiscal year provided that the amount borrowed the preceding year by at least one-fifth of the total amount of the original loan. Act 299 further stipulates that the municipality may refund any part of the obligation by the issuance of bonds and that the municipality shall not pay any interest or charges equal to more than six per cent per year on any money borrowed under the provisions of the article. All borrowing under the provisions of this act must fall within the non-electoral constitutional debt limits of the municipality (two perr cent of the assessed property valuation) and a statement must filed with the Department of Internal Affairs attesting this fact. be 1 An annual tax for each of the years the obligation shall be out­ standing sufficient for the payment of the interest thereon and the repayment of not less than one-fifth of the total principal of the original loan shall be assessed by the taxing authorities of the munici­ pality. The annual tax shall be expressed as an amount to be raised by taxation in each succeeding year for principal and interest on the debt so that in each succeeding year the tax rate may be adjusted to produce the amount specified. BORROW WITHOUT BONDS On September 8th the Governor signed into law House Bill 354, ACT 299. This important Boroughs Association bill would allow a municipality to borrow money, not to exceed $15,000, for capital expenditures for municipal improvements and equipment without the issuance of bonds , provided the money is .repaid within five years from the date of borrowing. The bill, which amends the 1" Municipal Borrowing Law of 1941 by adding a new article-VII-A. The Commission s the Local Government Conference supported it.sponsored the bill and The new law further provides ^at at least one-fifth of the total OPEN DUMPS George Livingstone, regional sanitarian for the State Department George Livingstone, of Health, announced that he intends to close all open dumps, both private and municipality-operated, in the eight-county area under his jurisdiction • The crackdown is part of a State-wide campaign to "rid the Commonwealth of these insect and disease breeding disposal sites." Livingstone reported that he has sent letters to county commissioners in Luzerne, Columbia, Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties, informing them of his plans and requesting conferences on the matter. He has aliready met with solicitors for Luzerne County and received replies from officials in Susquehanna and Wyoming counties I �1 The sanitarian pointed out that State Law prohibits garbage decaving matter or waste from being permitted to remain exposed n:c the surface of the ground. He said this clearly outlaws the common open dumps. The only approved refuse disposal methods are sanitary landfill and incineration. Landfill consists of dumping refuse in a trench, compacting it and covering it with a layer of dirt. Livingstone said many small communities report they do not have the money r ’ for grading equipment which is needed for the sanitary fill method. ... r __‘l—1. He reported that this work may have to be handled on a county level when the crackdown is .... -s completed. VOL. VIII NO. 11, WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., NOVEMBER 15, 1959 EDUCATING PUBLIC EMPLOYEES " Can you tell us whether we would be out of line if we granted some sort of financial assistance to our employees for regular courses in high schools and colleges ? " ered by many local government officials during the next decade. The City of Phoenix, Arizona recently con­ ducted graduation ceremonies and presented certificates to 748 c employees who had completed 63-in-service training ; courses during the past year. In addition, 5,818 employees completed 21 training courses for which no certificates were awarded. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Some people are like mummies , all rapped up in themselves. America has the best ' 'yessed" woman in the world. publication This News-letter, published monthly as a originates in the Political T Science Dej Notes and inquirie es may be addressed Political Science I Right now we are being warned of rising educational costs and the diffi­ culty facing many families which may be unable to afford a college education for their children. This suggests that some, perhaps many, youngsters will be unable to receive all the education they want and need. Industry and gov­ ernments are being asked to help solve the dilemma. For a full treatment of the question raised by the mayor, let us cite a report on a national survey of programs of formal education and assistance in the January, 1959, issue of the Public Personnel Review. Here are a few highlights from that account. Although not yet widespread, practices of the last five years reveal the beginning of a trend for local governments to give their employees assistance in getting more formal education. Programs exist in cities and counties of all sizes; Ipswich, Mass., population 6,895, introduced a program in 1947. Generally these assistance programs must be "directly connected with and relevant to the duties of the employee in his present position;" and must be taken on the employees own time. The employee is not required to con­ tinue as an employee after completion of the course, however. The most common requirement is simply completion of course work. Glendora, California requires a 1-page course summary and statement of benefits derived, while Covenia, California requires 90 per cent class attendance. screening committees for selection of candidates, Some governments use a written examination and oral interview to Ripon, Wisconsin, requires �A variety of aids are offered. Seventy-six per cent of i------ •• dictions pay full tuition; 9 per cent allow 50 per cent tuition and 15 per provide no tuition. Books and supplies are purchased by 43 per <— cent; one contributes 8 cents per mile auto allowance. Lynwood, California Pays for only one-half tuition, expenses but grants premium pay on the basis 1 °f one dollar per completed unit of study. Supervisors place a high value on the program as morale builders; employees are moderate in their acceptance of them, often preferring to have the governmental unit give pay increases instead of paying for the employee education. There are sharp differences of opinion about justification of the program, The personnel director of Pasadena, California believes employees work harder and gain more by paying for their own formal education; the chief personnel technician at Anaheim, California views the programs as a " longrange capital gain" primarily for the benefit of the community and not for the personal benefit of employees. Other benefits cited are; an aid to recruitment, a brake on turnover and an opportunity to provide special training in some of the professional fields. Government assistance to public employees in regular school and college courses cannot -be viewed ---- -------J as a substitute for in-service training. But a precedent for this type of <educational assistance has been set; public officials should observe and evaluate ’ ‘ its operation a as a means of improving public service in their communities. SHOPPING CENTERS Many a retailer has looked at his diminishing receipts and decided that if only off-street parking were available for his customers all of his problems would be solved. IT store is located in an old "established" ---- ' _____ _ His shopping center where he has done < a good business for years. He is within -a comparatively ------------------- ' few feet of an important transfer corner on main transportationlines. While his business “ continues to decline, the new modern shopping centers some distance away are ; j prospering. If only there were off-street parking. Because his livelihood may be at stake, he had better check to see whether or not his ’■’"‘-king is really dreaming. Shopping habits . However, while the automobile has come means of conveyance from the home to the ng space, on its own, will not bring a single customer to the merchant. Even in the new shopping centers, with their acres of free parking, it is not the parking which is the first attraction to the buyer. The shopper is interested in the merchandise, the merchandising, in the price, in opportunity to make comparisons, and in several factors which are placed before parking. All things being equal, the center with convenient parking facilities will outdraw the center without parking, but close examination will usually re­ veal that the average man or woman does not discontinue shopping in a given neighborhood or store only because of the inconvenience connected with the lack of parking. He or she learns of a new store which is bright and attractive, which is well lighted where the values of the goods offered for sale are more attractive, where the clerks are pleasant, and where the service is good. After he tries it once or twice, trips to the " old neighborhood " become more infrequent. The city of Detroit has established off-street parking lots in a number of its major shopping centers outside of the central business district as a part of a thriving automobile parking system. Briefly told, some of the experiences may be of value to the merchant who would like to believe that all of his troubles can be related to the lack of parking. Case History No. 1 was established in a neighborhood center with A 360-car parking lot wao coccyx-------------- -------- o comparatively new stores. The The center center is is recognized for its alert and aggressive _________ merchandisers and for its cleanliness and attractiveness. Despite the fact v.-v „ — within --------- the orbit of one of the world's most successful that it is --e-i suburban shopping centers, this center has held its own, continuing to prosper. The use of the parking lot has increased each year with an annual average occupancy in excess of 200,000 cars. The fee on the parking lot is ten cents for the first hour and five cents for each additional hour. Case History No. 2 A 260-car parking, l_i lot was established in an endeavor to stop the de­ was established in an cline of an important secondary major business center. The attitude of secondary major business many of the merchants and and business business property property owners owners was defeatist and, — -------1-!------- 1lot was encouraging while the announcement of the coming of *the parking to several of them, quite a few with expiring leases were seeking new and few with expiring more productive locations. During the twelve months between the announce­ _ __ During the 1 ment of the approval of the parking lot and its opening, several merchants >roval of the parking 1----moved out. Others were convinced that as soon as the parking lot was Others were convinced that opened, the vacant stores would be filled and the cash registers would be would be 1-— 1 I i �TtecM-tetten ringing again. After all, they reasoned, the population which the center served was still there, and the nearest of the new suburban shopping centers was six miles away. The parking lot was opened with much fan­ fare by the brave band of retailers who were either convinced or were hopeful that the center would come back. However, the shopping public stayed away in droves. After a year's operation at a parking rate of ten cents for the first hour and five cents for each additional hour, the parking lot did not produce enough revenue to pay the salary of the at­ tendant. A parking gate has been installed and it is now possible to park on the lot for ten cents for an unlimited period. This change has attracted the cars of a few of the merchants but has brought no additional customers. The future of the center is a big question mark. ! j This article does not intend in any way to indicate 1’ that adequate parking is not a necessary adjunct of the retail business. Rather, it is believed that these case histories, selected from a number of experiences, empha­ size what has previously been said. Parking is one of the factors nec­ essary to the success of a retail business. However, it is only one factor and it is not, by any means, the most important factor. It is necessary to give attention to many things in order to maintain a shopping center in an attractive, healthy, prosperous condition. Before a property owner decides to invest in parking as a panacea, he would do well to keep in mind that " off-street parking will not save a dying shopping center. " "THOUGHTS FOR TODAY" Loud-mouths don't have to worry about food shortages, they usually eat their words. An ounce of suggestion is worth a pound of lure. ' 'PUBLICAT ION1' This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Political Science Depar Department Notes and inquiries maybe addressed to Dr. I’of Wilkes College. litical Science Department, Hugo V. Mailey, PoDepartment, Wilkes Wilkes College, Wilkes sylvania. Ti—— a-Barre, Penn- VOL- VIII NO 12, WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., DECEMBER 15, 1959 NEW COURSES BY THE INSTITUTE Immediately following the Christmas holidays the Institute of Municipal Government will send out informational letters on training courses for newly elected local officials - School Dir­ ectors, Councilmen and Township Commissioners. Both of these courses will provide an opportunity for successful candidates to gain a valuable orientation toward their new careers in Public Service. LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES The Department of Internal Affairs is exploring the feasibility of establishing a Division of Administrative Services in the Bureau of Municipal Affairs . The Division would be headed by a t rained administrator who would be assisted by a staff well versed in public finance, records management programs and personnel systems . The Division would also locate local government officials who are especially trained in any of these fields and who would be willing to make their training and experience available to other local governments which are seeking assistance. Thus, when a local government sought aid, either a member of the Division would render the aid directly, or some local government official, working under the supervision and in cooperation with the Division, would advise and assist the municipality. A government which seeks help in any of these three areas would be expected to pay for the service. Every effort, of course, would be made to offer the desired assistance on as economical and efficient a basis as possible, but the political sub-division would compensate the appropriate parties for the services rendered. d-------differs from the The Pennsylvania approach to the matter . The fact that the proposed , is immaterial. What is imcourses of action differ, however interest which is becoming evident portant is the increasing i—---Maryland and New York approach �in all three states for the creation of a state body which will provide technical advisory services to local governments. There appears to be a growing recognition of the circumstanc es that, if the political subdivisions are to provide the types of services desired by the citizenry, it is necessary that more specialized assistance be made available to them at reasonable cost. VOLUNTEER FIREMEN 1! • ! A supplement to the Workmen's Compensation Act amended in 1956 (1955 P . L. 1468; 77 PS 22a) provided that the word employee should include members of volunteer fire companies of the various cities , boroughs , towns and townships , and that they should be entitled to compensation for injuries; (1) "re­ ceived while actually engaged as fire fighter or while going to or returning from any fire; (2) "or while participating in instructing fire drivers"; (3^ or"while repairing or doing other work about or on fire apparatus or building x x x or the fire company, " (4) "or while answering any emergency call"; (5) or "while riding upon fire apparatus owned or used by the fire company of which they are members"; (6) "or while per­ forming any other duties of such company or fire department authorized by such township. " The Act further provided that the subdivision should be deemed to have knowledge of all other employment of its vol­ unteer firemen and that the compensation payable should be based upon the fireman's average weekly wage or his earnings if self employed. The great detail in which the coverage is spelled out in this act was prompted by decisions like Versellesi v . Elizabeth Township, 136 Super. 362, where the volunteer fire chief was denied compensation while working on an addition to the firehouse; and Smith v. Perkasie Borough, 80 D & C 451, a volunteer fireman was denied compensation while t ’ where __ collecting waste paper to be sold for buying fire equipment where th_ -ie collection was never authorized. This latter case under the 1956 amendment. may still be good law even FEDERAL EXCISE TAX Pennsylvania political subdivisions, can save up to 11 per cent on purchases by taking advantage of their exemption from certain federal excise taxes. There are five major kinds of federal excise taxes from which municipalities are exempt. These include the manufacturers' excise taxes, the transportation taxes , the com­ munication taxes, the retailers' taxes, and the admissions taxes. Municipal governments are exempt from most excise taxes when the purchases are to be used solely for governmental pur­ poses. These tax exemptions may be achieved in one of two ways. One way is by registering with the district director of internal revenue and the other way is by using tax exemption certificates. The "Excise Tax Technical Changes Act of 1951" authorizes local governments to use the registration method instead of the exemption certificates. Local governments may register but they are not required to do so. It must be remembered that the registration method is applicable only when municipal purchases are made directly from a manufacturer. If the purchases are made from a dealer or distributor, the exemption certificate must be used. Ordinarily an exemption certificate should oe mea wim order for goods or materials, but if the invoice shows that an excise tax is included in the charge, the municipality should deduct the amount of the tax and substitute an exemption certificate. Most of the exemptions from the federal excise taxes (on pur­ chases of vehicles, gasoline, oil, tires and tubes , radios, firearms, etc.) are set forth in the "Internal Revenue Code." Although the law is silent on exemption from taxes on safe deposit boxes , foreign insurance policies, deeds of conveyance, and transfers of mortgages and corporate securities, municipalities are not required to pay them as a matter of internal revenue policy. auxiliary police unit Wyoming Boro Council unanimously voted down a request by members of the Boro Auxiliary Police Unit to be included as special boro police officers. The auxiliary unit also expressed a desire to become insured under boro jurisdiction. The request was turned down on the grounds that the present regular police force is adequate and that the insurance would be too costly for the tax­ payers. Jt has also been argued that the community already possesses a group of special officers on whom the regular police can depend at all times �tfwty 'Jteurt.-tettWl HANOVER TOWNSHIP ______________________________________________ ; An ordinance creating a Redevelopment Authority in Hanover Township was approved. Together with the Planning Commission, the Authority will study the use of lands released for sale by the Glen Alden Corporation. WILKES - BARRE Presence within the City of one trailer camp and a number of trailers being used separately as permanent residences have caused city officials to consider regulations and taxation. Camps will be licensed renewable annually. The fee is $15.00. Rules and regulations have also been considered under the police power of the city. A YACHT CLUB OR SEWAGE PLANT Boats bob at their moorings on three sides of it and flag s fly gaily from its roof, f Saucy seahorses adorn its wall. It looks just like a yacht club,. Actually, it's Clearwater's new i sewage treatment plant, designed to be a showplace rather than „ an eyesore. The plant, put into service recently, had to be located near a luxurious i esidential development. Its designers took all this into consideration and came up with a building which looks like anything except what it is . "THOUGHTS FOR TODAY'' A man about town is most always a fool about women. A good r ’ salesman is the fellow who can convince his wife she looks fat in a fur coat. publication This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, iius news-letter, originates in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. VOL. IX NO. 1, WILKES G^jLLEGEF,'"'WILKES-BARRE, PA., JANUARY 15, I960 VOLUNTEER PROPERTY INSPECTION Twice during the past five years, volunteer inspectors from the Norristown Real Estate Board's Committee on local improve­ ments have inspected every one of the 9,000 properties in the Borough of Norristown for unsightly exterior conditions. This campaign for local improvement was started in 1949 largely as a result of the concern of Harry Butera, a prominent citizen and realtor, who states that the campaigns have succeeded in remov­ ing the major unsightly ightly physical conditions within the Borough. The personal efforts of the volunteer inspectors are strongly reinforced by official law-enforcement actions endorsed by the Borough Council, and strengthened by consistent and intelligent reporting in the local newspaper. The committee outlined its program in detail to the Borough Council, prior to the first survey which began in late October 1949. The Council agreed to cooperate fully and assigned the build­ ing inspector and the fire and health departments to work closely with the real estate men. The committee's first step was to divide the Borough of Nor­ ristown, three and one-half square miles in area, into five dis­ tricts and to assign a two-man team of volunteer inspectors from the real estate board to each district. With each man donating an afternoon a week until the survey was completed, the teams visited every property in the Borough and examined them for structural condition, for privies, for junkpiles, and for other physical, sanitary, and esthetic conditions. clearly showed evidence of deterioration, Where the property form letter to the owner on which were the committee sent ~ a :e deficiencies noted by the inspectors. The checked offoffered, the specific --------without charge, the realtors' "individual and letter also expert <-----------collective advice" to correct the faults and, when nec­ essary, for assistance in obtaining loans for repair and restor- ■ �Borough officials have increased their enforcement activities since the time of the first survey. They now condemn buildings they would not have condemned before. For example, the real estate men's position was notably reinforced when only six months after they had reported that a fire hazard existed, a fire did break out in the structure and endangered an entire block. There had only been a cursory inspection of the building, but as Butera said at the time, " Those who have been around in this business can tell what the interior is like by looking at the exterior." The Borough officials immediately began to press their enforcement activities. The local newspaper,The Norristown Times Herald, gave strong support to the campaigns. Richard Walsh, the city editor, assigned reporters to cover the committee's work and week after week ran daily stories reporting the conditions uncovered by the teams. Often a reporter accompanied the survey teams , bringing back spe­ cial feature articles running up to column length. As a whole, Norristown shows visible improvement. Several hundred privies are gone. Houses are freshly painted, many with new additions to them. Yards and river banks are cleared of junk and out-buildings . The only severely blighted area just behind a local shopping street is being brought up by a group of retail mer­ chants for conversion to customer parking. Their action, ac­ cording to Butera, is attributable to the Improvement Committee's initial effort to maintain the community. Exclusive of hundreds of hours of volunteer work, the first survey cost the Real Estate Board about $250. kfost of this went for printing the form letters. The campaigns not only started a chain reaction of local improvements of which the committee is intensely proud, they also started Butera off on a career of speech­ making around the country, as scores of communities heard of the Norristown experience and wanted to know how to undertake sim­ ilar operations. Sometimes Butera feels that this demand for assistance to other communities keeps him from concentrating on the Norristown program which he created and which remains his major interest. MUTUAL AID AND INSPECTION PLAN Four public agencies in Rochester, New York are engaged in ■’ something-for-something relationship that eventually may pro­ vide a complete cinspection history - available at a moment's notice - of -f every dwelling in the city and that, potentially, could a r— become an important source of census-type housing information for the city. Participants in the Rochester 11 mutual aid" plan: the fire buthe rehabilitation commisreau , the county health department, sion , and the bureau of buildings. The Rochester -plan goes like this: a clearing house - it is known “ as3 the Central Housing Index - has been set up in the re­ habilitation commission's offices. Anyone from any of the par­ ticipating agencies who needs to know anything about the inspec­ tion history of a dwelling can get the story simply by dialing the Central Index number on the phone. At Central Index there is maintained a complete and permanent file, on keysort cards, of every housing inspection job in the city. Included in the avail­ able information: name and address of building owner and/or agent; whether building is owner occupied or not; why the inspec­ tion was initiated; description of type and condition of struc­ ture; whether it has rooming or business units; whether it has central heat; what housing code violations exist; whether the owner or tenant is responsible for condition of the building; what action , if any, was taken as a result of the inspection (including such things as referral of a family to a social agency, calling in another of the housing inspection agencies, legal action). ------ l is that it brings toThe most important jj-l phase of" the program w place data collected by all inspection agencies, so gether in one that one may easily make use use of information on a property pre­ viously gathered ’by Hence, as / another. another. Hence, as the central file is built up, more and and more it will more often often it will be be unnecessary unnecessary for an inspector to go on a job cold, even if his particular agency has not investi­ job cold, gated a property before. Further, the system offers new oppor­ property befor ordered have been tunities tunities for for checking checking on whether improvements valuable source for made and, in the long run, it may also prove a getting a quick picture of the city's housing inventory. - the Central Housing Index form is the master form maintained at All information on Index headquarters for each inspected property. all of the particior a building emanating from inspections by any that the inforpating agencies is put on a single keysort card, so mation always is quickly available. ial form filled out by an in- the Record of Inspection is the special ti g Index (it is used in adspecter for routing to the Central Housing of the regular forms of the dition to, not as a substitute for, any Each inspector is provided with a book of participating agencies), carbons to yield duplicates. Both copies, such forms, rigged with one is kept at the Index to bring once filled out, go to Central Index: the property; the second is filled out, up to date the central file on �on the backside, with reports on previous inspections of the same property and then returned to the agency from which it originated -the Numerical Code System is the key to both of the forms des­ cribed above. Inspectors use the code to fill out the Record of In­ spection and "central indexers" use it to transfer information to the keysort card. Under the code system, virtually all conditions that might apply to a building have been assigned numbers within four categories - why initiated, type of structure, reason for con­ dition, category of violations - and an inspector need only circle the *.i --------------proper number ’ under • the proper category < in order to tell the story of what his inspection has turned up. F __ 1 is that the reResult cording of building data, literally, has been made ------- j as easy as 1, 2, 3. ______:___________________ / VOL- IX NO. _______________________ _ 2, WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. , FEBRUARY 15, I960 LIQUID FUELS MONEY The Liquid Fuels Tax Act of 1931, most recently amended this session, provides that one-half cent per gallon of the permanent tax on gasoline shall be paid to the counties of the commonwealth. This money is distributed to the counties in amounts based on the money collected in each of the counties for the years immediately preceding the passage of the law in 1931. This basis of distribution is still in effect, i.e. , the funds are distributed to the counties based on collections in the years 1929-1931. DISCRIMINATION AGAINST NONRESIDENT GARBAGE While a township may regulate the business of collecting and disposing of garbage, it may not prohibit the hauling and disposal of any materials which originate outside of the township with out similar control of garbage generated within the township. This is the decision of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Lutz v. Armour (1959) 395 Pa. 576. The Supreme Court held that the attempt of Findlay Township to i .......................... _ restrict the disposal of garbage within its boundaries on the basis ofI origin of the garbage constituted unlawful --- of the place ’ discrimination and was therefore unconstitutional. The Court re­ jected the township's argument that it was merely regulating the quantity of garbage dispo sed of in the township because there was no attempt to control the quantity of local garbage disposed of in the township The law originally stipulated that the money received from this source "shall be used for the purpose of construction, reconstruction, maintenance and repair, of roads, highways and bridges, including the payment of property damage . . . . " The law was amended to set-up a County Liquid Fuels Tax Fund and provide that any money not used for highway purposes on county highways may be allocated and apportioned to the local governments within the county. The law now says, as amended during the 1959 session of the Legislature that the county commissioners may allocate a portion of the "County Liquid Fuels Tax Fund" to the municipalities and that they shall notify the political subdivisions to make application within 90 days for participation in the dis­ tribution of a balance in the "County Liquid Fuels Tax Fund" if the balance is greater than the amount received into the fund for the preceding 12 months. The distribution of the unencumbered balance in excess of 50 per cent of the receipts for the previous 12 months shall be made to the political subdivisions applying. "THOUGHTS FOR TODAY " A farmer is one who stands c out in his field. Life is an reverlasting struggl Je to keep money coming in and teeth and hair from ----a coming out. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes Col­ lege. Notes and inquiries maybe addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. be used for this distribution is: 50 per cent according to The formula to - x . Considering all *■this , ’it cent according to population. ’ *■ mileage and 50 per .eighboring counties are receiving is easy to see why some boroughs in n( _ highway money from the county and the State and why political subdivisions in Luzerne County are receiving money only from the State. In the first place, this money has first priority for use by the county, A few counties for which they are responsible, ‘ still have extensive county road systems Many counties maintain a number although this is far from being the rule, xra still paying off some debt incurred for the of bridges and some counties are £.--- . and bridges although these may now not be the . construction of county roads Perhaps the balance in the funds for a particresponsibility of the county, not in excess of the receipts for the pre­ ular year in some counties was situation which has arisen in the past is that vious twelve months.. Another I �political subdivisions have failed to make application distribution of these funds after they have been notified by the1^ e in the county. Most other sizable third class counties contribute sums of money to towns and townships in their borders for road and highway maintenance while in Luzerne County there has been a consistent policy of refusing help except for rental of machinery. Luzerne County has always spent all of its ]' liquid fuel tax refund on its highway system, even though the mileage has 3 not changed in recent years and the refund goes up with each succeeding year. In 1959 the County received $ 542,000 from 1’ the state, spent $ 87,000 for road bonds and interest, and then spent for maintenance ----- j and repair, something like $ 454,000. Montgomery County, the only one which receives more in liquid fuel tax refunds than Luzerne, contributed $ 70,615 to various subdivisions which asked for help in maintaining their road system, for maintenance and repair. Neighboring Lackawanna It spent $ 449,000 $ 375,000 from the State and applied $ 74,000 for land _ County received $ 62,000 for interest and bonds . Westmoreland County, damages costs, plus , the most liberal with its subdivision, last year distributing $ 109,500 out of $ 427,000 ~ ,-----L $ Li, uuO re­ ceived among the towns, t 68,000 ~ _ J more for land damage claims and using $ spending $ 188,000 for its own highways. Berks County County spent spent much much more on gifts to subdivisions than on its own highways - $ 77,000 - and also spent $ 55,000 for ,__ ) against $ 25,000 land damages. Berks ended the year with a quarter-million balance in its liquid fuels tax. four communities show INTEREST IN REFUSE PLAN Four communities are interested in the waste disposal program being offered by the Lancaster Area Refuse Authority. The authority board was told at its regular monthly meeting in October that if all four communities sign up for the program contracts for approximately 20 loads of waste per week will have been signed. A guarantee of at least 30 loads per week is required before the authority will formally start its program. To date, no communities have signed contracts. Jack D. ILausch, landfill manager, told the authority board that in addition to the four c—•** communities interested in the program other smaller municipalities have — .J espressed an interest. Mr. Lausch reported that one °f the four jaj-----rger communities queried him on the possibility of sending lts waste collector .fors direct to the authority landfill sites instead of using the Portable waste containers contemplated in the authority program. The authority board, as a result, voted unanimously to adhere to its program. The vote followed the recommendations of the authority's op­ erating committee. The authority plan calls for participating communities to buy huge metal containers which would be stationed in the various local­ ities to receive waste. When full, they would be hauled to the authority landfill and emptied. An empty container would be left when a full one was picked up. Communities would buy the containers and pay $ 19.00 per pickup. The authority would buy the truck and spare containers. The authority offered the plan after the State Health Department ordered the closing of all open dumps in the county. Some municipalities as a re­ sult are faced with the loss of all dumping grounds. At the October meeting the board discussed but made no decision on the possibility of returning more of the money loaned to the authority by the seven member communities. The board discussed the possibility of chan­ neling another $ 12,000 to its members. The City of Lancaster would re­ ceive $ 3,000 and each of the townships -- East Hempfield, East Lampeter, Lancaster, Manheim, Manor, and West Lampeter -- would receive $ 1,500. Two years ago the authority returned $ 12,000 to the members. Loans from various communities totaled $ 60,000. After hearing that the authority cash balance was $ 27,412, the authority board gave the finance committee per­ mission to invest $ 15,000. POLICE RADIO SYSTEM TO SERVE FIVE MUNICIPALITIES A big step forward for New Sewickley township resulted when the town­ ship board of supervisors approved plans to participate in a tentative fivearea police radio communication system. The four areas beside New Sewickly are Pulaski, Daughtery and Rochester townships, and Rochester borough all of Beaver County. The board took the action during its regular meeting held in the Big Knob fire hall. Officials from the other four communities were present at the meeting. ------ i record as definitely New Sewickley is the first of the five areas to go on participating in the program. They did so 1providing „ that needed equipment �^.ct^en*te can be purchased under the present civil defense program and °PeratiOn expenses will be a reasonable amount for the year. Other surroundi .ng communities are expected to join the system later. !X NO. 3, WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., MARCH 15, I960 VOL- PUBLIC SAFETY TAX CLAIM BUREAU Hidden Cameras are used in New York City to snap the picture of persons turning in false alarms. The shutter of the camera clicks automatically as the alarm is pulled. Auctioning Used Cars rather than trading them in saves several thousands of dollars for Winston-Salem, N.C. The city reports that it also makes substantial savings by replacing cars after 40,000 miles rather than 60,000, and by buying a year's supply of cars at one time. A state Approved Training course will be compulsory for all police officers hired by municipalities or counties in New York State after July 1, I960. THE POLICE-FIRE INTEGRATION The Police-Fire Integration experiment in Winston-Salem, N.C., has been called successful by both the fire chief and the police chief. The experiment was conducted in one section of this city of 105,000 population for 7 months. Both chiefs have recommended that the in­ tegration become permanent. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY" A woman's chief asset is man's imagination. A self-made man is usually an example of un-skilled labor. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a c~ originates in the Institute of Municipal Governm community service, lege. Notes and inquiries may be addressed ment of Wilkes ColInstitute of Municipal Government, Wilkes Colleg to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Pennsylvania. e, Wilkes-Barre, In 1947 the Real Estate Tax Sale Law was passed in Pennsylvania in an effort to make the sale of property for taxes more efficient, to make tax sales more attractive to purchasers, and to dispose quickly of the great backlog of unsold property that had accumulated over the years. Luzerne County is one of the few counties that has adopted this system. But how many local officials know exactly what the Bureau does with the property? Here are excerpts of remarks made by Mr. Harry Welsh of the County Tax Claim Bureau at a meeting of local officials. " The Tax Claim Bureau is like an old letter file to municipalities. It is a place to put tax claims which tax collectors have been unable to col­ lect. The Tax Claim Bureau enters the picture on the first Monday of May of each year when the various collectors certify, and turn over all of their unpaid tax claims. From here on they are absolved from all responsibility. The bureau carefully analyzes all of the returns. Many are discarded and stricken from the record as exempt, faulty assessments, or State or county owned real estate. The Bureau sends a notice of return by certified mail return receipt requested to every delinquent taxpayer. This notice gives com­ plete data concerning property ownership, location, description, amount of claim and interest, methods of making payment, and that the claim will be­ come absolute on December 31st following. All notices must be received by July 31st, and if for any reason a notice can not be delivered, then the prop­ erty is posted with a like notice, and an affidavit to this effect is recorded." "Beginning in June payments of claims start to flow through the Bureau. Each bill is prepared by the bureau, each payment is posted in the permanent docket and index, and each property ledger card is posted by a bookkeeping machine. This system is so complete that the recapitulation not only gives each district a total of all monthly collections, but it lists each district a total of all monthly collections, but it lists each property and description, each receipt number and date, and each individual payment by year broken down into tax, interest, and costs. The present charge for such service to each district-------- 4% of the money collected. " "One year from the month of July, all properties against which there is still a claim open of record, or not properly protected by a written contract, are placed in a public sale known as an Upset Price Sale. The term Upset �Price denotes a total of all taxes, interest, penalties, r: costs, ~ ana miw.ciw liens, if any. This Upset Price is the lowest amount which the Tax Claij^ Bureau will accept for the sale of any property. Besides cor computing the erous Upset Price figures, the Bureau sends a notice of sale —j by certified mail return receipt requested to each property owner. " deals with abatements, divisions of property, and tax compromises. "Now why should districts be concerned with all this melee? The Tax Claim Bureau has the headache as agent for the districts while the districts receive money at a mere 4% charge on the money collected only. "Sale notices must be received by the property owners at least ten days prior to sale, and where the mail is not delivered, the property is posted The Bureau will allow anyone to remove a property from sale for the owner anytime up to and including the morning of sale. " "First of all, the district is responsible to see that current taxes are furnished to the Bureau to be included in all Upset Prices. Not one dis­ trict does this. Is there money lost? Yes, and a lot more would be lost if the Bureau didnot estimate current taxes purely on its own initiative." "Eventually the sale takes place, and the highest successful bidder at an open public auction is awarded each property. All properties not sold are considered advertised and held by the Tax Claim Bureau as Trustee. With­ in 60 days the Bureau must make a report to the Court of Common Pleas as to the status of all sale properties. Sixty days after receiving the report, the Court confirms all sales except those to which there is a valid objection, should be noted that all successful buyers at an Upset Price Sale are It paying all taxes of record. Judgements are wiped out by the sale, actually Judgements if any, hold, and follow the nrnno>-t>r ■< but mortgages property." "Districts are also responsible for furnishing the Bureau with all municipal liens, if any. Do they do this? No." "One year from the date of this sale, the Tax Claim Bureau files individual n Pleas to sell all those properties not sold at the Upset Price Sale. Each petition includes a legal search made by attorneys for the Bureau. The Court upon being satisfied that the petitions are proper, and that this service was made, r ' ,Sale. sets a date and time for a public auction sale known as a Free and a Free and Clear Sale." "Once again properties are placed on the auction block, and sold to the highest bidder, but bidding begins at the total amount of costs accrued by the Bureau in preparing the sale. This cost figure is usually about $ 70.00, and all successful bidders get a free and clear title with all taxes, judgements, and mortgages wiped off the record. Where there is no interested bidder, a property is sold to the County of Luzerne for costs plus one dollar. " "All County owned prop' property may still be purchased by a private bid. bids are initiated i with the T J Bureau, and where the County Commissioners Such satisfied with the /___ .e amount of the bid, ’ ’ ’, the Bureau petitions the Court to are sell. " "While the Bureau is r-;_l.l and docketing and indexing these claims, it receiving is also p~*claims from ,collectors, . _ collectors, ” ■preparing ’ preparing an and Upset Price from the previous year, and a free clear r ' Sale for open claims ceived two years prior. It is also collecting, posting, and is also c to the districts. -------„•Itsale re­ of payments, and making It distribution is for claims _o distributio: thousands of pieces ‘aking of mail, thousands phone auditingthousands thousandsof in toofthe <” calls, and issuing li, certificates guaranteeing certified lien status of the tax servicing record. It is hand­ __ i the of phone ling many private bid sales, and protect— *■- • Sheriff sales. It also status c protecting tax claims at n " The Tax Bureau can write a tax off the record at any time, and all but one or two districts in the County would not know the difference." 'The returns of taxes made to the Bureau usually include so many false claims that it is impossible to know how a district ever uses these claims when making up its budget. " "When a property owned by the County is sold for more than costs, the Bureau makes an equitable distribution of all bid money in excess of costs. Since all taxes were previously dis charged, the district is actually without a claim, but still receives money." "Did you know that a district may buy property at a tax sale in its own right, and that this could prove to be beneficial? It is never done, Did you know that a district can force the Tax Bureau into the sequestration of property, and that all rents received by the bureau in this capacity must be used to reduce tax claims? Did you know that a district can force the Bureau or the County to accept a tax bid that may have been refused, and thereby restore real estate to a tax income status?" KINGSTON TOWNSHIP The proposed I960 budget includes four changes in sources of revenue. These changes include elimination of the 1-mill sinking fund tax; reduction in light assessment from seven cents to six cents per front foot; elim­ ination of the 11-mill occupation tax and establishment of a $3.00 per capita tax. Elimination of the 1-mill sinking fund tax is possible because there was sufficient balance in the sinking fund account at the end of 1959 to re­ tire the one out-standing $500 bond and pay the accumulated interest. Reduc­ tion in the light assessment is brought about because seven cents was a little more than was needed to pay the cost of light for those areas where street lights have been requested. As a result the light account has a balance be­ yond current needs. An assessment of six cents will provide a little less than is needed to defray the cost of those lights, so the balance in the �& light will decrease from year to year. When the balance is sufficiently depleted it may be necessary to restablish the seven cent assessment. The 11-mill occupation tax will be replaced with a $3.00 per capita tax. These two changes will result in a more equitable distribution of the tax load by allowing those residents of the township, who are not property owners, to participate in paying the costs of the services they receive. IX NO. 4, WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., APRIL 15, I960 VOL- LUZERNE COUNTY BOROUGHS ASSOCIATION In consideration of the May 1st deadline on operation of open dumps in the region Luzerne County Boroughs Association this week reaffirmed its stand to cooperate with the State Department of Health in eliminating open dumps and expressed its willingness to explore the possibility of joint landfill method of disposing of garbage. Establishment of a landfill oper­ ation would be in cooperation with the State Department of Health, Institute of Municipal Government and Public Services Committee of the Chamber of Commerce. ANNEXATION Luzerne County Court fin/ BanE-approved the annexation of certain sections of Hazle and Sugarloaf Townships to the Borough of West Hazle­ ton. The Court noted in its decision that all the free holders in the sec­ tions proposed to be annexed were in favor of the proposal. West Hazle­ ton council by ordinance, approved the proposed annexation and Sugarloaf Township did not complain. The The municipal municipal and and school school authorities authorities of Hazle Township and several citizens ~r---J of record opposed the annexation. EDWAR DSVILLE The Council has had under consideration a building ordinance govern­ ing construction and remodeling within borough limits. Officials intend to adopt the ordinance which would make it compulsory for individuals obtain a permit before starting work. The move is intended to protect to persons and properties from hazards and undesirable construction in the business and residential areas. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Today is the day you The honeymoon is worried about yesterday. the thrill of a wife-time. .PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, origina*:e in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes and in­ quiries maybe addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal G°v ernment, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. ItoM-tettei fa -depute DINNER Eighth Annual Dinner for Luzerne County Local Officials will be held Wednesday, May 11, I960 at the Wilkes Commons. Join in the fun and see your fellow officials receive awards. Police, Planners, Commissioners, Councilmen, and School Directors will receive awards. Make your res­ ervations with the Institute at VA. 4--4651. EXEMPTIONS OF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS During the 1959 session of the Legislature in Harrisburg a bill was introduced into the House, known as HB No. 1830. This bill sought to in that tax exempt redefine "places of actual worship" so as to t„ include 1._ 1_. ...j or lands maintained and used as a parsonage, category "any building ................ This to or adjacent to the church building. whether or not connected ---------- of the Legislature and sent to the Govbill was passed by both Houses ernor for his approval. Governor Lawrence, after studying the bill at length, vetoed it with the explanation that even though enacted into a law, the bill would not be sustained by the State courts because of its unconstitutionality. He re­ ferred to the provision in the State Constitution wherein tax exemptions of various classes of property are authorizedfArt. IX Sec. 1). According to the Governor, this proposed act attempted to go beyond the meaning of "actual places of religious worship" as specifically referred to in this constitutional provision. similar to that in a decision handed down by the Hi s reasoning was December 30, 1959 in the case of Second Church State Supreme Court on of Christ, Scientist, etalvs. Philadelphia. This case concerned two Philadelphia churches which appealed fro>m decisions of the Court of t ruled that church parking lots, used Common Pleas, in which the court of their congregation were taxable. Apsolely for parking by members c- . Superior Court and resulted in a re­ peals were heard first by the State versal of the lower court's decision. Then on appeal to the Supreme Court, the Superior Court was in turn reversed. ; cases involving church exemptions, the SuAfter reviewing previous Court took the position that the Constitution expressly limited expreme (___________ to "places of actual worship." Although eruptions of religious institutions 1 ■e enactment to include "ground thereto this has been defined by legislativ annexed necessary for the occupancy and enjoyment of the same a J �distinction was drawn between church and charitable exemptions. The court reasoned that parking lots as such could not possibly be cepted as "]'places of actual worship" and therefore are not considered ac-. "necessary,," which term has been limited by previous decisions to land adjacent to the church r' ' structures which ground is required for entrance exit, light and air. Beyond’ that point the refused to go. " j court It should be noted that in this decision the court once again pointed that parsonages could not be made out exempt, thus bearing out the arrived at by Governor Lawrence when he conclusion Lu refused to approve HB 1830. COMPETITIVE bidding ON insurance In March 1955 this letter suggested to local governments to look into suggested to local possibilities of <— competitive bidding on insurance. It was stated then that the Park Forest Illino ino in 1954 purchased insurance on a competitive basis at considerable savings, vings. The municipality combined as many types of policies as practicable into nto a single package and requested bids from insurance companies and agencies «... ... cies. A 37% reduction in premiums premiums for for workmen' workmen's compensation and general insurance resulted. resulted. Savings Savings from from other types of —1 liability ’’ ' policies included in the package could not be determined since broadened in some cases, while peculiar not circumstances be determined since made coverage was circumstances the continuance of auto comprehensive andl_r liability insurancemadp with necessary the pany for a short period of time. Because of the success of the inital v~ ...a same comPark Forest expected to repeat the system the following year with furth, ----- .1 venture, refinements in the procedure and bid forms. ler I From time to time this News-letter has advocat, place its insurance on a competitive basis. No r~ :ed that ,a municipality basis.in spite of the fact that County stirred a hand to competitive change its ways, municipality in Luzerne ways, in erable savings could be realized. The pressures insurance r~ *—of 'local " v.xcxt considwere too heavy politically to change to a procedureofthat has been tried, pressures local insurance agents and proven to be economically feasible a and practicalthatThas ---- ’ been tried, tested, procedure continue to pay as much as — and practical. Local officials still practical, 60% more for the total ’-surance item in the budget than warranted. the total in, Municipalities often "pay excessive premiums for ed," the 1956 Municipal Year Book stated. Only 12 per .... affording municipalities use competitive bidding when buying the fireprotection insur; per cent use competitive bidding for general and motor ’ xcent of the reportinsurance. In recent years, the calling for competitive bids on r~ rance; 25 surance has increased, but the acceptance of the idea has not been vehicle public liability municipal inidea Recently the Luzerne County Housing Authority washas able _.i widespread. te Luzerne C than $ 800.00 on its insurance through competitive bidding on lta insurai Wilkes-Barre has been able to show has be< to save more around" whw ’ MUNICIPAL EMPLOYES PE'J IP EMI-.: SYSTEM The 1959 session of the Pennsylvania General ABBembly modernized the Municipal Employes Retirement Act by integrating it with Soo.al Security, by providing options for paying for prior service, and , in gen­ eral, by providing a retirement system that should be within the financial reach of virtually all boroughs. The $10,000 appropriation in the bill for expenses involved in putting the system into operation was deleted and, although the lav/ provides that the State Employes Retirement Board shall be responsible for the admin­ istration of the system until the required 250 members are enrolled, the lack of an appropriation has thrown the responsibility primarily on State Associations. Once the system is operating, i.e., after the required 250 employes have been enrolled, the administration will be paid for by the member municipalities not too exceed $10.00 per person per year. In the mean­ time, the biggest question confronting officials seems to be, "Where do we go from here ? " Local officials should obtain preliminary cost estimates for participation in the State Municipal Employe's Retirement System. In this, there are two factors involved: (a) cost of current and future service, (b) cost of prior or past service. On the basis of sample actuarial studies, the municipality's cost for current and future service can be fairly accurately pinpointed at between four and five percent of the payroll. The determination of prior service is much more complicated, however, and can be determined only after individual actuarial studies for each municipality have been made. The complicating factors are the options which a municipality may choose in paying for prior service benefits and the vast extremes in the age and length of service of employes from municipality to municipality. This study for prior service cost must be paid by the municipality. In addition to the cost of the municipality's participation in the retire­ ment system, officials will, of course, want to know the employe's con­ tribution. The system was designed so that the employe's contribution and the municipality's contribution would be about equal. This fact may be used for estimate purposes. Also, the actuary, on the basis of his sample studies, has informed us that a figure of between four and five percent of pay may be used for the younger employes and that an older employe's con­ tribution may be as much as eight percent of pay. �!X NO. 5, WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., MAY 15, I960 TRAFFIC OFFICERS TRAINING SCHOOL vol- reprint The twentieth annual Traffic Officers Training School will be held at the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, May 9-20, I960 The course is designed for traffic and other police officers, Private police officers having traffic duties may also enroll, Both new and experienced officers are eligible. The registration charge is $ 35.00 and includes instructional mater­ ials, the get-acquainted session and the final banquet. For complete details and program, write to; Conference Center The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania. ’ " THOUGHTS FOR TODAY" This article is'^5 reptiniHrom an article by Victor Roterus, director, Office of Area Development, Business and Defense Services Administration, United States Department of Commerce, in the February I960 issue of "Maryland Municipal News." There are, in effect, a number of ways in which municipal officials can assist economic development activities being carried out by both public and private organizations. 1. Realistic zoning ordinances which take into account the space and lo­ cation needs of industry and recognize industry's right to protection from encroachment by incompatible land uses constitute a prime responsibility of local government for attracting new or branch industrial plants. There is no longer any excuse for the old unlimited custom of allocating the seem­ ingly useless, the marginal, and out--of--the--way tracts for use by indus­ try. If the <cigarette industry ever succeeds in making man think for himself, the -J government will be looking for a new source of revenue. The modern boy scout helps an old lady across the street by slowing down his convertible. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes and in­ quiries maybe addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. 2. Zoning controls alone are not always sufficient for setting aside ade­ quate land for industry, especially where suitable land is scarce. In com­ munities where this is the case, land must be purchased and reserved for industrial use, if not by the city itself, then by private organizations set up for this purpose. In the latter event, the community can assist by es­ tablishing a far-sighted tax policy on this land while it remains vacant. 3. Taxes otherwise should not be so burdensome as to discourage the location of industry, but neither should taxes be reduced unrealistically in order to attract a new plant. Tax concessions may sound fine as an initial gesture of goodwill, but alert industrial management officials real­ ize that the purpose of tax levies is to support essential public construction __ 2 tax privileges ----- 3 are granted to one firm, projects and services. If special residential uses will have to foot the bill, or other firms, businesses, or 1----------else public services will be reduced to the detriment of all plant operations and the functioning of the community as a whole. Responsible firms stand ’ 3 and ready to pay their share of' taxes a.— ask and expect no special favors which naight injure other <------- elements -------------- of the community. 4. Local officials can cooperate in providing the basic data needed by development groups to inform industrial prospects of area resources for industrial growth. Accurate, complete, up--to--date information is es­ sential for area development leaders to use in pointing out why industry I �representatives should locate a plant in their community. Inadequate or incorrect information has proved to be sufficient reason in the past for an otherwise interested industrial prospect to look elsewhere for a plant site. 5. By comparing the cost of services which each land-use type receives with the amount of taxes it pays, official sources can do much to inform the community how industry unlike much residential development, more than pays its way. Unless the community comes to appreciate the importance of industry to the local economy and learns how industry can contribute to over­ all community development, it will prove difficult to gain public moral and financial support for economic development efforts. Public officials, through their expressions of confidence in local programs to gain new industry, can contribute to a favorable business climate in their communities. This will be noted favorably by visiting industrial prospects, especially if it appears in the form of an attractive business district, well-kept residential areas, and clean and uncongested streets. Most communities must make a survey of area resources if they are to embark on a program of industrial development. The Office of Area development has prepared a simple form for industrial surveys for small towns entitled Industrial Location Facts. This publication outlines the kinds of information which should be collected and indicates how the data obtained should be presented for use by industry in appraising a community as a plant site location. In its bimonthly periodical Area Development Bulletin, the Office of Area Development keeps community groups and public officials informed on new federal programs and helpful information sources, new government and private publications about planning and zoning problems, case studies of the ways medium size and small towns have successfully met planning and economic development problems, and the new techniques for com­ munity improvements. NON-DEBT REVENUE BONDS FEDERAL AGENCY SERVES AS CLEARINGHOUSE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS Municipal officials may obtain information and help in their economic and community development activities from the federal government. In particular, the Office of Area Development in the Business and Defense Services Admin­ istration of the United States Department of Commerce was set up to work with the states and to serve as a kind of clearing house on information on smal1 town and community development problems. Local groups usually want two kinds of assistance--advice and suggestions on how to obtain more jobs and information about federal aid for community improvement efforts. These in­ formation needs are met in large measure by the Office of Area Development, especially through its publications. officlu^IONS which can pr°vide ASSISTANCE FOR MUNICIPAL Federal Activities Helpful to Communities, for example, describes in summary form 45 federal programs and services of help to community de­ velopment efforts, such as advance planning grants, loans for public facilities> aids for water supply and pollution control, small business loans, and vocational rehabilatation aids. Area groups interested in obtaining more jobs and activities may find helpful the Community and Area D< stimulating business This checklist points out a whole series of actions ’ M velopment Checklist, in the country have taken to create new jobs and busin. _____ communities _— which various details, for instance, the various steps a community can take to enter theIt -Mess opportunities. industrial development field, to provide services to existing industries, and to set up a retail and service trade development program. Since the Beam v. Borough of Ephrata case was decided, bond counsel throughout the commonwealth have taken a good hard look at non-debt re­ a number number of facets of such bonds with which all venue bonds. bonds. There There are are a bond counsel are in agreement,. The following propositions outline the principal area of agreement: Non-debt revenue bonds do not violate constitutional debt limitations. Non-debt revenue bonds cannot be assessment bonds or in any manner be made payable out of assessments. The revenues collected from the im­ provement financed by non-debt revenue bonds must be administered by the municipality and not be any trustee or agent. In the case of boroughs, the rates or charges for the use of the improvement must be sufficient to provide a depreciation reserve and a reserve for future improvements. In order to have the minimum effective pledge, the municipality must segregate specified revenues from the improvement and must use them only for pur­ poses properly related to the improvement and the bonds. No general tax moneys may be used to make up a deficiency in the revenues from the pro­ ject. Debt service during construction provided for in the financing may not exceed an amount sufficient to cover the debt service for one year. Nondebt revenue bonds are not legal investments for trusts. Non-debt revenue bonds may not give a receiver the right to take possession of or to operate and maintain the improvement. The bed--rock security behind a non-debt revenue bond is less than in the case of a general obligation bond or an au­ thority bond. The limited areas of doubt in which bond counsel are not yet satisfied that they are in complete accord are principally two: whether bonds may be sold at private sale. Whether any protection other than the naked promise of the municipality may be injected into the administration of revenues. �WINSTON-SALEM INCENTIVE PLAN 6j An incentive plan for refuse collection crews in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is saving the city about $ 30,000 per year in pay­ roll costs. The new plan, in effect since September, 1958, provides pay on the basis of a 44-hour week with the men working as long as the collection actually requires. Over a full year the work week averages about 38 hours. Seasonal fluctuations bring it up to 44 hours before Christmas and for a few weeks in the summer and as low as 36 or 37 hours in the spring. As reported in Municipal South , the program was based on careful study and layout of collection routes, purchase of 25 refuse collection vehicles, and closer supervision. Savings have been effected through elemination of personnel on certain routes and elimination of overtime pay. VOL- WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. , JUNE 15, I960 IX NO. HONORABLE GENEVIEVE BLATT Secretary of Internal Affairs Genevieve Blatt suggested at the Eighth Annual Dinner of Local Officials of Luzerne County that local governments provide the variety of services demanded by people on a cooperative basis involving two or more local governments. "If you in local government don't solve the problems, the problems have to get solved, and they will be solved in some way. There will come a day when people will get impatient and will ask the State or Federal Governments services. to provide the necessary services." PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX Thirty-two communities in the county now levy a 1% property transfer tax, with addition of four last month: Newport, Plymouth, Dallas and Huntington townships. The tax was authorized by the legislature about six years ago and since then the towns have in­ creased their income by proceeds from this tax. Persons register­ ing property transfers at the recorder of deeds office at the Court House pay the transfer tax there. The money then is distributed among the taxing authorities. step higher and away from local government is to increase "To go one costs proportionately. The distance is that much increased and the degree of local control is that much lessened. Turning responsibility over to State or Federal governments is more expensive, less efficient, and less democratic. "Consolidation and merger is impractical because it does not take into account that people have strong loyalties and the ties are too strong to be surrendered willingly." "Legislation permitting coop eration has been on the books of the Commonwealth since 1943. It is disappointing to learn from a recent survey that this power on the part of local governments has not been very much used. The Department of Internal Affairs can assist you to use the tools that have been put on the books for you. Your legislators can even amend the laws if that is what you want so that you can better explore these tools. I believe it truly would be worth your while to try. It is the only solution that is at all feasible at the beginning of the decade of the 1960's." CT "THOUGHTS FOR TODAY" Two can't live as cheaply as one-- but in June, who cares? Often a man can switch from a blonde, j head, and still be going with the same girl. to a brunette, to a red- PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes Col­ lege. Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr, Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Government, Wilkes College. WilVrPennsylvania. a. v - CERTIFICATES AND AWARDS ■ 1 official rials receivedOfficials certificates and awards at the11, More than 100 municipal on Wednesday, May Eighth Annual Dinner of Luzerne County Local Otticiais commis I960. Training certificates were given to 9 eonneilmen and township commxs sioners for completing the course for Borough Councilmen and Township crb tor completing Wilkes-Barre Police Force for completing Commissioners; 26 members of the WiiKes Dane the Basic Police Course; 29 school directors for completing the course tor School Directors; and Z5 local officials lor completing the and Zoning Course. Th, last course named was given by the Institute of Municipal Governttient for the first time. �Service Awards were made to 18 local officials for public service local governments. These awards have been a feature of the annual dlnner3. The Public Service Institute of the Department of Public Instruction, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania co-sponsored the courses with the Institute Municipal Government. Members of the Institute staff who instructed the of student officials were Edward Heiselberg, Director of Planning of the Luzerne County Planning Commission; Walter Wint, member of the Wilkes-Barre Department; Stuart Veale, Business Manager of the Hazleton School District; and, Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Director of the Institute of Municipal Government. Contributions were made to Dr. Eugene S. Farley, President of Wilkes College, for the continuation of the work of the Institute of Municipal Govern­ ment. The following made presentations: Mayor Frank Slattery in behalf of the City of Wilkes-Barre; Clem Falchek for the Luzerne County Township Commissioners Association; William Sommers for the Luzerne County School Directors Association; John Mizin in behalf of the Luzerne County Boroughs Association; and Arthur Smith, in behalf of the Luzerne County Township Supervisors Association. Philadelphia reports an expected savings of $20,367 through the use of 100 compact cars in 32 city departments including use as police cruisers. cars in. 32 National Institute of Governmental Purchasing reports that purchases The cars for all governmental uses is spreading. Other cities recently of compact small cars include: Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Lincoln, Nebraska; purchasing New Jersey; and Wichita, Kansas. Newark, 1- MORE ON MALLS Two city managers, speaking at the 12th annual management institute at the University of Michigan, praised their new downtown malls. They were Clarence Elliott, Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Russell Rink, formerly of Toledo, Ohio. Rink said that Toledo's 100-day mall received much favorable attention including visits from many officials in other cities. A permanent mall, to cost about $100,000 is now being considered. City Manager Elliott said that business in Kalamazoo had increased 23% since installation of its permanent mall and that 18 permits have been taken for remodeling business establishments. GOOD IDEA Volunteer firemen are summoned by a system which rings 70 telephones at the same time in Garden City, New York. The fire dispatcher, on receiving an alarm, picks up a special telephone on his desk and dials, simultaneously ringing phones in the homes of 70 volunteer firemen. The firemen get the calls on their regular phones using no special equipment. MUNICIPALITIES AND SMALL CARS Many municipalities throughout the country have been experimenting in the use of small cars for municipal transportation. Richmond, Virginia, has had 20 Volkswagens in use for nearly two years and reports an initial cost savings of $229-325 per vehicle and an average operation cost (routine maintenance, gasoline, lubrications) of 2.3£ per mile> " Of the 350 passenger cars in Richmond's fleet, only police and fire appear to require the size and power of the standard American or large cars," says Richmond. TAX ON RACE TRACKS The great furor that has been aroused all over the State by the enactment of the Harness Racing Law has naturally raised the question as to how this will affect second class township taxes under Act 481. If such a harness track is located in a townshipj the township could, under Act 481, establish a tax on admissions to the track. In view of the fact that most of these tracks will be located in townships of the second class, this can be of great importance to such townships. ACT 527 Act 527 (S.B. 1078) adds anew section to the County Code (Sect. 1770.1), whereby new construction after September 1st may be re-assessed upon request of the County Commissioners, subject to the right of appeal. Property so added to tax duplicates shall be taxable at its re-assessed value for the proportionate part of the fiscal year. PUBLIC RELATIONS Burbank, California, has introduced the small replacement for motorcycles in checking overtime Nash Metropolitan as a following advantages: lower operating costs (2.4£ parking. The city lists the price, no hazardous riding bond required, more protection fro: vs. 2.9^), lower purchase transportation for two persons when needed, and lower radio m bad weather, costs. Monrovia, Calif, recently held a special public relations course for all Members of the police department. The 10-hour course lasted three weeks, with three two-hour sessions held each week during working hours . Lectures ^ud discussions were held on public relations, appearance, bearing, the Officer s Private life, dipl am a ry, prejudice, conversation, writing a citation, voice and �manner of speech, demeanor in the courtroom, and attitude toward co testifying. Results have been gratifying. Complaints on treatment of have dropped off sharply, and the policemen themselves have developed spirit of public service. 26118 VOL- RESIDENTIAL FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS Fire alarm systems have been installed in some 300 new homes and apartments in Quincy, Massachusetts under a 1958 ordinance making it mandatory. An alarm system which is set off by high temperatures costs between $60 and $75 installed in a five-room house. STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM On March 7, I960, the Borough of Sellersville became the first municipality in Pennsylvania to pass an ordinance placing all its eligible employees under the State Municipal Employees Retirement System. This municipality of 2,500 population was the first to pass an ordinance and officially notify the State Retirement Board of its action. The Borough chose to offer the option to elected andper-diem employees on whether or not they choose to join the system. The council also voted to provide complete benefits for all prior service of their employees, the payment for which will be spread over a period of 30 years as provided by the law. A toted of 250 insured persons is needed to put the system into operation. Inquiries can be directed to the Pennsylvania Local Government Center, 2415 North Front Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. AGE OF SPECIALIZATION Alton, Illinois, expects to save money by signing a one-year contract with the lowest bidder for all tir e purchas es and services and tire service calls. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Babies are angels whose wings grow shorter JULY 15, I960 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. IX NO> 7 ZONING DECISIONS y The State Suprem'e Court decision in the Cresko case can be viewed in the light of other such decisions handed■jdp.wn by the highest Court in Pennsylvania. It is to be noted that this decision involving a local matter is consistent with a general philosophy of the Court. Zoning represents one of the most common examples of the exercise of the police power possessed by local governments. It is the division of a municipality into districts and the prescription and application of different land use regulations in each district. The restrictions must not be unnec­ essary and unreasonable on the use of private property. They must bear some substantial relation to public need or general welfare. Over the past year or so, the decisions of municipal boards of adjust­ ment have fared better in the Supreme Court than in the lower courts. The Supreme Court has tended to agree more with the boards than with the lower courts. It seems that up to May, I960, the Supreme Court agreed with the boards of adjustment in nine of the ten variances appealed to it. It would appear that in some instances the lower courts have had trouble with variance requests as a result of forgetting that zoning law primarily involves purely statutory considerations rather than the general equitable considerations which may be more important in nuisance cases. It is doubtful whether local boards have a better grasp of legal principles than do the lower courts. It is their nearness to the municipal legislative bodies which has certain social objectives in mind that has been the factor giving the boards a better record. On the subject of variances, the Supreme Court has restated that they can be granted only when unique circumstances produce unnecessary hardship. Such hardship must be a hardship relating to the property itself rather than the person of its owner. as their legs grow longer. Some men work hard and s, money so their sons won't have the problems that made men of their fathers save . PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a in the Institute community service, originates kes College. Notes and inquire6 may be addres r. Mail ey, IInstitute of Municipal Government. Pennsylvania. In the Klein Zoning case (395 Pa. 122), where the home owner sought to enclose a front porch contrary to front yard limitations in order to provide an additional room for his wife and son who had respiratory ailments, the variance was refused on the ground that personal hardship is not sufficient. The barber in the Gold case (393 Pa. 401) was also denied a variance despite his argument that he needed a small barbershop in his home because he was too ill to work regularly in an outside shop. There is no doubt that the �lower courts were influenced by the personal hardship involved. Neither does economic hardship justify a variance. Some of the 1 fraternity would call this "profit hardship". The requested conversion ;8ai single-family dwelling to a three family dwelling was refused in Spadar of a o v. Zoning Board of Adjustment (394 Pa. 375) because inability to make 8>^*®ate£ profits out of property will not justify a variance. Similarly, where a chemical warehouse had existed as a violation in a residential district for several years, a variance to validate it : was refused despite the absence of an escape clause in the lease in Updylite Corp. Phila. (394 Pa. 645). The Cresko decision seems to fall into this category of case when the opinion of the Court is closely analyzed. "Business operators persist in believing that a variance can be justified by an opportunity to make money or conversely that it is an abuse of discretion to deny them the opportunity. Such preoccupation with commerce is not at all what we mean by a variance or by the kind of hardship which justifies one. A deviation from the letter of zoning ordinance, to escape the stricture of being actual rezoning under the guise of a variance, can be allowed only when the difficulties and hardship are sub­ stantial and of compelling force. The owners knew the situation when they bought the land. They deliberately took their chances. " The prospective loss of money from the applicant's pocket are not broad enough to justify the idea that all kinds of economic hardship are sufficient evidence for a variance. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is loathe to command a legislative body to rezone even where environmental changes subsequent to the original zoning create a need for rezoning. In English v. Zoning Board of Adjustment (395 Pa. 118) where the applicant's dwelling was located close to commercial and institutional used in a blighted mixed-use residential district, the Supreme Court would not permit the variance of a beauty shop in a home which the Board of Adjustment had granted. The Court stated that the legislative function does not pass to the Zoning Board, although the temptation may be great to re­ zone by variance. The Supreme Court made the same kind of a statement in Schecter v. Zoning Board of Adjustment (395 Pa. 310) - "a general rezoning of an area of land cannot be accomplished under the guise of a variance. " In Tidewater Oil Co. v. Poore (395 Pa. 19) a iproposed petroleum tank farm on 62 residentially zoned acres located between the properties of : two other oil companies zoned for industrial purposes was ... not permitted by the Supreme Court. Only local legislative determinatioi the land. It could not be done by the granting of a lun could change the use of variance which the lower court had done. It follows that neither the Boards of Adjustment nor the lower courts Can substitute themselves fo* ________ jr the local legislative bodies elected andI represent_____________ the people of a municipality. k NEW DWELLING UNITS Despit® a loss of 46,492 in Luzerne County population since 1950, the umber ^113 of dwelling a loss units in the County increased by 3, 339 in the same period. Tbe census report on housing units disclosed there are 115, 239 dwelling units in of dwelling units census report on Lc:027 are occupied and 8, 212 are unoccupied. There the County of which 107, wereCounty 111, 900 dwelling in the 1950.means This means an increase of of which 107,units 027 are ____County ___ _ in This an • - be noted that by comparison, the increase in 1950 about 111,900. 3% over 1950. It ■■should should be noted that by comparison, t„_ over 1940 was about 6%. Wilkes-Barre has the 3% over the highest highest number number of occupied units followed by Hazleton, Kingston, Nanticoke, Hanover Township, Pittston, Plymouth 1940 was Hanover Township, and Plains Township. Wilkes-Barre also leads in unoccupied dwelling units fol­ lowed by Lake Township, Lehman Township, Hazleton, Bear Creek Township, Nanticoke, Ross Township, Butler Township, and Newport Township. It should be noted that some of the political subdivisions showing unoccupied dwellings are considered summer resort areas. WHAT'S NEW COURTDALE - The Borough Council voted to approve a real estate transfer tax ordinance imposing a one per cent tax on the transfer of real estate, t e tax to be used to raise additional money needed for street improvement without raising the property tax millage. PLYMOUTH - The Council awarded a five-year contract for garbage and ash collection. WILKES-BARRE - A five member recreation commission is under consideration by the City Council. The proposal was made by the Wyoming Valley Play­ ground and Recreation Association and Welfare Planning Council of the United Fund. It has been suggested (as has been heretofore in this NEWSLETTER) that recreation be a governmental function and therefore tax-supported. PLAINS - Luzerne County Court has directed that assets of the Township Police Pension Fund consisting of 15 annuity and endowment insurance contracts be transferred and paid over to the Board of Commissioners to provide pensions for police of the Township. WRIGHT - The Township Planning Commission is presently conducting a survey of the surrounding areas for a suitable site for refuse and garbage disposal managed as a sanitary landfill. SHICKSHINNY - The Council has adopted the I960 budget and approved a tax rate of 21 mills, unchanged from previous years. LE - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the annexation of 550 acres of B land in Hazle and Sugarloaf Townships by the Borough of West Hazleton. K MOUNTAIN - Representatives of Dallas Borough, Kingston Township and alias Township met to discuss the possibility of making a joint survey regarding costs of joint sewage disposal facilities. RNE COUNTY - A total of 38 municipalities or school districts have imposed a 7o tax on real estate transfers. In most cases the tax is paid by the grantor and in only 3 cases is it paid by either party. �POPULATION SHIFT A trend to suburban living is indicated in the 19^0 population figures f0. Luzerne County. The County suffered a population decline of 46, 492 sinCe >r t the last Federal census in 1950. At that time the County had a population of 3^' compared with 245, 749 in the census taken this year. While the County ’ 2<1 suffering a drop, 25 communities within it registered gains ranging from*a 58 in Buck Township to 1, 122 more residents in Fairview Township. On the hand, 48 communities had population losses ranging from 3 in Laurel Run °th tQ ei' in Wilkes-Barre. The Back Mountain region showed increases for a c— of 3, 106 persons. Communities which suffered losses include: Nanticoke Plains Township. Hanover Township, Jeddo,, -----Kingston, Larksville, Swoye ---------------------------------------r ,--------6-v—, — —owoyersvin ' trj------------3—m_ tiTjn ’ • Edwardsville, Wilkes-Barre r” Township, West Pittston, Wyoming and Exeter *' WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. I960 IX NO. 8, VOL. HOUSING CODES pe*J . , the potential of housing codes ’ , as in most.of the nation, have adopted housing regulations Tn Pennsylvania, realized. Few municipalities 1— has yet tofewer be ' enforce them effectively. Virtually all of those communities sanitation regulations relating and even enacted minimum health, safety and because they are »a necessary condition that have dwelling occupancy have done so 1----------in urban renewal. to for federal financial assistance ACT 481 enforced housing code is an excellent A properly balanced, rigorously , but for the preservation of mity improvement, vehicle not only for commui every type of municipality rangc residential values as well. This is true for one still in the process of develing from the aging, built-up community to Under Act 481 and its amendments, taxing districts are limited in the amo^ of revenue which may be raised under the provisions of the law. Currently, municipalities may levy no more than the equivalent of 15 mills on the assessed value of real estate, while school districts may levy, under Act 481, no more than the equivalent of 12 mills on the market value of real estate. Although the millage equivalent is smaller in the case of the school district, the basis is market value as opposed to assessed value in the case of the municipalities. Obviously, then in a county with a low ratio of assessed value to market value, a borough could be nearing its limit while a school district, which is collecting the same amount, may be quite a bit under its limit. opment. In order that it may accomplish its objectives, however, there must be a recognition that housing code enforcement is only a single vehicle. vehicle, And building code, or any a housing code, like zoning, subdivision control, a other tool for community development or preservation, is not without its limitations. INSURANCE The maintenance of a hazard-free structure; the installation and upkeep of necessary facilities and equipment for safe, healthful and sanitary occu­ pancy; continuing provision of the amount and kinds of living and sleeping space essential for decent human habitation; the prevention of overcrowding and over-occupancy of the dwelling unit - these are, in general, the purposes for which housing codes are enacted. The minimum provisions are appli­ cable to both to achieve initially the construction of safe, healthful, and sani­ tary structures, the community must rely on adequate building, plumbing, electrical, and allied codes. To realize a good residential environment, a comprehensive community plan would be necessary. This plan would be implemented by zoning regulations that prevent overcrowding of land and con­ trol population density; by subdivision requirements that promote a sensible neighborhood pattern and the installation of adequate improvements; and by a capital improvements program designed to provide needed facilities. The City of Clio, Michigan lost its municipal insurance when it was cancel­ ed by the Hartford Company of Hartford, Connecticut. Such cancellation is a rare thing. The notice was given to the City when it was termed a "poor risk" by the Company. The Company cited 5 accidents over a 3-year period which involved Clio police cars. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Middle Age is that time of life When you don't care where your wife goes, juit so you don't have to go along. You can cure a woman of almost any common illness by mentioning that her symptons are signs of advancing age. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originateS in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes and inQu^1 may be addressed to Dr. Hue^ v ax-.'i— T- .... Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylv; AUGUST 15, To conserve or enhance the character of a neighborhood, violations of the various traditional codes and ordinances must be curbed. , Salvaging declining neighborhoods is no simple task. Preserving above - �LIABILITY standard neighborhoods is much less difficult. But reliance of the fine most resolutely enforced building code, zoning ordinance and ,subdivisi0 ’ regulations and on the most comprehensive program for maintaining and improving public facilities and services is not enough to do the total job A means must be utilized for ensuring that the condition and quality of existing high-grade housing in sound neighborhoods will be preserved. And where environmental improvements are made, a tool must be availa^| Le so that any substandard properties that threaten the future of a revitalize neighborhood can be compelled to measure up to the renewal pattern. The are the proper functions of the housing code - a co -partner '--- 1 'in- community preservation and in neighborhood improvement. JOINT PURCHASING An increasing number of governmental units are ]purchasing cooperatively with nearby governments according to the National Institute of Governmental" Purchasing. In Florida, 12 cities have won lower bids on such items as cars trucks, radios, gas, oil and grease by buying together. In the first two and one-half years of joint purchasing, the three original cities in the agreement saved nearly $35, 000 compared to prices paid on the same items purchased earlier by each city individually. Only some of the materials needed are bought cooperatively. Savings must be expected to surpass the added expense of buying together. On such items, the needs of all the cities are totaled and single bid is let. Any of the cities can reject the low bid, as it could in letting on its own. In Kentucky, Louisville, Jefferson County, the University of Louisville, and the Louisville School Board, and several districts and commissions in the area have been purchasing together for 6 years. The Louisville Local Gov­ ernmental Buyers' Group operates a warehouse from which members may requisition goods and holds meetings where purchasing information is ex­ changed. Savings have been made on purchasing light bulbs (29%), tires (5%)> gas and oil (10%), antifreeze, coal, dairy products paper towels, and first aid equipment. Through regular meetings, purchasers have learned money­ saving information. Earlier this year, Alabama's governor ordered all school and charitable institutions of the state to purchase through the state. Savings of between $2 and $3 million were estimated by the State Board of Finance. About 350 units of local governments in Pennsylvania do some purchasing jointly. Are there Valley a— xi -------- any -------in • ’Wyoming «>• • _ ” " y or in Luzerne County? PE. FIRE CO. , _1_ 1------ fire company" status of whether an organizaJu.i is a "volunteer ’ 1 Act depends on what it ■ an organization the meaning of the Workmen's 204x— of the Pennsylvania Workmen’s Compensation C. The • r does, according to Official Opinion No. 2 21 . >n should not be effec---_ to Official Opini' within ,artment of Justice. An ordinance of nonrecognitio the activities of a municipality An ordinance actually . to defeat the intent of legislation _ nwhere of thet„ ordinance. Only in the event intent of legislation Dep; accept the services of this volunteer actually contravene the language tive dually contravene itself would actually refuse offered, to a and prevented this company from city ' " that the when they were c-U__fire department in fighting fires, would fire company < with the municipality Jof the volunteer fire company. Such actual coop>erating 1 be an actual nonrecognition : < of police lines or by court action. In the there ’ to assume that the city is benefiting 1 be made either by use refusal -? can of such measures, it is proper absence ccompany. the assistance of cl the fire " --------irom t— . utilized the services of a volunteer fire company, Where the city hasits duty to afford the firemen the protection of work­ the city cannot ignore men's compensation coverage. Therefore,, it is the it is the opinion opinion of of the the department department that an organization en­ gaged in the fighting of fires is a "volunteer fire company" within the pro­ visions of the Act of 1939, P. L. 566, as amended, if its services are whether or not any act, ordinance or actually accepted by the municipality, other official pronouncement of the municipality states that it is not recognized as a volunteer fire company. If the company is no longer regularly engaged in fire fighting, it is no longer acting as a volunteer fire company and, therefore, its members are not entitled to workmen's compensation coverage. LAND MAPS The I960 census figures for Luzerne County show that most communities lost residents while many of the suburban and rural communities gained. A change in real estate valuations can also be expected. Back Mountain and Mountaintop communities have shown increases in population and also increases in new dwellings. This new construction will be reflected in the assessment figures of 1961, as many of the new units are picked up by the field workers of the Reassessment staff. Municipal officials interested in assessment data can check on land in their municipalities by requesting maps from the Board of Assessors. In this way, communities will be informed of the uses to which land is put, and the adoption of zoning requires a mapping program which many communities cannot afford. nominal cost. These maps can be provided by the County at a �SEPTEMBER 15, 19& college, wiekes-barre, pa. bophow without bonds law WILKES A municipality may borrow as much as it needs in the sense that there is no monetary limit stipulated if the population is over 2 500. The origi Act 299 of 1959 did limit the borrowing to $15, 000, but a later amendment which was passed during that session eliminated the ceiling altogether fOr municipalities over 2, 500 and established a $25, 000 ceiling for municipali with a population of less than 2, 500. The Act does set forth other limits, however, and the use of the phrase "as much as we need" should not be inter preted literally. The stipulation that the amount borrowed must be paid back* in 5 years, one-fifth each year, is certainly a limiting factor. The borrow^ under this law must fall within the 2% constitutional debt limit and must be sj yOL NO- 9 fordfoundation economy based solely tried to make the transition from: an industries. The adjustment This area has economy based upon many diverseThe constructive efforts of upon mining to an i of view, and new faces. ’, as a community college, requires time, new points Wilkes College has participated, In order to coordinate and the past must continue, of this area to improve its conditions. sumed the full responsibility in every effort existing community efforts, the College as Foundation for funds Application would have to be made to a strengthen evident that assistance was necessary to embark on the projects. for three projects, certified by the Department of Internal Affairs. Money borrowed under this law must be used for capital expenditures for municipal improvements and equipment. APARTMENTS FOR RENT When the last child in the family married and left home, back in 1890, z„, the average wife in the United States was a widow. 'Today, , because of earlier ______ marriage and earlier childbearing coupled with increased longevity, when the last child leaves home, the average wife and her husband still have 14 years of life together. IX I That, in a nutshell, is why there is far more demand for housing - usually rental apartments - near downtown in our cities than ever before. Couples whose families have grown and who want to live within easy reach of stores, restaurants, theaters and libraries, are creating a demand for housing in the centers of our cities that simply did not exist a generation ago. And because , longevity will continue to increase (and so will traffic problems in suburbia), experts agree that the current trek back to the city will probably gain consider- , able momentum in the decade ahead. when it became cv: The Ford Foundation is a non profit foundation which offers funds in the field of research and public education on broad social questions of an international, national, or local nature. It has generally offered its funds to those individuals or organizations which seek out the problems of society. The Fund has been will­ ing in the past to provide money where new thinking is called for. Some of us who considered the problems through, dreamed that by a stroke of fate, Wilkes might be a lucky recipient from the Ford Foundation. It was, therefore, with high hopes that Admiral Harold Stark, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Wilkes, and Dr. Eugene Farley, President of the College, set off for the Ford Foundation headquarters in New York City. The presentation by these two energetic leaders was excellent and the reception was favorable. In tnUwut°f ^9t°’ the F°rd Foundation announced that $150, 000 had been assigned ment 'and I Research Center, the Institute of Municipal Govern­ ment, and Labor-Management Citizens Relations. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY The only job where you start at the top is digging a hole. A husband who is busy as a bee may wake up to find his honey gone. Expressions of genuine gratitude from local government officials since this news broke have been manifold and it is only fitting that this widespread surge of appreciation be passed along to the Ford Foundation authorities whose under­ standing of our problems made the grant a reality. The Institute of Municipal Government sincerely and heartily joins the local officials in expressing gratitude. PUBLICATION This published monthly inis News-letter, iNews-letter, published monthly as a community service, °riginatfrjeB i in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes and inqul maybe addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, . — o_ . . Institute of Municipal Governmen Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The program of the Institute will be expanded with the grant funds, Greater assistance will be offered to all public officials. The Institute will gather a library of inf. ormation relating to local government. Classes, clinics, and conference will be increased. : A small advisory and consulting service will be maintained that the '• classroom instruction can be made more effective. �REPRINT De.J»h; lice and fire protection, zoning, education, libraries, recreation and other • t from an editorial - "City and Suburbs: M-irer, dated Aug.s. 21, 1960. matter5Cooperation should be promoted not only between the city and suburbs but uburbs themselves. A paradox of suburban life is that ----residents among the su ----’ > as good neighbors at the individual level are indifferent wh0 pride themselves at the municipal level. The lack of liaison between some contiguous neighbors and townships is appalling. boroughs One , <-• „ainq in the suburbs have wrought revolutionary Explosive population g end of the Second World War. They changes in the face o meri in the series of I960 Census reports -— A long, hard look at a map of the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area should convince any observer that the maze of political boundary lines drawn in the 18th and 19th centuries doesn't make very much practical sense today. Borough and township boundaries do not join together people of common interest but divide them. County lines do the same. Suburbs have flourished not as the result of aspects of the Nation's population growth _ When these reports on various ' are compared and analyzed, one inescapable truth stands far above all the —e rest; The predominant unit of economic, social and cultural life in America is no longer the city, the small town or the rural county. It is the metropolitan area a central city surrounded by suburban satellites that enjoy self-government and guard it zealously. organization but in spite of disorganization. I Nearly two-thirds of the country's population growth in the last ten years was in the suburbs. And nearly two-thirds of Americans today live in metropolitan areas. All but one of the five U. S. cities with more than a million inhabitants lost population in the last decade but every one of the 22 metropolitan areas with more than a million people registered substantial gains in population during the same period. city and the suburbs. AMEN (This is the only comment that the Institute of Municipal Government is willing to make. ) These statistics mean, in summary, that America's rapid growth is con­ centrated in areas around cities, namely the suburbs. PITTSTON What problems does this population revolution portend? Dr. Norman R. Ingraham, Philadelphia Health Commissioner, discussed some of them at the ninth annual State Health Conference in Harrisburg the other day. He cited the vital need for city-suburban cooperation on matters of public health and noted seven specialized fields in which cooperation to some degree already has begun in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area. His list included I mosquito control, air pollution control, stream pollution control, garbage dispo:isal medical care, water supply and sewage disposal. Ph-lP/^teW°Fthy aS theSe Sma11 beginnings are, small beginnings we believe the people of <^’re^ldl ' jdud1 °‘ suburban cooperation. the immediate and not-so-distant future. i Public health is only la ki, ! °ne phase of the need for c— is another. P_ u’_ihe safety is still another. SpecificaUcooperation. should join force -ly, the city tation system. Thp0 pro^lde an improved and better coordinated y e might consider closer cooperation and health Economic iburb 5 and the sul mass transp° r consultation on We do not subscribe to proposals of wholesale annexation by the central city. It seems to us, however, that political subdivisions of the metropolitan area, while preserving local autonomy, could unite in a kind of metropolitan federation with limited and clearly defined authority. The idea is worth study both in the I Pittston City has embarked on its first Urban Renewal Project called the Central Pittston Urban Renewal Area. It embraces approximately forty (40) acres and extends from the Fort Jenkins Bridge to Oak Street on the westerly side of Main Street. The plan calls for the construction of a new one-way highway which will traverse the central business district; the construction of five (5) off-street parking areas; the extension of William Street (a major thoroughfare); the clear­ ing and redeveloping of sections of several commercial areas on Main Street and the rehabilitation of a residential section of the city. The gross project cost is estimated to be about $2,790, 000.00. With formal presentation of the contract the Pittston authority now will borrow < up to $2, 163, 048 for the project. The Federal Government will pay $1, 710,277 of the —- project cost with the State and city to split the remainder equally. about^6 4°-acre project in the heart of downtown Pittston affects 120 properties, U ^ree-fourths of them residential and the balance commercial and vacant lots. area is from Fort Jenkins Bridge to West Oak Street and from Main Street to S(lUehanna River. �^.cc^utc (facttiy TteuA'-tettei One of the improvements will be a new road from Fort Jertdn, Bridge paralleling Lehigh Valley Railroad and behind the business district : to lnterSect South Main Street al Columbus Avenue. The new road wiU be one. way Sn'“cct with Main Street one-way northbound. Five parking areas will be < the rear of Main Street business places in addition to a commercial at< south end of the development. William Street will be extended to the new road. Oregon Heights section, at lower end of the development, will be b rehabT by the residents on a voluntary basis with some 1loan assistance from the Ultated authority TAX CONCESSIONS f WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. OCTOBER 15, I960 PUBLICATIONS ' ( | I "If a community meets such special requirements, inquiry moves into the area of economic and social conditions. The interplay of these factors must be assessed carefully. In the forefront of your deliberations is that you are committing your company to the expenditure of millions of dollars and a long, long stay in that com­ munity, 11 Mr. Cresap explained. The Westinghouse president said that the check list of criteria for picking a new plant location includes: 1. Electric power - "Is it , a new ample, dependable and reasonably priced?" 2. J-1----' ' reasonably priced?" are the rates fair - is the turnover low?" 3. Communications Labor supply - - "Is "Are it adequate there ade- ; ’ ' ____ er low? " 3. re air;iArail and and highway highway links larger cities and market centers?" 4. Site links with ’ with larger citiesaccessible and market sites reasonably . lineT? w'Are ’nre SlteS reasonably priced? Are they to centers? highway and railroa” "ccd? Are they accessible lines? Will gas. wa I pv , *„7" ..1 gas, water and sewer lines and ----- .J a good road serve the property- THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Financial headaches ar» x j pockets. re bad - severe pain extends as far down as the pants grape that h;‘as had too NO. 10 [ Adequate natural resources, location and good social conditions attractive to companies than such lures as tax concessions, a leadir are more [ ,n£ industri; declared. Mark W. Cresap, Jr., president of the Westinghouse Electric C. ialist I I which has eight manufacturing and distribution facilities in the Greater -- ^orp., ■Baltimore area, in addition to cautioning American communities seeking new industries not | to overstress tax concessions, outlined a typical check list of the "wants of industry The community with a realistic, sound and equitable tax structure that indicates stable financing of government services will be considered more seriously by indus-l try than one which offers special tax advantages to newcomer industries, he said. A raisin is a yOL-lX many worries. I The Bureau of Municipal Affairs recently released two publications that . , a wealth of information for all locals . Act 481 of 1947 has been a Pr d s0Urce of revenue for local governments. It has also caused many legal ^°oblems • The most recent study of this Act--The Legislative and Judicial P lopment of Act 481--includes much of the material of the earlier studies f 1950 and 1957, combined with amendments made to the Act by The General Assembly since 1957. This study also includes the decisions of courts pertaining to the Act. Retirement for public employees has recently been a subject for lively discussion among local officials. The Bureau has now published a revision of an earlier study—A Guide to Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement and Pension Laws--which includes many of the changes in the laws since the earlier study. Local officials will find the Question and Answer Section in Appendix I quite informative. TRAILER PARK They have become "big business. " Investors are taking a good Iook athem. No longer are these parking facilities for house trailers abandoned spots behind a row of billboards . Most of the new ones offer electricity, gas, sewers, cement slabs, laundries, recreational areas, and some or the luxury types even include swimming pools. Average rentals are $30 to $50 per month. Luxury lots rent for as high as $150. Average costs for land and improvements vary, but $1,500 to $2,000 per trailer space would not be far from median. Average vacancy rate the nation over is 7%. Turnover is mlrequen., oe^ause most tenants use these trailers as more or less permanent homes. Owners °f such parks expect a net return of 10% on their over-all investment, and a return of their capital expenditures for improvements at the rate of c.- for 20 years. Some recapture 10% a year for 10 years . Trailer parks need zoning and regulation. More than 3 million people now live "on wheels.' Best parks provide 3,000 square feet per space, and can be made a pleasing Part of the community. PUBLICATION This News in thee Institute m°nthly as a community service, originate® ^stitute of of Munic^pa^C Mr ’ may be addressed to Dr ^ v’TT °f Wilkes ^ege. Notes and inqui^ ssed to D: Wilkes Wilkes-Barre P^116/’ Institute of Municipal Government, Wilke College, JOINT PURCHASE Bom local municipalities completed plans to suggest to their respectix e S°verning bodies the joint purchase of a $25,000 road paving machine. �Representatives from Falls, Bristol, and Middletown townsh' ’ and Bristol Borough, all in Bucks County, agreed during a Regional Committee meeting, to seek approval from their respective bo ^°°'P"‘% councils to jointly purchase the machine. ards an^ bigh-grade hot or cold mix material. It has a rotary dryer with a screw-feed type charging hopp>er , 100 gallon capacity asphalt tank with self-cleaning volusphalt measuring system, pugmill and heating system. This machine metric at. is tractor mounted and s ells for about $3,000 f. o . b . plant. (The American City , February 1959. P- 189). Milton Berkes, Falls board of supervisors chairman and < co ope ration committee chairman said the joint purchase of the huge device5 at an approximate cost of up to $25,000 would solve one of the miunicipalitieg greatest road maintenance problems . A SPLENDID IDEA "Information Please" is the title of a booklet or publication to be issued quarterly by Lower Southampton Township, Bucks County. Volume I, Number 1 is now in our possession and indicates a splendid sense of responsibility to the general public on the part of this Board of Supervisors and a very comprehensive method of keeping their citizenry informed as to the activities of the township . WATER AND SEWAGE There is no sales appeal in sewers so most developers put in septic tanks, says Edward T. Thompson in the December issue of Fortune, The average home builder does not realize that up to 95 per cent of the water that enters a house must be carried away. Five or ten y:s_. years later, the owner is stuck with sewer cost that will be far higher than if ------1 originally planned. (Georgia Local Government Journal, February 1959, p. 13) FINANCES AND TAXATION ( This newsletter, fourteen pages, is crammed full of pertinent information about the township and its operation that would be of value to all citizens and taxpayers and if it is to reach all these citizens quarterly as is planned, it will unquestionably provide the best of relations between the Supervisors and their constituency. I It is a splendid example of good public relations and a few copies are available in your State Association office for other Townships who should be interested in such an activity, as this can serve as a good example of what many Townships need in this field. Collusive bidding on city or state purchases has lessened in Texas. A new state law, aimed at discouraging identical bidsbeen , c and special districts to award the contract by lot when, all orders cities, counties, (Public Administration Bulletin, June 30, 1959). — Lil b'ds are the same. A TYPICAL COUNCILMAN WEARS TEN HATS STREETS New and lower curb designs should be c* construction, since the modern cars have such r‘ considered when planning street modern that many car doors will not open if the curb height :uch restricted ground clearance not open (Public Works , January1W> - ”if * the January 1959 > p • 7). : exceeds six inches . Blast furnace s ’ slag provides c~ ,°r COns*-ructing high' excellent and lasting non-skid properties Jiway or street surfaces, American Road " Builders' Association, according to a report from th® with those of other aggregate types, the Where slag surfaces were compare in showing higher slag pavements were always superi coefficient or friction, Wlth Kentucky with the exception of those covere rock asphalt, where the two — Bulletin No. 241, 1959, American Road Builder: were about equal. (Technical ----- ■•s' Association). Mixing asphalt patchii economically by a new, Ing material can be portable, low cost accomplished easily and lne which will produce The typical city councilman wears ten different "hats" in the administration of his position. Arthur W. Bromage, professor of political science and a specialist on the problems of local government at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, discussed this fact at a recent Institute for Mayors and Councilmen at the University of Michigan. ■ The ten roles which a councilman must play confidently and expertly include: 1. Legislator--He I a o xproperty ‘by zoning " must regulate and building and housing regulations and exercise control over persons by ordinance. 2. Financier-Although in most municipal governments, the finance officer prepares the budget, the councilman makes the final decision. J e tell the people that municipal government is a bargain when it is compared with the price of rampant crime, death by fire, spread of disease, and Juvenile delinquency. �3. Employer--The councilman is responsible for all ernpl city. He must see that they are adequately paid and that the ert^ees °f a provided with decent working conditions and fringe benefits . P1°yees are VOL- 4. Constructive Critic--Administrators are not perfect- the in a bureaucratic rut. When this happens it is up to the council^/ Can get complaints to high administrative officers who can work out the lan 6. Administrator—The councilman is not alway; s the policy maker; sometimes he has to decide on certain matters such ; as the issuance of licenses. At the route of the trouble in the urban areas is the fact that public officials have not caught up with the tremendous technilogical development which has taken place in the last fifty years . In the last fifty years , we have had new inventions all the way from the automobile to rockets to the moon and yet the urban areas in their patterns and organizations have not changed at all. The same functional pattern still exists. Cities have not adapted themselves to the automobile age. 7. Intergovernmental I ' , — Policy Expert--The councilman has to decide, for example, whether to sell water services to fringe areas. He also is asked to appear before the state governing bodies to L__ -J represent his city's viewpoint and to make policy which determines the relation of the city to the federal government. The automobile has come to be used as a means of mass transportation. Instead of people riding streetcars, subways, buses, or trains downtown, they now try to drive their automobiles; and our cities are simply not built to handle the number of automobiles that it takes for everybody to go downtown in his own car. It isn't the automobile per se which causes the trouble, it is the misapplied usage of it for mass transportation in heavy built-up areas. The automobile is also responsible for urban sprawl and suburban scatterization. 8. Public Relations Man--"Don't wait until a problem arises and then douse the fire with water," Professor Bromage advised. "Have a positive program and try to foresee problems before they become critical. " 9. Fundamental Law Man--It is the charter amendments if the old charter councilman's business to recommend city's progress. reates a serious problem and binds the 10. General All-Purpose--This includes all of his other duties ’ ^(jying bl^s' attending ceremonial functions, making speeches, and reading an THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Some women say they could have they never pleased anyone. rried anyone they pleased, evidently a short guy them never to have loved a tall. PUBLICATION ’3-letter, r----of Municipal G.overnmenXf wn>OrnmUnity service> originates e8e' Wilkei • Mailey Insf--^8 College- Notes and inquir Pennsylvania 1 °f MuniciPal Governmen • NG7?..'ZEE? 15, -965 Downtown areas of cities and large boroughs are in trouble if they cannot restore their past vitality. It is clear the statement is a conditional one and e condition is that cities and larger boroughs engage in forward working, the ereeative integrated planning. The restoration of downtown areas can only take place through effective implements of such planning and not by superficial measures . for equipment, for example, must be in such a form that the council-^6<1Ue3t3 councilm; an can see that the city gets the best value possible. t° have loved WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. are cities in trouble? 5. Buyer--The councilman, who is probably one of the biggest bu It's better jX NO . 11 I Most urban areas are building bigger freeways to handle the growing auto traffic. This has been carried on with the investment of billions of dollars during the past ten years . But isn't this a murder plot against our urban areas ? The murder method is that of slowly poisoning a city by invasion of foreign particles into the blood stream in increasing doses. These particles in the form of automobiles and trucks can not be absorbed by the urban body and, therefore, cause serious diseases. The plotters are assisted by 5th columnists within the city who--by facilitating automobile traffic through widening of streets, one-way traffic, construction of gigantic garages—see to it that the poison is spread in the heart area of the city until it attacks the tissues of the most Important urban cells . mi 5 accessible are compactness cohesX^nesV.^dTwntown buildings are level to make room for more and and , 1*4.1 Trirlav niore (cars, we destroy these qualities. Today, more of our urban areas --~le q tremendous , , . . i by resembL parking lots made inefficient me y the island of buildings �which remain within them. The result is that our downtown rareas a ate such a nerve-racking environment that people are not going doW] ; be - ■•'ntown , used to. They are avoiding the downtown area. as th,ley 6 Freeways can never present a complete solution to an rurban area Private automobile transportation, even with the largest amount —i of fr ’""■len,. eewjay construction, cannot solve the transportation problem for any lar, §e area. -r must be done about the slums. Once these steps arc taken than the something of the downtown core to auto traffic and its opening up as landscaped posingand courts become a choice and valuable step. uiai15 I number of cities have attempted just such ambitious projects, among A Stamford, Connecticut; Patterson, New Jersey; Rochester, New York. them: - NATIONAL VIOLATIONS REGISTER Some experts in this field suggest subsidies to mass trans ties because these facilities move people and not cars or traffic 1 & X°'n facili. auSe moving people should be the primary objective in the first place ’ Victor suggests a new type of metropolitan organization that he calls th” Gruen of urban planning. He begins by building from human beings to S fcelluiar f0. 'I'm then a group of family units, and then to a small communitv a ■community. A these cellular forms of communities may then form a bigger °f --i a bigger one whlch which maV be a town, but, each of these cellular forms or commn communities as a definite unit and should not flow into the others He f^3. ought to tO remain of the future should arrange green ’ He feels that the cities separations8 between of the cellular forms and should not allow the citi^tolT betWeen each °ne ----endless suburban deserts. U -j to 1 be be converted into I part of 1961. There are approximately one million operators licenses revoked annually, of which about 250,000 are for driving while intoxicated or for violations of the motor code involving loss of life. Initial contacts are to be made with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators for establishing proce­ dures and operations for the new unit. The program is voluntary insofar as the States are concerned, but it is expected that those participating will be able to reduce or prevent the granting of driving privileges to persons whose licenses have been revoked in other states. Conversion of the present pattern of our cit ] CltieS neces^ry. comparatively little effort into the kind of C°Uld accOmPHshed with of the present tools would be used to a Pattern that he suggests . Some ways. highways, and park,. “'V°coTr: such as freeson?.!,poiut o,T We a" now building these he meXtted in *e shortest XSlmply * connect two points of apaTtaU1ctainS that we are disrupting e ' f rnan’ner- hn building freeways, If we k'T* °ff h°mes fr°m their scho Cornmunities , often cutting them 'mes from their t0 Provide 7reeWayS t0 encircle o/th 1 tH®ir shoPPing centers. encircle the the cells c traffic wav!1"6611 areas as we alreadv dr>°r 6 COmmunities in such a way as «e simultXSyd^.d°.? And what see^s^ Slmultaneously creatin Ofb' Parkways > then while creating instead of flowin m more °re important to him hi i• “tL 6 desirable buffer between units. flowing mto into each b m 13 sthat that we could form urban units which, °ru®n ls probably each other, are (. c early defined and separated. Victor Whlle he does no^ow di mbered for hi. does "maul" in ldea "the downtown maikl." Used merely as a dlSOWn the ", merely ■ ice. Accord** 6 d ° eS feel that it: is noW •XVe °nly if r ■ been done firs^ h.im’ 1116 ma^ wU1 be suggests Private *nd Public trane-1 :er accessihn',. Before a matfrl can be >P roads "detainer1 bad°Wntown areas by . enci*eling a COre M A O VI /-<---- J '-'Aft d-Tg^ p Provided. and imm asuis" must be provided. Also before the '■“Lown canT^ adJoining the loop roads downtoe revitalized effectively pjARRlSBURG - A National Register which will list the names of motor d ivers whose driving permits have been revoked for driving while intoxicated violation of the State's motor code resulting in the death of a person will be established by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads. Secretary of Highways Park H- Martin has been advised by the U. S. Bureau of Public Roads that Wendell G. Earners of Preston, Idaho has been named director of the Register. Public Law 86-660, approved in July, I960, requires the Department of Commerce to establish such a Register which is scheduled to be in operation the latter I NANTICOKE The roof of a house at 28 North Walnut Street, Nanticoke, was removed today signalling the razing of the first property by the Nanticoke Redevelopment Authority as part of its Market-Broadway Redevelopment Project. Specifications for razing of 10 to 15 additional properties for the second contract have been approved by the Housing and Home Finance Agency regional office at Philadelphia, according to word received by Stanley Yantz, authority chairman, and Alois Bohinski, executive director of redevelopment. The authority now owns 28 properties with 12 others under option. These remaining parcels will be negotiated for during October after which final plans °r rebuilding will begin. A total of $1,688,825 has been allocated for the Purchase of properties . �rfct -dtc^ruie authority has spe The Federal outright gra for a a“X‘$33* to issue families regional office. by the i nt $582,500 for land and buildings , and $350j000. The Philadelphia regional O*PPli ff- ed office in Washington has 'le iCe ;has VOL- Apaym“tof t957;75,£or “OV?8 ^location payments als0 haB be“ I I poL force, lire department and zoning commission. The district would Mve, Sharon Farrell, Hickory Twn., Sharpsville and Wheatland. The plan win to the Pennsylvania League of Third Class cities next month for approval then to the State Legislature. Each of the five communities would retain its own government and taxing bodies. In order to have a sound budget program, certain requirements should be met. Strict conformance to the legal requirements is a necessity; complete and accurate accounting and good departmental records of work performed and work unit costs permit realistic estimates; adequate budget forms insure uniformity of estimates; adherence to a carefully prepared time schedule reduces emergency meetings and agreement on a long-term program of capital expenditures reduces strains on the debt limit. PHILLIP R. TUHY Phillip R. Tuhy has been added to the Institute of Municipal Government as instructional assistant. He will also teach classes in the political science department. Mr. Tuhy, senior planner for the Luzerne County Planning Commi­ ssion, will assume his duties on December 1. Mr. Tuhy is well prepared by education, background, and experience to join the Institute. He is a graduate of Valpariso University majoring in political science and also a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a major in governmental administration. During 1956-1957, Mr. Tuhy was assistant borough manager at Downington, Pennsylvania, where he conducted a research program for the community. He has also been associated with the International Cities Manager Association in i e variety of capacities. The Institute of Municipal Government at Wilkes ege is happy and delighted to have Mr. Tuhy join its staff. THOUGHTS for today 5°m' Pe°Ple ,h“k hod himself. moral, whM they, re " wake up and DECEMBER 15, I960 As the year draws to a close, municipal officials are, or should be, involved in the preparation of a budget for the coming year. A good munici­ pal budget can accomplish a number of things: it establishes control over public funds; it is a plan of action for the immediate future; it assists local legislators in making policy decisions; and it informs the citizen of the oper­ ations of the municipality. Sharon City Council ha. approved a plan that would provide a . lngle single , Id lira department lor live communities. Under the plan adopted £iry“tShenato Valley Metropolitan District would be created and have^'" I WILKES-BARRE, PA. municipal budgeting ■ i! collEGE, ij cTNGLFggLKE, FIRE DEPARTMENT [ I N°‘ 12 WILKES Tleavi-lett&i comfortablemerely urn I The first step in the actual preparation of the tentative budget for the year is to make detailed estimates of the amounts required for the various functions of the municipal government. I A workable and balanced budget requires a careful study of expenditure and revenue trends of the three or more preceding years. These trends should be analyzed in the light of the following questions: (1) What new public services will have to be furnished during the coming year and how shall they be financed? (2) Should salaries and wages be adjusted in accordance with the trend of living costs? (3) Is debt service increasing or decreasing? (4) How does the outstand­ ing floating debt compare with that of other years ? Fixed or mandatory expenditures should be computed first in the preparation of the municipality budget. This includes items such as debt service, repayment °f temporary loans, and so forth. Next to be considered are the estimates of Proposed expenditures submitted by the various municipal departments. With specific expenditures set down, summary totals can be made. himself famous he must wake up a .PUBLICATION This News-lette n the Institute of Munichm/n^ monthly as a community service, and inquir be addressed to Dr H G°^rnment of Wilkes College. Notes Govern 1116 eS College, Wilkes.B,Ug° V‘ Mailey. Institute of Municipal re- Pennsylvania. originli5 The next step is to estimate receipts for the coming year. As with expendi­ bles, receipts should also be analyzed: (D Are the yields from the taxes on real estate and occupations, millages being equal, rising, declining, or reilnalnbg stable? (2) Can general property taxes be increased if necessary? (3) If what other sources of tax revenue are available? (4) Have the best tax �,, (5) Are miscellaneous revenues, Suc, b«” ““'rice charges. grants from the State or eonnt ‘ ^8e delinquencies and tees, service rising, declining or remaining sl " and from fi ne3 ,al estate on son-real , improvements be financed by special ass taxes ■ i extent «»P“ ,rformation „( down, it is possible to estima.S'esSs (6) To what With this sPecific eC • „ year. the ments ? available for the coming diable for the revenue f the total of expenditures and the information on re ^venue A mere glance at t municipality can proceed for the followi trends will indicate w revenue policies by relying on the same ”'lng Year without SignTConssibly a slight upward or downward adjustment in millrev a enu " e A relatively small group of people worked against incredible odds in its attempt *-° establish a planning commission in a city which had been carefully reserved in inertia for some sixty years by the same political party. Any change of the status quo could only mean a disturbance of the powers which ^rere were entrenched and which intended to remain so indefinitely. No one faintly familiar with the history of Philadelphia need be told that the city administration of those days was hardly to be called progressive. Most of the councilmen were openly skeptical of the need for "long-haired planners , " as the local press described them. Usually, the es i, * thorough review of the entire budget-should receipts, mis should an increase of revenue be sought? services be curtailed, or snu Since its formation in 1943, the Citizens' Council and the other citizen agencies have reviewed just about every major planning proposal for Philadelphia, to ensure that the finished plans not only represented the best solutions tech­ nically > but also took into consideration the citizens' desires and dreams. It is at this point that local legislators are forced to make important decisions- They can judge the adequacy of municipal operations; review the efficiency of work methods; restudy organization and personnel patterns; and compare borrowing with a pay-as-you-go plan. This information should be The Citizens1 Council organizes and sponsors activities in which the citizen may participate in the planning process at several different levels--in a neighbor­ hood committee, in a larger geographic-area organization, or in a city-wide advisory group . sources, with po y nditureS are considerably in excess of available made available by the chief administrator. Budget making should be regarded as a year-round process by the oper­ ating departments . Budgets can be improved through the compilation and use of general background information and the advance outlining of significant policy matters. In order to facilitate the estimate of work programs, cost and work units should be developed and standards for the cost and work units should be established. This would call for a continuous program of management research. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION (A Reprint) By Aaron Levine r ... maior strength of planning in Philadelphia has been the strong support persons- ®a^ersJliP- businessmen, neighborhood leader s , professional participate i t^6 C^zen leadership are interested and to some degree “ Co™ SP “°1"S pr°"“ ■ planning proposals , ind«^ the new C nro£ram enS1Ve P^’ the Z °ning ordmanc e, and even the six-year zoning ordinance, six-yea Capital P; - rogram now receive an — 1intensive citizen review that few cities nroVi QC P total comm^’ This lack of true presentation of all major . < c°upled with an inad, major segments of the of citizen involvement ■equate budget fo:r staff services to ensure continuity ' makes "citizen■ participation in planning" a practic . m°re devoutly to be evo"“y 10 ... than In general, neighborhood improvement associations meet monthly to discuss local planning problems or proposed capital improvements. Speakers from public agencies are always ready to meet with them. Last year, the Recreation Commissioner alone addressed more than one hundred of these evening meetings. He was able to learn at first hand the neighbors' ideas on the type of recreation development the community desired. At the next level, the Citizens' Council has used a "town meeting" format to bring together representatives of many organizations within a fairly large geo­ graphic section of the city. They hear the Mayor explain briefly the general problem of providing public improvements for the entire city, and the Director of the Planning Commission outlines the specific projects scheduled for that area. These talks are followed by direct questioning from the audience. Usually, the commissioners of health, recreation, streets, or water are present to provide more specific, detailed answers . At the city-wide level of citizen participation, there are advisory committees that work with most of the public agencies , helping to formulate policy as well as to advise on technical aspects of the varied programs. It is the continuing and intensive involvement of the citizen at many levels of city planning which is peculiar to Philadelphia among major cities. It has produced concerted citizen support for planning in Philadelphia-support which has permitted the City Council to approve the passage of every major planning proposal brought C befo —ore it during the past seventeen years. ever to be discovered. Philadelphia parti SOrnewhat somewhat moi-e fortunate than most cornin^11^ ! a full-f^j011 US plannin8 process goes back to e ged city planning commission had bee * i ✓ 55840 �n and industrialists in Philadelphia are delphia Housing AsS°CiaBure’au of Municipal Res earch-Pennsylvania ECo Budget Committee, theplanning, the Old Philadelphia 0*°^ Council League, the Citizens Digtribution Center, and the Philadelphia j el°P, ment Corporation, th are relatively new nonprofit k triH Development a specific planning and development purpo^S o rg am z avion a Civic agencies and a-also obtataed^a^s^, of “ere are leading staff members of the educational IS They have not retreated to their campus shelters, shutting out the downti ■stitutions :own com.' munity. The high degree of citizen participation in planning in Philadelphia is furth 1 by the existence of a ready vehicle for the citizen viewpoint in a Planning Com-^ I rI i1 I1 i' mission established at the outset because of citizen pressure and1 a city governing which is extremely sensitive and responsive to citizen opinion. The visitor to Philadelphia often inquires how it is possible to induce busy men and women to volunteer their limited time and effort for this unpublicized citizen activity. After all, these people receive little public recognition, have no fancy letterhead bearing the city seal and their names , nor can they distribute expensive documents with their names imprinted. fl I ji Why do they participate in civic agencies ? It is because these men and women have come to realize that their ideas and recommendations are taken seriously by the Planning Commission, the city administration, and the City ouncil. They have seen their recommendations considered and frequently epted and, even when the public officials have not immediately endorsed their r.flects c'L® P“bUc policr in thoughts for today The best way to get a war*- °U your hands is to marry him. Marriage ■cvLTin1'5 *Pa" =° tataed so that they can't be separated, often mi . PP site directions, yet punishing anyone who tries to come between them. PUBLICATION published monthly as a c community service, ^Oaaddress.dtT1”10' Hu^’v°‘ Wilkes College? Notes and tai' ^es College. Notes and ‘“'"C^.WUke.-Barr. ■ Malley, Institute of Municipal Govern!”®- Pennsylvania. I i ��� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletters and Institute for Regional Affair Newsletters, 1952-1975 Subject The topic of the resource Political Science; Luzerne County; Institute for Regional Affairs; Wyoming Valley Description An account of the resource A collection of newsletters created by the Political Science Department at Wilkes College from 1952-1975 for Luzerne County and later the Institute for Regional Affairs. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department (Hugo Mailey) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1952-1975 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletters Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletter, 1959-1960 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1959-1960 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletter https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/1c633ad0e633d76eb233f859a460313b.pdf 9f81287ff22a9b629441611018ea36ac PDF Text Text ■ aa ■ !: ■'V' .■• • '? •■ £> a ■ v-a.-<a;a<,; :■ \ .,■ ■4' ■ j ■;>•.'•,'jf. ■" ■ -r- ■ -■-?■ a- ■ : a •‘•.a ■■/•■■***•■* ' ■ .4^a ■ : a.. , ■ "JW s ‘>ri j.j.d ;iU„‘ r :'J! i ■a a. 'a ■■ «a „fl .a ........ ■ aa ,--v wwm111111"'/''..aAa '■ la-va aws® acaa ■■■.- ■■■■" at ssaif ■ a - a Lv'-xW-.’ ill,.I.,1, , , :liaa^;ll.--'/ aa;' ■«" > ■■ <a" .a > ■ aa ��.BARrE' ff.c.MS W^ES T5 4<n P+L*? )9S« c.) co^ Jjo-1 ..di­ Cot nI ths two o^tions, Luzerne Developr -,nt montns ... organiza. c°unt>'United Community ortune ,being Luzerne County therefore, United . It might, be the opp .being. might, therefore , the placeItand purpose of these agencie:s - one s o mu the the place and purpose "tody, and other, a citizen group. Because local of ■.::Bdcastconcerning Lj other,the a two groups , the poor 1 icerning the number of qu ^purpose of this article is to answer a i ■Risked. Let us begin with planning. Planning is essentially a method, by which foresi i'jmthedevelopment and redevelopment Of communit -■“■public and private, will not be overlooked. he time is right now to set this area’s "broken "Henb0I mes like no zoning, house-afire, subdivisions prevent this area from being as k. as secure a place to live, pleasant, because one man 's fact a s we kr ^owi^witho*?011161 man'S Park or- y is ant lrt8t lth°ut growing pains, it's the While ' hpl?“ Pa: °ugh a ■^e tn -r, Wellconceiv 8„, letns ■f, 0 Prev ent, and. wel] • Ch°ols t- tKat Pla „ o pia gu e Us . or eT Vn ^tl ■ S ’ 3-nd Pla We mParts ysrounds of u smaie ’ and oth 8e Probl :!'V re Park! ygrttth°“gh' eSS , ahd its 6«i<6 techni entof’>'Cy ' d<*ll; s but ^USs (do th,•6 n la. st-n . ra.th_ r �e,^ * VOL-VI1- NO. 1 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE Pa JANUARY 15, 1958 LCPC AND LCUCDC In recent months two organizations L mission and the Luzerne County United CommunitTnAv'l1COUnty Plannin8 Com- sassx The primary purpose of this article is to answer a number of questions which are frequently asked. u cn Let us begin with planning. Planning is essentially a method by which foresight can be brought to bear upon the development and redevelopment of communities, so that future needs, public and private, will not be overlooked. The time is right now to set this area'S ’’brok^sb°^ , which if Y knit (broken bones like no zoning, house-afire, su ^isw c^enient, as not remedied will prevent this area from being as pj fee We healthful, as profitable, as secure a place another man’ stench, must bother with planning because one ma , While the towns in this one man’s thoroughfare may be another man s Par • . that follows the valley seem to be growing without growing pains, growing that hurts. 11 executed planning It is possible, through a ^^^^lev^ate, or program, over a period of time to preve we ■ entirely remove may list poor street many of the worst problems that plagU®^ gr ounds, and ^J^ANNED COMseparate systems, lack of schools, parks, and p problem: UNP evils, they are, in reality, all parts o Munity DEVELOPMENT . .. The planning process and its techniques do not ’’ °blai“8tyay“ ,o spand mor,! ,ax dollars b“* the ph the Sreatest efficiency and lasting benefit fr ysical development of the community. each dollar spent for 4717'? �arethe nottown necessarily solvedbe °f a town near limits cannot - - 7 residential area adjacent municipality, by action of a town alone. of a plgg y dificulties. In an attempt protected from the helP “bX e^etea to permit planning Joint or ct„opera«>« pl lefislatio” >>»= ths ago, the County to solve these problems ‘ r“TaSJa county. Severa " me County a larger area,• -----sucb— step forward by the establishment of Luz and econoers took a commendable • • >ms All the planning proble: Planning Commission to deal with matters relating to the physical • --minded citizens. "Preparing" and ' d civic 'maintaining'1 th< ied an' ie plan reof the public in order to i forr*1' the coop,eration 1 insure understandiring and support successful program seeks far greater 'q'uir6S -- participation of th Any -■ie public than called for by legal procedures. for it. dnimu 111 the m: Therefore the Luzerne County United Community Development Con- ference. mic growth of Luzerne County. Because the responsibilities of the LCPC cut across all the func­ tions of local governments in the County, it needs a qualified technical staff. This 9 member commission has the responsibility of developing a master pian for the County, which must be comprehensive in the sense that all physical elements are studied and planned together as related components of one general plan. completely master ’ would standAlittle chance developed of approval and plan "J7 lcb the public took no part quate in many ways . The number one Do in planning T probably be inade. of the public by a definite program to "pub^ ^t^^0 and by continuing to keep the public informed This tt rneeds and objectives the LCPC, because the Conference is a broad bas C°nference can do for stituent membership leads to every citizen in the Cou whose con- Civic spirit sometimes breaks out in acute "projectitis. " Much Much time and effort are thrown into single projects which overlook the principle of first things first. Planning determines the logical sequence of improvements, and prevents careless decisions like those of a man who buys whiskey and speedboats before life insurance and adequate food for his family. A county planning commission is not the alter ego for a county parking authority, a county sewage authority, or a county urban renewal authority. These are typi­ cal capital improvements that properly belong on the borough, township, or city level. This Conference composed of member organizations interested in planning, has been created to cooperate with the LCPC in the development of and' to encourage in the implementation of the a master plan i -----' 1------- -----------of c *the ’------components ■— projects as urban redevelo^meL^Te^nlpr°gress is beinS made in such jects for community betterment. ciation with the redevelonm t ’ Panning agency works in intimate assoform the studies that lead to agency charged with that purpose. It may perwidening of a road, locating evelopment■ In any case, whether it is the for parking, the planning aaen™ P°o1, buiIding a bridge, clearing land hensive plan. A quickie crash \ Seeks to have it coordinated with the comprefor a particular phase of Dian„-P a™lng Pr°gram done in order to secure funds and ignores one of the most ™ * particular part of the county disregards LANNING CANNOT BE DONE^VE^ ~°n'tS of Planning - THE WORK OF OVERNIGHT. Local officials i — will find that the LCPC will stand to advise them on many °f their caPital improvem, —lents projects. At all times throughout of the public must be sought by th> the process, the interest and PartlC1latl. Be' cause of the broad function of the ie technicians developing the master P -n_ LCPC, it needs the combined judgm ■ plan. For the local councilman, commissioner, supervisor, or school director, there need be no fear that either the LCPC or the LCUCDC will usurp his power to enact ordinances. It has been and will always be in him to en These two groups will merely guide public capital improvement progr that you, the locally elected officials, can get the credit for sponsoring pro­ McKeesport plant turns TP ASH INTO FERTILIZER, rnment and industry Approximately 5 00 ^^Ke^port, PennsylVan^arketable fertilirecently assembled in the City of M trash into am America, Plant which is designed to change garbage Qrganic Corporation 2er. The plant was designed and built y nsylvania. 247 Fort Pitt Boulevard, Pittsburgh pulveriza- The company describes the process < liy - Hon" and reP°rtS . a of time ranging from enzrnes, or "hotiermentatw 1 „„„ ' Orin the refuse into a dry granular fertilizer in a pe^ °woodc„ boxes, >» dry granular fe reCeive giasS’ 4 daYs to 21 days. The plant is designed to 1-Caas and easily processed refuse. Jiotlplus �the refuse into a loading dock. A c — Trucks discharg^ * magnets which remove COnveyor bel most - - of the belt carries the refuse of the coveyor belt allows eXcess u metallic material. refuse leaves the magnets. The refuse then ■Ruor « be drained away a«« £ grindero pulveri„ pasSes through a pair pulverized refuse is inoculated with en 'which t:“ZSfX»Xd .rea. In Ike fermentation area ies ™°”XmlX degrees F. to 175 degrees F. during the trans formation ‘re8 1 Period, Xr the decomposition cycle has been completed, the refuse ,s transfer^ . The portion which passes throughthe^ to a hopper and fed across a screen. The portion which passes through the VOL.VII- N°-2 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA- FEBRUARY 15, 1958 CLASS screen is bagged for sale, and the remainder is returned to the grinder fOr reprocessing. The plant in McKeesport is designed to receive 140 tons of refuSe daily. The cost of the plant is approximately $350, 000. The company is cur rent­ ly offering to build plants under two general proposals. Under the first proposal, the company builds the plant on municipally owned property, which the company leases for a period of ten years. At the end of the ten-year period, the property reverts to company ownership. The municipality delivers the garbage and trash to the plant and pays for the disposal of the garbage and trash. Under the terms of the second proposal, the company furnishes a complete plant which is ready to operate and which is paid for by the municie mLlniciPality then leases the plant to the company and delivers all privilege tTaSh t0 the P^ant- The municipality is not charged for dumping The following communities are represented in the borough officers and commissioners course; Dallas, West Wyoming, Luzerne, Larksville Swoyerville, Laflin, Hanover Township, Sugar Notch, West Pittston, and’ Ashley. Approximately thirty students are attending the class LECTURES Police of the following municipalities have been attending the traf­ fic lectures for police: Ashley, Danville, Courtdale, Exeter, Forty Fort, Hanover Township, Kingston, Milton, Nuangola, Palmerton, Plains, Watson­ town, Wilkes-Barre, West Pittston, and Wyoming. Subjects discussed are "Traffic Flow", "Drunken Drivers", "Re­ vocation of licenses" "Stolen Cars", and "New Traffic Legislation.1 THOUGHTS FOR TODA Y When a stenographer halts dictation, the chances are bound. TRAFFIC she is spell­ , It is the little things that count, for they are the ones that quickly multiply into big ones. .PUBLICATION This , ews-lettfer, P fished monthly as a community service, ori* dates in- th, -le Institute Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries i— may be addre .er”' ssed to Dr. ment, Wilke. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal G° ---as Colle ge’ Wilkes-Barre, • Pennsylvania. Board fr Parking on both sides, hour of g of green light side, has a carrying capacity of 1,100 vehicles per capacity is increased Parkingg removed entirely from the street, this carryi thirty-foot street to 1, 600 ’’ vehicles per hour of green light. Taking one-way and ! n°W considering one-way traffic movemen s, 2Q() vehicies; one-way with1 Parking on both sides has a practical capacity o parking 2,400 vewith^Parking on one side 1,600 vehicles; and one maximum carrying hicles. These figures simply serve to point /^veto be done in the communiCapaCitY of a street and what will eventual y can be expected in the tie® in order to move the heavy volume of tra reseeable future. �ordinances equire that proposed ordinances be read Manymn successive counC^unicipal Clerks, Fort Smith, taken. aloud three3‘T National Institute o clerk> is trying a VQice_ ’ ArkanSa. According t0 t conserving the eae 8rdinance aloud once at a meeting, re. •s. in the interest of The clerk reads tn next two council saving practice the ordinance. cords it at the same time, andp thus filling the requirements Better still, give each councilman a typed copy of the Proposed or. dinance and dispense with the two subsequent readings . The York City Parking Authority, the York City Planning Com­ mission, and the York Redevelopment Authority are jointly planning a project for the removal of "cores" of three square blocks on the perimeter of the downtown district to provide space for parking plazas, which will accomodate 1,000 cars. The blocks which have been surveyed for the proposed plan are located between Beaver Street and Pershing Avenue from King Street to Col­ lege Avenue, between Queen and Duke streets from King to Princess streets, and between Queen and Duke streets from Philadelphia Street to Gay Avenue. The estimated cost of the project is $85, 000. COOPERATION Pride'. Suspicion1. Fear'. 7" These are the real obstacles to any solutions of metropolitan problems. There ---- a are methods of intergovernmental cooperation available now. 0,16 method is the communities Can car not OnlY get together^1 a®reernent» whereby a number of ", With another and bnv °r * J°int undertaking, but one community may contract i Much of the chaos °S and duPiication now ervdces which it could not itself afford. eliminated. ng among communities would be The .8 the General Coon. injPortant power that Pennsylvania municipaliti66 h General i ’•“«e.n..yJo,„7nPet;:‘‘"fL”'Act,' any two or more muni *ayjoin thi could undertake alone :e alone. SPEED ZONE The State Highway Department has found 191 illegal speed restric­ tion zones and 69 illegal extensions of speed zones. YORK INTERGOVERNMENT A T Under other laws, counties ctr own and operate airports. Thev 168’ bor°ughs and , can enter into agreements for the r Unite in establiShi °WnshiPs may jointly joint purchasing and for recreation. InterZ^^ of s^er system'6 They " -edin services such as water, police J *sdlcti°nal agreement ’ f°r pr°te^onper’ j —;r?osal. Act 481 also permits joint aX’ mitte’ ,vied under this Act. events for the collection disp< le\- orrnance of any functions which each of them In most cases the illegal restrictions were found to be warranted, but not necessarily for the speed desinated. Most common are 25 mile-anhour zones where Department standards would call for 35 mile-an-hour zones. In some cases, illegal 35 mile-an-hour zones are found to meet the requirements for the new 40 mile-an-hour zones. The 1957-1958 General Assembly authorized establishment of 40 mile-an-hour zones. Recommendations are being made by trattic person i in the Department's 11 districts to raise the speed restrictions in some legal mile an-hour zones to 40 mile-an-hour, and in some legal 25 mile an hou 35 miles an hour. The Department also is receiving reports of speed OK .Ke cancel these restrictions. years. Recommendations are being made to can TIMING rning is important when dealing with the public. Why, for example, ’--r or summer when business chang ge a street to one-way operation in la^e Pmove drives away business? A is falli Hing off and merchants can claim that t kes the change in the fall when busitown 1 avoids unnecessary trouble if it ma water rates in the summer when the nes8 is jimproving. Similarly, why raise the rates in winter when use is low. der*and for water is high? Instead, change �WHAT'S NEW? HANOVER TOWNSHIP - Commissioners have provided a police to which police will contribute 5% of their salaries 6 ^ensf( °n tinue in service if they so desire. ' p>°fice : fund 7 el Can. ASHLEY - The borough council will have about $5,000 less revenue tHan in 1957 due to a drop in coal valuation. levy. WEST WYOMING - Pay increases have been granted to borough employees DURYEA - The borough will finance the $18, 000 Canal Street restoration project with a short-term loan. DUPONT - The council intends to operate on a $21,000 budget with a 19-mill levy, LARKSVILLE - An told ” ’bond issue of $11, 500 may be retired this year if the council can ■an cut expenses. PLYMOUTH - The NO. 3 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA- MARCH 15, 1958 had FORTY FORT - An examination for police to set up an eligibility iist wiU be conducted at town hall. EDWARDSVILLE - A tentative borough budget retains a 17-mill VOb.VI1 tentative budget has been set at $156,297. NANTICOKE - The ! city has been notified by the State Health Department to appoint < a qualified health officer, such as a doctor, undertaker, nurse,etc. in order “rd~r to meet the state directive. LCPC The true function of the Luzerne Cou formation of and continuous development of the oV „ ng C™ission is the carrying of various elements of the plan into effect?/ C°mprehe^ive plan, rhe ating governmental agencies. The Planning Commit a matter for operexisting governmental structures must look to and h plans and advises; the advice to a large degree if the work of the Plan • &uided bY such plans and turn on the effort invested. fanning Commission is to pay any re- The Planning Commission when established and staffed at a regional or county level also becomes the logical agency to develop for specific communi­ ties those specific planning phases required regarding major rehabilitation pro­ jects. For the community undertaking such projects the County or regional planning commission with its basic information and knowledge on the overall area provides a competent and the least costly agency with whom to contract for pre­ paration of many elements of the "workable program" required by federal agen­ cies for federal aid in such rehabilitation projects. Other elements of the OALIAS - The tentatr Ve bud^et Provides for $4,500 WILKES-BARRE - toward a playground. habilitation projects. The City wiH advertise for bids for temporary repairs to the dik< thoughts FOR TODAY Before you've passed for the future. y°ur prime is when you should prime yourself kerofthec®,h”«= medicine when you're run down or get the license numPUBLICATION This News ginates in -letter, published monthly as a community ser? teS and 1 the Institute of Mi x inquiries j GoV®r may be addressedMunicipal to Dr. I"Government of Wilkes Collegement. WilkeV ’ -3 College, Wilkes-Barre, Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of MunidP , Pennsylvania. does not obviate the The existence of a County■ need for local commissions in the ci ie . men(}ations made by opment or execution of broad land use re by local planning mission will rest with local governments^^ Commission help serve to keep The local commissions working with f 0£ ^e situation. the County Commission tied to the rea TOWNSHIP ASSOCIATION - Township Board of Commisl of Hanover Townships Association of Stephen Yanoshak, chairman sioners, First Class was elected president of the I Luzerne County. �{f. elected- First vice president, Clem Falchek Of ew Association. ATHENIAN OATH "We will never bring disgrace to this our city by any act of dishonest or cowardice, nor ever desert our suffering comrades in the ranks; we will 7 fight for the ideal and sacred things of the city, both alone and with many; We will revere and obey the city's laws and do our best to incite a like respect in those above us who are prone to annul or set them at naught; we will strive un­ ceasingly to quicken the public's sense of civic duty. Thus, in all these ways we will transmit this city not only not less, but greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us. " Newly elected officials might ponder this oath that the officers of the ancient city of Athens took. FIRE PROTECTION <• t ■1The Natl0nal Board of Underwriters fixes standards for fire proZ d°n ,aClllties lncluding the number of pieces of apparatus necessary. These few comm Z-£enerally considered to be maximum standards and are met by lew communities. The Board fixes the standards of the distribution of fire companies according to the table below; Type of trict Mercantile or manufacturing Closely built residential Scattered residential Engine Company 3/4 mile 1 1/2 miles 3 miles the municipality^^ town^f^ nn/5 P1US °-12 multiplied by the population of - town of 7,000 the '°°° the Papers necessary Jould be 1,57; be funded out to tw^ f neCessarV would be 1.89. Obviously, these figu w° full pumpers. Fire companies should have two suppiies f , ially good in reserve A service of 7 to 10 yea°s °ne in use and one e9u‘ from fire hose if cleaned and dried ™ , not distances where fir, hose has ut'/ TXT1”'1m ”ore, should be 6 use. There are of 6,000 to 7,000 people have a maximum of 10,000 feet of hosZ7’ communities Hydrants should be able to deliver 600 gallons per minute, with a t more than 2 1/2 pounds in the 1 ' a„dtotaIloaBofnoim » loss of not the street and main outlet, Hydrants should be placed with 5 pounds between L ' consideration of their possible use as ireflected in the hazards of the locality more than 400 to 500 feet long J are inefficient and a source of delay. Hose lines IS YOUR TOWN OVERPROTECTED OR UNDERPROTECTED? ARE YOU SPENDING TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE MONEY? WHY NOT CHECK YOUR BUDGET AND SEE. RIGHT OF WAY SIGNS The Department of Highways this year will experiment with "yield right-of-way"' signs to determine their effectiveness as traffic control devices. If the signs prove effective, before they become a permanent traffic fixture along the Commonwealth's highways the General Assembly will have to make provisions for them in the Vehicle Code. Yield right-of-way signs are used in other states to eliminate unnecessary full stops for vehicles entering a main highway from a subsidiary road. The signs are triangular in shape and each side is 30inches. Letters are black on a reflectorized yellow backgound. -right Locations for the signs will be non-.0~ angle intersections where visibility is good and where traffic volumes on the main and subsidiary roa e tight enough to permit smooth merging of traffic. "BABY" STREET SWEEPERS f pf of a. ’'baby” street Municipal officials have found that the chie as streets and between sweepT’er ls the abiHty of the sweeper to maneuver oa aa^°erican p^ic Works Parked all the refuse and litter As?so - cZ • arS Where the larger sweepers do not i . ation reports that although the sweeper can r 13 curb miles that a rrnan with a broom can reach, it can approxima 2.5 miles per day. Perday, Va ’ a Stance which compares with a human sw machine weighs Q Vattachment sucks up debris and keeps do™ <>«'• f.200 Pounds and can carry 700 pounds of waste. �ACT 433^ , r borough council or five percent of the electorate Upon petition -. 1 Zw order the wards in th. borough abolished the court of quarter of seven eou^cilnren at large, initial terms of „fIice of th shorten the terms of the incumbents and to call for the election of seve councilmen are eleXn°of three or four members in alternate years, for tWo regularly allow year terms. VOL ■ VII. NO. 4 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. APRIL 15, 1958 DINNER When the court decree abolishing wards is made after a primary election th. nonilnati.ns for the newly created at-large Conner! may be made by APR 211958 Sixth Annual Dinner for Luzerne Countv T oral nrr; ■ , May 5, 1958 at the Wilkes Commons. Join in the fun and's^ XVeHow the political party committees. Monday Act 433, approved July 17,1957, (section 2) amends sections 601 and 602 and adds sections I817 and 818 to "The Borough Code", effective September 1, 1957. officials receive awards . Make your reservations with the Institute at VA-44651 FIRE MENACE CHECK PATROL CARS One-man patrol cars are used in 85 per cent of United States cities over 10,000 population for regular patrol work according to the 1957 Municipal Year Book just published by the International City Managers' Association. Of 1,137 reporting cities, 245 use one-man patrol cars exclusively, and 720 cities use a combination of one and two man patrol cars. Nearly twothirds use one-man patrol cars on all three shifts during a 24-hour period. The State Justice Department has ruled that State Police fire marshals may inspect a building suspected of being a fire hazard without the obtaining of permission from the owners. The ruling, drafted by Frank P. Lawley Jr. , Deputy Attorney General, said the inspection, however, must be conducted at a reasonable hour. The State Police cannot use this act as a vehicle to search a dwelling or other building for stolen property or other contraband . The purpose of this act is to prevent a fire menace. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Any one can do more than he thinks he can, but that's usually less than he thinks he does. If the building is suspected as a fire menace, the inspection would not violate the constitutional prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures. Specialization has reached such a state today that patients have to learn to diagnose themselves before they know which specialist to call. HOW DO YOU DO LT WRONG? Just to make sure that crime doesn't pay, the government should take over and try to run it. Don't go after tax delinquents. They are voters, Don't encumber appropriations accounts. publication This News-letter , ginates in the Institute of Munir’ rnont^1P as a community service, ori^qU.lries may be addressed to 'pal J}overnment of Wilkes College. Notes and en ’ Wllkes College, Wilkes Ba' HUg° V’ Mailey> Institute of Municipal Governnarre> Pennsylvania. C.P.A. His prices may be high, but he _ Always buy from the local merchant, ^ys taxes. better than a council c°mmitte e To heck with centralized purchasing- what the needs are? �Levy special assessments? out of the general fund. improvements plicates You can't win friends that way. pay fQ ----- idle funds in short term government notes . Don't invest your Besides, the federal government is a poor risk the bookkeeping. — y-r a greater number of administrative fim^iciPairty ainicipalities of higher standards in such a 10nS' (3) the enforcement ie need for highway construction and other c^>T sewage disposal, ‘Provements occa-’ the growth of municipalities and annexed terrr by 1 option of certain fields of taxation by the state to th”16 ~'s and (5) the pre-e exclusion of muniCipalities- X- (4>th: com. individually as you need it. Otherwise you'll have t Buy every item for bulk storage. keep inventory amid provide Let department heads spend their full appropriation while they have it. Who knows what tomorrow will bnng? Forget the budget after it is adopted. It's not worth the paper it's printed on. Don't bond employees who handle money. Most people are honest. Avoid modern mechanical equipment to increase efficiency. You might have to cut your payroll. All these costs have pyramided until many municipalitie s are having difficulty making a budget, concludes the .Bulletin. Several considerations are mentioned. (11 CiHac *. and more realizing that state laws related to taxation are antiquatXnTt\rt°re another look should be taken at the debt limit which was established many years ago; (2) that property is not fairly assessed for taxation purposes; (3) that addition­ al sources of revenue must be obtained for municipalities; (4) that certain state taxes and revenues should be shared with municipalities; and, (5) that the fis­ cal relations between state, county, and municipality must be studied and co­ ordinated. FALLEN LEAVES BRING PROFITS IN CANADA Don't tag parking meter violators. You'll antagonize the shoppers. Why budget for capital improvements? Bond houses need your business. Always select the lowest bidder on a contract. He may not be responsi­ ble, but he's sure cheap. Don't keep cost records. You've guessed right in the past, Haven't you? Why set aside money for emergencies or contingencies ? You can always borrow at a reasonable rate. Vote " Yes for services, 'No for taxes. You'll get reelected. Fallen leaves cost a dollar a bag in Toronto, Canada, and there are more buyers that bags. The leaves which litter the city in the autumn, block gutter and drains and harass the street-cleaning department are now carefully composited and treated for some 80 pounds of fine leaf mould, the best humus obtainable. Previously collecting and hauling leaves for disposal in dumps outside of Toronto had been a considerable expense for the department. Now this expense is fully compensated by the production of a sa P^duct. Also, the Toronto park department has available at no charge all the humus d needs for city parks and gardens. BUDGET PROB LEMS news that budget headaches. No o nati°n's cities and suburbs grow, so do their Below is 8ome f‘thNo one as ound the alleviating potion to this situation either. —« City Bulletm <■ Causes of rising costs are 1 listed by the Bulletin as (1) for more and more (1) the the public public derTia municipal services,’ (2) the imposition by the state upon the 3 conveniently located about Initially Initially the the leaves leaves are stored at six pointsand early spring the leaves to minimize hauling time. During the winter station as time and available moved to the central leaf-mould processing e^Pment allow. ., ar PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a the Jnstitute of Municipal Government of Wil es °‘ may b, addressed to Dr Hugo V. Malley. &>»•■“" of ^ilki ea College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. ity service, originates °. Notes and inquiries Municipal Government, Municipal G< M“ �WHAT'S NEW? WILKES-BARRE - City Council has some $15,000. authorized an urban renewal survey VJt NO. 6 *ILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. c“«»g MAY 15, 1958 \rOT* „ made in a damage suit against the township as a re­ PTAINS - Settlement was made in s suit of an auto-fire truck crash. EDWARDSVILLE - The police department will continue the policy of curbing the nightly visits of ef out-of-town teenagers teenagers.. Council and police are Wpt their way to approving a police pension fund. on KINGSTON - Council has agreed to regrade a sanitary sewer in the Third Av enue section. FORTY FORT - All meetings of community groups held in the Town Hall have been cancelled due to damage to part of the building. SWOYERVILLE - The street department has completed the pumping project in the community. LARKSVILLE - Boro tax rate has been increased 1 1/4 mills to offset loss of coal valuation, for a total of 2 3/4 mills. PLYMOUTH - The boro has lost approximately $50,000 due mostly to decline in adult population. The burgess and the chief of police are deadlocked on certain parking restrictions. • -i-Si WYOMING - Council is considering zoning in order to plan its future growth. THE DINNER On Monday, May 5, 1958 at a dinner in the Wilkes College Comm 8CerXdateslof°Attainment for completing a prescHW AoTrs^Xledto as"Xl performing better their duties and functions. In addition, 19 local officials were re Warded with a Service Award by the Political Science Department of the College for their untiring efforts and lengthy service to their communities. This is truly a demonstration of the teamwork which exists between higher education and local government, between the academic gown and town. The teamwork exemplifies an increased awareness of the general usefuless of colleges in American life. Town and gown teamwork for the betterment of Luzerne County seems certain to grow stronger. The Institute of Municipal Government, only one small part of the College, will continue to lend a hand toward that betterment. Time was when the ivy tower was not for the local officials. Although some of us of professorial rank wrote monographs, theses, and books on municipal problems, we were told by local officials that we knew nothing about local governmental problems when we attempted to promote the town-gown relationship. While the objective of bringing more college students into politics merits Praise, the surest way for people of this nation to safeguard local home rule is by bringing more local politicians onto college campuses. DURYEA - Approximately half of the adult population pleads inability to pay per capita taxes. NANTICOKE - The C" ’ „ making arrangements to remove the trees near the library to provide parking f0 „ >r the new library. thought for today them. Most books are forgotten within a year, especially by folks who This occasion was a real tribute, though a small one, to the wo °cal officials of Luzerne County are doing. Don't stop learning. Come J°in as more. It p is ■ the only way that you officials can learn to provide your comm tllat whole. tome atmosphere that makes it attractive. CERTIFICATES borr°W About the only rich people who rich are boxers. really wake up and find themselves f the Public Service Institute, Present J Fred H. Miller, Acting Executive Director o EUen McGrady and Mary sie certificates to Michael Kilcoyne, Hanover ° Craze and George Sobeck, LuzerneeVnSki’ Laflin; John Elko, Larksville; Wi ia™ Notch; Howard Baird, Robert * StePhen Gavlick, Swoyerville; John Wooten, g eiskerger, West Pittston; BuhmPbeU’ Max Lake» Carl Rosencrance, eo blo> JohnMizin, Ted Pawloski, Joseph Wyoming. �AWARDS n, d service awards as follows: Henry Hug» V. MaileyP”3'”“ s.Ha„y Keiser, tire truck driv„ NescOpek, ll years, councilman for 10, man, W years, Ernest Kehl, burgess justice of the peace for 6; Attorney Lr 17 years; Joyce Kearney, P Gallagher, Newport Township Solici. l4 years, presently assistant Rocconi, Plains Township, three years of director or.eco.nt, “d'“‘“'h councito.n. 27 year,; Rep. William Curwood, service; I. J- Hosey, collector of Shickshinny. councilman, burgess, and tax co John Jarzenbowicz, Sugar Notch councilman, 12 years; John Mizin, West Wyoming councilman, 9 years; Albert F. Maier, White Haven solicitor, ; 23 years; George Clark, Wilkes-Barre street engineer, 50 years; Arthur W. Evans, Wilkes-Barre sewers engineer, 50 years; Edward J. White, Wilkes-Barre con­ troller, nine years; Jack Dempsey, Wyoming Burgess, 12 years. -We cannot do local planning but we can mesh into it. You will be „ted to know that we are working ' , are in continuing contact with the inters' ' ^cipal and regional planning agencies in’ many regions. Through our new muni' Jfice Planning and Research, we will expand our contact with your planning ,nCies and with those throughout the stated °Ur d wi* those throughout the state." ol age' " That is, of course, we will mesh c our efforts with local plans and will exontacts with planning agencies i_f there c _j are local plans, in existance or pand °ur and if there are active local, county and regional planning commisin the making, work with.-" gions for us to "Iwe repeat, do local plann'officii objectives if tried we to. cannot You, that is, local miSS °Ur sta^-wide Highway for its lack of advance planning and its aloofne/J? “ PHSt derided the State &s trom local plans." "Now hat we have made our move, you must be prepared for our co­ operative march forward. I am greatly pleased to hear that Luzerne County has now established a Planning Commission. You, in the boroughs and the town ships should have your local planning agencies to do your detailed local planning within the framework of a county plan. We will do our best to tie-in our highway plans and programs with your local and county plans. " "We need you and you need us. Let us go ahead together for the better­ ment of this region. " GIFT Alan Bare, President of the Luzerne County Boroughs Association, and tep en Yanoshak, President of the Luzerne County First Class Township Associa- TESTING ju“. begl^g ‘he that this ntay he HENRY D. HARRAL are determined ’ to <— 21 cr™qonwealtl1 objectives in the field rd^nate our highway programs with other ;s in the fields < ' gionai°n’ flood control, and the like. w° Uldustrial development, conservation, reand the like. We pressedCthUnty munici pal plans for their th *Te determined to fit our efforts into reunicipal plans for SS* a“ir master pi-plans for land ’ocial and public housing “= -u and re8ional programs^^K^6 W1Sh tO inte8rate our hlghwayS Q”.d regional s«Ppl,L ' '>C',, streets, =« taduX,°f “b“ °‘ 7 d of waste disposal „ U8trial development, of recreation, of to assist local civil The 1. M. G. has Just ~ service commissions. In addition to e p examining. This latter is civil service ordinance, I. M. G. will a so o Wch has for more the ye in cooperation with the College Guidance en Rehabilitation, State ° done testing for: Admissions, Bureau o^ocatw^ Determmation, for the Blind, Bureau of Rehabilitation: S°C1*al Hospital, Nesbitt, Wy 8^ Nursing applicants for the Wilkes-Barre Commercial and Inda g {or Valley, and Pittston Hospitals, Private c Linear Inc., e as Miners National Bank, Deposit and Sav g administration of G. high school e<nnval— tbrouvh the adm U-S. A. F.I. examinations. ! service. I. M. G. offered Plains Township was the first to avail itself of th t, and a personality test. A full ren^0^6 and ft-re exams, a mental maturity test, .. may better be prepared that it to ann^°,rt Was made to the Plains Commission so th8e applicants for jobs. �SECTION 701 Federal Guide to Urban PlaimngA of Commerce. VOL. VU NO. 8 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES- barre, pa JUNE 15, 1958 Bureau of Communi y master plan, financed by the Section 701 fOr The deXTsm^ould stifle the flash-in-the-pan ideas which ofteboroughsan owns P^ become political footballs. Under this Section, £ :n Pop 0% of the'costVor assistance will be paid by the borough and 50% by the federal L S°vern. ment Boroughs and townships need not contribute their share in hard cash either, Any administrative or technical service that local employees can contribut. •e count as the local share. As an example, there is an opportunity for a town to receive a $10, 000 survey for perhaps less than a 1000. The logical consultant for the performance of such individual communi ty surveys would be the Luzerne County Planning Commission. It will be fully equipped with technical personnel to do the work. Moreover, local recommendati ions can be integrated with a County Master Plan. Covered by the surveys under 701 are land use analysis, economic study, traffic study, and a community facilities study. Uniontown, Emmaus, State College, Springfield Township and many others have done it just this way. Planning in Pennsylvania communities as come o age. ese are all "down-to-earth" -- — --------- 1 communities communities which which see a better future with e™se ves as a result of expenditures of local time, energy, and funds teamed with federal grants. 57 To those r-——— *-any communities in Luzerne County (names censored) that Planning, zoning, etc. are too expensive, it , -1 can be done quite economically if you will contact Donald Livingston, Regional Supervisor, Bureau of Community evelopment, Scranton Office. REPRINT article is a reprint from the Local Government Newsletter published by the This Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. We"ve got it made, " said Councilman Green. "Looks Looks as as it if another another new new shoppine a j -4-n v v 4. , J^OOKS square center is going m. And it will be a beauty-half a million dollars, 600,000 600,000 i feet of sales area, We have three shopping centers within <a mile radius of this one, but this will top them all. Perfect location, landscaped, buffc Jer strip,best design I've seen." "What does your planning commission think of the proposals, " someone asked. "Planning commission? If we left this sort of thing to them, we probably wouldn't have any centers at all. They're good fellows--don't misunderstand me, but some­ times they are fuzzy headed. They would recommend against a zoning change, if the developer couldn't prove the center was needed to serve the piople in the area. They would actually cut us off from all that tax money. " "How much tax money? " "With assessed values at about 50 percent of market value, that means we would add $250,000 to our assessment rolls. With a nine mill levy, we would collect about $ 2250 a year in real estate taxes alone. Add the earned income tax from e center and we'd be in good shape financially". ” t a red cent "But most of the stores would be incorporated and you can tj:ollect (yes, that's coLectHoVpXcXaXy Cifh SCrant°n iS receiving $8 0, °00’ 000 ■Thoughts for today ThXbeVt wlyhouteisaliled fl°°r flushers • y °Ut 18 always through. I .publication Thls News-letter, nri2i»ateS m the Institute Published monthly as a “^Municipal G - community service, ° ° ^vernment of Wilkes <College. Notes and inquirl Hug0 V- r U°Hege, Wilv~ Wilkes”.Bar MaUey, Institute: of Municipal Government’ ’ . pem,yl- ~ to D'h:- from a ccorporate profits, " observed a member of the group. "Besides , a lot of wage tax. You'd be Jhe emplOyees . —> would live in some other community levying a freky to’ collect $2000. " "Your'e not , are you? n sneezing at a couple of thousand extra dollars W wha* about the expenses? installing traffic lights because of a new *tra Police How about costs like these . --- s during rush hours. We had estimates made by experts, said the councilman. "Their figures 47177 § I �change would give us a lift ta: even figured what x wise BegideSj if worst comes to°Ur ^ta?^ estimated gross of two would be if we on a mercantile tax. J tQ this what we'd take and a half could abvayeSaJi we coulild get about »o potential. . All of our centers Ornthe milll°nenters and youcan -.an other center v apPreC^did at first maybe, but t ry to find a parki, _ J are much as they ?„ making money-n°tSo how can we lose • trig space sometime. of the group. I'm no market analyst ■reed the zoning differed ^the revenue-'..-expenditure P considered^ , t the area residents • ping facilities and determine the f0 I "’’ated, regional facility with a number Trst’ in the retail stores in any area. The ’ x guspect a good part of it is in existil maybe the market is big enough to make sure ? Besides , I can show Itlg have been badly Hurt by a ne„ Besides , a’number of exf.ting,hat tove shut down-even though the market Jacility..Md some retlilers a profitable share of the total busme.s, one's going to lose," P°Pp * u tast so much money to b P but there 3 spending sornewh > people are gaining population a “Svmore“tori. « have been th CornPetin have been, " is little h areas nters °nveruenCe Have been atelV solutions to day-to-day riddles that con/', Ut these ProbU iice can be advanced only if there is a fWn- c°nmiSsi*S re^r, and within which they can be tested. And ... arnew°rk of posif. ners< and supers b e community plan--to express for the fonT PurPose of LP°licies ^dohj°rS c opment policies, together with the meansT RECENT seemed big enough to give all the r "There seems to be a kind of 'Gersham's Law' that (can be applied to competing shopping districts, " he continued. "The better center tends t_ J_. ----- .3 to drive out of business the ones that are not so good. I'm not in favor of stiffling healthy y competition, undrestand. But I think we have a community investment to protect too. What are we going to do with the established districts ? If we set them go to pot, we're going to end up with the mess of commercial slums . What happens to our tax revenues and out expenditures then?" And so the discussion continued. The gentlemen's sta emen tiine. . For of interesting questions, but most of these can be saved for anot. e raise a qnumber £ now, it's enough to say that on second exposure, the tax return a v denied, proposed center begins to lose much of its glitter. Yet, if the prop at least some of the existing centers may remain over-crowded. ° zone be subjected to pressure to permit ribbons of extentions of commercia^,^ facility, along the highway, or alternatively, to permit the erection of a new un can even at the risk of causing one or more of the older centers to fail, h°brnargina^ argue that it is a purpose of zoning ot limit competition or to portect ably business, although—and quite appropriately-----zoning ordinances inva 6 fUtUre a System TPrehensive nSfor ^ing them out ^vel. council manager developments According to a January 1958 publication of the International Managers Association 104 municipalities adopted the council- manager plan inl957. Only five cities abandoned the plan. Huntingdon, West Virginia (population-86,353) was the largest city to adopt the plan. Referendums on the continuation of the manager plan were held in 24 cities and voters in only seven of these cities decided to abandon the plan. Nevada and Tennessee enacted laws during 1957extending to all counties the opportunity to appoint a county manager. California now leads with 179 places unde^^e ^^^p^ptpulation -50,0000 Rnnsylvania ranking fifth with its 86 places, ris and Sewichly Heights being the largest municipality being operate un e* copulation between 50,000 (population- 679) being the smallest. Of the cities 47% of all the and 100,000, slightly over 50 % have the Council8 between 10,000 and 25,000. cities with populations over 25,000, and 41% o a r. _ Councilor Commiss.on There are more Council-Manager cities than eit er governed cities in the population group 50,000 to 'It in restricting competition, amd certainly are not unlawful becau 2yPRKMEN'S COMPENSATION NOW COVEgj-A^S^^ So what1 s the answer? center be Should the <— granted or ■ ’ application for the proposed shopping Ieast there is S’1°u'd it be denied ?" no easy answer. There perhaps is no answer, at But there A comprehensive plan, sure is a moral. of the area, would have maj" u“"g sl“di«= U Possible to °f population and edonomic prosp evaluate the adequacy of existing insurance workmen's workmen s compensation By Act 71 of the 1957 GeneralL As‘s®uxiJary police- ’,J b®ieS rtunicipal ece auxiliary police. coverage gas been extended to me u mpinsation for 1 trainingdved while ernPloyees are now entitled to receive anCy ca s, townships r activities. r calls , engaging in officials duties, answering man---y borong To •' 3 have ybor° ugbs though. the law was amended a year auxili ar^ P° aviod confusion not as yet changed their policies to me the Act r Qrderarising. a reveiw of and keep problems of non-compliance present ■workmen's compensation cov seem �'i AUG! 1958 keeping v .. ctream pollution was cited citea as as a a major factor keeping water . Tnesafrom locating in the economically distressed coal counties t^stnes from loc of the state Fish Commission °f Pennsyi? aTthe^ixthannual clean streams conference called by the Pennsylvania .Speahing X. of Commerce, stressed the need for more research to solve the provle] pollution created by acid water flowing from mines into streams . tfOk- Vll. NO . "New industry will find it difficult to become established in the aareas heavjjy polluted by mine acid, particularly if they require relatively cleanproces Our generally fine transportation system may make it possible for them 3S waterSi t0 irnPort raw or semi-finished materials from other places, but the watermnof .local, sources . ,," r come fr, '*0111 ror years it's been a well-established custom in Britain 1Or the contractor to furnish five years of free maintenance on all hot-mix asnhalt surfacing jobs.. But, recently England's municipalities have shown a marked tendency to demand nya --month maintenance guarantee. The reason’ Modern asphalt pavements are now expected to give maintenance free service well beyond the five-year for 7 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE are expected TODAY ^cX:rxn:i yrepaired; y ui soul is irreparable, if C°i!ege deSree does not lessen the length of *t only conceals it. yourears. JULY ■** Ms News-.u^ ;letteL Published monthly as a r__. niay 5e community service, originates in *ddre*sed to Dr 1 Govej— Wilkes Wilk.s Colle ■_Hu g0 V> j Ue®e- Wi]kes ‘ 8e- Notes and inquiries -Barre, pe 1 histitute of Municipal Government, e. Pen, nnsylvania. “-'Xi 15,1958 LOCAL TAXATION County, this study has more than the usual meaning of eyXa"“'X“'= Because of the dependence of local government finances upon real property, assessments should be uniform, equitable, and a relatively high ratio of market value. Uniformity and equity do not need explanation. Relatively high ratios of assessed values to market values are desirable because assessed valuations are the criteria upon which local debt limits are now based. Market values furnish a more realistic basis for the calculation of debt limits and tax revenues than do assessed values . There is one qualification for this , and that is , assuming that the increased revenue is for more adequate services and not to maintain the present inefficiency in local governmental services. If the personal property and occupations taxes are to be retained, it is imperative that their administration be improved, leading to not only an increase in monetary returns, but also to more equitable taxation. The problem administration collection of this kind of tax has plagued many municipalities in this area. _ Further diversification of the tax base is needed in municipalities whic "uted taxable property resources . Two possible methods of diversification are. greater use of the taxing powers granted by Act 481, and (2) coopera i dements with other local units in an effort to stretch resources. The later m provifdVe"Xxxxy Xro£ actiM —SEBLICATION pA own operations, especially since this whole area in Luzerne County is making a valiant attempt to attract industry and thereby recover some of the lost 35 000 people who departed since 1950. BRITAIN THOUGHTS ' iT'f Actuate faulty FT!-THY STREAMS “XXXX81081 “8 meani"8' in be *° P»Y «<>r il they acted alone. Advocacy ot the latter 01 this NEWSLETTER . T’k ed in the study was 5,000. Based on this Cr r- -• e Mnimum population of boroughs us County were usei;d: Forty-Fort, -x Edwardsville, Plymouth, Kingsto: eida> the following boroughs in Luzerne 'a;,West Pittston, Exeter, Ashley, Larksville W°y^viue’; ’ Luzerne, and Duryea. the 177 boroughs reporting m a caarket value per capita table is used to r �the State. This basis is useful in that it gives some indication °f the of the boroughs. relativ <Ugb On a table showing market value per capita, Forty-Fort and Rranked as average, and all others are either below average, lOw> o (Plymouth, Swoyerville, Luzerne, and Duryea). This not only reflert ry T<>Ware depressed condition of the area, but it is also an indication of the re i the eco„ capacity of a community to offer governmental services , important t ^^ial industry(such as schools, sewers, etc.) ° attractjn low gxeter forty F°rt Alow burden of taxes per 410,000 market value is always a favorabie f in a municipal financial profile, and a high burden is always an favorable fa *Ctoiir It may not necessarily follow that when the burden is low the t0r' is great, or that the service is of superior quality, or that it isCa ' Pacity to Kingston ministered. Alow tax burden could also attributed to the 1 rendered. Larksville The borough tax burden in Swoyerville was f found to be low, average in Luzerne, Forty-Fort, Exeter,, and West Pittston’ and below Kingston, Plymouth, and Edwardsville ------ It was average in and above average in Ashley Duryea, it was labeled high. • Bi Larksville and below average in Forty Fort1 dlStriCt taxes is about the same Luzerne Plymouth The t Swoyerville Again, it niust be stated that indie •cate that r--_ Services are is of‘ -;igh quality. rendered to Borough \ed f°r tOtal taxes’ Forty-Fort, average " ’ Kingston classified rage Wlth Ashley labeled as very high. average tax burdc en does not necessarily residents and indust: -cry, or that when rendered Market valUe per capita Ashley Borough taxes low above Daryea average very high School taxes County and Instition taxes Total taxes very high high very high high average high Edwardsville low average high above average above aver3^ above avei^e per capita average average low School taxes taxes below average below average average high average below average average very high County and Institution taxes average average Total taxes average average above average average below average high very high below average above average average average very low average high above average above average very low low above average below average average average average average West Pittston below average below average It is important to remember that no one community stands alone in an area, They sink —< or <swim together. No one can call itself "lily-white". People and industry not attracted to a a particular particular town town as as much much as as they they are are to to a region or an area. yOr us here, the Greater Wilkes-Barre area or Wyoming Valley, or better 8tiU> LuZl erne County which progresses or decays. And that picture is not en COuraging Improvement is not only advisable, but necessary to survival. Without gating or he study c — appraising the quality of the service, the communities as a whole in ^an not afford to offer or render many governmental services, and those re rendered cost too much in many instances. ZONING The Bo-rr. T_ ^ging ig a £• uSa °f Crafton in Allegheny County °lstrict,, lve-acre tract of land from "Residential District D " to �nraiseworthy for its frank approach than for -- more prais a manner owner of a commercial buildi; case argue argw the appellant in a case protection against competition b^g p. commercial district , he is determined; 1S a new concept concern in a new area. This , as f not entitled to protection against ' P.in “ yll. NO. 8 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BABRE, pA yOB- AUGUST 15, 1958 nose of zoning, lhe appe* by means of a zoning ordinance. ACT 52 b determine the amount of payments to be paid from U The formula used2 to cities, fuels tax proceeds to <-------- boroughs, towns, and townships for road, street defined to fix the population base as the latest available offic^ bridge purposes is c---------the first day of January in the year the cencus figures "determined on or before 1 money is to be paid to the municipalities.," The basic formula for determining the amount ’ able to individual municipalities from the total available allocation now reads’ "Si pay. of this allocation divided by the total miles of public roads and streets which are tained by municipalities, multiplied by the number of miles in the particular muni ' i plus four-tenths of this allocation divided by the total official population of the mun' ' ' ” alities as of January first of the year in which the money is to be paid to the municip alities, multiplied by the official population for the particular municipality as of January first of said year. " ACT 193 rough council to remove the manager at their pleasure. SEPTEMBER MEETING The September bi-monthly meeting of local officii officials r——— , titute of Municipal Government will be held on Wednesday Cp.M. in th, Wilkes College Co™. Mr. E<1 ---ay, Septembe: sector ol the Luzerne County Planning Com„ission, will speak m rules prepared for the Commission. This meeting will be held in conjunction with the Luzerne County United Community Development Conference. A dinner will pre cede the meeting scheduled at 7:30 P ,M. This is the third such meeting, two others having already been held at x±azleton and Pittston. Therefore, every city, boro, and township official in Wyoming Valley should make an effort to be present. Proposed regulations of the Planning Commission will apply in every municipality in the County which does not now have such regulations. Whenever a municipality does not adopt subdivision regulations, the County becomes the author­ ity to act and set minimum standards on the subdivision of property. Since very few municipalities in the County have such regulations, the County regulations will apply in almost all of the 73 units of governments. Land developers in every com­ munity must then abide by the County Planning regulations or suffer the penalties. So that local officials may plan with the County Planning Commission the development of their communities , a series of these meetings have been scheduled throughout the County. Therefore, every community in Wyoming Valley should be represented at this third meeting . POLICE COURSE THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Behold the turtle: He °f the fact tbhere EaS been a Srowin8 demand f0r thetbaeSa1rCsPs°ellctedOnX officers for progress only when he sticks his neck out. It takes le wrong. the me to do something right than it does to explain why yon did K PUBLICATION J-nis News-lpttQ the uslitute of Municipal c* Polished >— ■■ . as a community service, originate9 to Dr. Hugo WHk. es College. Notes and inquires may b qege' W*lkea-Barre, Institute °f Municipal Government, WilkeS C° thelr fn hat many communities have within recen Y p.lblic Service Institute ■ ;rfor«s. Thelnstitute of Municipal Government and the] PubllC this FaH. hay. cou ranged f ° r SUch a course to be of f ered at WilltBS o e g th the ri ghts, duties, The Pr°cedurpe 1S lntended to give police an intimate acq^n^ics will be considered are the n S’ and techniques in police work. Some o atldPatrmeiU1Sylvania Penal Code, types of crimes, crimin a Week f ’ ^rearms , self defense, first aid, and traffic■■ nrocedure, observation meet once . In probabili- 171 there 24 Weeks > running concurrently with the o accommodate police irking be botb a day and an evening class m or ded to those who 8UCCeXunerent shifts. A certificate of attainment will be Y complete the course. �To maintain a uniform outward r vehicles is identical. The sirens" equipment on ta.H the are mounted in the spare tire welimThnted Under tb' e hoods of the cars radio s bumper. Revolving dome-type red liphV^1111^ are damped to the 7 ofthe rear the edge of the windshield. 8 are mounted on the roof left inches 12 i- peter keblish, elected State President of t P .Tare™06 a>a*i,e Township in Allegheny County. Mr ^s, succeeding Walter Bybee ° ohnWordowski and Thomas Hoban, both Hanover T follows in the footsteps o in the state presidency. In his own town ship Commissioners, five years and chairman Qf ' eXteri°^ lisl> ' — - in the front seat and with a r*r ' - Safety belts ^^ded sunvisor. The cars have safety-sure brakes f rUment panal end safeidded sun visor. The cars have safety-sure brakes, bodies. The station wagons havei a large hauling the^65’ hauling3 capacity c useful on many occasions occasions .. The The "Safety "Safety Patrol Patrol Cars" Cars" will will patrol patrol a total^Z^Ol 05 ship, he has been a c . three years . He was also the President of the of Commissioners for class Townships for one term. Luzerne County Association of First U ‘Sy square miles. COOPERATION The most unique arrangement in intergovernmental police cooperation exists among the boroughs of Wyomissing, Shillington, West Reading, and Spring Township. MUNICIPAL BOND SINKING FUNDS The 1941 session of the General Assembly enacted a Municipal Borrowing Law which was designed to provide financial advice and guidance to the political subdivisions of the Commonwealth. The statute concerned itself with such fiscal activities as: borrowing of money; the authorization, issuance and sale of general obligation bonds; and the maintenance and utilization of sinking funds. The statute also imposed certain responsibilities and duties upon the Department of Internal Affairs. All regular policemen of Spring Township, Shillington, and West Reading have been appointed members of the police department of Wyomissing. The ordinances of the four municipalities provide that all regular police are authorized to accept appointments as police of the other three units. The police of Wyomissing are paid $1 a year by the other units of government. The Municipal Borrowing Law directs the Department to make an examination of the certification of the certification of proceedings for the purpose of (1) deter­ mining whether the contemplated debt is within the constitutionally imposed limita­ tions, and (2) whether the proceedings are in conformity with existing laws . If the Department finds that the proceedings are in accordance with the Constitution and law, it shall, within twenty days after the receipt of the proceedings, approve and notify the municipality or authority of this fact. This type of cooperation could well be adapted to many other areas both large and small. Savings could be tremendous. Where several municipalities use a patrol car each to cover their juridictions, it could well be that cooperative action might reduce the total number of cars necessary. NEW APPROACH TO HIGHWAY SAFETY new idea for the mmunitiesin eastern Delaware County are sponsoring an entirely a contribution to Z The P^/a completely new idea and Perty, and loss of life ’tV endeavor to reduce highway accidents, loss of pro lieve that the use of unifo 6 members of the participating police departments betraffic laws will greatlv JT’ COnsPlcuous vehicles , and the strict enforcement o g^atly aid in attainment of this goal. Low sleek the 60^"'1 ’ ' ' _____________ wagons colors of the I^iocalSetrCo ’ painted white with lettering in green, - 5 hign ■» 4. »p0‘uc“ “7 C0lunci ““ , On the front hood in letters six inches nuh1' ber of the depart™ ’ °n 1116 rear of each car is the name and telephone to wH‘ch‘ft. car belongs. On each front door is the blig I Of course, the law stipulates that if the Department, for some reason or other,' (bsaPproves the proceedings, it shall, within twenty days ter . 77 them, C®rtlfy itS disaPProval to the issuing body. The Municip °r*° funds direct ■> Departaeut o£ to ‘H« of these , m,ltniClpalltles • For this Purpose, the Depar m financial and other Or °ther offic -- :er of any municipality to furnish copies o an amounts of out^ents showing the conditLns of such sinking funds and the amounts^, of maturity. There is standi) ~lng debt. together with the rate of interest and dates . . • >n obligation is reamS( H ‘O Mlev. that the purpose of the inspectionWaccurate and to p 1 ’ * sure that the law has been obeyed, that all^aeeoun Show ought to be on hand bal? '■"’Penly. and that actual funds which th. hooks s.............. are Qhand. �a bond report for ...iployed by the Department's field zhich will enable the Department to So duties to inspect been prepared as they cl----the soundness ■H.Q sinking fund. VII. be retired; and amoun;pa _ £und at time of inspection_ items as: earmngs of deposits, date amount of princi i-Z8 IXXVSX0” £ determine whether ^ bonds s d .1 Xdul. and whether th. bank balances agree with those reported by th. In the 1957 session of the General Asstembly ” laws were enacted which . nificantly enlarged the power of cities of the third class second classes, to build up reserves for futur^capital etp^nXrVs first and Boroughs already had such enlarged powers under an act of 1955. More specifically, this recent legislation expands a power which these units of government, along with all other municipalities of Pennsylvania have possessed since 1943. In that year the legislature authorized all municipalities to create special funds for post war use. The purpose for which these funds may be used is broad, embracing both capital outlays and current expenses, but the means by which they may be built up are most restricted; only used appropriations and year-end general fund surpluses may be placed in them. In other words, the funds must come into being, not by plan, but by fortuitous circumstances. The expanded power now accorded to boroughs, cities of the third class, and townships, enables them to "appropriate moneys from the general funds to be paid into the capital reserve fund or place in the fund any moneys received from the sale, lease, or other disposition of any. .... .property or from any other source unless received or acquired for a particular purpose. " Obviously these units of government have practically a free hand in building up their capital reserve funds. THE MILWAUKEE PLAN Under the Milwaukee plan, motorists who park on the street overnight are assessed to pay for street parking facilities . The Milwaukee Police Department sells permits for the overnight parking privilege at $4 a quarter - $16 a year. The car cowner parks his vehicle on different sides of the street on alternate nights. On1 even-numbered days, he parks on the even-numbered side, and on odd-numbered days , on the odd-numbered side. This permits clearing of both sides of the streets after snowfalls c ' ' , of which Milwaukee has many in the course of a winter The Wisconsin city, which has a population of about 700,000, adopted the foTurnin^itTs'fTr^off-streetn frOm the overnight parkers m the overnight parkers to provide parkino faciliti ■ ^ar Revenues from this tax may be applied only from parking meters ln ^esidentlal areas. In downtown Milwaukee, revenues pay for „ldcity parking lols and THOUGHTS FOR 1 s”re . TODAY to g« off o„ the ... toay ta!k, bat wrong foot is to step on somebody's toes, gives itself away. -PUBLICATION * “* ' be addre. College This News “-Ipfi- as a community community service, service, origin* origina^ ’’ Wilk . H“8° V"“I'WUk- College. College. Noles Notes tmd and inquiries inquiries ™te-Ba„., PMn,y^.;Ins“ute of Municipll Government, Wilkes SEPTEMBER 15 ( 1958 RESERVES FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES appropriate local official. It is e«P«cted that th. answers submit edIm response to these inquiries will enable the Department of Internal Affairs to fulfill its legal obligations. The field force has been instructed to make a random survey of municipal sinking funds. The field personnel will make their investigations in various unspecified political subdivisions in the Commonwealth. When an inspection has been completed and the sinking fund has been found to be in order, the public will be appraised of this. s NO. 9 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRe pA I On the expenditures side, the restrictions are greater than those im Posed by the Act If 1943 . As the term "capital reserve fund' indicates, expen 1Cures ir °m it may be only for capital purposes, more particularly, for the constr , from rPurchase,■ ■» replacement o£ or addition to municipal buildings. “W™”*' other capital assets. ’• This restriction ,s ta.d ery, motor vehicles or laws. 111 the laws lor cities of the third class and townships, t * ..specift.d the capital reserve funds are further restricted to t e capi ase time Of the creation of the fund"; but a proviso perm rqe^ocai legislative lOj •. aPital expenditures other than those initially sped ie purposes have beb°dy by ■ cOrn a four“fiths vote declares " that the ongina Parp^tionshave arisen... ... ?ln mapracticabl Practicable, inadvisable, or impossible or tha for wWch the fUn, lcd1 makes makes ntbor morhi+ol Anditures more urgen other capital expenditures " Was created." 5 borough law is silent, As to the administration of the funds, the b95^. expressly entrust this th,e 1957 d towns townships -ws for cities of the third class and 1 P law �local legislative body that is , to the councilmen, in the r: Cities, th e ? suPerJ jssioners ^at the X” S 1- •°”sh‘p‘ °'h‘LeivCe°ted, ■■.hall »' invested in securities de8ig; lnated by money in «». funds, fQnd. of municipalities . law as legal investments - ' A-.r t0 which it applies . F provements on at payborrowing forr cap jd - I xx- basis. In the past about their only escape from t0 finaI1ce them directly out of annually reCurring capital outlays bTnoTwi’th major non-recurring ones. In a small community, moreover, most capital outlays Jail into the major non-recurring category Even a new fire station rnav be a major improvement for a borough or township of less than 10,000 in­ habitants and the financing of it may be beyond the community's current revenue capacity. Now, however, borrowing for it is no longer the only alternative; it may be financed by saving for it, that is, by building up a capital reserve fund. Secondly, this legislation will enable local governments to change their financial status from interest payers to interest receivers . When a co immunity borrows for a public improvement, it must pay interest on the debt as well as pay the debt. When it acquires the improvement directly out of current revenue, it avoids paying interest because it creates no debt. When it saves up for the im­ provement by creating a capital reserve fund, it not only avoids borrowing and the payment of interest, but it actually earns interest on the savings until they are needed for the improvement. It is not urged here that capital reserve funds should be used as a subethods of financing capital outlays or even in particular situations for any one of them. They should be regarded rather as another method now . available for capital financing. Each local government must act in the light ? 1 S 0VT circumstances. If a community has a large but callable high interestth^to8st! ?kltm°Uld Obviously be wiser for it to speed the reduction of that debt has no d=bt n \ * Capital reserve f“d. On the other hand, if the community serve fund as a H n0n"caJ-la^e debt, it would do well to create a capital re­ debt reduction TBp ^°i a^leac^ faster than it could by relying solely on ed £" 1 comm““tyto face a business depression » with “d capacity and ample capital reserves. capped t0 receive the'sewlt SEWERS iS °ne laid underground without any trunk sewer read/ ge Produced by thi ed sev/er -ie properties to be served. The capp ■ -e the streets are paved., is plugged at its 1 laid^ d and put into service when trunk sewers a/T'J P°int’ and stands is be °Penie ready ' ,ed by the capped sewer must have a second dis™//?0 The Parties to be serVo' f the sewage produced until trunk lines rearH L facilltY constructed to to care < ach the capped line. ta^e Should a municipality a to iniM1 a develops, develop provements to be made at his expense befo„ U, laad Xieil'”'” “ .HWiroP Has the municipality the right to include Lroved”” capped sewer requirements in its regulations ? [„d,ubaivis.°n The answer to the second question is ‘ not settled at the moment. A part of its answerr is in the response to the first question. For the ...e present, this can be said right to impose capped r~ aS to the municipality's 1. sewer requirements. Marple Township, a township, of the second class in the Philadelphiaia region, has required capped sewers, had them installed, and has been upheld in the ,has 1— court actions attacking its provisions. The advantages of capped sewer requirements loom quite large to a munici­ pality experiencing rapid growth. Needed extensions of the municipal sewer system can proceed in an orderly, non-explosive way. Sewer extensions can be geared to an orderly financial program within the resources of the municipality. Capped sewers are laid before the streets of a new development are constructed. The requirement of j capped sewers may constitute for the municipality one of the more potent of its "de­ velopment timing regulations". Capped sewer requirements serve in some small mea| sure to regulate the geographical sequence of development. To secure these advantages, a municipality assumes obligations. It must | press toward the earliest possible extension of its trunk sewers to the point of con| nection with the capped sewers it has'forced to be constructed. It may later find the | planning, financing, and construction of the trunk sewers quite distasteful or burden­ some, And while the municipality could probably not be forced to fulfill its committ1 ments, still it would face moral condemnation, particularly from the residents of I ‘he new subdivision. The municipality may be accepting some responsibility for the I unused sewers. Water may collect in them; sand or dirt may clog the idle pipes, | may separate joints and disrupt the lines. The burden of some rehabilitation mayface the municipality at the time of future joining. a single I *tallation. . ,The added de Payments, and he has geared the size affect greatly the fi—a.ia| aSSessment for sewers, on the other hand, is 1 e gQ ^at it is common ’’anciai t0£iMhnrrangements Of newhome Purchasers. ThlS/SJ° Extension eventhough though ‘hey r me°wners without sewers bitterly oppose rec°gnize the benefits which sewer connections would give their properties. �-par to have much to offer to the requirements apP public interest with little L use cipality which iy priva^e harm done to any ■oval. receive c<•ourt apprl «>■ “pi,ed 5ew"s VOL- VII. NO. 10 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. , OCTOBER 15, 1958 p .M.L.F -A. The 1958 dates for the with any other meetings of in. cers meeting will be Friday and Satur■ay, Coun^locaVgovernment officials . Plan to attend. are able to determine, terest to Luzerne C-_ COMPETITIVE BIDDING Boroughs and townships may make contracts or purchases in amounts not in excess of $1,000 without advertising for competitive bids (the ceiling Was formerly $750). Contracts and purchases of certain categories of maintenance work, services, patented items and insurance continue to be exempt from all ad vertising and competitive bidding requirements. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY The greatest glory of a freeborn people is to transient that freedom to their children. Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. PUBLICATION vice originateS This Newsletter, published monthly as a community s an( j inquiries in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College. Note ent, Wil^eS be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute of Municipal Cover College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. PAVEMENT CUTS Today our municipalities are faced tn directly attributed to the mechaniaatio„ of tlle s” ieh?/ P"»lem, which these problems is to reduce congestion in public t we live’ One of In regulating our streets , we usually consider theS COntrolling their use to take into consideration the subsurface traffic SUTface traffic only, and fail Because the facilities carrying the traffic under our streets are VAa vi«« many municipalities either are little concerned with them o, hare enacted ineffective regulations to control the use of the public's streets This failure to exercise proper control leads to practice which cause serious damage to the roads, inconvenience to the public, and the needless expenditure of munici­ pal funds. Action on the part of local government officials to regulate the installa­ tion or repair of underground facilities is necessary for proper control The most efficient way for a municipality to regulate an activity is to require permission to be secured before any action is begun. Usually, permission is granted by the issuance of a license or permit. Since municipal streets are public property and their maintenance and care are the direct responsibilty of the political subdivision, any opening or excavation of a street should be allowed only after a permit has been issued. Except for street openings made by utilities owned or operated by the municipality and for pavement cuts made in streets maintained by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or county, a pavement cut will contain such a control. Municipal utilities are granted exemptions irom the p mit requirement because they are government operations. In these cases regulations , such as a permit, are not necessary and any intern con t_ Thred over such operations can be developed and effectuated by other means, p fcularly through administrative organization. ! to assess these legitimate Should the political subdivision desire against a utility, the assess­ Charges, such as restoration and inspection costs, c_-x or by the creation of a working can be done by periodic interfund transfers fund. and for enforcing street opening permits e of the muniThe responsibility for issuing ted in the officer in charg the other Provisions of the ordinance is ves �cipal highway departmen ganiZationofthemum tor operation. Depending upon1 the administracive Visibility might be delegated to thee or, respoi. - se. administrative official. cretary, manager, eng and restoration costs are Permit fees, inspection charges assessed time the municipality grants the inst the permittee and ,d payable at the t—. Permits. amount appropriate for it to charge" agai P should determine the < . , .. , . . . , , Each municipality i of the permit fee finally established should be enough to • How. - reimever, the amount subdivision for any a<dministrative expense incurred in issuing burse the political application and permit form. and processing the Other financial provisions call for the permittee to provide a main­ tenance bond and to furnish a certificate of insurance indicating that he is ade­ quately insured against liability and property damage claims. For those munici­ palities who adopt the alternate restoration provision, the ordinance requires the permittee to post a performance, rather than a maintenance bond. These insu­ rance and bond requirements are considered essential if the objectives of a street opening ordinance are to be accomplished, particularly as they relate to the pro­ tection of the public's interest and the protection of the borough or township from any financial loss. Adequate insurance coverage by the permittee will afford pro­ tection to individuals and properties that might be injured or damaged while the work authorized by the permit is in progress. The municipality also is protected against any tort claims that might be filed against it should damages or injuries result from the work. Bonding requirements are now considered an important aspect of any public works activity especially in those political jurisdictions in­ terested in securing a guarantee that work authorized by them has now been per­ formed in accordance with their plans, regulations, and specifications. Inasmuch as the size of pavement cuts will vary, the amount of the maintenance bond and insurance coverage required should reflect the danger or hazards involved and the cost of repairing the opening . BOX SCORE, Major 1958 National LegislTtL ^^Affectin Local r ^-=2«£2overnment bill house SENATE STATUTE Housing-Urban Renewal (S. 4035) Rejected Area Redevelopment (S. 3683) Passed Passed Passed Vetoed Urban Planning Assistance (H.R. 13466) Sept. 6 Died in Committ. Community Facilities Loan Program (S 34971 ee Highway Construction (H.R. 9821) ‘ ' Rejected Passed Passed Federal Airport Act (S. 3502) Passed PL 85-381 Passed Vetoed Passed Mass Transit Loans (H.R. 11816) Sept.2 Died in Committee Mass Transit Study (H.Res. 231) Killed in Rules Committee Water Supply Act (S. 3910) Passed Passed PL 85-500 Water Pollution Control (H.R. 13420) Killed in Rules Committee Civil Defense (H.R. 7576) Passed Passed PL 85-606 Passed Pilot* (RFC Properties) (S. 3677) Passed Passed PL 85-579 Passed Pilot* (S. 967) Died in Committee " (both Houses) Technical Amendments Act (Police subsistence) Passed Passed PL 85-866 (H.R. 8381) Excise Tax (Local Government Tax exemption) Passed Passed PL 85-859 (H.R. 7125) Pass through (of tax exemption to shareholders) Died in Committee (H.R. 8702) Commercial Bank (underwriting of revenue bonds) (s. 2021) Died in Committee Tax Avoidance (S. 6) in ' ' Committee Passed Tax Withholding (H.R. 6745) Killed in Rules Committee Hospital Construction (Hill-Burton, 5-year 5-year extension) Passed extension) Passed Passed PL 85-680 (H.R. 12628) Public Health Education Grants (H.R. 6771) Passed Passed PL 85-544 Juvenile Delinquency (H.R. 652) Died in Committee (both Houses) Surplus Property (H.R. _____ ______ 5460)f Died in Committee 5-year Census of F . ' ' "FT. " ' Died in Committee ---- Population(H.R. 12414) ’‘'Payments in Lieu of Taxes tensions of proposed openings . After a Permit is issued e street opening. Inspects W°r^ begun, the municipality should be vigilant of th. ensure compliance with °ne means of control available to a municipality to daily in" imBortance of tb/^ Pavement cut ordinance and regulations. Recognizing the n °f the opening x 11?Spectionfunction, the ordinance saggests a (’ 1 - iso! and a final- ins—•„ bef„re thePe"“Ss by the superintendent or one of his — en made and backfilled0 1SSUed a certificate indicating the opening has be (continued in accord^ng to specifications. am the nextiSsue.) THOUGHTS FOR TODAY el8e has Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and think what nobody Thehbig shots are only the little shots who keep shooting. tha PUBLICATION community service, originates News-letter, puliblished monthly as a Notes and inquiries may _ College. ... — Municipal of Wilkes r e of r ‘ Hugo V.Government Mailey, Institute of Municipal Gov't., Wilkes College 'essed to 5'Bar ’ Pennsylvania. This MheI^stitut �WHAT'S NEW? I LARKSVILLE - A 25 mile speed limit has been posted along Route 11 bet-,, en VOL. TO. NO. 11 ston and Larksville. WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES.BARRE, pA., NOVEMBER 15, 1958 WYOMING Avenue - The burgess insists that the one hour parking regulations along Wy0. be enforced. '*ning uts to have for its road program next ^mer K its 1958 and$20,000 1959 allocations. Dy AVOCA - The council expects adding together il~ PLYMOUTH - Council is still stalemated on whether to oil and chip Or completely resurface borough streets. DALLAS - The burgess and the chief of police are making a study of traffic control in the borough. LARKSVILLE - Council is considering a junkyard ordinance, though rather belated to control present conditions. PITTSTON - The council my create parking authority to look for ofx street parking facilities. DUPONT - Council might look into the possibility of a town center. HANOVER - The board of commissioners is now considering the addition of a patrol wagon to the equipment of the police department. NEWPORT - Because of the part payment of the township's biggest taxpayer, many projects such as paving of streets the township may forego. EXETER - Council has obtained about 6 acres of land to be used for a sanitary land­ fill. -LAINS - Township commissioners are awaiting approval from the State H g Department for permission to post speed regulations. NANTICOKE - Despite the loss of 44% of Glen Alden's taxes, t e City is ending year in sound financial condition. EDWARDSVILLE - A new the Narrows. on sev/er line will be constructed for the shopping center pavement cuts (CONTINUED) Backfilling operations must be done in th therefore, prior notification of the intent to backfill PreS?nCe of an inspector, intendent. For major street openings or excavatin "c be glVen to the superthorized to provide a full-time inspector on the sV’ ft Superintendent is auprotective measures to guarantee compliance with mectftcXnT’tvSUCh or openings could be inadequately backfilled result! ■ lcatlons> the excavations which probably will settle and cause damage to the Jsmrtt U\Stable sub8rade with the objective to protect the municipality from anv finan keepinS imposes all inspection costs upon the DermittPO c ? ncial loss, the ordinance the time the permit is granted and are based on'cost schedule 7 at superintendent. schedule developed by the Any street opening will inconvenience some residents or members of the traveling public, but it is not realistic or sound to prohibit all pavement cuts. The enactment and enforcement of proper regulations will do much to minimize the incovenience. The ordinance should regulate the dimensions of pavement cuts; require access to private driveways; mandate the use of barricades, lanterns, and other safety devices; limit working hours; make the permittees responsible for cleaning streets dirtied by the flow or deposit of excavated materials; and au­ thorize the superintendent to attach conditions to any permit as may be reason­ ably necessary to prevent property damage or injury to individuals. Notifying abutting property owners or tenants of a proposed pavement cut is another suggested means useful in minimizing the inconvenience and re­ ducing the number of complaints. ...... Generally, ' " the occupants ■ it is who properties are subof they abutting are the ones most adversely affected by street ope™^ .f’the occupants are inject to the 1 noise, dust and other inconveniences . ahead by covering fornaed of ; a proposed opening, they can pr®pare automobiles, by delaying the °utdoor jfurniture, by finding a place to par necessary to lessen the Haling o£ - ' new shruberry, and by doing ^^routines • "■« of the: street opening on their norm KINGSTON - Council action pool is still on a bond issue for a town hall, a garage and a pending and uncertain. COUP i DALE - The council approved the repair of the fire company receiver and its relocation from the borough building to th the fire truck drivers. radio mo(nit°r residents of ' b . of new streets, pavement cuts should To conserve the paving sur ac the payment of a penalty Prohibited in them except in emergencies o �-sment is on a sliding scale based , nf the penalty assesss street the greater the charge. charge ■ The atreet, « ,he of the Street, .... upon the age t ■ PSS municipal authorities, utilities, and m the interest of fanmess, make repairs or change in urners should have an opp° .g repaired or improved and bepr°PertL°urface installations before a effectively control openings in new Jheirthe penalty charge is assessab^-^Lity take whatever administrative steps misht be ”ade the6penalty assessment. . d authorities usually are not required to furnish Because utilities an faciHties beneath the streets, most munici. ™PtS.Xd”fh™.XXdequ ‘tely informed aboutthes.subsurfaces true. information about installations can hinder the Damages to existing underground facilities effective control of pavement cuts excessively large openings frequently will often will occur or unnecessary or be made. A comprehensive street opening control program requires that a muniknowledge of subsurface structures. Utilities and authorities cipality have some £ must submit a set of maps showing their underground installations and file, per­ iodically, corrected maps when their facilities are enlarged, relocated, or abandoned. Through the use of these maps a municipality will be able to advise a permittee of the location of the underground facilities existing in the vicinity of his proposed cut. The permittee in turn can take the necessary precautionary measures to protect these installations. The maps also will prove useful to the munici­ pality when it plans to improve or repair a street. As the municipality will know the utilities and authorities maintaining subsurfaces installation in the right o way, the task of notifying them of the proposed improvement is made much easier. often leaves the abandoned install wner nor the municipality usually m ^emove the old pipes or other re^ocates its underground facilities, it pdace beneath the street. Neither the t0 g° t0 the exPense of opening the street Pens^^oTthT^ f°r yearS Without XXe/thThe abandoned facility may restreet's v ot^er hand, installati rnun^c^Pality sny trouble or exX,'.“ '» eoUapse and cause the subdivisi°n' financial burden which rightfully show —1 underground - ..... structure. Abandonsid in­ to t>e USe 8rade settlement■ or other trouble are removed at the expense of the owner when the jf the owner refuse, the rstreet is repaired or improved, municipality is authorized to remove facilities of this type and to bill the authority or utility for the —i expense. Although a pavement XX? ‘d ’ >!>« orderly maintenance of existing streets, yp of ordinance does not purport to con trol or regulate the installation of underground facilities in streets of newly developed tracts of land. A pavement cut ordmance is not a preventative measure To satisfactorily regulate subsurface .. ' installations, a municipality should adopt a comprehensive program - one that is < -s concerned with the control of facilities in existing streets and with the installati, don °f facilities in new streets. This is particularly true if the political subdivision jurisdiction has undeveloped jurisdiction x_, tracts of land. A review of existing subdivision regulations should be made to ...on regulations should be determine whether they adequately regulate the installation of l ’ *1-- ’ ■ underground facilities. Any municipality which has not as yet adopted regulations g-s governing the development of land should consider it imperative to take immediate _N_ie action. WARNING SIGNS Warning signs shall be used for the purpose of warning traffic of hazardous conditions either on or adjacent to the highway. Warning signs .re­ quire caution on the part of the motorist and generally call for a reduction of speed. Adequate Warning Signs are of great assistance to the vehicle operator and are valuable in safe-guarding and expediting traffic. The Pennsylvania Department of Highways has prepared a Manual of Regulations for official traffic signs to which all local authorities should refer. All Warning Signs must be erected in strict accordance with the regulations set forth in this Manual. If Warning Signs other than those listed in this Manual are required, the approval of the Secretary of Highways shall be obtained be­ fore they may be used. « Shape. Warning Aii;;- t8e" a— ■AJ-1 signs Vance Warning Sign which is circular; the arg and the Advisory Speed Sign which is square. has a whate background with a black messag fellow fa:'ackground Clearance Sign, W-228, Warning signs have a message. All signs with a with black border and sym * are signS which have only few e--irn e^\i°ns are reflectorized. These exceptions danime significance such as: School, Park Entrance, etc. sUch --- "Qi' with the exception of a few signs All Warning Signs shall be 30"x30 Where Church, School, Hospital. V---------hazardous conditions warrant the use �(faulty Tte&b-tettvi, of larger Warning Signs, the appropriate sign »e »l«ged to the desired ^proportion to the standard srgn. Since Warning Signs are placed primarily for the protection of the . nnt acauainted with the road, it is very important that thought be'giWen to their location and erection. Although this Manual specifies the distance at which signs shall be placed in advance e hazards there may be Stances where physical condition, will require different distances. Trial conditions runs should be made by day and night to determine the most effective location and erection characteristios for each .ach installation. installation In cities where speeds are relatively low, Warning Signs shall be placed nearer to the point of hazard (150 feet to 300 feet) than that specified for rural —’ highways. • 'u, where parking is restricted, In rural and residential districts than 6 feet and not more than 10 feet Warning Signs shall be erected not less tL~r the roadway. The center of the sign shall not from the edge of the pavement or of the roadway. be less than 42 inches above the crown districts, where parking is frequent, In residential and business the center of the sign is not less than 8 feet Warning Signs shall be erected so of the pavement and the edge of the sign above the top of the curb, or crown 12 inches back from the face of the curb. adjacent to the curb is not less than All signs smaller than 4' x 6' shall be placed 90 degreeis to the This position roadway. Larger signs shall be angled away from the roadway.. Ti approaches will prevent the occurence of a glare on the sign as the motorist m it, but will not reduce its reflective qualities. Warning Signs are mounted on single Channel Bar Posts. Oversize VOL. VII. NO. 12 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA., DECEMBER 15, 1958 TAX LOSS Fourteen communities in Luzerne r mise reached between the Glen Alder Corporation affected by the comproa reduction of approximately 23% in coal land a™ UZerne County permitting period. The 14 communities will lose an j3*™6”1 valuati°ns over a 2 vear 1958. In addition about $40,545 will be lost b^H? $173,298 in tax receipts for trict. y he County and the Institution dis- Some of the communities will have to take drastic measures to cur­ tail expenditiures or else increase tax rates to make up the losses. In a number of communities where the Glen Alden holdings are relatively small, there will be little effect on the total structure. Hardest hit as a result of the assessment valua­ tion will be Hanover Township. The coal holdings amounted to over $15,000,000; the reduction in assessment is about $1,700,000. This reduction is assessment valuation that the commissioners will suffer a loss of $24,000 in tax revenue. Newport Township stands to lose about $11,800. Other communities which will stand to lose tax revenues are Edwardsville, Ashley, Nanticoke, Plymouth, Ply­ mouth Township, Sugar Notch, Warrior Run, Wilkes-Barre, Wilkes-Barre Town­ ship, Larksville, Kingston, and Laurel Run. The decree by the Court will be final unless any of the 14 communities file exceptions to the compromisesettlement. Warning Signs, that is, 4' x 4', or larger, shall be mounted on two or more WARDS OR AT-LARGE Channel Bar or wooden posts. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Keep skid chains on your tongue. Always say less than you thin what Make promises sparingly and keep them faithfully no matter it costs you. PUBLICATION , oriThis News-letter, published monthly as a communi y j<jotes ginates in the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes Co ^^uniCipal and Go' inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Institute o vernment, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Once Once more more the the question question of of at-large at-large or ward representation has come up for discussion. This time it involves Edwardsville where petitions have been circulated to eliminate wards. Hearings are presently in progress with a vie t ^commending a solution to the problem. It was not too long ago that the borough residents witnessed the reduction of councilmen from 14 to 7 at tie urging o residents. Since the question has been 116 raised in the future, it might e wi °i the two systems. ti ght rec ently and1 will no doubt advantages and disadvantages �. of councilmen. Ward System geographicalLdiSXe minorities some chance of otbaining ----------------- - insures a 2. possesses the merit of g1 representation. tprS and enables one party to obtain 3. promotes integration1 among seats in the council. majority of an effective working personal relation between creates a more intimate : 4. the ward system and his constituents. the councilman voter with a shorter ballot. 5. provides the to know more about the candidates who s election> 6. enable the voters At-Large be eliminated. Motorists can still make the t two existing signals from an island set up fo/tT ’ bUt at a point nearer the true for those motorists making a left turn fro^T" ’ The same w°uld be over the bridge. °m South River Street going west The report continues to state that the moved because they have caused unnatural mo Present S1§nals should be rethe experts that the side mounted signals shouldTe Ur is the claim of PROGRESS borough wide total of votes to count in deter1. does permit a party's mining election results. 2. does not lend itself to 3. affords the entire body of voters to exercise effective control over the council as a whole. 4. does not narrow but increases the field of available candidates. 5. raises the sights of the councilmen beyond the narrow confines of the ward. 6. does not allow slight changes in the comparative voting strength of competing parties to cause drastic alterations in the complexion of the council. In 1956, of the mayor-council communities over 5,000 population, 37% were utilizing the ward plan; another 25% were using a combination of the ward and the at-large system; and 38% relied entirely upon the at-large system. With a few exceptions, commission-governed cities used elections at large. Among council­ manager cities, only 13% used the ward system ; 11% employed a combined system; and 76% elected councilmen at large. It is significant that the at-large reform goes hand-in-hand with the manager adoption. While many in this area have been working hard for the Anthracite Expressway, its proposed route has been condemned by the officials of at least one municipality - Wilkes-Barre Township. The plans call for running the route directly through the heart of the township. Four roads or streets which now pro­ vide access to the Township will be blocked off leaving only the tunnel at North­ ampton Street as a means of entrance. The proposed route will cut off a grade school from a large sector of the Township, rendering it practically impossible for students to reach the school without traveling a long, dangerous, and circui­ tous route. Any future expansion with Ashley Borough and Sugar Notch is com­ pletely eliminated. Many recreational areas will be inaccessible. The plan will also mean the forced removal of several existing commercial establishments. The moral behind all of this is quite clear. When communities do not plan for their growth, someone else sure does. And except for the voice of the County Planning Commission, what other agency has an outline of future development? It is never difficult to mesh the plans of the Turnpike Commission or the State Hishway Department with those of a community's planning commission. This presupposes that the community has a blueprint for its future development. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY TRAFFIC SURVEY Don't wait till the time is ripe; it's apt to be rotten. bXre’ *ecommends a vastly chTnee^?604 Plan’ prepared for the City of Wilkes- pronSe' recornrnends four cJ eatment for the W5st Market-River Street stalPmoPat?? and a chan8e « traffic nnellZi”S islands to guide vehicles in their that the pl SlgnalS With overhead and^5 Substituting the two existing pede- rangernenm7Uld Pr°Vide amPle space 7 e~m°unted signals. The report states ment Xo tr PresentlX exists, it an "Gaining the same basic lane arPedestrians £U^r-shaPed islands eachd’ drawing of the proposed treat­ tiers to brid built on ^e bridge a d tW° to permit crosswalks for Street, co2 gVrfaffic headed eithe/ owPP?aCh- TheT -ould serve as physical t0 the Space betwee^,,North River Street or South River shot!" enqent from the bridge 1Slands and the curb. The s would g ° North River Street, now in use, cutting left turn moy3 Discussion is an exchange of intelligence; argument is an exchange of ignorance. PUBLICATION This -‘ST This News-letter, published monthly ln the Institute of Municipal Governmen titute of Municipal Governm ^y be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Matley^^t ^kes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. �Problem. Two billboards «“r uct'd a favore/r11 appr°po of the federal highway 4-4 i •t, . n billboard ,,,1'“"“^ ressional action to eliminate n dollar federal highway program. change.In ? e placed witl,regUlatiOn of the Federal n ™ln a scenic are Commerce Department no as six signs mTetCh betW' een two miles and f‘ cboser fhan two miles to an interbe at least be put l’ UP. Farther than fi rn^es fr°m an interchange as many lati°n. By com1]6 ap3rt- The : new rule will 6 mjPes fr°m an interchange signs nwst C““d'ib"“Mt«»aX“’eStat' Wil1- entitl^? if the State adopts the regu' -Estate hih f° eXtra 1/2 of 1% in the federaJ ePartment of ssemhlv • e-P°wer of th. the^X Qr the inte: p6Ss ;rstatehC’ayscseni_ >, c L|'^zerxig running through its area. AcWays a billboard control measure The State wil1 have tO Or purchase scenic easements. qc may not become "billboard alley9 al°”g ��. I - . ■ . . . . ■ . Hl ! ■ ^;v|| i-1 •:■:’■ III r ; i . -.. r ':■' ■>. 1,1 ■ B'i !' t ■ ■ w>‘ 11 B I .. . ;■ • ' ■ "4; ■ ■ ■ ' ’ ■ . � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletters and Institute for Regional Affair Newsletters, 1952-1975 Subject The topic of the resource Political Science; Luzerne County; Institute for Regional Affairs; Wyoming Valley Description An account of the resource A collection of newsletters created by the Political Science Department at Wilkes College from 1952-1975 for Luzerne County and later the Institute for Regional Affairs. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department (Hugo Mailey) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1952-1975 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletters Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletter, 1958 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1958 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletter https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/649f85bfdce5f93ef7d1b5a4317f1eb3.pdf cbd148e8acda82197df19077b1fd82bc PDF Text Text ��ARCHIVES JS Pm \/. (a /<?s7 «•/ vol • VI • NO- 1 wilkts COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. JANUU THE ANNUAL REPORT (continued from the last issue) Following the introductory part should be a brief summai enacted during the past year. Important ordina ^oUdoni^asiVd'b'y the governing body, and new state laws of imp be embraced in it. The citizens1 interest in services is probably greatest w: to those which affect him most directly. Thus, a major portion of tl report should be devoted to a description of the municipal services ; and a summary of the activities of each service for the preceding ye the report should touch on the following topics at this part; 1. The activities carried on by the city to promote and p] health of its citizens . ., The scope and variety of recreational activities spons the municipality. “ Welfare activities and the relative welfare responsibi county state, and the federal government. 4. C Current housing conditions in the community. 5- The amount and character of crime, the success of t 111 S01vin g cases, their work in crime prevention, and traffic safety 6. A summary of the fire protection facilities and fire p: ^easu:res. tbe Servic — rendered in connection with construction anc °f streets , ces sewers and street —J sewage disposal, refuse collection, street . Ughtin. agon the r^i=?Unt each utility operated by the municipalit 9. Discu 1OnShlp with Privately owned utilities. th.lese f 10 • LibrariT °f educational facilities and activities in t ry facilities available to cities and trends in th ’'•lilies. ». Municipal r the Bal ance services available 1to ’business and industry Agricultur re with Industry Prog gram in Mississipp �r;C-’VES J* J S ‘KI P4L? v, 6 /?i'7 VOL ■ ci VI N0. 1 WILKES COLLEGE, - ^7- THE ANNUAL REPORT (continued from the^Tissue) Following the introductory part should be a brief Important legislation enacted during the past year. In,p„[an, ord ’t tl" elution, passed by the govern,ng body, and new stele law. of import sh0«,d be embraced in it. . , The citizens- interest in services is probably greatest with reference to those which af>ect him most directly. Thus, a major portion of the annual report should be devoted to a description of the municipal services available and a summary of the activities of each service for the preceding year. Generally, the report should touch on the following topics at this part; 1. The activities carried on by the city to promote and protect the health of its citizens . 2. The scope and variety of recreational activities sponsored by the municipality. 3 Welfare activities and the relative welfare responsibilities of the city county state, and the federal government. 4. Current housing conditions in the community. 5. The amount and character of crime, the success of the police solving cases, their work in crime prevention, and traffic safety programs. 6- A summary of the fire protection facilities and fire prevention Measures. 7. Services rendered in connection with construction and m ' of streets sewers and sewage disposal, refuse collection, street c earn treet lighting. - ’ r the municipality and a An account of each utility operated by statement °n the relationship with privately owned utilities. city use 9. Discussion of educational facilities and activ td trends 10. Library facilities available to cities and ‘hese kciliti , those es. 3 and industry, e.g. 11. Municipal services available to busine under in Mississippithe Bala nee Agriculture with Industry Program �.. ities of the secretary should be described. The work of Th\ suchas ordinance drafting, advice to departments, frarni the city attorney’ suits also should be indicated. Purchasing and perSonnel 8 contracts, and rpvieWed, and any other agency function summarize practices should be revi Where ta municipality has a r-Pension plan, as in the an actuary' must determine whether case of Wilkesthe present B&rTe' Psnsion fund is solvent. HARRISBURG While other municipal services touch citizens more often, few haVe more direct effect or leave a more lasting impression for good or ill than L financial operations of city government. Finance, therefore is one of £e most important phases of government activity to report. At the same A $30,000 „e announced by the * amount ol local Lrhnical services >n time it is no doubt the most difficult. and development of the area, which includes Harrisburg and ten surrounin'g™ communities in Dauphin County. n"lng The common practice of including in the annual report the complete auditor's statement for the fiscal year does more to discourage the citizens from reading and understanding the activities of the municipality than any other single factor. Finance should not be given a back seat in the report, but, conversely, it should not occupy three-fourths of available space. Further­ more. municipal officers may not reasonably assume that all citizens are trained accountants or have a knowledge of accounting principles; they should strive rather to present the city's financial condition in clear, concise terms that any layman can understand. SOCIAL SECURITY Municipal pension fund members in the city of Wilkes-Ba rre will decide on social security as soon as a referendum is authorized by Governor Leader. The 1957 budget allots $14,000 as the city's share if the federal plan is adopted. The procedure to be followed in cases where a retirement system already exists is explained by Anthony F. Chernefski, Director of the Bureau of Social Security for Municipal Employees in the Department of Labor and Industry, and the November speaker at the local officials' dinner. Policemen and firermen covered by a retirement system when social security is adopted for other m municipal employees are excluded. Many c ouncils have found it advisable to convert such already existing retirements plans into that may arise if the funds grant to the Regional Commission of Greater Harrisburg Urban Renewal Adminis,tation Th<j grant,pllns plus „ and funds . »,11 be used for surveys, s.udles, preparat.on of a comprehensive regional f J It seems that progress in the Greater Wilkes-Barre area is a bit slower. SCRANTON The redevelopment program will be discussed by officials of the city and civic development groups. A cross section of public opinion is sought on redevelopment plans. PITTSBURGH The State Commerce Department has granted the Urban Redevelop­ ment Authority a $500,000 state subsidy for two slum clearance projects to be divided between the EastLiberty Area and Manchester District on the north side. Grants will soon be received from the Federal Urban Renewal Administration. TRAFFIC OFFICERS' TRAINING SCHOOL Penn State's 17th annual Traffic Officers Training School will heldMay 6-17, 1957, at University Park. The course is designed for traf ic an '■’tber police, including private officers having traffic duties. t. Among the topics for the event will be dealing with the: pu , Among the topic ^hips between judiciary and the police, uses of radar, tr Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, accident investxgaHon Civil bnuatl°n °f tra«ic safety schools, traffic engineering, the F engaged ia emergency work &y eXClude from s°cial security those employees eluded or both excluded Lik empl°yees on a fee basis- either both must be inclass and not by single indiy-dW1Se’ With other employees, they are covered by y Act, administration, and enforcement policy an ac i 43301 �5* WHAT'S NEW? ril ordered the annual payment of $100 to each of three SWOYERVILLE - Council ordere fire departments. LARKSVIL1E - The borough has ambulance. vl NO yOL- Vi‘ 2 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, pA. FEBRUARY 15, 1957 accepted full responsibility for the community THE USE OF SALT ;t of borough employeejs for a $500 a year increase was KINGSTON - Request hearing has been scheduled for council- A public ] made to borough L. section from residential to light industry. of re-zoning a the purpose has been established under Act 600. PLYMOUTH - A police pension fund the increased need for the nation's already"Ivercfo’X HghX'tTovfd. fOT the safe and exped.t.ous movement of increasing; numbers of vehicles under all weather conditions, has acutely focused attention on the methods employed to maintain streets tree of ice. FORTY FORT - Council will investigate complaints about sand and gravel pit in the borough. LUZERNE - Efforts continue between this borough and Swoyerville to open Chapel Street. NANTICOKE - Meter collections for 11 months of 1956 total $12,484. WILKES-BARRE - Pay increases of $400 each were granted to policemen and firemen. CHRISTMAS TREES A sanitary landfill will bring Christmas trees to Havana, Illinois. A 20 acre-site will be turned to profit making. The completed fill area will be planted to Christmas tree seedlings. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY There is no idle gossip; all gossip is worked to death. the hot dog - h feed/^indSite^ ir n°WeSt PUBLIC iTIQN ginates in the PoH^Tcal ScU PUbllSb®d 1monthly as a er-’ Published community service, oriquiries maybe addressed toTr Department D"Partment of Wilkes College. Notes and in­ TT y/jLlC u8 g°° v. dent, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barr n Mailey, Mailey’ Political Science DepartOdrre, Pennsylvania. One of the most common methods used to keep traffic moving in cold weather when snow and ice cover the streets is to provide a gritty surface to let the vehicles obtain traction, and for this purpose cinders and sand are generally used. Neglecting for the time being any discussion of corrosive action, consider some of the following characteristics of these abrasives. Cinders are bulky and their use is restricted by economics to the immediate vicinity of their source. They lack uniformity in size and must be shoveled from trucks by hand rather than distributed by a mechanical spreader. They are lightweight and easily blown from the street by strong winds such as those that usually accompany a snowstorm. After the thaw, many of the cinders eventually are deposited in the catch basins from which they are laboriously and expensively removed. Finally, the use of abrasives in a continuing storm results in the build-up of a thick ice mat as each layer of sand or cinders is in turn covered by a new layer of ice. This mat tends to break up at manholes and catch basins and leave deep holes and ruts which are dangerous traffic hazards. Most Most of of the the objections objections to to the the use use of cinders apply also to the u Being£ a much more uniform and compact material, sand is y °t sand. £ advantage usually is nullified dlstributed --- y by mechanical spreaders butbut thisthis advantage usually is nu 1 le by the 7 tendency of sand to freeze. To prevent freezing the san mu mixed with chemicals (usually chloride salts): however, there Riding objections of ultimate deposits in the catch bas.ns and the bn.ldmg the up Of an ice mat. (first article of a series) �STAN DARD_ BRIDGE_PLANS CERTIFIED MAIL Borough secretaries should not indiscriminately use certified substitute for registered mail when registered mail is required a recent opinion of the Pennsylvania Department of aJustice. mail as a . that certified mail does not provide notice toTk 6 according to not delivered to the addressee and therefore does° opinion is based on the fact the sender if the mail is i._. the security necessary to conform to the statutes. not provide Act 97 of 1955 authorizes the use of certified mail in place of registered mail for notices demanding appearance at summary proceedings involving violations of the Motor Vehicle Code. Act 503 authorizes the use of certified mail for notices stating^ that municipal liens and claims have The State Department of Highways . n of bridges, for standard bridge planscan ha-now expedite the constructl t The time-consuming process of .ve been developed by the designing individual bridges eliminated. The first part of the plans „ contain elaborate details suitable for °nSlsts of thirte en drawings which fifty-five drawings of all types of stand56 bridf" ges. Part 2 consists of structures include spans from 20 to 80 frd Structures• Bridges in the standard reinforced concrete T-beams, steel I b reinforced c--— •” "slab, J concrete stressed concrete. All spans have at C°mp°site I-beam and ..J prethe use of an alternate in the event of mate ? °f the above ‘/Pes which permits been designed for roadway widths of ?8 4n t shortage-. The Th spans have 68, and 84 feet. been revived. In accordance with the ruling of the Justice Department, certified mail maybe substituted for registered mail for these two types of notices only. All other notices required by law to be sent by registered mail must rait - - e—.o immediately and placed in the hands of constructin 1 be available construction or replacement of damaged or destroyedTrTdgVs^17 lmmediate continue to be registered. LEGAL RIGHT TO USE A GUN John Gallagher, assistant District Attorney of Luzerne County, stated at the first lecture of the Crime. Detection Series that the use of force by police officers and the type is determined by the exercise of good common sense which is free of malice and emotional excitement. As a general rule the law states that shooting is never permissable to arrest a person, even if the accused will escape, when the offense is only a misdeameanor or when there is only a suspicion of a felony. In Pennsylvania a police officer may only use a gun in making an arrest for a misdeameanor if the resistance offered by the accused endangers the t-rlife or i-----y--------at._ ... ma cause serious bodily injury to the officer. In other words, the police officer can only use- a gun in self defense. When felonies are involved, the rule is different. The police officer may use a gun if necessary to make an arrest or to prevent a felon from escaping. Care should be exercised to make certain that a fact been committed, and that shooting is reasonably necessary felony has in to effect and arrest. Suspicion of a felony is not enough. A felony must L„ be committed, and it was absolutely necessary to kill to prevent an escape. SPEAKER The Luzerne County Local Officials will hold a dinner meeting on Tuesday, March 12th at 6:30 P.M. at the Wilkes College Dining Room. The speaker will be Mr. James B. Rinehart, Township Administrator. He will discuss Act No. 655. SURVEY Parking studies in 14 major American cities revealed that 36* of cars parked downtown are by those on business errands and 26% by workers. Shoppers comprise 22%, those on trips to medical offices, schools and restaurants make up 11% and the remaining 5% are persons on pleasure trips. PARKING authority (4^e«;apXp'd»gt°-B0"“Bh �•£“$e'we County what^s_ne2L? have filed reports t o . Supe r v i s o r s T OWNSHIP a n d open six streets. KINGSTON lay out the Court to t for 1956 e s ta meter fees and fines parking PITTST ON blished a n e w high. il transferred funds from several Coun c: SW0YERVILLE^rtments and payment of bills totaling tment $11, 7 56 , 3 6 . The Burgess was authorized to appoint :another KINGSTON - school crossing policeman at Rutter and Chester Streets. of residents are interested BACK MOUNTAIN -. A number broad planning program and are willing in a Lgional plannin g commission. to support are LARKSVILLE DUPONT Council agreed to abandon 1,110 feet of road the 7th War d . Council is contemplating the construction sewage lines in the borough. Coal land and building s WILKES - BARRE in assesed city valuation. HANOVER dropped of $968,610 The contract between the Township and the Glen Alden Coal Co. for care of the streets was filed with the Courts. WHITE HAVEN' - Council reappointed Carl Jenkins to a fi've-year term on the municipal water authority- ASHLEY - A tentative budget provides for all employees. for a wage increase PUBLICATION This news-ietter , published monthly as a community service, Department of Wilk-' Originate;s in the Political Science addressed to Dr w es College . Not es and inquiries may be aft' ment* Wilkes ColleU8° V‘ bailey Political Science. Dep 8e’ Wilkes-Ba rre, Pennsylvania. yOL- VL NO. 3 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, MARCH 15, 1957 THE USE OF SALT Another approach towards solving this nrnhkm • from the street by chemical means snow ™""E and ice (rock salt), calciumi chloride (pellets), or a mixture of the two. These chemical-Is melt ice by reason of heat which is generated when they go into solution. As a particle of hemical starts to dissolve its weight allows it to penetrate deeper into the c the ice layer until it reaches the pavement where it spreads underneath the ice breaking the bond between the ice and the pavement. Rock salt is considerably cheaper than calcium chloride (pellets) in most areas, which accounts for its more widespread use. Calcium chloride appears to remain effective in melting ice at lower temperatures than sodium chloride, therefore mixtures of rock salt and calcium chloride (pellets) are reported to be used during severe winter low temperatures when rock salt alone is ineffective. Snow removal and ice control operations vary according to the type of storm and temperatures prevailing during the storm. Salt spreading, plowing, and snow removal are used as circumstances require, to keep the snow from freezing. Much attention has been given to the real and imagined effect of salt used in snow and ice control on the outer decorative and under-body surfaces °f automobiles. The enamels and lacquers used on automobiles today are relatively unaffected by salt used on the streets to melt ice and snow. Only when the finish is broken in some manner, allowing the brine solution to reach t e underlying steel, will corrosion start. Once started, the corrosion will spread under the paint in an directions from lb. break, «nsi»g a„ »sigHtly .ppearanc.. ®'”ks In the paint film can come from gravel thrown up from the road, or io ’’"■Pie. on doors which strike other ears or objects when s»«. “P'-J”/” on doors which strike other cars »lso be caused h„ fits of oart. on the car such as hoods, trunks, e caused by faulty fits of parts on Mouldings. (continued on following page) �BILLS AFFECTING LOCAL GOVERNEMENT ""BEFORE GENERAL ASSEMBLY which retain water, snow or salt solution Pockets or crevasses also make the finish more susceptible to corrosion, for long periods of time wars of this for some time and have been taking steps Car builders have been aware in design, these pockets or water traps. For example to eliminate, by changes fenderi..an—integral part of the body, the trap formed by by making the rear fender an i been eliminated. The use of phosphate coating Las joint of rear fender to body ■acticed ha by practically all manuafacturers of motor prior to painting, as ■at now pra_. deal to minimize the spread of rust under paint films cars, has done a gre. when a break occurs. Evidence accumulated in the General Motors study over the past five L..t on automobiles in cities where years shows that more corrosion is evident . As an example, in a recent study 58% of salt is used than in other localities. cars examined in Detroit (where salt is used) showed corrosion along chrome model in Miami (where no salt is used) mouldings, while only 35% of the same . -r. . This in spite of the fact that Miami has showed corrosion at the same spots of rainfall and much higher relative humidity than more than double the amount c. Detroit. A recent 1953 investigation indicates a greater increase in failure of the surface finish at the gravel reflector on cars in Detroit when compared to those in Washington and Miami. The gravel deflector was the point examined since many cars have eliminated the fender welt previously used as the point TownshiPs ' 1 Officials names r<eported to Bureau of Municipal Affairs limited to sworn Bill number Hous" ---- 1----- - HB 161. ----se, passed finally. Senate, - . officials. • inal Authorities MunlC P reports required to be rendered to Department of Internal Affairs Fin*ally. DOWN Bill number - HB143. House, passed reading three times, anjUamended since introduction. " Senate, - . roceeds allocation formula population base revised to be the latest FUelffta?al cenSUS • Bill number HB 162. House, passed finally.. Senate, - . CONVENTIONS Pennsylvania Association of Township Commissioners Wernersville, Pa. , June 12-14. ’ Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, June 26-29, Philadel- phia. SURVEY to examine. Another portion of the automobile vulnerable to the action of salt is the decorative chromium-plated parts, such as bumpers and trim. There appears to be an increased deterioration in appearance of chromium in those States which use salt in road de-icing compared with States which do not. Considerable interest has been expressed on whether use of de-icing salt had any deterious effect on telephone and electric utilities. The effect on utility cars and trucks is the same as on private vehicles on public streets. The utility vehicles are protected by undercoating and usual maintenance procedures. Corrosion of some parts of steam lines is caused by salt seeping into manholes; however, w parts that are easily replaced are still made of steel because thus far it has not been economically justified to employ more resistant material. Other parts which are more expensive to replace are made of stainless steel. In some applications, such ; as valves in manholes, steel plate hoods are placed over the areas to deflect thi ie drip from the manhole opening. 11% of the traffic in business districts are transit vehicles; 12% are trucks; 34% are taxis; and 43% autos. Wiping passenger autos from the central district would not solve the problem. GOOD GARDENING PVs, plant Hue ot peas: prepared- process. — politeness, and prayer. Next to them plant three rows of squash: squash gossip, squash criticis: >m, squash indifference. faithful; let us be unselfish; let us Then five rows of lettuce. truthful with be loyal; let us love one another; and let »» b‘ op („ ctarch; turn up '»■«' No garden is complete without tur determination. a smile; turn up with a new idea; turn up with Good advice for local officials. (second article of a series) �WHAT'S NEW ? Council is presently discussing the construction cf sewage lines VOL- VI- NO. 4 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARREj pA ApRui5. DUPONT - for the entire borough. WILKES-BARRE - The total assessed valuation in the city for 1957 is $312,329 less than 1956. DALLAS - The borough secretary, Robert Brown, declined an increase i salary. a master plan --------- . Supervisors> are considering drawing up FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP of the tool of planning. for the area, making use t LUZERNE - Council has e p*8’ THE USE OF SALT Referring to underground elects cable, salt gets into the cable ducts and, if the voltage differential is Und 1/2 volt, it will pull salt from the ground to the cable where corrosion tb occurs. These cable cannot be flushed as the Telephone Companies do h ” sheath when the cable is "hot". ’ ecausej of possible damage to the ordered a teenage curfew for the borough. warned of the rutty railroad crossings. PLAINS - The police have EDWARDSVILLE - The Borough has granted an increase of $300 a , ear for all salaried and hourly workers. BOOKS Two excellent books on traffic problems are Turn Controls in Urban Traffic and A Volume Warrant for Urban Stop Signs. Both of these are published by the Eno Foundation for Highway Traffic Control of Connecticut. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY More people are voluble instead of valuable . Money may talk, but it never gives itself away. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Political Science 1Department of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. . Hugo V. Mailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, ' Pennsylvania. In general, however, the problems of tK "f street railways coupled with a greate^useo? Xn^rlsiv^ and a good duct flushing maintenance program have materially reduced the effect of street de-icing salts in causing corrosion troubles to Telephone Companies. The wider use of impervious asphaltum compounds in street re surfacing is suggested as a step in the right direction to keep salt from entenng the ground and lowering soil resistivity. An investigation of 116 lane miles of pavement built of air-en­ trained concrete showed no scaling or disintegration after 12-14 years of service. Adjacent concrete slabs built of the same material but without air­ entrainment scaled up to 100% of their surface. It would appear that the con­ crete would reduce the adverse effects which take place after the application of de-icing salts. Apparently the use of salt for de-icing is not considered as being detrimental to asphalt surfacing. of various cheC ’ aS 136611 written and published pro and con on the value the corrosiv which, when mixed with salt, are purported to reduce ProduCe and = sa^’ In the past few years, those companies who r°sive action36 cornPounds under various trade names to inhibit the corhave inden sa^> have been vitally interested in learning their value and □pinion of thep117 studied their use with salt in various cities. It was the ^°ubtful val 6 “ e~^c^n8 Committee that the use of inhibitors in the salt is of 18 s°me e -j6 *n Pr°^ecting the exterior appearance of automobiles, but there to corf1 6nce ^hat certain inhibitors may reduce the weight loss <of -- metals (continued on following page) �; etotothe strength ofand The importance of good o "highways - s a’r be economic spent in improving The mileage factor f0 This is a $2 reduction from last^^^^g the mOn forty-eight states into one our nation is well established,. Vast sum extending the network of roads> that intXure serves to dramatize the depend, cheduled expe leS in commerce, industry, sovereign nation. This sc— on motor v<= ence that our way of life places cipalities in the state. The populati due the incj. y 18 $298 Per . the 1950 census. One-quarter or 25/ ^Ctor « $1 14^®^ mil®age in^ e> by the local officials for new construct * Y^r's ^cZ^^ based 0^' following year's total allocation is redu°n; * 25% is * *Ust be Used Non-use means not. only that the allOc^Ced by the amount USed' penalized by a decrease the following UpSes' but theX^ t0 25%- and agriculture. d antages of a dry pavement over a Many of the economic a2)viously, it is of prime importance intangibleeasy access and movement to slippery pavement are that the people of a city have roads thataP^bulanCes, but how much money is saved policemen, firemen, doctors an r r such emergency services cannot be esalways open tor s al by having the t... streets ... The Township Administr< of the State Highway Department regards a two inch roll with bitaminous as inches is considered maintenance. If new construction. Less than two it is new construction; otherwise, it i/ Hnd chips raises the type of road, maintenance. Ordinarily, a four-inch stone base will qualify as new construction. Less than that is not. While no state money may be used for curbing, it is possible that drainage pipes might be new construction. timated. h, lareest single losses is that caused by employees One off the large * ^TSQn 30 minutes late> bein,lg late for work. Based on 590,000 per icy day or r-----the total loss of work would arno tM s approximately $55 million per year (averug -a shoppers find it stores, the sale of merchandise drops Under definitions set forth by the Townshin Ad ■ ■ $760'000 p"day ”$2t million per year. used prior to state aid. If a community has an increased mileage, a new map^and Form 990 must be filed with the State Highway Department by Decem- Trucking companies are directly affected by icy weather, being slowed down to half their regular operating speed. This results in their Iosin ‘g about $200,000 per day or $7 million per year. The great savings in having a dry pavement a short time after the snow has fallen pays off in lives saved, less damage to property, better flow of traffic, and an overall economic saving to all citizens . While many local officials Auditors in the Highway Department may not be aware of it, a Board of the municipality. The State may seekaudits the expenditure of the funds by a return of the money if it has been illegally spent. Public safety through the safe movement of traffic should be the paramount compelling force in any choice of de-icing method or material. (final article of a series) allocations Act 655 provides an inc Municipalities °f $30 annually, pre ease *n *-he motor funds allocations to Million a year. The r“strictiVe fart 10US a^ocations were limited to $18 ^allocations]bas been removed °tt COrnPelling municipalities to match Uted °n the basis13 of mileage and 40<y nder t^le Act, 60% of the fund is distri ° °n th® basis of population. DOCUMENTS t The documents that the Bureau of Municipal Affairs hopes to desr°y are as follows: !• Annual reports of Pennsylvania local tax collectors for all years except the past three. In other words, in 1957 this would include all reports up to and including 1953. • Annual municipal budget reports for all except the present year and the past two. The reports which will be kept for 1957 will cover the years 1955, 1956, and 1957. (continued on following page) �Aci^uie & WHAT'S NEW? vO^- ’ --1 sued by a lumber company for darnaE The boro has-->been employees shaft used for when waste exploding water anddynamite sewage. to unM °Ck DUPONT caused by boro an old mine tL- WILKES COLLEGE, W1LKES.Barre MAY 15, 1957 W 2, Council ordered 100 shade trees to be planted in the boro. DR. WILLIAM FORT Council operate the boro on a 17 lightin^ mill .nd -1/2 mills will of the total being for street 6 f°r ^57, swoyerville S* forty C■ SEYLER Excerpts from remarks r ’ by - Dr. Seyler, Deputy Secretary made of the Department of Internal Affairs at th ' County Local Government Officials held 6 Fifth Annual Dinner of Luzerne on May 9 , 1957 2 ai.d - - The city will replace NANTICOKE nickel program. VI No. 5 its penny parking program with a l-'-mile of the City's five miles of str rted traffic Hnes WILKES-BARRE - A half ­ from paint to plastic as soon as the leather will be conveipermits. "the kinds of decisions local officials reach on j police and fire r,e collection, condition of streets and other faCiUtif us Sr ba more than we realize." matters affect most of us tar "Solution to the problem of financing local government lies in making the necessary constitutional and statutory revisions so that local governments can do some of the things themselves which they now leave to authorities . " thoughts for today Egotism is the art of seeing things in yourself that others "Only by doing this can we guarantee that happy combination of responsible government with efficient government, the goal to which we are all dedicated. " cannot see. The trouble with telling a good story is that it reminds the other fellow of a dull one. GRADUATES DOCUMENTS (continued) Congratulations to the class memhers o< eUss for completing the prescribed 6-session cou aUon It is the hope of struction can only be measured in terms o reflected in the the instructional staff that the information ea work. Congratulations 3. Annual municipal financial reports for certain years up to ten years' For example, the reports for the years 947 to 1956 will be kept during this year. In addition, re- iqI7PaSt new attitudes that the secretaries take towar to Thomas S. Richards of Forty Fort; y Harvey O. Nielsen of Laurel Run; Harold m °f Hanover; Mary L. Slesinski of Laflin; 11 d George Sobeck of Luzerne; and, John Mulhall an ston. P or every fifth year will be kept indefinitely. We will, 1940 andVgs'66^ ^nanc^^ reports for the years 1945, menfc • won T*16 Department did not receive these docu­ ments m 1930 and prior. the earliest report which k evelW Year> as new reports are received, eing kept will be discarded. ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PUBLICATION • This News-]ptf gmates m the Political Scien’ Pld>lislled monthly as a community s ervice> 9 >nes maybe addressed to n Department of Wilkes College. Notes H • Hugo V. C°Me. Wilke, - __________ =- Mailey, Political Science Pennsylvania. Reese of Kingston: of Moscow; Andrew Garber T Paculavich and Roy Speece of West Pitt- °ri' ■nt, 27- Council organizational meeting deferred if first Monday is a holiday. (3rd class cities) �MUNICIPAL Report assembly j- ances may be filed in court with either and highway °rdrinoads affected. (2nd class townships) Act 29 - Road survey of r°ao a draft or a d judgments authorized to be revived, reduced, or (tax collection) Procedural lapses Act 18 - Each year for the past five, the institute at PtS ration into one large unit the only solution for increasing Is consolid viceS? jf consolidation was opposed in the past, costs of governmental XT understand it, or because the solution was not was it because people 1 merely a piecemeal expansion largely bepaUtable? Isnot economic development? Does annexation really a p°ii,e word £or extrem'! eentralization? Is not finance really the bottleneck to cooperative action by groups of communities? Cannot, therefore, per capita costs be reduced by joint purchasing? Do not authorities created by towns effect economies? If the main objective is to reduce per capita costs, can not this be done by functional cooperation and not geographical annexation? Aren't the differences in tax rate and assessment real obstacles? Why do merger groups always aim to annex the "better" towns rather than the "liability" towns? Is it not a whole area that attracts industry rather than just one municipal unit? Does not cooperation of any kind overcome the psychological barriers? If consolidation is a long range solution, which is highly de­ batable, why not look for short range remedies? Would not technical help be of greater value for the short range? What assurance is there that a consolidated area will ....1 1require less police when local police forces are undermanned? Wherein is c;. .3 consolidation a savings when towns now are permitted to turn their functioi .on over to the state for free? Wouldn't taking it back mean t’ expenditure of money which people in the merging units do not now pay?,..If . te highway aid is on a population and mileage basis, w°uld consolidation mean more state money? Does consolidation necessarily ™ean ^Proved services or *s ^at a preconceived conclusion or assumpt1 antagonism? If the central city already fur' Protection on a c — contractual basis to a neighboring town, how' “11»nsolid.ti„nredu„tli( -he cost to the neighboring town? X”'xx* f ^Sc-ralReX This contest is again in full swing, C’"X: Is July 1st- Winning entries of othe6r X"" ‘T is July 1st- Winning entries of other ent t etter. No No community in Luzerne Luzerne County has 7 b Seen by calling community in THSs c'“'aa good begininng. “"'y haS submitted an e„Jy. a good begininng. ■3" annually submitted to , ,.Sworn and appointed officers A" 12 ’ BM«» •' A£,“rS "" “ to ' include constables. (officers) SOMESEARCHING^I^TIONS CONTEST POLICE OFFICER The State Superior Court has ruled that a police officer can of traffic at any time < " change the flow now w L11Ile in ln an effort to relieve heavy gerous travel conditions. In a case before the Court, a motorist appealed action of a policeman who had prohibited him from making right turns which ordinarily would have been allowed. The Court stated "although ’ traffic may ordinarily be controlled by signs or signals, the motor vehicle code recognizes that unusual conditions may require the intervention of a trained officer; and, it is therefore provided that at the direction of a peace officer, a motorist may lawfully disregard the direction of a traffic signal." REDEVELOPMENT The State Commerce Department has allocated $200,000 to the Oil City Redevelopment Authority and $208,000 to the Scranton Authority. In Oil City the money will be used in one of six areas for the clearance of blight in the heart of the city. The Scranton money will be used to restore as a public park the East Scranton area damaged by the 1955 hurricane. In both cases the State funds will match funds to be provided by local and federal agencies. FIREMEN'S FUNDS P) Local firemen's relief fund associations were under , rUHng that their accounts and reCOrfdvSfXsheareUofthe 2% tax On General. Most of the associations qualify q,irance firms. ThfreiniUrns collected in Pennsylvania by out-of-state fire in ruling made on April 12 overrules a 1941 department decisio . �Ur supermarket VOL- rs of property adjacent to a proposed shopping VI. NO. 6 WILKES COLLEGE, Wilkes-barre, Pa center JUNE 15, ■g Center that a of increased traffic, of flood lights, of heavy trucks etc and claimed that their intrusions on a residential area would constitute a nuisance . Chief Justice Horace Stern closed his decision favorable to the shopping center in the following language: "The large grocery and provision markets or super-markets have become an important feature of suburban life, indeed an almost in­ tegral part of every suburban community ever since the exodus to the sub­ urbs that took place following the advent of the automobile; they have re­ placed for good or evil, the former pattern of small stores dispersed through out the neighborhood. To hold that such supermarkets in a residential neighborhood are nuisances per se, no matter how carefully and properly they may be operated, would be to deny the residents of such communities the advantages and convenience of shopping that housewives obviously find in them. " WEST WYOMING A report of the commissioners appointed by the Court of Quarter sessions of Luzerne County to determine whether or not West Wy­ oming should be divided into wards recommended that "the interest of the inhabitants of West Wyoming will be best served" by not dividing the borough into wards. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY If your wife wants t ' to learn to drive, don't stand in her way. Smart people get what th. .aey earn and wise ones earn what they get- PUBLICATION This News-letter, gmates in th, -he Political Sciei'nee ne m°nthly a« a <community service, °r’ Quiries may i~- be address Sed to Dr. °f Wilkes College. Notes and inWilkes C Coll, -liege, WilkesJ-Barre, Penns yly'a^^67’ Political Science Departienti 1957 MORE Other than a federated , commission acting in an advisory y’ d(Wta r»Di„ , consolidation? Aren't the Mountaintop the rieht „o»? isn't it being suggested in the ^2^“^ X”' How does consolidation solve a central city' Or decreased assessments? Or fleein s traffic problem? g comercial establishments? Isn't pooled services by a number of communities a practical method of stretching the tax dollar ? Wouldn't communities in Wyoming Valley do well to consider the course of the Sherrango Valley T’ " Regional Planning Commission representing two cities, three boroughs, and _J two townships? Do not common problems require merely area planning which re­ quires merely cooperation? Doesn't the joint authority transcend political boundaries? How does consolidation free a larger city to embark on capital improvements when the merging units may have already reached their debt limitations? Since the population of cities has increased about 14% while fringe areas about 35%, where will the bulk of expenditures go under consoli­ dation? Isn't metropolitan planning the ready made device to overcome Provincial! sm? What's happened to efforts to bring Central Valley communi­ together on 1’ that basis? And what about a joint sewage treatment project? 2 by joint --i r- Side communities partially solve the fire protection action? Wasn't the vocational school problem solved by JOlnt action without --i effecting the identity of any community? SERVICE AWARDS Congratulations to the following local officials who have given faithfi’ul ervice * ~ ’ Elin er Luchetti, tQw*; Ha Urry S, 'cureman, Kingston; Andrew Natt, Laflin; Evan o toEXr;zc^ �serviceawards (continued) to Stanley Janowski and Frank Marcinkowski, rf Nicholas Keller, Nuangola; Thomas Run; C.«rg« K"’“prt'"e' ’ piston’ John Wasmanski, Plains; Walter Garril\;r;ntv ’ Sugar Notch; Louis Alsandra, Yatesville; Kehoe and Leo Grace Mc ‘h^’fjeWellyn, West Pittston; George Dennis, son, Shickshinny; RUn: d William Jones, Wilkes-Barre; John Hana- ’ Lloyd, ““ n*'"™West Wyoming, Eth Township;11 steve han, Wilkes-Barre ACTS OF Act 45 - Controllers or trea• THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY surers’ office when vacant to be filled only terrn; vacancy unfilled by city council ■=-» Acts ,, and 83 - Contracts and purchases allowed without advertise6’ ments for low bid if for no more than $1000. (boroughs, 1st and enforce its ordinance against unlawful parking OPEN PUMPS The Public Health Council in the Health D has added a new section to the sanitary code oTthT NeW Jersey , dumps as hazards to health. The only method of disposin' open and garbage is by sanitary landfill or incineration bish, .ns USe> rub' Such a law may not be long in ctoming in Pennsylvania, f0r such a regulation is necessary to make „ -xx J a community attractive. Now is the time for Valley communities to explore a joint landfill or incineration project. The Public Services Committee of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce explored such an undertaking several years ago, but there was no one who had the vision to foresee problems a decade from now. This is another area that the County might explore. Witness Delaware County or Bucks Codnty. See News-letter, February 15, 1954 and Octo­ ber 15, 19 54. 2nd class townships) Act 71 - Auxiliary police provided worKmen s compensation coverage, with minimum payments prescribed for those self or unemployed. WECHSLER v. PHILA. 1955 A municipal corporation is not liable to an action for damages for the non exercise of discretionary powers of a public character. A muni­ cipality is not liable for failure to enforce an ordinance pursuant to per­ missive authority. In this case, a city ordinance, which provided that no operator should park or stop any vehicle upon any sidewalk, was held to be passed under a discretionary and not a mandatory power. There is no legal duty on the part of a municipality to light its thoroughfares or streets, and it cannot be held responsible for a mere insufficiency of light. trnrv The Plantiff contended that the city was inegligent in permitting — r obstructinn th”13-/1 °n a driveway leading to a gas service station, partly driveway as 6Wa|k’ and causing a shadow to fall upon the edge of the see the different l^ "i ° Wbicb tbere was not sufficient light for plaintiff t0 evel into which she stepped. Woodside that the City wyashnotUlUbi°rf C°Urt °pini°n written COMBINED FIRE AND POLICE Three cities in different part of the country will be added to the 32 which combined the police and fire departments. Dearborn in Michigan, Fox Point in Wisconsin, and Freewater in Oregon will have one service unit. Police will carry small firefighting equipment in their station wagons. The strongest argument in favor of such a combination is that it makes for a higher degree of administrative efficiency. CHANGING SHAPE OF METROPOLITAN AMERICA Rates of population growth in metropolitan areas have declined between ]' 1900 and 1950 due to the stability of central cities, but that■ sa growth occurred areas hav,e been growing rapidly since 1920. High rates of o grow as far as 1.thirty-five ____ z_xxvc XX1XXCD miles xxuxxx from the center of the central city in five to ten mi/ decade. The peak rates of satellite growthi are still in a for the previous two der=/adlUS from city centers, where they have been ccades. (continued on following page) �VOL- VI. NO. 7 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE> pA JULY 15, 195? CHANGING SHAPE OF METROPOLITAN AMERlc total area populations have grown most as well as have also grown slowly. Howeve Satellite central cities 1 cities, the higher has been the slowly in areas where -th rates of central in their satellite areas. Higher the lower the growl 'th taking place proportion of growl ind in widely spaced metropolitan areas, due p were four.'’ that produced highest growth rates in the growth rates ! factors time, satellite growth has been the haps to the same .... At the same areas (those whose central cities Western regions, •nd ched metropolitanin the Northern region, perhaps for^6 greatest in bund, apart.) and : less than fifty miles similar reasons. Analysis shows that rnetffopolitan areas near rivers have grown the least, and areas away from water locations, the most. How­ ever, the greatest satellite satellite growth growth was found in areas whose central cities bounded on lakes and oceans. The most rapidly growing kinds of satellite areas were found to be those located near highways, re­ .-liuEu Library SOME MORE QUESTIONS JUl 5 1957 If the central city has shown no inndevelopment, won't consolidation mean that a *tl°n ‘toward planning or rebasic problem to jack up the population of a c > wil1 suffer? — •’ Is the are moving from the city or is the problem Clty becaus e the people area with a view to making the area a more ° P ,for the <development ’ of an How does consolidation meet future needs? q raCtlVe place- -o work and live? with fundamental economic and social factors^ planning concern itself" ‘ Pereas consolidation does not? ociological city? social centers, larged by consolidation, becomes ataost a. large a" X”’lyif, the city, en- etc. be reioc/ud placing those located near intra-area railways. These findings c ould perhaps be correlated with the age of the central city. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Honeymoon: the vacation a man takes before going to work for a new boss, An American is a person who isn't afraid to bawl out the Presi­ dent, but is always polite to a policeman. publication This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Political Science Department of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes College, Wilkes - Barre, Pennsylvania. Will consolidation improve street layout? Does consolidation de­ termine the design and location of buildings if the central city is not now zoned? If towns merge, what happens to zoning in those towns which have it? Will educational services be improved? Or will insurance rates be reduced? If the two most important factors encouraging a fringe area to want to become annexed are sewage and water supply, and the city provides neither, what are the basic factors making for consolidation? • -11 p Nashville,consolidat Cincinnati, Why not follow the pattern of Louisvi ion has Cleveland, Denver, Easton, and others? ^hy been as the result of been consummated on any large scale, i a Isn't it significant t Hat of the state legislature (Atlanta - 82 sq. gUte laWS did not retbe four largest annexations in 1952 took p ace? Toronto p a Quire direct approval of the annexed dwe ’ r annexed n t it strange that most surveys indicate that newly .head areas ^ay not Pay for themselves in the years immediately al — assuming the servic es are furnished now? ^ENT; it CONCLUSION BY MANY STUDE^ seems unlikely that consolidation Hiet: r°Politan •n areas in the forseeable future. approach used in m y �TnGgZHER FOR SEWAGE DISpOSAL _bs_woRK cityandsubuR; the big ogre to its fringe municipalcity is not always The centerthe helpful brother. This is exactly what has happen^' ties; it is, at area. in the Philadelphia , municipalities in metropolitan areas to work together ed u>r for The need problems has resulted m many forms of •n the solution of sewage disj’ ’ Contractual services has often Xerative effort. Joint received the publicity that the authority been used, though xt • hbors can work together. All that is necessary has. A core city and its b the common good operating in an atmos is officials with a genuine desir outside the political field to"'a 5ider„£ ..uspiciou. ■;uspici°nfree < negotiati coninducted in an ;Ons atmosphere There is no one pattern for the aoiution of reeimal o£ the transportation problem of a reBio7 7gl°nal Pr°blems The complexltryc of a region, for :umb to the simple device of contractual examPle, could contractual hardly 5 t the „ , fact that suburban fringe municipalities freely neg°tif rmge ' ated. But the easily and quietly with a metropolis, the cor/ ? °Und H P°^ible the core to work ‘ well for the ultimate solution of’ even the toughesTp^^;681011' bodes v----- thoughts for today phere free of suspicion. w Township wanted sewers to serve its closely de­ Lower en of century. But it could not construct veloped areas as early as tne a sewage treatment works. Negotiations for a cooperative solution were successfully con­ cluded In 1902, an ordinance was passed to provide for the connection of certain sewers to be constructed by Lower Merion with certain sewers of No matter how happily- a woman may be married t her to discover that there is a nice man who wishes she werVnoV^ P1^568 Spring is wonderful. Recently a farmer and a golfer were seen doing their plowing together. GIFT Philadelphia. Evidence that the arrangements thus made were satisfactory to both parties is found in the execution of similar agreements for additional connections in 1904, 1924, and 1927. In 1922, Cheltenham Township entered into an agreement with Philadelphia by which the latter accepted sewage from this Township. There followed, then, a number of agreements with other munici­ palities and extensions of agreements in effect. Drainage areas have no re­ gard for municipal lines and brought into the picture municipalities that have no direct physical contact with Philadelphia. Just as the City had to plan for sideTtT areaS ?!y°nd itS boundaries- so the bordering townships had to con“P ThL situation is re- Pities whitrXXcT"^1116"6^ neighbors actually deal « or under negotiation cover munici­ Agreements between Philadelphia and eight of its John Jarzenbowicz, ]President of the Luzerne County Boroughs Association, and Peter Keblish,, President of the First Class Township Association in Luzerne County, each presented to the Institute of Municipal Government of Wilkes College a check so that the Institute may continue its work of offering instruction and information to local officials. The College, through the Institute, offers local government officials quite a varied program, and all because the College feels that it is a part of the community. Although the College does not intend to ask for the support of this program, g-fts are more than welcome. Both Pitt and Penn have Institutes that have .een heavily endowed with grants so that they may carry on their work with al government officials. w. If you local officials know of financial angels looking for a worthColl f>r°2rarn to underwrite, you might advise them of the work of Wi of ln the local government field. There is no better investment an Ta wfln§ t0 raise the standards of performance of local officials, wno, the I' are most receptive to aid and instruction. sewage of 18 suburban municipalities. It is not to be r dlsagreement . E>°te^ aR neg°tiations are contrived without as to terms. best ba: party has the responsibility to strike the rgain he can for his nicipality. But argument has always been P°in LANDFILL “Periate a ’hat does it cost a medium .U. ei«7 - >«.Mass. Samtary landfill? A Citizens Committee in New (continued on following page) �■ landfill WILKES COLLE^^rr; " (continued) yOL- VI. ----“-- —-J A’ AUGUST 15, i957 did com. id dispose of its garbage-j and refuse at the rate Of to change to the landfill method was The City ton. Initial purchase of 3 pieces of basic equipment. Tbeg 45 l/2@ Per mpro^mately $50,000 for t a 15_cubic yard capacity scraper and a hydrau. tractor, a »1. 126-horsepower tr j reqUired to work at the site would be were a mounted shovel. Per . lie tractor for the equipment ■nt and a sup 2 operators ■■'X? Ci,y URBAN PLANNING totaling The State Commerce Department has sought approval for contracts to -baa f°"r ■ FALL MEETING AUG 2G1957 The September meeting will be held on Tuesday, the 24th, at h Wilkes College Dining Hall. The dinner jmeeting of local officials’ win t Called at 6:30 p.m. The discussion for the -3 meeting will center around ^MUNICIPAL ,LIABILITY and , .. INSURANCE."" The speakers will be Howa rd Kennedy former aoltc.tor of Wilkes-Barre, and lb. (ollowin representatives from the Greater W.lkes-Barre Association of l„sj„„ Agents: J. F. Sallada, J. Williams, and S. Graham. meeting will be the boro of Ashley. The host for thi- The contracts: Titusville $15,000; State College $10,000; Cumru Township in Berks County and Marple Township in Montgomery County, each $3,000. The Commerce Department, in a Federal-state program, admini­ sters planning services for the urban programs. It supervises the spending of funds appropriated by the federal government. WOW! ! ! ASwiss student, after touring America, had certain criticisms to make. He said we have bad food, slow mail, dirty cities, and inefficient garbage collection. One writer, commenting on the visitor's reactions said it makes it even more clever of us to have become a great nation in spite of all these shortcomings. ^PUBLICATION originates in the Political s'’ PU^Rsbed monthly as a community service, mquiries maybe addressed?6^6 Department of Wilkes College. Notes and ment’ Wilkes College, Wilke° r"’ Hug° V" MaileY> Political Science Depar S-Barre, Pennsylvania. PLANNING The University of Pennsylvania will receive a $410,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to improve education of city planners throughout tt}e country through the development of teaching methods and materials, a research professorship, and the exchange of ideas with practitioners in urban problems. Under the Department of City Planning, there will be instituted a five-year program for the preparation of such materials. Dean Jose L. Sert of the Harvard School of Design has announced that Martin Meyers on has been appointed the first Frank Backus Williams Professor of City Planning and Urban Research, and Director of Harvar s "ew Center for Urban Studies . Meyerson was formerly at the Umversi y o Pennsylvania. Funny! Strange! If Wilkes can't have a grant, nora chair, about a s_. stool. And maybe some few interested people w o vision. learning J is free. Is that too much? All that it require' tq TINKER. Jv O tto think about it has passed us by. IT IS NO r;vjai, IT IS TIME more glUe 'J' J —> and adhesive tape. The Public Square is °R SURGERY. OF ’■— WHERE IS THE MASTER DOMING VALLEY - OR IS 1IT the redevelopment PLAN FOR LUZERNE COUNTY... UPPER E- �pedestrian fatalities PLANNING IN LEBANON NO ill join with the American Automobile The general pubhc Township, Luzerne, West pittf. ston, . Hon in saluting Nantic Swoyerville for going through 1956 with, -lout Xrfs*. Pri”Sle' UE” Newport, end West Pittston are n,»comer8 “^.ttisn ^X-e“«ords ranging iron, two to s.x years. the list* 0 ., 1 . rr , rnnntv towns that were cited are not off the beaten The Luzerne C pass through Luzerne daily. Nanticoke path. Thousands of carsis a city and a large cen other communities have r clean for the twelve months pulation> adding to its accomplishment. The problems, but they managed to keep the slate KINGSTON Th traffic recommendations presented at the Kingston Council meetin. by the "teens' traffic committee and the police committee were Zted io' a W-dV period by a r.solut.on of the Counc.l. Parking will be eliminated on both sides of Pierce Street, from Tioga to the North Street bridge, during the period. All left turns at intersections of Rutter Avenue and East Dorrance Street will be prohibited for the 90 days. Parking also will be eliminated on the south side of West Union Street between the DL&W tracks and Wyoming Avenue on a trial basis. COUNTY At the end of 1956 the Regional Planning r n, obtained approval for a grant of $31,000 from t^ nT ?ion of Lebanon Count y ^istration for general planning work in the Lebanon! RcncWal Admjsupervision of the project will be provided bv thMetropolitan Area. Technical .unity Development of the Pennsylvania Department -le' Bureau of Cornna’ Commerce. used for preparation ol City cportion of the county. nern The project includes; analysis of trends in population growth, the economic base, financial resources and capacities of the local communities involved, the extent and location of neighborhood blight, the housing market and resources, building trends and construction methods suited to the needs of the municipalities; the study of physical characteristics and existing land uses and preparation of a land-use plan; the preparation of standard building and housing codes, zoning and subdivision regulations and plans for their coordination and enforcement; and the preparation of a major thoroughfare plan, a community facilities plan for location of public schools, parks, playgrounds, and other public facilities; and a public improvement program and financing plan. The project also calls for preparation of reports for the dissemination of information to the public. ACT 358 SOCIAL SECURITY ENDS Approved July 10, 1957 July 1, 1957, was the last day for Pennsylvania counties and other This act amends the police pension act of 1956 (P.L. 1804) applying to boroughs and townships>, as follows : Section 1 -The act now applied to boroughs and townships with three or more policemen rather than eight or more, as formerly. Pension funds must provide for disability and death benefits P ovisions of such to be determined locally, however. ) Section 3 ■The minimum period of service for retirement that may be provided in an ordinance is reduced from 25 to 20 years. Section 5 actuarT is made permissive rather m^ber th maximum of 8 per cent is placed on ’ he minimum remaining at 5 per cent. than mand^XT °a contributions local government units to commence social security coverage p g combination with the local retirement systems, if federa coverag t0 include back years. f The federal social security law requires that c °r retroactive coverage must be executed by the state ag cne,P°litiCal subdivision, not later than December , tT^8 Can be signed, certain formalities must be met state laws. red onPbehalf of , before federal and 31 inclusive. from July 1 to DecemXte The t There are only 184 days ; only four days to negotiate the necessary • in which these agr- ° ^0-day notice periods leave dements ^division's initial This is the absolute minimum pe gu -_ • can be accomplished. Consequen ""“"ocement of its plan cannot be later than �yOL- VI. wilkes-barre> pA SEpTSMBER1Si BORO bulletin trrient Snow plows and cm department of any political subdivision „ of the of Highways or for the highway Commonwealth must be equipped with at leastt one flashing emergency l—a:imp ‘rent State inspection before it will pass the curl x-— requirement. The Pennsylvania State Ass • Borough Bulletin as the official publication of the T B°rou8hs bas acquired «, issue, Vol. XV., no. 7, is really the first’^ ^oeUtlo,. „ £* Clean A. Marburger as Editor. Boro officials ought "a'^ITwith The lamp, which must be red, is to be used only during an emergency, and must be of the type approved by the Bureau of Highway Safet formative material in it. In Luzerne Countv 13 h 1 themselves of the i Association - Ashley, Avoca, Dupont, Durye’a members °f the State ' ston, Larksville, Warrior Run, West’H^zlXn WeTput1?’ F°rty King- The law requiring the lamps was enacted in 1956. The law also provided that any vehicle in the Commonwealth used for repair or eme purposes may be equipped with no more than one warning lamp of the s ° and White Haven. On the Executive Committee of Stat °n’ West Wyoming, bowich, councilman from Sugar Notch is the renreo ! Association, John JarzenAssociation. At present there are 33 counties nr fr°m Luzerne County type as inclement that required for snow plows trucks during weather. This type and lamp is to distributing be used onlynon-skid in connectiV^15 repair or emergency work while the vehicle is standing still. 1011 Wtb of boros. Other officers of the Luzerne County brancha C0Unty associations Fort, vice-president; John Mizin, West Wvomina Bare’ FortT West Pittston, secretary; Harvey Neilsen, Laurel Run^T^urer Private owners of vehicles which are used by state or local highway departments as snowplows or cinder trucks were especially reminded of the new mandatory lamp which must be of a type that will cover a 360 degree area and will flash a red warning no less than 60 times a minute nor more than 120 times a minute. THOUGHTS for today It's unbelievable how many ugly rumors get started in beauty s day. When a person always puts off until tomorrow, nothing is don PUBLICATION This News-letter, originates in the Institute of MiPublished Vicinal „■ onthly as a community service, inquiries College. Notes -s may be addressed to Dr. overnment of 7Wilkes ’ 7 D epart! * -tment, Wilk, College, ‘Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. ' "Tikes US° V. Mailey, Political Science P BOROUGHS TO SHARE RADIO Kingston and Forty Fort Police Departments will use the same wave length for broadcasting police calls with the installation ” "n At the present time Forty Fort has not received its ra 10, tcen°^ transmitter broadcasts the calls for both boroughs. Later on wen y communities. goes on the air, both signal will be heard m crmsers of thtwo^ This will insure rapid communication between the two dep co-operated for many years when any help is neede - : channels are because Fortapproved would have becoming scarceThe for arrangement broadcasting o an to wait some time to get a separate wave length. 1Emergency calls in Forty Fort now are placed by telephone to Kingston. Possibility another borough may be placed on the same wave Edw ardsville may have a radio installed. ’ �PLANNING c for existing industry all out to attract new industries into their Many cities g° existing industry gets little attention in future planni result in plants moving away. ng. Yet in some cities area t costly - f°r “ may This can be cost y have growth problems like the entire econo Large businesses . 7 manufacturingr and more sales, plants take on more ernmy. With exPandingmanXd loading facilities and parking, and often want to - ' need °t s^. cramped for room, room, they 1 ployees, have need ffor a crampe d for make plans to shift to increase their presen sp P ___ ’ __ in Detroit Detroit found the City already had lost 97 another location. A recent surv y some 9,000 workers. plants employing s----- ,bat this exodus the Detroit Planning Commission has To coml in the city to be occupied wholly by industry. All resileXXts'winireXm’at'ed, and streets will be redesigned to take up only hllf as much space as formerly. Rebuilding in the area with modern one-story plant facilities will be encouraged. Provision will also be made for lots of automobile parking - for workers - and zoning will call for minimum land coverage. Included in Detroit's plans for holding existing industry are certain areas to be developed primarily for small plants. The planning engineers found that many of the smaller manu­ facturers were swallowed up in the larger industrial districts. They also had trouble with deliveries and their personnel had no place to park. One problem in Detroit, as in other older cities, is the fact that wide areas in the city used for plants have become industrial slums. It is anti­ cipated that current redevelopment plans may help find a cure for this business blight. TRAFFIC LIGHT governing units such "eta^.y °f H1ghways. Permits are issued only to local not pay for the lights or in st Vl b°r°Ug^s’ and townships. The department does installati Application ffor traffic lights are forwarded to local governing officials when th, ieT ask for thenT^Tn are forwarded to locai gOVC7saW Partment Traffic Division receives The Department Traffic Division receives Trart- i ” °nS each year 1116 De Traffic Division must conduct , sur’™1’61’ ab°Ut one-quarter are reject®.-^ Specifi*d for a traffic • conduct a vey to determine whether the interse S1gnal meets the —e requirements. buO H-Pplionfi m recent years, the Department h for actuated type traffic signals instead off; ± ' PPeduPisSUanCe of per^■ tS ■’ Hghts avoid much vehicular and pedestrial tlme signals. These actuat'kWds of traffic movement problems. RequlremS t", adaptable to jnany follows : actuated signals jn urban areas (population, afe as more than 5,000) ; -section of an important street, vehicle volume ai At an inter ^>ng that important average at least 750 vehicle. a„ ho„ f„ s'treet must < ——* s of an average day. ,mbined vehicle and pedestrian volume from the side str? t 2, The col— or streets must average at least 7 5 units an hour for the same eight hours one vehicle speed exceeds 20 miles an hour on the principal 3. The average ,roaches to the intersection. F lpai street app In rural areas : 1, At an intersection of an i principal highway must average at least 500 vehicles of an average day. 2, The combined vehicle-pedestrian volume from the side highway or highways must average at least 50 units an hour for the same eight hours. 3, The average one vehicle speed exceeds 20 miles an hour on the principal high­ way approaches to the intersection. For standard fixed-time signals in urban areas, vehicular volume entering the intersection from all approaches must average at least 750 vehicles an hour for eight hours of an average day, and the volume from the major street should average at least 500 vehicles an hour. In rural areas, the respective figures are 500 and 375. \ as those that operate part pretect^S SX P-—-X industrial plant entrances time for recommended specific requirement. These signals are recommc ---- by the engineer after ----- investigation. TIME FOR REAPPRAISAL -~~r on the Who is to say Are there too many local government ------ thetl.number basi<= Are there too many local , tion .between survey No one. That there is a ey and study? Noone. lat£oni . A recent ad of„re m"Surv ”6"48 ’"d attractions of industry is purs sp culaU. in communities of aments and attractions of industry is pure ’n th, New York Tjmes wQuId indicate thatindustnes locate less 11 TOO, 000. Why consolidate then? �f 6governments produces inefficiency, , relationship here requires If the big number !died without consoli that can be remei prove, too. . tHe . structure of entirely government that needs Furthermore, n°study And that is different, entirely diff, Lrvice that require ,g only logical t.p Sservice mac kind o is the logical approach study. K 13 * ture.. This 'ach ach useonly d in in Allegheny Allegheny Countyto byour the of a used Count. apartfr°7e problems. This This was 11 P heny County. Functions and services was the _ . and serv|ce Valley wid P Commission o g th could better be r-- j»^tder to Xre used: performed at coald n,ore sa,isfactoriIy be by "services soul-1 * through c«»P««l>”T"t‘/‘b"™es‘Xh“oul'l Perf°rmed adequately be administered carried out at the County level. Where is there talk of merger or consolidation? The Com­ mission started with no preconceived ideas or notions but concerned itself with the facts and with how the problems related to the growth of the County could best be solved. Let us study s' the problems . Let us not be blinded by a particular remedy because we ---know ./ no other. THOUGHTS FOR TOD A Y A gold-digger is a woman after all'. H you must kill time, VOL- vi. NO. 10 WILKES COLLEGE WILKES-BARrE) pA OCT°M»IS, „5, One of the chronic problems ; associated with municipal income taxes is the collection of delinquent accounts,. Approximately 600 Pennsylvania jurisdictions tax earned income by virtue. of authority given them by Act 481 of the 1947 General Assembly. There is no > compilation of the delinquency rate in these political subdivisions, but the : rate is high enough in some to cause concern among local officials. by a private firm under Borough contract. USly had been performed P Under the new system the collection of the Dormant tax is under the direct supervision of the Borough Manager's administrative assistant. This man is a trained professional municinal emniAvo As such he is less subject to the temptation, which sometimes besets a private collection agency, to let the difficult cases go. His primary . t0 increase the Borough's revenues, and, t.t^s “ seeks ways of improving the collection system, those who have not bring in new taxpayers, catch up with delinquents, and registered. you might try working it to death. publication This News originates in th, ofMinicinA1blrShed m°nthly as a community service, le Institute t_ and inquiries n be addres cased to Dr p.°Vernment of Wilkes College. Notes Partment, Wilk, -:es Coll,ege Wilkes R,r‘ HUg° V‘ bailey, Political Science Derre, Pennsylvania. By the very nature of bis -“““X v.- toThthe municipality, the private collector often cannot achieve private collector ded for dinate the entire tax program, whereas the P £requently 1S nee do little more than collect. This over-all Pr effective tax administration. The technique used by Dormont is effe Tiency rate is applicable in many communities. w°rds , °f Mr. Stuwe, "The best collection resu People are employed by the municipality to a mi § decrease the delinbelievesinthat, in the achieved when compe en its oWn tax." (continued on following page) �de.ltnqufnLwage-tax accounts ------------------- (continued) Dormont found that thorough and vigorous attempts to LcCOntact delin, quents were needed. In going after non-payers the Borough checks3 every re_ cord that is available to it - the Bell Telephone street directory, rswimming pool passes, voter registration, newspaper items which mention Dor —* rnont residents, lists of school children registered in the schools, and oth — -• simi. lar records. In addition, a street file has been assembled which p-Permits the tax office to keep track of all moves from the Borough, and thus ’ t0 fegis. ter new occupants as soon as they move into the Borough. experience to lend weight to s ' t° °^*C^a^s' contention The that Dormont wage taxes can best appears be administered by compel employees. The municipality is in a favorable position which municipal held by a private collector. Collection is only one of several J'ai’ely be countered in the administration of a municipal wage tax It Pr° lems enin light of other problems, and it is the governing bodv wh^r^1 be PUrsued with those allied problems. ' already deals TAVERN KEEPER RESPONSIBLE The Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recently ruled that a tavern keeper who had served beer to a minor was responsible for an automobile accident in which the youth became involved after leaving the tavern. The court reversed a decision by Honorable Arthur P. Bretherick, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Dei Delaware County, in which the proprietor was absolved of liability for the accident. ’ 'L'21~i a m - C S*°n "as unanimous and the opinion written by Honorable Michael before the accident the youthT^K JUStlCe °f the Supreme Court, noted that extent that when hp1^11^118 "intoxicating beverages" at the tavern to such behind." departed from the hotel, he left sobriety The Supreme Court based its decision on an Act of a^. reswhich provides that persons furnishing intoxicants shall be hel C1 8 drin king19 54 , ponsible for injuries to persons or property in consequence of sue TELEPHONE FIR F alarm systems According to the experienc :e of a number of c " , .... ystem, which is installed and “!*"■ ‘he leased lel. maintained by local teleph phone s ovin£ to be the quickest method of < getting the fire is Pr The basic feature of the new system is which does not require a coin deposit. a conventional n on-dial teleph°ne’ fed aluminum box with a self The phi water'?r°°d own line to fire headquarters, -closing door andlOne r is installed in a no lock. Each box is conneC the syStem is still in service; this was If one box _ __ out of order, the reSt^he traditional alarm boxes, in which a glass r~ ofgoes not true the older -** style alarmgive a signal, are so constructed that3when must be broki;en and a handle P«ueu one is out of order, on the same circuit won't work either, the other boxes o The telephone reporting method gives the person calling the opportunity to tell the exact location of the fire, whereas the telegraph alarm can only indicate the location of the particular box, and the person who gives the alarm must wait to direct the fire apparatus. False I alarms have been far more prevalent with this older type of signal, according to the association, , because the temptation for some passerby, usually juvenile, to break a glass and pull a handle has frequently brought fire engines roaring out to find a deserted alarm box. With the telephone alarm system, as soon as a person wishing to report an emergency raises the receiver, a light flashes on the switchboard at fire headquarters , giving the number and location of the call box. At the same time, an alarm bell sounds until the call is answered. Any number of calls from any number of boxes can be received at the same time. two th’ d emergencies today are reported by telephone. In fact more than lr s of all fire calls in the average city are received over home and busines s telephones, the figure in some cities is as high as 90 per cent. FLYPAPER OF SUBURBAN ROUTINE n a recent book state Authors Bonnie Prudden and Dr. ^J^^y of the wheel.• that iwheels have replaced muscle. Consider wheel from the i ^oin nilly,■ the child is forced to rely increasing y muscle in born, ■ to th, point where it has virtually s»ppla»« a . Iben graduates here i to there. He starts out in the carriage, �—■ OF SUBURBAN ROUTINE FLYPAPER (continued) VI. NO. 11 WILKES COLLEGE, yOL- WILKes-barRe> Pa NOVEMBER t0 the school bus and family car. He seldom walks if he can help it. child today, caught in the flypaper of the subIn short, the average ,d looks . urban routine, sits, rides, and COUNCILMEN AND Hasn't this philosophy helped to change the functions and services of municipal governments? boroughs association committee named to present a slate of officers to The nominating are: Dr. John Biernacki, Ashley council president; serve for the coming year Wyoming councilman; and George Weiskerger, West Theodore Powloski, West Pittston councilman. WHAT'S NEW? FORTY FORT - Members of Forty Fort Police pension fund have petitioned the court to dissolve the fund and distribute the assets of $51,000 among members. EDWARDSVILLE - The town's assessed valuation took a sizeable jump with the purchase of 15.3 acres of land along Northampton Street by Triangle Shoe Co. for 68,000 dollars. KINGSTON - Parallel parking is under consideration for Kingston Corner s. LUZERNE - Street expenditures run less than $10,000 in this borough. ASHLEY - The Health Board has been dissolved and the health service taken over by the State Department of Health. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Marriage is an institution that offers only on-the-job training. COMMISSIONERS <Tis said that "A man's judgment is not better th;ian his informati the Montgomery County Recorder on." This in • It is from this article that the following bit of advice is taken; "If you officials bring uniformed < ’ • opinions to your chambers, you act unintelligently and really let your constituents down, • On the other hand, if you take the trouble to look into a matter, to get the fac'ts'then ---- you are in a position to make much wiser decisions." 1. How may zoning help solve such problems as t ' ’ mining, trailer strip camps, used car lots, junk yards, billboards, and overhanging street signs? 2. Are there any standards based on population for the number of policemen a municipality should have? 3. What authority does a municipal health officer have? 4. What municipal jobs have a special contact aspects? 5. Should capital improvements be taken into consideration in estimating expenditures? Can newly elected councilmen answer these and other quest satisfactorily , ?’ If not, there is a place to garner information. Some modern girls turn a man's head with their charms and his stomach with their cooking. PUBLICATION This News-Ipttp-r ki • i_ ginates in the Institute of m’ ,U' 1Slled mcmthly as a community service, oil­ inquiries may be address Government of Wilkes College. Notes and ment. Wilkes College, Wilk p HUg° V' MaileY> Political Science Departes-Barre, Pennsylvania. “ph 3 •" >»d 1/3 old members ought to make tor an enthus.aat.e class. attend the - - . officials are welcome to Both old and new:■ly elected local public ( rharee The Public Serfree of charge. training course . The class is open free �■ rv Assessed or Taxable --------- --- Valuation»<uuc. ValUSupP°rting Det>t: Sinkins Fund for General Self' pebt- c commissioners COUNCIU^KNJ^ certificates to those completing the course. will grant vice Institute the course will be mailed in the near futur e to all information on the course 1- Make arrangements now to attend thi -- d newly elected councilmen. s ten ifficials. 1 course for local officials. session coux = ^ MUNICIPAL have a place - - ?0Sft":Xw t^^e^m^^es;:S securities ’ Important things for him to consider are the character of the debtor, debt statistics, ability to pay, type of debt, tax collections, operating experience of the user, and ratings. As a commercial banker places high value on the character of the individual or firm applying for a loan, so the investor investigates the character of the public borrower whether it is a state or municipal unit. Here are some of the questions he asks in his own municipal quiz programs: What is the history of the borrower in meeting past obligations? Does it have a balanced or nearly balanced budget? How does its debt position com­ pare with other cities of the same size? Nor can the character of the debtor be determined solely from financial statistics. There are highly important economic, social, and politi­ cal questions the investor considers. First, the f municipal unit issuing the bonds ought to be a well established community • witha a stable population. Location, natural resources, transportation, type t of local industry, banking, public improvement, schools, facilities for water supply and sewage disposal - all are factors which contribute to the , economic climate which, in turn, determines the borrower's ability to pay. The character *n be d°ne where ids are bon<‘ the utility revenues or taxes to meet only a D " taxes but primari. ly from ,i only such portion of utility debt is prop^ly^ucHbl' of the debt service; le from total ,nded debt. bon­ Only sinking funds for general obligations <’ should be dedu, ded to ascertain the net debt as self-supporting debt has already be, ien deducted from total bonded debt. bonds Assuming that the investor feels that municipals Nett Bonded Bond, ’ 1Ne of local government is also examined. all sortie or l ” of the°fo^0CbVe lnvCHtor “tarts with the offering circular. Under ; investor ln determine -ag the tax will appear figures that help the or Potential and debt „r the issuer: Actual c: Ful1 In the debt statement in circulars there is usually a reference to erlapping or an additional debt against the same same taxable taxable property overlappingdebt ----------6—-a me There are usually two, frequently three, and ---- I occasionally occasionally five five or more muni­ cipal units, that have authority to tax the same property. When for example, the city, county, and school districts issue bonds and levy taxes on the same property to pay the respective bonds, overlapped debt and taxes are the result. Whether the overall debt and tax burden is in reasonable rela­ tion to revenues or not, helps in judging the municipality's ability to pay. A rule of thumb for judging the ability to pay is the following: the net overall or general debt plus overlapping debt should not exceed 10% of the actual or full value of taxable resources, and the amount required for annual debt services should not exceed 25% of the total net revenues. ’— — --------The form of some> attention. One _ debt and its purpose —deserve * of the most reassuring features in municipal finance policy is the almost uni ­ reassuring features in form practice of serial maturities, with the bonds usually maturing wi in practice of serial maturities, -------t e probable life of the improvement financed by the procee s. y ^asSuring? There are three reasons. (1) Serial maturities if y Perly balanced, mean that the municipality won't be ^-^fnaXTerTar111' pal Payments at 'one time; compelling necessity-of soundltleS eaCh year under §ood and bad condltl°nS °rises about the proper ■ ’ i arises Proi Pr°Cedure debt retirement; (3) No question arise ectl°n and suitable handling of sinking fund monies monie . (first of two articles) �WHAT'S NEW? advisement the request of the SWOYERVILLE - The council took under newly purchased fire truck in part Fire Department to house its used by the community ambulance. of the town hall now KINGSTON - Richards was selected to fill her councilman Mrs. Walter A. d term following his resignation. sewer line on Newport Street was started extension of the NEWPORT - The because many more homes are contemin the rear of the homes plated in the area. r- - Cxty ofhcxals officials have decided to proceed a curb inWILKES-BARRE street> althoughwith $1> 300 o£ the stallation project $6,100 project is still owes by the abutting property owners. DUPONT - Because of the need for additional water at the Airport, the re­ sidents of the airport area will have a larger main through their area. VOL-VI- NO- 12 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. DECEMBER 15, 1957 MUNICIPAL BONDS Borrowing in anticipation of bonds was r;— - ■ responsible for much embarrassment to municipal units in the early 1930's when i ~ _.i refinancing could not be done and there was no other provision for the payment of the no.es .'..J maturing notes. Borrowing in anticipation of taxes should not cause special concern unless it is in —’ ?_ la an ex­ cessive amount. Before 1930 students of municipal credit paid scant attention to the matter of tax collections. But the depression of the 1930’s proved that while "nothing is as sure as death and taxes," the collection of those taxes is consider­ ably less certain. In many cases reduced collections resulted in unbalanced bud­ gets, heavy short-term borrowing against delinquent taxes and fiscal embarrass­ ment . I DURYEA - Council has received an appropriation from the State for the re­ pair of Canal Street which was damaged during the 19 55 flood. KINGSTON - About half of the Kingston streets are in the State Highway system. LUZERNE - Officials of the boro and Swoyerville have taken the first steps toward opening Chapel Street. Today, therefore, tax collections are watched more carefully. The in­ vestor watches, for example, the pressure exerted on taxpayers by means of penalties for non-payment. These penalties range from 6% annual interest on un­ paid taxes to a flat percentage penalty on the due date and up to a 25% annual interest charge. Naturally the collection experience varies considerably. Where penal­ ties and collections are considerably low, the budget may on occasion carry an overlay item calculated to raise the total tax levy sufficiently so that a determined Percentage of collections, say 80%, will produce the sum to meet budgetary needs. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY When it comes to singing, some women have what is known as a kitchen range. ^!.:’Saable reason some people get lost in thought is it is un- In order to determine the trend in tax collections, the investor nee s a record of from three to five years. Progress in collecting delinquent taxes is noted as well as the result of current levies. Six questions about a municipal bond: 1. Is the municipality which is issuing the Sowing population and well diversified indust y. -NATION ginates inquiries : , .. ’ ' ... . ■ ori"r ~ * monthly as a community service, and -"^rnment of Wilkes College. Notes Depart" . '' * *^ailey, Political Science C-T •'«, Pennsylvania. bond well established with 2. Is the character of tl of debt payments? 3. Has the municipality a sound history �4. is the municipally effective in its treatment of delinquent tax- , Prial maturities of the proposed issue so balanced that 5. Are the s*rl toQ many principal payments at one time? I not be faced wi tbe bonds general taxes as opposed to the city wil! 6- IS ^andTre the general taxes free from restrictive limits in special assessments , and a •vice? providing for debt ser^- traffic lines payers? to the p, ^ond is doubj sideration byabove an i questions r~- are all "Yes" If the answers investor for inclusion in his portfolio, less well worth cons.----(second of two articles) ACT 194 TERMS OF OFFICE OF SECRETARIES AJXD TREASURERS Borough secretaries and treasurers are no longer to be elected every biennium, but, along with all other officers and employees appointed by the borough council, are to have indefinite terms of office subject to removal by the council. Act 194, approved June 20, 1957 amends section 1001 and clause I of section 1005 of "The Borough Code", 1947 P.L. 1621, as amended by 1951 P.L. 1026 and 1955 P.L. 710, and repeals sections 1115 and 1120 thereof, effective September 1, 1957. ACT 359 AIR RIFLE SALE, TRANSPORT OR DISCHARGE Discharge of "air rifle" (including B--B guns and ^^an y public place hots) "from or across any street, sidewalk, road, highway, or public lan or persons under except on a properly constructed target range", sale of the same gbteenyearS the age of eighteen years, and carrying of such by a person under crim* of age unless "unloaded in a suitable case or securely wrapped V-t’cal subdu'd0'0 made criminal offenses. "The provisions of any ordinance enacted by any P° sub— which impose greater restriction of limitations in respect to the^ sa e berein defin d - ----------------and Purchase’ use or possession of air rifles as herein ‘ --3 act. " an *s imposed by this act shall not be invalidated or affected by this Motorists often wonder why traffic lines are not painted on new or surfaced highways as soon as the construction crews have completed their tasks. The answer is that the white paint should not be applied until the solvents in the various^ blacktop mixtures used for surfacing have -----------6 dried out. This requires ' ' or 4two, ””~ Jdepending J'-C upon . the weather. The drier and warmer the require a week weather, the faster the surface is "cured. ii But most surfacing is done during the summer or late spring and early fall, a time when line painting crews are busy on their annual repainting chore. It is uneconomical to detach paint crews from their scheduled work to paint new surfaces . The result is that most new surfaces are painted in the fall when the paint crews have completed their regular work. ASSESSMENTS FOR NEW SEWERS The consequences of a failure of municipal governments to control and set standards for real estate development are often not apparent until some years after the development has been completed. Health, sanitation, special assessment, and standards problems as they affect the community and indivi­ duals are exemplified in the recent case of Vendetti Appeal, 181 Pa. Superior Court 214 (1956). Vendetti, owner of property abutting Montpelier Avenue, Millcreek Township, Erie County, appealed from an assessment for construction of a sewer on that street in 1951. He contended that a privately constructed sewer built in 1924 was dedicated and accepted by the township and, therefore, the abutting property owners should not be burdened with costs for the new sewer. The facts which form the basis for this contention are as follows: adopted the old In summary, Vendetti contended that the towns ip " i of sewer rents, sewer system by: (1) operation of the system, (2) collection i from other parts of the town­ (3) use of part of the old sewer to conduct sewage 1 -- . road. 8hip and (4) taking over Montpelier Avenue as a public f 43901 �The township, for its part, claimed that a private conv which included the sewer lines shows that the township had not adonof i9system. This non-adoption by the township is further proved, the t the °Id 9 claimed, by an agreement of 1942 between the then owners of theer>°WllSbiP the township which included the stipulation that any new sewers 1VisiOn and the township would be regarded as an original construction sented other documentary evidence in support of its position The6Ct°°' nStrUCtedb Vnship pre^ The court gave, a negative answer to the question of whether a tOW] public utility by virtue of the above set of facts ' ship acquires or adopts a j nle of lawbeen is that when a work of local public • The general PJ^has once constructed the abutting utility, such as a charged with the cost of any subsequent reconstruc- ........................... there is further benefit. However, the test of the liability tion or charge even it further repairs to an existing local public of an abutting property owne replacement thereof is municipal recognition utility or for the recons o(.rl,rtion The controlling consideration, or adoption of the ongina con intention. This intention may be shown by an X-l o^i^crXZthe construction or by acquiescence or adoption." There are still some municipalities in Pennsylvania which, because they do not enforce health, safety, and welfare standards, leave themselves and their residents open to the unpleasant conditions and undesirable litigation exemplified in the Vendetti case. No community or resident can afford to be complacent about holding to standards sufficient to protect their lives and their investments. thoughts for today t women try hardest to hide what they don't have. In one i— P , explorers of outer space have a bright future. They will never run out of - space to explore. publication This News-letter puhr ginates in■ th, -ie Institute of Municiu rnontBly as a community service, oriinquiries ,? i—ay be addressed to d/ °°Vernment of Wilkes College. Notes and ment- Wilke8' College, Wilkes-RaT. Ug° V‘ MaileY> Political Science Departre> Pennsylvania. �i. �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletters and Institute for Regional Affair Newsletters, 1952-1975 Subject The topic of the resource Political Science; Luzerne County; Institute for Regional Affairs; Wyoming Valley Description An account of the resource A collection of newsletters created by the Political Science Department at Wilkes College from 1952-1975 for Luzerne County and later the Institute for Regional Affairs. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department (Hugo Mailey) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1952-1975 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletters Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletter, 1957 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1957 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletter https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/0df8ddca165de0b750612fc8ffd03e75.pdf 40771c5c3a635f71c8afb955a1a1ec12 PDF Text Text ■ ’ ;■ ■ d . 0 1 • ■ '■ ' ;© S -.. -■ , » . ‘..aa ■. w. ' a.I; lie 111. 1 111B1> 1 ■ • ri I ©a■i a ■" ■' ■ ■ '•■ ... ■ ' . .' ■ . ■ ' ■ SSal.' S -./•;•■' . •.,/'./?/; /• . u/V-' . .. Si - ■<'./•■ < ©1 < ' - '- aaa;: ; aa ; ■a ■ Sa S..aaa<SsSS ; . ; • ■ a; ;••' B' • \ , <•; n/ <*v>' . • ,' . ' ' ! s.Sllil'1 . j j ? saa»ssn. ■ '< as®a . '■' - 1©1© 1 ©iiaiiia '1101i BIS 5 ■te ' gta11© <•;.©©<■ . . sll|l liilS y - a l©© ‘ •i-h- s«: ■ < ;®iSii l«r Ills ill® i aii-i ■bi'-Hii 11® ; 'a 11' ' ;1 ^ajasg ■ < ■</.< as©' <■: ■ all; S :1&'SSA- IWiSKliS ;asSsss' SaSssS;aasaS'la 1 ■ n illlBBlB> ? • ■ ® ’ - ■ ■ ■' -nnjj-iijj . . 11 I I . o . ‘ ..■ i . <■; w ©;.. 'i i- \ as» lima • ■s ■ a ; --s iOlB jl ' • \ ". . '©1©©S1 J . ■" ?Saa' 1 ■ lag b» ai ■ aaS© ;'. a aa f ■ :n.n, ' • . f in a ■ .■■ ��I I LIBRARY WILKES-BARRE PENNSYLVANIA �P4 wilkes-barr WILkES c.y Ok v’ NO- i plains TOWNSHIP have 3.dopted a.n 11 point Plain! commissioners ‘f‘the’township. It is noteworthy that the township . betterment of the wjth development and the progr '^her Zlley-->towns . Albert Janerich, new presic with the u towns . Albert all°_ resident7of the State Association, has offered t of the State are points 1 and 2. The ? LookP Of special interest cial interest the value of planning in the future development of th< Wilkes-Barre found that the appointment of a new pl necessity. If only a few more communities and cou: planning. Ona cooperative basis, the greater Will many problems . Point 2 of the 11-point program ai authority to sewer the whole township. This again h '»their te considered a good place to work and live for vision. xvc.. PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATK Joseph Gallagher, Newport, Legal Counse , Committee; Francis Connors , Hanover , Municip Gallagher, Newport, Legislative; Anthony J- Vest. Andrew M. Grivner, Wilkes-Barre, Department o Grivner, hnerich, PlainsD. . Hugo V. Mailey, Wilkes Plains; and Dr. WERE YOU BORN POLIT A man may think that he washes is ,, lnstinct. T— * *"Y YT e fl f**) But ask anyone who ’’knew him w vl8n°rani ce. We gain knowledge by training an it is hard to teach an old dog new trie all our lives . Only °the thi rs c°urt; sm>°oth8 8 ls neCes sary. 4 aUit ®y. just a° s Ur r. ow* Paths . ] This is to reali Every taxpayer s or hat. n^uch i 4s ouras he 'vould’ receive if he ernPloyer ! �fa .dcif&ute (faulty WILKES COLLEGE, rot- v, no- 1 WILKES-BARRE, PA. JANUARY 15, 1956 PLAINS TOWNSHIP Plains commissioners have adopted an 11-point program toward the betterment of the township. It is noteworthy that the commissioners find their welfare bound up w.th the development and the progress in betterment made in all other Valley towns . Albert Janerich, new president of the Board and third vice-president of the State Association, has offered his constituents a New Look. Of special interest are points 1 and 2. The Plains solons fully realize the value of planning in the future development of the township. Only recently Wilkes-Barre found that the appointment of a new planning commission was a necessity. If only a few more communities and county could see the value of planning. On a cooperative basis, the greater Wilkes-Barre area could solve many problems . Point 2 of the 11-point program anticipates the creation of an authority to sewer the whole township. This again is a necessity if the township is to be considered a good place to work and live. A bouquet to the Commissioners for their vision. PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION James A. Otterson, President of the Pennsylvania Association of Township Commissioners, has appointed the following local people to committees: Joseph Gallagher, Newport, Legal Counsel; John C. Wordoski, Hanover, Steering Committee; Francis Connors, Hanover, Municipal Employees Retirement; Joseph Gallagher, Newport, Legislative; Anthony J. Vestyck, Plains, Membership; Andrew M. Grivner, Wilkes-Barre, Department of Internal Affairs; Albert Janerich, Plains; and Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Wilkes College, Publicity. WERE YOU BORN POLITE? A man may think that he washes his hands or says "Thank you" by inborn instinct. But ask anyone who "knew him when." The truth is, we are all born in ignorance. We gain knowledge by training and example when we are children. And while it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks, we can go on becoming more courteous all our lives. Only one thing is necessary. This is to realize how much courtesy toward others smooths our own paths. Every taxpayer should be treated with utmost Courtesy, just a8 much aB he would receive if he went into a retail store to purchase Suit Cjjc nat. T-T ’ i f He is our employer I 42826 �abatement progress t of stream pollution in the Susquehanna P' River in abatement Program places that section among those in Pr T ” h ” ci~» 1 Basin under the which givej evidence of the successful promotion of tha> various areas ot the State F. Mattison, Secretary of Health and Chairman of the program, Dr. Berwpi 1 • minted out. Sanitary Water Board, L— • has p< ■ i pollution abatement in the upper reaches of the "Although the advance in that made in the downstream areas, " Dr. Mattison to t... basin is not comparable ■’ • communities in this section may soon add an that the stated, "indications are the record of anti-pollution progress being made throughout important chapter to t— Pennsylvania. " The records of the Sanitary Water Board show that as a result of the program T of 64 sewerage projects, all of them to serve in abating pollution, have beenWIlt and put in operation or placed under construction on that watershed. O'' the number of projects 55 are new sewage treatment plants to provide treatment of the wastes of municipalities for the first time. All the sewage from those source had always been discharged without any treatment to the public waterways. In addition to treatment of the sewage a considerable amount of industrial waste is also treated in the plants of those communities in which industrial establishments are located. In addition to the new sewage treatment plants built and placed under construction, three existing works have been enlarged to provide greater capacity and a higher degree of treatment. Six of the projects provide sewer connections through which the sewage is discharged from one municipality to the treatment plant in another community for treatment under an agreement made between the two municipalities. It is estimated that the cost of all the projects exceeds $30 million. Included in the total number are sewage treatment plants built at industrial establishments, public institutions as well as by municipalities . On the industrial side much progress has also been made in providing facilitie for the treatment of wastes to abate stream pollution. In addition to the industrial establishments for which arrangements have been made with the municipalities for t-e treatment of their wastes, many industries have built their own treatment works '■‘■r--'t-d that on a Statewide basis industry spends at least as much in ln^ 01 treatment of mill and factory wastes as is spent by municipalities for 8ewage treatment plants . Ine progress made under this r program shows definitely that to increase in* popuiation and grow industrially it is i not necessary that we make open sewers o our streams. In fact were gross pollution of the streams permitted to continue we would soon go into a -cline for there would not be sufficient clean wate r to meet our needs a short time. SEWERAGE CASE INJUNCTION An injunction granted June 3 by the Lycoming County Common Pleas Cour restraining Loyalsock Township in that county from permitting connections to ' made to the sewer system until permits for the extensions to that system have procured from the State Department of Health, was lifted some time later by t court under agreements and stipulations made with Deputy Attorney General Robert J. Trace and Thomas Wood, Lycoming County State Attorney, and cour for the parties involved in the injunction. Mr. Trace represents the Sanitary Water Board which directs the Clean Streams program and authorizes the issi of sewerage permits. In addition to restraining the township from permitting sewer extensions to be made the injunction also restrained the Susquehanna He Co. , Fred Tebbs and John Bubb, land owners and builders, from making any i connections in the area involved. Prior to the lifting of the injunction applications were made to the Sanitary Water Board by the township for permits for the sewer extensions and those p. have been issued. Under the agreement by which the injunction was lifted the township was to select an engineer to prepare plans for a sewage treatment w< and construction of that works to be started immediately the plans are approvs the Sanitary Water Board. The court will retain jurisdiction in the matter ant State shall have the right to ask for reinstatement of the injunction if the propt and schedules of work are not adhered to. Monthly reports of progress are to submitted to Mr. Trace. REPORT ON TREATMENT FACILITIES The Sanitary Water Board has directed the borough of Carlisle, Cumberl Co. , to make a study of its sewage treatment plant to determine what improve are necessary to provide efficient complete treatment of the sewage. It is ah required that the borough submit a report of the study and detailed constructs plans covering the improvements that must be made. The action was taken as a result of a report made to the Board by the Bui of Sanitary Engineering of the Health Department, of extensive studies made i the plant. PUBLICATION I'his News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates « I olitical Science Department of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may Whi l!88cd to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes o 18-Barre, Pennsylvania. �abatement progress Le in abatement of stream pollution in the Susquehanna River lean r— —“ Streams Program places that section J 1 amon g those in ie State which give evidence of the successful p Promotion of •wyn F. Mattison, Secretary of Health and Chai that -irman of the ard, has pointed out. advance in pollution abatement in the upper reaches of the rable to that made in the downstream areas, Dr- MattiSon s are that the communities in this section m may soon add an to the record of anti-pollution progress being made ~~ thr°ughout f the Sanitary Water Board show that as a result of the prOgrani age projects, all of them to serve in abating pollution have n operation or placed under construction on that watershed rojects 55 are new sewage treatment plants to provide t treatment inicipalities for the first time. All the sewage from those source scharged without any treatment to the public waterways . In nt of the sewage a considerable amount of industrial waste is plants of those communities in which industrial establishments he new sewage treatment plants built and placed under existing works have been enlarged to provide greater capacity ■ of treatment. Six of the projects provide sewer connections ewage is discharged from one municipality to the treatment nmunity for treatment under an agreement made between the that the cost of all the projects exceeds $30 million. Included are sewage treatment plants built at industrial establishments, s well as by municipalities. g facilities 11 side much progress has also been made in providing industrial wastes to abate stream pollution. In addition to the i.. ’' ' js for vhich arrangements have been made with the municipalitie , ____ . 4- xi '---jatment works ir wastes, many industries have built their own tre<-.—-□n a Statewide basis industry spends at least _t as ~ much in by municipalities for lent of mill and factory wastes as is spent 1 , ants. j mm lade under this program shows definitely that to inert-' industrially it is not necessary that we make open s^t-nue it were gross pollution of the streams permitted to C> to a decline for there would not be sufficient clean However, we must guard against laxity. We have still a long way to co to bring all major pollution under control and even when that shall be done the ilishments will soon be wiped out if we curtail our vigilance even for a accomplishments short time. SEWERAGE CASE INJ UN C T ION An injunction granted June 3 by the Lycoming County Common Pleas Court straining Loyalsock Township in that county trom from permitting permitting connections to be restraining uuai. county made to the sewer system until permits for the extensions to that system have been procured from the State Department of Health, was lifted some time later by the court under agreements and stipulations made with Deputy Attorney General Robert J. Trace and Thomas Wood, Lycoming County State Attorney, and counsel for the parties involved in the injunction. Mr. Trace represents the Sanitary Water Board which directs the Clean Streams program and authorizes the issuance of sewerage permits. In addition to restraining the township from permitting sewer extensions to be made the injunction also restrained the Susquehanna Homes Co. , Fred Tebbs and John Bubb, land owners and builders, from making any sewer connections in the area involved. Prior to the lifting of the injunction applications were made to the Sanitary Water Board by the township for permits for the sewer extensions and those permits have been issued. Under the agreement by which the injunction was lifted the township was to select an engineer to prepare plans for a sewage treatment works, and construction of that works to be started immediately the plans are approved by the Sanitary Water Board. The court will retain jurisdiction in the matter and the State shall have the right to ask for reinstatement of the injunction if the proposals and schedules of work are not adhered to. Monthly reports of progress are to be submitted to Mr . Trace. REPORT ON TREATMENT FACILITIES The Sanitary Water Board has directed the borough of Carlisle, Cumberland Co. , to make a study of its sewage treatment plant to determine what improvements are necessary to provide efficient complete treatment of the sewage. It is also required that the borough submit a report of the study and detailed construction plans covering the improvements that must be made. The action was taken as a result of a report made to the Board by the Bureau of Sanitary Engineering of the Health Department, of extensive studies made of the plant. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in Political Science Department of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be ,lf dressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes College, Wilke S-Barre, Pennsylvania. �(faulty ACTS OF THE 1955 GENERAL ASSEMBLY BOROUGH CODE - Act 197 (HB 656) Increases monthly compensation paid to councilmen in boroughs with populations from 5,000 to 10,000 to $50, and in qL boroughs over 10,000 to $100. FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES - Act 222 (HB 229) Prohibits in municipal and other employment such practices as requiring information relating to age color, religion, national origin, ancestry and race, use of "quota" systems, and publishing discriminatory help wanted ads; creates a State FEPC; provides penalties. HOME RULE TAXES - Act 186 (SB 459) Clarifies aggregate tax levy; eliminate notice of intent and publishing of ordinances of reenactment; requires short notice stating existing tax reenacted; authorizes budget revision to reflect additional receipts. MEETING PLACES - Act 18 7 (HB 1078) Authorizes school boards to permit use of schools as meeting places for public bodies. WHAT ' S NEW ? 2 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. EE] OF FORD CITY VS. FORD GIT' ____ POLICE DEPARTMENT In the Court of Common Pleas of Armstrong County, Pennsylvan Number 212. June Term, 1955. Complaint in Mandamus. The plaintiffs, policemen of the Borough of Ford City filed this mandamus to compel the Borough Council of Ford City Borough tn in them in accordance with the contracts of employment After the action was instituted the parties by stipulation agreed u case stated. The question for decision is whether the borough policer in accordance with the resolution of the borough council, are required make use of a time clock when going upon duty and when reporting off The burgess of the borough notified the policemen that they would be s if they complied with the resolution passed by the council. LARKSVILLE - Boro officials intend to operate with one less police officer this year. PLYMOUTH - Ashes and garbage collection will be continued through 1956 even NANTICOKE - Licenses will be required of all truckers engaged in collecting garbage, refuse, or ashes. KINGSTON - Building permits for more than $1,200,000 in new construction and improvements were issued. PITTSTON - During 1955, the city constructed a new garage for the storage of equipment of the street department. WILKES-BARRE - Tax free property in the city has reached $32,757,515 representing a figure that is 40 per cent as great as the t".— total evaluation for the city--$82,500,000 THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Visitors always make us happy--some when they come, others when they gc While the sun shines, much hay can be made, too, from the grass under other's feet. that gro* It is agreed that if the court decides that the requirement to use t clock is not an interference with the authority and duty of the burgess, plaint should be dismissed and the plaintiffs ordered to use the time ci the manner set forth in the borough council's resolution. If the court that such requirement is an interference, then an order shall be enter recting the borough to pay the policemen's salaries in full without tim< records. The single question presented in the case is whether this require r the resolution is an interference with the duties and authority of the bu and beyond the power of the borough council to enact. The Act of Assembly specifically states that after the appointincut borough policeman the burgess of the borough shall have full charge' ai trol of the —a police force and shall direct the time during which, the pla< and the manner in which the chief of police and the police force rihall p their duties . T* it is the duty of the burgess to keep some ie the time when Undoubtedly the '-'-j policemen arc on duty. The controversy here seem* the manner rin which such records shall be kept. II 1* argued that the I rnosf .1 efficient manner is in the use of a time clock, There in this 7 argument. rt onic Ini However, we are confronted with the dlllh c°uncil T seeks to < nit y th.it th. make one of the duties of the polit omen n clock. It is i i.i l> t ng mu <>| Record s is a clear, under the Act of Assembly, tli.it the making duty clearly I" "1* fore within the authority given Io the buig« »« apparent It I 4 that the bo �lcts__2£ THE 1955 GENERAL ASSEMBLY . x iq7 (HB 656) Increases monthly compensationi paid to ,DE - Act .------ c a a ■« zx populations from 5,000 to 10,000 to $50, o„d in ■OL- V, NO. 2 nin boroughs v 3Ver 7o 10,000 to S $100. 000 t0 100' a . x 222 ??■> (HB 229) Prohibits PRACTICES- Act .. in municipal . g YMENT L-----employment such practices as requiring information igion, national origin, ancestry and race, use of " ° relatin hing discriminatory help wanted ads; creates a St quota" systems* penalties. ate FEPC; TAXES Act 186 (SB Clarifies aggregate taxr levy-’ ellrnina r itent and- publishing of 459) ordinances of reenactmenttes ing existing tax reenacted; authorizes budget revision tQ1"08 Sh°rt reenacted; authorizes budget revision to reflect receipts. ° re Eect - Act 187 (HB 1078) Authorizes school boards to permit use as meeting places for public bodies . lCES WHAT ' S NEW ? - Boro officials intend to operate with one less police officer Ashes and garbage collection will be continued through 19 56 even is may be earmarked for creek projects . Licenses will be required of all truckers engaged in collecting 'efuse, or ashes. uilding permits for more than $1,200,000 in new construction /ements were issued. uring 1955, the city constructed a new garage for the storage of of the street department. E - Tax free property in the city has reached $32,757,515 ng a figure that is 40 per cent as great as tthe — total ------- evaluation '--$82,500,000 thoughts FOR TODAY ways make us happy--some when they come, others when they & un shines, much hay can be made, too, from the grass that gro^ :et. WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, POLICE DEPARTMENT OF FORD CITY VS. PA. FEBRUARY 15,1956 FORD CITY In the Court of Common Pleas of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania Number 212. June Term, 1955. Complaint in Mandamus. in mandamus to compel the Borough Counci^o^F^CH^Bor^u h^ them in accordance with the contracts of employment g ° Pay After the action was instituted the parties by stipulation agreed upon a case stated. The question for decision is whether ' the borough policemen, in accordance with the resolution of the borough council, are required to make use of a time clock when going upon duty and when reporting off duty. The burgess of the borough notified the policemen that they would be suspended if they complied with the resolution passed by the council. It is agreed that if the court decides that the requirement to use the time clock is not an interference with the authority and duty of the burgess, the com­ plaint should be dismissed and the plaintiffs ordered to use the time clock in the manner set forth in the borough council's resolution. If the court decides that such requirement is an interference, then an order shall be entered di­ recting the borough to pay the policemen's salaries in full without time clock records. The siingle question presented in the case is whether this requirement in the resolution is .3 an interference with the duties and authority of the burgess and beyond the power of the borough council to enact. borough doT Assernbly specifically states that after the appointment of a trol of the 1C,eman the burSess of the borough shall have full charge and conand the m ^Orce ant^ shall direct the time during which, the place where, and the their duti^nne3" Wb*cb tbe chief of police and the police force shall perform their duties. the time 6k' Undoubtedly it is the duty of the burgess to keep some record of the policemen the mann when a P°Hcemen are on duty. The controversy here seems to be niost effj * wb^cb such records shall be kept. It is argued that the best and ^ost efficient : this argUClent manner is in the use of a time clock. There is some force to a argument. c°uncil rn^n^‘ However, we are confronted with the difficulty that the borough clock ° one of the duties of the policemen making use of the time fccorda ip/8 C ear* under the Act of Assembly, that the making of proper time fore apn a duiy clearly within the authority given to the burgees. It is thererent that the borough resolution of February 7, 1955, encroaches upon �’fically given to him, and therefore is void the powers and of no In the performance o arisen ia chpre is a wilful dereliction upon the part a remedy 1 . The law provides formance of his duties. of the burgess in the per. SEWER authorities A group of banks headed Mellon National Bank Sanitary and Trust Co arranged a $100-million loan by to the Allegheny County Authorft^^ hSS loan, "unique in the history of authority financing, " will be repaid th The sale long-term bonds in athe nextinterest four years. Under r. i arrangementof the authorityauthority expects to obtain lower rate on '-'ii sale of Mi bonds than it would at present. ne PAYMENTS TO MUNICIPALITIES Approval of the parent of $3,426,612 in the eighth installment to mnniei palities under Act 340 was announced today by Secretary of Hrghwaya Joseph J. Lawler. Act 340 was approved in 1953 and provides for disbursement to cities, boroughs, and townships which file State Expenditure Reports for the period December 31, 1954 or their State Fund Budget for 1955. Fifty cities will receive $813,684.21; 866 boroughs will receive $544,051.58 and 69 First-Class Townships will receive $182,724.05. The largest amount $1,886,152.71 will be paid to 1448 Second-Class Townships. Townships and Payments were not approved for 76 boroughs; 3 First-Class 50 Second-Class Townships for failure to file the required reports, All of the cities qualified for payment. the proper way to start revising the t3vHe said of the property in the county. He said th' Pr°gram is to take inventory regard to urban areas and by using aen'l^hotogrlXTr"8' >: an particularly in rural areas . WATER POLLUTION CONTROL A water pollution control act was passed j-- by the Congress j giving the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service authority t > prepare comprehensive . 3liminating or reducing the pollution of interJS” ------ a programs xcuubxug vxxc puxxuuon oi interstate waters and waters. tributaries ford eli itary condition of surface and He thereof is improving the san sanitary surf,. * underground ----------------------------------... ---------° ^rface and underground and irriPrto enCOurage cooperative activities by the states, enactment of uniform direc compacts between states for prevention and control of water pollution. laWS’ . £ any state or interstate water pollution control agency, he may Upon r q recOmmendations to any such agency, municipality, or indusmake survey trial plant. Small grants are authorized "to states and to interstate agencies." No grants are provided for construction of any sewerage treatment plants. A water pollution control advisory board is established consisting of fifteen persons, eight representatives of federal agencies and seven others to be appointed by the President. Of the latter, one must be an expert sewerage engineer, one must be a person who has shown an active interest in the field of wildlife and rec­ reation, and, except as otherwise determined by the President, there must be one representative of each of the following: municipal government, state govern­ ment, county government, water suppliers, affected industries , interstate agencies, and agriculture. Certain enforcement powers are granted to the Surgeon General to abate pollu­ tion of interstate waters which endanger the health or welfare of persons in a state other than that in which the pollution is discharged. THOUGHTS FOR The funds are diverted from the Motor Fund and are specifically used for highway purposes in the municipalities. TODAY Be thankful if your life is somewhat of a grind, it keeps your good points getting dull. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY _nedSteps recently by James to readjust tax A- s Patt Gnt systems on a county-wide basis were outLuzerrtrn^nt Com^erce,' Co^? ChUf °f T^hnical Division, Pennsylvania County Loca, Redevelopment Bureau, at the meeting of Aeaoctation at Wukee College dining hall. People living in our large cities today are confronted with two problems -where to park and where to jump. PUBLICATION the Politi-N?Wa"letter > published monthly as a community service, originates in In ,!?!I?A <*------ n_glUe!t,iOn8' Paterson stressed toward the close of the session ,olitica addre8aed t Science Department of Wilkes College. Notes and inquires maybe tax assessments should be- a technical and business-like matter and not a P1 ^ilkes-i} ° ^r" Hug° V' Mailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes College, ------one. rre, Pennsylvania. �■OL.V- NO- 3 ACTS OF THE 1955 GENERAL WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, ASSEMBLY PA. march 15, 1956 WILKES-BARRE traffic THIRD-CLASS CITY CODE- Act 23 (SB 171) Provides that no employee be suspended more than one time for the same violation; permits appeal to court 90 days after suspension. Act 129 (SB 193) Authorizes issuance of non-debt revenue bonds for sewer system improvement; bonds seer d by pledge of sewer service charge. Act 177 (SB 508) Provides that d ment heads submit to Director of Accounts and Finance, instead of KA ~ quarterly financial statements to be consolidated for report to council y°r ’ THIRD-CLASS CITY CODE- Act 254 (SB 457) Provides for appropriation by such cities to official police pension funds of a sum sufficient to meet the requirements of and maintain the fund. Act 207 (HB 1173) Permits con­ tributors to the police pension fund to withdraw their increment contri­ butions if they leave the city's employ or if they retire before becoming entitled to any service increment. UTILITY COSTS- Act 252 (SB 156) Provides for the payment of the cost of removal or change of public utility facilities of political subdivisions or municipal authorities in state highways . The city of Wilkes-Barre has put into effect a 60-day test of a parking ban from 7:30 A.M. to 10:00 AM. week days on central ci to relieve the congestion in the busy early morning hours when heavv traff city. Temporary signs have been placed on parking meter,7 the following central city area will be included in the narV L °T motorists- The inner and outer circles; Market Street from River St Public S9uare, nue; Main Street from Union to Northampton; South WaVhinp^T371^11^ to East Northampton; South Franklin from West Ma rk <- c* gt fr°m West Market the block. The only vehicles permitted to park will >7 reet to the middle of less trolleys and trucks making deliveries 1 CabS’ buses- track’ The plan copied from the City of Albany is intended to eliminate all day parking in meter zones, give truckers an opportunity to make deliveries and to make it easier for people to get to work in cars and buses. Cars parked in the prohibited area will be towed away at a $5.00 towing charge. A traffic court for violators of the parking regulations has been set up for a 60-day trial period ban. Mayor Luther F. Kniffen has stated that so far the plan has worked very well and that the general population has been most cooperative in relieving the city of the early morning congestion. PLANNING COMMISSIONS MUNICIPAL AU 1HROITIES- Act 185 (SB 456) Provides that an Authority's service may be contested before court of common pleas . Act 212 (SB 455) Requires approval of municipality, instead of PUC, before Authority can acquire facilities subject to PUC jurisdiction. VEHICLE CODE- Act 97 (HB 1365) Authorizes magistrates to send notices of informations by certified mail as well as registered mail. Planning commissions maybe established by all types^of^ci^subdi^^g counties, cities, boroughs and townships . In addition, an}.n nal lanning civil subdivisions, subdivisions, regardless of class, may unite in forming commission. The commissions composed the governin b S,S^°n3 are corn posed of a small group of citizens appointed by to the local 7 ° ^be P°Ntical subdivision and act in an advisory capacity localw legislative Originally, the 6or Public ®lslaNve body. body. Originally, the enabling enabling acts acts emphasized emphasized planning planning Was r S . ’ suc h as streets, schools, hospitals and recreation areas . Soon it rea ized t at private developments of all types were affected and that the location musing, industry and commercial centers could mar the growth atld development of — a community. �, enactments frequently implement the c ------- -*■ that the concept The latest legislative all matters of public concern, whether they be physi? field of planning includes . esthetic. cal, economic, social or even planning Commission to anticipate natural and. normal It is the function of a them, Planning is a continuing nd provide guides for dealing with them. happenings ai contain elements of elasticity. process and it must of Planning Commissions is nine persons in the case of The membership of cities, boroughs and townships, The terms of counties and five in the case provide continuity of purpose and objective.• The memoffice are staggered to ; thpv may mav employ such consultants as they U but they deem nebers serve without pay, within their financial limits. Cities have the authority to exercise the cessary w*.---------planning function in an area extending three miles beyond their corporate limits. ACTS OF THE 1955 GENERAL ASSEMBLY poration petitions from a majority in each portion where a proposed borough is in more than one township; requires annual association convention to be hels in Pennsylvania and fixes convention expenses; fixes maximum fines for failure to file auditor's report; authorizes creation of reserve funds for anti­ cipated capital expenditures; provides for advertising notice of intent to enact subdivision regulations and authorizes such ordinances to be adopted by ref­ erence. Act 266 (HB 1763) Extends to 30 days the time payment for property purchased from boroughs. Act 282 (SB 520) Provides a procedure for repeal­ ing or amending existing ordinances in the course of a codification. Regional Planning Commissions are primarily concerned with those commu­ nity problems which have no respect for municipal boundaries . In addition, this H0ME RULE TAXES - Act 276 (Sb 757) Validates until end of tax year, those cooperative type of commission may have definite economic advantages. What deed transfer tax ordinances, adopted prior to June 28, 1955, in conflict with several communities may not be able to do separately because of cost limitations the Act 60 requirements that tax be paid by transferor. may be feasible by a joint arrangement. The powers, duties and membership of such a regional commission are determined by the participating civil subdi­ PLANNING - Act 265 (HB 17 51) Authorizes the merger of the Allegheny County visions . Planning Commission and Traffic and Transit Commission. BRIDGEPORT PROPERTY TAXES- Act 283 (HB 114) Changes the procedure for appeals from assessments by property owners for the payment of taxes pending appeal and for refunds due as a result of appeals. Act 267 (HB 1707) Eliminates in Allegheny the prohibition against assessment of new buildings in process of construction. The Sanitary Water Board has requested the borough of Bridgeport, Mont­ gomery County, to issue non-debt revenue bonds to finance the construction of additions and improvements to its sewage treatment plant to provide a higher degree of treatment and greater capacity in compliance with orders issued by UTILITY COSTS - Act 252 (SB 156) Authorizes the State Highway Department to the Board to the municipality a few years ago. Because the community did not change municipal utility facilities in state highway projects, and to enter into comply several years ago the Board took its case to the Montgomery County agreements with municipalities for sharing costs of such changes; authorizes Court, seeking a writ of mandamus. That court decided, however, that a writ the PUC to determine cost allocation if agreement cannot be reached. (Cor­ would not be issued, pointing out that the Board had not requested the Borough recting description of Act in December issue.) to procure the funds necessary for construction by issuing non-debt revenue bonds in accordance with the provision of an Act of 1935. The State appealed VETERANS PREFERENCE - Act 230 (Hb 740) Extends civil service preference the case to the Supreme Court, but that Court sustained the decision of the counto veterans of armed conflict. y court. The request now being made to the Borough by the Board is is accor­ dance with the provisions of that Act. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY nf th rhe request 10r issuing the bonds also states that provision for the payment or charo ercSt a"d princlPal of the bond issue be made by imposing a sewer rental I just want you to loan me enough to tide me over until something unexpectedly or charge, winch is also authorized by the Act. turns up. PUBLICATION 8 letter- Published monthly as a community service, originatesi in the Political Scienc •^ Department of Wilkes College. Notes and inquires may be addressed to Dr. J" 6 , ’ bailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes Colleg0' Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania? There once was a man who called a spade a spade, until he stumbled on one inthe dark. �WHAT'S NEW? city officials will soon decide whether to WILKES-BARRE - Wilkes-Barre ’ float a bond issue of $300, 000 or more for such items as a new s~ swimming pool, heavy motor equipment, assessment maps and bookkeeping machin —les . L. V. NO. 4 WILKES COLLEGE, LUZERNE COUNTY -- The County Lonmu^wu^s ------------------V Commissioner are presently consider’ g r..’----- ■•"J reassessment program for the whole e— county. the costs of a. comprehensive 1956 total valuation - realestate, coal and occupation a J The county's 1 ' ’ under the 1955 valuation. r°Ppecj $565,232i ' DURYEA - Two women ---Mrs. Julian Jackson, councilman, and Mrs. Jennie Barlik, secretary---will have pre-eminent roles in the borough's local government. LARKSVILLE - Sergeant Stanley Piekanski was advanced to Chief of Police at a recent reorganization meeting. FORTY-FORT - All officers, patrolmen and other borough employers were re­ appointed at the reorganization meeting. WYOMING - Attorney Emanuella Falcone is the first woman to be appointed sol­ icitor for any Wyoming Valley community. NANTICOKE - The Mayor's office reports a gratifying response to letters re­ cently sent out requesting property owners to repair and improve dilapi­ dated sidewalks. SWOf ERV ILLE - The council has made it more inviting for persons at the Town Hall by installing modern sanitary facilities . resurvey. The engineering engineering firm firm would would locate locate a plant site to care four communities. The rate would be adjusted so that the joint plan ’ would be less for each municipality than it would --------be —; if each community operated its own plant. APRIL 15, 1956 Zoning is primarily concerned with controlling the various uses of land and is one of the major powers for implementing planning. It is a means to an end and not an end in itself. To achieve its maximum value in service to the community it must be a part of and based on comprehensive and continuing planning. All civil divisions, counties, cities, boroughs and townships, have the authority to use the zoning powers. By nature zoning is technical with exten­ sive legal ramifications embracing both statutory and case law. It is widely known as a "legal tool" of planning. Reduced to outline form the following are the purposes of zoning: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. EXETER - The council has abolished the Board of Health and turned the commu­ nity's health function over to the State Department of Health. a PA. ZONING BACK MOUNTAIN - Many residents of the area feel that the time has come for paid fire truck and ambulance drivers. UP-RIVER COMMUNITIES - Agreement for a joint sewage disposal plant was nearer it was reported at a u recent meeting of the Public Services Commitee of the Chamber of Commerce. T u»i. x xwo-^*** • . It was also reported that Pittston, West Pittston, Exeter and Wyoming have agreed to put up $1,000 pro ra WILKES-BARRE, 7. 8. To promote health, safety, morals or the general welfare To lessen congestion in the streets To insure safety from fire, panic and other dangers To provide adequate light and air To prevent the overcrowding of land and avoid undue con­ centration of population To facilitate adequate provision of: (a) Transportation (b) Water (c) Sewerage (d) Parks and playgrounds (e) Other public requirements To conserve the value of buildings and land To encourage the most appropriate use of the land throughout the civil division. These purposes to be accomplished by: 1. Regulating the height, number of stories, and size of 2. 3. 4. 5. buildings and structures. Regulating the percentage of lot that may be occupied. Specifying the size of yards, courts and other open spaces. Controlling the density of population. Regulating the location and use of buildings, structures and land for trade, industry, residence, agriculture, or other purposes. �division may be divided into dist In 'raming a zoun.b dinance, a All regulations must be unifo,?0 ts of ' shape and size as zoning may be°rdeemed best, district may differ from thosj ^for may bc each district, but the regulations in one ln an. FOURTH ANNUAL DINNER Plans are being made for the fourth ann„=i local officials. This dinner has annually been h the Luzerne County be enacted only under special proceduDining Room. No definite date has been set a. „ 7 the Wilkes Colle8e ■ u res. A zoning can d ted t0 recommend to the local Ordinances for be forthcoming in the near future. Remember announcement wiu must first be PF ning commission may act as c°uncii ficates will be awarded to those who have comni e adleS are lnvlted- Certizoning c3mnliX?ed regulations,ust hold advertised public hearings. a and to those who have completed the health offf/ & * COUncllmen's course ,M var>»«s Pr-->P°* commis31011 ™ dationS, the council must also holdAfter made to those local officials who have given unst /T8*/ WiU be Th' s its recommen —1 adver. to their communities over a long period of time '"n"8 7 °ffthelr time and efforts the Commission maxe these latter awards should be forwarded to the PolitSlV' th°Se deServe tised public hearings. soon as possible. 6 Polltlcal Science Department as be advertised by reference to the approved map Zoning ordinances and regulations ax-’-other. I S are followed in changing zoning regulaGenerally the same procedur • ^the directly affected area object to a change, ;. If 29% or more of those. 111 i.. ^sually required for its authorization. tions a larger majority of the c ACTS OF THE 1956 GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIRST CLASS TOWNSHIP CODE - Act 301 (HB 874) Increases to 15 mills the maximum tax rate for general purposes and to 5 mills the additional tax that may be levied with court approval. Proper administration of the zoning ordinance requires a Board of Appeals gr Adjustment. The preparation of a satisfactory ordinance usually requires HOME RULE TAXES - Act 300 (SB 7 58) Permits municipalities to designate experience and technical training and professional guidance. The ordinance whether transferor or transferee shall pay deed transfer tax. should not only forbid certain types of development, but should also encourage the type of development which the community desires . It should be a positive rather than a negative force. Above all, the zoning ordinance should be based on an accepted community plan. SALT SPREADER The city of Wilkes-Barre has decided to purchase eight salt spreaders to be usee in the spreading of rock salt to melt ice and snow on central city streets Rock salt was spread by hand this last winter to determine the cost factor whe w°Hhared With Cinderin8‘ Since the results were satisfactory, the use of sa •tmu.d and the city will purchase mechanical salt spreaders. PUBLIC BUILDINGS - Act 287 (HB 738) Authorizes boroughs, cities and coun­ ties to furnish rooms in any public building to the American Gold Star Mo­ thers, Inc. , and to ladies auxiliaries of war veterans organizations. VEHICLE CODE - Act 312 (HB 445) Requires drivers on non-divided highways to stop when approaching or overtaking school bus picking up or discharging passengers; on divided highways to stop when overtaking and slow to 15 mph when approaching; to slow to 15 mph when passing school bus parked at the curb to pick up or discharge children at school. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Science says the mocking bird can change its tune 89 times in 7 minutes. We know of several who will regard this record with en\ y. Work is better than play - to those who love it. ST. CLAIRE The Fed T «al Government t Attorney has taken‘ stePs to recover - ’ hrou£h office of Federal District in 1951 forr the purpoSe of Drf. 030 $^600.00 made to the Borough ctile town's sewage disposal ok lng F^ans y°r the construction of an a1 comP1® lite Fede IV/n's G°Vernnient is nri, Although the addition has not been seizure the to' WuniciPal property attem?ting to recover the loan by nC u<ding fire engines and police cars • «< st. CIf PUBLICATION . thlv as a community service, originates in This News-letter, published month!) Notes and inquiries may be the Political Science Department of W 1 u ’ .ence Department, Wilkes College, addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Politico Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. �WHAT'S NEW? " -imissioners passed the 1956 budget v’ PLAINS - Plains Township Comi ,'"hich despite the protests of more than 125 tov/n , a $7.50 per capita tax ' ------ --------- *' resi. NO. 5 WILKES COLLEGE, dents. js which years ago paid the bulk of the localtax NANTICOKE - Coal C°mPanie bill carry but 22% of the load today. LUZERNE - The town fathers are planning a storm sewer from Ch Toby's Creek to take care of the mountain water and prevent it fr Stfeet to into the lower end of the Borough. orn flowj^ EDWARDSVILLE - The Borough lost $880.00 in assessed valuation this year in. stead of gaining the thousands of dollars anticipated through the new ' buildin. development. WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP - The Commissioners have agreed on a1 budget of $44,971.67 that calls for a reduction of 1 mill in taxes. LARKSVILLE - The valuation this year is $104,189 less than the figure used by Borough Council in preparing the annual budget. The tax levy is 19 1/2 mills NlW i , 1956 mixes WILKES-BARRE, PA. MAY 15, 1956 1 x— LAND SUBDIVISION CONTROL The subdivision of land is essential to the general growth of almost every type of community and can be a great benefit if it provides proper living conditions for new residents and at the same time gives assurance of economic maintenance and service and a long-term addition to the community's resources. On < the other hand, poorly planned, poorly located or premature land subdivisions become 1------ 2 can L ----------j a permanent handicap to any community's growth. Counties, cities, boroughs, townships of the first class and townships of the second class, all have the power to control the subdivision of the land under their jurisdiction. This is an extremely important power. When land is subdivided the lo­ cal government has its best opportunity to influence the future physical pattern of the community. At the same time it can control the developing pattern of its public facilities, such as streets, surface drainage, water supply, and sewage disposal. ASHLEY - The Pennsylvania Department of Highway Engin eers has agreed to spend $21,900 for a new span over Solomon's Creek. Success in land subdivision control depends largely upon the recognition by public officials and by real estate developers that poorly planned developments are unnecessarily costly to the community, to the purchasers of the properties and to the developer. LUZERNE COUNTY - In the future ttemporary loans will be made only ■as needed for the sums needed, the thought bein^ g to save payment of interest: on mone) that was not being used but remained on deposit. In general, no road, street, lane, alley or drainage facility maybe op­ ened, constructed or dedicated for public use except in accordance with approved plans and neither the public officials nor any other public authorities may place or operate sewers, drains, water pipes or other facilities, or do no work of any kind on unauthorized or unapproved streets. DURYEA ■- Council " instructed its of roads — andJ sewers washed i , Engineer tto draw up tplans for the repl&cern.ent ' out by the flood of last August. DUPONT - The r18tate and a representative of council have agreed to Posted 25 mile —speed zone in the Borough. SWOYERVILLE for general tudy a The Borough will « c, Purposes 2 i/o r operate on a 17 mill tax rate for 1956 ’ 1/2 for street lighting. 141/ To fully employ land subdivision controls, boroughs and townships must enact certain regulations specifying conditions under which land can be subdi­ vided. Such a procedure is not required for cities or counties, although it is advisable. Counties can fine from $50 to $100, plus costs, for each lot in viola«on. Cities can fine not exceeding $300. Boroughs and townships can enforce a Penalty up to $1,000 or tow years' imprisonment or both. Cities are the only governmental unit which have extra-territorial auth­ ority. A city planning commission has jurisdiction over land subdivision ^tending three miles beyond the city limits, except where tins area of juris­ diction "may conflict with the zone of similar character connected with another Municipality. " �parking meters d that the parking meter is no longer pral it may well be conclul e. pennies and nickelslonger from tficant gadget which can pain n institution of great moment an ^^otodsts . It has become an A . meters and the revenues derived park„ ‘ ■ Bolb th. "'.J* * “portions and are likely to eo„ti„„e municipalities have rea ”»crease. The f rk”f„ facilities is constantly increasing. Con>mu. The use he number used <« „ ,Lir installation involve uncertainty and nity attitudes toward meter, befo ma change substantially. once lire “'“S’ »o While the bulk of the curb meters ' an_hour rate or its equivalent, there J?8' 8ti11 are tagged with the 5-centsthe part of municipalities to experiment an jincreasing willingness on desirable objectives. If the funds so deriv/a g w_Fh,rates wxu.erintoo^er accomplish derived, gram itself, are dedicated to alleviating DaX’ above °Ve the the costs C08t* of of the the meter meter procommend such efforts and to bolster th! difficulti^, there is much’t seems to be a developing tendency among m ? °f the Use °f meteT Th meter-fee schedules so that higher rates graduate their P^n. are placed on metered spaces that are closer m tn permissable time, or both demand than on those farther away. This ig the’generators of parkin', uable space should command the higher price ^"^-SXdprecis. — -e been tested. . r in many cities is an expanding enterprise; Because the parking; me: e m; and because it can be exceedingly because it is of an ’veI-a11 P economic implications - for all these reacomplex, if viewed in the light ot lodged in thoge sons the functions invo ve formed most expertly on the basis of merit or S”"’e’X because of political expediency or partisan pressures. , ®°°1 Sense' since the more val> an other things being equal. Dothe notgolden scoff any the lowly through flowlonger of the at pennies and parkin. nickel! ™ . “ may yet Pr°vide, "open sesane" for solution of the parkin. diffic„lr “ facilitates, the United States. 8 “1Cultles confronting cities in the ATLANTA ON REFUSE A vigorous tendency is discernible toward lowering fines for violation of parking meter regulations, and toward making it easier for motorists to pay whatever penalties are involved. Frequently, no sacrifice in the total revenue from fines results from such practices. The need for parking accomodations looms so large that any diversions of revenues to nonparking purposes is beginning to be looked upon as undesirable in the public interest, as well as possible contravening the legal justification for parking meter. Though much remains to be done, an increasing tendency is fnnrH i curb and off-street-parking facilities into a single legal, accomodat^ lnancial whole • An impressive quantity of off-street-parking xk ? _ °nS haS alfeady been Provided form parking-meter funds . Some of the largest cities j are among these. It is in this role that the parking meter can perhaps make its g e test contribution toward the economic and social well-being of the urbanized areas of the United States. que8tionable wisdom of the public pol- icy it engenders, the^oveme seems to be gaining momentum tion with that program not the “"’“•‘"i COmmercial advertising on parking meters dlfficul*ie8 have developed in connec- ”hiCh “ * Atlanta's incenerator actually turns up a profit of $75,000 a year. It does this through salvage and the sale of steam. The steam is used to heat most of Atlanta's downtown business buildings. The salvaging of old tin cans earns an­ other tidy sum. Scrap metal, such as discarded auto parts, bicycle frames, etc. is sold to the highest bidder. The incinerator ash has been found to be an excell­ ent base for driveways, parking lots, playgrounds and roadways. Little of this is sold, however, because of its usefulness in street repair and construction by the City. MUNICIPAL REPORTS Each year the contest for modern Municipal Reports sponsored by the Institute of Local Government at Pennsylvania State University grows in impor tance and scope. All communities know the value of a Modern Report. No commu­ nity in Wyoming V Iley has ever won or submitted a report in this contest. It might be worthwhile to look forward to participation in this activity. Write to the Institute at Penn State. The entry deadline is July 1, 1956. Remember the °ld maxim, "you can't sell 'em what you don't tell 'em. H hold. that the 8ervitude which may not lawfully 0 the owners of abutting property. It is cq_Uite ' aPParent that without regard tn meter may possess, it does effectively and u &ny other advantages the parking at the curb. In addition to assisting in the 8U atantially reduce overtime parking the parking meter increases L " ’ _ Parking turnovT/lt^6^ °f parking restrictions, second principal regulatory objective. T, at the curb. This constitutes ite that municipalities in overwhelming numbers ha e findings of this investigation reveal greatly by use of the parking meter. er“ ..ave found that turnover is augment6 e imposed without making compensaf 1 THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Wc suggest some new issue of postage a weeping stamp carrying a picture of tax Payer. are he won't know what you are y°u can always tell a fool, but the chances lklng about. �HOT-MIX CURBS t. c V Lil* wl -,rs, can be constructed I '' with or without gutte 'Vith a 4 is hot-mix. Their use i_ steadily on the increase. Asphaltic curbs, ‘ New placing machines now They heavy-duty asphaltic 21-wherever employed. mold the mixture into a varie 0,1 the give excellent service ied' with apparatus to i.. markably quick and much less y of market can be equippti of such curbs is rem; about 50£ to 70^ Per lineal foot. ®*peiu shapes. ConstructionCosts t WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, Pa range from a V., N°- 6 formerly necessary in curb c- The sive than concrete. C. fOU JUNE 15, 1956 -eluded the forms ’ • , a day. This type Coiis of ( truc. new machines havemore pre< than 2,000 feet of curbing bumb against it, abuse. When tires of cars or trucks ---tion adn can place J they d0 withstand heavy ai >als which cause rigid curbs to scale a, ■nd Pit haVe . Ice-melting cl' They require little or no maintenance. no harm. .. ROBERT H. McGREc.OR Asphalt,, CUrbdistinct advantage over any other type of v—on — a. asphaltic c_. no effect curbs. watterproof quality gives Trends in local government were outlined u v Director of the Bureau of Municipal Affairs in the n/V' McGreg°L Affairs, at the Fourth Annual Dinner of the Luzerne r °f Internal redevelopment held on May 21. Among the trends mentioned was the dT ? Officials for more and better governmental services The result citizenrF tlv exploring redevelopment to remake part of the City Nanticoke is presen y F m. City officials received plans and pr9. ment, with limited resources, has been hard pressed to ne f g°Vernunder the State RedeYJn7™tants with a view to replacing blighted areas with demanded by the public. The only choice in the face of fixed °rm 8ervices based on property taxes is to improve the operation. operating revenue SustriTlsRes and^arking areas. tettvt t?^ BRIDGE TRAFFIC A coordinated plan for changing bridge lane traffic flow to meet rush hour demands is in the discussion stage between Kingston and Wilkes-Barre. Such a change-the-lane plan must be endorsed by both communities on both sides of the Market Street Bridge. Permission of the State Highway Department is neces­ sary for the plan. Another step forward in cooperation. FIRE RADIO SERVICE Contract for a ^^^yn^y radio swarded by fire chiefs of seven seven West Side Communities tp„. Jhe sy.tm emergencies . Radios will be installed in one t ru<* in each of the ge® USed --------for r emergencies. •- ’ S_w°y Courtdale, Luzerne, ,er __ville, ..xt, Forty?/artiCipating communities: Pringle, Headquarters of West Side Mi" Mutual Aid will Kingston and Edwardsville. by the municipalities and Civil "Deft ---'ense 1 be ln Kingston. Cost will be borne The speaker listed a number of methods that have been tried in the effort to improve local government efficiency. Included among these was the increas­ ing professionalization of municipal administration - appointment of persons trained by schooling and experience. Acceptance of the manager plan is becoming more general. While 10 years ago only 36 communities were under the manager form, today the number is 75. Another major trend is the recent emphasis on long-range municipal planning and subdivision control. In stating that there are but a few municipalities that could not improve their assessment procedures, he also emphasized that this does not mean all taxpayers would be hit with the increase, but certain taxpayers will no longer get a free ride. Among Among his his closing closing remarks, remarks, Mr. Mr. McGregor McGregor expressed his desire to see higher wages for municipal employees in order to make public service more attractive. SALT duplication . , This News-letf.-. Published r origina^e6y nHuDePartrnentmonthly as a community service, ^yie^ f13 Cnll ~ -Ur . I of Wilkes College. Notes and llege- WiikeB.Barr Penn*ylvania Political Science Department, vs. CINDERS After trying salt on City streets has decided to discontinue the use of cm every spring is expected to be a tidy su f°r the whole program of snow remova ’ ter WilkeS"®arre savings in s*reet phased8 spreaders will be p �HEALTH. CERTIFICATES President of the Wilkes-Barre Board Of p Charles H. Min«r- F incipai health officer, presented certift •ftedby Edward J- Pug County who completed the Health Trainin g’ aSXht health officers in3 Board of Health and the p^.^8. Co^ This course was co-sp^ wilkes College. The following officers and Biology Departvennshak, Hanover; John Emanuel, Hanover; Louis certificates: John an Wilkes-Barre; John Wasmanski, Plains; £a H°O<^’ West Pittston; James Rule> COUNCILMEN AND COMMISSIONERS „ P princiP pal of the Service of the Dep att. Mr. Alfreds. Holt, nted certPublic ificates to nineInstitute local officials. The ment of Public Induction p^ co_sponsOred by the College and the class taught by Dr. Hugo . received certificates: George Astolfi, Public Service Institute. John Cefaiyj Ashley; Martin Gallette, Plains; Dr. John Biernac , ’ Kovalich, Newport; Anthony Kulikovs'. Stanley Scruitaky. Pringle. MERIT AWARDS Annually, the Political Science Department of Wilkes College Service Award to those local officials who have served their co™a Kni(fa fifteen years or more. These awards were presented to. _. Robert J. Wilkes-Barre; Edward Pugh, Wilkes-Barre, Principal Health O£t^e ’ Coun. William, Wilkes-Barre, Secretary to the Mayor; Joseph Jewell, a Q0Rectot cilman; Herbert Smith, Dallas, Burgess; Arthur Dungey, Dallas, ax CouncilLuther Nicholson, White Haven, Secretary; Clair Murdoch, Wyoming, port[ man; Thomas J. Williams, Laflin, Tax Collector; William Evans, °-d Havard Secretary, Board of Health; Emily Metcalf, Hanover, Secretary, micil®1811' West Pittston, Council President; Morgan Williams, West Pittston, ° De?af, Edwin Sites, Pittston, City Clerk; James Halford, Pittston, Public Sa ment; Dr. Daniel Robinhold, Forty Fort, Board of Health. CIVIL service eorboro SECRETARIES ? Tenure in office for boro co^ ’"° C°n,ention . secretaries will be an important facial 0 1sthe ^°a •c a ... ‘•ldb”' Some have the feeling that these appointed ° of tl-thoUgb ftccir; Sieves that the » ' and protection provided police. Another sc < ary should be appointed in the same way a of the stree0 (>' -tment is made according to Section 11 ■ B°r nt successor shall qualify." No doubt the L‘°C rioU0jy General Assembly will consider in 1957 very apP°^mentand^: the nure of boro secretaries. ACTS OF THE GENERA). ASSEMBLY DELINQUENT TAX SALES - Act 298 (SB 523) pPn • treasurers' sale to pay, in addition to am R®quires Purchasers at a part necessary to pay all taxes an ar™ °Unt of Purchase money or chase money; provides for the ’forteiturenofeqiia2 tO 25% °.f the pur“ fails to make complete settlement in the timSUC ,m°nies i£ Purchaser the money to be disposed of in the same ma ° manner Pr°vided, e same manner as purchase money. F!RE SALES - Act 324 (SB 780) Extends the provisions of the Act relating bankruptcy, closing out and fire sales to boros u relaUng it unlawful to conduct such sales unless licensed i WHS ^S’ maklng , • ■ r , licensed, in accordance with the provisions of the law, by the appropriate municipal officilas; pro­ vides for the payment of the license fee to the municipality of $25 permits appeals for the refusal or revocation of licenses by munici­ palities. FIRE WORKS - Act 325 (SB 842) Authorizes a municipal governing body, under reasonable rules and regulations adopted by it, to grant permits for use of fire works in connection with raising and protecting crops from birds and animal damage. PROPERTY TAXES - Act 371 (SB 832) Requires the appropriate county board to give notice to clerk or secretary of each political subdivision of (1) any change in excess of $300 in assessed value as fixed in the pre­ ceding assessment role, and (2) the value of any property separately fixed for the first time, whether such change or new valuation is made before or after an appeal to the county board or the court, fixes time limit for political subdivisions to appeal decision of the board or court to run on the day that notice is sent. BOROUGH CODE - Act 435 (HB 289) Authorizes issuance of non-debt reve­ nue bonds for altering, improving or enlarging sewer systems or sewage treatment plants, water works, and electric power and gas plants; re­ quires boros issuing such revenue bonds to adjust and, where necessary, to increase service charges to provide reserve funds for depreciation, future improvements and payment of interest and principal or indebted­ ness. _ EMINENT '.u 3 or actions .o cw of petitions DOMAIN - Act 430 /c (SB 53U) T imits theorfiling authority to a period of notice is served the owner of the affected prope “ proP" y - '■! the use of lands in coal Refuse disposal - Act 471 (hb 1593) Problbl . ,ermit is first obtained from the mining areas for refuse disposal unless P -State Department of Mines. �” Code - acx Act 456 (HB L _ Third Class City Loae wu 1809) SUBDIVISION CONTROL-ubdivision plan i8 approved by the plaimill| lg torr, 3 automatically are relieved’. fI.rorri ' p,«rides ,hat ", a„d mortgages 1 “ mission, purchases a . . __ t ---------------subdivision are freed from possible.encu^? “ability and all lots m the t fail to carry out his required improvement brance should the developer NO. ? /OL. V. ' Vilkss CollegeTH^^^ WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. JULY 15, 1956 obligations. Boro and Township Codes - Act 459 (HB 1812), Act 458 (HB 181 n md Township Codes Act 460 (HB 1813) Provides the same for boros and townships ’ and TAX REFUNDS - Act 447 (HB 111) Prohibits the refunding of taxe fees that were inadvertently or erroneously paid a municipal’ °r ^CetlSe three years prior to discovery. Y more than THIRD CLASS CITY CODE - Act 415 (Hb 876) Limits hours of service for firemen to 56 in any one calendar week where the hours of day and night service are equalized. VEHICLE CODE - Act 389 (HB 844) Authorizes municipalities and school districts to use "silent policemen" within 100 feet of school zones, begin­ ning one hour before and ending one hour after school hours; prohibits use of such devices in conflict with any rule of the Secretary of Highways; authorizes Secretary of Highways, at his discretion, to determine proper location insofar as state highways are concerned. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY anh' CaUS y°“ * “ There once was a cowboy who wore only one spur. side of the horse went, the other would too. JU8t q“etly 'ake He figured that if °ne PUBLICATION te8 ------------------------ce This Ne —- • lews-letter, published monthly as a community serV1 inquirie0 th<= Political Scie' ^ilke» fessed to Dr.-nee Department of Wilkes College. Notes an ;HugoV. Mailey, Political Science Departmen , Pen»;yI, , Ivania THE ILLUSION OF SUBURBAN ECONOMY In the rapid expansion of America's cities in recent years, the problem of the urbanite has been to establish a home for himself at the highest social level in an economy in which costs are rising. Homeowners have desperately tried to get out from under the property tax load. It has been a fond illusion of many that moving into the suburbs will accomplish this. Actually, such a result is unlikely under the best of conditions. It is true there are a few ways in which savings in taxes can be made by establishing a suburban home. In the first place, if the core city is seriously corrupt and the suburb is not, a saving equal to the waste can be made. In the second place, very large cities suffer from increasing costs per capita. Beyond a certain point, cities lose any advantage of large scale opera­ tions and begin to encounter cost increases. In the third place, crime rates, health and slum problems, and welfare ex­ penses are all likely to be greater in the core city and hence more expensive. Lu, it may be possible to have the state and Lastly, by moving into the suburbs performed by the core city and borne by county perform the services that are i the core city taxpayers. The picture of large savings is likely to be illusory, however, and for many an increase in reasons. First, a move to the suburbs almost certainly means fire insurance rates. , bv location in the suburbs (advanSecondly, any real tax advantages cause -tauzed in the sale price and ----- -apitalized tages in the site value of land) tend to become^ |oses through jerry-building The buyer loses accrues to the seller and not the buyer. T ie uy building codes i- or skimping on building materials because of xnadeq no services. Many sub­ n nnlite way of saying Thirdly, low taxes is really a p hanites expect, In moving out of a city, about contamination and a urbs do not have all the services that ur worry at _ Th1 s c aU B e D a septic tank may be necessary. iation increasest, sewers may be necesfalling water table level. And, as popn ‘ tment in a iseptic tank aary. The result is a total loss of the n �Fourthly, services that they are available are likely be This means that are not likely to be to eithe amateurs. inexpensive. erf°rr ~ d by me r Satisf-^ctory a, _ y or Hhe’city but the suburbanite can be assured that they wiU thaase « 4 lnc^e Ld pace If one family is attracted to a particular Suburb, many ^iUbe, too.’ As population density increases, the need for urban servi, others increases Each new service must be paid for by additional taxes. r-- -ices Water and sewerage systems must be installed. Streets need paving Street Ughts must be installed. Urbanites demand many services. The discovery that these services must be paid for results ! in bitter illusionment to the suburbanite who had believed that suburban dis. Dving includ, the having of the cake as well as the eating of it. led CONTROL OF SIGNS It is unlawful to place any sign, banner, , or advertising matter of whatsoever on or across any public road or highway, or on or across any kind ture within the legal limits of any public road any strucobtained the written consent of the authorities or highway without first having responsible for the of such public road. rnaintenance »ZZZZZZpow" overhanging signs Other types of political subdivisions P^ers, discussed in an may regulate signs under general zoning earlier issue. garbage AND REFUSE DISPOSAL Third-class cities, boros, and townf’ . prohibit the dumping or otherwise depositin; ships have the power to regulate or or to prohibit the accumulation of garbage r ag garbage or rubbish within their ar Upon petition of the majority of adult taxable and rubbish upon private propertytownship which has been defined as a village, or contract for removal of ashes, garbage, residents of any territory 'sr*tb*?(jg ment sufficient to defray the cost of such removal. township supervisors may Pr°Vfi3e8i' or refuse and levy a per capita a ^phalt U) the/S Curbs and f CURBS and gutters gutters have four dii omical to construct ■ lact advantages over other type 1 construct; (3) they can be „ out 20% of the cost of otherW constructed much faster; ( <2) the* are eTsre eC°n01 8^r seX^ . SHADE TREE COMMISSIONS Third-class cities, boros, ’ and first-class townships may establish a Shade Tree Commission, which will have townships -1/e custody and control of the shade trees within the municipality. ■ exclusive The Commission may plant, remove, protect, and maintain shade trees along the . Any action on the part of the Commission must be published in one streets or more newspapers. The cost of any planting, replanting, or removal must be owner of the property in front of which paid by the the work is done. for the trees will be paid by the mun: The cost of caring icipality. In first-class townships the i Commissioimers are e-----or remove any trees, shrubbery, empowered' to cut, alter , or underbrush within the legal public street. Any wood becomes the p--- ' ' o_. width of any property of the abuttingj owner but must be removed from the highway within ten days. In second-class f townships the planting of trees along roadsides is encouraged by an abatement under certain conditions of one dollar of road tax for every two trees set out, by an allowance for every tree growing naturally by the side of a highway, 1 ' and by the imposition of a penalty for the cutting of such trees. Trees3 growing along uncultivated lands may not be cut down or destroyed without the consent of the abutting owner if they measure four inches or more in diameter and are beyond 1 fifteen feet on either side of the center line of the road. In the case of roads running through improved or cultivated lands, shrubs or trees may be cut or destroyed if the supervisors feel they interfere with public travel, and only after notifying the abutting property owner of the contemplated action. STATE ASSOCIATION OF BOROS State Association of Boros. Sectio , are authorized to organize 1 017 of the Boro the Code as amended Act 262 of 1955. The Boros of thec Commonwe interests of theby a State Association of Boros for the purpose o£ council and payment of Boros; any boro may join the association y mo delegates from the elected the annual dues. Council may designate one or meeting of the association °r appointed officials of the boro to attend t e a the procedure allowed which shall be held in the Commonwealth in acc eg incurred in attending the bY law, each delegate shall be allowed for i s . and returning from the Meeting $20 per day together with 8< Per ting shall not be more than three Meeting. The time spent in attending said thereto and therefrom. Each daya exclusive of the time employed in travei 9Uch reasonable dues as bo: *o becoming a member of the association ‘oro8 having a population o hii iay be fixed by the association but sue les8 than 1, 000 shall not exceed $15. �applications municipal fund Act 655, passed in the payment of $30, 000, 000 to of roads, streets ai._ 1 '’j . st session of the Legislature, provides f°r the V. NO. 8 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, -tor Li, PA. AUGUST 15, 1956 Fund. . rmula under Act 655 is identical with that used in •'The allocation tor i cent mileage basis and 40 per PrevioJS years. The money is^ {he Act specifies and that is how the Departiment P0Pulation basis. Tnat 15 ", 000 000 additional provided in Act 655 ■rnent has X’S’Xip.Uty. rural Ind urban, will receive more U i8 obmoney. -ouS Vears provided only $18, 000, 000 in State ' "Legislation inpm this to $30, 000, 000 a year. In addition aid to the municipalities. Act b municipalities, the Act eliminates the matching ----- 1 to increasing the amount for the ^Xs required the municipalities to raise p.ovf.ic which “J fully In the State program. ■■ $4, 000, 000 locally in order to pa p To qualify for the money each municipality is required to furnish the Depart­ rr.ent of Highways with specific information spelled out in the Act. These reports must be submitted to the Department's district engineers in charge of the area in which the municipality is located. They are then checked for accuracy and forwarded to the Central Office and thence to the fiscal offices for payment. The first semi-annual payment is due on June 1, the second on December 1. Municipalities which have not forwarded report forms to highway district engi­ neers are urged to do so promptly. LEGISLATION AFFECTING MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES amends Section 4B (h) of the Municipal Act to Act 145 - remove any question regarding the fact Authorities that services of so an as authority, as well as rates, are under the jurisdiction of the Court of Common Pleas of the county where the principal office of the authority is located. Appeals are provided within thirty days after the final decision of the Court of Common Pleas. Act 633 - provides and authorizes the Department of Highways to enter into an agreement with a municipal authority for the sharing in the cost of any construction, reconstruction, or alteration of any sewer, water, or gas line due to any construction, relocation, or widening of any highway or bridge. If no agreement is reached, then the PUC will determine the cost to be borne by each party. Act 430 - limits to six years the period in which a person having any interest in land taken by an authority may petition for the appointment of a board of viewers to fix the damages. ASSESSMENTS thoughts for TODAY No man is remembered because he lived long. lived well. (Only some look it.) His chances are better if be The trouble with blunt words is that they have sharp edges. PUBLICATION This News -letter, .’ published monthly as a community service, . -eS the Political bcie addressed to Dr*'ince Depart: rtment of Wilkes College. Notes and in<^^ke9 Hugo V. ] Wilkes-Barre, Mailey, Political Science Department, CoW“ PennsypIvania. The 1956 figures of the State Tax ^X*et average, in the County, real estate is asse t fixed value. The market value for property in the Cou y V In 1954> $712,695,400 while the assessed valuation was se a is due to the the assessment was 36.7% of the market 0 hne the assessed valuation fact that the market value increased by $ > , resulted in some types did not keep pace, plus the fact that a loss mig of assessed valuations. ■ ,o8% about 3 1/2% higher than the average Generally, the State average is 39.8/o, in Berks County and Clear *n the County. There have been spectacu ar c lowest rate field County Centre County assessed its property while Clearfield was the highest - 75.7 o. high of 50. 2% in Newport to a low Assessments in the County range from a end of the ladder are such communi16.8% in Dallas Township. At the uppci 42826 �■ 1k s Barre, Ashley, Jenkins, Laflin> w Hanover, Wil* ' q{ the ladder are cornmuniti, arrior CODIFICATION Uke ^lip, N“ngO1‘' Sale”’ Kin8stonTLea ' Dallas Township, Da and Fairview. ACTS OF THE . MJ) A.^i.g boroughs with approval o£ the court to iniProve Act 98 (HB 683) *burial grOunds. and maintain neglecte A thnrizing payment for certain improvements in rm°nthly Act 142utoent°s8and further regulating the entrance of liens in the prothon, -aotary's office. Act 148 (HB 1469) - Requiring recorder of deeds in certain cases to report transfers of property to borough tax collectors. Act 266 (HB 1763) - Extending the time for payment on purchases of borough property. Act 282 (SB 520) - Regulating the procedure to be followed in enacting necessary ordinances in the course of preparing a consolidation, codification or re­ vision of ordinances. Act 531 (HB 1474) - Amends the Borough Code regulating the power of the borough to raise its annual tax for general purposes from fifteen to twenty mills without appealing to the court. retirement at half pay aftel XentvOlfSh P°hCe °f m°re’ age. P y twenty-five years of service and sixty years of Act 128A (SB 38) - Providing for payments by the Cornrn°nWeasewage treat**16” 1th to -municiP ties which have expended money to acquire and construct se a^es $3> ali' plants in accordance with the Clean Stream Program. ApPr j^uniciP”^ to the Department of Health for payments to municipalities an other authorities toward the cost of maintaining, repairing, replaci cent 0 expenses relating to sewage treatment plants not to exceed tw the annual costs. thoughts £QR today An c~ 0Ptimist ia a man who is glad he is not one "-3 credhoVs3'1 °f feeling sorrY he cannot pay his biH8< °f his A millennium is ■""'•tag like b”° «—• h. GENERAL ASSEMBLY a centennial, only it has more legs- recorded Did you know that pasting typed copies of ordinances or r in the ordinance book probably does not legally newspaperfo:clippings legally meet meet the the requirement ------ .or recording? Did you know that ordinances must be Properly signed and attested to? Municipal ordinances are in poor condition in tunate because ordinances are municipal legislating^ places‘ This is unforto the municipality and its citizens as state laws are^o th^ JUSt important Local governments cannot operate efficientlv and d ° 6 State and its citizens. „e u..d wisely ihrou8h c.,lt.^ "“Z™7 The condition of ordinances is largely a result of the failure of municipal oKiHa! t nize the importance of periodic revision and codification. ? 1 ° recog' Many ordinances become obsolete with the passage of time, the change in local conditions or the adoption of more recent ordinances on the same subject not expressly repealing previous ones. Some municipalities have been in existance for over 200 years and have an accumulation of all the ordinances passed during that time without modernization or codification. The solicitor may feel the lack of a modern municipal code most strongly, since he is asked to give answers to many questions based on local ordinances. He is confronted with conflicts between ordinances, between ordinances and the Municipal Code, and between ordinances and other state laws and regulations, not to mention overlapping and obsolete ordinances. He must find and study the relevant ordinances and its amendments. These may be recorded in several different ordinance and minute books and some may not be recorded at all. Mose citizens and even many municipal officials think the solicitor can take a quick look at the ordinance books and give the correct answer to any legal question in volving ordinances. Thus, many solicitors are unjustly criticized for not knowing the law of the municipality. t be held responsible for the confused Likewise, the clerk or secretary canno pxnected to perform his many condition of local ordinances. He should no * p weR His primary job, as other duties and codify and revise the ordina perly in the ordinance ^r as ordinances are concerned, is to,recordJa^e to interpret ordinances. b°ok. It is definitely not his duty or his p Periodic revieion oi ordinances U or Partially ineffective from a number at every session that may change the s amount of borough solicitors' bonds lbe law was recently changed to g*vt0[ the bond. existing orth”aU ly had to be ix the authority . Y ordinance, but amount �state laws and local ordinances Utl^8s frequently invalidate ed in the courts there is no way to be The courts is challengeCerUin the law or ordinance or legality- Some laws and ordinances have be:ei> in before being nullified by the courts of its consti tutionality or more b effect for a half century . 8 cattle fOL V< Changing conditions y-^aled just because it is no longer used, an or dj from running at large on There u nance is not automatically repe may, with unquestionable legal authority,’ decid/ always the risk that someone ---- » ordinance with embarrassing results. to prosecute under an obsolete uttijycr the various amendments in their r Hification involves more than pu parts of ordinances specifically proper places and eliminating> or1 and deleting those repealed repealed. It also involves■ aisca ;J ones or otherwise replaced by the inclusion bv implication or superceded by 1 ordinances are then arranged Of new and modern ordinances. and indexed according to subje - parts o£ ordinances are omitted, ordinances are put in the code. This reduCi »e —- — Indexing is very important since it largely determines the accessibility of the ordinances in the code. Each provision of every ordinance should be thor­ oughly indexed and cross-referenced under all conceivable headings so that even the new councilman can find within seconds the specific provision of the ordinance he is seeking. and rTd-7U^CiPa^tZ ShOald “d ^idX ord^nCeS- Solicitor> clerk, or secretary to revise " j°b f°r eXPertS trained in edifying, editing, for that of the municipal official^on locai° T attempt tO substitute their judgmen; times desire to keep cert-in r d1 1 ordlnances- Municipal officials somebut for which there is a t0 an °Utsider may seem unnecessa: biting the hitching of horsZ reason- For example, an ordinance prohimunities, yet there mav bp L /*e.es Would be obsolete in most Pennsylvania comsylvania Dutch area where & PartlCUlar need for it in a municipality in the Penntrade. The codifiers' job is t pe°ple horse-drawn vehicles come to town to harmony with state lavza reaniT 6 municlPal law consistent, modern, and in ) tin: codifiers are checked -nr^10ns’ and court decisions. Changes recom®^1 «ning body before being mco “ appr°ved by the solicitor and the municipal gov. incorporated into the municipal code. publication This News-;, better, published monthlv •he Political Scie: --nee Department monthly of WiiJ commanity service, or ^dressed to Dr ^US° V. Mailev D kes College. Notes and inquire60 Wilkes-Barre, blailey, Pennsylvan^ Z’ olitlcal Science Department, Wilkes Collet •vania. NO. 8 I. WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, pA> SEPTEMBER 15, 1956 ACT NO. 600 Principal Basic ProVi8ions This Act makes it mandatory for all boroughs and . apolice force of eight or more full-time officers to ♦"nshlps maintaining for their retirement. The retirement under snob = e0tabllsh a definite system minimum of half salary based on the average montKh provide for a five years prior to retirement. y earnings over the last To qualify for retirement, the individual officer must have attained the age of 60 and have completed a minimum of 25 years of service to this age in the municipality providing the retirement, In cases of less than 25 years of service to age 60, retirement is deferred to an older age by which time 25 years of service would be attained. The retirement benefits can be established and proved through the services of an insurance company, by the establishment of a self-administered plan or a combination of those two types of retirement planning. In addition, where Social Security is in effect for Police Officers, this coverage can also be a part of the overall retirement system. In the case where the system is entirely self-admin­ istered, the services of an actuary must be employed. However, when the planning is established through the services of an insurance company, an actuary is not needed as the insurance company serves in this capacity. provided the status of the police officer s emp oy Senate Bill 1019 which establishes the requiremen police officers. The qualifications are basically a ata stipulated hourly or monthly wage. T eJ™6™ than 5% monthly compensation; and when Socia hours and pay for full time mum of 40 hours per week monthiy not less ity ais0 exists, not less than on excess. The on the portion covered by Social Security remainder of the obligation is paid by the oro g an actuary. township as determine : municipality from taxes on foreign £ for purposes of pension, retirement, uaed as ugh follows: (I) reduce unfunded wi9e sii or township, and (3) reduce member pecified) may apply equally to member Gifts, etc. (unless otherw Payments by the State Treasurer casualty insurance company ^ability benefits of policemen shal Ability, (2) apply annual obligation Contributions. rnunicipal portions of future cos �When a fund is established under this the actaary borough u- Act, Act me Moxvugxxisortotownship shaU , ,:shed under this a > determine; tab is compensation^ ,nal members, (2) offset assets employ an actuary and fix his compensation. .nd to service for 8 un£anded liability, (3) unfunded (1) liability on account of prior transferred from any previous fund to dete fanded over a period not tn liability to be paid entirely by bor•°Ughbat ?or "future service". ontribution for exceed 25 years, and (4) annual cc Traffic Analysis Traffic Classification Traffic Density Maximum, per Per lane, lane, per day Daily Volume of Passenger Cars and Light Trucks* Light ASPHALT-PAVED STREETS 25 Medium • determining structure: estima. There are three basic steps in ^afftc. (2)pavement determination of the (1) support tion of the weight, volume ana yp selection of the design mix and thickness value of the subgrade or natur . V gervice u£e and quality desired based on the above two surveys and of the pavement Light Traffic Asphalt Pavement Type o o Single Surface « j Treatment u o k CO T3 O g h Double Surface Treatment s Road Mix ■O !S. 0 Q U o a x W Plant Mix 0 'H Macadam Asphaltic Concrete Medium Traffic Quality Cost Quality Cost Choice Choice Choice Choice 6 th 1st 6th Heavy Traffic Very Heavy Trail — Quality Choice Cost Choice Quality C Choice Ch 1st 5 500 25 Heavy Unlimited 250 Very Heavy Unlimited * Unlimited Single Axle Load of 6, 000 lbs. or less. BORO Selection of Asphalt Pavement Types for Different Densities of Traffic, as Influenced by Service Life, Quality, and Cost Factors Daily Volume of Commercial Trucks and Buses CONVENTION - JARZENBOWICZ The topic on the Borough's stake in industrial development really turned into a session on redevelopment. Since most redevelopment takes place in outlying townships, borough officials were urged to assist in planning for an entire area instead of planning just for the one community. One answer to the problem of shortage of industrial sites within a borough is to redevelop blighted areas otherwise suitable for this type of enterprise. State laws now permit a new land use under redevelopment which may be any­ thing that good planning calls for - industrial, commercial, residential, or any combination of these. 5th 2nd 5th 4th 3rd 4th 3rd 4th 1st 3rd 4th 3rd 4th 3rd 2nd 5th 2nd 5 th 2nd 3rd * 2nd 1st Cost choice for this t nd the ^lability Of’ 6th 1st • an area in Chester, Pa., Federal assistance already has been approv In New Jersey, which will be utilized in part for industrial ParkinS. Trenton, a coal-dumping and a twenty-six acre blighted residential section, adja. under which the storage yard has been approved for a Federa c p commercial and indusredevelopment site will be sold to private in 2nd 6th 1st 4th Cruahed aggregategariable’ dePendin8 uPon Redevelopment authorities are 1st C°' in Redpvpinnr^o-* t ->■The g there »»a declare ordinance or or re.oUlwn — . by „y oromance resolution that^ Th„9, the »n t0 function within the limits of the city 'action within the limits of the city thr0Ugh cooperati boro -^ participate in this PrOfa™ 'r°ughs can participate in this progra county comm regional planning. may a 9 ^^nt authority- " Planning. Boroughs Boroughs may also authority and work with the county r bor°agh may set up a redevelopment au thority • g to sct up individual �WHAT'S NEW? , nv nroject has been temporarily delayed nntil all property ASHLEY - The S°X“ and Waters DeS entry. creek project »' ,he S“,e D'Partment °f seen as all «U property property <owners ”™"s sign tha the "8hts WILKES-BARRE - Applications VOL- V. NO.10 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, Pa OCTOBER 15, 1956 of have been received from thirty men fOr NUISANCE ABATEMENT AND PRqtrcTion .. are becoming scarce and because indusKINGSTON - Because desirable lots Jiusual, a decline in permits for building trial expansion last year was i is expected. SWOYER VILLE - Resurfacing of some of the borough streets has been com. pleted. WILKES-BARRE - The amusement tax may yield $20, 000 less than budget estimates for 1956. FORTY FORT - The Council approved the construction of a storm sewer at a low spot on River Street. PLYMOUTH - Because of about $90, 000 in debts, the Council is considering the floating of a bond issue. WEST PITTSTON - Borough Council has started plans for the centennial celebration of the borough next year. EXETER - Council has asked its solicitor to prepare to seek an injunction against an ash cinder plant claiming that it is a nuisance. thoughts for today Those rare individuals who look down on their neighbors are on a bluff. usually living Children between 4 and 17 are at their and 17 the questions; and at 174 they know all the mental peaks. answers. At 4 they know all PUBL1CATION This Ni ews-letter, published the p<'olitical Science Department monthly of Wilkes---- .w addreissedtoDr. HugoV. Mailey, Political as Scie a community service, origina^e Wilkes-Bar. ,C°1}ege* Notes and inquiries re, Pennsylvania ince Department, Wilkes OF PUBLIC HEALTH Third Class Cities, Boroughs and Tow h' regulations prohibiting and requiring the removals authoritY to make vate grounds. Penalties are provided for non-comnlia nCeS on Public and priThe word "nuisance" is broadly defined and includes ,,nCe.Wlth such regulations, "dangerous conditions", "manufactures", "business" n°X10US"’ "offensive" or "weeds" prejudicial to the public health a’nd safety ^h "p^8"’ "structures" or Boroughs, and Townships of the First Class havP L of Health of Cities, mises and after due warning to abate and remove all P°Wer to insPect pre­ deem "prejudicial to the public health." rsances which they shall Supervisors of Townships of the Second Class may prohibit nuisances which are specified as accumulations of garbage and rubbish, the storage of abandoned or junk automobiles on private or public property, and the carrying on of any offensive manufacture or business. They also are empowered to remove any nuisance or dangerous structure on private or public ground after failure of the owner to do so. The obstruction of highways by the felling5 ^moVed" turning of roads is specifically punishable i S°durnpings of rubbish, glass or on notice given by the Township Supervisor • imprisonment, metal on streets or highways is also punishable by fine In the codes of Cities of the Third Class^Bo^rounder certain the First Class, the definition of "nuisance" is ex ay. The First Class conditions a public street or portion thereo , o a street or portion ot a a public street Township Law empowers the Board of Hea dure and on petition 01 a empowers street to be a nuisance, whereupon by Court P d< In the Borough Co Pr°perty owners the street referred to may e made by the council o declaration that such an area is « nUiSa:“iTedStby cZe'l. may P'"*™'X«p» B“t»ugh. In a city the Mayor, when author .£ nuisance. ‘ J o{ view„s to » P«‘ such find ,he proper to be a I!?r>y a"0 make a report to the Court,■ “^within sixty days. ' of the Publi, lc nuisance and the nuisance is not als0 made for the y of a Cityr rnay proceed to take action. Provisio declares sue passageway to to their pro/ay, alley, or lane if the Boar o owners to acce . a Publi -ic nuisance and if the right of prop " Common Pleas stating any property has lh' Court may appoint viewers from the County Csa8a8ew‘' Pttyi8 Protected. �MKTHODlorESTABUSHlNG A. Use of Insurance THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM Company Services B. Use of Self-administered System ■ for one person or any number of persons is providing a pension to q{ a sufficient amount to guaran. • iiv a matter of the accumuta amount of money required in any tee the pension for thelife of1 the^^^y^lled actuarial tables . These ? instance must be based on wha thousands of lives . The requiretables are the resu^.°^X same for both the insurance company and the self, administered plan. . and the sum of $1,923. for a ffemale. Therefore, taking the male ., monthly pension of $100. to his cre 1 r.is anticipated, this monthly inexample.■ , r sents a total of $16,7 50. Continuii aS an ng, if a group consisted of 10 repre coTe mployees, their pension commitments on the basis of $100. per month rnale? d a total of $167,500. •esents reprt AsSuming that both the insurance company and the actuary of the . t red system use the same figures, one major difference between sei)lf'adTnin^liods becomes apparent if an individual, or the group as a whole, and the accumulated funds are expended. Under such circumthe two 1116 lives too lon®insurance plan continues to pay the income without further cost 5tanCeSh’ Xf^administered plan requires additional funds. If-administered plan requires additional funds. It is interesting to note that increased lonaevitv ha • Sion costs over the years and such increases will continue 1.nCreased Pen' ffillbe 30 to 40 years before many pensions coming under’ a* day will retire, it is only common sense to establish a ref P S1°n Plan t0' guaranteed cost basis at the beginning, thereby assuring f “vZgX & Pension costs are primarily determined by the number of persons in­ volved in any pension group. The minimum number of persons in a group may vary according to the opinion of the actuary but in no case, according to the best of opinion, can any accurate prediction be established on less than 400 lives. be k-°”" -- - More attention should be paid to trends in pension cases since these benefits are chiefly future obligations. Life insurance companies employ the finest actuarial talent available and what has been their experience in predicting The insurance company establishes their requirements on thousands of lives and will guarantee their prediction. The actuary under a self-administered the amounts required to pay a life income? The following facts are based upon the average experience of the 30 largest U. S. companies. The figures shown plan cannot make an accurate prediction on a small number of lives and if and are not the selling price but rather the expected net cost to the insuring com­ when such a prediction is made, the mistakes or errors in the prediction are the liability of the group and not that of the actuary. pany and are for age 65 rather than age 60. er t^le insurance company funded plan or the self-administered funded plan deaths and termin'^.deaths and terminations . In most selfadministered plans, vance. The insuraince ’ company Diann,- & 10nS’ or credits are discounted in ad­ in both instances, it the discount is in C&n a^so de discounted in advance, but °fthe^-g from Jh^ct for the group, this simply shifts the actual costs <' ’ —J most likely be disaTtro” tHe plan tO a later date when a shift in costs would The best 1lype of planning ia tn a then accumulate the -r&dit as it occurs T,elterrn*ne the full cost in advance and ■ ■acti' cal way of establishiin8 a Pension plan wkrneth°d is the only sure and pr' certainties. h,'h eltoinate future financial un- Based on ?' actuarial tables covering experience on thousa which gives the lowest -t cost attainable, the insurance company actus example, that in order to pay an in retiree may live beginning at age ' 60, icome of $10.00 per month for as a male retiree must have a -111 find q£ live6 ng aS Amount required to pay a life income of $10.00 per mcnth, 10 years certain, to a male age 65 1932 1942 1952 $1,350 $1,503 $1,616 ^crease in cost over 1932 11.3% 19.7% computed the 1932 figure The best actuarial minds in the country who f°und tk iUC UeSt actaariaL minds in tne money to pay nn 4-4time 4*they rs x r really r o 11 V needed 11. the s, that at in 10 v years 11. 3 Per funds required benefit. At the end J10 more years, the addmo-l , can do I had in - ■ *— er cent! Why should any pension group Mterc?reased to 19% p lCr inc ’jr fo. itself against could protect It Height seem that the pension group a Single Premium Annuity conrisk on Cost of benefits by simply buying retires, passing the annuity ich employee as that employee i-- (continued page 4) �WHAT'S new? (or„e«P»H« cruiser and new police uniform s were FORTY FORT - Bids Council because only one bid was received. rejected by the itracted with an outside road conThe commissioners have con: of certain streets. plains for the improvement tractor , an ordinance controlling strip mining by ASHLEY - Boro Council passed ' requiring back-filling, and requiring a bond. setting time for blasting, A new ordinance would require property owners on a WEST WYOMING one third of the cost of construction. new street to pay an application to file for a Permit SWOYERVILLE - Boro Council approved for waste di KINGSTON - Street Department employees have completed the annual oil and chips on the boro streets. HANOVER - The Township has adopted a zoning ordinance planning commission to be presented to the commissioners for adoption. WEST PITTSTON - The Council has authorized the purchase of a two-way radio system. (Retirement System) Sin^ 1"SUranCe comPanY- The trouble with such a plan would be the fact that can est-bbT/'t-111-—"ulty COntracts have also gone up in cost, and no one haps individu-’°-Qll/-PnCe f°r SUCh a policy many years in the future. Pertee in advance the^c^Tth1111 P°11Cles are the onlY method which will guaran? - e o. the entire pension to be paid. THOUGHTS for k'»eaa.".ZXmed. 8r?rdfo'r a man to acquire a large vocabulary. All to step on somebody PUBLICATION This Nev- . ^-letter, ginates in the Political PubLshed m “^tinent^f a com munity service, Quirigg community service. onScie:nce ^ may be addressed to Dr Depart: . Wilkes " i^es College. Notes College. Notes and a— inCollege, Wilke . -Barre, •PenHugo V. j- Mail ey, Political Science Depart insylvania VOL- V. NO. 11 NOV 211955 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. November is, i956 Wiles HORSHAM FIRE COMPANY This case is unique m that it has to d ■ responded to an alarm to fight the common enemv comPanies which other." With this statement Justice Musmano of the q UP fighting each vania began his opinion in a case resulting from thJ P.reme Cou^t of PennsylMontgomery County fire companies back on October q ToJ0" °f the truck« of two the opinion whether the building was destroyed bv th V are not told in untangled themselves, but we do know that the d/™/ . ,Whlle the C0I«panies lone exceeded $10,000.00. go to the Horsham truck a- The accident occurred at the intersection of Welsh Road and Butler Pike and the Fort Washington truck drove through a "Stop" sign at an allegedly high speed while the Horsham truck was entering at a reduced speed. The jury found that the driver of the former was guilty of reckless disregard of the rights of others on the highway, even though he had certain privileges under the Motor Vehicle Code. In upholding the verdict of Jury against Ft. Washington, the court gave some sound advice to firemen, as follows: must in effect lose their priority rights an e far as rights against each other are concerne . TODAY A sure WaY to get off on the else's toes. wrong foot is ~ I be quite strange to hold, rmeet at an intersection they as appellant's counsel argues that if two fire tru“ both have an equal right to be there, and if they P^ collide that is simply ible . The law is not one of the risks involved in getting to a fire as a is not merely to make s° fatalistic as that. The object of a fire truck s J Jdriver .g t0 ignore a show of rushing to a fire, but actually to ge through obviously imperi S •U elements of safety driving at breakneck .peedthe „b.le ob hazards, he may not only kill others en route, kct of the mission and not get there at all. fire companies. It may save yOl, Bl-ing this case to the attention of your 11 rr>oney. �FARMERSAKEACAINSTrT In hundreds of letters major portion of them are request ceived by the State Highway Department > or demands for improved highways. a occurs when some are pretty well 3atBu' the unusual sometimes letter from a farm wife in Bucks County. lSfi■ed ' with old style roads. Here is a "We live on a farm which has a <county road which so far has be en .... ........1 hear they are going to macademiz safe for our children to cross now we —‘26 it. It children for it has a hill and a driver can not see will be a death trap for our C— what is below and it could be a child. We almost live on the road and now the way the road is they still come down at 50 miles an hour and if it was mn c s. d g ize; ■oulZjust be impossible for them to stop in time. Why not leave the road the wi _ way it is and let our children be safe. If it is true that they are going to do it could we vote against it. They sure dont need to make this road of our's a speed way because the highway is only 1 mile from our little farm. "Please let me know what to do if they are going’to macAd«^, we have four families up here against it and two for it. " 1Ze for TRAFFIC SIGNS An increasing number of localities are iimproving „ their traffic signs with a "do it yourself" sign maintenance package. It enables workers to reflectorize painted signs and refurbish old signs with "Scotchlite" sheeting. The equipment includes a heat lamp, vacuum, applicator, and a variety of plain and reflectorized sign blanks and faces. Write: Minnesota Mining and Mfg.> St. Paul 6, Minnesota. ^™aldB£lopmewt industrial development ’ of interest in on th< th ?nited States today °Untn the m°St raPidly developing fields ment work " 10cal ^vel has been r n°W> the bulk of industrial developcommerce activTe related §rouP- On th^1^ °n b/ the local chambers of velopment C"’r“U>“atC industrial d.entered into th. worpUre. °f lndustrial dev.|SS" Even the federal government has Although some very little ill"13 °n the County 1316011 although on a limited sca", said that i— ..... Un '.^“''’‘derel^^'11 » general, however, it counties in th, “■•ed State,. Pm'« work is currently being earned on by WMN.p.w No inter„t? Such a situation is extremely unfortun,mate; for the county logically -3, which should in many instances be the is the area ,.u primary unit for such activity. should be especially true of counties in the ln the Middle And this Pennsylvania. __ .a Atlantic States, which includes The industrial development picture presents “ aF paradox; [ her of municipalities have little with wk.aaoxaa or... easily exploit the potential of theroom sparsely. SetH\ed eXpand -ttrwhi le the count^", expand, while the industrial development groups are the answer, a °f the counties Count °U1<1 wi.ty of Jobs: w" • A county organisation a^y 1. efforts devel 2. Co-ordinating Publicizing thethe county on of . national"",?""'" th. „«.ty. 3. Compiling a list of available industrial = .„ 4. Maintaining a storehouse of informal ’ ordinances, maps, water supply, tax rates, assessment Services’ zoni"g 5. Co-operating with the governing kr.A,, etC< ties in providing services to industry. 63 ° the countl"s municipal!. The time has come for counties in the United States to take cognizance of the industrial development in the interest of their welfare and that of the muni­ cipalities in the county. NOT,ES ON MEETINGS Class for magistrates meets every Friday evening. Class for probation officers meets every Monday evening. Class for Borough and Township Secretaries ** J^rne county Local Too bad many missed the October meeting of he L pennsyl. Officials with Clifford H. McConnell, Chief of Flood Con vania Department of Forests and Waters. rhprnesski Director of The November meeting “ with Anthony r.^nern.^ Bureau of Social Security for Municipal Employees ic, and »»»-mov.1- Th. date .nd The January meeting will be on i.--Weaker win be! announced. ------- PUBLICATION ’ ’ ' as a community service, originates This News-letter, published monthly of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may ’n the rPolitical Science Department c Political Science Department, Wilkes College, J^/ddr,?e^sed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, *lke8-Barre, • Pennsylvania �WHAT'S NEW? VOL. V. N 12 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. DECEMBER 15, 1956 --- of Streets states that the rnewly adOpted WILKES-BARRE - The Director for street cleaning has received the heart schedule of streets 1_ — iy endorsement of all citizens and is working well. VliW ANNIVERSARY This issue marks the fourth anniversarv r u News-letter published for local officials. ADnr„ • Y he Luzerne County :il will borrow $10, 000 to pay curr^ ent expenses ASHLEY - The counc: out every month. The first issue of this NewsC°PieS are “ailed gram at the dinner for the graduates of the first cla r f°rm of a Pr°and township commissioners in December 19s? , borough councilman in 1952. • Only 35 copies were printed LARKSVILLE - The Mountain Road may be taken over by the State High. way Department in January. PITTSTON - Employees of the Street Department started re surfacing Frothingham Street. who have made this News-letter possible: Dr. Eugene S^. Mey Indtheloarf NANTICOKE - The Council intends repairing the broken sanitary sewer lines in the near future. of Trustees of Wilkes College; all those who are part of the "production" staffand the local officials who find the letter interesting and informative. NUANGOLA - Borough Councilman, Charles A. Jones passed away last month. Mr. Jones was among the select few in the first class of Borough Councilmen, who received certificates from the PSI and the Political Science Department on December 15, 1952. SPEAKER The speaker for the next meeting of the Luzerne County Local Offi­ cials will be William B. Wilkinson from Cayuga Salt Sales Service. He will be accompanied by Mr. Carl Warren, engineer for the firm. "Ice and Snow Removal with Salt" Subject: Monday, January 21, 1957 at 6:30 P M. Time: Luzerne County Boroughs Association Host: -RDS\ ILLE - The tax income from the Shopping Center on Narrows Road has jumped 400% in the last two years. Whereas the area was is asno Per acre 10 years ago, today the ground in the area is assessed at $20 per foot. TRAINING COURSE FOR BOROUGH SECRETARIES THOUGHTS FOR today The remaining three meetings of this training course Working for the public is rough - if you're a deserve the job, if you're not you can't get it. liar you <J°n a two Another way men learn to be °id 8'MOchild whoTte ‘ _oss. good losers is by trying to Wednesday January 16, 1957 teach Wednesday ebruary2Qj 1957 ARTHUR HOOVER Wilkes College CONNIE LIZDAS Wilkes-Barre Record ROBERT FREEBURN follow: "Improving Contacts With Citizens" "Finance and Budget preparation" HERMAN OTTO League Pennsylvania Economy (continued on page 2) 1 �located in the fore part of each ordinance : booh, is an alphabetical ind f this kind has twenty-six pages , one page for c each The typical index Entries are made on the appropriate alphab, etical letter of the alphabet ' •. This type of ordinance index is more suit. page in chronology ------is only one ordinance book than where there are tw ° or able where there 1 several books. the annual report The printed annual report has received increasing attention from municipal officials during recent years. The number of municipalities issuing annual reports has increased as urban population has spiraled and municipal activities have expanded. Although it is desirable that the following topics be included in the annual report, it is not expected that all of them will receive the equal emphasis or be reported in a stereotyped pattern. The size of the municipality, the scope of municipal services, and the number of municipal activities engaged are factors which dictate the content of the report. The report may, however, be divided conveniently into six parts; Introduction Legislation and general administration Municipal services "Managerial" and "Auxiliary" services City's finance 6. Planning municipal services 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. section are of prima ’■ arran6ernent< and attractiveness of the introductory factor in arousing the7 lmp°rtance and frequently will be the determining design and should emnh^-ei" ! interest- The cover should be of attractive cipality for a definite n ■ booklet is the annual report of the mum municipal buildings n^,?0 ° time’ usually a fiscal year. Pictures of have Proven to be e;fecdvpC°n8trUCtion8 - °r outline maps of the city or state eCtive cover designs. The introdrPM administrativ, ’-'rs in a^S° should contain a directory of nlUI\ary --/e office of outstanding th® £overning body, and a brief surrl. ‘n8 municipal eventBC a statement of -ens' rol ° • P&St year ’ A final desirable feature the citiz, v>ces affect the indgovernment, indicating how city ser ■Vidual in his PW,iCiW“ '• — everyday Hfe and how the individual can -—tent, (contii lnued in the next issue) TRAINING COURSE FOR BORottc-H SECRETARIES (continued) HOWARD KENNEDY, former "Municipal Liability. solicitor, Wilkes-Barre J. F. SALLADA Greater Wilk.s-B.er. As..ciltion of Agents PLACE: Harding Hall, Wilkes Colleg.;e, Room 201 TIME: 7:30 P M. to 9:30 P.M. INQUIRIES: Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Wilkes College Wednesday March 20, 1957 INDEXING ORDINANCES It seems beyond debate that municipal ordinances should be in­ dexed to be useful to local officials and citizens. All major subject titles should be nouns, since these are usually usually the headings which most officials are likely to look for. Adequate indexing demands that a given piece of legislation be indexed under a number of different titles, i.e. , that there be ample cross references to the various categories of subjects contained in one ordinance. Naturally, if the index is to be useful, it should be kept at all times with the ordinance books. Users should be required to refrain from removing, misplacing, or defacing the index, or any card thereof. The full value of an ordinance index system can be achieved only if it is prepared accurately and kept up-to-date. A card index system can be expanded at will and, consequently, is the ideal system for perpetual main­ tenance. Old cards can be removed and new cards added. The index should be kept up to date by making the necessary entries in chronological order as each new ordinano^ _ _____ : ordinance ;is„ _passed. An ordinance index in booklet form is more difficult to keep.up m date th;ian the card system. If the booklet form is used, the indexing o finances will require ink notations and supplemental pages. card index of ordinances and secondEmphasis has been placed on a , other usable index systems arily r°n a booklet index of ordinances. ThereThe aremost common of these systems ‘n °Perati ion among Pennsylvania boroughs. ---- �WHAT'S NEW for $57,000 to meet payrolls will be sold. PITTSTON - A. bond issue DURYEA - Council and firemen of Germania Ho.e Company are disputing unpaid appr.prialion .7 $750 for new equ.pmenl. WEST WYOMING - A plan which would permit the ward election of councilmen is under consideration in the borough. KINGSTON - The extension of North Third Avenue from Pierce Street to Rutter Avenue is under consideration by the council. PLASTIC LINING Los Angeles is currently building a new trunk sewer, 10 feet in diameter and 4 miles long. It is being lined with a vinyl-plastic lining moulded to make possible its corporation as an integral part of the con­ crete pipe. The lining will protect the sewer against erosion by sulphide gas in the sewage. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Married men are said to live longer, but it's the bachelors who always lead the singing at the club. husband's ®lectrocardioSrain is a device that lets a woman know her husband s heart can stand it if he carries out the trash. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Political Science Department of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed Wi!i ° r D Hug° V’ Mailey, Political Science Departwent, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. �42^26 Ut42te6 P4L9 !i '6 c.?'.-. Luzerne County News-letter. 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Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletters and Institute for Regional Affair Newsletters, 1952-1975 Subject The topic of the resource Political Science; Luzerne County; Institute for Regional Affairs; Wyoming Valley Description An account of the resource A collection of newsletters created by the Political Science Department at Wilkes College from 1952-1975 for Luzerne County and later the Institute for Regional Affairs. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department (Hugo Mailey) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1952-1975 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletters Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletter, 1956 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1956 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletter https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/2012c2b9b540c3fbe97a95d92b851b7a.pdf 2b921033c109eec126f4d1ed31197835 PDF Text Text ��9 4 RARY [LKES-BARRE NNSYLVANIA �G*’ - 1 ■ ■ - ' ?H . ■' C.l G 24 memottne C--^ mers will receive tber5 s their cer With the Christm3.s seas G&iS' tbeir al public officials who ce l°c nding of their duties Science Departmenr is to these public offic its P°litiC is facilities ceive The graduates xtfho wi-* William L- Ballxet A. Tony Barbose AlanH. Bare Ralph M. Brown Thomas A. Callahan. Brinley Crahall Michael Fasulka Andrew Garber Martha E. Hadsel David W. Hopkins John J- Jarzenbowicz Be st o . Local Luzerne F. communities r epr esen. -1 ortyFort, Kin.gst.orx, — =-• r e Township, Sugar _ •» o - c 1 me every 'N ednesday evet class considered a differ et Q>ketopics . considered, in tne "’lent, making of ordir § Of I Ionina. C^tV X,§ the -to L -O1 c es C s' :sPe- k 8itCt*nv re �Ul t VOL. I. NO. 1 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES -BARRE,pa. DEC.15, 1952 GRADUATION Tonight 24 members of the class for borough r~- ” councilmen and township --or completion of their work. ............... SO near> the awards are a fitting gift to those local public officials who ggave of their time in order to secure a better understanding of their duties and ’ responsibilities. Wilkes College, and its Political Science Department in particular," 1,7 > has been most happy to offer its facilities to these public officials interested in ------ -a sound local government. The graduates who will receive certificates are: William L. Balliet A. Tony Barbose Alan H. Bare Ralph M. Brown Thomas A, Callahan Brinley Crahall Michael Fasulka Andrew Garber Martha E. Hadsel David W. Hopkins John J. Jarzenbowicz Charles A. Jones Gustave C. Kemerite George Kotyk Joseph Lakus James J. McCarthy Grace A. McGinty Harvey O. Nielsen George S. Sobeck Peter Stusnick Gilbert W. Watkins JohnC. Wordoski Best of Luck in Your Official Capacity ! Local communities represented in the graduating class are Nuangola, Luzerne, Forty Fort, Kingston, Laurel Run, Courtdale, Hanover Township, Wilkes-Barre Township, Sugar Notch, and Edwardsville. Meeting every Wednesday evening at 8 o'clock in Room 202, Pickering Hall, the class considered a different aspect of local government each week. Among the topics considered in the 10 sessions of the class were structure of local government, making of ordinances, municipal finance, police and traffic, fire and building codes, recreation, health, street maintenance, waste disposal, and planning and zoning. „ „ TT „ v Mailev of the Political Science The faculty was headed by Dr. Hug> agsisted each week by a panel of I Partment at Wilkes College. He was *Penenced pers.ons especially competen ation. Among the visiting faculty were discuss the topic under considerLewis R. Crisman and John 37451 s �■B Morris; Robert Pickup, Robert Freeburn, and John Semski of the Pennsylvania Economy League; Penn Williams of the Police Department and Milton Jacobson of the Fire Department, both of Wilkes-Barre City; Police Chief David Francis of Kingston; Police Chief Herbert Woodeshick^of Hanover Township; Sergeant A. J. Wilson of the State Police; Edwin McLaughlin, fire underwriter; Joseph Kane of the Playground Association; Dr. J. T. Millington of the Pennsylvania Department of Health; Mrs. Charles L. Shaeffer of Kingston; Harradon H. Smith of the Pennsylvania Department of Highways; Robert N. Bierly, engineer of five Luzerne County boros; engineers Bernard Bush and John Yenchko of the Pennsylvania Department of Health; and Dr. F. A. Pitkin, Executive Director n ■t •’! ■ W J ■ ACT WILKE S-BARRE Proposed 1953 budget of Wilkes-Barre was passed on second reading by the City Council. Third and final reading will come at the Council meeting tomorrow. Calling for an expenditure of $1, 953, 660. 90, the new budget exceeds ■ the 1952 budget by $39, 850.82. Increase in the millage is . 34 of a mill, or an increase of 3.4 cents a year on each $100 of assessed valuation. ■ ■ i / , i 9 K I u.-* FEDERAL HIGHWAY AID !| In 1952 Congress enacted the Federal Highway Act, appropriating $550, 000, 000 for the next two years. The largest amount will be given for secondary road systems and smaller amounts for the primary highway system and urban street systems. To obtain federal aid it must be demonstrated that the proposed project will provide increased traffic safety. Local projects requiring the aid should originate with the local state highway department offi­ cials. Under Public Law 564, the federal government will now reimburse the cities for the cost of alterations to bridges over navigable rivers if they are made at the request of the federal government, provided the bridges are used for the purpose of carrying highway traffic. Local officials may thank the American Municipal Association for this step forward. FORTY FORT Forty Fort Council discussed the application of Social Security for boro employees. The matter was referred for study to the finance committee which is to report at the next Council meeting. I The finance committee reported it has been unable to find a means of granting the 15 per cent increase requested by boro employees but that it will reconsider the matter before the budget is compiled. NEW HIGHWAY Initial steps toward relocation of the Wilkes-Barre--Scranton Highway to bypass Dupont and Avoca and provide a modern approach to the airport at Avoca have been taken by the State Department of Highways. This has been confirmed by Bernard J. Harding, engineer of the Scranton District, State Highway Depart­ ment. Scheduled for relocation is the main roadway from a point near the Comerford Drive-in Theatre below Dupont, to pass through the area east of the airport and then over the Moosic-Daleville Highway. It is contemplated the 145 for HIGHWAY GRANTS Payments under Act 145, which authorizes $15, 000, 000 each year to local governments for road purposes, were certified on September 1, 1952. This Act provides for a $5, 000, 000 annual increase over the former total of $10, 000, 000 from the Motor License Fund. Formerly the allocation was on a mileage basis alone, in the ratio which the number of miles of streets in a municipality in any one of three classes (cities, boros, and townships) bore to the total miles of streets in these classes alone. Now 60 per cent of the allocation will be on the basis of the ratio which the number of miles of public streets in a municipality bears to the total number of miles maintained by all classes of municipalities in the State. The other 40 per cent will be divided on the basis of the ratio which the population of the municipality bears to the total population of all municipalities of a class. A boro or first-class town­ ship may gain or lose under this new formula. On the basis of the above for­ mula, Hanover Township lost $411.53 from its 1951 allocation on its third quarterly payment. Newport Township gained $1, 976. 65; Plains gained $450. 66 and Wilkes-Barre Township gained $267.93. of the State Planning Board. Approved on second reading also was an ordinance increasing the tax rate for debt purposes from 2. 66 mills to 3 mills on each $100 of assessed valuation. Revenue from this tax is for sinking-fund appropriations. First principal payment on the 1951 bond issue falls due in 1953. project will begin sometime next year and not be completed until 1954. Pay­ ment of property damage would be the responsibility of Luzerne and Lacka­ wanna Counties. SOCIAL SECURITY FOR LOCAL GOVE R N M E N T WORKERS (I v i ‘I Act 491 of the State Legislature permits Federal Social Security coverage to employees of governments on the local level. The Bureau of Social Security for Public Employees in the Department of Labor and Industry, headed by James Jamieson, the Director, will administer the set-up. The procedure set up under the Act calls for legal election by the municipality to come under the sys­ tem, submission and approval of a plan by the State, and the final adoption. �{faiatcf, not be covered. A municipality may under an existing system m^y eiective officers, part-time employee Employees cover emergency employees,^ provision is made for retroactive select not to and employees compensated on a fee BIireau of Social Security has mailed coverage without any interest paymen . reernent, sample ordinance, samto municipalities the Act, a sample ““ ® pie resolution, «l » booklet of information. VOL. II. NO. 1 LlOr'&>■ WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE,PA. JAN.16, 1953 GRADUATION WASTE DISPOSAL The Graduation Dinner of the boro and first-class township officials class was held on December 15 at Wilkes College. The names of two of the graduates were inadvertently omitted from the list of graduates: Joseph Matiskiel of Wilkes-Barre Township and William Brush of Laurel Run. So sorry, Gentlemen. is a relatively new thing. Sewage was an individual Treatment of sewage . introduction of the water closet around 1850. The matter in America untilconnected the later into storm sewers so that human waste was water closet was then dumped into rivers. While the problem of disposing of the sewage may have been postponed by many communities, modern society compels that it be disposed of in a sanitary manner. Failure on the part of a community to plan for eventual sanitary disposal of sewage can be a very costly mistake. The San­ itary Water Board, whose administrative agency is the Bureau of Sanitary Engi­ neering in the Department of Health, stands ready to assist a community in an advisory capacity on how to approach its disposal problem. While the Board is concerned with stream pollution wherever it occurs, it has focused its attention on those waters that are a source of water supply for other municipalities. Organization of an association for boro and township officials in Luzerne County was urged by Alfred S. Holt, Principal of the Public Service Institute, at the dinner. Organization of such an association would provide an opportunity for officials to discuss common problems. ■k Dr. Eugene S. Farley, President of Wilkes College, commented that good government is one of the essentials in attracting new industries to the area. He also asserted that strong local government plays a large part in the fight against communism since a constructive job in government creates faith in democracies. According to an article by Mark D. Hollis, of the United States Public Health Service, in American City, over $9, 000, 000, 000 has been invested in public sewage-treatment facilities since 1915. An additional billion has been spent on maintenance, not including operation. During 1949, municipalities spent over $277, 000, 000 to build 208 sewage-treatment plants. To help those public officials who are interested in understanding whole problem, the Public Service Institute has prepared a collection of readings just for the asking. Write to Keery McAmbley of the Institute for it. ON AN ASSOCIATION In regard to the formation of a County Association, Dr. Willard Hancock, Director of the Bureau of Municipal Affairs in the Department of Internal Af­ fairs, states that under Article XII of the Boro Code, Section XXX, boros and townships are permitted to join together in a County Association and pay dues. The Beaver County Municipal Association is composed of County municipalities. According to Article 3 of the Association's by-laws, "Membership. . . shall con­ sist of such municipalities in Beaver County, and such municipalities adjacent thereto as shall not have municipal associations, and which shall by resolution of their respective Councils declare their intention to become members of this Association. " POLICE TRAINING made afterYipts to raise ool * t- j ^^ith some local units, have police class on Wednesday afternoons ' \ Barre Pollce instructing a basic s m Butler Annex on the Wilkes College Campus. NEW PLUMBING LAWS PUBLICATION OF THE NEWS-LETTER pule Con'S'- . ■>■>*». “<> information. Wilke. College, Wilke'^B^re' pXylvM• j''Y’ Political Science D«P“tn,ent' -•1 v A proposed new public-health plumbing law for Pennsylvania is being studied by State Health Department officials, representatives of organized busi­ ness and labor, municipal associations and professional groups. There is a need for an orderly system of protecting public health as it is affected by the installa­ tion of sanitary plumbing equipment and facilities. The proposed measure would �,u-raouoo HIM. sja iSrio Uaz S12H uazT SuIutbj;4 J -^oiiod s^oidtua Haea sj “ jo 1 JoSpn^j ■laqjo jo X 'tiorj sb aping jo asoqj tJ’.'BA 3qj 3 S SOJ3B J3T JLJCBq maintenance of high plumbing standards on the municipalities, with the State acting in a supervisory capacity and generally only in the event a municipality failed to accept its responsibility. Requirements governing plumbing and house and building drainage in all cities, boros, towns, and townships are stipulated in the proposed law. Provisions are included for inspection of work, and enforcement of the law. The Department's officials and the local agents will provide for the examination, licensure, and registration of persons, cor­ porations, and authorities engaged in plumbing or house and building drainage. INDUSTRIAL Zoning, a tool to help to effect comprehensive plans, was devised to promote the best use of land and buildings. Its purpose is positive, not nega­ tive. The objectives are to stabilize property values, minimize congestion of traffic and people, encourage convenience and financial success and sponsor orderly growth. In the zeal of citizens to protect certain types of land use, other types--industrial--suffer . Industry was assigned the land currently used for industry, land deemed not suited for higher uses and land considered unfit for any use. The new approach in zoning is to treat industry as an equal member of the family of land uses, to anticipate the needs of industry, and to try to protect existing and potential industrial sites against the invasion of uses detrimental to industrial development. ar j-sqj. JI anSsaq inouooa ts auixii ZONING 1. Principles of industrial zoning are: Most communities require a certain amount of industrial development to produce a sound economy. 2. Industrial use should be considered equal to any other land use. 3. areas. Industry will continue to grow and therefore require larger 4. There is a need for reclassification of industry based on modern manufacturing processes. auSauV 3 5. ........... i of lands bearing a favorable relationship to Industrial potentialities transportation should be recognized. 6. Industrial zoning and highway planning pout JO jotunui 7. Street layout should be given ^OOf st 8. Industrial zoning can should go hand in hand. special consideration. be most effective when considered on a metro- politan basis. I zoning by compartments for zoning by I 9. Good zoning today substitutes laye r s. I �|Uaui,«duxoo Xq sajnjijsqns • sjbAbj Aapoj Stnuoz pooQ •6 t. 10. Modern-day industrial zoning is based on performance standards. 11. Zoning ordinances should be permissive rather than prohibitive. 'SISBq UBJIJOd gutuoz jBTJlsnpui aq ubo taptsuoo uaq/A aAtjoaJI3 lsoUI ppads ubaiS aq PI"°^ JboXbT jaaxjg •uotJBJapTsnoa guiuoz jBTJjsnpui ,uBq Pinoqs SutuuBTd XBMqSjq P^ ajqBJOABj b '8 'L ’9 3q pinoqs uotJBjrodsuB rj •pazitiSooo r BaTjT[Btjtiajod iBtrjsnpuj 'g SutJtBaq spuBj jo •sassaoord SuijnjoBjnuBtii >asBq Xrjsnpui jo tlOTJBOtJTSSBp^ IOJ pS9U B ST SWql Xrjsnpuj •£ aqjo Xub oj pnba parapxsuoa aq pinoqs asn jBTjjsnpuj 7 ajinbar arojaraqj Pur oj anuijuoo iiiav ■Xuiouooa punos b aonpoud oj b ajtnbar satjinnuiuioo jsoyq jsnpui jo junouiB utBjrao Industrial zoning is in a period of rapid change. Since Wyoming Valley is looking for industry to strengthen its economy, it would be well for every municipality to keep itself acquainted with all the implications and developments of modern zoning for industry. STRIP-MINE SITES Boro and township officials were told that the refuse disposal problem in Allegneny County may partially be solved through arrangements to use strip­ mine sites as sanitary landfills. The double advantages of land restoration and economical disposal were outlined in a report by the Pennsylvania Economy League made at the request of boros and townships. PUBLIC RELATIONS ’I etrjsnput jo saidtouiJd: -jnauidoiaAap iBtrjsnput oj rejuaurt jjap aqj jsuibSb sajts jBirjsnpuT pijuajod puB Suijstxa joajoud oj Xjtj jo spaau aqj ajBdiotjuB o; 'sasn puBj jo Xjtuibj aqj jo Jtaquiatn >npui jbbjj oj st Suiuoz tn qaaorddB aabu aqj, "asn Xub joj jtjun pus sasn raqStq roj pajins ;ou pauiaap puBj ‘Xrjsnput uoj pasn ibj aqj pauStssB sbm Xrjsnpuj • jajjns--jBijjsnput--sadXj uaqjo sadXj uiBjjao jaajord oj suaztjta jo jBaz aqj uj ’qjAAOuS Xjuapjo saaons jBiauBuij pus aauatuaAUoa aSninoaua ‘aidoad puB □tjjbjj rruinnui ‘sanjBA Xjradord aztjtqBjs oj bjb saAtjaafqo aqx '9ATJ sod st asodrnd sjj •souipjinq puB puBj jo asn jsaq aqj ajouioud bm ‘suBjd BAtsuaqarduioa jaajja oj djaq oj jooj b ‘Sutuoz DNINOZ TVIHISnUNI iq pua asnoq ro Sujqumjd tn paS-goua saijtjoqjnB puB ‘suotjBJod □ uotjBrjstSaj pun ‘ajnsuaaij 'uotjButuiBxa aqj joj apiAO-id IfTM. qq puB spiaijjo s.juamjjBdaQ aqj, ’/abj aqj jo juauiaaiojua pUB oj papnjaui ajB suotsiAojjj ‘zabj pasodojd aqj ut pajBjTKlTjs gUE SUA'°1 sojoq ‘saijia jjb ut a§BuiBjp Suipjtnq puB asnoq utujbao sjuauiajinba-g •Xjtitqtsuodsa.i sjt jdaooB oj panBJ ■saiinpdTn' 1U° A11EI3U3§ puE ^PsdBa XjostAjadns B ux Sutjon tsuodsaj aui* a” LU° SpiBpuE?s Sutquinjd qgtq jo aouBuajuiBtu 631 Su^d “I Baidpupd apr-auioq oj Xpopjs a «qp- If you tell the story and tell it plainly, you can produce community progress. That really is public relations. That's all there is to it. Your problem is to ap­ ply the techniques of public relations skillfully enough to anticipate the potential barriers of ignorance, misunderstanding, and prejudice, so they won't be flung across the paths of municipal progress. BUDGETS Budget time is reappraisal time. It is time to consider the adequacy of the various municipal operations. Comparison of a function's expenditures with those of other years, or with those of other municipalities, may provide some guide as to adequacy. Small appropriations may not be signs of economical opera­ tion. They might indicate inadequacy. Marked variations in unit costs from those of other years or of other jurisdictions are signposts to further investigations. Budget study should concern itself with a restudy of the organizational structure of the municipality. Can it be simplified? All the personnel should be scrutinized. Is each employee in the right spot? Can a better division of labor be made? Are employees being lost to private industry? Should changes be made in personnel policy regarding wages, vacations, sick leaves, or pensions? Will in-service training bring better results? Budget time is also public-relations time. The cit­ izen has the right of review and recommendation. The fact that few citizens take advantage of their opportunities is not necessarily a good thing. Perhaps the citi­ zen ought to be forced to view municipal operations on a broad scale. Better budg­ ets will result, and local government will be strengthened if the attention of all concerned is directed to the positive objectives of budgeting. �-$ 'tSAo IS 4 3HJ jo Hs-eo °°° 'or* uoo u’t PToioaa c. slspq sSuIabs' J aqj lU3pi, !Un dlW^oj llnsgj WHAT ' S d 9ABq O4 axH Jaq have decided to assign house numbers for the house delivery of mail where delivery will be set by the Post Office. ASHLEY - The Boro Council took action to pay the boro employees before Christmas. [ St J3MSOT aqj n 6 JsdH31{3 aq I ado aqj jH qooj qS3IJ v ptinoj spq diqsu/Ao,t, uorreqa’q ■e ‘apiud peoox ‘Bijjcaux 04 anp b ajBOipur laiaiph spjarj Aubixi aqj^ >aya apetu aq 4snui suoppisdo ayosu aq ppnoqs sjBSodoud aq4 > jo uopppposuoD uiouj jjnsaj: \oqs stsAjbub ynja^BO jj ut pajood aq 04 jqSno pus ubo 1040111 jo sqBdai puB Surat utjBajldnp puB jstdAj ‘uotjBJtj qj ajpu-eq 04 aiQ^ 3CL °’ 1OU SB SB saDiAias jo pjajj (TJTATJOB pUB ■UOTJBXaUUB jo uotjBpflosuo□ jsdTOTunui }° pTB UO p-Biadooo Xqa-zam PU1B aqj qoja1 ! 5 p XB4 aqj jo 3UQ Xq spoqjam 53>niM The road transfer between these two municipalities has hit a snag. The township will repair the road if both the road and the strip between the road and the township is ceded, while the boro wishes to cede merely the road, The matter of tax adjustment is also involved. NANTICOKE - "Hold that line” is the slogan of the officials of this third-class the establishment of a new schedule of fees for construction permits and the examination and licensure of building tradesmen. The new fees for building contractors, electricians, and plumbers went into effect January 1. DALLAS TOWNSHIP - Officers of the Dallas Township Board of Supervisors IOJ 93S ST uauurp 3qj. ^I-Ialaj'e0 j 'Ajutioq -J Suipa33oj.d SUHTcI >3{ood jo asn uapiAx WARRIOR RUN and HANOVER TOWNSHIP city. With the help of the Pennsylvania Economy League, Nanticoke City Council has seen fit to decrease its tax rate by a full mill. WILKES-BARRE - An additional $8, 000 revenue in 1953 is anticipated through TTT^ ‘OJoq’ Xu N F. W * LUZERNE COUNTY - The Luzerne County Commissioners adopted a resolution giving assurances to Federal authorities the county is anxious to join the Commonwealth and four West Side municipalities in beginning construction of the flood-protection dike system on the west side of the River by the spring of 1953. EDWARDSVILLE - The boro is considering social security for its 10 employees. It presently has no short-term notes and no bonded indebtedness. THE NARROWS - The Roadside Committee of the Chamber of Commerce an­ nounced that the Committee has embarked on a program of beautification for the Plymouth-Kingston Narrows road. Steps to be taken include enlist­ ing cooperation of adjoining municipalities in a zoning program, planting trees with the cooperation of the State's Highway Department, and increas­ ing the accessibility to the general public of an outlook parapet. KINGSTON - Passed an ordinance regulating openings or excavations within the public highways, providing for restoration of disturbed areas in the making of such openings. FORTY FORT - The Council has enacted a program of sickness and health ben­ efits for boro employees and has at the same time decided to hold the line on the 14 1/2 mill tax rate. SUGAR NOTCH - The Council has discussed with the boro auditors the possibility of hiring certified public accountants to audit the municipality's books, and it appears that the plan may be followed through. HANOVER TOWNSHIP - "Interesting Facts of Hanover Township" is available in the secretary's office. Officials have had plans approved by the PUC for electric lights at Oxford Street, Carey Avenue, and the Pennsylvania Railroad. P U B L ICATION Z ’ON *l! •1OA This News-letter for interested public officials of local governments jn Luzerne County is published as a community service,. It originates in the PolitPlease address inquiries to Dr. H. V. ical Science Department of Wilkes College.. 1 ------------Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Mailey, Political Science Department, �'juauqJBdaa aouajog ibot;tIOcI «XaTT~T„ ' rteu^-Cettei •aSanoo sasfiJM J° saqilAX saqpM 33 11 J ut ssa-ipp* aSB3kI Xjiunujujoa b sb uStjoJI -aoiAJas [nd pajsajaiux joj ja;;ai-SMaN srqj, sjbtotjjo ayjqi . VOL. II. NO. 2 3 jBaoj jo WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE,PA. FEB.16, 1953 Konvjnsnd -----q ;b s;q3n aTjjaaya f aq; puB ‘anuaAy Xbjbq ‘;aaj;g pjojxQ •aaijjo s,XjB;ajaas aq; aAOjddB suBjd pBq aABq sjbtotjjq • ({SUM01 isaouehjo s;obj dIHSMM.O.1 ------ TTnj 3q 8uj;saja;u Xbui uBjd I1( aq;- jBq; sunaddn BT ;t aonvu H sjob gupsajajuin -----■? o; s;uBjunoaaB !P„ P—-p - >q; qiiM passnasrp POOLED SERVICES One of the methods by which a number of municipalities may cooperate and thereby stretch the tax dollar is that of POOLED SERVICES. This form of municipal cooperation aids in the solution of metropolitan problems without consolidation or annexation. Pooled services could cover almost the whole field of services and activities, particularly where small towns are so small as not to be able to handle the services individually. Police and fire adminis­ tration, typist and duplicating pools, centralized purchasing, and central serv­ icing and repairs of motor vehicles are just a few of the types of services that can and ought to be pooled in order to effect savings. ~ “X?TOns ipiaap aun; buibs aq; IB SBq Pub saaXojdma ojoq uo; sjjja satopts jo uxBJgojd b pajaBua SBq ipunoQ aqj, - 1HO3: AI.-HO.il • -sSuiuado qans jo joj SuipiAOjd ‘sXBMqSyq apqnd e paq-rnjsip jo uoT;BJO;saJ .Baxa io sguyuado gupBjnSaJ aauBuipro ub passBj; - NOLSONIX " ; o; AjijrqissaooB aq; 3ut ,ajBig aq; jo uoijB-tadooa aq; q;y/A ,d 3m„oz . «< .aOTI«<PP™“ If careful analysis shows that actual savings or increased efficiency will result from consolidation of activities, then two steps are necessary. First, the proposals should be "sold" to the departments affected. Second, the plan of operations must be made clear. 1° «o.,Su. p aq oi sdais ’PBOJ smojjbn uopguT^-q^ouiXjcJ aq; uoj uiB-rSord b uo paqjBquia SBq aa;;TUiuiog aqi ;uq; paaunou jo raquiBqo aq; jo aaiJiuiuioQ apispBO-g aqj, - SMOHUVN SHI lapui papuoq ou Pub sa;ou uua;-;joqs ou snq Xpuasatd ;j ioj Xpjnaas jbtoos gui-iapisuoa st oroq aqj, - S'T'nASG'HV.M.GS •£96l J° Sujuds [1 jo apis jsaM aq; uo uia;sXs aqip uoTjaa;o jd-poojj aq; jo gaq ut saTiqadTOTunui apyg ;saxi -ruoj puB q;jBaAAUOTiituo3 :b st X;unoa aq; saT;yroq;nB '[Bjapajj o; saauBjnssB Sutato Pb srauoTSSTurtuoQ X;unog aujaznq aqj, - ATNIIOD SNUSZm & The many fields wherein it would seem profitable to join operations would indicate a wider use of pooled services than actually exists. This is probably due to inertia, local pride, and the need for formalized agreements. Mount Lebanon Township has found that joint operations have paid. A fresh look at the operations in your town may suggest pooling. Would it be cheaper? If the answer is "Pool!" then the difficulties are worth overcoming. • SBUIJSTJTqO qduia oroq aq; XBd o; uot;ob qoo; jTaunoQ ojoq aqj, - A39HSV ■aoTjJO jsod aq; Xq ;as aq IJTM. XjaATjap Flap asnoq aq; joj sraqtunu asnoq ugyssB o; papjaap aABq pjBoq drqsuMoj sbhbq aq; jo sjaaTjjQ - dlHSNALOI. SVTTVCI t ;u3a\ sjaqunqd puB ‘suBTaTijaaja 'sjo;;bj;uoo gurpyrnq L 'uauisapBi; guTppynq jo ajTisuaaq pun TioTi'BUTLU'Bxa aq; inj;suoa joj saaj jo ajnpaqas tabu b jo ;uatuqsTjqB;sa aq; UE SI £S6l ut anuBAar qqq ‘g$ tbuot;tPpb uy - 3'H’HV9_S3^irTI-^ui pnj b Xq b;bj xb; s;t asnajaap o; ;tj uaas SBq paunoQ noBaq Xuiouoog btubajXsuubj gqy jo djaq aq; q;T^ 'Ml3 ° sjbtotjjo aq; J0 uBgojs aq; st ..autj ;Bq; pjoH,, - 3D1O9I1NVN 'paAjoATiT osjb st ;uaui apaa 0; saqsT/A ouoq aq; auq/A aj tttm drUE PB01 U33M,3cl dIJls aq; Pub pboj aq; q;oq ajsuBr; pbo7aqT^1 SER S3HHBd!3IunuI H3A0NVH Pu^ NUTT Si 1VHM DINNER IN MARCH Plans are proceeding rapidly for a dinner of local officials in Luzerne County. The dinner is set for Thursday, March 26, 1953, in the Wilkes College Cafeteria. The graduating class of councilmen and commissioners will remem­ ber the tasty dinner they ate there last December. A special effort is being made to have every boro, township, and city represented. The speaker for the occasion will be Dr. Willard Hancock, Director of the Bureau of Municipal Affairs in Harris­ burg. His topic will be a timely one: "Act 145: Its Continuance or Modification. " CITY MANAGER (2 President Walter R. Unangst of the Quakertown Council stated recently that the savings in engineering consulting fees for a two-year period on a conservative basis would exceed $10, 000 since the town adopted city-manager government. Actual cash savings of over $75, 000 are claimed for a three-year period as a result of the boro assumption of all construction under the city manager. �report CONTEST Jod8„ .He --= COUNCILMEN AND COMMISSIONERS A— ness. The goal soug t y mjaht be understood by the average orderly and readable manner so that they migni g If you officials bring uninformed opinions to your chambers, you act unintelligently and really let your constituents down. On the other hand, if you take the trouble to look into a matter, to get the facts, then you are in a position to make much wiser decisions. Among the tools available are: Chrostwaite' s "Borough Bulletin, " "Borough Officers Handbook. " You can consult the Penn­ sylvania Economy League. You are invited to use the Wilkes College Library and the College facilities. You can learn from officials in other boros how they handle similar problems. You can attend the annual meetings of your own asso­ ciations. You can obtain data from the Bureau of Municipal Affairs in the Depart­ ment of Internal Affairs headed by Dr. Willard Hancock. The sources are numer­ ous. All you need is the desire. citizen. •’ ! citizen has a better knowledge of his Remember everybody wins when the Get busy now for next year's contest. The Wilkes College home-town affairs. of all the winners. Read them as a guide. The entry form Library has copies and three copies of the Annual Report should be mailed to the Institute of Local Government at Penn State not later than July 1, 1953. S A NI T ATION ORDER Rejection by the voters of a proposed $108, 000 bond issue has made it impossible for the Boro of Bridgeport in Montgomery County to comply with an order of the State Sanitary Board to construct a secondary sewage-treatment plant. Although the Boro complied with an order to submit plans, it failed to proceed with construction. The State's suit seeks to prevent the Boro from dis­ charging its sewage into the River. Since this is a test case, boros would do well to follow it. On the State's stream clean-up drive, Governor John S. Fine held out a hope to hard-pressed municipalities for State aid. A definite recommendation may soon come from his office. MAGISTRAL E S ' CLASS Interest still runs high in the class for magistrates conducted by Aiderman Francis V. Murphy. /A class of about 25 magistrates meets every Wednesday evening at Wilkes College. The State Association has launched another drive for legislation establishing higher educational standards, ----------- - A similar bill that would force members of the minor judiciary to take a course in legal instruction did not pass. 'Tis said that "A man's judgment is not better than his information. ii This is used by Robert Cameron in the Montgomery County Recorder, It is from his article that the following bit of advice is taken: PLANNING 1° The Shenango Valley Regional Planning Commission has been organized in Mercer County. It serves two cities, three boros, and two townships. Rep­ resenting them is an 18-member commission that will assist the localities in planning and zoning problems. Municipalities in this area would do well to look into Act 624 of the 1951 General Assembly which created the Metropolitan Study Commission for Alle­ gheny County. Section I of that Act states that the Commission was created in order to promote the uniform development of the 129 municipalities in the County and encourage these same to cooperate in meeting the problems attendant to the growth of the County. PARKING METERS Denver is experimenting with a device which resets parking meters when motorists pull out of metered parking spaces so that other drivers may not bene­ fit from unused time on the meters. The mechanism consists of a bar set into the pavement about midway in the parking space, parallel with the meter. A car pulling out crosses the bar, activating an electric impulse which resets the meter. LEGAL NOT ES PUBLICATION gram without affecting the riabt t e n 0 a disability and/or death-benefit pro- r.ght ,0 „„ive the state inButance tax money This News-letter for interested public officials of local governments in Luzerne County is published as a community service. It originates in the Polit­ ical Science Department of Wilkes College. Address inquiries to Dr. Hugo Mailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. �t.uzerne county WHAT 'S new in PUBLISHED BY WILKES COLLEGE Vol. II, No. 3 hiring of special police officers are included AVOCA - Additional funds for the in the 1953 budget. to reduce the boro indebtedness to a DUPONT - The 1953 budget will attemp EDWAR^VILLE^Th^proposed budget lists approximately $72, 000 for general operation and $4,500 for road maintenance. — -- Township and Wilkes-Barre officials have reached an HANOVER TOWNSHIP agreement on the installation of an ;automatic stop-and-go signal at Carey and Division Streets, costs of which will be equally divided. SWOYERVILLE - Council approved a budget that is slightly higher than in 1952, by approximately $1, 500. The 17-mill levy is retained. DALLAS - Council plans a new boro building either on the Harvey's Lake High­ way or on the Tunkhannock Highway. WILKES-BARRE - The Traffic Commission will be asked to approve for a trial period one-way traffic on two of the city's important arteries - Franklin and Washington Streets. NANTICOKE - The Pennsylvania Economy League has completed a survey of the finances of the city, indicating that the city's finances and credit have been placed on firm ground. HAZLETON - In 1950 the League published a comprehensive report on the Hazleton Police Department. In January, 1953, the League reassessed three of the proposals made relative to the Police Department's efficiency. PLYMOUTH - Members of the Police Department have agreed to deduction from their pays for Social Security, but are not certain whether they will remain enrolled (see the Boro Bulletin for Legal Opinions). LARKSVILLE - According to reports, the budget provides for about the same receipts and expenditures as last year. SWOYERVILLE - The boro solons are being urged by the local citizenry to adopt comprehensive building, zoning, and fire codes. FORTY FORT - No plans for major expenditures have been proposed. The State Highway Department and the Boro are endeavoring to reach an agreement T construction of curbing on its main street. UZEmNnE C0UNTY ’ The Commissioners have paved the way for more than DURYEA C Th117 Per diem employees t0 get Social Security coverage. be fnieJehS°i1Cltkr/dViSed the C°Uncil tbat the ^^ncy of auditor cannot oe tilled by that body. WILKES - BARRE TOWNSHIP The Township is one of the few that purchases its fire service from the CCity of Wilkes-Barre. NEWPORT TOWNSHIP - Inasmuch —i as the budget is $7, 000 lower than it was last year, no capital improvement k -i S are P^anned during the year. KINGSTON - The nronnspri r = inking fund^and'^vV^V/ 5'1?111 general taX leVy’ 1 mills for the / mills for the light fund. WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA March 16, 1953 DON'T MISS THE DINNER The speaker at the March 26 dinner for local officials in Luzerne County will be Dr. Willard Hancock, Director of the Bureau of Municipal Affairs in Harrisburg. Dr. Hancock, a native of Plains Township, has chosen to discuss "Act 145: Its Continuance or Modification. " Act 145, it will be remembered, cut appropriations for such urban areas as cities, boros, and first-class townships and increased road appropriations for second-class townships. What should the basis for such appropriations be-mileage, area, population, assessed value of land abutting, relative indebtedness of the unit, cost of construction? Dr. Hancock may well have the answers. PHONE THE POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT AT WILKES COLLEGE --WILKES-BARRE 4-4651--TO RESERVE A PLACE FOR THE MARCH 26 DINNER IN THE COLLEGE CAFETERIA. Cost of the dinner: $1.50. TOWN MEETING What to do when irate citizens protest, "We don't know what's going on at city hall" ? / c Many city officials have found a satisfactory answer in little town meetings, which put the personal touch into local government. Such meetings, held today in Worcester, Mass., .Kansas City, Mo., Portland, Me., and the Fifth Ward of Kingston, acquaint the public with what the municipality is doing and with what it can and cannot reasonably be expected to do. Thanks to the friendly spirit and in­ formality of the meetings, those who attend them speak freely. Says Portland City Manager Lyman S. Moore: "We feel that the neighborhood town meeting shows promise of becoming an indispensable element of the medium­ sized city in making democracy work at the grass roots." It is pleasant to report that the town meeting has been introduced to Wyoming Valley through Kingston Councilman Ralph M. Brown of the Fifth Ward, who makes use of the Rutter Street School. Well attended by partisans of both parties, his meetings have enabled his constituents to learn about Kingston government and have kept lim in touch with the problems of those same constituents. Town meetings are valuable for a variety of reasons: 1. They indicate that the local solon sincerely regards public office as a public trust. �2. They afford the official direct own ground. communication with citizens on their 3. They secure immediate governmental response to justified complaint 4. They test citizen reaction to projected programs. 5. They permit the solon to demonstrate the range of the municipal program in relation to size, cost, and time factors. WHAT'S NEW The taxpayers' associations that mushroom in every little town are conly the result of lack of insight on the part of local officials. If councilmen and ■—I com. missioners would regularly coordinate the resources of the community, renula report on social conditions in the area, and then plan and recommend with publi ' approval, their road would be considerably smoother. STREET CLEANING In Evanston, Illinois, a ban on all-night parking, alternately on each side of the street, has cut street-cleaning time by two-thirds. PARKING IN B U F F A L O Buffalo has granted tax exemption to buildings constructed, altered, and remodeled to provide off-street parking. The exemption applies only to general property taxes and not to special assessments, and is to run for 15 years after the completion of the parking structure. It will apply only to the building improve­ ment and not to the land. To qualify, buildings must have a minimum capacity of 150 cars. At least 75 per cent of the floor area must be used exclusively for offstreet parking. Exemption proportionate to the percentage of parking area to the total may be allowed. SERVICE CHARGE The municipality which sets up a refuse service-charge system should also set up an efficient billing and collection procedure. Boros and townships vary the billing methods. The more common billing methods a, vary generail with a discount for prompt payment; (2) separate are (1) separate bill, item on the tax bill or on the water bill. The m -2 ticket system; (3) an istrative overhead by combining the collection char unicipality can reduce its adminof cities send out bills on a quarterly or semi-annual basis ge with the tax bill. A majority holder's burden and to stabilize the working revenue of the to reduce the house­ municipality. i DUPONT - With the adoption of the 5 per cent tax on admissions, the Council will take half of the 10 per cent admissions tax already levied by the School Board. AVOCA - The Lions voted to purchase six wastepaper receptacles to be pre­ sented to the boro for proper distribution. FORTY FORT - A 5 per cent increase for all boro employees was approved by the Council; the ordinance excludes the engineer, solicitor, secretary, and burgess. WEST HAZLETON - A preliminary injunction restraining the Council from col­ lecting a 22-mill tax levy was obtained from the Luzerne County Court. NEWPORT TOWNSHIP - The Commissioners have adopted a supplemental ordi­ nance restricting parking to one side of the street on several narrow thoroughfares. DURYEA - Continuation of the road-repair program in the borough is promised by this year's budget, which includes $6, 500 for the project. WEST PITTSTON - The fire loss’ of $100, 000 may cause the Council to revise its budget which provided for a half-mill tax reduction and to restore the 17 1/2-mill levy. EXETER - There might be an inclination among the Council members to reduce the number of councilmen with a view to saving the boro about $1, 200 a year. HANOVER TOWNSHIP - The Commissioners conferred with officials of the Pennsylvania Department of Highways relative to a proposed new connect­ ing highway between Askam and the new state road at Sans Souci Park. LARKSVILLE - Because the Boro lost $75,468 in assessments for 1953, the Council must borrow $20, 000 for general purposes. WILKES-BARRE - Non-assessable property in the City, including both land and buildings, has a total valuation of $30, 653, 763. Tax-free property amounts to $19, 728, 729. It is noteworthy that the total non-assessable property in the City exceeds the Occupation, Real Estate, and Coal Total Valuation for tax purposes of every Luzerne County municipality but one--Hanover Town­ ship. EDWARDSVILLE - The boro lockup is in good condition, according to a letter from the Department of Welfare which complimented officials on its upkeep. ASHLEY - Ashley Lions Club has presented white capes to the police to lessen the hazards they face. KINGSTON - The Council is seriously considering the purchase of a community building. Several plans are now under consideration. LUZERNE - Council has instructed the boro engineer to check the mine subsidence because of the number of complaints. SUGAR NOTCH - Increased road work, as planned in the budget, will amount to several thousands of dollars. THE COUNTY - Luzerne County's assessed valuation for 1953 shows a net gain of $469, 746 over the 1952 figure, according to certified valuation of the County. There was a drop of occupational taxables of 804 in 1953, result­ ing in a loss of $90, 932 in valuation. There was also a loss of $1, 607, 360 in coal valuation for the year. The gain was realized in real estate valuation -- a gain of $2, 077, 106. �Wilkes College library THE THREE E ' S OF TRAFFIC CONTROL The Wilkes-Barre City officials are currently finding out something about the three E's of traffic control--engineering, enforcement, and educa­ tion. Engineers can spend months studying the traffic problem and prepare an excellent plan of control. Police can track down violators of well-conceived regulations. But if the public hasn't been educated or refuses to accept wellconceived plans, traffic snarls will never be straightened out. {famfy '7'lew4~lett0i H VOL. II, NO. 4 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. APRIL 15, 1953 THE DINNER After several weeks, the Wilkes-Barre police find that the public has not adjusted to one-way streets. Some motorists still remain in the right-hand lane on one-way streets. The value of double-lane traffic is lost if both lanes are not used. Moreover, making a left-hand turn from the right-hand lane could prove mighty costly to the motorist. Some 35 councilmen and commissioners of the Wyoming Valley area attended the first bi-monthly dinner meeting held in the Wilkes College Cafeteria on March 26, 1953. Dr. Willard Hancock, Director of the Bureau of Municipal Affairs, de­ voted most of his talk to a review of proposed legislation affecting boros and town­ ships, emphasizing the measures allocating road funds. He pointed out that Act 145, which annually allocates $15, 000, 000 for road upkeep to cities, boros, and townships on the basis of mileage and population, expires at the end of this year. Present House Bill 650 would hold the line, whereas Senate Bill 344 would increase the annual appropriation to $20, 000, 000. Traffic problems have another aspect, too. Pedestrian regulations must be a part of the traffic code. The essence of pedestrian control is that the man who walks on the street is no different, in the eyes of the law, from the man who drives on it. Each has an equal responsibility to obey the law. Washington, D C had 499 pedestrian arrests in 1952. In an effort to reduce jaywalking, Philadelphia has hired nine professional models, attired in policemen's caps and carrying police whistles, to hand out fake traffic tickets to jaywalkers. A printed seal on the ticket states: "This ticket is phony but it is a fact you could have lost your life. DON'T JAYWALK. " sewage plans Communities in this area have at last shown that they desire to cooperate to solve their common sewage problem. Single-treatment works for each town is an extravagant waste of taxpayers' funds. Whether one plant or a half a dozen plants are needed can be decided only after a careful engineering survey, such as that being undertaken at the behest of the Chamber of Commerce. Area-wide planning requires cooperation. While awaiting the release of the survey by the engineers, official could be educating himself on the subject by reading’Dr. every public article, "Clean Streams, " in the quarterly publication of the Sanitary Water Board Russell Teague's and "Individual Sewage Disposal Systems," reprint no. 2461 of the Public Health Service of the U.S. Keery McAmbley of the Public Service Institute has prepared a collection of readings on the subject that can be had just for the asking. O Hosts at the dinner were Hanover Township officials: Gwilliam Williams, President of the Board; John C. Wordoski, Second Vice President of the State Township Association; Township Secretary Andrew Garber, James McCarthy, Stephen Yanoshak, and George Kotik. Entertainment was furnished by Arthur Thomas, himorist. Brief remarks were made by John C. Wordoski, Dr. Hugo Mailey, and Andrew Garber. Municipalities represented at this first meeting were Courtdale, Edwards ville, Forty Fort, Hanover Township, Kingston, Luzerne, Nuangola, Newport Township, Plains Township, Wilkes-Barre Township, and West Pittston. The next meeting has tentatively been set for Thursday, May 21, at the Col­ lege Cafeteria. The topic to be discussed will be "Sewage Disposal: How to Finance It." Make reservations now. It is hoped that every municipality will send at least one representative in order that permanent associations may be formed. TAX COLLECTORS Luzerne County Tax Collectors Association adopted a resolution calling for the passage of an act by the State Legislature which would exonerate persons over 65 from payment of the per capita and occupation taxes. PUBLICAT ION This News-letter for interested public officials Luzerne County is published as a community service, ical Science Department of Wilkes College. Address of local governments in It originates in the PolitMailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes Colb inquiries to Dr. Hugo V. ege, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. CITIZENS' HANDBOOK Citizens' Handbook, a publication prepared by the Bureau of Municipal Affairs and containing information concerning local election regulations and voting procedures, is now available at a very low price. �FINAN CING SEWAGE PROJECTS Financing sewage projects will be one of the problems facing the 15 municipalities when the sewage survey conducted by Albright and Friehl, engineers, is finally released through the Public Services Committee of the Chamber of Commerce. Financing varies with conditions to be met. The common methods by which a town or towns may raise funds in this State for the construction of such facilities are: > Authority management is generally strong and competent. Virtually all authorities appoint competent managers and often seek technical advice. Lacking taxing power, an authority must stand or fall as a business enterprise. The one important advantage to Luzerne County municipalities is that a joint authority would permit the local units to embark on a capital improve­ ment without regard to debt limitation or borrowing capacity tied to assess­ ments . 1. 2. Through General Obligation Bonds Through assessments using General Obligation Bonds in a revolving fund 3. By current revenue from existing sources or from reserves 4. By the creation of a municipal authority and the issuance of revenue bonds 5. By temporary loan 6. Through a privately owned sewer company SEWAGE AUTHORITY RATES Goldman, Sacks and Co. bought a $1, 300, 000 bond issue for the new Pottstown secondary sewage-disposal plant at a 1.96 per cent interest rate. Only York's rate of 1.82 per cent is lower, and it was secured by the boro officials talking personally to Moody and Company, municipal credit-rating organization. Cited were Pottstown's diversified industries, good labor­ management relations, sound financial standing, and efficient municipal government. MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY IN PENNSYLVANIA Practically all communities which have built sewage treatment works in compliance with the orders of the Sanitary Water Board have adopted the authority method of financing the project,. This is the youngest type of municipal instrumentality, born only fifteen ye.ars ago. A municipal authority is a special public corporation, whose obligations are payable solely from its revenues. Authorities have no taxing power. The authority owns a revenue-producing project under public control. Its business must be self-liquidating, and its corporate existence limited to fifty years. When all debts are liquidated, all assets revert to the incorporating munici­ palities. Some 24 functions may be performed by Pennsylvania authority, among which is the function of sewers, sewage systems, and sewage treat­ ment works. It is eligible for federal subsidies. Its bonds are tax exempt. They are subject to the same degree of regulation as a privately owned utility. The joint authority, worthy of consideration in Wyoming Valley, would transcend political boundaries. The authority has made joint action by several municipalities a reality. It functionally unifies local governments. The largest joint project, the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, is an attempt to solve the sewage disposal problems for the whole of Allegheny County, including 63 municipalities. 7 1 The administration of the f ” ority is vested in a governing body or board, which in the case of a joint endeavor equal to the number of incorpi consists of a number of members at least than five. Membership in the rn i c ip al j. ties, but in no instance less no salary is usually given, Ca ar is usually deemed an honor and trust, and a burgess fill the post. en may not serve on the boards, nor may - The Sunbury Municipal Authority issued $1, 075, 000 worth of bonds at 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 per cent. The sewer rental charges amount to $20 a year or about $1.66 a month for each dwelling. The interest rate for $475, 000 worth of bonds issued by Danville will be 2.016 per cent. Sewer rental charge will be $19 a year. TRAILER HOUSING Municipalities should give serious consideration to the trailer problem. Trailers and trailer parks need regular attention in the public interest. They should be recognized in the zoning and building codes. A special ordinance should provide regulations for health and safety. And finally, some taxes should be levied so that the needs of permanent trailer families for education, recreation, and protection may be provided without undue hardship on families living in fixed housing. PUBLICATION This News-letter for interested public officials of local governments in Luzerne County is published as a community service. It originates in the Po­ litical Science Department of Wilkes College. Address inquiries to Dr. Hugo Mailcy, Political Science Department, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. �I WHAT' S NEW VOL. II, NO. 5 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE - Four local units--Forty Fort, Wyoming, Kingston, and Plains Township--have already paid into a special account their proportionate shares of the funds necessary to conduct a Valley-wide survey of sewage needs. The proposed survey would consider groupings and construction as well as maintenance and fi­ nance costs. The 15 river-bordering municipalities have approved the survey as part of their joint approach to the over-all question of compliance with the State's Clean Streams Program. Letters from the Justice Department threatening local officials came as a surprise in the light of the 15 communities' attempt at a joint plan. EXETER - Boro Council ordered the sale of a boro motorcycle, a road truck, and the plate glass salvaged from the honor roll. Councilmen and Commissioners will hold-their second joint session at 6:30 P.M. on May 21 at the Wilkes College Cafeteria. The Honorable S. Cober Braucher, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Internal Affairs, will speak on the subject "Sewage Disposal and How It Can Be Financed. " Organization plans for next -year will also be discussed. The Boro of Kingston will act as the official hosts for the evening. Make reservations with Dr. Hugo V. Mailey as soon as possible. Telephone 4-4651. FORTY SECOND ANNUAL CONVENTION The boros of Pennsylvania will hold their annual convention at the BellevueStratford Hotel in Philadelphia May 27 to May 29. Plan now to attend in the interest of boro government in the State. It may yet be possible for the Luzerne County representative to sit on the Resolutions Committee. METROPOLITANITIS While the nation's cities increased 13.9 per cent in population in the decade between 1940 to 1950, the fringe-area communities grew 35.9 per cent. Today at least one-fourth of the population of the United States lives in the metropolitan communities. °SP W1U QSe a private road instead. cfve’^ eRRE ' TrmS fr°m BUreaU °f AsseBsment began April 1 to the CityLe;yeXiOta:SUre C°mPlete re^Strati- MAY 15,- 1953 THE DINNER FORTY FORT - In addition to approving a motion placing Boro employees under Social Security effective April 1, Council changed from residen­ tial and commercial to light industry an area bordering the American Stores warehouse property. KINGSTON - Council amended the zoning ordinance, increasing the number of signatures necessary for approval from 75 per cent to 100 per cent in an area 500 feet from the proposed location of a filling station. KINGSTON TOWNSHIP - Supervisors have been granted permission to install a four-post traffic signal at the intersection of Carverton and Church roads in Trucksville. The light, cost of which is estimated at $2, 000, will be operated by a push-button for pedestrians and a trip-plate for automobiles. NANT1COKE - The City's taxable valuation decreased $283, 263 during the past year, while the City's debt was reduced more than $64, 000. Bor­ rowing capacity has increased to $142, 479. Almost 90 per cent of the 19o2 taxes were collected. PLAINS TOWNSHIP - An agreement has been reached b Town hi officials vTh lnterests that trucks now using the Township roads near the WTT WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. persons subject to REFERENCE depreciation of tLT/retl^steteT^ d° Pr°teCt ProPertY owners against "The Authority in Pennsylvania: Pro and Con, " by Tina V. Weintraub and James D. Patterson, is available in the Wilkes College Library. This 50-page booklet explains what special governmental "magic, "‘if"any, the authority in fact possesses. LUZERNE COUNTY - Adonic A Under consideration. highway will be submitted^Jr°adS &S & C°Unty £N T E R E S T IN G NAMES The Burgess of Narberth is " Sterling on the watch for the public's interests. ” Chain--no doubt one who is always I �RUBBER road Naw Jersey's first rubber road. Ole Hansen & So °asantville> began the job of laying a one-and-one-half.’ * four_and.0ne-half-mile stretch. About 6, 600 tons of highway in the State Highway De Work has starte contracting firm of meh rubber surfac * -.0.. The material with which the road i. ’ns p"«d i. a combination of ..ph.lt and ..r.-.e.U, a synthetic rabbet co„. pound made by the Naugatuck (Conn. ) Chemical Division nited States Rubber Company. The compound is being shipped in a hot mix stage from the plant in tank trucks carrying 3, 000 gallons of the material each trip. SOCIAL SECURITY The State Social Security Bureau is running into trouble trying to help some policemen and firemen already under pension systems qualify for social security coverage. The Bureau now has 15, 000 public employees covered in 384 contracts between the federal governments and cities, townships, boros, school districts, and municipal authorities, expecting some 70 more in the next several weeks. It is a difficult problem with third-class cities. They must have retirement systems for their policemen by law and the question whether they can abolish them is a legal one. The third-class cities code requires the State's 47 commu­ nities of that classification to setup pension plans for policement. Congressman George, Kansas, a member of the Subcommittee on Roads of the Public Works Committee of the House, feels that too much money is being diverted from road construction. His claim is that our whole highway system will break down under the transportation needs because the States have not the funds since the federal government is draining this source of revenue. Congress has authorized an increase of funds for highways to 575 million dollars annually for fiscal years ending 1954 and 1955. Under the two-year program, starting July 1, 1953, there will be 247 1/2 million for projects on the primary highway system, 165 million for secondary roads, 137 1/2 million for urban roads, and 25 million for the so-called national system of interstate highways. MINNESOTA ROAD REPAIR The Minnesota State Department of Highways has found three tools standard equipment in filling concrete pavement cracks. The paving kettle is followed immediately by a rubber-edged squeegee which wipes off the surplus bituminous material and carries it forward into the infilled joints. The squeegee has re­ duced the use of material by one-third. The third tool is a cone-shaped device that distributes lime, cement, or fine dust over the wiped joint. This eliminates pavement smearing and safeguards the fresh materials against removal by suc­ tion of passing vehicles. DEFECT IN STREET FEDERAL TAXES FOR HIGHWAYS There are 7 different federal taxes on motor-vehicle owners. The taxes and approximate amounts collected on each for fiscal yea'r 1951 are: 7 per cent on new motor cars and cycles 11/2 cents a gallon on gas 5 per cent on new trucks 5 cents a lb. on tires 5 per cent on parts and accessories 9 cents a lb. on inner tubes 6 cents a lb. on lubricating oils 1 pay more 1’ government. - t $653,363,451 569, 047, 960 121,248,890 166,424, 958 119,475,023 31,958,282 97,238,095 ORDINANCES AND LICENSE FEES • -> taxes C ’ - ------ -- ---- — V* JL1.J highway construction thr - —J general fund of the U. S. Treasury. Municipalities which have control over the streets are liable to damages for injuries sustained in consequence of their failure to use reasonable care to keep them in a reasonably safe condition for travel. Notice is an essential ele­ ment of the claim. It must be established, moreover, that the defect existed for an unreasonable length of time. cent of the states. Where a license fee is assessed, it must be in accordance with the expense of issuing the license and of inspecting the business. In the Case Commonwealth v. McFadden, it was held that an annual fee of $100 for each trailer camp, in addition to a permit fee of five dollars per permit per month for each trailer and for each monthly renewal, exceeded the costs of supervision, inspection, and regulation and constituted a revenue tax under the guise of a police regulation. �r je Library WHAT 'S NEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE - Thirteen of the 15 River-bordering UhAMBibK ur „„„fT.arts entering into a joint survey on the sewage indebtedness to $940, 000-well below the legal limit of two per cent of the County's valuation, or a limit of $5, 262, 386 NANTICOKE - The new street lamps recently installed m the City s business district were turned on for the first time several nights ago, and made a most favorable impression. PLYMOUTH - Property valuation has increased during the last 10 years, but the loss of taxable persons gives the Town something to think about. The 6, 094 taxables this year is a drop of 224 from last year. DALLAS TOWNSHIP - The State Department of Highways has recommended installation of a traffic-control light as a means of reducing accidents at the intersection of the Harvey's Lake Highway and the new Lehman Road Expenses will be borne by the municipality. WILKES-BARRE - The new building code, on which builders, contractors and public officials spent more than a year, is nearly ready for adoption. KINGSTON TOWNSHIP - One of the problems facing local officials is the expan sion of the police department to afford protection to a rapidly expanding residential area. NEWPORT TOWNSHIP - Local officials were informed that the municipality is one of three whose application for Social Security coverage for employees has been approved at Harrisburg. Police are excluded. WYOMING - Zoning, playgrounds, and Christmas lighting are three problems requiring solution this year. HANOVER TOWNSHIP - The Commissioners have been giving serious thought to lights and guard rails along the new State Highway. PITTSTON - Parking revenue declined $519 during the first quarter of 1953 „ as_comPared with the first quarter of last year. X ffawn mo^V5 COOperating with the Town's biggest taxpayer, KInAtom «T m WhlCh provides an income of $6, 491 ing met’ers JeCt dlSCUSSi°n amonS local officials and merchants is park- VOL. II, NO. 6 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. S. JUNE 15, 1953 C O B E R B RAUCHER Some 50 councilmen and commissioners gathered in Wilkes College cafeteria May 21 to hear S. Cober Braucher, deputy secretary of the Department of Internal Affairs, explain the authority as a means of financing sewage disposal. "Within the past decade, " Mr. Braucher said, "most municipalities have become sensible of their obligation to dispose of waste in such a manner as not to contaminate their water supplies, realizing nothing is so likely to keep industry out of an area as polluted water. " He pointed out the authority has come into favor because it can borrow as much as it needs to construct, operate, and repair a sewage plant provided it has the revenue to pay interest and retire its bonds. The idea of paying rent for sewers is a relatively new one, he observed, adding liens against those re­ fusing to pay their sewer rentals take precedence over mortgages. The presiding officer was William I. Martin, Burgess of Kingston, which boro served as host for the evening. Other local units represented at the meet­ ing were Luzerne, Laurel Run, Nuangola, Courtdale, Wilkes-Barre, Hanover Township, Wilkes-Barre Township, Forty Fort, Sugar Notch, Newport Township, West Pittston, and Kingston. COUNTY UNIT NOTE wn °GOn=r °r later U Was bound to hapnen- Wltllam Jr. Shou]d he be r the burgess of Morrisville is -J as Burgess Burgess? JLP B LI C A T IQ N This News-letter, DrUHCal S.CrienCe DeP^rt^ent originates in the Dr. HugoV. Mailey, Political S College. Send notes and inquiries to ^rre, Pennsylvania Scie: —nee Department, Wilke, College, Wilkes- PUbl'’«ldW V Decision by representatives of about a dozen boros to form a county association was reached last May 21 at the dinner meeting. Ralph Brown, councilman from Kingston, was elected temporary chairman while Roy Speece, secretary of the council from West Pittston, was named temporary secretary of the organization. Appointed to the executive committee which will meet on June 17 to draft a set of by-laws were John Jarzenbowicz, Sugar Notch; Alan Bare, Forty Fort; Brinley Crahall, Courtdale; Fred Balliet, Nuangola; George Sobeck, Luzerne; and Thomas Callahan, Laurel Run. Suggestions for organiz­ ing the association of boros were furnished by D. William Arndt of Berwick, secretary of the Columbia-Montour Boros Association and member of the exec­ utive committee of the State Boros Association. �ATT RACTING INDUSTRY "Attracting Industry to Cities" is the title of a very informative article in the May 1953 issue of the National Municipal Review. The article a re­ print, was written by Dr. Lawrence Durisch, authority in the field of municipal government. Many times it is not such primary factors as availability of markets, raw materials or labor supply that determine where a new industry locates, but rather such secondary considerations as local government services. Local leaders have centered their attention on municipal financing of industrial under­ takings or subsidies. The State Legislatures of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee have passed legislation to permit community financing of new in­ dustry. This spectacular endeavor has its proponents and opponents. Some of the latter hold this method of attracting industry obscures the real role of local government, which role is to create a place where people can work and live. The most important part that local government can play in industrial development is to perform well its regular functions of government. Here are some of the services that industry considers important: property protection, including both fire and police; public schools and facilities for em­ ployee training; public health; hospital facilities; housing; local transportation; water and electric utilities, those publicly managed and those privately operated; recreation; and planning and zoning as they affect the availability of industrial sites and the convenience of industrial areas. Examples are mentioned: One town was told rather bluntly by an industry which located elsewhere: "There is nothing wrong with your town as an industrial location that a good city government would not cure. " Few towns realize com­ pletely the value of being known as a good town in which to live and work. Adequate services of local government do not in themselves insure initial or continuing < success in industria! development. They do, however, constitute the most lasting which local government can extend to industry. - inducement ------ ------------ NON-PROPe r t y tax the HomTlUleTax ^a^ oVherXeT0^^ reVENUES 1947 Legislatare PaSSed * s known as the Mtax-anything" law. A number of factors dictated it: S passage at the time, most important of which was the fact that the State wished curtail subsidies to local governments. Another important factor was the generally low r— property assessments around the State, which are about 30 per cent of market value ---- J throughout the State. It ought to be noted that the law kit has been used to t finance new acf S not reduced real estate taxes, rather —1 tax assessment? L°Cal governments still have not done anything about local C L E V E L A ND'S ANTI-JAYWALKING DRIVE Cleveland police have been presenting roses to good drivers and free cigarets to careful pedestrians in that city's drive to rid the city of jay-walkers. On the first day of the drive, 218 tickets were issued to jaywalking pedestrians, and 14 motorists were cited for failure to yield the right of way to pedestrians. ACT The The The The 145 from the $12,000,000 and the $3,000,000 cities received boros received first-class townships received second-class townships received $3,080,017 2,247,650 632,515 9,039,808 $14,999, 990 This allocation was on a basis of 60 per cent for road mileage and 40 per cent for population. This fact increased the appropriation to second-class town­ ships, which contain 45, 000 miles of road, whereas other units combined contain about 13,500. UNIFORM LAW FOR TRUC KERS A special committee of the Council of State Governments has recommended enactment by the states of a uniform law to assure more equitable payment of highway-user taxes by operators of heavy commercial vehicles in both interstate and intrastate commerce. Such a law would apply to heavy vehicles with a gross weight of 18, 000 lbs. or more. BILLS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR H. 383 - Giving townships additional powers in relation to streets, State highways, sewers, public squares, and abutting properties. H. 384 - Requiring local taxes under "tax-anything" law of 1947 to be re­ enacted annually. H. 703 - Changing provisions relating to effective date of laws affecting budgets of municipalities. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published as a community service, originates in the Political Science Department of Wilkes College. Please send notes and inquiries to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes College, WilkesBarre, Pennsylvania. �JUL 2 1 195~ WHAT 'S NEW ? approval of annexation by the Boro of a 2.2 acre section CONYNGHAM - Court ? was asked in a petition filed with the Court. of Sugarloaf Township KINGSTON - The problem of c. cost of collection of ashes is presently being dis. ASHLEY - Only 38 properties were turned in to the county this month for unpaid taxes, fewer than last year. DALLAS - Citizens of the Boro have realized the need for a more systemized parking program for the area to insure success of all enterprises in the section. PLYMOUTH - The bond issues proposed by the council will be redeemable with­ in two yars, purpose of the bonds being for emergency work, which has not been provided for in the annual budget. SWOYERVILLE - New street signs were placed at all intersections in the Boro. LUZERNE COUNTY - County officials voted more than $200, 000 for land damages incidental to improvement of state highways in the county, but at the same time they expressed annoyance at the prospect of these costs becoming per­ petual as the state continues to expand its highway system. PITTSTON - The City has an accumulation of $423, 402. 97 in back taxes, most of which date from 1952. EDWARDSVILLE - Reports have it that the C’ty fathers are planning an ordinance to prohibit dumping within its limits. WILKES-BARRE - The City contemplates the purchase of a <coin ' machine ' ' ' designed. to assort and count all types of mixed deposits accurately at a speed of 500 coins a minute. The machine will be used to sort, count, and package the millions of coins taken from the parking meters. HANOVER TOWNSHIP - The commissioners have undertaken a road-improvement ,, program and have asked the cooperation of motorists. " -Q-^INC- - The council is considering a paving job for a new proposed housing project. CSVILLE More than three mills of the Boro taxes this year are ear-marked tor bonds, interest, and old bills. doublf wbT?efSt«e ^lghway Department will not object to the painting of tion= on 1 6 ra 1C UneS ° n the mail hiShway if it will improve safety condi- VOL. II, NO. 7 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. JULY 15, 1953 VALUABLE PRODUCTS RESULT OF POLLUTION ABATEMENT Treatment of wastes by industry, required under the Clean Streams program, has resulted in many instances in the reclamation by industry of valuable products which formerly were discharged to the rivers as waste. In other instances, com­ plete surveys of the manufacturing process resulted in changes which decreased the volume of waste, causing a lower expenditure for a waste treatment system. Other industries found that they could install systems for the removal of waste material from the water used in the process of manufacture, recirculate the cleansed water for re-use and thereby cut down on water consumption. In many cases the recirculating systems have eliminated the stream pollution problem en­ tirely as the solids settled out of the water are removed to dumps. Some concerns have stated they are actually making a profit on the products they formerly discharged to the streams. Outstanding on the reclamation list are the finer sizes of coal which are recovered from the silt from anthracite breaker water. In the past, many tons of silt were discharged annually to the waterways. This has been stopped and in the de silting process the finer sizes of coal are re­ covered for which a ready sale has been developed. Some coal operators have stated that they are realizing a profit on the coal they formerly sent down the streams as waste. In some other cases sale of the recovered coal brings suffi­ cient return to pay for the cost of operating systems. One steel mill installed a modern flue dust recovery works costing $516, 361. After deducting the cost of operation of the plant and the cost of sintering the re­ covered ore dust, the plant showed a profit of $580, 636 in the first yar. Imme­ diately a shovel was placed in the stream and 15, 000 tons of dust previously depos­ ited on the stream bed were recovered. In another instance, a manufacturing plant recovered 4, 000 gallons a day of low grade ether, used in the process of man­ ufacture, which had been going down the stream as waste. There are many instances in which closed systems have been installed which not only permit the use of the water over and over, reducing the charges for water, but have also eliminated the pollution problem. However, in most instances pollu­ tion abatement brings additional costs to the operation of the industry, which points up the fact that preventing pollution must be placed in the category of any other pro­ duction cost. �SUBDIVISION CONTROL (first of two articles) new ^tensions er location o * nl,__ose water mains, and sewers. °PWnt with schools, public buildings and shopping areas, Pfop. complete subdivision regulations must be c In concerned sidewalks The suitability of the land for the proposed subdivision should be the first consideration. Topography and soil types should also be considered as they affect desirable circulation patterns and population densities. "Gentlemen: "I am very pleased to be able to report to you that all of the fifteen Wyoming Valley communities have now paid their proportionate share of the cost for the proposed survey of the waste disposal problem in our area. "Seven of these communities have also executed and sent in their signed contracts. If you have not sent in your contract, will you please take steps as are necessary to have it executed and returned to me as promptly as possible in order that we may proceed with the survey. "It is very gratifying to have this demonstration of cooperation by Wyoming Valley communities and my sincere thanks and congratulations go to all concerned. II BILL 418 A classification of streets is necessary. Local residential streets (residential service streets) are those providing direct access to residences and serving a com paratively small number of dwellings. Secondary streets (neighborhood feeder streets) are those serving only neighborhood traffic and which connect service streets to each other, to local facilities, and to major traffic streets. Primary or major streets are those connecting district centers, serving large volumes of through fast-moving traffic and which are preferably located outside the boundary of neighborhoods. The circulation pattern for a new subdivision should conform generally to the over-community plan. Provision for the extension of major streets into and from adjoining areas should be required, while local service streets should discourage through traffic. If the proposed subdivision is adjacent to a primary or major thoroughfare, provision should be made for necessary future widening. If dead end streets are used, lengths up to 600 feet are generally considered acceptable, provided the street is wide enough for two lanes generally of traffic considered unobstructed except by occasional parking and provided there is a turning space with a diameter of at least 80 feet at the end. Where minor streets near each other open into oppoterseSctiols° 77StreetS’ they should be made to coincide, making for fewer ines than 800 ee^ icbb man ouu teet. 8 al°ng 8treetS should not occur at intervals of W Y Q M IN G VALLEY SURVEY Below is a ( copy of the letter QI June 18 f 18 the Public fift Servi,lCeS <"'on'lrnittee of of theJune Greatp^u? 1 C” A‘ Von Stein> Chairman of to the Creati a units that have joined in tv Wllkes’Barre Chamber of Commerce­ survey on sewage disposal. Third class cities in northeastern Pennsylvania have joined with the Pennsyl­ vania Home Rule Association to urge enactment of House Bill 418 to provide for more equitable distribution of the State Motor License Fund to counties, cities, boroughs, and townships. Under present law and legislation proposed by the State Highway Department the money received by cities, boroughs, and townships amounts to only 7 per cent of the Motor License Fund available for construction, repair, and maintenance of streets and highways. House Bill 418 would provide a 75 per cent distribution to the Highway Depart­ ment and a 25 per cent distribution to municipal units based on population and miles of roads. Such distribution, it is contemplated, will mean a two-mill saving in taxes. The Highway Department has now amassed an unspent balance of $410, 000, 00 in the Motor License Fund. Under the bill, part of this would revert back to the mu­ nicipalities. Bill 418 would base refunds on $350 a mile and $2 per capita. Bill 650 would keep in force the present formula by which the State makes gas tax refunds on a basis of $123 a mile and 45 cents per capita. Table Showing Increase under Bill 418 City Wilkes-Barre Hazleton Nanticoke Pittston Now Receives $45,018 23,648 12,268 8, 705 Under Bill 418 $183,381 92,832 49,444 35,575 Increase $134,032 68,001 35,847 26,002 PUBLICATION This News-letter, published as a community service, originates in the Political Science Department of Wilkes College. Please send notes and inquiries to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes College, WilkesBarre, Pennsylvania. �I '1fcw4,~letten WHAT'S NEW ? PLYMOUTH - Salaries by departments presentt an interesting picture indicate inp ____ and more on revenue other than property taXe that the Boro depends more KINGSTON - A suggestion to to council that Second and Third Avenues be made On referred to the Boro's traffic committee for study an^ way streets has been 1-. recommendation. EDWARDSVILLE - Council has passed an ordinance denying permission to establish a trailer camp along the Narrows Road near the new developrnen(. plot, feeling that the revenue from a trailer camp would be low. DUPONT - Boro solons are studying a plan that could increase the Boro area five times its present size and double its real estate valuation. ASHLEY - A $20, 000 bond issue has been sold to Butcher and Sherrerd Invest­ ment Company at an interest rate of 4 1/2 per cent, the highest in many years. The money will be used to fund a floating debt, purchase a new fire engine and ash truck, and improve streets. KINGSTON TOWNSHIP - Plans are being made for improving safety on the long stretch of wide roadway through the community. PLAINS TOWNSHIP - The commissioners are pondering an ordinance regulating the installation of oil burners and requiring a permit for installation. WILKES-BARRE - City Council is considering an ordinance providing for an annual license fee of $5.00 for every coin-operated machine except cigaret machines; and another under which stock and food brokerage firms would pay an annual license tax of $50. 00. LARKSVILLE - Volunteer firemen have asked to purchase and install a fire alarm siren since the alarm at Loree No. 5 is not dependable due to working conditions. STO,, Attorney Joseph F. Saporito was named mayor of Pittston to fill the unexpired term of the late Mayor John J. Allardvce AN°IfVOIN!HfPC Commissioner John C. Wordoski has been re-elected 4 LUZERNE C0UNTYO-LTheScXttSllOC1'atlOn ClaSS TownshiP Commissioner ment owe the . °ller s rePort shows that 26 local units of govern ' h““‘y $4?' 6t”■8, ,Or with road construction and tor Wyoming, wh.lc /hj lowe7“’ h‘ a"°"nt " $24’ 813' ” STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT -Th "<= Y Av°Ca Sch°O1 District‘ $2, 500, 000. 00 to repair the J* 18 preParing to spend more than pair the road between Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton. VOL. II, NO. 8 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. Cgege Lib® AUGUST 15, 1953 AUG 2 4 1953 MEETING Local officials will hold their first fall meeting in Wilkes College Cafeteria September 23 at 6:30 P.M. It will be recalled that at the meeting May 21 repre­ sentatives of the boroughs decided to form a county association. Copies of by-laws worked out during the summer by a committee headed by Ralph Brown of Kingston, temporary chairman of the projected association, and Roy Speece of West Pittston, temporary secretary, have been sent to every borough secretary in the County and will presumably be discussed at the organization meeting September 23. It is the earnest desire of the by-laws committee that every borough in the County be represented. Commissioners of first-class townships are contemplating a similar organization. They, too, expect to make progress at the September meeting. Reservations may be made through Wilkes College, VAlley 4-4651. SUBDIVISION CONTROL The first specific subdivision standards to be considered are those relating to street or road alignment. Curves should be designed with botl vehicle speed and sight distance in mind. A good minimum center-line ra.— for curves on primary roads is 500 feet; for secondary roads, 300 feet; and for local service streets, 100 feet. Sight distances should be 400 feet for pri­ mary roads, 200 feet for secondary roads, and 100 feet for service streets. The controlling factors in street grades are safe descent, type and volume of traffic, and weather and pavement conditions, A maximum oi six to eight per cent is recommended for residential streets, Grades up to six per cent are allowed on major streets. .A minimum, street grade, usually five per cent, will assure adequate drainage, Intersections should be approached on all sides by levelling areas. Local Officials Remember--. Some people grow with The quickest responsibility; others Way tO lose swell. audience i8 to be the whole show. The fellow who slaps you on the back something. tnay be trying to make you cough up Many pavement widths are possible. Ten feet is usually considered the minimum width for a lane of moving traffic, with 11 and 12 feet for higher speeds. The standard width for a lane of parallel parking is 8 feet. The mini­ mum width of pavement of a one-way service street with two parking lanes should be 26 feet; on a secondary feeder street, 36 feet. Standards for intersections should prohibit the junction of more than four roadways, require right-angle intersections along major streets, and pro­ hibit service-street intersection angles of less than 60 degrees. �FOR BETTER ROADS HEARST PLAN ,e General Assembly of the State of Illinoi consideration to the Hearst plan for bette1S Called Up0 Not long ago the is that the Federal Government should return1 r°ads- T? Congress to give every c tIle the state 6 essence ofnecessary the plan i_part _L of the $2 billion collected from highw H funds be used for immediate improvement of the national inte Users. the all or to any system, which comprises those streets and roads considered .rstate highw and defense. By temporarily relieving the states of the respo^^- t0 °Ur eco? ing the interstate system, the plan would pump a tidy sum into ^lbllity for network and release state funds for other highway work ° hat Strategic r^' Thousands of tests were made of the soils underlying the road, the gravel base material, and the asphaltic concrete surfacing. Owing to this rigid construction control, it should be possible to observe the "behavior" of different sections of the road under different truck loads. The Idaho test is part of a nationwide attempt on the part of highway engineers and the highway transportation industry to develop factual information on which to base design of highways intended to carry heavy truck loads, to guide legislators in their effort to draw equitable tax laws for highway users, and to help truck manufacturers and operators to determine reasonable and efficient vehicle operating sizes and weights. M U NIC I PAL BOND MARKET RECREATION PROGRAM Smith the NATIONAL MUNICIPAL According o an article bv Wade moreS.and moreindifficult to market lowREVIEW municipal^1]ei' XrOvements. The Index for the month ending May 14 interest bonds f P cent as compared with 2.03 per cent shows an average interest cost ot r for the same period in 1952. Back in 1945 Luzerne County received several bids offering to take the bonds for one per cent; today the interest rate has risen to four per cent. Where as in 1942 the city of Wilkes-Barre had to pay but 1.25 per cent interest on the bond money it borrowed, the present rate is nearer four per cent. Electric City banks bad to take Scranton bonds to keep the City solvent--and at 3. 5 per cent. In the June, 1953 BULLETIN of the Department of Internal Affairs, 14 approvals for bond borrowing were listed as having been granted--one city, four boroughs, three school districts, and six housing authorities. The highest intere rate was found in the school-district category, while the lowest average rate was the housing-authority class. The borough of McAdoo had to pay three per cent ir terest on the small amount of $14, 500. interest° iexi6tlnS debt at higher ' over> that the new Federal policy of reXX,' T* al‘ oTbor "SI certainly herald a rise i« terest rates'. oritlefl‘-which, by the WlnE”be 11 authority or governmental. Dlf h„ come m Bond Buy.,',7T W"' in “se before the rise in 1»to an end, I™ • Index indicate, that “he era of cheap money W ASHO ROAD PROJECT °* Malad’ Idaho. will soon begin Prelir"ad the will soon begin p National Government . UC “traffic conditions. Eleven Western states , ^00ociation, the Truck T-r- ? co°peration with the Automobile Manufacturers n„ tests under controlled^01 V soring the project ssociation, and the petroleum industry. are There is a reason why this item was not written for one of the spring issues of the NEWS-LETTER. If it had appeared immediately .prior to the be­ ginning of summer, it would have conveyed the impression that a recreation pro­ gram is little more than a vacation fill-in for school activities. Certainly such a notion is not within the broad outline of ideals in the field. An all-inclusive recreational program operated on a 12-month basis should be provided for all--regardless of race, creed, or color. Recreation programs should offer considerable freedom of choice. Indi­ viduals of all ages enter into recreational activities to satisfy an urge from within. Public interest can be aroused by any group or individual aware of the recreational needs of the community and determined to improve the opportunities presently af­ forded. Each community should survey its available areas and facilities for a comprehensive indoor-outdoor public recreation program. These areas and fa­ cilities are the basic tools without which community recreation cannot succeed. Lack of immediate availability of perfect spaces and equipment should not delay the institution of the program, however. Intelligent, well-trained leadership will always take advantage of anything that presents itself. As a matter of fact, the success of any recreational program depends to a greater degree upon the quality of the leadership than upon any other factor. It should be demanded that personnel in charge of recreation have professional train­ ing and personal qualifications comparable to the training and qualifications of personnel in a public school system or a public health or welfare department. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Political Science Department of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be ad­ dressed to Dr. II. V. Mailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes College, WilkesBarre, Pennsylvania. �» SEP ] 8 1953 WHAT'S NEW revenue^ The mid-year operations report also shows that tax collections t ^e first half of 1953 are up, whereas departmental earnings are down ED WARDSVILLE- The new shopping section along theNarrows Road may ne. SEPTEMBER 15, 1953 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. VOL. II, NO. 9 cessitate the vacating of business properties along Main Street--a situation which may result in a loss of assessments for tax purposes. A Council com­ mittee is looking into Social-Security protection for all salaried employees. LARKSVILLE - Borough officials are concerned about local residents who dump SEPTEMBER MEETING ashes and garbage on public thoroughfares in violation of a Borough ordinance DALLAS - The Council met with the School Board to discuss equalized assess­ Local officials will hold their first fall meeting in Wilkes College Cafeteria ment. Although the Borough may be in good financial condition, the Board, September 23 at 6:30 P.M. with West Pittston as host. Speakers for the evening badly in need of funds, has requested that assessments be equalized to increas will be William Sword, Herbert Morris, and Charles Von Stein, all of the Chamber its tax income. of Commerce. Mr. Sword and Mr. Morris will speak on the "Place of Local Of­ HANOVER TOWNSHIP - Road jobs are progressing. Patching, installing of curb: ficials in Bringing in Industry, " while Mr. Von Stein will bring the group up to date and oiling will be completed in the near future. on the sewage problem in the Valley. PLYMOUTH - Revenue from parking meters and fines is playing an important part in helping the Council meet payrolls promptly--without borrowing thousan Remember that this is the organization meeting for both boros and first class of dollars before current taxes come in. townships. Every boro and township in the County should be represented. WILKES-BARRE - The non-assessable property has a total valuation of $30 millii with $10 million in land and $20 million in buildings . The increase of several For reservations, call Wilkes College, VA 4-4651. millions in assessments during the last 10 years has been cancelled out owing to the necessity of removing from the tax books, during the same period, a lik< SANITARY LANDFILL amount of property as non-assessable. SWOYERVILLE - Four full-time employees were placed under the Social Security Act. The people of the West Side have come to realize that the old method of dump­ ing refuse into a depression can no longer be tolerated. The Wilkes-Barre incin­ ASHLEY - The Council has authorized the purchase of new fire apparatus and the erator has offered a temporary solution to the problem, and an incinerator operated preparation of specifications for a new ash truck. SAFETY HONORS - The National Safety Council has cited 10 Luzerne County coni' jointly by all West Side communities would certainly be one method of refuse disposal. munities for tholing 1952 without a single traffic fatality. They are: Hazleton, Another method, successfully used by San Bernardino, California; Oneonta, anticoke Plymouth, Ashley, Edwardsville, Forty Fort, Luzerne, Swoyervill New York; and Cheyenne, Wyoming; is ihe sanitary landfill. In Pennsylvania, the West Hazleton, and West Pittston SUPER ROAD - A bill of importance to this area has been considered by the State Lower Bucks County municipalities could readily conquer this problem by accept­ Legislature. ]It provides for the construction of a connecting link with the Penn ing a plan offered by the Planning Commission and the Pennsylvania Economy League. The landfill operation would require the cooperation of all 22 local units in Bucks. sylvania Turnpike pi ce from Harrisburg through the anthracite region. Since sanitary landfills are cheaper than incinerators, West Side units might inves­ EIRE SCHOOL - The cornerstone of Pennsylvania's new fire school at Lewistown tigate and study the idea, that is, if political differences or individual jealousies can was laid August 6. Operated by the Public Service Institute of the Departm®" be forgotten. of Public Instruction, fire fighting--the8C?°O1 ha8 a CMric^m including every aspect of Basically, the operation consists of digging a trench, dumping all trash and cepted. Instruction wilinbe°oCOntla8ratiOn8 caused bV atomic attacks ^fire' garbage into it, and then covering it up. Technically, there are certain refinements men retained by industrial esUblishX's66' Paid firemen> necessary to make the plan work. President oy^e^’t^1?”88101161 Herman C. Kersteen was elected third v'c The operation calls for a trench 6 feet deep, 10 feet wide, and as long as National Association of County Officials meeting in Boston. desired--preferably on submarginal land. Disposal trucks dump refuse at one end �Pac^ covered. sufficient to handle the refuse from 10, 00n ground is the area has been filled, it can be used <0, "'*'"“ °”' “twoofyear s"after Two years " 10^0 recreation field, or similar project. About six years later it recreation field, used for building purposes. The system.. w.thmod.f.cat.ons can al8o be used ,o reclaim low or swampy land, thereby creating more saleable acreage. San Bernardino is using this method to correct erosion and re-rroute the Santa Ana River into its normal channel after the course was changed'"'Ya bfi00d Trenches on this project are about 20 feet wide. Dirt excavated from a new ditch is used to cover the one which has just been closed. The City provides a combined collection service for garbage, rubbish and debris which makes for compaction at the fill. The housewife no longer has to separate papers and tin cans from her garbage. Enclosed sanitary compaction trucks, which are washed and steamed, are used. Continuous burying and bull­ dozing of debris has completely eliminated rats and fleas. Oneonta dumps into a sanitary landfill operated by a private contractor whc is subject to regular inspection and supervision. An International tractor with a two-yard Drott Bullclam shovel is the only equipment used. The tractor compac refuse as it is dumped and immediately covers it with six inches of earth. After substantial area is filled, the tractor tops it off with two feet of dirt. The town fathers were quick to recognize its usefulness for refuse disposal when it aided in transforming a rat-infested swamp into a good, neat landfill operation, The Huber machine is also used to spread asphalt cold mix in paving streets. No wonder the city manager doesn't miss the county assistance which the town formerly received. THE COLLEGE AND COMMUNITY PROGRESS Although every college exists primarily to provide education and to sponsor research, it is also a community institution bearing all the responsibilities the fact implies. Community affairs have an impact on the college even as the devel­ opment of the college affects the community. This interdependence las yet to be fully recognized in Wyoming Valley. During the past year, however, local officials and the Political Science Depart­ ment of Wilkes College have taken real strides in the right direction--witness the publication of this News-letter, the classes on the Wilkes campus for police, magistrates, and councilmen and commissioners, the bi-monthly meetings at the College to bring officials into touch with authorities on local government. The PSI classes will be repeated this year (phone the College for details), and institutes for local officials are being planned for both the fall and the spring. Much remains to be done, of course, but the enthusiastic activity of 1952-1953 proves that, together, College and community can do it successfully. LEGAL NOTES Not onl}, were 20,000 rats evicted after Cheyenne adopted the landfill methc but the city discovered a new gravel deposit on which it draws for street-grading A trip by the West Side solons 1to ’Highland Park, New Jersey, to see a san’ itary landfill in operation would be most — 1 rewarding. And it's only a short ride. A Lower I Science Department ------- 1 at the College. TRAC TOR .L-MaINTAINER - bulldozer 2, 6°°), purchased a tractor-maintainera rubber-tired tractor with a a versatile machine. A Huber maintainer, it 18 bfc-deonthefrontaBoth^i Bothblades ”” blade mounted under the body and a ades are hydraulically operated. N°t only can the machine be ln laying waterlines, USCd for street work, but it also proves u8 e(j. ’ as trenches and ‘hen backfills after the lines are in6 The Honorable George C. Corson declared invalid and void an ordinance passed September 17 by the Lower Merion Township Board of Commissioners barring part of Montgomery Avenue to trucks and buses shunted off the Schuyl­ kill Expressway. The township contended it had the power to enact the ordinance under portions of the First Class Township Code concerned with public safety, public .health and cleanliness, and general powers. Greyhound charged the ordi­ nance was so vague, ambiguous, and inconsistent as to leave reasonable doubt as to its meaning. The Judge ruled that the power to pass an ordinance designating certain streets for travel by through buses cannot be found in any clause of the code, and if given, then only by implication. He further stated the Township's position that the ordinance came under the public health clause is untenable, The effect of through buses on the health of the Township is infinitesimal. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Political Science Department of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. H. V. Mailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. �WHAT'S NEW? . between the school board and members of WEST PITTSTON t°iated swimming pool, cor" sting about $49 may decide on the c h school stadium. 00o-oo, which will be built e 1 composed of businessmen and banke PITTSTON - A citizens c0™ deficit budget which runs to about $30, rs Win VOL. II, NO. 10 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. OCTOBER 15, 1953 °00. oo committee will work on traffic. LAKE TOWNSHIP - A two-way radio system is the next goal of Harveys Lake WILLIAM SWORD NANTICOKE - The onderst.Hed police department will require the services ol Le and possibly two additional full-time patrolmen to eon form to the „„ state law which gives the police of third class cities a 44-hour work W(?ek. HANOVER TOWNSHIP - Commissioners will protest the Pennsylvania Railroad Company's request for another extension of time for installing flashing light signals and automatic gates at the Oxford Street crossing in Lee Park. Bi°ds are being sought for the purchase of a new fire truck with federal-stat assistance covering 50 per cent of cost. NEWPORT TOWNSHIP - Local officials are satisfied with progress being made along the Robert Street hill prior to its resurfacing and its becoming part of the new route between Nanticoke and Glen Lyon. WARRIOR RUN - Agreement by officials of the Boro and Hanover Township of­ ficials for annexation of 73 acres of land by the Township relieves the Boro of a road maintenance burden it was unable to support. A decrease in boro revenue prompted officials to strive for such an agreement. PLYMOUTH - The police department is presently putting on a safety drive for motorists and pedestrians. EDWARDSVILLE - Main Street merchants are interested in parking meters to regulate traffic and make room for the traveling trade. DUPONT - Council is aware that the proper solution of the police problem is forn tion of a full-time police force, a solution unlikely to be reached on a $19, O' budget. SWOYERVILLE - Council is awaiting shipment of fire alarm station boxes for use in the community. EXETER - Through the cooperation of council and the officials of the mower plant, KINGSTOnXorT^F^ surfacing. .. _.„£ ... er West Side communities abandoned the Narro"1 Road dump in Edwardsville, declared a public health nuisance by state in spectors, Kingston officials official signed an agreement with the Sgarlat Estate, Forty Fort, for dumping p-— purposes. Citizen protests enjoined Kingstonpt­ ficials from dumping there ___ , Kingston '?'* “H~*tiil hav e the Wilkes-Barre incinerator In the meantime, temporarily uses find a new dumping ground. ’. Other West Side communities PLOUGH TS The way to succeed is FOR TODAY to keep your head up and your overhead down. The best place t° find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm. About fifty local officials from seventeen municipalities were in attendance at the first fall meeting of municipal officials at Wilkes College. William O. Sword, chairman of the Committee of 100, stated that most important in obtain­ ing new industries is the need for sites of at least two and one-half acres. Im­ proving these sites is as vitally important; Although the Committee can't always meet the gimmicks of the South in attracting industries, unified support and co­ operation of local officials can enhance the Committee's success. Jack Conway, secretary of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce, stressed that co­ operation among municipalities is sorely needed. Present were Hazleton, Dupont, Nuangola, Ashley, ship, Laurel Run, officials from Wilkes-Barre Township, West Pittston, West Wilkes-Barre, Nescopeck, Hanover Township, White Haven, Kingston, Luzerne, Courtdale, Edwardsville, Newport Town­ and Forty Fort. LUZERNE COUNTY BOROUGH ASSOCIATION Councilmen of Luzerne County have organized a Borough Association, the twenty-fifth such group in Pennsylvania, following the bi-monthly dinner meet­ ing at the Wilkes College Cafeteria. By-laws, under preparation since last summer, were adopted and officers elected. The local group which now com­ prises thirteen boroughs will be affiliated with the Pennsylvania Association for Boroughs. The following are the elected officers: President First Vice President Second Vice President Secretary Treasurer State Representative Ralph Brown, Kingston, Councilman Thomas Callahan, Laurel Run, Council President Alan Bare , Forty Fort,Councilman Roy Speece, West Pittston, Council Secretary Harvey Nicken, Laurel Run, Council Secretary Elwood Jones, West Hazleton, Solicitor Directors elected were Wilson Smith, Nescopeck; John Gallick, Dupont; Gilbert Watkins, Laurel Run; William Thomas, Forty Fort; John Mulhall, West Pittston; Luther Nicholson, White Haven; Brinley Crahall, Courtdale. Board members from Nuangola, Ashley, Kingston, Luzerne, West Hazle­ ton, and Edwardsville will be chosen at a future date. �new legislation Act 340 - Total appropriation for highway allocation has been increas ri 15 to 18 million dollars, 14 million to be divided on popm^ fr°tu per cent) and mileage (40 per cent) and 4 million in the Matc^ <6° Act 31 - Taxes under the tax-anything law must be renewed yearly and milst filed in the Bureau of Municipal Affairs. Act 86 - Sales to political subdivisions or to authorities are exernnt new sales tax. er the Act 118- Fines levied by justices of the peace must be turned °Ver to borough or township treasurers on a monthly basis. PENNSYLVANIA STREAM POLLUTION This state continued to lead all others in 1952 in the number of sewage and industrial waste treatment plants, according to Wastes Engineering. The survey states that 804 sewage treatment plants and 392 industrial wastes treat­ ment works were built in the country. Pennsylvania accounts for 83 and 124 of these systems respectively. California ranks second, followed by Texas, Wisconsin, and Florida. On industrial waste, this state is followed by Michigan and Wisconsin. In Pennsylvania 43 of the plants under construction are to serve populations of less than 5, 000 people. The 83 plants are designed to serve a population of about 2, 500, 000 people, and the total cost is placed at more than $60, 000, 000. Act 245 - Additions to real estate subject to local property taxation are k trailers attached to land, trailer parks, and parking lots °USe The decided trend is toward joint treatment projects, both nationally and in the state. The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority is the largest in the coun­ try--comprising Pittsburgh and 63 other municipalities in the area. There is a A?1 68 ~ Persons are permitted to hold both the offices of Secretary and Treas. possibility that 3 other units might join. In addition, many industrial concerns urer in boroughs of less than 2, 000. have entered into agreements with the authority. Ac£69_- Powers and duties of the Recreation Board in first-lass tow are refined. urst-ciass townships Act 49 v This project entails the laying of 66 miles of intercepting sewers varying in size from 2 feet to 10 1/2 feet. The plant will treat 150 million gallons of wastes a day, serving 1,400, 000 people. This act provides that a person person appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of Commissioner, Controller, In the southeastern part of the state 3 authorities comprising 27 communi­ and Treasurer serves his predecessor' ties are building plants. The Darby Creek Authority is made up of 10 local units. unexpired term of office. RAW GARBA GE New headaches for local officials ailed vesicular exantheura. In SDite are f observed because of a hog disease imposition of strictp te of — an expenditure of $3, 000, 000 and the P ki ■ states, the nation-wide epidemic o<^citi„oftheOnite “a5s feUe°d bHealth Service estimated that 40 per cent Therefore, the Federal r t eir garbage to swine without disinfection. up on the health laws pG°Ve^merlt *nd n many state governments are tightening tl>e feediag 0[ „ncooked e™«rl'a„ia has jjoined about a dozen states in forbidding garbage to hogs. / to swine feeding anH I ~ s Act 55, approved June 19, 1953, relate "a11 garbage be tho dlsPosal. g be thoroughly heated — Section 10 of the new law requires that to at least 212 ° F. for at least 20 minutes. TheTT ha,t lh' Act in the . -- not too distant future. e Miles Horst will issue procedures under th continue their Until then, Present operations. garbage collectors and feeders c In addition to i— ■ squiring that all firms „ garbage from others M -^Uation of cJ^Xanimal feedinp ’ persons. or corporations rec eiving , , ■’*t garbage tbe new law permits the reThis featur —*e was iincluded 8arbaSe conf collection uded to provide a "• CtlOn by ma nicipalities (Section ZB)Person. ■ • fulfilling the cr ° Provide a "just & Confront contract. ii" JUSt re turn on the added expense to the return FINANCING MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENT Writing in the Constructioneer, Maurice J. Fleischman, city manager of Long Beach, New York, states that more ways must be found to finance im­ provements needed by suburban communities. The one thing that local officials can do is to make as many facilities as possible self-supporting and self-liqui­ dating, fixing the charge high enough to provide the necessary funds. The sewer rental charge was set at 100 per cent of the water charge with the hope of reducing it to 90 per cent shortly. In the meantime, the sewer fund pays all operating and maintenance costs as well as interest and amortization of all sewer bonds. The three capital improvements--incinerator, parking lot, and sewer--are all expected to be self-liquidating. Long Beach has found the advantage of quickly amortizing indebtedness. Compare this: The cost of financing at 3 per cent a million-dollar 30-year proj­ ect is $413,250, while a 5-year project only costs $85,860. Therefore, to save costs all bonds have been callable at the city's option. Sound financial practice dictates that these calls be exercised when possible. �wha_tHJ1^L? a ^/Unance adopted by the commissioners pits HANOVER TOWNSHIP - An 0 ng of signs, banners, etc. , on polP esr°hib . -3 along the posting, painting playgrounds. streets and alleysi as ordinance every property owner within a KINGSTON - Since un d gas station mlist grant permission, those 500-foot radius ?? shouid grow in value with the passing of time stations now in p the city dump used f NANTICOKE - Fire controls have been sen r r gar. bage and refuse collected by city equipment NEWPORT TOWNSHIP - The tax collector reported 94 per cent collection of 1953 VOL. II,NO. 11 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. NOVEMBER 15, 1953 ayp s WYOMING - Councilmen are still pondering the necessity of a zoning ordinanj DURYEA - Borough council has promised financial aid in the construction of a community swimming pool. SWOYERVILLE - Council ratified the program of the State Highway engineers to resurface the Back Road. PLYMOUTH - An ordinance to control salesmen and solicitors is under consid. eration by council. EDWARDSVILLE - Council will open bids on a new police cruiser. DUPONT - Operating on a small budget, the Council is now heading toward a year-end surplus. AVOCA - The State Highway Department has approved flashing lights at Plane and York Street intersections on Main Street. PITTSTON - Five of the seven recommendations made by a special survey con) mittee will be given a 60-day trial. WEST WYOMING - There appears to be some talk on the merging of Wyoming and West Wyoming boroughs, which have existed as separate entities sinci 1898 when the West Ward (W. W. ) broke from the larger borough. WILKES-BARRE - The City finds itself $20, 000 in the red on revenue estimate from parking meter, amusement, and salvage income. THOUGHTS FOR It's the little things that worry us. tack. TODAY You can sit on a mountain, but not on a PROBLEMS FOR THE NEWLY ELECTED COUNCILMEN 1. How may zoning help solve such problems as strip mining, trailer camps, used car lots, junk yards, billboards, and overhanging street signs? 2. Are there any standards based on population for the number of policemen a municipality should have ? . 3. What authority does a municipal health officer have? 4. What municipal jobs have special contact aspects? 5. Should capital improvements be taken into consideration in estimating expenditures ? Can newly elected councilmen answer these questions and others satisfac­ torily? If not, there is a place to garner information. The Political Science Department in cooperation with the Public Service Institute will again conduct a course for councilmen and first-class township commissioners. The first News -Letter published by the Department contains the details of that FIRST GRADUATION. All municipal officials are invited to attend. It is our wish to limit the class. A proportion of 2/3 new members and 1/3 old members ought to make for an enthusiastic class. Plans are to begin the course in January. Details will be mailed to all councilmen and commissioners during the latter part of November. The did the same thing yestel daybragglng aboQt what he is going to do tomorrow REFUSE DISPOSAL PUB LIC A T ION This News-letter, published monthly a, in the Political Science as a community service, originates 'es VO1 College. Notes and inquiries tf1 ' be addressed to Dr. H ?VrePtrtment of Wilke. Wilkes-Barre, —-cnee Department, Wilkes C° The Northeast Division of the Pennsylvania Economy League has produced a condensation from a detailed survey of refuse collection in Lower Bucks County. The League notes that the complete survey report will be made available to the League members and public officials upon request as long as the supply lasts. This Department has made its single copy available to the councilmen of Kingston and Forty Fort. There is a great deal to be said for sanitary landfill. According to a re­ cent issue of Engineering News-Record, about 225 acres of waste land that had �. claimed, much of it for park pUr will be re become lit of municipal improvements begi -r County way, local mits of govern^, method to heal strip mine scars. The e3< C01 the 1. Protect public health--reducing opportunities for insects to spread disease from their breeding places and reducing water born- disease through pollution of streams. 2. Reduce fire hazards--removing combustible wastes that add danger to property and increase fire-fighting costs. 3. Reduce stream pollution--effecting savings in water treatment costs. 4. Conserve land and materials--unifying operations which permit the salvage of disposal areas and lead to the more economic use of land. 5. Improve community appearance--disposing of waste materials which are offensive to the eye and nose, detract from land values, lower the living quality of a community, and limit the ability to attract sound growth. ' c°n. irton is a notable e::xampleWEIGH AGE? „The Man" in County Bloughs -It has been said that Youth is the Age of Folly; Middle-Age, the a of Frustration; and Old Age, the Age of Futility. That there is truth in saying, anyone with reasonable powers of observation can testify. "Since most councilmen are middle-aged, we would address our re. marks to that period of life. Sooner or later everyone of us finds himself' frustrated. Needs that are clear to us are not recognized by others. Something that should be done cannot be accomplished because funds are not available. Personal antagonisms and personal ambitions clash bitterly and good projects fail because of them. Fatigue, laziness, indifference, and sheer childishness all play their part in defeating our proper ends. "What can we do? We can change other men's attitudes but slightly. We can change the world's not at all. B ut there is one thing we can change and that is ourselves. We can accept the fact that we are partly to blame for the conditions which exist. Have we been arrogant, discourteous, or careless Are our projects really sound or were they not thought through as they should have been? Have we really understood that other men have the right to disg with us and that there are times when they are right and we are wrongtesvkW^mUSt Sdmit °Ur mistakes and substitute modesty tor arrogance, c" dlsc0Qrtesy, a„d ears for careles3ness "If we i ’ll only do these things, our projects will more fre<^Uertr^dle come to fruition and we will be far happier and far more useful men-^ the Age Age will then bee of Frustration."i me th6 Age of Accomplishment and will cease SOCIAL Economy of operation is a second important objective. This means getting the utmost value out of every tax dollar. Changing conditions and technological advances dictate constant appraisal. Basic assumptions must be periodically reconsidered. Are pre-collection regulations adequate? Should the special collection vehicle replace the truck? Have collection routes been adjusted to meet changed conditions? Are there damages to equipment? Is the cheap dump really cheap in the face of dropping land values? Has storm water infiltration reached such a volume as to warrant some reconstruction of mains ? Adequate and efficient service is bound to create good public relations, a third administrative objective. The following promote public acceptance: prompt handling of complaints, attention given to the appearance of men and equipment, campaigns to enlist compliance of regulations. Both social and administrative objectives must constantly be re-examined to determine governmental successes or failures. OBJECTIVE S OF WASTE C O L L E C T_L2-S- From time to r . nY forms of waste (sew ^°ca^ Units of government ought to appra that are:collected. DiSDOQa8e’ garbage> rubbish, ashes, and street c°me a imunicipal functiOn large quantities of waste material tives are = varied; ’ No longer is it an individual matter. There are three administrative objectives in addition to the social objectives. The first objective concerns the adequacy of operations. The number of people, population density, topography, climate, soil conditions, and nearness to other communities affect collection and disposal. Although adequacy of operations cannot be measured among municipalities, it is meas­ ureable for any given locality. the bes) , ^ec' PUB LIC AT ION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Political Science Department of Wilkes College. Notes and Inquiries may be addressed to Dr. H. V. Mailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. �- -_ wimes bum WHAT'S NEW? STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT - Construction of Route 780, known as the Dupont-Avoca bypass, will directly affect owners of twenty homes and fifteen other properties, all of whom lave been notified to vacate by April 1. PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT - The City of Wilkes-Barre is not liable for personal injuries sustained by an individual who falls on a generally slippery construction of either a street or sidewalk due to the presence of ice and snow, accumulated as a result of a natural cause. BACK MOUNTAIN - Local governments are increasingly aware that zoning is working in the new residential developments, thus enhancing property values. Led by Jackson Township, other units may prepare ordinances already in use by real estate developers. LUZERNE COUNTY - The commissioners are considering a plan to air-map the county as part of an over-all tax program, since the idea proved successful in establishing boundaries. NEWPORT TOWNSHIP - Local government is being operated at $13.69 per $13.89 resident, one of the lowest per capitas reported by theatfirst-class townships in the state. During the last year local indebtedness was reduced by $13, 000 to a total of- T$71,578. •PLYMOUTH - The old dump in the borough „ i is being used temporarily until facilities can be found f for disposal of ashes and garbage, since the Narrows Road site le was closed. HANOVER TOWNSHIP - Employees have made sewer repairs that have the municipality little--adjacent property owners purchased 1 cost the commissioners provided transportation for five workers, the pipe, a Department of Public Assistance project. This is NANTICOKE - City Council meeting as a board of taxes cided to retain the present tax valuation of the new 1 assessments de­ and the next five years. The plant is owned by the Nanticoke McGregor plant for Barre Industrial Fund. City Council and the Fire Chief are and W ilkes to have several unlicensed junkyards closed. cooperating DUPONT - Because traffic is expected to increase through town proposed highway, many citizens feel that the borders of on thethe 1 new should be enlarged through annexation to make room for drive borough ping centers. e-in shop­ LARKSVILLE ----- —I - Council does not have much m---•construction after money for improvements and old accounts, even with a 95 new cent tax <collection.paying salaries and d old per JACKSON TOWNSHIP - * ------- ’ - Alarmed by increased dumping of waste materials in addition " * ’21—-i to abandoning of pets, garbage and other acted an ordinance supervisors have enKINGSTON - The path was to end these nuisances. cleared by council for a new real estate development , by passing an ordinance VOL.II.NO. 12 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. DECEMBER 15, 1953 FIRST ANNIVERSARY This issue marks the first anniversary of the Luzerne County News-Letter published for local public officials. No one could lave imagined the trials and tribulations in putting out the informative sheet--no local news, broken typewriter, delay everywhere along the line. Although some issues were late in reaching you, the presses rolled on. It is appropriate then, in this issue, to give a word of thanks to those who have made this News-Letter possible: Dr. Eugene S. Farley, President of Wilkes, who saw a need for the Letter; James Foxlow and his successor, Dale Warmouth, and the Public Relations staff; Miss Beverly VanHorn, who does the typing; Mrs. Hugo V. Mailey, who did much of the mailing for the earlier issues; Mebane Off­ set Printing Co. ; the first graduating class of councilmen and commissioners, who lent encouragement in this publication. LUZERNE COUNTY BOROUGH ASSOCIATION Bert Husband of Kingston and John Stein of West Hazleton were added to the Board of Directors. The position of executive secretary was created at the last meeting and Dr. Hugo V. Mailey was elected to the post. The Association plans to invite those boroughs that have not joined to send delegates to the next meeting, January 21, at the Wilkes College Cafeteria. The speaker will be Daniel Bailey, Township engineer of the State Department of Highways. His topic will be "Allocation of Liquid Fuel Funds. " STREET OPENINGS Erecting barricades is a common practice when streets are out or being repaired. Protection is left to the judgment of the foreman. Lanterns may even be used. Pedestrians thus appear protected. But how about the motorist? How can traffic hazards be minimized? The cooperation of street crew and/or public utility is required, with a general plan of operations worked out in advance. The reporting of all work proposals should be made to a single agency which would schedule work to assure minimum interference with traffic. industry to residential. rezoning the West Bennett Street area from light Los Angeles has developed such a coordinating group and a training pro­ gram to teach workers how to handle excavations with a minimum of interference. Here are some suggestions from its training handbook: �excavated dirt to a boards (wooden retainers) to confine 1. Use toe the excavation. narrow pile close along the curb, place excavated material on the 2. When excavation is near over the gutter for free drainage flow. curbside, after first boarding 3. 4. Park work equipment where it will interfere least with traffic. Recent statutes have tended to benefit the individual tort claimant rather than to grant protection for municipalities. Many claims today are based on defec­ tive sidewalks. Three steps might be taken by every local unit to alleviate the danger and still give partial protection: Haul away excavated material at intersections. Work could be scheduled at off-peak traffic: hours. A four or five-day job should be started on Monday, not on a street that carries heavy week-end traffic; si ■r out paving projects. Kansas City Thursday. A number of cities carry <— one-day one Sunday. Baltimore repaved fourteen resurfaced five blocks downtown on one Sunday, blocks of a major street on a Sunday. Plan of barricading must precede the start of actual work. Each job must be studied as to the street's physical features, grades, obstructions to sight, movement of pedestrians, and the type of work. Warning equipment must be carefully placed. The preferred color for barricades is yellow, striped with black. Two red flags to each barricade placed at a height of 5 feet are recom­ mended. The kerosene bomb torch is preferred for night warning. The red lantern should be used in neighborhoods where children play. The effects of one avoidable accident and the bad public relations caused by interference with traffic should interest more local officials. ANNUAL REPORT Fourteen communities were given awards in the Second Annual Modern Municipal Report Contest sponsored by the Institute of Local Government of Pennsylvania State University. Not one of the fourteen winners came from Luzern County or northeastern Pennsylvania. The F ’ niC\DeP“tment WiU again Send for c°Pies of the winning S-.^! reports. Together with last ^ar's collection, the reports can be obtained at the Wilkes College Library, Local officials should giive thought to municipal reporting. Now is the time to prepare the 1954 report. 3 P'S OF TORT LIABILITY We are■ living in a claim-conscious period municipality (can be held liable in damages are ’ The torts for which any spread over the entire field of municipal activities, Firemen, policemen, members of f 1 garbage collecting and service squads street cleaning, s are potentially guilty of • negligence. 1. Prevent--the obvious danger spots by repairing defective sidewalks, unsafe buildings, and other places where accidents might occur. 2. Provide--protection by taking out insurance against liability, If the insurance policy has been cancelled, you can provide self-insurance or partial self-insurance. 3. Prepare--legislation that provides greater means of protection. Examine local laws. Join with other communities for greater efficiency. BOROUGHS BUILD JOINTLY In an article by John Bailey in this October's issue of The American City, local municipalities can learn how to get a sound dollar's worth of street main­ tenance by pooling equipment specifications. The boroughs of Edgeworth, Osborne, and Senichley in Western Pennsylvania have laid out a high-grade, large-scale, cooperative road building program. First, managers of the boroughs agreed on common specifications for materials for sealing their streets, using RT-9 tar and limestone chips which are specified by the Pennsylvania Highway Department. Then, they worked out a schedule so that equipment would not be needed in different communities at the same time. Finally, they agreed on a plan to purchase new equipment which would be used jointly. Senichley did its work first, using a truck, driver, and stone spreader from Edgeworth. Edgeworth and Osborne followed, using Edgeworth and Senichley men and equipment. After the work was completed, rental of equipment was com­ puted and adjustments made. Because the three boroughs are purchasing their tar from the same company on a bulk purchase contract, future prices will be lower. Cooperation is paying off for all three communities. Joint efforts are not always easy for they require much tolerance and work for all concerned, especially elected officials. They do, however, offer a solution for overcoming the disadvantages of making improvements in smaller communities where citizens do not wish to consolidate or federate. �s College Lfarary .£wf0uce. (faittly rubberized asphalt - 7 an asphalt street with a natural New York City plans to determine how A test strip, the second in New rubber content will withstand heavy traffic. Three years York City, was laid on First Avenue where truck travel is heavy ago, the City laid a trial surfacing for heavy passenger-car travel, Results VOL. Ill, NO. 1 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. JANUARY 15, 1954 obtained were excellent. WHAT'S NE W ? KINGSTON - Trailer camps will not be permitted in areas zoned as residential. NANTICOKE - Council is expected to adopt the 1954 budget, containing no pro­ vision for any raise in taxes. PLYMOUTH - Parking meter revenues have dropped because of either vandalism or mechanically defective meters. DUPONT - Council is willing to offer land to veterans' organizations to erect a memorial for servicemen. PITTSTON - The city is considering half-hour parking for a nickel. ASHLEY - Temporary loans amounting to $30, 000 were retired at the regular monthly meeting of the Council. THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Some people are like blotters. They soak it all in, but get it all backwards. A dime is a dollar with all the taxes taken out of it. PUBLICA T I O N This News-letter, published monthly ac as a community service, originates in the Political Science Department of Wilkes tt v College. Notes and Inquiries may be addressed to Dr. JHugo ’ V. MaHey, Political Science Department, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.’ BAILEY ON ALLOCATION OF LIQUID FUEL FUNDS The January meeting of councilmen and commissioners should be a- most interesting one. The speaker will be Daniel Bailey, Township engineer of the State Department of Highways in Harrisburg. His topic will be "Allocation of Liquid Fuel Funds. " The meeting is scheduled for the night of January 21 at 6:30 in the Wilkes College Cafeteria. Reservations can be made by calling the College. The number is VA 4-4651. PURCHASING FOR A SMALL TOWN If municipalities are experiencing a declining tax base, local public officials ought to explore all possibilities for more efficient and economical administration. One method of saving is to improve purchasing procedures. Do you purchase in a hit-and-miss fashion, with little evidence of ef­ ficiency of operation? Do you have inventory control? Or must you postpone work until supplies are ordered and received? Do you use tests and specifica­ tions to determine the quality of the purchases? The borough of Dormont, Pennsylvania saved much through systematic purchasing. An analysis of more than 22 items purchased since 1946 was made. For each item, the quantities purchased during the year, unit prices, vendors, and other data were determined. The quantities purchased each year were com­ pared with that year's work-program and in this way the requirements for the current year were estimated. After stock was inventoried, the quantity to be purchased was determined. Specifications were drawn up and distributed to vendors selling to the borough. Requests for bids were publicized, especially in AMERICAN CITY. Newspaper advertising is ordinarily the least successful since it does not cover the greatest number of suppliers. "T----- Standard bidding blanks were mailed to all vendors. The vendor was re­ quested to fill in the unit price f.o.b. shipping point and the unit price f.o.b. Dormont, and to stipulate variations from specifications, if any. Quotations were requested on a standing order basis only. The borough agreed to purchase the quantity of each product desired as it was needed, with payment to be made after delivery. If any item was needed in less quantity than anticipated, the bor­ ough agreed to fulfill all purchase commitments over a two-year period, the vendor agreeing to hold the price over the two-year period. I �In the year 1950 alone, the total savings amounted to $1, 042.45 or 14 per cent of the estimated cost of the year's purchases at 1949 prices. Systematic purchasing as practiced by the borough officials of Dormont is one way to get more for the tax dollar. Together with pooled services and pooled purchases (suggested in the December and February issues of the Newsletter), local of­ LEGAL NOTES The following case is reviewed to illustrate the failure of an attempt to aintain the character of residential section without the assistance of a zoning in: ordinance. ficials might realize tremendous savings. Menger v. Pass, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, May 21, 1951 TRAINING OF FIREMEN IN PENNSYLVANIA Pass, appellant, purchased a piece of vacant land in Harrisburg, on which he proposed to build a tourist court, At the time of purchase, November 1949, there was no zoning ordinance or building restrictions prohibiting motor courts. Now that Pennsylvania has one of the finest fire-training schools in the United States, this state ought to lead the nation in the reduction of fire losses. This goal can only be realized if local government officials encourage interested firemen to attend this school, open from April to November. Make plans now to attend the Annual Firemen's Training Conference at Lewistown during the month of August. In his main address at the cornerstone laying last August, Alfred S. Holt of the Public Service Institute stated that the school was an outgrowth of the programs conducted by the Institute since 1938. The 1946 Annual Fire School marked the beginning of a program of "learning by doing, " featuring training under actual fire conditions. It was the success of this program that prompted the firemen of Pennsylvania to sponsor legislation for erection of the permanent Fire School. In August 1950 a building permit was issued for the erection of the struc­ ture, on Front Street, a multi-lane highway along the Susquehanna River . There are only three non-residential buildings on Front or Second Street. All dwellings on Front are single-family structures and those on Second are both one and two family dwellings. The fair market value of the majority of the residences in the neighborhood runs from $10, 000 to $75, 000. In March 1950 the neighboring property owners filed their bill of complaint, stating that a tourist court in a strictly residential neighborhood is a nuisance per se, and hoped that an injunction be issued enjoining the erection of the motor court. The proposed use of the land was restrained by the Court of Common Pleas. The tract on which the school is situated is about eight acres with a training yard of more than five acres and will accommodate over sixty students. The Ad­ ministration Building will be a two-story modern brick fire-resistive building and will include classrooms, pump laboratory, fire apparatus room, offices, library, locker room, shower room, and maintenance shop. The Fire Training Building will be a modern fire -resistive multiple story yarranged ---with provision for combustible hatches, panels and trap doors in floors, ’walls, and roofs. The building pls ar>ri p— J-------- • '' will consist of three sections: sections: manufacturing manufacturing plant, plant, mercantile building, and a home. The training training yard yard will for teaching teaching hydraulic hydraulic and and pump opwill have have facilities facilities for eration, oil and gasoline tanks for f-Drill space will be available for —‘ testing and extinguishing flammable liquids, minor extinguishing practices. In reversing the decision, the State Supreme Court stated that a tourist court is not a nuisance per se. "Such assigned reason respecting the operation of proposed auto court is obviously anticipatory, conjectural. . .. . Such suggested or predicted results are neither inevitable nor likely. Should, ---- 1J however, such legal business be improperly conducted and become a nuisance in fact, its operations can be restrained. " " ---As far as local officials are concerned, these two sentences aresignificant: "When owners of real estate in a residential area desire to preserve their neigh: secure appropriate zoning ordinances borhood in an unchanged condition, they must In the absence of zoning ordinances or re or be protected by building restrictions.. L. -■ real estate in the area and use it for any lawstrictions, any citizen may purchase 1----------ful purpose. " The course will change each week so f that training can be offered in all areas of fire fighting and fire prevention. There is •3 no tuition cost. TRAINING COURSE Old and newly elected local public officials are welcome to attend the new training course. The class is open to both elected and appointed officials. This ten-session course is free of charge. The Public Service Institute will grant certificates to those completing the course. THOUGH TS FOR TODAY An off day is something that usually follows a day off. Prejudice is being down on / something which you are not up on. �^cc^entte. TleM^-Cetten. WHAT'S NEW? initiated action to insure all LUZERNE COUNTY - The Commissioners have loss by robbery, burglary, and employees handling public funds against VOL. HI, NO. 2 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. FEBRUARY 15, 1954 BOROUGhIsSOCIATION - Bert He.band ot Kingston and John L. Stein of West Hazleton were added to the Board of Directors of the Association. HANOVER TOWNSHIP - The commissioners received a recommendation from the Chief of Police that overnight parking could be eliminated by opening several community parking lots. NANTICOKE - Bond issues floated in 1939 and 1948 for a total of $158, 000 were wiped out recently, leaving only three bond issues outstanding. 1949, 1950, and 1952. PLYMOUTH - Local officials have been notified that twenty-seven of the borough personnel have been approved for Social Security. EDWARDSVILLE - Local officials, though disturbed by reports that the new busi­ ness section along Narrows Road may be annexed by Kingston, have resolved not to lose any ground to its neighbors. KINGSTON - The borough now owns fifteen acres of land east of Rutter Avenue, part of which may be used for the construction of a new warehouse. DALLAS - Council members are unanimous in lending every effort to ease the parking situation along Main Street. WEST PITTSTON - Vehicles and equipment of the city street department will be housed in a centrally located site in a plan to reorganize the street depart­ ment for greater efficiency and economy. WILKES-BARRE - Assessed valuation for 1954 shows a decrease of $201,841.00 o=XX°ai XXX b'ins"coal landB “d NEwp’oRTTo-wXr px b: xx-x ibe Me™Tg;ve:x.mi::xrs,b‘v'1.r“'ived a check f» chased for the X (.vinlX XX °' tht" H" ■>“- DANIEL A . BAILEY Daniel A. Bailey, Chief Township Engineer of the State Highway Department, advised local officials at the bi-monthly meeting that matching money refunds from the liquid fuel tax for 1952 would revert to the fund un­ less the subdivisions submit projects for road maintenance or improvement before the end of the year. He stated that 25 of the 33 boroughs in Luzerne County have not submitted projects to claim their shares of the 1952 funds. Municipalities have 3 years in which tp claim the funds. Unclaimed 1952 funds for boroughs in the county amount to $8, 353.27. The largest un­ claimed amount is allotted to Swoyerville---- $793.21, the lowest amount to Laflin---- $54.24. Within a few weeks, Dr. Hugo V. Mailey of Wilkes College will send all the pertinent information on matching fund grants to local officials. COUNTY GOVERNMENT Practical knowledge about government can very well begin down on the local level. A knowledge of the functions and powers of the officials will help responsible citizens assume their civic duties. Various types of local governments exist in Pennsylvania. Local units of government do not have inherent powers of their own; the power to create the local units rests with the state. Provision for powers and functions of local governments can be found in the charters issued by the state. The power to contract or extend these functions of local governments rests solely with the state. The responsibility for the operation of local government, however, rests with the officials elected in the respective communities. publication This News-letter, published monthly a; Department of Wilkes WTkSedB° PolRicMSc ge’ Notes and i Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Science• Department, Department, Wilkes Wilkes College, The principal administrative area in England was the county. This same unit became the important governmental area in Pennsylvania colonial govern­ ment. Today, county government lies between the local units and the state it­ self. The county has a large field of powers and functions delegated to it by the state. As the smaller units relinquish many functions to the counties and as the state creates more powers for the county governments, these areas of govern­ mental control are becoming more significant every day. one. to the municipalities is a complicated The relation of the county government joint interest in the construction of roads. Both units of government have a �3 are elected, yet they make the classes of counties the tax assessors the county commissioners who pay them. valuation of taxable property or in are divided into classes, ranging from The 67 counties in Pennsylvania Luzerne, Delaware, Lackawanna, Montone to eight, based on population, gomery, am'd ~0'^ “a" X. 43 ar. in the last three classes. Ten counties in th. state are in th. eighth class where the population .s less than 20, 000. Although most of the counties can be classified as rural it does not mean that the population of the state can be classified as such About 2, 000, 000 of the state's 10, 500, 000 live in Philadelphia, the only first-class SIDEWALK CASE The following case points up the re sponsibility of municipalities in regard to sidewalks: In Tauber v. Wilkinsburg 309 Pa. 331, the Supreme Court of Pennsyl­ vania held that the negligence of the borough was clearly established. In the case, trucks passed over a sidewalk, breaking the flagstones. After replac­ ing same, crevices varying from one to four inches remained between the flagstones. The borough filled these crevices with mud and ashes. Since the plaintiff was not guilty of contributory negligence, she was entitled to recover. Note to municipal officials: Repairs must not have defects. county. The classification set up is useful for the legislature. Pennsylvania's Constitution prevents the General Assembly from passing any special legisla­ tion for particular counties. Therefore, when the General Assembly passes a law, the law is applicable to a class of counties. The Legislature does not enact laws that pertain to Luzerne County alone, but to third-class counties. SOCIAL SECURITY A total of 753 government units in Pennsylvania now have social security coverage for their employees, according to Richard H. Wagner, Legal Adviser of the Bureau of Social Security of the Department of Labor and Industry. Among these are 266 boroughs, 34 first-class townships, 25 cities, and 35 counties. About 60 of the 753 had retirement systems and repealed them About 250 cases are pending for approval. It should be noted that December 31 1953 was the deadline for making coverage retroactive to January 1 1951 This date apphesm applications received in the New York regional office and not at the state INCINERATOR The Delaware County Commissioners recently created the Delaware County Incinerator Authority to build one or more incinerators to dispose of rubbish and garbage. The participating municipalities will pay a proportionate share of the cost of the operation, based on the poundage of garbage and rubbish disposed. ADEQUATE HIGHWAYS Last year General Motors conducted a national better highways contest in which more than 44, 000 essays were submitted on the subject, "How to Plan and Pay for the Safe and Adequate Highways We Need." Below are some of the remarks of the winner of the West-South Region, Judge Walter L. Pope of Arkansas. The answer. . . is in form of a command to us; and it is divided into three parts: If your employees are now covered by social security, it is time to reappraise the payroll to see if your municipality is carrying "hidden pensioners. Social security could be the that the olrLtp j ®ett^n8 young people to enter the public service. TNow ’ • f» h i: nOt h‘Ve l° *>' “> '>■= payroll, it is time to be selectives. in hiring personnel. } vania Municipal EmpSyets RetTremelrAlt^a^ed^01^3 government is to compete with private i d 1. The development of an efficient nation-wide administrative tool to determine and fix standards and designs of the nation s highways. PennSyl“ passed some Vears ago. If local d SOme and attract workable base for a sound supplement social security. a statewide basis something sri,y p“idXatlract a “ir -ha" °i The generation of an informed, aroused, and fighting public interest. 3. The provision for a dependable and steady supply of funds to be fairly and equitably expended. "We are told by experts that $32 billion should be used during the next ten years merely to correct deficiencies as they exist today. The Federal Govern­ ment is collecting in excess of $2 billion annually as excise taxes on gas and fuel, and the sale of vehicles, parts, tubes. Yet, the Federal Government appropriates only twenty-six per cent of that for road construction. The contributions fall far short of present-day needs. The average motorist pays at least one-third of a cent per mile tax to the State in which the road traveled is located. A road with 4, 000 vehicles a day earns about $4, 800 a year. �W H A T ' s NEW? to the West Side Visiting FORTY FORT - Council approved a donation of $100 Nurses Association. of 1932, peddlers with a license are PLYMOUTH - According to an ordinance liable for fines. Snherolite lamps recently installed on VAVTTCOKE - The one hundred new bpnerom h some streets provide 25 per cent more brilliance without an increase ln KINGSTON - The borough is seriously considering health and death benefits, □ver and above federal Social Security, for about sixty employees. ASHLEY - Local officials are considering installing a traffic light at the inter­ section of Hazleton and South Main Streets regardless of the attitude of the State Department of Highways. WEST PITTSTON - Borough fathers still have a pay hike for employees under consideration. LUZERNE - Despite a big pile of unpaid bills, council plans a two-mill cut in the real estate tax levy in 1954, lowering the millage to 19 mills. HANOVER TOWNSHIP - Commissioners state that reconstruction of the,Oxford Street crossing of the Pennsylvania Railroad represents a tremendous improvement for the sector. PITTSTON - Due to a budget slash, the City Street Department reduced its personnel. AVOCA - An increase in taxes is being considered by borough fathers as they began work on the 1954 budget. THOU GHTS F OR TODAY One of the smallest packages we ever saw was a man wholly wrapped up in himself. left to”“Pr shoulder., there'. „ot much room VOL. HL NO. 3 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. MARCH 15, 1954 METROP OLITANIT1S Suburbanitis or metropolitanitis is not a new disease. Political scientists have poured out millions of words on the subject. All that we have ever accom­ plished is a world's record for words. Since the end of the war, people everywhere have expressed a desire for better parks, schools, playgrounds, sewerage systems, underground garages, and other services. Any success in realizing these desires is bound up with the problem of metr opolitanitis. A metropolitan area can simply be defined as the outward movement of people from a large city forming satellite communities each with their governments. The reasons for the disease are not hard to find. First, the motor vehicle, high speed lines, and inter-urban railways have decreased traveling distances. Second, the central part of a city becomes overcrowded making it less desirable for residential purposes. This overcrowding is followed by an out­ ward movement to get away from the effects of urban congestion, noise and dirt; to obtain more favorable living conditions, or opportunities for outdoor life. Homeowners and businessmen who locate in the fringe area seek a reduction in real estate costs, lower assessments and lower tax rates, and freedom from building regulations and other restrictions. Generally, business and profes­ sional people are the first to move into these "bedroom” municipalities. Third, industries seek more space and low-priced land to set up demount­ able, one-story factories in case of enemy bombing. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Political Scie: -ence Department of Wilkes C~iic> Notes and inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, PoliticalCollege. Scie 1 mce Department, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Now, what are the effects of such a movement, both on the central city and on the fringe municipalities? In time, the key city eventually suffers a loss in population. The central city also experiences a decline in the valuation of taxable real estate. The migrants who continue to work or shop in the city pay little or nothing to offset the decreases in revenue from lowered property values. Important elements of the population in a metropolitan area lave withdrawn from the politics and government of the central city by moving to the suburbs, so that while there is greater citizen participation in the outlying areas, the city has lost its professional and business leaders. To the outside world, the population of the citY as listed in statistical reports might be misconstrued as the population of the area, with the result that new industries do not consider the area sufficiently ex­ tensive . �The „.a — “U essential PLANNING ASSIST A N C E with the growth of new larger metropolitan area of which it is an inte. on as if it were not relate o hi high standards of service, not only gral part. It is often -P-^^^s"t the same job in a congested area,' Most of the municipalities of Montgomery County ; are too small physically and financially to justify hiring a professional planner, With population density and land use pattern controlled by borough and township 1 zoning, the County Planning Commission is to furnish technical assistance. X-X" zrLns “e exiunce of several layers of goveram.nl in metropolitan areas creates co„(,' sion, overburdens the voting population, and adds to governmental costs Many of the localities on the fringe are unable to maintain the kind of service that the urbat) Rapid growth in outlying areas means that added facilities must be pro­ vided by municipalities. These facilities include: H dweller in the modern world requires. Although some of these communities do provide adequate service, many suburban places become a potpourri of residences, industry, and vacant land. Lack of any planned effort to solve common problems leads to governmental chaos and bad public relations. Most of the metropolitan communities find themselves nearer this anarchy today than is generally realized. 1. The provision of adequate roads: <additional ’ ”“ local streets, improved major highways, and more road maintenance. 2. The provision of necessary services: public water and sewer systems, garbage and trash collection, street lighting, and fire hydrants. 3. Administrative expenditures: inspection and licensing. 1 9 5 3 LAWS AFFECTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT 4. A total of 2,490 bills were introduced in the 1953 session of the General Assembly, 622 of which related--directly or indirectly--to local government. Of these, 133 were passed by the House and the Senate. The Governor approved 122 and vetoed 11. Act 1 45 - Whenever the annexation of territory in a second-class town­ ship to a borough, city, or township is desired, a majority of the free-holders in the proposed annexed territory shall petition the borough, city, or township, requesting the annexation. ’ The petition shall be accompanied by a fee of $ 150. Act 376 - The annexing community must pay: 1. 2. 3. 4. Value of all roads improved within five years Cost of sewers of the past fifteen years Pro-rata share of all facilities Pro-rata share of all value for buildings Act 63 __ " Salaries for members class townships shall not exceed half tv, Zoning Boards of Adjustment in firstexceed half lhe .meant pa.d tQ the commlss.oneps Act 214 - Whenever a vz~ViCi“hV; “• om“ °f “V political subdivision is filled by appointment ■ me appointing authority shall give notice of the appointment to the County Election Bo’^d? Il i Additional schooling: more complex school administration. More complex legal controls: viding a sound tax base. zoning and subdivision regulations pro­ A purpose of the program is to help provide these additional facilities at minimum cost and maximum efficiency. The County underwrites the program with no charge to the municipality. The only cost to them is for the material directly involved, such as reproduction of maps, aerial photographs, and sim­ ilar items. A member of the County office is assigned to work with the local planning commission. The technician gathers, interprets, and projects such basic statistics as population, school enrollment, industrial employment, and assessments. However, before the actual study can begin, basic maps, includ­ ing topography, street, building location and sometimes utility maps must be completed. No municipality can be considered as an isolated unit; the technician must relate it to the neighboring townships and boroughs, as well as the County. The map information includes: 1. Natural land features: featuring topographical characteristics and emphasizing the storm drainage and sewerage service areas winch will offset residential and industrial growth. i na t H Act 266 - Municipalities, ' • except in cases < ' °f misconduct, while —-ase activities, shall not be liable f JUry tO Pers°ns or damage to ’----M for the death of nor in_ property as a result of their ----- z performance of duties. Act49. vacancy of in fir by the Court of Quarter sp commissioner • Vacancy in th'e 3haU ba IiUed ‘"ll" shall be fiUbd by J y tne township '•> c°mmissioners or Con’ engag^rM~crvil Defen 5. increased police and fire protection, 2. Existing land use: illustrating the present use of land including areas”set aside for residential, industrial, commercial, recreational, and other uses. 3. 4. Land suitable for development: Suggested plan: municipality. this is a composite o( map 1 and 2. a general proposal for the ( �It is the responsibility of the local planning commission to sell ' the plan to the citizens. As a result, the final comprehensive plan represents local ideas and sentiments. VOL. HI, NO. 4 is but one tool to carry out the recommendations The power of zoning Also available are housing, building, plumbing, electrical, and of the plan, Since these powers rest with the municipality, it must enact, other codes, rewrite the zoning ordinance or any other legal control. revise, or WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA DR. April 15, 1954 TEAGUE WHAT 'S NEW ? WYOMING - Building construction during the past few years, particularly in the Third Ward, will be a major factor in holding the assessed valuation at about $2,500,000. EDWARDSVILLE - Borough council has agreed ori a type of parking meter that will accept pennies, nickels, or dimes. KINGSTON - The tentative budget adopted by council provides no specific amount for wage increases, although some increases might be granted. WEST PITTSTON - The council is considering setting aside $1, 003.83 for road construction in order to get an equal amount from the State Highway De­ partment. PITTSTON - The city's taxable wealth showed a sign of recovery this year for the first time since the depression. It has returned to the $8, 000, 000 figure. HANOVER TOWNSHIP - An ordinance res „ --------stricting the future installation and use of oil burners is being considered by the Commissioners. NANTICOKE - The increase over past years' parking meter collections shows that strict adherence to the parking regulations is working. Only 42.9 per cent of the 1953 estimates was collected during the first six months of the year. PLYMOUTH - The council seems to have solved the problem on Main Street with the installation of meters, meters, but there is still much 1 to be done before satisfactory relief is provided other thoroughfares. FORTY FORT - Council took final action on the 1954 budget, year's 17 mill tax. retaining last publication This News-letter, published monthly as a community service, originates in the Political Science Department of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries may community service, originates be addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Political Science Department, Wilkes Col­ lege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. ... hi. •tatement that 104 municipalities 1„ Allegheny County have banded together m regards to the sewage problem. Approximately 55 officials attended, representing 12 towns. Township served as host. JOINT W ilkes -Bar r e ENTERPRISE What are some ways to avoid the near anarchy existing on the local govern­ ment level? There is one thing that must be recognized, and that is that nothing can be gained by promoting antagonism among people no matter where they live. Therefore, an intelligent approach is necessary. A complete cure must be out­ lined and planned for. But, if the opposition is overwhelming, there are approaches which will lead to the long-range solution. One means of alleviating the difficulties of metropolitan areas without chang­ ing boundaries or governments is through the joint cooperative enterprise. Several forms of intergovernmental cooperation are provided by Pennsylvania law. be it One is the joint enterprise set up for a speci■al Durpose,’ved in water 1943, supply, permits sewerage system, city hospital, or any ot , townships to cooperate through third-class cities, boroughs, incorporate overnmental functions relating to joint agreements -while exercising their regu ar go agreement may inpublic health, recreation, zoning, and municipa p i property, and allocation ■■ eimploym.n, of Joint personnel, purchase ot personal prop. elude of costs and ---- 1 expenses. Ac. 94 of 1,45 extends the »Hgi»l act » joint agreement to employ and retain planning tract for professional planning services re s under their or consultants, and to confour mentioned functions. i �City Law permits the city to enter into Section 3240 of the Third-Class nuudeipailties io build and ""““lu.J'shaU £ oint agreements with other i------- _ . from each joining H j of one member joint board consisting The member municipalities may incur or the endeavor. established to operate but not exceeding the constitutional limits. their indebtedness increase t----Law permits boroughs to enter into such joint Section 2120 of the Borough agreements as mentioned above. BUDGET I • s a detailed financial plan for the coming fiscal year, setting The budget• is forth an<,d balancing proposed expenditures against anticipated revenue. If ex.enditures exceed receipts, the budget is unbalanced. When a budget remains P' out of balance from year to year, the result is an accumulation of floating debt which will have to be funded through the issuance of bonds. Section 1305 of the borough code states that a budget shall be prepared in January. The tentative budget is often times prepared by a Finance Committee. Another type of cooperation is the rendering of service by one unit of gov­ ernment for others, usually on a contractual basis. The Pennsylvania Legislature authorized Allegheny County to build incinerators and other disposal facilities for the numerous municipalities within its bounds. Wilkes-Barre already does this in some measure. Section 3248 of the Third-Class City Law permits third-class cities to furnish sewerage facilities outside the city. The city may not, however, extend its system outside the boundaries where sewerage facilities are furnished by a private company or by a municipal authority. Budgeting must show a realistic approach, but as the law now stands in Pennsylvania, this is probably impossible. For the first six or eight months of the fiscal year the functions of borough government must be financed from sources other than the current taxes. This is because overdrafts are prohibited by law and taxes are not billed until after the assessment roll has been received from the county. This makes it impossible to send bills before June, and with the two-month discount, taxes may not come in before July or August. Section 2130 of the Borough Law permits boroughs to exercise this extra­ mural power in order to supply sewerage service to places outside the borough limits, so long as there is no conflict with the rights of a sewer company or any other borough. A third type of cooperation, not used in Pennsylvania, and based on the principle of mutual aid, involves the exchange of services by the participating units of governments. A mutual aid plan may be set up to fight fires, involving placement of fire forces under one coordinator. While there exists joint cooperation between two or more units of government in a metropolitan area there is no joint operation of any municipal function over the whole area. The actual number of arrangements is small in proportion to the opportunities that Pennsylvania law affords, The desire to cooperate is not sufficiently strong, and difficulties in reaching an agreement are great. Cooperation is, however, a valuable means of of overcoming overcoming psychological psychological bar­ riers and jealousies that divide communities. Functional cooperation is the road of easiest grade into the complicated field of metropolitanism. tionalXerTX'^ WJOming ValleV XXXX t PrOblemSraising,Taxes. oAssefsZU "TT do well to explore the idea of funcLUZerne County municipalities ought to . Instead of munities would do well to cutdT Degg?lg the State to raise the debt limits, the coin thereby stretching the tax dollar^ Wouldn't ITighXP°°ling their financeS amount if they joined hands and operated neighboring communities save a tren^ they cooperatively provide recreational activitfe! atXT SySt6m? C°Uldn,t vines at much lower costs? PROCEDURE 1 Some method of raising funds must be found. Many boroughs carry over surpluses from the previous year to take care of part of the requirements. In other words, boroughs aim to show sizeable year-end cash balances. This can be done intentionally by underestimating revenue and overestimating expenditures. The cash balance at the end of the year, amounting sometimes to five or six mills in a middle-sized borough, is misleading to the public. It ought to be explained to the people that the money is planned to finance municipal functions during the early months of the next year, In reality the annual tax levy is used to finance current and future operations, If overestimates of expenditures and underestimates of revenue are grossly exaggerated, the budget lacks a realistic picture. Several miunicipalities in Luzerne County use this method. Some towns receive funds from taxes other than real estate. Many towns resort to temporary borrowing. There is no question of the right of council to negotiate temporary loans in anticipation of taxes. All such loans must be re­ paid from the first moneys available from current taxes. Temporary borrowing is usually done by issuing a tax anticipation note to a bank or an individual in ex­ change for cash. Many boroughs or towns borrow from local banking institutions, but there is nothing in the law to prevent a borough from borrowing from an indi­ vidual or from a bank beyond borough limits. CITY MAN AGER PLAN A total of 1, 146 cities and counties in the United States and Canada were Using “ the ---- council-manager c form of government as of last March. Maine ea s Wlth 117 places. Pennsylvania is in seventh place with 55. Tota popua 1 ln the United Stat.:es covered by the plan runs to 23 million, w i e c°vered in the State. �__ _______________ ' WHAT 'S NEW ? VOL. IH, NO. 5 city building code is progressing WILKES-BARRE - Proofreading of the new have high hopes that the long awaited better than expected and officials now code book will be ready by April 1. ash containers set out for the ASHLEY - Officials urge residents to cover for possible vacancies in the fire and police departments has been scheduled. SWOYERVILLE- - The borough contemplates spending $13, 151 less this year than in 1953 with the mileage the same at 17 - 15 for general purposes and 2 for Sec. 501 of the Third Class City Code raises an interesting problem in regard to Wilkes-Barre and Kingston because of the provision---- "any borough having a population of less than 10, 000. . .may become annexed to any such city . . ." According to the Borough Code, adjacent boroughs may consolidate. Coun­ cils of two or more boroughs may enter into a consolidation agreement. If ten per cent of the registered voters of each borough request such an agreement, council must try to reach an agreement. If the councils cannot reach an agree­ ment within sixty days, "the Court.of Quarter Sessions shall cause an election to be held in the boroughs; " The procedure to be followed in annexing adjacent territory to a borough follows the same pattern: ten per cent requirement and referendum in both areas. Money doesn't make you happy; it only quiets the nerves. ’ : action A second obstacle is the difficulty of obtaining favorable popular fear of increased taxes. The on the plan. The fringe area opposition has a £.---- --- ------To be successful, greatest resistance usually centers in the wealthier suburbs, -oney nowadays isn't a miser; he's a wizard. PUBLICATION This News-letter,published __ monthly as ■o"Sei'nc' DePa«"iv™tWIikesi‘c°>?”“nity service’ originates Department of Wilke >' * T. ‘ V. MaUey, po^" ,C’U'S'- Notes and Inquiries ma, cience Department, Wilkes Col- 2 - 1954 Unfortunately, territorial annexation is the most impractical of the methods because of legal difficulties and because of popular objections. The usual process for annexation involves some combination of majority vote in the area or petition by a percentage of the fringe residents or property owners, followed by the passage of a city ordinance or majority approval by the city voters. THOU GH T S FOR TODAY s-Barre, Pennsylvania. May 15. l< Ma- The oldest of the remedies to solve metropolitan problems is annexation or consolidation. At first thought, it would seem that the best means to overcome political disunity would be to extend the boundaries of the central city into the suburban fringe area. the light fund. LUZERNE - The Borough council has decided to purchase a new police cruiser. EXETER - The council has under consideration a proposal that the tax levy be reduced 2 mills. DUPONT - The borough will purchase a new truck for the street department, according to the tentative budget. LARKSVILLE - An ordinance regulating the installation of oil burners has been adopted. NEWPORT TOWNSHIP - The new highway through the township has caused com­ missioners numerous problems concerning pits bordering it. NANTICOKE - "Prudent administration of purchasing, together with budgetary controls is paying dividends, " Pennsylvania Economy League announced. WYOMING - The tax ordinance provides for a 14 mill levy. WEST PITTSTON - Council will investigate complaints that vibration from a plant is causing damage to homes. AVOCA - Reported objectionable in the budget is an item for the purchase of a new police car. 5 The man who saves WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA? METROPOL I T A NI T IS PLASrTOWNSHIP - A competitive exam to establish a civil service register ■ fty_____ , voluntarily from the fringe area and not movement for annexation must come central city. city. Tlie Tlie fringe fringe area area must recognize some gain from the ’ the central as iillustrated ” in the following instances: Burley, Idaho, favore ann x ■ ■ lower its fire insurance rates. Eugene, Oregon, favored annexation when it special districts was greater than the °und out that the total tax rate paid to In Pennsylvania, Parkside borough conneil annexedI city tax rate. <• f-tip latter community were ottc rookhaven when the property _ ... _/ owners of the latter c chil_ ^Wage facilities. Inc ______Pennsylvania communitie , other dren en to better schools has also been offered as a reason. �U- • o-nt i not as academic as it first appears. This is that extrenie centralization would prove as undesirable as extreme decentraliza_ extreme cen advisability of the new arrangement would be open m question. Can’one metropolitan government furnish all of the sery. ices needed in the whole area? There is some doubt that it can. There are some problems that are of metropolitan concern ana therefore require cornn solution. There are other problems that could be handled by the individual local governments. Big city government over the whole metropolitan area could be remote and impersonal. Local problems might receive inadequate consideration. This NEWSLETTER has consistently 'nsistently pl.1 tion on a functional basis. Couldn't this be theT*interg°vernmental cooper*. West Side? ginning of something for the MEETINGS May 14, 15 --- Municipal Manager's Association, State College June 17, 18, 19-----Township Commissioners, The history of annexations is largely one of piecemeal extensions of the central city boundaries. This piecemeal expansion on the part of the central city lags behind social and economic development and the population increases that occur. Actually, annexation never really catches up. BONDS For years, local governments have waged war against the attempt of the federal government to tax municipal bonds. The House Ways and Means Committee just recently made another such attempt, mainly because some local units in the South were issuing bonds to encourage industry to locate with­ in their limits. Northern municipalities claimed this could have been the first step toward taxing all municipals. The State Association of Boroughs and the Luzerne County _ record against the Committee proposal. ~ . unit went —-i on Many Luzerne County local units _ indicated their feelings in written communications to Congressman Edward Bonin and Committee Chairman Daniel Reed. SANITARY LANDFILL Kingston, which has been dif" sposing ofingarbage incinerator, has terminated its agreement favor ofat the Wilkes-Barre ---------- - *■ The site is located on the former Lutes estate belowofthe Church Streetmethod, its own landfill former Lutes estate below the Street dike. Kingston can claim the distinction of being the pioneer in Church the area, onto ofoperate being the pioneer project. in the area. It is hoped that West Pittston can soon -----begin a similar I begin operateproject. a similarPerhaps project. West Local public officials are invited to inspect the to Kingston Side inspectplan the involving Kingston project. Perhaps West Side towns could work out a cooperative several projects, ing. an involving several oroiertc It's worth expi°r C-OQP E R A T IQ N Fire company officials of Wilkes-Barre because of the Ai seven West Side ... .. .oioiae communities, including operative system of fighting fires, rmory, have laid preliminary plans for a cocouncils for approval. Cooperative ■es. The proposal will be presented to local under Pennsylvania law in an impressiveProposal will be — .a action of one — another is possible one tvr>o type or in an range of ^nicipal functioi '____ -jns. Bedford Springs June 28, 29, 30 -----State Boroughs Association, Pittsburgh ASSESSORS SCHOOL The Allegheny County Board of Assessments is sponsoring a ten-week course of instruction for assessors. General C ' laws ' relating to assessments, techniques of arriving at a fair and equitable valuation,, preparation of records, use of maps, methods of assessing personal property and occupations _s and other phases of the work are included, The school is co-sponsored by the Public Service Institute. T R EA TMENT PLANTS The second largest joint venture in the field of antipollution is located in Delaware County under the Authorities of Central Delaware County. Total cost of three projects is $7, 000, 000. This project serving twenty-seven mu­ nicipalities is second to the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority comprising sixty-four municipalities. It is this sort of set-up that Wyoming Valley officials ought to study and inspect. Borough and township officials heading westward next month for their annual association meetings might inspect the Allegheny project. BOARDS of ADJUSTMENT CAN MAKE OR BREAK ZONING in the zoning The Board of Adjustment occupies a m ,essential beenposition prepared, it cannot scheme. No matter how well an ordinance .de {or every possible situation be perfect or complete enough to foresee an p in his book, ZONING, that might arise in the community. Edwar . of injustice. No zoning stated, "The strict letter of the law may be adaptation of the spin ordinance standing by itself can provide for th J J tment, in Pennsylvania the law to each exceptional case. " The Boar need for flexiin many other states, is the agency provi bility. �. - -.._o of finances indicates that at least seventyPLYMOUTH - The general picture annual expense goes tor salaries and wages. five per cent of the z----NANTICOKE - According tn to a a p P. E E L D report, the. total debt has been reduced . for debt service was cut from five to fOUr by $102, 740 while the tax rat VOL. HL NO. 6 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. JUNE 15, 1954 I DINNER AND A WARDS mills. ASHLEY - The council has received state approval for three traffic lights. ’ i a decline of $49,691 in valuation, 343 less LARKSVILLE - County figures show 122 additional taxable properties. adults, but 1-----KINGSTON - The council is considering taking over the maintenance of the dike system. DALLAS - The borough and Miners National Bank are studying the advisability of a municipal parking lot. WEST PITTSTON - There is some sentiment to elect councilmen by wards in­ stead of at large. DUPONT - Excavations for the new highway will mean shifting of playground equipment. State Highway Department has agreed on $7, 500 in land damages. WHITE HAVEN - The Northeastern Turnpike feedways will compel the borough to relocate its playgrounds. NEWPORT - Taxes collected from property owners are not enough to pay the cost of police protection according to a breakdown of budget figures. HANOVER - Permission will be granted by the state for the installation of the proposed control ----program at Willow Street as soon as a one-way parking ordinance is adopted. WI“Rp“g„Lhe —— on a Good Manners Behind the to tie in with the national campaign to make courtesy the code of the road. PUBLICATION This News-letter, rnonthly as as a a community service, originat in the Political Science published mc.in.niy Department- of Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries n be addressed to Dr. Hugo Wilkes V. Mailey, Political Science I lege, Wilke Department, Wilkes C°P s-Barre, Pennsylvania. > The second annual dinner of the Luzerne County local government officials was held on May 12 at the Wilkes College Cafeteria. The 125 who attended ‘hadI a gala time. Prominent state and local representatives turned out out for f— the — affair, and Gerard B. Gilbert, assistant to the Chairman of PennIvania Turnpike Commission, was the main speaker of the evening. Certif­ icates of attainment were awarded to the following local officials: Stanley J. Atcavage, Wilkes-Barre Township; John Karmilowicz, Luzerne; Robert J. Sarsfield, Luzerne; Richard H. Morgan, Luzerne; C. Everett Sharkey, West Pittston; Frank Danilowicz, Wilkes-Barre Township; Ralph Brown, Kingston; Stanley G. Folek, Wyoming; J. Howell James, Kingston; George S. Sobeck, Luzerne; John Motsko, Plains Township; George Metcalf, Wyoming; James R. Llewellyn, West Pittston; John J. Karlo, Ashley; Thomas J. Reese, Kingston; John L. Stein, West Hazleton; Luthern D. Nicholson, White Haven; Anthony F. Siepictowski, West Hazleton; JohnC. Wordoski, Hanover Township; Alan Bare, Forty Fort; William A. Garber, Hanover Township, and Oscar Sipler, White Haven. A Service Award Certificate was offered for the first time by the Political Science Department. These certificates were given to t ose oc officials who served 20 years or more for their respective munic p The following received awards: Plymouth, George Trebilcox ( ) an Cooper (28); Newport Township, John Riodan (28); Ashley, eorge c Plains, Joseph Poczatko (22); Wilkes-Barre Township, Frank D-ilowicz (20), Hanover, Andrew Garber (20); Wilkes-Barre, Oliver Pr^ca (?0V West Walker (49); Laurel Run, William Brush (20) and Fred J. Kingston 20), West Pittston, Andrew B. Jones (23); Forty Fort, Lewis R. Crisman , • _ vvere ^4.3-yor Among the chief executives in attendance at to B jones of West Luther M. Kniffen of Wilkes-Barre, Burgesses Petroski of Edwardsville, Pittston, Oscar C. Sipler of White Haven, C e and Joseph Troynacki of Dupont. 2.22Lp e mned garbage cans announced that The Geneva, Alabama, sanitary d p taggecf and mgarbage cans that become unserviceable w have 15 days arked "Dis­ in which to approved for Garbage Collection. " Owners * garbage can must be of 1;eplace them. A recent ordinance speci . rust and must have a lid that steel or v,ariciles. will fitt metal construction that wi no It also requires that the can have �GOVERNMENT PENNSYLVANIA local CONFER En rr 3 of municipal ■ations “officials ------------ traveled --veiect separ, Because individual associat * oi u>uu*v*i" arose {or integrating the efforts ate need arose for integrating the thfifTe«X8oC uP- ^^^ittXto^th^oXing organizations to join 'of a to. 'nimissioned Association, Towns p Directors Association. There was Township Supervisors, and tn Conference would deal with these general agreement at the first administration of delinquent taxes, areas of common interest ass the General Assembly, functioning of relationship between local gov subsidies. Each association will state agencies in local matters, and state I contribute $50 to the Conference treasu y. mber of successful authorities in operation in Pennsylvania is The 11 the authority is a workable solution to the financial woes of many evidence that to the financial a half dozen communcommunities, A joint municipal authority chartered by Jy a half dozen a combined project on a business-like basis with greater „ement thereby saving the taxpayers -likegreat basissums with of ; money. ities c ould ope ..tinuity of manag k . s great sums of coni PARKING The alibis that some people can offer for traffic violations sometimes deserve a better reward than mere fines. with mighty eloquence. “ "° to parking in -«»«, " he argued METROPOLITANITIS The judge fined him $1 instead of $2, The bottleneck in cooperative action is many times financial, The sewage problem is a good case in point. How can funds be found? The following are a few ways to finance such a project: (1) general fund revenue, (2) spe­ revenue, cial assessment, (3) issuance of non-debt revenue bonds, (4) municipal authority. r The Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities /' Act was first passed to permit municipalities to get federal funds. It was later amended to increase permit getting for waterworks. In 1945 the entire act was rewritten. -d The in the funds crea The increase have in thefound crea- j tion of sewer authorities is mostly due to the fact that municipalities that this device has solved many problems of financing projects. The authority combines the advantages of public ownership and pri^ business management. It is a special type of public corporation whose * pOinted limited to 50 years. It is managed by a board of at least five mem ers o£^ce. by the incorporating municipality or municipalities for staggered terms municipalities for Municipal authorities are financed by they are retired out of revenue 'Y revenue bonds, so-called because liquidating. Bonds issued are derived from a the project financed. They are self' ment or valuation of property. independent They have iof the tax base which is the assesspower of the municipality or municipalitiesno effect on the statutory borrowing is placed directly on those who use the 3 wldch form the authority. The burde11 service. , . , , There is no field liable for the way by which the municipalitie afe the Purchaser payment of either- interest or f s or their taxpayers can be s■ of the they, r The real investors L1.J authority bonds. It is principal. municipaiitj, es, who assume the risk. risk. The The only check is assume the bankers. , , and not the citizens of tbe --s the investing public °r The soundness of any authority depends on a carefully chosen bo' skillfully designed by engineers, and a bond resolution or on aAuditin; cpetent bond counsel or investment banking group. rd Plan5 resolution certified public accountant and a statement sent to the municipalities, indenture drawn by cortl also provided for the protection of the holders of the hnr-Jlg must be done by a of the’bonds?Cipalities- Auditing is INTERSTATE ROADS Over the entire Federal-aid system of 672, 000 miles, State Highway officials report that 2. / 3 of the roads are "below tolerable standards." This means that 424, 000 miles of busy highways are out-of-date; 84, 000 bridges are unfit for high speed traffic. It is estimated that to bring this federal-aid system, alone, up to current needs, thirty-five billion dollars would be needed. ZONING DECISION Its ruling was handed down in the case of a resident of Chestnut Hill, who ssought permission to construct a property which lacked nearly 700 square feet of space to meet the zoning requirements. II A economic cl ^S^°n a zonlng ordinance which divides our• people into social or e-fathers, our historic '“lopment asses Is contrary to the spirit of our founding f_ develc-■ "Th/ and our legal and patriotic institutions,, "" the Supreme Court ruling added. birthright of liberty and our Amerway of ijf Ord3nance flies in the face of our Li ican II 1 e, and is interdicted by the Constitution. c The 1 gal battle opened when a Philadelphia resident .sought a permit from ^Pringfieiji t nship to build a home containing 1125 square feet of floor space. That area i°s Zoned AA residential and calls for homes with 1800 square feet of floor sPace,’ so he was refused. �Ufa WHArS_N^Vl kingston *hiS spring " - Th. -p— Wilkes College Ltay M, B54 ('wuty RUt,er to eliminate a curve. on ordinance governing oil burners DUPONT - Council passed on first reading VOL. in> NO. 7 studying ways and means of improving HANOVER - The commissioners are the municipal dump. WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, Pa. JULY 15, 1954 COUNCILMEN AND J P NANTICOKE - The city is planning to use rock salt instead of ashes to provide The offices of justice of the peace and membership in boro council are not incompatible, hence a J P can also serve as a member of council. This was the decision in Gregory v. Johnson in a Mercer County court decision in April 1954. better traction for motorists next winter. LUZERNE - Council authorized purchase of a pickup truck after many bids were received. WEST PITTSTON - The boro has joined the ranks of those municipalities that have eliminated the post of boro health officers and turned the duty over to the State Health Department. « PLAINS - A resolution was adopted by the solons to prohibit strip mining within 100 feet of occupied property. WILKES-BARRE - Only $81,242.48 in uncollected 1953 property taxes were returned to the county's tax claims bureau. LUZERNE COUNTY - Despite adverse conditions, 94 per cent of the property taxes were paid. The plantiff was elected to both offices in Mercer, Pennsylvania in Novem­ ber 1953 and asked the burgess to administer the oath of office, which the burgess refused to do. The Court stated that the statutory list of incompatible offices in the Constitution of Pennsylvania does not specifically include the offices in question. It was contended, however, that the office of J P is a county office within the meaning of Article III. The county offices are listed in the Article and J P is not mentioned. No statute in Pennsylvania refers to a J P as a county officer. There are a few cases where courts may have indicated that the office of J P is in the nature of a county office, but only within the meaning of a certain few statutes. After reviewing these few decisions, the Court summarizes by saying that the office of J P is not a county office within the meaning of the General County Law, and that therefore both offices may be filled by the same person. WYOMING - Council has authorized an option on about eight and one-half acres of land. BORO HEALTH SWOYERVILLE - Authorities are t endeavoring to divert funds from one department to another to remedy certain —i water conditions in the boro. LARKSVILLE - The contract for weekly collection of ashes and garbage has not been renewed. ASHLEY - The council has made arrangements for labor in the Department of Public Assistance. PLYMOUTH - Council is looking for fina level the spoil banks. ■ , ncia aid to fill local stripping holes and This department has a model resolution suggested by the District Medical Director of Luzerne County that can be used to permit the Department of Health ~ to take over the administration of health laws within a municipality. The reasons or such action on the part of the local officials are: first, the decrease in tne ax exPenditure in the particular municipality; and second, the providing ° £the town of a trained sanitary inspector under the supervision of the strict Medical Director in the County. Wh /1 11118111 be interesting to note that Conyngham, Laurel Run, New C°l Haven, West Pittston, and Dallas have taken this action ^-^ms since they^j haVe reP°rts that Wyoming, Luzerne, Avoca have been sen LI CA T I QN This Newr ’ in the Political Scie be addressed to Dr Hug° V. Mailey lege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. pol-t originate5 I) ”rvice’ Collegge. Notes and inquiries rna^ 1 Science Department, Wilkes C° e c°nternplating action in the near future. o[(. A coov .. .... . .ailing the Medical Director's C0Py of this resolution may be obtained by calling the °r the News-letter at the College. 1 �MOTIONS ORDINANCES AND use ordinances, resolutions, all by-laws and motions, j The council may 1 to distinguish between these classes, as it is not the laiu is frequently difficult : and result that is controlling. guage but the purpos .... action of council and therefore becomes An ordinance is a for®al legtSXVto^heOenxefcutOive for approval. Not so^’ ' local law. As such, in a boro it g ordinance may be adopted at a sin. a first-class township or third' be advertised in advance. The actual ordigle meeting. Some ordinances m alg The ordinance transcribed into the nance is the one that is signed y According to Chrostwaite' s Boro Law, , ordinance book is not the actua ^st be by ordinance: (1) those specif, there are three classes of acw permanently affect boro affairs and remain ically directed by statute, ( ) acti?ities where the legislative character or in force until changed, an ( ) . or the size of the boro, expenditure may depend upon local conditions or the A motion is a device or means used to express the will of council. It is used to adopt ordinances and resolutions. It has no binding force or permanent status. It is also used to pass on reports and petitions. A resolution is a more formal act of council used especially for administrative action. Resolutions may even be framed by non-council members. If the resolu­ tion is legislative in character, it has the characteristics of an ordinance. It thus becomes difficult to distinguish between the two. If legislative, then it must be presented to the executive. In an early Lancaster case, the State Supreme Court implied that a resolution should not bind the city beyond the term of the officer en- , forcing the resolution. This points up the fact that resolutions are many times special and temporary in character. A by-law is usually employed in determining the administrative activities of the local government. It cannot bind succeeding councils. If a by-law is to be ig- ( nored by the council creating it, full notice should be given to officials and to the public. Sometimes there is some doubt as to which of the first three should be used. If doubt exists, an ordinance is preferable. ] not estopped from treating the subject matterBy adopting an ordinance, council is if in fact, the subject matter could have been as though it were adopted by moti011’ covered by motion. olitician does notidea waste his head a pretty clear of his whattime the butting public will standagainst and what nThe aS ■ tute^g •• He be iieves in a cause or a movement which his people oppose viostone wall there is no use tilting with windmills, so he simple waits until it won' t. l£ he he knows rather than waste his strength in what he knows cannot lently> qimate has chang . the cl— SUC'ceed. "This does not mean, of course, that he changes his opinion nor does it mean that in matters of overwhelming importance he may not stand out against L crowd. It does mean that for the most part, he waits for a favorable oppor tunity before he plunges into the middle of a brawl. "The reformers and other special interest groups have little patience with this procedure and they cannot understand that a politician is the representative --not the master--of his constituents. If he fails to remember this, he soon finds himself a "has-been" who is no use to anyone." STATE AID FOR SEWAGE PLANTS As of last April, a total of 124 municipalities and authorities, which have expended money to acquire and construct sewage treatment plants in accordance with the Clean Streams program, have filed applications with the State Secretary of Health for payments from state funds. The individual project for which funds are requested range in cost from $4,570 to nearly $14, 500, 000, the latter one of the three sewage treatment plants in Philadelphia. The cost of the projects reported is $49,633,311.35. The Bureau of Sanitary Engineering establishes eligibility in some cases and in all instances authorizes the exact amount to be paid. treatment 1 6 neW s *-afe-aid law, municipalities which build or acquire sewage state-aid. cost of co P antS are to receive annually an amount not to exceed 2 per cent of the taining reSa^U^^°n £r°m s*;aPe funds which are to be applied to operating, mainlature pro replacing, and other expenses relating to the plants. The Legise $2, 000, 000 for payments to be made during the present biennium. that the m -Hre Con^nu’-n8 appropriations by future legislatures, it is pointed out plants. TonbCiPa£i£ieS COll^d receive payments matching in full the cost of their in °peratio iT f°r payment, municipalities must have their treatment plants rnade y December 31 of the year preceding that year in which payment is to SOME thoughts ON POLITICS article on PoUtics^0™^ C°Unty Rec°rder DOG-GONE of May 1954 corneg thig interesting "Some wise man once defined Politics as is much food for thought in this observation. 'The Art of the Possible, ' and thef 8ahitaI016 .eC^de d to garba spongy6 cans from Paris, Texas. The Junior Chamber of Commerce ^ere^ about both a y C°nditiona ancT^^6 Sa^e dog-proof containers in order to improve attached°d "Tth a hook 6 aRPearance °f the city. The canine-foiling device is sim, id and the can l®ht, a 0 side. Tb^f6 and bar driven securely into the grouni .nd level, keeps the lid on f)r°vide<s => c- 1S eePs the can above the groui.2 1 ’ a foundation. �WHAT'S NEW_? done to boro streets by the heavy ‘ent. DURYEA - Improvements to Foote Avenu system, have already started. an important link in the boro' s r<M VOL. HI, NO. 8 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA August 15, 1954 WESLmplX0N JXr'pXct Installation of neaX sewers comp^Tonfs IheToro ^ge nei^ aring -Jej PARKING AS A FACTOR IN BUSINESS to house machinery and equipment. KINGSTON - Council has purchased another property on Church Street near the ' acreage recently acquired for a warehouse. NANTICOKE - The city is planning to purchase a city sweeper to replace its 193b model. WARRIOR RUN - Discussion continues toward a consolidation of the boro with Hanover Township. WILKES-BARRE - Installation of permanent traffic line markers to replace the present painted lines looms as one of the major traffic control steps to be taken this year. It will mean a saving of $9, 000. HANOVER TOWNSHIP - Hereafter, two cards will be used in the tax: collection system. The commissioners have levied a 10.5 mileage, plus a $3 per capita tax. THOUGHTS for today If your knees are knocking, kneel on them. Why is it that the less a man knows, the longer it takes him to tell it? publication the PolkSicT17c'ieentct^DePDUbl.1Shed monthlY as a co­ community service, originate s i*1 addressed to Dr. Hugo °f Wilkes College -r be Wilkes-Barre, ’peXvanUailey> P°Utical ^e• Notes and inquiries may Wilkes-Barre, Department, Wilkes College’ The Highway Research Board has gathered extensive factual material on park­ ing as related to business activity. Studies indicated that the attitude of retail shoppers toward downtown shopping is largely conditioned by the advantages of greater selection, ability to perform several errands on one trip, and cheaper prices. The disadvantages of downtown shopping are difficult parking, crowded conditions, and traffic congestion. The advantages of suburban shopping in con­ ditioning shoppers' attitudes are proximity to home, easy parking, and more convenient hours; while the disadvantages are limited selection, limited types of business establishments, and higher prices. Two tentative findings are that families with children are more inclined to patronize local shopping centers, and that higher income groups shop more often downtown than those in lower economic brackets. There definitely is a tendency toward suburban shopping, although the draw­ ing power of the central business district is still strong. The majority of the trips are generated within two miles of the shopping center. The maximum draw­ ing power of the suburban shopping center seems to be about five miles. REPRINT From the NATIONAL MUNICIPAL REVIEW of June, 1954, come these words of wisdom by Dr. M. Nelson McGeary, professor of Political Science at Penn State and councilman since 1951: "A councilman has to learn to roll with the Punches. Punches are as inevitable for the councilman as are boos for ball umpire. There's no question that all councils make some mistakes or w ic they deserve censure. But it's the snap criticism, from persons w o are wi 1 to form judgments on the basis of only a little evidence, that the counc.lman must learn to absorb and still maintain his resiliency. "Presumably in every municipality, as in ours, there are some c^lzJ{nS Wh° umably in every municipality, as : start with the that anyone willing to run for counci is —e premise premise willing to he's P^ger._may not be a that bad anyone oJ_.bQt at least a man with some -t^n- Sjmd and will, when he finds an opportunity, maneuver t ings Sometimes, of course, this suspicion is justified. I 1t s generally We ^ight as well give up democracy as a bad job. Fortunately, �y-vpENDITURES FOR PUBLIC HEALTH IN LUZERNE COUNTY himself with "A councilman must cover .3 same time the unfailing darts, but at the tractive critic becomes insensitive to constsign of a good co tions. Perhaps it is one at night pondering occasionally to lie awake alate himself th^h^ aseful opinions and sugg^ n if his conscience forces him comments of a disgruntled Population Expenditure $ 76,826 $ 55,072 0. 717 35,491 10, 502 0. 295 20,160 4, 600 0. 228 15, 012 2, 200 0. 145 $147,489 $ 72,374 0.49 $ 15, 051 $ 10, 681. 00 0. 709 12, 541 2,680.32 0.213 Newport Township 9, 347 2,300.00 0.246 Wilkes-Barre Township 5, 267 480.00 0. 091 $ 42,206 $ 16,141.32 0. 38 $135,637 $ 16,381.00 0. 12 Boroughs $325,332 $104,896.00 0. 32 Total Wilkes-Barre Hazleton citizen. " Nanticoke RED STOP SIGNS Pittston National Safety Council records show that during the last 10 years 40% of all fatalities in urban areas have occurred at intersections, " and -----1 ■>'*'* 12% of _r all occurred at intersections. The standard safe­ fatalities in rural areas have guard has been the yellow stop sign. It has had its chance. Per Capita First Class Townships Red, in traffic circles, always has signified a complete stop. The red stop sign was recommended last June by the Joint Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The recommendation was for reflectorized white STOP let­ ters and reflectorized red background, so that the sign will be brightly visible both day and night. In the city this sign may be seen at night for the length of a city block; on the highway, with lights on high beam, for a quarter of a mile. ( Hanover Township Plains Township . PARKING VIOLATION An envelope-type parking ticket is used in Norwich, Connecticut. T e 0 parker simply places his one dollar fine in the serial-numbered business rep y envelope and drops it into the nearest mail-box. The nature of the offense, license number, date, and time appear on both the portion of the envelope re tained by the officer and that given to the offender. A STREETSWEEPER IS NO PLACE FOR A DOG Athens, Ga. -With Picking the advent of aa ne^ leasil law in Athens, even the mechani up dog new leash law in Athens, cal streetsweepers are streetsweeper got f 6 City Engineer said recently that a small dog barked at a known to the driver, was swept - into the di <t° C^°Se to the rotary broom and, an-ior, pointed a COrnpartrnent. Later, a small boy appeared at the City incinerati said, "You've got my dog." The surprispr)11 aCcuainS finger at the driver and eno“gh, there was the dop0^**017 °pened the dust bin of his sweeper and sure e-„ covered quickly at• the —' S1ght of his master dlZZy but sti11 alive- The pup reaad we*t home with him. PUBLICATION Thia News-letter, published monthly as a community service, °r the Political Science Department of Wilkes College. Notes and inqairiiginates & addressed to Dr. HugoV. Mailey, Political Science ~ may beg| Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Department, Wilkes College’ Personnel Municipalities Wilkes-Barre 20-4 part-time medical health officers, 1 milk inspector, 1 food and meat inspector, 6 sani­ tary inspectors, 1 nurse, 2 clerks, 4 labora­ tory technicians 3-1 health officer, 1 dog catcher, 1 plumbing Hazleton inspector, 1 dairy inspector Nanticoke pittston Total 1-1 health officer 1 25 �1 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. personnel (Con't.) VOL III, SEPT. 15, 1954 NO. 9 4 - 1 health officer, 1 assistant health officer meeting OF LOCAL OFFICIALS 1 secretary, 1 plumbing inspector Hanover To«m“P plains Township mcements of the fall meeting of local government officials \ for annoui College. Interesting and informative speakers are being Watch ,{d at Wilkes Suggestions are welcome as to topics and speakers. to be hel for the year. lined up THE COUNCILMAN I eMefot P»H=e is health officer Newport Township Wilkes-Barre Township I » 8 Total Boroughs Total Personnel . Ludwig, executive secretary of the League From C. C cipalities, comes of Boards of Health, 33 health 43 _ 10 secretaries officers i 76 WHAT'S NEW? WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP - Six township officials attended the State Asso­ ciation meeting at which Joseph S. Matiskiel, former secretary and now tax collector, was honored with a meritorious award. a view to conWARRIOR RUN - More informal meetings have been held with to accompli3*1 solidating with Hanover Township. A program designed this end is in the making. ASHLEY - The council is using three men certified by the DPA for various chores about the municipality. HANOVER TOWNSHIP - John C. Sordoski, commissioner from Askam recently elected president of the Pennsylvania State Association o ship Commissioners, received a meritorious award at the recent m ing at Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania. NEWPORT TOWNSHIP -Attorney Joseph Gallagher, solicitor, was elected one of three members of the legal counsel staff of the State Association Commissioners. John J. Riordan, commissioner, was formerly president of the State Association of Commissioners. of Minnesota Muni- this bit of advice: vital in determining city individual council members are ;—>d councilman and "The attitudes of The good councilman should be a gooi government policies, should demonstrate a respect for the t._ right of others to -e that his lanjudicially minded. He expressing his own point of view he should take care should be courtemoderate and restrained. The councilman's demeanor sdiffer, isand in t a sense of humor , reflecting an inner dignity, and he should not be without guage 5 of men holding public and a spirit of tolerance. It has been said that the attitudes < ous It should set an example office are often a reflection of general public attitudes. I---attitudes of those whom they and stimulate educational efforts to improve the trued as a lack of courage but represent. The middle course should not be cons for the peaceable compromise rather the great virtue of democracy. It provides suppression of one by the between differing parties, rather than the forceable other." Sound isn't it? T RAFFIC p rQBLEMS 13 is intended '3, the Conference on Traffic Problems in municipal!the problems of congestion and parking i.. Sponsored by relieve Penn State responsibility for to suggest ways to 1 - • meant for persons who have some vehicles. Among ties. The Conference is gestion and providing space for motor local officials. r are traffic engineers and other . in 1938 and the relieving traffic cong those included in this category / a Traffic Engineering Seminar is sponsored by This conference was preceded by1950 and 1952. The Conference j the Department and the f Traffic Engineering Institute in 1 ' : of Local Government, October 7 and 8, the Institute of Public Safety, Institute Conference dates are °f Civil Engineering at Penn State. C �STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ~ LU ZERNp FIRE INSURAN C E ANNUAL EXPENDITURES plan P£RSQ]\[i Ml District Office Public Health Nurses Tuberculosis Control Venereal Disease Control Maternal and Child Health Dental Health Vital Statistics Crippled Children $ 39, 866.00 37,400. 00 36,169.00 3,960.00 15,487.00 6,480. 00 5,500.00 $144, 862. 00 9-1 physician, 1 SeniOr grapher, 7 sanita*y aSt Si %. ants sist. 11 - Nurses 9-5 part-time C}inicians, 4 , 3-2 part-time clmicians ] < 18 - 1 full-time, 17 clinicians 9 - part-time dentists 20 - part-time registrars registrars 2 - part-time clinicians 81 Jones, men Wilkes-Barre P ub]■ Safety Dire Public Director, a plan William wherebyD.selected from the Bure ctor 1hopes to work out vania Fire School at Lewistown. These m °f Fire wiU be sent r’- to the Pennsyl—‘ ized instructors for other members of the T W1U then Tualify ‘to to serve as specialing as instructors at the State school would °f Fire- The fi^ * ----conduct classes and drills for the member ’ rP°n return to dutv h men qualifyfire .rations. member. of the be the eight City Do otherwhy communities Luzerne County th6 Valley-wise, couldn't a in cooperative plan behave deveR thouSht? Thinking worked out later. The agreement by localities to aid h Details could be might be a starting point. A minimum of effort toward^ °ther.in case of fire maximum results in civic betterment. cooperation could produce GLEN ALDEN SCHOOL HEALTH PROGRAM Checks have been issued by the Glen Alden Coal Company for $667, 106.23 in payment of township, county, and institution district taxes. These payments were made to Hanover and Newport Townships. Later in the year, the Company will turn over to the same township school boards $797, 000. 16 Third Class Districts 48 Fourth-Class Districts School Nurses School Doctors Dental Nurses, State Clerks $ 91,664.12 44,112.00 22,448.25 4,229.25 3,610.00 54 67 62 Dentists, 54 Assistants 22 REGION FUNCTIONS Engineers Office Industrial Waste Laboratory Nutritionist Dental $ 8,000. 00 3,000.00 1,000.00 1, 000.00 1.000. 00 8 1 8 1 1 $ 14> 000. 00 19 total “ engineers, 3 stenograph^1 “ engineer 1 bacteriologist, 7 11*' 7 assist ass - nutritionist - dentist SKID RESISTANCE Skidding is not a pleasant experience, but it is not the principal important cause of accidents. Skidding cannot occur unless a car ‘J of control. It takes place when the frictional resistance between goAe.rnme^n tire is exceeded. The tire companies in their adve^^^complete studies of educating the public in respect to tire design. S . one of the - •have been -a made on the non-skid ed by also best known 1 o------ the Highway Research Board. when, summed up show very clearly tv~' high-type . -~that asphalt surfaces built to modern designs frictional ---- 1 resistance possible. TAX LEAFLET $326. 107. 00 359 sh ■ One-Page tax leaflet has been distributed by Mt. ’ t to home!‘0W‘"S a breakdown „( the property tax bill to indicate the tor services and projection rendered by their city government. �WHA T 'S NEW ? PITTSTON - A bond issue of $178, 000 was passed by City Council * " * -o be used to pay for storage of City-owned vehicles, to erect and to purchase new equipment. The r*>yi,' a City ' 8%, NO VOL. III, PLYMOUTH - Operating revenue comes from various miscellaneous sour, as delinquent property taxes, licenses on pin ball machines fines, ■ meter collections, and amusement taxes and service pole tax This money : suPPle. ments property tax revenue. Not yet permissible under Pennsylvania statute, the federated municipality would consist of a government of limited powers allocated to it by the member munici­ palities in the area. The municipalities would give the federated government jurisdic­ tion over only those problems of regional significance. Since local powers cannot be relinquished to higher levels of government without consent, governing bodies would allocate powers on an optional basis. NANiICOKE - The new sweeper will cost the City between $8, 500 and $9, 500. for street resurfacing. ASHLEY - Council has passed an ordinance providing for the installation and regulation of parking meters. Each local unit would pay its share of the cost of joint admimstra ion a unit would retain its own taxing power. The metropolitan government mig nue bonds to finance self-liquidating projects. - Boro Council voted to borrow $3, 000. plains township - The commissioners sion from the County court to float approved a resolution to seek permis "unfunded" debt. a bond issue is of $15, 000 to fund the NEWPORT TOWNSHIP . The °ad “'Provetnews. commissioners are planning on spending $11, This New News-letter, publishedofmonthly a < the Political Science Department Wilkes as Colle; addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Political Scieicommunity service, originates 1P Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Se. Notes and inquiries may :nce Department, Wilkes CoHeg ’ OCTOBER 15, 1954 A federal plan of government has been put into effect for a part of London. Government in New York City and its boroughs resembles this plan. The federated idea was attempted in Allegheny County in 1928, but the required two-thirds majority vote caused its defeat. EDWARDSVILLE - A $40, 000 bond issue 'will "" be floated by Council for a new fire engine, resurfacing, and curb repairs. WILKES-BARRE - Amusement tax r----budget estimate u7n“Ue is not exPected to hit the $100, 000 —-J since only $36, 402 was collected in the first six months. PA. Some problems are of metropolitan concern and therefore require common soluproble: Other problems, however, could be handled by the individual local governments tion. federal plan, based on the principle of national and state governments, is a comThe 1 iromise between centralization and decentralization. It is a reconciling device. P] HUGHESTOWN -■ Council ~ ” and the buyers still remain deadlocked after eight m0 f over the boro's budget. « * F WEST PITTSTON WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE METROPOLITAN! T IS KINGSTON - Council awarded a contract for curbs and gutters on North Goodwin Avenue, costing each property owner approximately $200. DUPONT - Council signed contracts 10 ’ st of members from The governing bod, of the bej"tlot athen the ' the fringe area than regional elections. Y <»n6e area woold control the metropolitan ment, depending on pop ,Ue, »' “ nt for vote to each participating municipality, rega the suburban communities to join the federati ? yes, in the sense W ould the that the tax doll; federated municipality save the ^^J/^stancey suppose thatjvery gurn appropriate ore Municipality , ar would be stretched to do mor . the one government Works and p - on the West Side removed from its budge its funds into a central body. oa ? With this lupooled mi —ip sum than each municipality separate yit Tii . . three are most significant. A'«>°u8h the re are numerous advantages to this plan, resent local officials * the Plan Preserves the identity of local governments. P �e ^problem, become regional. tremely important and relatively new phase of budgeting 1, long.r„„ An eXMovement budgeting. This type of budget is the bridge between long” - iinpr , .ning and realisation of those plans There is a lot of difference beL„ nital caP1L . 7 « ” planning and a positive program for realization of those plans. To be range pt- _ '^principal barrier to realize .on of long-range plan, is „„„ey, and th„e long*' sure, th • formula whereby a capital budget produces the money. The necessary is no’ ^^ore apt to be raised, however, in a community possessing a sound longfund8 are^ai budget as a program for its plans, than in a community without such range capi prograin‘ ’ „ ,he people of metropolitan areas want the best possible administrr ation, . la be thinking along such lines. Metropolitan services would be more they 2 ec°n< ^d efficient, duplication would be eliminated, and home pride would not be p‘ land-fill Officials of several Luzerne County municipalities are again plagued with th problem of dumping. In the Mountain Top area people are advised not to dump gj ’ bage anywhere. Presently, officials are looking for a suitable dump. Public resen ment against dumping has again built up in Forty Fort. Officials in Nanticoke are”' considering the land-fill method. Just one year ago this News-letter suggested the land-fill method, recently adopted by Kingston and West Pittston. Again, this News letter recommends the adoption of the method, but with one added suggestion. It might be wise for the officials of many municipalities to explore the location of several land-fill sites. propos device which ensures mat no project win oe undertaken without ing th^’consideration of the need and priority for that project in relation to other ■■ 161,63 t Hasty and ill-advised action, perhaps at the behest of some pressure PI J can be avoided. Long-range financial plans can be made for raising of the fundf needed for public improvements. In many cases, cities have succeeded in shifting to pay-as-you-go financing for all or many of their capital improvements, with consequent savings in interest costs. The sites could be located in places that would accommodate the maximum pop- ‘ ulation and expenses could be shared. Outlying townships should be brought into the P ratlve P^an because later "dumping" by cities and boroughs only serves to ioinfcoXe !-rUr^1 element- Garbage disposal today in Luzerne County requires a garba? is available for riding -Ive this problem alone. The survey on Pennsylvania Economy League for Lower Bucks County Leag, Six years it the period of time commonly spanned by municipal capital improve­ ment budgets. The budget presents a definite program for the first year, with identi­ fication of other projects programmed for the second to sixth years inclusive, and perhaps listing additional projects contemplated later. After consideration, revision, and adoption by the Council, the first year’s program is completed. A year later, anew budget is developed which reconsiders relative priorities of the various pro­ jects, and again proposes a program for the first year and for the second to sixth FIRE years inclusive. insuranc E write After,StUdie8 ab°*t 500 i municipalities, the National Board of Fire Under­ of def . t00k place fire of deficiencies. The folloling . items'were aS8igning ' Points Water Supply Fire Department Fire Alarm Police gilding LaWs Hazards Structural Coi editions 1, 700 1, 500 550 50 200 300 700 5, 000 Some authorities recommend that the capital budget should be incorpo a single document with the operating budget, so that the two may r®c^1V® . submit consideration by the Council. Under our circumstances, it is pro a y^ d> e capital budget as soon as possible after the operating bu ge a naideratjon as , ere 18 no important disadvantage in such separate submission °ng as the financial planning of the two is carefully coordinate . for capital improve • 3 can be elimmated fr be Clty g j;fficult city,» school school district, district, and and county county so that "t tto achieve, howev°m the a88regate tax rate. — is politically difficult intergovernmental "S^c8<xi.c tax rate. This objective is po 1 'will likely be attained, if at all, only after gro Co°PeraA 3-tion over a long period of time in other areas of o activity. ac ^nt8°by\^most eOSt/desirable esirable ob Jective is °°rdinatedJaV^^ objective is C coo: �WHAT ' S NE W ? EDWARDSVILLE1 -to’the treasury for passing theXd™’^’ XrX” R»d. Parking problems seem to have been solved by . °rists . 011 the of meters. nI NO. 11 KINGSTON TOWNSHIP - Groups in the Township feel that somethi be cut expenses in order to keep within the $5, 000 budgeted for p naust p do^to , ~~ Prote, KINGSTON - The Burgess has instructed the police to hand out tickets fOr parking. WILKES-BARRE - Based on collections for the first four months, inco ing meters and traffic fines will fall about $20, 000 short of bnHrroirOln path for 1954. get estlrnates The man OF THE PANEL .-What Local Governments Can Do To Aid Industry in the Anthra > n the subject discussed by a panel at the Municipal Officers Meeting atp! f011" Was ,er8ity on October 1, 1954. Below is a summary. g Penn State Uni- ■ today oars does not have much time to rock Wh° thinks himself a buddii Lng Senius is often a blooming nuisance. publication SUMMARY of equitable assessments. Moreover, local officials must exercise prudence with the tax money, much of which is provided from coal. LUZERNE COUNTY - Officials the year's liquid fuel ta: ._r lved_$220, 000 from the State treasurer as half of However, officials are lx i refund. Lastw ’Year the County received $452, 867.05. concerned since the meeting the $778, 000 - —- amount in tax refunds is far from spent on roads, damages especially with the growing costs of land connected with the State highway program. thoughts FOR VOL Communities in low employment areas might take steps to nurse the j -"King Coal. " Local officials can help to reduce the tax load on coal lands by TsysteL ASHLEY - Residents may expect the appointment of a delinquent tax collector because may expect the appointment of approximately 1,200 adults have not paid personal taxes for the past year. The fen, °W who continues the boat. Pulling on the NOVEMBER 15, i954 — Suggestions offered by the panel can easily be divided into two r groups. In the first to be found those aimed at nursing the basic industry-coal — . In the second group are are those proposals that deal with inviting new industry into the region the PMSibility °f usln8 WEST PITTSTON ■- " Borough credit is rated high, as indicated by the fact that the borough's bonds —J sold for only 2 1/2%. ■ WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. Port- This Nev/ 8 - °htical Scier- -letter, published monthly ■nee lO Dr TJ ur- Hugo V. i Department of Wilkes College C°5lrnunity service, originates in tb\i '-’.ley, Political Science ^6nrisylVania.• • ’Maih Depar. °teS and inquiries may be aa< ent> Wilkes College, Wilkes -Barr' Ordinances banning the use of oil may not necessarily be an asset to the coal indus­ try. Such ordinances are predicated on the idea that the single use of coal is space heating. A revitalized leadership in the coal industry has recognized that new uses must be found for coal. Survival of the coal industry depends on experiment and research into new uses of coal. Oil banning ordinances could prevent the attraction of new indus­ tries which utilize oil in their operations. Shojild such an ordinance exist, a concession will have to be made as an inducement to bring the industry into the area. The result will be embarrassment to both the industry and the local officials, and wonderment on the part of the local populace. In attracting new industries the following factors are important: floor space availa le; floor space that could be offered to an incoming industry as a result of new financrJ’ *raTned labor supply; proximity to markets; services offered <-----by local governments; w material supply; utilities; community attitudes; taxes. ("yu • ^ti/781y> local officials can do little or nothing about some attr‘ *ed * Preceding paragraph. And, by the same token aboa4h8 ^dU8try is to succeed, local officials must concern , ch they can do something. For, many times it is no *Vailability Of nsideraK * markets, raw material supply > or a traine c°n8id, a rations as -3 local governmental services that determin of rA Coihhier, 'er of the panel representing an industrial fund ce stated quite frankly and firmT the considerations gram aimed at prog -mary factors as but rather such . re new industry locates. �taxes or lower assessment, in attracting industry Such action is lllegal the concession is unfair to industries already established in the community °hlyj’ ginal or shoestring enterprises demand such favoritism. It is unlikely that the Pennsylvania local government th£ take pride in the community. •glatures of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi ...have made ’“Xte permit community financing of ne „ . A * point ’ eg.ee passed „„ legislative proposals for Pennsylvania A ^member of the panel supported .ylvania might create a state-wide indu,. Suggestion, however, was area could borrow money to be used for ft, XtX°~ Ofthrough htdustrial buildings mdustrres , ,-Kr.ritv which a depr for new ;„j 11<5tries I, [ Such a loan would be repaid over a period of years. CONFER ENC E Pennsylvania. ---- ---the very existence' •tone. In the beginning, Ju9t pass ed its six-month . its purpose was misrepresented in some ° the Con^ence was r against ratification by some of the member " and inHuenc e‘ precarious bemil63' -—: was brought to cause ■levying state associations legally participatin’ ®anizati°ns. Today we find all six bear These groups are; tax-1 State Association of Boroughs League of Cities of the Third Class County Commissioners Association Township Commissioners Association Association of Township Supervisors State School Directors Association The most important part that local government can play in industrial development is to perform well the regular functions of government, Some " of ' theservices r? ' that industry considers important are; property protection, public schools, 1 hospitals, housing, local transportation, water and electric utilities,, recreation, planning A constitution was adopted that formally created the Pennsylvania Local Govern­ j ’■ j and zoning as these would affect land sites. The role of local go, ment Conference consisting of three representatives from the above six tax-levying government in regard to these responsibilities is being overlooked by a more spectacular r: associations to meet periodically to discuss problems and adopt policies in the areas one --that of subsidizing industry. of tax assessment, delinquent tax administration, relationship between local govern­ ment and the General Assembly, functioning of state agencies in local matters and One town was told i-ll rather bluntly by an industry that located elsewhere that, "There state road subsidies. is nothing wrong with your .• town as an industrial site that good city government might not cure. " T _______ Few towns realize completely the value of being known as a good town in The first subject discussed by the Conference was the 1951 Assessment laws which to live and work. There being a unanimous support for them, a program to aid in their a op ion approved and as an initial step, a series of newspaper articles were proposed for the A member of the purpose of publicizing how the laws were to operate. The articles were pr p ^nici_ sources to furnish adequate se SUgges£ed that local government does not have the re­ the contents analyzed. It was the consensus that by adoption o t ese aw , local government r~ would reappraised emanded today« A proposal was offered that if found,. Unequal distribution of taxes > palities will have their financial conditions impr^by XXX'XXX and taxation> resources might be and the recovery of taxable wealth not now accoun a and unfair assessments, does make if anthracite region resulting from unjust will appear in future issues of this News-letter. and at low unit cost. 1 lcull f° provide adequate services efficiently Not to be overlooked as c as a prerequisit, Cooperation with the Ghambe ___ - ”—; attractin§ industry is community attitude. ■ BASIC EQUIPMENT imerle ;r of Com: lished betwi een the Council and the Chambe->er sn ! S8ential Better liason could be estabindustries. i are few in number, The essential items of equipment for building asphalt sur Local governments do wish toj czz cnnr> at l°cal °«icials could prepare for neW but industrial fund officials forget that budgets for compaction; ey include only some device for application of asphalt an a roller ro —- =LSPerate o£fering services to industry, tures. Perhaps a member of the C' ; °r ^ed-in-place work there is required in addition some kind of mixing blade. Council should^ prepared in advance of the expendimittee specifically to keep his Council info: uncil informed & placed on the industrial fund coms or diesel Rollers have steadily improved over the years. The ^^^per steadily improved over the years, n evelopments in attracting industry, day. In addition, It was the consensus of the p— has greatly greatly increased 11111 roller can operate practic­ increased the the yardage yardage a a given l tranL'-'Missions ance in Harrisburg or Washington, “XU si panel that local ghave been greatly improved so that thatt a a _axled roiier es to concentrate have been greatly improved so industries if the real role of local L governments should not beg for as si® p y at full Local officiala „_______ , Tt provides intensified of the power at all speeds. The T1’" purpose comose tne -Place where ; xtra ] — - people can work and live. government is notwill be successful in attracting a high area is enc on the middle axle where obscured--that is, to create a I Cothpr.ession. The purpose of the pneumatic The purpose of the pneumatic-tireface i--- texture Prod, Uce, immediately after construction, used to obtain a very dense surface, i re9uir e Years of normal traffic to achieve. 8Uch as required on airfields. II f°rf I �WHAT'S NEW ? NEWPORT TOWNSHIP - The Township's excellent financial conditio have enabled the commissioners to sell the municipality's $22 Cr®dit r VOL. PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP - An ordinance adopted by the supervisors proh’b’ collecting or abandoning junked autos or other vehicles on public or in the Township. P °r private I EDWARDSVILLE - The value of the new shopping s' ---center along the Narrows Road felt for the first time this year by Boro will be ---- CCouncil. ”. Ten new properties are $75, 908 or $3, 500 in revenue. valued at ^aced bill boards in the Boro will be WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. DECEMBER 15, 1954 WINDSOR SWOYERVILLE - The Council approved a resolution to borrow $5 000 “ •»HeipMiWg( taxes and liquor license money. DUPONT - Advertising firms whi to pay an annual tax on each. NO. 12 required ■■ PLYMOUTH - Residents have urged the Council to recommend action to the State or Federal Government in removing stripping banks and voids. William Windsor, Executive Director of the Bureau of <? • Employees, discussed the changes in the Social Securitv 1 SecuritV f°r Public of local officials. The Act now permits the coverage ofp bi-monthly meeting an existing retirement system, except police and fireme P*°yees in Positions under employees must vote in a referendum set up under the T° become covered, the The Director reminded the officials that a 6% intere SUpervislon °f the Governor, for every day that the account is delinquent Mnnie S 1S assessed on municipalities of the month. “nquent. Monies ought to be turned in by the 10th The rush to get OASI coverage for municipal employees is over, and with approxi­ mately 50% of eligible municipal employees covered by contract, the system is now running smoothly. Occasionally money is sent directly by a political subdivision to the Director of Internal Revenue. The federal agency cannot grant coverage to any WEST PITTSTON - A reminder was given given the public by the Council r egarding enforcement of the building permit ordinance. NANTICOKE - Some Street Department personnel are benefits. already drawing social security DirectortOof Internal the money^ however, ^nd sometimes itThe is difficult eventsRevenue be madewill withkeep the Harris In order to get coverage for municipal employees, it is necessary that arrangements^ burg bureau. No application for coverage nor paym benefit records> however, EXETER - Council members feel that same for 1955. processed by the bureau at Harrisburg. A emp are maintained by local Social Security offices. 'e presently at 20 mills will remain the PLAINS - Towns hi----- --- dp residents have urged the commissioners ordinance Patterned after to enact a strip mining .• one used by Old Forge. - PARKING METERS Lewisburg has parking meters such There is anadditionto the meter that is 1 tenth meter for the violator to place his ■ s any other municipality in Pennsylvania. qUe' A small metal box is attached to every time allowance, the enforcement fine. Where the autoist has overstayed his instead of a ticket. The violator °fficer places 3 an _ drops it into one of the metal boxes, ,^. Vel°~pe on the windshield of the Places the fir»P f_, 1 W 1UUD HiC 1.VX S/«. •"*" ticket written out. on y nominal, into the envelope an -• Only if th| -ae violator fails to make his deposit is a f PUBLIC ATIQn This News-letter, published i—* Political Science Department of Wilki to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Political Monthly Science AR a Pennsylvania. College, Denart service’ originates in th«■ , 68 and inquiries may be addre nt« Wilkes College, Wilkes -Bar* ’ I Mr. Windsor stated that there are 1, 343 has anow providing OASI coverage for some or all of their employees. • ions, 1 staff of 43 auditors who must check the quarterly reports of these su -------------- .. For that reason it has been found necessary to require that reports be submitted s directly 10 days after the end of the ^rter, instead 30 days as is the case when remit g^ ~' to tbe internal reve.Tnent of Th•--------------------------------------------------------------------nue department. thewhich to process the reports pay to th f This 1S gives ®^Ves his bureau onl only 20 days in and to pay to thet federal depar tions ‘‘Harns eral internal revenue department the amounts due in the aggregate. rly - idual Williams exc stated that all persons in covered c°^ em positions ployees are covered and that no f e P°sitions of3 1OnS Can be made. Part-time employees continue to be a problem, but exceptions can be made. F and golicitor ^esult Of a secretary, treasurer, engineer, and solicitor were now covered as a ins of secretary, treasurer, engine . employees. |Oyees. Other part-time employees n°t cover tT® tO COVer essential or important rating cover- essential important emp y of. ... ‘Cti°nsa onV ’ hto °Wever A personorwith two jobs, both which are covered, must pay covered, however. dedu, ded b°th Salaries- The $4200 maximum will apply on each. However, he can both salaries. clailrrn the-.3.<•<’ on Uction paid on his combined salary in excess of $4200 as an income tax ourse, all employees have to be real persons. An engineering firm could credit/ ' ------- > ““ 'amplen°‘ be ,classified as an employee, f°r �BOORSE V. MASS SPRINGFIELD T O W N S H IP s There is one thing that cities such as Wilkes-Ba A municipality is immune from liability for torts of its employees in of performance of a governmental function, unless a right of recovery is e r * c°urs e granted by statute. A municipality is not liable for a tort committed by aeXprer /sajy tort committed b' cer who was not acting within the scope of his authority. In this case a P°^Ce In this case, ! °ffi. racing horse was discovered by two policemen to be in a helpless conditi^ le helpless r~ 2; leg wedged in a culvert near a public highway. The policemen shot the h one notifying the owner. The policement were not acting within the r------36 without scope of their authorjtv since the horse was trapped on the neighboring township's side of — the — j line and the policemen were outside the geographical limits of their township. If they had been On their own side, they would not be liable because they would be engaged in the exercise of police power in removing a traffic hazard or obstruction on the highway. cities centers, downtown iot be widened to transport more traffic and uceritcann< bethat expected in view ci the these probie ms areas c.used are pouring into central city ? by can 1 cars RETIREMENT SY STEMS The Local Government Commission will undertake a s. study with of municipal pensionxj-rcLL p and retirement systems. Laws will be analyzed and compared practices 1 of other [ systems. The study will be the basis for recommendations to the Legislature, study is most important in view of the recent changes in the Social Security law. This f STATE ROAD GRANTS many municipal!Altogether, 466 boroughs, there any in Luzerne CoLnty? ? thlrd-class cities have faHed to apply for funds. Are I Ouster of a borough ccouncilman for non-at the proceedings was given non-attendance nenJi OpP°rtunity to dpf a^Ce at meetings where no notice Ouster proceedings are Courts the Statute must b WaS afforded, is held to be iWl decision of the Supreme regular mee ° Pennsylvania in 8Jl 8trictly construed. Thia was the attended only two rr special and n° sPecial m & the fact tllat the councils211 i meetings and three With°ut "«■« not ^3. 6! lagS * ouster was effected to hto and The! '5eci. ioa reeted on and the no factregul t8hatar to explain his absence. a» opportunity being accorded W ' PUBLICATION This News-letter, published r" Political Science Department of Wilke monthly as a c— DePartm, ’ to Dr. Hugo V. eMalle-" community service, originates ■’ '-Lis c hiailey, Politi) College. Notes Pennsylvania. be addre^ L LCal Science and inquiries may L- DePartment, Wilkes College, Wilke0' Slte °f old °nes. Streets Ck °f facilities for the many A number of remedies have been suggested. Central city parking garages ought to be halted because they only channel more traffic into an already congested area, perhaps each city should build parking facilities on the perimeter of its central dis­ trict in the slums or marginal areas where real estate values are low. From another quarter comes this advice--the removal of all parking facilities from central city areas, thereby speeding taxicab, bus, and through traffic. It has been stated that existing offstreet parking facilities would accommodate visitors unacquainted with perimeter park­ ing facilities. It may be that in the next five or ten years American cities might ave o vate automobiles in the central city areas. There might not be any room vehicles that will be on our streets by I960. P . n Transit Associs-tion Another suggestion that was recently X^rtaTon-the bus, the streetConventicn in Pittsburgh was greater use o i„_„er cities transport as muc a car, the elevated, and the subway-which in the la. g ig a necessity today. Withf>0% to 80% of the working population. Mass ran truly a city's life bloo . — Highway Department, According to an announcement by the State 20 fi^Li°Se u°ad gTantS tOtaling $365> 761‘ 65- transit out it most cities of great size would wither awa_ ’ been shipping boys for civac times in the past, inter-urban railway sys em consistent public opposi leaders. Traffic congestion combined with tax public transportation systems^ against fare increases have caused headach®S tJe trolleys." Such a campaig Y cities a drive is underlay to -get back on is speededup. not induce riders to use the busses and tr°Dey lations to give mass tramn Probably will mean drastic changes in tra matter of civic duty, ben they Priority. People will use public transit no buggea and trolleys on y °f convenience and preference. People wi automobiles. lnd the service preferable to the use o between the auto- in dec.dtng be. „„ It should be clear that expense is not a primary d with cost, 1 and niaintenance Mobile and public transit. If the citizen is concerne atttOrreagonably le3S? The ’mobile several miles through the city att considerable cos atl<i th, -ien pay to park it when he could ride to use ansWr. er is found in convenience and time. fast ride, f^tch to and *a flow n°” c. °f llea in -J public transit only if it gave comprehensive planning with g' CaPital sufficient to provide rapid transit �w||||wv £*”«ULU| J Arenac WHAT'S NEW ? .0. - Tie council is planning to purchase an ash spreader to .:e presen: equipment. ‘ent VOL. council may legislate a five-day fortv k cers c: :he police force except ranking officers. ’ Y‘h°Ur week III, NO. 11 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA JANUARY 15, 1955 aU SEWAGE HANOVER TOWNSHIP - Ten pieces of property were listed in a aEST recent tax sale notice> PITTSTON - Borough police have been instructed to halt any new construction * if a building permit has not been secured from council, KINGSTON - The landfill communities. Sewage may be defined as the liquid waste of a comm > from toilets, baths, sinks and other plumbing fixtures in COnsists of wastes certain types of manufacturing and industrial plants - and ■ ngS; some wastes from off from the streets and other surfaces that result f “ S°me communities the run­ operations. U1CS trom storms or street-flushing program attracts attention from officials of a TREAT M E N T number °f other NANTICOKE - Much favorable comment has been heard about the In this State orders are being issued to many cities and towns to require their L an abandoned mine stripping. installing treatment plants to take care of this community waste. If this is necessary, then the questions arises, "What is there in sewage that is objectionable?" or "Why should it be treated?" The answer is fairly obvious in that, first, it is objectionable in appearance, dirty gray water with bits of paper, feces, garbage, decayed fruits, and other useless and discarded materials. Probably more important than its objec­ tionable appearance, though, is the danger it presents as far as public health is con­ cerned. Water is an excellent carrier of typhoid fever, various forms of dysentery, and cholera. If a person with any of these diseases discharged feces or urine into sewage which is untreated and passes into a stream which is the source of a water supply for a downstream town, some unsuspecting and innocent resident of that down stream community may be the victim of one of the diseases mentioned. True, this possibility is fairly remote in most cases, but with adequate treatment it becomes almost non-existent. City’s new landfill in PITTSTON - Income from p- ’ Parking meters totaled $23, 312 40 This was more than doubled —J over last year. ^-40 for the first ten months. I ! 1 Untreated sewage has a detrimental effon to the v°^ s°p£ecIaUy warm of water which receives it, especially if the receiving body is sm decomposes rapi Y» waste may f°rm charged. The organic material in the s g The solids i decomposillg solids weather, with the production of disagr "sludge ban s surface an Actionable deposits on the bed of the s or soap ’»>' 11 oxygen in the A build up on the bank of the stream an g deeompo unsightly seum. Also, as «>e ■•’earn is depleted, and if used up ’u{£lc* a9Uati, °{s°rne ( d°^tle3s “ ar ‘ ” e ,tream Jnd is not one wh>c‘ will rtobjections little or no ’ \-T The treatment 1 of most process ■»£, ,he primary r ‘heae 'OniPlex ——2i„t»o — ta the Urge? . position. ---» odors and nuisance CTn°o“ »ut the pnH«““!“ “-JL. In A MU bpr°cessea__ ___ ,__________.___ r_____ the secondary process, e Prevented and secondary treatment will be needed. �5. Check at manholes excessi 617 diluted sewage groundwater infiltration or for storm-water ’ r°of, or cleav- ’ This may indicate u tear-water connections. 56 Without < the sewage is oxidizi 1.13 secondary secondary oxidation oxidation is is carried is depend dependent uThe degree to which this carried is Upun local ditions and these are usually taken into account when the engineer de si. Lgns the Briefly, the units found in most sewage plants are the foil • a,lt. -g4er 71 desi-POtl gns the PS- used in many various combinations: Primary treatment--bar grit chamber, Inhoff tank, primary sedimentation, sludge Check manhole forare repa check manhole stops to masonry see It they soS'*?"1’' the f„st line 6. seating of manhole covers. The grade of X check Counting On 7 &nd tbese COrnihin7ybe --dosing tanks, trickling filters, activated sludge, secondary XnfctJ Chlorination may be an adjunctive feature of either primary or r—„• secondary treat. meat designed to reduce the content of sewage bacteria in water courses receiving treated effluents. In general it may be assumed that as an average, primary treatment affects about 35 percent of purification, and secondary treatment about 85 per. cent. These figures are approximate and subject to considerable variation in individ^i cases, according to local conditions and methods of treatment. ' essary, to stop excessive surface water or earth frorn’e"^7 ’* entering the sewer system. I The and most common of sewer rnnf S’ accumulation °f grease, grit. Rootscauses generally enterclogginn at faultyare joints from a single leader root which has penetrated the joint an/™ H USUally beSins the sewer until the branches from the leader fill the nine r™7 C°ntlnue inside charged into the sewer with warm water. As it cools t/o rease is usually dissticks to the sewer walls or develops into a ball around one^f hT S°lldi,ieS and . in the flow. Grit, such as cinders, ashes sand or m id e particles carried OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF SEWER SYSTEMS _________ I To maintain a sewer system properly, the first essential is a master map, together with larger scale sectional maps of the system. These should show direction of flow, exact manhole locations, sewer sizes and slopes, house connections, an o- .. cation of other utility services with relation to the sewer. The next requirement is a permanent record of maintenance and inspection. This should include dates of inspec tion, location of maintenance work, conditions found, equipment used, and costs. I Routine inspection of the entire system is most desirable to prevent trouble. M general inspection practice recommends the following schedule; sewers on flat gr or previously troubled by roots--every three months; sewers with which no di has been experienced--once or twice yearly-, main intercepting sewers--one to o times per month; inverted siphons--one to four times per month; storm-water ov flow s - - dur ing and following heavy rains. The following items should be considered in making a general inspection: 1- Check c’ manholes for g- : gasoline odors If signs are found °r presence of oil slick on sewage suiirfac6. ----- J inspect each —i upstream manhole until the source is located. 2. Check for unusual odors, some cases. such as illuminating gas. Use an explosimeter in 3- Check r-- ’ for r°r l°°Se 3e^r manholes joints sand, mud, and grit. Their presence may indicate brd>kel1 - —3 or sewer —’ pipe. 4. Check manholes for sluggish flc; solids. These may indicate obstructions °w> septic sewage, or accumulations of for periodic flushing. j o Ji6 ’ in the sewer, poor sewer grades, °r ? ularty in Hat materials gvades. This b„.d ...... where on these are washed in with the surface drainage thX may also enter samtary sewers through basement drains, through broken foi’nt. in the sewers, or from other sources, such as automobile wash racks. Flushing will remove minor deposits of material. Lines that are laid on flat grades and get clogged with grit or grease should be flushed frequently, perhaps as often as once every several weeks or every month. On lines with steeper grades it may not be necessary to flush as often, perhaps only yearly. Where odors are present at manholes , flushing should be frequent, particularly during the dry­ weather periods. The simplest method is to insert a fire hose into ^sewer^oXTes^ge deposits. This method, however, is not particui y . rubber ball such as quantities of water. Another method consists o m wer and placing it in a a beach ball or a volley-ball bladder to fit snug y in then placed in the sewer canvas bag or burlap bag with a rope attached. ba]q then allowed to and the rope held until sewage backs up in the man in tbe sewer, the presmove to the next manhole. When the ball hits an o between the bottom of the sure forces it against the top of the sewer, causing sewage flow is low, it may ■<«. and the ball. This washes the deposit out. Where a he necessary to add water to the manhole. As is now i control■ as it passes through the sewer. secured to it for roots from sewers. are avanauic available for removing __ -diameter sewers, A number i._ of types of equipment have been popular for the smallerbeen popular hazard of having to work Plexible sewer rods and cutters at the surface, and the L._ The se rods are pushed and turned in a naanhole is thus eliminated. �tfuwty 'JtewA-tettei MAR 3 al consists of adding copper sulphate to the sey, Another method of root remov; 'revention method. It cannot cope with severe . isidered a r.oot-p:' needed to kill the roots. It also does not — ’ ob str should. be con: w°rk too three weeks^are WeUOn since usually 1----“terals and branch sewers, however, two or three sewers. For 1. : Pounds the larger - - , abOve the root growth about once a -------year will do th ( fcopper sulphate placed in the manhole cleaning will not clear the sewer, it may be necessary r to use When flushing or L ball —.ciea g o , , • -1- Or a turbine ' or scraper pulled through the sewer by cable and winch, 3c°opf -type cleanin.lg tool. P ^~2iv7~no. 1 WTT.KES-BARRE, WILKES COLLEGE, FRIEL 1955 PA. FEBRUARY 15, 1955 R E P 0 R T Albright & Friel, consulting engineers, have prepared a v a5 M infiltration results from faulty sewer construction. It Most excessive. groundwater | between the manhole frame and cover; ventilation holes and has been traced to <openings x openings for handles on manhole covers, especially if they are located in the gutters; Open I ines ings between between the the sewer pipe and manhole brickwork, incorrect plastering of manhole brid, work, frost cracks in the crowns of manholes; poor pipe joints; diversion of natural under, ground water courses into sewers; improper sealing of plugs placed in the ends of lateral, or in "Y" branches; breaking of joints by dislocation of the bearing surface. One of the most common causes of excessive flow in sanitary sewers is the discharge of roof drains k or connection of street-surface water drains to the sewer. These prohibit such practices, 1 together with public education and vigilance on the part of the superintendent of sewers. Wilkes-Barre, and Wyoming. The report emphasized that only\y 3 of authority could a sewage treatment plant or plants be constructed % + Ing one of the three cooperative schemes proposed, $50 000 S S’nnn be saved by the municipalities of Wyoming Valley. $9^,000 would ------ n plant plant would would be be constructed constructed, on on the sites pres­ Under Scheme £1 one common ently Seirage Treatment The plant mtly contemplated for the the Wilkes-Barre Wilkes-Barre Seirage Treatment Works. Works would serve the entire valley of F^the^ 250,000 and TOUld would .+ cost or $20.36 dwelling Jiit?' tod^sXemf C 0St $16,562,058 0^20.36 & unit. Under unuer beneme per dwelling Scheme ^1 #1 all the communities, except Jenkins and Hains Townships, would he served by bv the plant which would also gpgo be t2 located at. the Wilkes-Barre site. The cost of construction would be $15,559,125; $1‘iliQ.125; the cost p_,d.u. would be $19.68. ■ 1. One plant, loUnder Scheme #2 two treatment works would be operated, $12,553,693 or $21.ok cated at the contemplated Wilkes-Barre site, would cost $1°,. ■J - -r at Hanp.d.u. and would serve 190,000. The other plant, already operating Scheme #2A is over Township, would serve 60,000 and would cost $21.96 p.d.u. Sch< ; and Plains the same as #2 except that it would eliminate service toreduced Jenkins to a...$11,536,362. The pumping costs are often a major operating expense. An efficient inspection a'nd maintenance program which follows the manufacturer's recommendations -will be helpful in holding these costs to a minimum. Another important part of the pumping station is the wet well. Out.bottom A one 11 The settled walls and of the well should be flushed daily to remove solids and grit whic be in the float and a half inch hose and nozzle are usually satisfactory. However, 1 Bar or tubes; they also should be flushed daily and scraped out whenever nec basket screen at pumping stations should be cleaned at least once ai y Townships. The cost of the Wilkes-Barre plant would be would- serve> the Under ^3 four plants would be constructed. Plant 1 2 would serve Plant Pittston area at a cost of $2,780,325 or $29-36 p.d.u. 1. 3 would be Plant Wilkes-Barre and vicinity with a cost p.d.u. of $18.76. J itimated at $23-00. .d.u. es' J1® Present Hanover Township ■works with the cost p.~._-- ,.d.u. Under anticoke would construct a plant of its own,, costing costing ?19. 1 P . and Plains Towa­ Scheme #3A Jenkins Township would not be served "“™ed by 1 1— by Plant 1_ Other maintenance items at pumping stations consist of removing wa ter accumulati . j0 not0115 daily from the dry well by operating the suction-valve of the sewage pump 1 ping sta' I have an automatic sump pump); plus the normal housekeeping measures nire Pr°” tion clean (both internally and externally); all equipment and materials t a , tection against moisture and fumes should be painted with the proper type O P ship would not be served by Plant 2. consider the advanUnder a cooperative example, under the tages of a cooperative project oyer savings. ’ ?For $19.68 p.d.u. as comitsf. own sewage treatment Plan, the communities would realize „nUr-b would be owners $19.68 cooperative plan the cost to Exe er sbructed i — Pared to $92.80 p.d.u. if the Borough Forty Fort hornwould be $23.60. v°rks. The valley-wide authority woul plant tfae cost v of the schemes P-d.u. whereas if Forty Fort bull would save money 1 ; for each municiJ-hus, we can see that each cS“*/airtlual overall ^vlng$19,172: and, un^cre adopted. Under Scheme #1A e saVing woul Pality would be $93,956: under ir > d®r #3A, it would be $61,238. Each community in Wyoming ValleyZ^ient plants, It is much easier, and also less expensive, to set up an efficient inspectio ^on't^ ndrnain'6 \I expensive, to set your up anfingers efficient inspection tenance schedule for your sewer system than to cross and hope y° a . trouble. The crossed-finger system does — not -j prevent trouble —it mevelv saves cross your fingers and hope you time when it is most inconvenient for not prevent trouble--it merely saves i you to correct it. I P U B Lie A T IQ N This News -letter, published Political Science T — monthly as ; ge rT!nUnity 8ervice, originates in the p Department of Wilk< Dr. HugoV. Mailey, Political Scie ■es Colle K • Notes and inquiries may be addressed Pennsylvania. ------- snee Department, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, HHfVHN C mmuu a L ■ e Library ■j �N E W r W H A T assessed1 valuation valuation of all coal lands, tracts, proper^ the total borough of $5,^3,309. is less than 10/ of the Property propertv valuation. , The total in the borough1 $ equiP®sQuof a College know full weui it Perfectly clear Jth construct their oro s this sort attempted o STbickSSs ^d be economical for commune tii?!S treatment plant. There have been few projects^?0 o area_vri.de basis. In is one of the first obtL residents to forget petty jealousies and^L / valley-wise instead of community-wise. -> city anyone on open to a valuation is down to $^,37°,32O or about ’L's property Reduction in the triennial assessment may Borough ^.TTir _ The it was 30 S years ago. Mt amount . sizable 1----be a officials maintain that the overhead traffic lights are the pedestal type which stand on the 4 corners of an intersecn^-BARRE Special permission must be obtained from the state to install such ^safe/than -j - NOT ICE “w»naay, Pe'oruary 28 In the Lecture Hell at wllies tion. ! lights. College. LOCAL OFFICIA LS TO DUPONT - The MEET L The next bi-monthly meeting of the Luzerne County Local Government Offic­ ials will be held on Thursday, March 10 at 6:30 in the college dining room at Wilkes College. The speaker will be Dr. Willard Hancock, director of the Bureau of Municipal Affairs in Harrisburg, whose topic will be, ''Proposed Legislation Concerning Local Governments in the Present Legislation." Attention is also called to the fact that the Luzerne County Borough Association will hold its election. Very important business will also be pre­ sented before the borough association officials. Cards will be mailed in the immediate future. SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS INCREASE The new Social 65~and Securdtv an employee between 79 An+ raises from $900 to $1200 a year the amount snd lowers from 75 to 72 the aar,n and continue to collect benefits, °£J*e amount of earnings/^Thp'-no0 Yh?c11 benefits are available regardless aw-r V°rS and retirement benefits 5Lso raakes substantial increases in age monthly wage of $300. ’ ihe ta°le below gives the benefits on an Retired worker Retired Couple Widow & 1 child Widow & 2 Children widow & 3 Children Old Lav $ 85.00 127.50 I27.60 168.90 168.90 - nights department when theannounced bulldozerthat is not the in new operation/ city dump is not* or“W??c- street council expects to pay off the $2,000 bond issue by spring. lira from the state de­ is receipt of a check second half refund of • The county treasurer LUZERNE COUBTY $265,000 representing the s----icixG r of revenue for partment tax. of the part cl — state's gasoline the tax rate which is of increasing thinking seriously FORTY FORT - Council is now 17 mills. was reduced by 2 that the mileage all paid at the same time EXETER - Bills are mills. T H OUGHTS FOR TO DAY Most poor folks can resist temptations poor are usually Broke. tetter than the rich, spending of the way they are index The way ■people spend their money is an their lives. ’ ~ p U B L I ° A TI QN - original63 * immunity serviceInquiries , may be College This News-letter, published monthlysaJollege Notes and H the Political Science Department "tical Sei®1106 Department, Wilkes addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Hailey, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. 3* col— Increase $13.50 20.30 20.20 28.20 31.10 New Law $ 98.50 147-8° 147.80 197-1° 200.00 because the �on We ' VOL- lV> NO. 3 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA MARCH 15, 1955 TWO-WAY RADIO This slap-happy approach is intriguing, or falsity. Let's look at the record. Let us move to exaffiine its Representatives of seven West Side communities Km. . Courtdale, Pringle, Swoyersville, Edwardsville, and Lu g °n’ Forty Fort, to apply to the federal government for funds for a two-waV^Vi^6 makin® Plans This is an example of the joint endeavors in which vail ? m°blle radio system, join. This News-letter has always advocated cooperationC°mmUnitieS ought to make for efficiency and to stretch the tax dollar. It is 1 m°i?8 communities to schemes are the only solutions to the problems of shrint Car f C00Perative assessments. And now if the area eommun!”e“ Jan f" ,"8 "d low" radio system and also ban together for fire nroteeti ,1 purchase a two-way it ought to be a simple matte8 to solve t r' *8°’ tie. basis by means of an authority set up Jointly by the communities”' theTauJy. Take a family of 5 'which lives in a: an outlying community. time do they spend, in the great big Just how much __o city?? Each p------- ' p-nanA -----Person spend. Five times that number is 8k) hours per week at has the168 c* ‘ hour<T-TOnlr ~-L Ji - s a week to family. ttHow much does3 the city get provided theo-isposal -------’ of- that• time ■; 1 — of the ~ man works there? We can allow him 9 hours for 5 days a week. This figure a week. you include vacations, but let's be generous. T This figure is 1too high if assume that the lady of the house goes to town The twiceresult if U5 hours. Let's A hours on each trip. There is another 2 L~— t'.rioo a month to shop p and. spends hours a ? week, making U9 in 3 kids probably don't spend a total of 1 hour all. The .• a week there. they do, so we have 50 hours out of 8k). That's 6$ of the total r— thL_„. But let's assume devoted to the city, leaving 9k> spent at home. 1 time which is The ridiculousness i. of the term "bedroom trated betfr -ter. community" could not be illus- - Another joint endeavor into which communities might enter could very well be a solution to the refuse problem. Before long Kingston's landfill and that of several other communities will be over-extended. It would be wise for communi­ ties to ban together and on a cooperative basis with several second class townships set up several landfill sites that could be used 5 or 15 years from now. Of course, if the Luzerne County Commissioners should create a planning commission, a county survey of refuse collection and disposal problems could very well be made. It is for this reason and many other reasons that a county planning commission ought to be set up by the county. Planning as one of the modern techniques of community development will be discussed in a later issue of the News-letter. ALLOCATION OF STATE FUNDS ? 816.62 thatd can Luzerne County municipalities have a tota 1 ° f $81did not spen anybe of spent the under the highway grants. Many of the appropriates $18,000,000 eac state funds available in 1954. Under Act 34 W eS> municipalities may year to local levels of government for hig way p P matched in 1955 may apcarry over unspent amounts. Although the amountsjo^.^ f Pear to be small when accumulated over a Y For instanCe, Exeter municipality to undertake a rather extensive1 proje amount to $1,457.23 carried over from other Year®' gxeter is $2,289-92. hatched in 1955. The total amount aval a s available to the There is attached do this Ne».-le«er • communities in 1955, the unspent amo^ It wouid be well for Luze '■Ite total matching funds available or before they lapse. ""■hicipalitie. to consider using these funds . mX 1 �PrqPOSEDLEGISLATIONFOR legislation P boroughs Association of Boroughs adopted1 a number of resolutions at th Zed in the present legislature. Local offi^954 The State convention which itL h„pc3 hopes will be pass— • ” : a bill to raise the amount of th ■ t examine the following bills: of boroughs might e----- _ 15 to 20 mills; opposition to House bill #222 which 'i pro. real, secondi class should ough levy on i* estate^fr0™ "le township of- the 1 approve vides that t..— the — eferCo°rtownships t0 boroughs and cities; a proposed bill to 1 Permit in all annexations between local retirement systems and federal Social Security; a bill favor, tegration control by boroughs themselves of traffic signals in boroughs off state high. ing the ways. The The Association Association opposes opposes any legislation for a change in the fiscal year. The Association favors the repeal of the law exempting machinery from assessment from local government tax purposes beginning in 1956. A bill is favored legalizing silent policemen. The Association opposes House bill #173 providing for mandatory police retirement systems. The Association opposed legislation allowing burgesses the power to appoint and dismiss borough police. The Association supports the renewal of the act providing for $2,600,000 to municipalities for sewage treatment. be comPerning 1 body should be called a metropolitan commission It nro h this -- 'g°vi ^nnolitancommission could not levy taxes or revenue ’ provides that )“Sde'ing of its services or facilities and that it would not be aUowed to'e’^rX V governmental funct.ons except those specially designated to it by the pa "ci paling municipalities. The governing body of each participating m„„icip.lity would elect one representative to the commission, designate by ordinance which of its governmental functions that metropolitan commission would take over, approve the annual proposed budget of the metropolitan district, and assume a proportionate share of the expenses. s ?• HEALTH FUNCTION To date, the following boroughs have voluntarily surrendered their health du­ ties to the state Department of Health because they felt that a more economical and efficient job could be done in this field by the state health authorities than by local officials: Conyngham, Laurel Run, White Haven, Dallas, Avoca, Yatesville, West Wyoming, Hughestown, Nuangola, Exeter. If any community is contempla­ ting such action this department has a model resolution that councils can use. Cop­ ies are available upon request. PENNSYLVANIA METROPOLITAN BILL The increase in size and number of fringe communities and the growing de­ mands of citizens for adequate and economical municipal services have been singled out as the underlying causes of metropolitan confusion in Pennsylvania. The attempts of the multiplicity of governments in metropolitan areas to provide municipal ser­ vices result in governmental confusion because of limited municipal authority and other legal restrictions and in citizen confusion in their efforts to control the patch­ work of governmental units created to serve them. INSURANCE COSTS REDUCED BY COMPETITIVE BIDDING An experiment in Park Forest, Illinois (population 8138) last year in A plan embodied in Senate Bill 271 introduced in the 1949 session by Senator a wavout'nft®venson< Chairman of the Senate Local Government Committee, was the Senate bv aVT" o"" ®ov<!rni”ents and citizens alike. After passage in the LTtwo davl n °,a V°"' “ House Representatives during characteristic of th. H IOSt " Hon indicated 1„ the Hous“8 t2« ‘'giBlative corporation tl8 ernmental CitieS the that ins ~ can be The municipality combined "package" reduction : resulted, Savings fro™ other types of policies included ,n a»uffle a«ivity that is always although there was no islative sessions of 1951 and mco etropolitan Bill was not revived during the e8 arouse interest in the hill u ■ argelV because there was no organized effort to -.............. ^cethe many people in local government that the bill win be enacted numerous thanPeverTeforV^ 6^1716111 metrOP°litan & more complex and Such a bill would strengthen home rule because it would make it possible to ,rovide modern, efficient local government at the local level. Making local govern­ P: ment more efficient is the only sure means of curbing state expansion in areas of local concern. Local officials are urged to become thoroughly acquainted with the Pennsylvania Metropolitan Bill. Interested local officials ought to request copies of such a bill from their local legislators . 0 ’ r°ugbs, and townships as mun P 1 functions which the participating g e metropolitan district to perform- circum. deteidrained — ’ since coverage was broadened in some case I rehensive and liabilstances imade necessary the continuance of automo 1 tjme Because of the -sur^Z Sarnes a short period of time . ~ " "repeat the system this year *Uccess of the initial venture, Park Forest expects to i . further refinements in procedure and bid forms. publication Voluntary creation of carry on jointly govern™ units would voluntarily eive ' th nltv service, originatesbein community se This News-letter, published monthly as a Notes and inquiries may be ' Political Science Department of Wilkes College- Department, Wilkes College, *u?' sed to Dr- Hus° Mailey’ Polit es-Barre, Pennsylvania. �(faufy Tlecm-fatten WHAT'S NEW? EDWARDSVILLE - The budget for 1955 amounts to $71,275, retainin g a tax le. 17 mills, the same as last year. !Vy of VOL- lV’ NANTICOKE City officials has besen instituted, rePort that th.e municipality's ash collection program The ash collection program will augment the garbage collection —a system that was initiated a decade ago. WEST PITTSTON - The new 18.5 tax levy, an incr borough budget list, ease of a mill expenses of $86,132 calling for an °ver last year. FORTY FORT Borough taxes mills . The raise in the tax levy i^to 1 1/4 miUs this year» from 17 tO 18 1/2 the cost of repairs to a sewer line ° pr °vide approximately $8,000 toward provide WILKES-BARRE ar Forty Fort Cemetery. “ The < ‘ ■ C1ty's nickel-fed narf hours more in 1954 -I than in 1954 lng deters were in operation 5, 053 PLYMOUTH - The t.„tatlvcbud et 8 a ,o,al re'""“ °f w^.’«-80- budget mills increase re Provided byt5 " ““"C11 for 1,55 eliminated the I.8 8 1* “ vear 're? amusement tax '.'al is ast year and restor -sal.0CM ■'•stores th. whole rate of 17 mill.- Th' cut. WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. APRIL 15, 1955 PROPERTY DAMAGE A COSTLY HIGHWAY ITEM V COURTDALE - The town solons instructed the Chief of Police to check illegal dump­ ing at the borough's dump. People from other communities who have been using the dump facilities of Courtdale were reminded that they will be sub­ ject to arrest and fined $100 if they continue to use the Courtdale dump. continue to use the NEWPORT TOWNSHIP - ] It might i ’ ’ -be possible for mileage in the t_... the commissioners to reduce the township by , 1/2 .2 rmill because almost 100% of the collections on 1954 taxes will be —a total estimated. Curtailment of a few thousand dollars expenses resulted in ----------- in a cash balance. NO. IV c* ASHLEY - Ashley Borough's tax valuation has been reduced i . $65,000, meaning a tax loss of $1,170 annually for the municipality. \ . The budget provide 18 mill tax levy and $5 per capita tax. s for a HANOVER TOWNSHIP - Other communities in the 1 valley lacking adequate g- ’__6, disposal facilities are welcome to use Hanover Township's garbage Township's dumping tract. Fees will be charged for the dumping in order to defray the taining watch on the grounds. The Commissioners raised the expenses of main.j municipal tax rate this year from 10 1/2 mills to 11 mills. APR ? ' ARKSVILLE - The 1955 tentative budget of Larksville borough ‘ 19 1/2 mills. The major headache of Larksville officials x stains a levY of is debt cause of a $200,000 bond issue floated some years ago. tesrViCe bThis debt takes more than 3 mills of the taxation. ServiCe -Property Damage" a phrase that doesn't mean much to th user is one of the most costly items in the Pennsylvania Hiehwav n highwa^ gram of rebuilding and modernizing the State's 41 000-ml & / Department's pro­ damage, which is the money paid to owners for the use J system- Property new road or to relocate an old, cost the State $12 922 41A 1 Which tO build a At the rate of expenditure for the first 7 mnnthe c r, aS lscaI Tear 1953 -1954. claims oi $9,266,718 have already been ,954-'’55 “ ^ieh neighborhood of $15,000,000. ’ expenditures will total in the Under the Constitution, the State is not retired to buy landnew rightof-way. It is empowered to secure perpetua easeme^^ claim, he is likewise property owner is fully advised of his rig so exac t date the Governor's 1 authorized the job. Then r advised that he must speak up within six years ro signature was put on the bulky bundle of documents w *c Hi hway Department, begins negotiations between the property owner an hnlldozer starts moving dirt. In certain cases the owner files a claim even be ore repressed far enough to Others, and they are in the majority, wait until wor Highway Department, 1 make a reasonable claim. When he does finally approac its vajues, and rebe finds the right-of-way expert knows more about his prop Placement —i costs, then he actually does himself. In the records of the Department, there is a st cet values. Right-of,niar rd jprice for everything, and the F Department's settlements must be on the asl® settle damage according way experts -.3 are not infallible and where negotiation whose technical stan fo the 1book. th. Seeretaryof Highways appoints an_appraby the courts- He makes lng in th. le community is recognized by real es a e Highway Departmen carefui p . -o-----■ . ... and at this juncture then accepts or down to ------rnina tion of the "damage <=ases with the property owner. A fair offer is ma perty ownersapEjects. If the latter, he can go to court, but m r-ent y^ oat of hi-wn Parently realize that no matter what he gets i a negotiated rather Pocket. Incidentally, 94% of all claims settle °Urt decided b; - oasis. with claimants receiving $53 3n/ In th. tde last four years 17,720 claims were settled ------t, More than 11,000 of these were for amounts less than $1,000, with <e7’210-04. of the highway system in urban atl half of these under $250. In the expansion c- — „ ,J several involving reLeas> h.°Wever, damage claims become rather expensive and smallest settlement on Cation of " entire plants have cost upwards of a million. e . �•™atPlv $2- The largest claim for $6,250,000 record was ... for app for about $100,000. Pending for „ttlraent e a tery company 8 ,'132 claims. In addition the Department ts ready to close 1, Of l^fy L 1955 are f Th- greatest number of pending claims is in District 8 (H -- for $3,439,309,^bUrg) “ This district also has the greatest number of construct^, which has 1,44911 Pr°^t5 (203) under way. neighborly COOPERATION In a move aimed at correlating the health activities of Wiiu D ounding communities, the city's Board of Health has invited np8’^”6 surr 3 and townships to use its local facilities. The citv tna cb neighboring boroughs 'unicipalities will also initiate a program to include training onJrsoneighb°5ing rnu,ussion of common health problems . Bowden Northrup, Wilkes Barr i di8‘ cannounced at the last local government officials meeting that mn • r councilman, be sent to neighboring municipalities on the city's move °rmatlon wiU HARTFORD TESTS REFUSE BAG City officials at Hartford, Connecticut, are testing a new method Of c°Hect. ing garbage that may reduce by as much as one-third the number of collect, :ors, as well as end the clatter of garbage cans. FRIEL REPORT A quick summary of estimated costs for construction of sewage treatment plants shows; The technique makes use of a new type high-strength paper liner for gark cans. The bag, which will not decompose even when thoroughly soaked, eliminates the need for the collector to haul the garbage can to the truck. For Edwardsville under Scheme 1A the annual cost per dwelling unit is $19 68 If Edwardsville operated an independent project the annual cost p.d.u. would be $21.08. The total annual revenue required if Kingston and Edwardsville set up an independent project would be $159,750. Under Scheme 1A the revenue required would be $124, 535. Use of the paper liner, which has been tested for four weeks by the city has permitted the reduction of test garbage collection crews from twenty-nine to twenty men. Engineers running a time study on garbage collectors have found that 12 bags can can be handled in 13 seconds as compared to an average of 13 seconds for each garbage can without a liner. For Plymouth the annual cost per dwelling unit would be $19.68 under Scheme 1A, with the total revenue required, $60,910. If Plymouth constructed an independent plant the cost per dwelling unit would be $30.46; the total revenue required, $94,273. The bags are said to reduce spillage, a problem with conventional garbage collections. An 8 -inch collar permits the bags to be tightly closed. can bp the old °f ,the Isn't it clear that some kind of joint project must be established in order to reduce costs per dwelling unit and also to realize a saving in annual revenue required to operate an independent project? questions is whether the bags, which now cost six cents each, ln Pflce sufficiently to bring the cost of the new method in line with The city has not yet made ; a decision to adopt the plan, but if it does, city refuse collectors who lose their inh personnel shor.ag.. X' bs would be absorbed into other city departments ^2Iertiseme_nts MORE ABOUT HOUSING CODES I ON PARKING METERS? delphia Comm^le^^ * °n its parking meters ? According j to to the the Pb Businessmen's Aq °Urt the answer is NO'. In the case of Chestnut Hill an ilid ’ a Philadelphia ord' Ass°ciation Permitting th °f PhiladelPhia> the Court declare J n>e'1 ters located along r’’:“ —. X ne lnstaUation of advertisements on pa^X City to a nr- °Urt held the ordinance to be "a divers vate corpOrati^nia n°r the Ch m ? rlphia " “- • £urth" -«■XJX° that ""XV highways where Perrnittlng h to ■ may grant a franchise t° Who have not CQr ® 0WnershrlP of the fee a Private USe o£ the sidewalks of theP er* tion fherej ,^nSented SUch uSe of_fee th in the he isidewalks is in the abutting 0 ni the ;3 and have received no comP "le sid^„ sidewalks What types of standards are set by a housing code that through their enforcernent will aid in the improvement and conservation of residential areas? They are tandards requiring the installation and continued maintenance of satisfactory water, a^ng> lighting, and plumbing facilities; the limiting of room and dwelling occupancy a ?revent °ver-crowding; the maintenance of dwellings in structurally safe condition, 1 the uP-keep of dwellings and premises in a clean and sanitary manner. Interested °cal officials can find more complete information about housing codes in the following 40 ,llcations: 1) Local Development and Enforcement of Housing Codes, available for ? a copy from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, WashIngt< 25; 2) A Proposed Housing Ordinance, published by ihe American Public Health As . W Broadway, New York 19,~at 50« a copy; and 3) Th. Housing Code m thr Pittsburgh. Municipalities wishing to secure an object... measurement o( ia'^SSF^dilfcns may request th. assistance of the Pittsburgh Housing°Asso gran" “^ 306, ZOO Ross Street, Street, Pittsburgh 19.■ The Association ha. been officially - 'Jn’7 Suite 200 Ross Pittsburgh 19 ^«leathe t„hUS h‘ to make use °f nationally Mooring the Qu.lityof right g. the . .. n Public Health Association's Appraisal Method for Me_ ^aing. �DINNER The third annual dinner of the Luzerne -. m nment will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 1955 at the Wilkes I College Dining Hall, Offic ciais prominent guests have been invited. The speaker for r the occasion will b A H, -ist of Berwyn Mattison, Pennsylvania’s new Secretary of Health, The dinner e Dr honor those local officials who have faithfully served their period of years. Remember, too, that this is a coed affair. municipalitie Wiv Wives are s over a invited. WOTHERSPOON VS. SCHERMAN WillalSo VOL. jy NO. 4 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. APRIL 15, 1955 REDEVELOPM ENT Ouster of a borough councilman for at meetings, where notice of the proceedings was given or an c non-attendance y -o proceedings m are cm to defend afforded no u-u to be •illegal. held ” ■ Ouster proceedings areopportunity penal penaland andthe the statutewas must be strictly is construed. This was the decision of’ the Supreme Court of of Pennsylvania in spite J ■ ' jreme Court of the fact that the solon attended only 2 regular meetings and no special meetings regular meetings and in 1952 and no regular meetings and 3 special meetings in 1953. The decision i_.l meetings in 1953. rested on the fact that the ouster was affected without notice to him and without opportunity being accorded him to explain his absence. -----i notice to him an THOUGHTS FOR the day Most of US know how to say nothing; few of us know when. The one thing more frequently opened by mistake than the mouth is the Pocketbook. PUBLICATION This bh ews-letter, published monthly 'h» Political Sei. ■nee Department of Wilkes ( as a community service, originates in to Dr. ... Wllk"’-Ba„e, p Hugo V . Mailey, PoliticalCollege. Notes and inquiries maybe 1 Science Department, Wilkes College, —insylvania. To date, redevelopment has not had much impact at the h. level. It may, accordingly, come as a surprise to learn th gh or township in all parts of the country are currently actively eneaf?ed in• "Umerous communities development. For a program that dates only froTmid-^^ °f considerable progress. ' ' "e record represents In our own Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, many localities are currently participating in redevelopment activities. Fifteen projects have been carried to the final planning stage in 9 different localities, including Beaver Falls, Clairton, Harrisburg, McKees Rocks and York, as well as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Other Pennsylvania communities will shortly begin detailed work on additional projects. Wilkes-Barre is considering such a program. The purpose of this extensive activity is toacco , the suthat bstandard 1’ h something prior to 1949 was almost impossible---the elimination an gome of our boroughs and blighted areas that mar so many of our ci ie qhantvtowns, spottily developed and townships . Such ■■problem" areas may consist of sha^.yt concentration in premature subdivisions, blighted sections of heavy P°P of outmoded commercial severely substandard structures, inefficient cong °™e sections, areas of heavy and industrial facilities, down-at-the-heel old resi e ^gd utiHties . Such problem tax delinquency, sections with deteriorated or poor y recently, there was I areas c constitute very costly community liabilities. Botb the necessary financial little thi •ie community could do in the face of this threa Federal redevelopment resourc ■ces and the legislative authority were lack gituation> first, by providing Program m and the companion State measures a ter dands in achieving a a workable e method for private and public enJerJ>J1 idfng extensive financial . Worthwhile community objective I assistance to help foot the bill. and, secon , States '2le kick~off for all the numerous local redevelopment programs5 was the United environment and the SubstS H°Using Act of 1949. This act recognized that the poor c r.pre.ent real thread toward housing and economic inefficiency of blighted areas A entire country. Title ----------------------------------------------------------community with localities I of thhealth and welfare of both the individual and the bothi thegovernment state law, the in Utlcjiee 'A' 0*' accordingly authorized the rrnina Federal Act te government such areas. An shment of ^dertaking operations operations designed designed to to eliminate eli provided such areas.for esta -/xvania elim inating bhghte^ sPe^ C]--Z Vania Urban Redevelopment Law of 1945, provided for as a later Oieceial authorities PrO men Assistance ig^ e Stat n. aUthori ties to cope with the problem oft eliminating provided State r. e measure, ----.. , „ j Assistance Law of Ivm P the Housing and Re eve haacial ’-1 assistance for the same purp �’ . to effective improvement of blighted areas mentioned above, was the cost, which, in terrn ’ ’ “dnrivate budgets, was prohibitive. Obviously it costs mOne anJ,P ,7 H area It costs money to purchase the buildings, e'"a ” ^the verge o' of collapse. It costs money to demolish buildings that have hi they are on1 the ve d ,to 0 install the utilities utilises and improvements ,. rnieg usefulness, an and ■ +li,, „„ farther econom.c »•« “ construction. economic useiu ___ BtT„rtinn. The cost of eliminating eliminatir- a- hh - - ,h H^considerable, so considerable, in fact, that theVn^t*'" that the'land* : in other words, is considerable, area, in other buildings and equipped with necessary improvements, nrnt ^‘prohibitive price tag. Private Private agencies simply cannot afford to pay such pti„5 agencies simply break even in their new building operations. operations. And mumcipal.t.es cannot afford the financial loss of placing a cut-rate price on the land---a price that reflects more accurately the real value of the formerly blighted land for a new and desirable use. The Federal and State redevelopment laws help cut through this dilemma by supplying funds to absorb most of the financial loss involved in redevelopment. While Federal grant funds must be matched on the basis of one local dollar for every two Federal dollars, the availability of State subsidy funds , which can be and are counted as "local" dollars, means that Pennsylvania communities can undertake redevelopment operation with very little municipal outlay and substantial municipal benefits. The methods and procedures for redevelopment in this Commonwealth are fixed by the Pennsylvania Urban Redevelopment Law of 1945. This act permits establish­ ment of a redevelopment authority in any of the State's cities and counties. The basic steps in undertaking a redevelopment program are few and simple. First of all, the "problem" areas, the areas that might profit from redevelopment, must be identified and tagged, at least in a preliminary way. Second, the different ’problem" areas must be scheduled for attention on the basis of the relative urgency of the situation in each. y. 'Maxi nr ■ " The It does utboritya d the laW requires that, as far as possible, such ‘ rebuilding be t>nd’ahed by pr^ate enterprise. ond redevelopment is not low-rent housing; the two programs are Se"d independent. Some low-rent housing may and often is required in di t on with clearance of a blighted area. But low-rent housing is just one C°nneCvarious re-uses that may find a place on formerly blighted land. A °f ^elopment area may be re-used for industry, for stores, for parks, for ^Xlots, for rental accommodations, for a civic center---in other words, ■y ^anyof the entire range of public and private uses. ■ : Third, any redevelopment operation must be properly related to existing and proposed development of both the immediate and the intermediate surroundings. Specific redevelopment projects must form a logical and desirable addition to the entire redevelopment area and to the entire community. Each specific project must harmonize with an overall scheme. Fourth, no redevelopment authority or any other agency can just tear down people's homes around them. If a borough or township and a county redevelopment authority cooperatively undertake a redevelopment operation, they have an obligation, legal as well as moral, to help provide housing for families inevitably forced to move to permit a desirable community improvement, in the form of redevelopment, to take place. And finally, redevelopment in a township or borough has to be a cooperative are partners. undertaking in which the county authority and the township or borough 1 ’ 5 must, at various e law specifically provides that the redevelopment proposals 8es> be submitted to and approved by the municipality. No county redevelopment j ority has the power, even if it was so misguided as to have the inclination, to and 6 3 t0Wnship or borough to accept a redevelopment scheme. The law requires, 8°od sense dictates, a cooperative working relationship. property, demolition of struct Schedule must be prepared to guide acquisition of type, form and placement of new con"^^^*"011 t Fifth, the land, when once reasonable price to private overall redevelopment pC. THEIR ASSESSMENT SHOPPING CENTERS AND Series) (1st of a and to contro^ tbe genera ^U^ed’ cleared and improved, is made available Pu ic interests for re-use in accordance with able, the work involved^tiliK11 HVe easy stePS. The tim ' easy steps. be consider' will S1mple scheme for « 111 be extensive but k ‘ solved may community liability and private enterprise t^17 redeveloPment is a fairly y th a■ community p e to cooperate in replacing a «-sset. ld opping center is a central point for buying family ne districts where enters in our American way of life are the downtown -tail chst^ e large d department stores are located. Thirty years ago cities, this has siness was conducted in these districts. Today, m r°Pped i to less than a quarter of the total. which had its The "Shop and Park" center is the outgrowth of hectic days lgs as a result of the depression of the 30 s. sales and smaller chants s°ught ways to reduce costs to cope with tan K �on help; they eliminated credit; they stopped deiiv_ profits- They cut down • v Was started and was an immediate success. The , y « Self-service , wer prices made possible by cuts in overhead, and she en service- oen ^d appreciated the - merchandise. More space was needed to display this -_J u>rror selecting her own -- sales area- and larger stores. stores. Since Since deliv ery wasrChandi«.se, and this required greater had to be provided for customer parking. And so the SUper^rket eliminated, space L jilliss College Library y lV NO. 6 VOL. 1V’ WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA JUNE 15, 1955 came into being ■ Shopping centers maybe classified into three categories accordi population: (1) super or regional; (2) average; (3) junior. A super up”8 t0 center requires a population of at least 100, 000. It should have an are i” least 50 acres. The major unit is a department store, preferably a br& RIVER ■Op' At the third annual dinner of the Luzerne County Local Government Official State Secretary of Health, Dr. Berwyn Mattison, stated that one of the”principal serv­ a popular downtown store. An average center requires a population of Its main unit is a junior department store or several chain variety store ’ center requires a population of at least 10,000 and its main unit is a S ' A junior supermarket. Successful centers are found close to junctions of main highways that are cross-currents of frequent travel and where there is some type of public trans­ portation. Shopping centers should be at least three miles apart, A new center built too close to a competitive center usually ruins the old one and seriously hurts the new one. They should be on land with good drainage so that shoppers will not get stuck in the mud. Adequate parking facilities are absolutely necessary, least three times as much parking space as selling space. There must be at Those shopping centers that are not successful can }place the blame m -poor location, poorly designed and unattractive shops, lack of public transportation, unpopular and inadequate merchandisers, and lack of adequate parking facilities Over-built centers willbecomeWayside Ghosts. Assessing a "Park and Shop" c*~" center is a real challenge. In order to arrive at a fair assessment for a "Park and Shop" should determine - ' of center, the assessor the building construction costs and the kind materials used, , Some materials have a greater permanency than others checked c* ere£ore ££le ^fe of the building will be longer . Construction should be < ’ . -..i "orsat i|Orne cen^ers are merely promotion schemes and are "jerry" built with materials to hold the cost of construction down. THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY No one agreeably occupied was ever wholly unhappy. Some folks' idea of a good time is going places and undoing things . APPLICATION This News-letter, published monthly addP°litiCal Sciei Coll' a. community service, addressedto Dr mce Department of Wilkes as Hugo V. Mailey, Political Scie. ege. Notes and inquiries may ^kes-Barre Pennsylvania. -nee Department, Wilkes Col POLLUTION | ices a community must offer to attract new industries is adequate disposal of sewage and industrial wastes. Dr. Mattison said that fifteen municipalities on the east and west side of the Susquehanna River are the only municipalities which dump raw sewage , and in one case partially treated sewage, into the River along its course. The clean streams program is not just a matter of community pride, but a public health measure and a program of economic rehabilitation. A sewage disposal plant, if properly designed, can serve the community and industry and obviate the necessity for a tremen­ dous expenditure of money by industries for their own individual waste treatment systems. Dr. Mattison declared his intention, "as long as I have anything to do with its administration, " to see that there will be "no relaxation of effort in this vital field of public health. The State Health Department will help wherever possible, but if pro­ gress lags, the Department will not forget its responsibility to protect public health. It is, however, the intent of the Sanitary Water Board that the program be vigorously pursued. " SHOPPING AND TH EIR CENTERS (2nd o f “a S*e ries) assessment A builder purchases a The assessor may come across the £oU°^nf ^atTact at the western endofft* hact of land at the eastern end of the city an The one is success u city. He erects the same type center on ea • The other requires in , __ compete for the shops. They offer premium rented. to secure tenants, and some of the stores ca , ------------- On the basis of his leases, mortgage of $2 million on the builde than one-half million the first. d°Uars. for each. Should the assessor Construction and land costs were the sa Pla.ce similar valuations on these properties ? the project. He should have - —. Insurance for this type of In many and savings bank, are the thes. gropertl ’"V- Their primary C ins Me ration i» �rases leases are assigned to the mortgagee to further secure the * f the’appraisal report which was the basis of permanent financing ^gage the assessor. The following stock clause will probably be a part of th -. rePort. ?' >» reliance has been placed by the appraiser on the capitalization of the st S ■■ of the property than on a cost estimate due to the fact that it is difficult lc°ihe improved value of this land. The community is so new that the value ” O■f *° "‘“'Oat. , -the land is not yet established. " , the neighborhood it will eerve, remembering thlt a successprimarily a merchandising promotion a ? that proportionate in ... size to t basic idea is kept in mind, a center will invariabi eC H ndar 'ly a realty is ful shopping center > a venture. If that tnl when real estate investment and be an unity given a proper valuation by excellent the assessor dded revenue highly success to the commi move people, The assessor should inspect the leases, if possible, and know thei terrms- He should note the terms, including percentage clauses on his records These sh°uld be followed by obtaining certified statements concerning the amount paid each year On these percentages. In some places buildings of this type are assessed on a r- "square-foot basis • in others, on cubical contents. Since the rentals in these centers are based on the area of the building, it appears that it is proper to value these buildings on their area, merchandising is concerned, it is immaterial if a store is twelve feet high As far as feethigh, so why penalize the taxpayer for extra height? However, since or sixteen a supermarket requires an unusually high ceiling, it should be assessed on a cubic basis. It is not an average store. The builder should furnish the assessor with the foot plans so that he can determine the area or cubage, which should then be checked with the actual construction when completed. In establishing the land value, f the assessor should have information on the sales price of the land, or if the land had been the market builder at forthe a number of years, he should know what it would have broughtowned in theby open time of its develop­ ment. The assessor should have the answers to the following questions: Was the land above grade? What did it cost to grade it? If the land was below grade, what did it o°st t° HU? If it was was below below grade, what was the cost to install piling or whatever loca be Isefrt 7eqUire “ 8UCh ca3es? Alao> the cost of paving the parking area should require in such It islAT™ likewise6 imp°rtant to classification -•of the of the land. had been any previous zoning 1 NOT VEHICLES (1st of a Series) | see a traffic mess in your community, it is only natural to ask, "What When you do to move all these vehicles faster?" Many communities have tried to answer can we --and failed. They have widened streets and built new thoroughfares, this question these expensive "improvements" overrun by the additional cars they attract. only to see t.. — warn us against trying to answer the wrong question. Don't start by Traffic experts and more vehicles. Ask, instead, how to move more and asking how to move more more people and goods. Vehicles are only a means to that all-important end. Ask how many people the streets have to carry--people on their way to work, to shop, to play. Ask how many tons of goods the streets must carry--goods being delivered to industries, to stores, to homes. This total volume of people and goods simply has to circulate readily through streets, or the city will decline. No city can afford to build all the highways which the individual car owners would like to have to permit them to go from their homes to their places of business. manv people from entering the To the extent that traffic congestion discourag decrease and business suffers, decrease downtown areas of our cities, the values of these ar entireiy offset the center-city The development of outlying shopping centers °es beconie so congested that they, losses. Many of these outlying developments quickly beco too, lose much of their convenience. Most of these "Park and Shop" centers the assessor has a value of $20 are on the outskirts of the city, Assam irg community, isn't he justified in per front foot on residential land in a given suburban shopping center ? setting a value of $1 per square foot on the land of the real estate values decrease and the tax of inadequate ,oad Because must be re.Uo ’c.led totransportation, othel areas oi the clty-a load that .property £»«>■■ must be reallocated to other areas cesa Prosperous districts must bear and are less able to bear an 30v or more ricts where volume is enjoyed. Many cities have recorde re uc The "Park a; .nd Shop" center Property which cost u on which a $2-million mortgage could be secured ° only $1.1 million place a higher valuati< creates a problem for the assessor. He cann the in. .on on the buildinj crease must be i gs than on their —reproduction cost. Therefor reflected in the land. ln ten years. The assessor is familiar not hesitate to express his c, with trends a and sales iin n his opinion if he is* ”” 8aLea his assessing district. center is being promoted for ; onvinced that a; proposed "Park amLd Sh°P rather than to fill the needs-•ofa the ccaU or to» windf that ■here of the soundness of the development, , —- communitv out and then move elsew —,ed ^e should °n the °ther hand« if he is convinc' centeX encourage the establishment of a c NO MOTOR deaths the honor roll of the ixiy Lhaw —ve won places on traffic fatalityTwelve communities in Luzerne County through 1954 without a single National Traffic Safety Council for going fatal traffic ^eads this area, Having gone through five years without a are: ^^Rst local communities not having — ' ... -----having g°ne a traffic death through last year Forty Port Pn* Nanticoke, Ashley, Edwardsville, Exeter Borough, Exeter Township, ’ reeland, Newport Township, West Hazleton, and West Pittston. L �WHAT'S NEW ? NANTICOKE - Motorists have asked the city fathers for an amber signal at Market Streets. Main and WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. EXETER - The burgess has stated that dumping along the River must end yOL- LARKSVILLE - The assessed valuation has been slashed to $4, 379, g^3 council of $4,500 in anticipated revenue. ’ JULY 15, 1955 IV, NO. 7 dePMving N O TICES figured despite the building in the Narrows’211 EDWARDSVILLE - The —j in the offing for the coming year. Late in September Several important events are . with the regular bi-monthly meeting of the local a one-day clinic, in conjunction the subject of street maintenance. Films, slides, and officials group, will beoffer held all on tL. w those engaged in street street work panel discussions will will offer all those engaged in work an insight on this of local work " ■u-—~ win hp aiven to all boro, county, city, and important aspect of local work. Invitations will be given to ; section. KINGSTON - Council passed an ordinance accepting Woodland Drive located in the Taylor housing development. township workers to attend. LAFLIN - Because the police chief is not covered by liability insurance, the council has temporarily suspended him. ASHLEY - $65,000 valuation cut means a slash in income of $1, 170. is retained for the 1955 budget. Levy of 18 mills HANOVER - The commissioners have opened a stretch of land off Middle Road to other communities as a refuse disposal site. 4 on planning and urban redevelopment will local officials and also all civic groups interested Late in November a one-day conference be held. Invitations will be issued to .’ in learning about the value of planning! for the Valley. will be started in January. This Another class of township and boro officers an opportunity to acquaint 10-session course will afford newly elected officials will be awarded by the Public themselves with their tasks and duties. A certificate Service Institute to those who complete the course. COURTDALE - The city fathers accepted the auditors' report. DALLAS - A budget calling for expenditure of $29,344 has been adopted. THOUGH T S FOR the M OVE people, (2nd of a not^ vehicles Series^ ted in the present as well as finally interes districts be cleaned for It should be evident to all who are g of our busiest individual interests are the future welfare of cities that the str ar<iie ss of whose iaccepted as axiomatic, expeditious mass transportation flow, re^ ^egS this can be , ; and abnormal economic involved or whose toes are stepped decentrai.lization, cities will experience growing insta ' "'•ovide parking spaces for autos losses. 3 wisely • inal official9 to pr conceived or economically Frenzied efforts of many munic p tremendously in the past few years, become necessary in order to devote more are at least understandable, even 1 nO , go t e*ecuted. Because auto use has incr® storage of vehicles. As a result, curb parking m°re and more parking restrictions becoming a vanishing American custom, tarking is expensive, either in cost of ®tfeet space to movement rather t an buSy areas of many cities is ^a^reet p; of tax ratables when buildings are torn DAY When money talks, nobody cares what kind of grammar it uses. So few of us are perfect, but so many of us are impossible. PUBLICATION Political Science Department Vf'V'ik111117 & community service, originates ind Hugo V. Maney, pXu Jq C°Ue^ Notes and inquiries may be addrj PennSyivania. °lltlcal Sdence Department, Wilkes College, Wilkes-B* And yet provision of adequate 0 " Jultipie-fiOOr storage facilities or °'lVn to make parking lots . k loS6 �” -r communities, including Wilkes-Barre and surrounding Valle? Operatively developed such a plan for redevelopment and rehabilitation? 'itiee, c0°l Some.cities bananall parking onexample the mostthat congested streets hours. Chicago is outstanding curb parkin 6 dUrin§ busines in order for business to survive. Many other cities prohibft aIwaYs lie* arteries during morning and evening hours of peak vehicular o^ essary ^ain 7 No, they • dicate that only ^nnortion of the parkingevident in any business Surveys indicat . a..minor proportio: district can be taken care of at the curb. It therefore becomes ultimate solution is to prohibit all curb parking that interferes with traffic accommodate parked vehicles in off-street facilities . However, since and such off-street accommodations are limited by restricted space and high cost, it would b impractical to provide parking space for everyone who might desire to drive his auto every effort should be made to provide a transit service which will attract Therefore, more business people and shoppers, and thus reduce both the volume of vehi 1 and the demand for parking space. have not. MERIT AWARDS ■ Service were presented at the Third Annual Dinner of th. Luzerne t County Localawards Officials to those following; Warden Kimble, 30 Dallas, years; Allan Shepherd, Forty Fort ’; Michael 29 v.a Wais^t k Emanuel, Hanover, years; 30 Robert Williams, Kingston, 25 years Thomas 30 Callahan Laurel Run, 16 years; Casterline, Lau/elR^ 2] “ Laflin, years; Carlo Bontempi, Laflin,Harvey 15 years; Joseph Phillips Laflin 15a^’' QUESTIONS AND Gilbert Watkins, Laurel Run, 16 years; Peter Keblish, Newport, 16 years; Charles’ ANSWERS i What is community about? Planning is a form of insurance. As individuals, we plan for our families and for our old age, and of course everyall business r security, for i must have plans for its future. This same process of providing for the future of a community is called planning. Planning can help serve the older parts of c__ our communities and avoid past mistakes in the new. Planning is living insurance". J —---------------------------- , Uiweii _ , Wilbur, Newport, 18 years; Nicholas Keller, Nuangola, 30 years; Gus Kemerite, Nuangola, 25 years; Thomas Oliver, Plains, 16 years; Anthony Vestych, Plains, iu ______ _ __________ b____ ____________ ' ’’■---------------------NTmta-t,, 18 years; Martin x.xvx.x Munson, Sugar Notch, 16 years; Severino ’Pisaneschi, Sugar Notch, ’ * r — Tir__4. 97 Troq 16 years; Roy Speece, West Pittston, 29 years; Nelson Myers, West Pittston, 27 years; Lucius Eldridge, Wilkes-Barre,, 31 years; Thomas Evans, Wilkes-Barre, 22 years; Frank Goechel, Wilkes-Barre, 18 years; and William Boyd, Wyoming, 28 years. What does planning deal with? TRAFFIC All the factors which contribute to the orderly growth or evolution of community are part of the planning process. These include the use a improvements iof all kinds, both public and private. Some of the more of land and public improvements important are streets and highways, railroads, schools and playgrounds, parks, bridges, and floodwalls. Private development is controlled only in providing that the use and character and needs of their r----- spacing of buildings must be harmonious to the further public improvements.surroundings, and that provision be made for ] What is a Permanent signal installations cost money to buy, install, operate, and maintain. raffic Sentry portable traffic signals sometimes do the job as well. Although *“gged in construction, they can easily be wheeled into place by one man. These 1 can quickly be dispatched to widely separated localities by motorcycle trailer, signals creasing their usefulness to the traffic department. These self-contained thus inc...uvoillg LilCH U3C . ----------------x6xx.xxj can be kept in service for 18 continuous hours or 32 hours battery-operated signals The charger is housed in t e ase nf lntermittent service without recharging. ^bly and it i0 a gimple matter to keep the battery charged and the signal in good 8 3/«hng condition at all times. These lights are equipped with ITE dently. Th/8 lnCh diameter prismatic diffusing lenses. Each lens is illununa e_ Ihe «ver«ll height 1. 9' 2- and mounted on two 8„ wheel, with rubber cushion Ures. comprehensivie plan? A comprehensive ]_ ’ Plan is the guide or r-- SJX” fOr ‘he of the reports and i. serve this dev i 8 tlle Public PubUc faciliti. faciliti ’ anlaciPates the growth of the be revised as a °Pment- It must look ah/ ™e'ltloned above which are needed to icipated future needs cha* ° tO 25 years or more and should Doesanvt.,,____ cnange. any Luzerne community have any such pian? N°, they do not. D°es Luz er*e County hi Lave a c°mprehensive plan fQj. ^°' it; d°es not. SENTRY Ltion? development and re.kabilita’ J This equipment serves the traffic department in many ways, in In ease of fires and public gatherings, at daily peak hours, and on spo on. T H QU G H T S FOR today to a people or I, freedom isn't something that comes hr°Ugh wishing. enforcement is only as good as the citizens remains with a people merely want it to be. �WHAT' S NEW ? SWOYERVILLE - Council intends to make repairs to all of the damaged hi streets, using the street department in part of the work. acktop AUG 11 1955 NANTICOKE - City Council has received 150 new parking meters which WH1 be installed to replace broken meters . FORTY FORT - Council has under consideration its yearly donation to th pension fund. IV, NO. VOL- MOVE NEWPORT - Where possible, the commissioners are giving home owners an giving home opportunity to work out their taxes on roads, playgrounds, and sewer projects is being revamped by Council and PEOPLE, NOT (3rd of a Series) VEHICLES There has been a steady decline in the use of public transit except during the World War II years when the free use of the auto was restricted. Many transit companies have excess equipment, greatly increased operating costs, and a lack of revenue in spite of numerous fare increases. ’Viet enforcement of the State fireworks law “Si; AUGUST 15, 1955 Modern, powerful, streamlined transit vehicles do take a long time in getting passengers to their destinations. These vehicles are governed by the same traffic controls and regulations; are subject to the same delays; and travel over the same streets as the multitudes of autos which cause the congestion. Moreover, these vehicles must make additional stops along their routes to pick up and deposit people near their destinations, and must then wedge back into the moving traffic stream. LUZERNE - The municipality has engaged Albright and Friel to survey for the construction of a sanitary sewer system. NU“o;oThe b“Se“ WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. Police ASHLEY - Third Ward residents dumping garbage along Solomon's Creek in Ashley are responsible for a serious local health problem. PLYMOUTH - The f representatives 8 three mill. of laxe.. Obviously, the crying need of most tran.it a total of $12,850 will be paid “Ze roL^antt EDWARDSVILLE - Coun T ' heavily traveled stXVimProvements to Hillside Avenue, one of the streets in the boro. “mm. coaU^" and parking problems would be materially reduced and tra much better service. y WEST WYOMING - Total coal and property valuations is at $1,030,237 for the boroQUESTIONS WYOMING - Council will contribute $3,000 toward the cost of a $10,000 fire fighting truck. How does FORT The council has officials with arranged a cconference — with Lehigh Valley Coal Coregard to RiVer Street subsidi -idence. plains - The commissioners have p .. to pay off unfunded debts contracted for Petitioned the Court to float a $20,000 bond issue ;unded debt] —* current operating expenses. AND ANSWERS planning and zoning help the average citizen? forty PUBLICATION This News-letter, the Political Science T published . r ' addressed, to Dr . Hugo . 1 ’ — ^onthly as DeV Partme ent of Wilk, originates in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. • Mail ilejy, Political1 c_- ®e’ Notes and inquiries may be enCe Department, Wilkes College' For the taxpayer: 1. It preserves the value of property. as to the future need of public 2- It provides more accurate information of .be costly mistake. of .be pa.t by gu«.„g new 3. development. ,0 obtain the most benefit from 4. It helps to direct public expenditures your tax dollar. :efi CollX^111^1? 8ervice- I 1 ith adequate and well-located or the resident: attractive community wi;. 1. It encourages a more against objectionable public services. environments 2. It protects his living <and working intrusion. �SALVAGING BITUMINOUS PAVEMENTS What is the relation of a Planning or nsiderable amount of heavy industrial traffic together with the increased volume of commercial and passenger type vehicular traffic Averyt c° ni imperative that a network of reasonably adequate highways for safe be provided. At the same time, there should be undertaken a K^leaiate b" fr reconstructing the network of primary roads to provide a which may be expected to care for immediate traffic demands and Zoning Commission to the city or county? 3 are the onlyact official concerned whole. They as < agencies ’ ’ '------- with th tutur•e of a Such commissions^ clearinghouses for all programs involving community as a vfuture needs. If most planning problems deal with a city, why is planning and zoning needed for adaptable to the strains the future demands are sure to create. 1 f’S °£ de6ign Wh“ I be _ 11 - central i, topography, and soils are typical of the northi of sand and sandy The glacial geology provides considerable deposits CUmatio conditio" ’ construction and well as some deposits of bank gravel suitable for base < United States. t, and in most Cost of producing these materials is moderate uXhs^l mtyZeWhen people live close together instead of on farms, many . There is a limited gravels as well as are limited to a five to ten-mile range. Th ~ officials surfacing of reads :11 worked out, so problems must be met. ’ j, and known deposits are getting pretty welareas haul distance methods of road maintenance. supply of graveeconomical \s;_ of more adequate base must practice ccc_WEIGHTS TRUCK construction e thoughts in the 3 has taught that There are some rather positiv Experience scd to accomplish this, The new law on truck weights permits the commonly used tandem axle semi-trailer adequate to carry the not always t courses and the methods used up to 60,000 lbs . and the single axle vehicle up to 22,400 lbs. It requires the mandatory 'acted earth grades are rticularly so when elastic soils This is par J properly drained and comp; — unloading of loads exceeding the limits by more than 3 per cent. The law also raises transferred to it through the base. are encounlitered. Highly p! over a loads that are trc.nsfc sharply the present flat $50 fine for overloading and sets instead a scale ranging from . tables and thawing; cv: ,r soils or high water of freezing hold the pring cycles extensive areas of poor $60 to $600 plus $50 for each additional 500 lbs. over 6,500 above the limit. -to .ervious layer combined with si are all factors and high water tables • s, deep frost providing an imp< : with free draining sand caj.pillarity dth high period of several weeks There is also a requirement that every truck must be equipped with emergency moisture in the thawed upper layers, and so’ of a sub-base the earth grade, and .1 , brakes adequate to hold it stationary on any grade on which it is operated. Another which cause plenty of trouble. The con ® r ( . ’ s over - 3 for water entering of loads change in the law extends to local peace officers, instead of just State Police, the right or sand gravel provides for greater distri u _ •ut-off plane and a ci general base failure that is to 'arrest on view'1 any trucker carrying an excessive load. the sub-base also acts as an insulation co constructed varying from 8" to or of extensive id varying and the cJ'-'^cter the earth by capillary action. On areas character of traffic , sub-bases are All money paid for overloading would be retained in the locality where; the offense due to poor soils in the earth grades , these of the failures is committed just as it is under the present law. How many communities realize 1 in depth, depending on the severity fines as a source of income? Do you check with your J. P. 's on this? a well-grade‘ expected to use the particular road. '3 for bituminous mate ;hed by using chloride, V mat6 is accompli fairly low percent of binder. By using calcium c>'compaction©/binder. By-ing Construction of the base in the base material adequate for complete SHOULDER material adequate STABILIZATION ;• 8ravel aggregate with a £---- ’ aced immediately on the completed base. •diately on grade widening and reditching the lsej£Possible to L retain moisture isti ®enera the construction procedures are: for u r°ad; scarifying the existing bituminous mats and ade Wiisalvaging the old surfacing, e as base aggregate material; placing and compacting all Paved hi ,°n81derable amount of traffic when wide trucks pass each other. (2> ing / and s sub-base material where ’ -enacting salvaged aggregate; placing 3" to 6" of additional the shoulder flS8 ’ e^e“_tbose sufficient width, there is the problem of main, sUl.fa w J compacting; and placing a hot mixed bituminous aggregate a county? s is tut tnt.1 “::^r»7ou" xxxxx I - XXX““°id 1 ““ird"u”™-is age : rut, particularly during springtime, and are ----------affic unstable under are suitable they show distress rs Bitumi a e for or light light traffic traffic roads roads but but under under heavy heavy tra 1 ^te only if a heavy base i^XTd" “ treatment shoulders Bituminous surface shoulderswill willprove prove adeq^ I chloride stabilized aggregate pavement edge. U maintenance given given to to the the surface. surface . A c &C er resi8ts abrasion and maintains the level 0 4 a 0.0 .,Tn‘ required; and co Ce ofspreading dense graded aggregate and heavy liquid asphalt. Processed base gravel �WHAT * S NEW ? COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PLYMOUTH - The town's firemen have requested council to provide for 3-dpni Uequate IV. DUPONT - The State Highway Department has agreed to place curbing and full width pavement on a three-block stretch of the Avoca by-pass . I i NEWPORT - Commissioners and Susquehanna Collieries are working on the elimination of a grade crossing and also the elimination of a large drainage ditch in the township. KINGSTON - The boro is considering a road along the dike from Pierce Street to relieve the traffic in the Market area. V EH IC L E_S NOT p E O P L E ,_ (FinaTof a Series) streets, street widening, traffic control, efforts have been made with a view Review past efforts such as one-way Let us look at the relative etc., and evaluate the benefit of each. These NANTICOKE - The mayor has announced that an old ordinance will be used to require property owners to make needed sidewalk repairs. to moving of vehicles and not people and goods, efficiency of various methods of moving people. PLAINS - By unanimous vote of the commissioners the 5% amusement tax has abolished. t°wnship are beset with the problem of finding a public FOR TODAY The greatest trouble found with the average man is that he imag little above the average. Your temper is one himself a of the few things that will improve the longer you keep xt• I ! th New8_ietter -2^iJ£ATl£N_ service, originates in ea-Barre, PennJ Mail«y, Political Sc^6' Note8 and in<luiries may Sylvania. aI Science Department, Wilkes College. CLINIC MOVE LARKSVILLE - The council is reluctant to abandon another boro thoroughfare to permit stripping. thoughts WORKERS 1 on Wednesday, September 28, 1955, in will be held Films, slides, and panel discussions will ; workers clinic A street College. 1__ a wealth of knowledge on how to perform the Lecuux~ Hall at Wilkes Lecture 1 of this region and afternoon sessions is free. In the bring to the street worker in Luzerne County will hold their first fall to theofficials morning to the i his job better . Admission Such topics as surface treatment, jrnment o evening, the local govewith the CLINIC. discussed. It is the expert opinion of those session in conjunction 1 , etc . , will be day spent at such a CLINIC will be much specifications, drainage one day spent at his routine duties. The t field that one iment street worker will assure better streets for in the street maintenance the worker than the more valuable to th. ---- 1 local govern! attendance of every local communities . WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP - A 5% amusement tax, effective August 1, has been adopted by the commissioners . dumping^ ^°r°^and RILKES S TREET PITTSTON - Police have been experimenting with control of traffic by use of the overhead traffic lights only. NO- 9 PA. SEPTEMBER 15, 1955 hour ssengers per lanein_P^ surface streets Capacity of a single in autos on elevated highways passengers on _face streets passengers in autos on 1,575 in buses passengers in street; cars in subway 2,625 passengers street; cars trains 9,000 passengers in subway local t trains 13,500 passengers in iress subway 20,000 e%P : in passengers of large 40,000 capacity in the 60,000 • inefficient 'ree”‘y’«"'dW a rapid eight-lane 1 Obviously, the private auto is quite -- bus Nine - - > that lumbers of people in restricted areas. full city imn ber 'v°uld be needed to move the same num! -5 trackthe same to one expre8 ® all the autos it unnec ransit line having just one local local and gained in : „sit , would make trans 11. line0 5.an carry all the people normally coni And since norm: of transit lines streets alleviatedThe use or build new would be °ck of street space. itreets )blem widen s 8Pend public funds to ' apace , this Pr° eQuire no street parking X n'°> �easy if ways c_ c°uld be zoning primarily for the protection of residential areas? And thi -is is Congesti0n t as used by the autos. IS I be tra tailored to fit local conditions . xvapid How to do this? IdeaS ™ iqtthe ffic flow many times. Public transittransit can be Rapid t lanes on highways can incr" at moderate cost. Traffic control studies have transit separated from competing tra current trend is to reduce parking, to speed studie been beneficial in many citie . the philadelphia patterntoby parking, up traffic. At least 20 oth®r in the mercantile area. Fringe parking posts -*• pattern b drastically restricting curb-p ^he downtown district have proved helpful in e Parkin, with speedy transit to and cities . parking controls have also been relieving traffic congestion prohibiting loading and unloading of commercial helpful in speeding traffic, su business districts . Arranging mass vehicles during rush hours g concentration helps transportation routes in conges e over c--------- " tremendously. Eliminating the duplication of transit lines cuts down ...i on transit vehicles. Using alternate stops for transit vehicles and p permitting ample loading zones will move people much faster. In some communities, staggered hours in community offices, stores, and industries have reduced peak traffic. And lastly, . and probably the most important, educate the traffic police to traffic give transit vehicles (which move the most people) the right of way accorded to ambulances and fire­ fighting vehicles. After some serious study, could some of the above, perhaps in a modified fashion, be applicable to Wyoming Valley. QUESTIONS AND No- Zoning is one of the tools used to Drn™ , well-balanced development of ail types of uses . It misses its goal if it ® existing residential neighborhoods. Industr ° 1 ? Pr -- °tects __ 3 the status quo of protection against absorption by other area^ are in co ­ need of equal industrial zoning in earlier issues of thi w?! the imP°rtan —ice of not be the step child of zoning. EWS-LETTER. Industry must SALVAGING BITUMINOUS PAVEMENTS of heavy type crusher. After crushing, the old blacktop as aggregrate with a top size of about 1 1/2" drops onto the grade, motorgraders can then move the crushed aggregrate towards the road shoulder and the process is repeated until all the material is crushed. This crushed material can be graded down to fines. Cost of scarifying and crushing will hardly ever average more than 85£ per cubic yard. ANSWERS What is Zoning ? grade as part of the base and add base grave o sand and gravel by tank wagons and the moisture can chloride, ............. ■ * Plenty -C.C. i. result. Immediately after the base is co p that adequati -■ Privacy are assured and so that overcrowding ma-y ’be avoided? The ™ zoning maps show where these use districts are located. Are a person's c— constitutional : ights violated when he is told what he may and may not do with hi. ■ -is property? One of the oldest laws of society restrains ]---- ' ~ that may be harmful or injurious to their neighbors or t- -— people from behaving in a way people. In 1926 the Supreme Court of the United States i.***Y“nnin*eto the of the that a reasonable control of land use is a normal exercise ol welfare z i affirmed the principle What is spot zoning? It applies to the establishment of a use district, is unsuited, to the adjacent neighborhood, usually a small one,t which property owner is at the expense of the f the general development of the communit The benefit of spot zoning to the values of nearby properties and ° may even be illegal. -ty. Spot zoning is impractical an < ® stained by using calcium condition will Th? average cost per mile Salvaging bituminous pavements doe save money. The aver e is $10,000 to $15,000, sometimes running a little higher depending on the density rcessfully handle traffic loads of 2,000 to °f population. Such construction canJu traffic iB heavy trucks. One added 4,000 vehicles --------------- per day where about 1 7 of service just a £— short period of £ eature of such construction is that roa time. THOUGHTS F OR Of all glad works of tongue or pen, the g check. I a man still has his appendix today are these: and tonsils, chances are Enclosed find he is a doctor. �WHAT ' S EXETER - Damage to two NEW ? Exeter streets has been reported to boro officials. VOL. IV, NO. 10 of $37.247.07 has been received from the State WILKES-BARRE - The sum Pension Fund. for the City Police FORTY FORT - Council has WILKES-BARRE, PA. OCTOBER 15, 1955 approved oil and chips for boro streets. STREET LARKSVILLE - Council accepted a bid to pave Nesbitt Street if the State Highway KINGSTON - Boro officials have purchased a new police cruiser and a new pick-up truck. B-B guns. MOUNTAIN TOP - The Park Committee of Fairview Township will raise funds to make improvements to the Park Recreation Center. SWOYERVILLE - Firemen in the boro have requested that the Council keep its promises and purchase fire-fighting supplies. Three films on asphalt were shown at the morning session. Asphalt is a versatile and waterproof road-building material, mixing well with crushed rock, sand or gravel at a minimal cost. The importance of following highway department specifications, especially Bulletin 25 concerning asphalt, was emphasized at this session. KINGSTON - The loss of coal valuation will probably not hurt boro finances measurably since it amounts to less than $1,000,000. WILKES-BARRE - Parsons dump is due to close because of the high cost of maintenance to protect neighboring residents from offensive odors and smoke. According to the advice in the films, certain measures should be followed in seal coating: (1) it should be determined whether the surface really needs a seal coat; (2) the work should be Gone in warm weather; (3) the old surface must be prepared; (4) the surface to be treated should be clean; (5) the mixture should be uniformly spread; (6) the mixture should not be overrolled; and, (7) traffic should be controlled. LARKSVILLE - Local officials expect that the outdoor movie in the Narrows Road area will add to the value of the land. KINGSTON - It is noteworthy that the valuation of the fifth ward - $14,460, 148, more °‘ L“"n" pri"81e' a”d Courtdlle -iB about 1/5 1 Jv8 NeW8’letter- puoiished monthly as a community service, originates in published monthly a may be College- CLINIC Donald D. Dagler, district engineer of the Asphalt Institute, discussed "Street Construction " at the morning session. The afternoon session featured thefollowing speakers; George T. Smith, Wilkes-Barre city street department; James C. Whalen, assistant district engineer, State Highway Department; Frank C. Witkoski, director of research and testing, State Highway Department; John H. Eigenbrod, superintendent of roads in Luzerne County. Robert AFarley, assistant chief engineer in charge of maintenance for the State Highway Department, was the main speaker at the dinner meeting. WYOMING - A boro ordinance has been passed forbidding the use of air rifles or PUBLICATION WORKERS The Street Workers Clinic held at Wilkes College <on September 26, 1955 attracted street workers from many local municipalities,. This was tie first time a clinic was held in the area. Department approves. STvX: WILKES COLLEGE, As regards bituminous road-patching, the following points were made: (1) mark an outline in rectangular form to make a neat patch; (2) sweep; (3) apply bituminous material (oil) by hand pump; (4) broom oil to outline of patch evenly; (5) apply chips and cover entire oil area; (6) brush back loose aggregate and spread with hand broom; (7) roll, compressing until chips are evenly embedded. At the afternoon session Mr. Robert Lurch stated that testing substantiates design for if designs are followed closely it is necessary to have tests. Testing appears to be expensive; since it is dead overhead, but it was shown that one-third of the cost of building roads goes for materials and that 2% of this amount for testing is "a small price for such insurance." �Mr all communities cannot afford to maintain a lab. Realizing that many smai the facilities of a nearby commercial tssting laboratory, it was suggested ae stion: that, on a cooperative basis, IXd. Mr. 11S“ 7cd;t*Xr Ind establish a stnall laboratory— for moratory several communities could g testing purposes. Such a co P equiP^entthe11 buy venture "would be an excellent investment, LAWLER SETS UP EMERGENCY MUNICIPAL UNIT Joseph J. Lawler, Pennsylvania's Secretary of Highways, has established a special unit within the Department to handle applications from municipalities {or financial assistance in repairing roads and bridges damaged by floods in » Northeastern Pennsylvania. Robert A. Farley, assistant chief engineer in charge of maintenance, will head the flood emergency unit. Mr. John Eigenbord pointed out that many small municipalities are ham. ipered because they do not have the money to purchase road equipment. In his estimation, small communities should purchase specific machinery, such as the payloader. The crawler type payloader, with a hydraulic controlled front end, can accomplish a number of jobs at a minimum of cost to the community. A lively discussion followed the speeches of the panel members. It It was was agreed that oil or any other additive should not be applied to a road unless the surface has some moisture. In other words, the surface of the road should be stabilized before the surface is treated. Itwas also suggested that shooting the surface with water, rather than putting on waste motor oil first, might be feasible. Engineers from other districts under Mr. Farley's direction will establish engineering procedures and standards for handling applications from counties, boroughs, cities and townships so that the emergency can be handled expeditiously. MAINTENANCE On the question of drainage, it was brought out that it is most important to get as high a crown as possible with good open ditches on both sides to keep the water beneath the surface. Also, there should be plenty of cross-drains , for a good road depends on good drainage. PRACTICES FOR CONCRETE PAVEMENT Although concrete pavement requires little maintenance, the little required should not be neglected. Prompt repair keeps cost at a minimum. To neglect maintenance is to invite progressive damage and expensive repairs at a later date. The same result may be expected from maintenance operations improperlyperformed. Even the experts could i to mix salt with cinders ess expensive. However, it was considered feasible does it require special Maintenance of of concrete concrete pavement is not difficult, nor properly supervised can qualifications or high high skill. skill. Untrained workmen who are carry out routine maintenance of concrete pavements. This A""duty di"eof the the main t.Farl'dy- the P""C‘Ple in good condition, The work nftK aartment iS t0 keeP the roads of Pennsylvania and ends when the road fs abandn H Partment be§inS the daT a -ad is completed TEe budget Of the department is $80,000,000 for two years, $9,000,000J of ?h $7,500,000 was spent 'for snow am°unt going for snow removal. In 1954 oval and the same amount is expected to be spent in 1955. Mr. T ' , stated. that the Farley lbs. of sodium chloride and. calcium chloride enance Department expects to use 13,000,000 'J; '‘ pointed out. that cinders are shorter in the e and 600,000 tons of cinders. It was of the state. emnK=> antbracite area than in any other part Furthermore,, it was f substitute fo .r cinders. As “ thit *s ”° acceptable regards the that while islag is a good abrasive, it is wh'f0 local officials were told undesirable fo. -jr use in snow removal. 6 &nd cannot be seen, making it , , should leave the Phase of maintenance must not be overlooked and all op „ surface irregularities Pavement clean, attractive in appearance an which adversely affect riding comfort and sa e y. the following classes of .placing broken areas or utility­ Ordinary maintenance of concrete ^rations: (1) sealing of joints to correct for settlement; (4) repairing resulting from accidents or Cuts: (3) adjusting the pavement 8sPills improper design Pills caused caused by by improper c „ or constru Utlusual conditions of use. t of broken areas or The replacement Let us limit our discussion to P^^’hould be made with concrete so that in appearance O^lity cuts, commonly calle 'P riding quality, an si the patch will be equal in streng the remainder of the paveme comparatively few . , is in good condition except tor needed it When patching is Concrete pavement —sPots should be rep;------ �t the earliest opportunity. If delayed, the broken are* is apt should be i Tarred by action of traffic. Temporary measures, SUch as to become! Treas with bituminous mixture, do little toward restoring the covering the broken pavement strength. V0L. IV, NO. 11 WILKES COLLEGE, WILKES-BARRE, PA. NOVEMBER 15, 1955 -broken area" refers to portions of the pavement which are broken into ■ too small to distribute the load to the subgrade without imposing unit nressures greater than the safe carrying capacity of the subgrade. Under this condition the broken portions of the slab become displaced and their surface is no a longer in the plane of the rest of the pavement. FIRST The shape and dimensions of a patch and its position in the pavement with respect to joints and edges have a direct relation to its ability to stand up under traffic. The laying out of the patch involves consideration of the existing pavement condition and the shape and dimensions which will best stand up under traffic. The selection and marking of the areas to be patched should be done by a qualified engineer. According to the position of the patch in the pavement and for convenience in certain design details which are pertinent to satisfactory performance in service, patches are classified into five types: (1) full-width patch, involving all lanes of the pavement, and usually constructed one lane at a time; (2) single-lane patch, involving the width of a single traffic lane; (3) exterior-edge patch, which is a patch less than a full lane in width, an edge of which lies along the outside edge of the pavement; (4) interior-edge patch, a patch less than one full lane in width, one edge of which lies along an interior edge or joint of the pavement; (5) interior patches, with all edges at least 2 ft. distant from any longitudinal or transverse edge or joint. Patches are usually rectangular in shape but triangular- or diamond-shaped t-K 6S have deen used with success to repair broken slab corners which are not and e eXtXri?r edge °f the Pavement- The sides of the triangle or diamond make more tin An a 10ngitudinal edge the slab which must be not less than 30 deg. nor longitudinal e/8’ at transverse expansion joints when the angles with t e ge must be not less than 30 deg. nor more than 45 deg. THOUGHTS FOR Some people are easily entertained. listen to them. The road to TODAY All you have to do is sit down and CeSS 18 fllled with women pushing their husbands along- -Lug LICATIQN This News-' -letter, addrP0UtiCal Sciei :m»r,t ^Hthly as a community service, oi*s community service, !nce Hepartr- .. 0 Wilkes College. Notes and inquiries Wllk--Barre, Pen, CoHeg —lnsylvania. :y’ Political Science Department, WilkeS ±?SSed Dr.. Hus° v. Maile. 1 CLASS TOWNSHIPS The Luzerne County Association of First Class Townships held its first annual conference on October 29- The conference was opened by Frank Danilowicz of Wilkes-Barre Township, chairman of the group. The officers elected were: John Matsko of Plains Township, president; Peter Keblish, Newport Township, first vice-president; Stephen Yanoshek, Hanover Township, second vice-president; Andrew Garber, Hanover Township, secretary; James McCarthy, Hanover Township, treasurer; Charles Wilkes, of Newport Township, John C. Wordoski, Hanover Township, and Joseph S. Matiskiel, WilkesBarre Township, members of the executive board; Joseph F. Gallagher, Newport Township, solicitor. NOTE The following people attended the twentieth annual meeting of the Municipal and Local Finance Officers of Pennsylvania at Penn State University on October 7 and 8; Frank Connors, Commissioner, Hanover Township; Hugo V. Mailey, Wilkes College; John C. Wordoski, Commissioner, Hanover Township; Stephen Yanoshek, Commissioner, Hanover Township; Thomas J. Reese, Secretary, Kingston Borough. L. O C A L GOVERNMENT COURSE Another local government course for councilmen and commissioners will be offered by the Wilkes College Political Science Department beginning in January. Information on the course will be mailed in the near future to all old and newly elected councilmen. Make arrangements now to attend this ten session course for local officials. As in the past, a certificate will be awarded by the Public Service Institute of the Department of Public Instruction to those who satisfactorily comp e e the course. J ANER IC H Albert Janerich, Plains Township Commissioner, was elected third viceJohn C. Wordoski, of this state association. Hanover Township Commission, is the retiri g p �In a second group might be placed th BOROUGHS Ralph Brown, Kingston Councilman and President of the Luzerne Count ■y Boroughs Association, has announced that the Luzerne County organization ■ wiU hold a very important business meeting on Thursday, November 17, at 7:30 P-m- in the Hoyt Library. All communities that are members of the association are urgedto have representatives at this meeting. URBAN in file cases for years . A third group of records cannot be destroyed be importance. Every community has them. The ori °f their historical which now stands the town hall, early ordinances IndT ground on of documents having historical value and should be"" ref!T71SSJ°nS examPles m oe retained and properly stored. REDEVELOPMENT The Political Science Department at Wilkes College will hold a conference on urban redevelopment on Wednesday, November 30, in conjunction with the bi -monthly meeting of Luzerne County local officials. The panelists for the afternoon session will be: John J. Grove, Assistant Director of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development; David M. Walker, Regional Administrator, Housing and Home Finance Agency, Philadelphia; Daniel Rogers, Chief, Housing and Redevelopment Division, Harrisburg. The speaker for the evening will be F. A. Pitkin, Director, Bureau of Community Development, Department of Commerce, Harrisburg. But finally, there is that vast collection of records, not falling into the above groups, that are valueless and should be destroyed to save space for the administering of other functions. These are records that had some value at one time, but have become useless because (1) the function for which they were created has become obsolete; (2) they have served their purpose and cannot be used again; (3) they have been replaced by more modern records; (4) a statute of limitations, or other legal standards have made them worthless. The legal groundwork to allow freedom on the part of local government officials for destroying useless records was laid in 1949 when Act 250 of the General Assembly was adopted. That legislation authorized the destruction of "• . . . records which are deemed valueless .... subject to the approval of the court of common pleas of the proper county." (Section 6.) All communities are asked to send representatives to the afternoon and evening sessions, Not only should councilmen, solicitors, and burgesses be interested but also members of planning commissions and zoning boards. RECORDS MANAGEMENT MAY HELP YOUR MUNICIPALITY SOLVE ITS NEEDS FOR MORE OFFICE SPACE records^t^ast861”6111 "the name giVen tO the Process of managing and controlling industry has recoXT^ lnSJituH°n « this country. For some tfmf, private management of its records'" C°”Servlng space by the proper control and that industry, on the averase artlcle in a current magazine, it was stated th. remaining XX!,'mC"W ,ht°» s.are 30% of Readers Digest, September 19541 ("D°n,t File »-Throw It Away, " the reason large industrial concern. enCeS of sPace savings of this kind is management programs in their i a lnterested in instituting records doing the same tLg. With" / ’ S—1 of °*r larger cities have been filing cabinets containing useless ? nsion of governmental functions, a room full of restored to office space for over S be PUt t0 much better use if over-cramped personnel. This is not written to imply that all of our public records are sp „overnmen wastersMany of our records are vital to the normal and efficient functioning ,ce eve ry In one group maybe classified those records that are necessary for rOy|9l operation of government. Assessment lists, tax charts, budgets, pay ^nts are applications for permits, police forms, purchase vouchers, and blue p cOrds 1X1 examples of records needed to run the typical governmental unit. Sue expenSe iiist be complete and adequate and must be properly managed to save endless filing and storage. in I act even though they may gntec®Ssary f° ! Just as important as a space saver is the process of microfilming those records having retention value. Microfilming, if conducted along practical lines, can result in the saving of considerable space by filming bulky records, filing the film for future reference, and the destruction of original records. The cost of Microfilming can easity be offset by the value of the space being made avaHable f°r other uses . Microfilming also serves to protect original records if they i° be preserved. to add however, that uncontrolled Records management people always hasten is no justification for Microfilming is unwise. Just because it saves, space sound practice for those records Microfilming all records . Microfilming is only a be maintained. Microfilming must Used infrequently, but for which a reference must be use is made. is not appropriate for records of which constant the problem by re might be an approach to The following general procedu officials. d First, visit an agency that has dealt with the m^htVe °ne there. A competent person in the field o recor might be the proper C<Msuited to learn the elementary principles involved and what g Pplication to your local situation. — r records in Second, survey your categories. historical , or current < :lassify them in either an effort to c. us eful, 4 �Third, when proper authorization has been obtained, destroy those records classified as useless. Fourth, develop an adequate microfilming program for those records adapted to it, a program that is a continuing one and follows a definite schedule. I DEC 2 2 1955 Wilkes Co VOL- IV, NO. 12 WILKES COLLEGE, 2 1955 WILKES-BARRE, PA. DECEMBER 15, 1955 Fifth, make a definite schedule for those current records to be destroyed when they have served their legal and practical purpose, so that the management program can be kept up-to-date. REDEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE Finally, attention m:ight also be devoted to the filing system for the historical and current records in order that they might be stored under a modern and efficient system. It is true that the task of operating local government becomes more complex. In many of our units the job must continue to be carried out by laymen devoting only their spare time to the job. They have little time left over for anything other than the essential workings of government and the practicality of devoting time to records is remote. To many other municipalities, however, the government function is in the hands of full-time appointive officials and they are the ones to whom this effort might devolve. If they accept the responsibility and do a thorough job, much good in the form of improved government management will result. A redevelopment conference was held at Wilkes College on November 3 0 to acquaint Wyoming Valley civic leaders with federal and state assistance available to help communities redevelop areas that have become community liabilities. Mr. Edmund Poggi, Vice-President of the Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce, served as chairman for the afternoon session of the conference. The speakers for the afternoon session were Mr. Hale Walker, Regional Administrator, Housing and Home Finance Agency, Philadelphia; Mr. John J. Grove, Assistant Director, Allegheny Conference on Community Development; and Mr. Daniel Rogers, Chief, Housing and Redevelopment Division, Harrisburg. HALE MONEY ISN'T EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW A high school principal, addres sing his graduating class, was extolling the virtues of our democratic system. He pointed out to the students the wonderful freedom of choice we have in this country, particularly in choosing our life's work. "We can be anything we want to be, " he said. "In free America, a street sweeper can become a professor--providing he's willing to make the financial sacrifice," he added. THOUG H T S The fear of ill is always FOR TODAY worse than the ill we fear. Some of the most disappointed people in the world are those who get what is coming to them. PUBLICATION This News-letter, published monthly as a the Political Science Department of Wilkes College, community service, originates in >nce addressed to Dr. Hugo V. Mailey, Political Science Notes and inquiries may be Hug° V. Mail, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsvlvan;-> Department, Wilkes CollegePennsylvania. I WALKER Mr. Hale Walker, speaking on "Federal Government and Redevelopment", stated that federal aid is given for planning redevelopment projects through the Urban Renewal Administration, a department of the Housing and Home Finance Agency. Stressing the need for regional planning in Wyoming Valley, Mr. Walker went on to show the various steps that must be taken by a region contemplating a renewal program. A local authority must be established. There, a survey and planning application would be prepared. This could be done by the city planning commissions and/or the city engineers or the city could even call in special consultants. This application is reviewed by the Philadelphia office and then passed on to Washington for approval. These are the preliminary steps for a grant-in-aid by the federal government to assist areas in planning redevelopment. The requirements for planning are: (1) a land use plan, showing the location ; of the land in the community; (2) a thoroughfare plan, showing the routes in the community facilities plan indicating the schools, parks, community; (3) a c such aspects of the community, possibly combined with playgrounds, and other public improvement program; (5) zoning ordinances and the land use plan; (4) a subdivision regulations. Before a region is given aid by the federal government, the area must have Before program. a region is Agiven aid byprogram, the a workable workable according to Mr. Walker, should consist of the following: (1) sound local health codes; (2) a general master plan workable program �■> redevelopment. A maximum of 30% was 1to ’be used J for redevelopment and 70% going for housing. The communities concerned could choose ----- --------- —to use the funds for housing or redevelopment. community development; (3) a basic analysis of neighborhoods, showing lor , o . /al an effective administrative organization to run the blighted a.rea.s , cll •, x1/ --that is, a way to enforce building and housing codes; (5) financial capacity to carry’out the program; (6) a program for rehousing displaced persons- (7) full-fledged community-wide participation in program. JOHN J. 1 GROVE Mr. Rogers stated that the state is trying to see the various situations at the local point of view. Certain areas throughout the state are proving grounds for renewal projects. Workshops and conferences are being held where ideas about renewal projects are exchanged. Mr. John J. Grove, speaking about "The Role of Urban Redevelopment in Pittsburgh's Community Program", demonstrated what could be done in building up old communities. Pittsburgh faced a crisis after the war. Because Pittsburgh was a dirty, sooty city and because housing was bad, it was becoming difficult for industrial firms to attract top managerial talent. Industries were not attracted to Pittsburgh. Industrial, business, and political leaders of Pittsburgh united into the "Allegheny Conference on Community Development. " The city first embarked on a smoke control program. However, it was in the field of urban redevelopment that Pittsburgh made outstanding progress. The Allegheny Conference felt that redevelopment should begin at the heart of the city which was in a deteriorating condition. After the central core was rebuilt and revitalized, redevelopment could be carried out to outlying areas. In 1946 an Urban Redevelopment Authority was established, composed of three Republicans, two Democrats, and outstanding community leaders, with the Mayor serving as chairman of the Authority. The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Nevz York surveyed the city and through its study found that commercial development was a possibility. But, before Equitable would invest in the construction of new office buildings in the core of the city, it wanted assurance that the office space would be occupied. The Allegheny Conference and the Authority secured 20-year leases from nine firms to occupy the space. Then, the Equitable Life Insurance Company agreed to be the "redeveloper" and invested some $43,000,000 in the redevelopment of Pittsburgh. Renewal consists of the following elements: (1) a degenerating area in which complete clearance is needed; (2) a fringe area; (3) an area which needs improvement, where the buildings are too good to be torn down. ACTS OF THE 1955 GENERAL ASSEMBLY BOROUGH CODE - Act 31 (HB 443) permits the typing, printing, photostating, and microfilming of borough records required to be recorded. Act 98 (HB 683) further prescribes the power to improve and maintain neglected burial grounds. BURGESSES AND JUSTICES OF THE PEACE - Act 105 (HB 1303) requires burgesses and justices of the peace to issue receipts for money paid to them. j A According to Mr. Grove, the role of the Authority was two-fold; land aquisition and responsibility for relocating the people who had previously lived in the area. Some 8,000 people were relocated in the Pittsburgh area . FIRST-CLASS TOWNSHIP CODE - Act 27 (SB 64) changes the date when lighting assessments become delinquent. Act 76 (HB 303) authorizes the reassessment of new buildings or improvements after the tax duplicate has been prepared and the imposition of taxes for the remaining part of the year. Act 78 (HB 869) increases and clarifies the commissioners' powers to deal with the collection and disposal of garbage, rubbish, and ashes. HOME RULE TAXES - Act 60 (SB 69) makes the transferor subject to the payment of any local deed transfer tax on real property located within the municipality regardless of where the transaction was executed; prohibits the levy of the ■ tax on transfers by will or interstate laws. Pbe central core of Pittsburgh which was once deteriorating is now an a ractive usiness district. Redevelopment in Pittsburgh also paid dividends 2'nCrieaS1"g the tax assessment value to $131,000,000. Mr. Grove emphasized contiTue^HelT^ revitalized the "flight to the suburbs" will "unity of nurnos ” Vrt, Plttsbur£h's phenomenal success in redevelopment to leXs " P SOHd CO°P-ation of industrial, business, and political REFRIGERATOR ABANDONMENT - Act 4 (SB 108) amends the State Penal Code by prohibiting the abandonment of refrigerators and iceboxes from which doors T have not been removed. REFUSE DISPOSAL - Act 100 (HB 871) permits municipal authorities to construct and operate refuse disposal facilities. DANIEL ROGERS M.r. Daniel Rogers, C’ ’ Harrisburg, spoke about the Division in s role in redevelopment. In 1949 a Housing and Renewal Assistlnce Law wase passed providing $15,000,000 for housing and L 1U TRUCK WEIGHTS - Act 70 (HB 1288) permits heavier weights, increases registration fees, and increases penalties for violations. r �REDEVELOPMENT - Act 33 (SB 135) eliminates the initial URBXN re^irernent of a redevelopment contract as part of a proposal; provides for aPprovai of local governing body before a contract can be executed- and pi, •**' - - • ___ a___ t_______ J i lrninates approval by the Department of Internal Affairs of redevelopment bond issues. VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES - Act 51 (SB 150) requires a referendum to replace a volunteer fire company with a paid one. NEW? WHAT ’ S NANTICOKE - Municipal receipts during the first nine months of 1955 totaled $183,969 or $8, 233 short of the amount realized during the first nine months of 1954. EXETER - The Burgess and the Council seem to feel that an additional policeman is necessary. PLYMOUTH - People are slow to meet their tax obligations meaning that the local officials must borrow in anticipation of taxes . HANOVER - According to the commissioners, the sidewalk program is showing amazing progress. LARKSVILLE - Boro councilmen are not yet decided on a selection to replace the Chief of Police, Joseph Mock, who was elected Sheriff of Luzerne County- WILKES-BARRE - The City fathers have passed a budget of $2,017,039-80, adopting a total levy of 18.50 mills, a drop of . 4 of a mill from last year's tax rate. THOU G H T S F OR TODAY No matter whether you are on the road or in an argument, when you see red, stop! can dime iSn,t entirely worthless, cap on a cigarette lighter. It can still be used to unscrew the filling BLICATION I This News-letter v. cal’ Science Depart 6 rnont^1^y as a community service, originates in the Politic-o Dr. Hugo V. Mail^ Wilk;es College. Notes and inquiries may be addressed- to e^’ ^°^tical Science Department, Wilkes College, Wilkes - Bar r e, Pennsylvanta I ��• . ■ :I' • ■ ■ - ■ ■ . ... � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletters and Institute for Regional Affair Newsletters, 1952-1975 Subject The topic of the resource Political Science; Luzerne County; Institute for Regional Affairs; Wyoming Valley Description An account of the resource A collection of newsletters created by the Political Science Department at Wilkes College from 1952-1975 for Luzerne County and later the Institute for Regional Affairs. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department (Hugo Mailey) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1952-1975 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletters Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Luzerne County Newsletter, 1952-1955 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Political Science Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1952-1955 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletter https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/cabfa5621a7f9639e3c9add15419482a.pdf f2065e7ee97d4244c52d3fab6fb21a4a PDF Text Text The Beacon - November 16, 2022 THE BEACON Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Wilkes University - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Addy Malatesta to retire Wilkes University’s Director of Athletics, Addy Malatesta, is set to retire in June 2023 after 34 years of commitment to the Colonels. “Addy has been a dedicated fixture for Wilkes athletics over the past four decades,” said Jonathan Drach, head football coach. “Her care and support for student athletes and staff has set the tone and culture for a high functioning athletic department. Before spending the last 23-years as the athletic director, Malatesta started her tenure at Wilkes as the head coach for the field hockey team for 14-years. She led the Colonels to an overall record of 140-113-9 and guided the team to the NCAA Division III championships in the 1995 season. In 1999, Malatesta led the Colonels to win their first-ever Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) crown. Continued on page 3... Photo courtesy of GoWilkesU Addy Malatesta delivering a speech after she was awarded the Middle Atlantic Conference Lou Sorrentino Award in 2019. Pennsylvania state election results yield win for Dems, page 6 Reveille with Ryan Evans: Assessing our humanity, page 9 Volume 75, Issue 8 1 “The news of today reported by the journalists of tomorrow.” Thanksgiving traditions: the norm, the unique and the fun WIH: New coaching staff proving to make a difference By Anthony Cazun By Julia Mazur & Baylee Guedes Staff Writer & Sports Editor As the year comes to a close a favorite holiday for many is quickly approaching. Thanksgiving is a time of year that represents family, relationships and gratitude. People from all over the country unite to celebrate with their loved ones while dining on a large delectable feast. Thanksgiving has many connotations that to many, are crucial staples of the holiday. However, these sentiments are not inherently universal. Thanksgiving is seen largely as an American holiday and, just like America itself, it is full of various traditions. Family is the root of Thanksgiving, its primary energy source. Expressing gratitude and enjoying the, sometimes scarce, company of loved ones. Last weekend was a weekend of many firsts for the Colonels: Wilkes recorded its first ever weekend sweep in women’s ice hockey team history, as well as the first set of back-to-back wins and a 4-0 win recording the first time the team had won a game by more than three goals. All of these accomplishments fall under a brand new coaching staff. “I think that the staff has instilled a mindset of professionalism for the program,” said new head coach Dave LaBaff. “We aim to operate the hockey side of our program based on a division one lifestyle while still embracing the values of division three in every other aspect. We work to make sure the players believe in themselves and that that will allow them to grow in all aspects.” Staff Writer TRADITIONS, page 10 WIH, page 21 Triple H needs to control WWE before he loses control, page 16 Men’s basketball season preview and coach Metz 100th win, page 20 �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 News News 2 Have a breaking story or a press release to send? Contact the news editor Maddy Kinard: Madelynn.Kinard@wilkes.edu Student Government notes: Nov. 2 weekly meeting By Claudia Cuchran Staff Writer Student Government held its ninth meeting of the semester, covering two fund requests and two upcoming events. First, the Wilkes Veterans Council presented to the council for a second time with a fund request to cover expenses to attend the 15th annual Student Veterans of America National Conference in Orlando. This conference will allow student veterans to connect with potential employers from over 500 companies. This year, the Wilkes Veterans Council plans to send four students to the conference—three veterans and a non-veteran who is highly involved with the council. The members are applying to grants and have fundraising efforts in motion to help fund this trip. The fund request from Student Government will help cover conference registration, hotel, meal and travel expenses. There was a motion to allocate part of the amount requested to fund areas of the trip, and the motion was passed. Next, the SUB Lounge Capital Projects Committee presented to the council for the first time with plans and a fund request to redesign the area. The new design was crafted with comfort, functionality and students’ intentions in mind. The committee chose to work with RT London for this project, a furniture company that specializes in college campuses and has worked with Wilkes numerous times. The new design for the SUB lounge includes booths, high top tables and chairs, new couches and more. The project will start as soon as proper funding is allocated. The committee will present again to the council at next week’s meeting. The 2022 Casino Week will take place from Nov. 11 to Nov. 14. This year’s theme is “James Bond - Casino Royale.” Throughout the week, there Table of Contents News..................2 Life, A&E............7 Beacon Briefs: Upcoming campus events Compiled by Beacon News Staff Spring parking applications available Commuter and resident parking applications for the spring 2023 semester are now available to fill out. The deadline for all applications is Nov. 30. Applications will not be accepted or reviewed after the deadline closes. If you would like to aply for a Ralston parking permit, please specify in your application. Any other questions must be taken with parking at 570-408-7275, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Manuscript accepting submissions Manuscript Society, the university's creative writing magazine, is accepting submissions until March 31. Please email submissions to magazine@wilkes.edu. Submissions should be no more than five pages double-spaced text, five poems, or five images per submitter. Please include the title of each piece clearly at the top of the page or as the file name. Please submit files as .doc or .docx format, .jpeg or .png for images and graphics Do not include your name or any identifying information within the document. Diploma Orders If you are a candidate for graduation in May 2023 with any type of degree including a bachelor's degree or master's degree, then it is time to order your diploma. will be games, food, mocktails, prizes and more. Student Government will meet again Nov. 16 for its 10th meeting of the year. Diplomas must be ordered whether or not you are attending the graduation ceremony in the spring. The order form for your diploma can be accessed with the following link: https://etcentral.wilkes.edu/#/form/4 Before you order your diploma, you must register for courses for the spring 2023 semester. Ralston lot limited in access From Nov. 22-23, the entrance to Ralston field parking lot will be closed for the installation of new lighting. All vehicles are to be removed from the lot before Tuesday morning. For more information, contact Ron Karaffa at ron.karaffa@wilkes.edu. Opinion............14 Sports................19 Upcoming Events: 2022 Fall Semester November 23 - Thanksgiving break begins 28 - Classes resume December 12 - Classes end and finals begin 19 - Final exams end �������������������������������� ���������� ������ ������� ������������� ��� �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Malatesta Cotinued from front cover... Malatesta also served as the head softball coach from 1990-1994 and guided the Colonels to an overall fiveyear record of 60-52-1 while appearing in both the MAC and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) playoffs. “It is hard for me to choose my best moment in my 34-years at Wilkes,” said Malatesta. “I share great memories with the women that I coached at Wilkes. It was less about the championship titles and more about the relationships and unwavering support we had for each other that created our unforgettable experiences.” Malatesta is proud to have played a role in the sport sponsorship expansion and capital projects that will benefit student athletes for years to come. In the past 10 years alone, Malatesta News has overseen a multitude of projects. One of these projects included the renovation of the Ralston Athletic Complex, which added a field turf playing surface along with Musco Sport Lighting system, a new bleacher system and a press box. This renovation also repaired six all-weather tennis courts located at the complex as well as an expansion of the Munson Field House by adding new locker rooms and an athletic training facility. In 2018, Malatesta was the leading role when Wilkes partnered with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, located at the Toyota SportsPlex at Coal Street Park. This partnership was able to land the ice hockey team a home rink. Renovations took place as she oversaw the construction of men’s and women’s locker rooms that were solely dedicated for the university’s ice hockey teams. “Addy has been one of the pillars of Wilkes athletics for as long as anyone can remember,” said graduate student Phil Erickson. “Her name has been synonymous with the success that the Wilkes Colonels have had throughout her prestigious career. On a personal note, our hockey program would have never come to fruition without her hard work and pursuit of excellence.” The Bruggeworth Field was one of Malatesta’s most recent projects. The renovations included a turf field that is used for men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s lacrosse and field hockey. Enhancements were made for two new press boxes, two spectator areas and a scoreboard. Malatesta stated that she will miss the day-to-day interactions with the members of the athletic staff and REMINDER! The Beacon is looking for News writers! You can write about... • • • • • campus happenings National news Current events Politics And more! 3 athletic trainers. “They became my new team when I retired from coaching,” said Malatesta. Malatesta plans to spend her retirement traveling, attending athletic events at her own leisure and being with her family. Mark Allen, interim vice president for student affairs, will lead the search for the University’s next director of athletics. The university has engaged executive search firm Spelman Johnson to assist with the process and a committee of faculty, staff and students will be assembled soon. The goal is to have a new athletic director by Fall 2023. “I look forward to her continued leadership in the coming months as she concludes her career,” said Dr. Greg Cant, Wilkes University president. Build your resume with a diverse set of skills! 0 000 ~ NEWS ---□ CONTACT: News Editor: Madelynn.Kinard@wilkes.edu �4 The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Jill Ferretti joins Wilkes as assistant clinical professor By Emma Broda Staff Writer The Wilkes fall 2022 semester was met with many new faculty members, including Jill Ferretti as an assistant clinical professor for undergraduate nursing at the Passan School of Nursing. Ferretti was born and grew up in Wilkes-Barre. She always had an affinity for helping others and knew the medical field was for her. “I was always very compassionate as a child, always wanting to help others. I volunteered for the hospital that I currently work in when I was a teenager and knew that I would be in healthcare, in some capacity, some day,” said Ferretti. Ferretti completed her undergraduate in nursing locally, earning her associate of science at Luzerne County Community College and then her bachelor of science at Misericordia University. She went on to earn a master of science in nursing/ in this field family nurse as “one of the practitioner most intimate f r o m relationships Chamberlain you can form University. She in healthcare.” has worked at Childbirth Quality Patient is a very C e n t e r e d “vulnerable Services as a time” and she registered nurse recounts this and at Geisinger experience W y o m i n g as being an Valley Medical “honor” and she Center as a regional felt “grateful to childbirth have been able to be a part of educator. for so many One of Photo courtesy Jill Feretti parents.” Ferretti’s past She is now careers has also been in obstetrics as a registered nurse working at Wilkes-Barre General in at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. She their Orthopedic unit, as well as for had decided on this specialty originally Medical Research Network focusing on because she fell in love with it during in-home clinical trials. She also decided nursing school. She described working to work at Wilkes as a professor as she viewed teaching as being “at the core of nursing” and was “thrilled” at the opportunity. Ferretti has been married nearly 18 years and has two children, one of whom attends Wilkes with the young scholars program. She and her family love the outdoors. “Living in such a beautiful state gives us the perfect backdrop to enjoy many seasonal outdoor activities,” said Ferretti. One thing she found was important to share with students is that they should “never forget the caring component of nursing.” She also shares that it is crucial to understand that it is not just about studying and the books. “These individuals are moms and dads, sons and daughters, family members that are loved by many people. If they treat them with the care, compassion and respect that all people deserve, they will be better nurses as a result,” said Ferretti. Dr. Diane Daddario joins Wilkes as faculty of practice By Amanda Montgomery News Staff Writer Dr. Diane Daddario joined Wilkes this fall semester as a faculty of practice for the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program. Daddario is from New Berlin, Pa. She started her academic career at the Danville Area School District School of Practical Nursing with a practical nursing diploma in December of 1978. She then received her registered nurse diploma at Geisinger Medical Center School of Nursing in August of 1982. She graduated from Pennsylvania State University in Dec. 1996 with a bachelor of science in nursing. She received her master of science in nursing, as a clinical nurse specialist in adult health in Dec. 2006 at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. In addition, she also became a post-master’s adult nurse practitioner in May 2014 at Bloomsburg University. Finally, she earned her doctor of nursing practice in Aug. 2017 and her post-master’s certificate in Jan. 2022 where she previously also served as a at Wilkes. Daddario chose to return committee co-chair. In her spare to Wilkes as time, Daddario a psychiatric enjoys reading, m e n t a l walking, doing health nurse various activities practitioner with her family ( P M H N P ) and especially because of her traveling with “good experience her friends. as a student.” In the future, Daddario says Daddario plans that the best to keep traveling part of her job in the United is “hearing back States, as well from students as other places and their and countries successes, and around the helping students Photo courtesy Dr. Daddario world. s u c c e e d , One piece especially when they didn’t think they would be able to of advice Daddario has for students, especially nursing students, is to complete an MSN.” Outside of teaching, Daddario is an “please put the necessary time and active member of the International work into studying to be the best nurse Council of Nurses Nurse Practicioner practitioner possible.” /Advanced Practice Nurse Network, ARE YOU A PROFESSOR OR FACULTY MEMBER AT WILKES? LET US FEATURE YOU AND YOUR WORK! REACH OUT TO OUR NEWS EDITOR: Madelynn.Kinard@wilkes.edu �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 News 5 What the National Alliance on Mental Health means for students Improving mental health on campus Opinion Editor A newly formed club, National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), is an organization determined to end the stigma surrounding mental health while granting access to the help those may need in mental health crisis situations. “NAMI is important to me personally because it symbolizes this new generation of people who are not afraid to talk about mental health the way they do physical health,” said Ashley Gangaware, junior nursing major and current leader of the club. “I think this club is important because it will grant students the access and help they need during the difficult and stressful years of college.” High school and college students are among the most affected in regard to mental health. The club serves as an outlet for students to talk about mental health and how to cope with the struggles of life. --·nHmlon Campu atlonal Allliance on Mental !Il lness Wilkes University other members of the club for the work they have done. “The stars lined up well per the local NAMI folks reaching out in support of a collaboration which we hope will elevate a community presence not just on campus but into the broader WilkesBarre plus area,” said Hastings. Photo courtesy of Wilkes University Junior psychology major Drew Haritos thinks the club is an amazing thing to have on campus. “I think it will be a great opportunity for people to become more knowledgeable about how to help themselves and peers in times of stress,” said Haritos. “Knowing that they have friends and peers around them that can offer them guidance on what to do if they are struggling may help more people seek assistance in bad times.” The club is open to all majors. The adviser for the club is Dr. Todd You are NOT ALONE ttttt 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness 12 MONTH PREVALENCE OF COMMON MENTAL ILLNESSES (ALL U.S. ADULTS) Hastings, a new nursing assistant professor who Gangaware says was “the inspiration for the club.” Hastings has worked in the psychiatric nursing field and has had first hand experience in regards to college clubs. He brought the idea up to nursing students at the beginning of the semester, who then took the idea and ran with it. "We want to make NAMI on campus a school-wide force to fight against the stigma of mental health,” said Gangaware. Hastings thanks Gangaware and a few National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) Club leader: Ashley.Gangaware@wilkes.edu Club adviser: Todd.Hastings@wilkes.edu Millions of people are affected by mental illness each year. Across the country, many people just like you work, perform, create, compete, laugh, love and inspire every day. 1 in 20 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness 17% of youth (6-17 years) experience a mental health disorder 12 MONTH PREVALENCE OF ANY MENTAL ILLNESS (ALL U.S. ADULTS) Graphic courtesy of NAMI By Wren Haze �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 News 6 Pennsylvania state election results yield win for Dems By Zach Paraway News Staff Writer The Midterm Elections were held on Nov. 8. Democrats won both the Senate seat and governorship in Pennsylvania. The Senate race, was won by John Fetterman who defeated the Republican candidate, Mehmet Oz, known to many as Dr. Oz. In the governor race, Josh Shapiro defeated Republican candidate Douglas Mastrinano. Fetterman is from York, Pa., and served as the mayor of Braddock from 2006 to 2019. Before this, he received a bachelor and two masters degrees in business administration and public policy. Fetterman became the Lt. Gov. in 2019, where he became infamous for how he acted during his time. During the 2020 election, he had dealt with many of the claims of voter fraud in Pa., due to conservative rumors. A portion of his notoriety came from the constant denial from him that there was no voter fraud present in the state of Pa., to which he only found three cases. After gaining an increased profile, Fetterman ran as the Democratic candidate for the senate seat. His platform was that of legizing abortion, legalizing marijuana, major crimnal justice reform and others. Many of his ideas are considered progressive compared to other candidates. Fetterman replaces the retiring Pat Toomey, who held the seat from 2011, and will serve with Bob Casey Jr., giving Pennsylvania two Democratic senators, contributing to the Democratic majority in the Senate. Shapiro, native to Montgomery County, began his political career in Washington D.C.. After graduating from Georgetown with a doctorate in jurisprudence, he served as an assistant to many different politicians over the course of a few years, including the Chief of Staff for Pa. Congressman Joe Hoeffel. He ran for the Pa. House of Representative seat in the 153rd district in 2004. He would win and hold the seat from 2005-2012. He then sat as a part of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners from 2012 to 2017. Then, as Attorney General from 2017-2023, he oversaw various cases surrounding medical care, including fighting large corporations and institutions in court cases. He ran as the democratic candidate in the governor race with his platform being very similar to that of Fetterman. Shapiro replaces Tom Wolf, who held the seat since 2015. For the House vote in Luzerne County, Matt Cartright won over Jim Bognet for the 8th district seat. Graphic by Maggie Murphy National Society of Leadership and Success sponsored drive By Maddy Kinard News Editor Starting Nov. 15 and running until Dec. 6, The National Society of Leadership and Success is sponsoring a food and feminine product drive. All proceeds from the drive will support the Victim Resource Center in WilkesBarre. Donations can be brought to the NSLS table in the SUB every Tuesday and Thurs. day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The VRC helps those who are affected by crime, leaving victims with little to nothing. They offer support to the individuals and families and anyone else who was involved in the incident. As Julie Chropowicki, graduate assistant of student development, describes it, the VRC offers many forms of support: advising victims through court proceedings and offering mental health counseling free of charge “These drives are important because it helps to band together the community in order to support those that need it most, especially around the holiday times,” said Chropowicki. “Some victims literally have to start from scratch and do not even have the basic necessities that many of us are fortunate to have, including food.” Chropowicki went on to explain the special importance of the feminine products because they could be a financial strain to those that menstruate after already going through so much. Not being able to properly take care of your body during menstruation could also have associated health risks. “These drives are important to the community because I believe it shows that we can all be connected through kindness and leadership. Having the ability and the chance to collect donations from students that would benefit the victims at the center is a great cause to have, as well as a great thing to do in society,” said Josh Garced, president of the NSLS. The NSLS has been a society on campus since 2006. Garced finds that students have rarely heard of the society, and to combat this, the NSLS is trying to put their name out to the community to let students know that the society plans on contributing as much as possible to the community, in this case, a fundraiser. “We try to do events like this when we can. It does get hard being full-time students, but that doesn’t stop us from being committed to the NSLS and its mission,” said Katarina Johnson, senior psychology major and NSLS member. To learn more about the VRC and to donate outside of the allocated dates for the drive, visit the Victims Resource Center website, vrcnepa.org/donate. If unable to bring donations to the table, please contact Chropowicki, julienne. chropowicki@wilkes.edu or call 570-4085503 to arrange a time for your donations to be dropped off. We are looking for designers and photographers! The Beacon is always looking to add new members to our staff! Contact our Editor-in-Chief: Emily.Cherkauskas@wilkes.edu �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment 7 Life, Arts & Entertainment Have any events or artists to be shared? Contact Life, Arts & Entertainment Editor: Jordan.Daniel@wilkes.edu Art in Context By Laury Angeles-Martinez Staff Writer Recently, the Sordoni Art Gallery showed a film called, “In the Absence of Lights.” The HBO documentary talks about and explores art by African Americans and the path that each of them forged for contemporary Black artists. The viewing was a part of the lecture series for the newest exhibition in the Sordoni Art Gallery, David C. Driskell’s “Creativity, Collaboration and Friends,” new exhibition in the Sordoni Art Gallery. The documentary starts with Driskell discussing the 1976 exhibition that he created called “Two Centuries of Black American Art.” The exhibit was the first museum exhibition of black art. “The reason we were showing it is ABOVE:Viewing room where the film was played. RIGHT: Exhibition wall with the overall preview of the gallery. Photos: Laury Angeles-Martinez to connect David Driskell, who was a creator, an educator and organizer of many things, to his art works. And what we are featuring in the gallery is the work of David Driskell in association with all of the artist and people that became part of his circle who were much part of that first museum exhibition of black art,” said Heather Sincavae, associate professor of art and the director and program coordinator of Sordoni Art Gallery. The exhibit should be excite a number of art enthusiasts. “It is very interesting and gives a really great perspective of the origin in general, not only of that time, even until today there are a lot of contemporary artists that are featured and it is really good,” said Melissa Carestia, assistant director of the Sordoni Art Gallery. �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment 8 f Cocktail of the Week:The fun, fall-inspired forbidden sour By Haley Katona Staff Writer As the end of semester nears its way to us, keep this drink in mind for finals week celebrations. The forbidden sour, a sour and tart sister drink of the whiskey sour. Perfect to ease into dark liquor and to celebrate the winter season as winter break approaches. Grab a blanket and sit by a fire. Directions: First, pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake thoroughly. Then, strain the drink into a rocks glass with new ice. Garnish with an orange wheel and cherry. Happy drinking! Ingredients: 1 ounce bourbon 1 ounce Pama pomegranate liqueur 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice .5 ounce simple syrup Orange twist (optional) Cherry (optional) ac The Beacon reminds everyone to drink responsibility… and that the legal drinking age is 21. The Beacon/Haley Katona Here is the forbidden sour, a mixture of bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup. o n B um Emily Cherkauskas, Editor-in-Chief: Sonne - Rammstein Maddy Kinard, News Editor: doomsday - Lizzy McAlpine Zach Paraway, News Staff Writer: Rise and Shine - J. Cole s p B e Each week, the Wilkes Beacon staff picks their favorite song of the week. Check out this week’s bumps to the right! Jordan Daniel, LA&E Editor: Rich Flex - Drake, 21 Savage Morgan Rich, LA&E Asst. Editor: Karma - Taylor Swift Wren Haze, Opinion Editor: I I 1AM FREESTYLE - Joji Sydney Allabaugh, Opinion Staff Writer: DIRT - Y2K, JPEGMAFIA Baylee Guedes, Sports Editor: Late Night Talking - Harry Styles David Marks, Lead Layout Designer: Dumb - Nirvana �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 I,, By Morgan Rich Life, Arts & Entertainment Asst. Editor This week officially marks the twomonth mark of my Disney College Program, and I can happily say that this week has been one of the best of my entire program. The week started out pretty dull with heading to work normally on Nov. 7. This week I decided to stay at my home location instead of venturing out and trading for somewhere else. However, on Monday it definitely paid off. When we work for Walt Disney World the cast members are not allowed to accept tips, but we are allowed to accept gifts from guests. At the start of my shift I got put on the register for our sweets store and a guest came up to me and handed me Pokémon 9 Life, Arts & Entertainment eJ I cards. I do not even collect them but it was the first gift I ever received from a guest so it felt extremely special to me. On Tuesday, I was off and just decided to have a day to rest and rejuvenate. My friend Carla and I decided to go out to eat and head to Cast Connections. Cast Connections is a store that has heavily discounted Disney merchandise that is exclusive to cast members and their friends/family. We then came back to my apartment and decided to watch “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” since we had not hung out in a long time. Once she left to go to work I decided to clean up my room and finish a lot of my schoolwork. Nov. 9 was the day things got extremely interesting. Tropical Storm Nicole decided to make her impact that day as a category one hurricane. This was the first November hurricane for Florida in 37 years. At the beginning of the day I saw Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” which was absolutely surreal. She came to Flamingo Crossings Village to talk about her new book, “Part of My World,” and she even sang for us. At the end of her visit she surprised us by giving us all signed books. The hurricane caused all of the parks to close early and caused almost all cast members to stay home from work. However, my location called me into work. I can now officially say I worked during a hurricane. They allowed us to go home at 10 p.m. since Disney said it was not safe for us to stay past then. However, I can happily say that my coworkers and I made the best of a bad situation and created tons of core memories while working in the middle of a hurricane. Thursday was another day off for me, but because of the hurricane, I canceled all of my plans. When the rain stopped I decided to go to the store and get some Christmas decorations for my room which in turn caused me to decorate my entire room for Christmas. I would say that this is something that is definitely going to get me through the holiday season without my family. Even though there were plenty of times this week when I could have let my hopes down, I can definitely say that this week taught me how to make the most out of bad situations. These past two months have gone by super fast and I cannot wait to see what the last two months hold. always been proud of my heritage and really wanted to talk to this guy. Doboni was incredibly kind and open with me. He also raised my attention to the point of this article. We discussed how the situation over there in the “mother country” is still ongoing but has largely fallen through the cracks of the collective western conscience. So goes the fast-paced society we live in where something is the center of attention briefly and quickly gets tossed aside for the next big thing. I am tempted to make this a pro-Ukraine tangent; however, it is much greater than just one place. The point is this: Just because one may be an American, a Pennsylvanian, a Luzerne County resident, a Wilkes Colonel, whatever the case may be, does not make us any more or any less human than anyone else. Sure, have some pride in the groups you identify with, but to take it to an extreme and dehumanize someone because they come from a different walk of life as you, vote differently than you, love differently than you and don’t adhere to the teachings of your chosen deity does not make them any less of a person. I suppose it is easy to forget that. When I was a little kid and watched those planes hit those towers in New York, I remember the entire country seemingly developed a sense of Islamophobia. Guess what? It was just a small group of radicals and not the entirety of a peaceful people. This archaic idea of, “This is my land, this is a Christian nation, this is how we do things,” or whatever is exactly that— archaic, tired and done. I have a friend who recently found out she was pregnant. After some complications, a doctor told her there was a chance her baby would be born with some severe medical complications. This would severely reduce the chances of the unborn child having any sort of quality of life as well as the medical costs the family would incur throughout its life. Her father was a staunch pro-life conservative, yet he was the one who brought up abortion as an option. Why? Because it is so easy to have a belief about something until it directly impacts your personal life. Likewise with Doboni. We shook hands, he thanked me for my service but our conversation also served as a reminder of this: I am not pro-war even though I am a veteran, and I know many pro-war folks. Now imagine seeing your homeland bomb-scarred, buildings reduced to rubble, friends and neighbors dead and those who survived are but husks of their former selves seeking to carve out a new life somewhere. There is a reason they say war is hell. Standing for something is good but when you believe in it so vehemently that it impacts your humanity, perhaps it is time to reassess. Reveille with Ryan Evans: Assessing our humanity By Ryan Evans Staff Writer It has dawned on me that this will be the last article that I write for this publication (probably) so I figured I would go out with a bang. Allow me my proverbial soapbox one final time. This past Sunday I went and covered the Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade for my day job. As the parade made its way down Market Street and towards Public Square, I snapped a photo of my buddy and all-around good guy, Wilkes-Barre Mayor George C. Brown. It is a regular occurrence for the media to snap pictures of the guy, so business as usual, right? This one was different, though. Next to the mayor was Ivan Doboni of Plains Twp., who is a native Ukrainian. I went to high school with his son or grandson, I did not ask him what the case was. He was decked out in Ukraine gear and proudly waving an American flag in one hand and a Ukrainian flag in the other. I spoke with him after the parade, not just for my story but because my greatgrandmother came to America on a boat from her little village in Ukraine. I have The Beacon/Ryan Evans Wilkes-Barre Mayor George C. Brown, left, and Plains Twp. resident Ivan Doboni, right, during the Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade Nov. 6. �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 TRADITIONS, from front “The first thing I do when I wake up is text all my friends and let them know I am so thankful for them,” said Kamea Paresa, first year math and secondary education major. “Let everyone in my life know how much I appreciate them. Every person that comes into my life makes a positive impact, I am very grateful for all of them.” The dinner, the feast, is the most iconic part of Thanksgiving. The types of food cooked and eaten vary from family to family. Some dine on Asian cuisine, others may dine on food from Latin America, however the champion of Thanksgiving comes in the form of the Thanksgiving turkey. “Stuffing, turkey and mashed potatoes. Green bean casserole is also a favorite among my family.” said Sarah McAndrew, first year nursing major. Some students like to spice up their feasts with a more personal touch from their heritage. “My mom makes a Peruvian dish called ‘papa la huancaina,’” said Paresa. “It is potatoes and a spicy cheese sauce. It is amazing, we usually eat it with chicken and rice.” Others are not so traditional in their dinners, allowing for a more lax and activity focused holiday. “We are not much of a turkey family since no one really likes it,” said first year mechanical engineering major, Aidan Oliva. “Pizza, pasta, lots of Italian food with the occasional burgers thrown in. We also make these things called ‘turkey roll ups’ with deli meat and maybe some cranberry sauce.” Thanksgiving may be about food and family but the activities one partakes in with Life, Arts & Entertainment said family after all the food has extinguished is just as vital to the Thanksgiving experience. “We play video games, we play board games, it is just a big fun time, love it. I also love to set up the Christmas tree. The end of thanksgiving means the beginning of Christmas.” said Paresa. A tradition for many is that of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Every year yedl millions 1111ll1VH.:, of Vl Americans ru11e1H... dll.:, lay 1a.y their u1e11 eyes eye.:, on VH Macy’s is year's year’s Macy's extravagant extravagant parade parade event. event. Th This line-up line-up includes includes Fitz Fitz and and the the Tantrums, Tantrums, Paula Paula Abdul, Abdul, Betty Betty Who Who and and Jordin Jordin Sparks, Sparks, among among others. others. “Every "Every year year we we get get up up and and watch watch the the Macy’s rst year year Macy's thanksgiving thanksgiving parade, parade;'” said said fi first computer computer science science major, major, Jack Jack Purcell. Purcell. “I "I like like to to work work on on dinner dinner while while watching watching the the parade parade and and the the dog dog show show that that always always plays plays aft er.” after:' Th anksgiving has Thanksgiving has not not been been the the easiest easiest holiday last couple holiday within within the the last couple of of years. years. Lockdowns Lockdowns and and quarantines quarantines have have impacted impacted how how some some have have experienced experienced the the holiday. holiday. “It felt aa lot lot emptier, emptier, we we could could not not invite invite "It felt over over aa lot lot of of family family members members and and we we could could not not have have our our ttraditional r a d it i on a l celebration,” said Aleczia Britt, first year computer science major. “It was very gloomy. Usually we would go out after Thanksgiving and go to stores and look around but we could not really do that.” Luckily for those families the holidays are beginning to look a lot brighter this upcoming Thanksgiving as the world seems to slowly be licking its wounds. “A lot more people are n lVl 111v1e pevp1e die coming \...v111u10 this uu.:, year. yedl. Th Thee celebration celebration is is bigger bigger and and my my grandpa grandpa is is expecting expecting aa way way bigger bigger turn turn out, out;'” said said Britt. Britt. “My "My grandpa grandpa has has been been practicing practicing making making turkey er these turkey rigorously rigorously all all month. month. Aft After these last years we last couple couple of of years we are are really really making making every anksgiving count every Th Thanksgiving count from from now now on. on. We We are are going going to to be be meeting meeting family family members members II have have not not seen seen in in years, years, some some of rst of them them II am am meeting meeting for for the the fi first time, time;'” said said Britt. Britt. Th anksgiving holds very Thanksgiving holds aa very 10 warm and cozy atmosphere. The annual reunion of families represents a special type of familial and friendly perseverance. With Christmas just around the corner it is important to pump the brakes a little to stop and appreciate the good things in life, along with loved ones that makes it all worthwhile. The Beacon Staff thanks our readers for their continuous support. Have a happy Thanksgiving! From all of us at The Beacon �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment 11 Meet the Majors This week’s major: Digital Design and Media Arts Every week, The Beacon will offer a chance for majors to be placed in the spotlight. Each student that gets chosen will have a few words Jordan Daniel to express why they chose the major and how they feel it will benefit Life, Arts & Entertainment them in the future. Interviews and photos by Editor Rudy Urenovich Senior Quincy Banks Junior “My favorite aspect of the major is how multifaceted it is. Design is such a broad field in our major but you can really find an area of specialization that you’re passionate about to focus your studies and portfolio on through classes and cognate minors. “For instance, some people love photography, videography or gaming and they develop skills in each and every one of these mediums.” “I’m looking forward to seeing how much I expand and grow my tool belt, which can help me excel in other fields within the major. “I chose this major because I’ve always been a fan of digital media, whether it’s been photography, videography, photoshop, etc. I wanted to learn everything I possibly can in the field. “I hope to get into the designing process, whether it’s doing graphics for a professional sports team or even going into the fashion industry.” The Beacon/ Jordan Daniel Devyn Cammarota Senior “My favorite aspect of the major are the professors because they all genuinely care and will give honest feedback on projects. “I chose this major because I knew I wanted to do something art related and I felt graphic design was the right way to go with it. “What I hope to achieve with my major is to gain a lot of experience and knowledge about what I can do after graduation as well as the different software.” ' t ,.;, ' .-.-. . . ,.· ' s Emily Makaravage Senior ... ,-..,:, “My favorite aspect of the major is how personable the professors are. The professors are more than willing to go out of their way to help you. “Also, classes don’t feel like classes because of how small the class size is so everyone is trying to push others to make better content. ” �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 12 Senior Day & Mayor’s Cup Game: Wilkes beats King’s College 58-42 By Baylee Guedes Sports Editor The first quarter of the Wilkes Senior Day and Mayor’s Cup game proved to be successful for the Colonels with two touchdowns within three minutes of each other. Junior quarterback Xavier Powell completed a pass to sophomore wide receiver Devon Higgins for 16-yards for the first touchdown and then junior running back Elijah Jules rushed for 68-yards to secure the second touchdown of the quarter. First-year Igor Rzasa completed both of the extra-point attempts. The second quarter was more fruitful than the first: Powell completed a 5-yard pass to Jules for a Wilkes touchdown. King’s answered the Colonels’ touchdown by adding one of their own, but Wilkes came right back at the Monarchs. Powell threw a 22-yard pass to junior Jason Dean, putting Wilkes up 28-7 after Rzasa’s extra-point attempts were good. The Monarchs came right back moments later as they completed a 93-yard kick-return touchdown. The Colonels did not let this slide by them as they recovered with a 33yard pass from Powell to senior Jason Schweizerhof for another touchdown, tallying a score of 35-14 after another extra-point from Rzasa. Wilkes ended the second quarter with a 30-yard field-goal from Rzasa, creating a 38-14 lead. The third quarter added three more Colonel touchdowns: Sophomore DeVon James intercepted a pass from the Monarchs and returned it for a 32-yard touchdown with Rzasa securing the extra-point. King’s answered with a passing touchdown, but two minutes later, Powell threw a pass to senior Nate Whitaker for a 43-yard touchdown. Wilkes’ third touchdown of the quarter was scored by Dean after receiving a 3-yard pass from Powell. The extra-point attempt was blocked. The Monarchs added a touchdown to end the quarter with a score of 58-27 in the Sophomore Anthony Dominguez (16) celebrating a recovered fumble with senior Ryan Martel (71) while sophomore Elijah Lee (99) observes them. Colonels favor. Wilkes felt secure in the fourth quarter and did not score any more touchdowns. King’s tried to make a comeback by adding two more touchdowns, but the game ended with a Colonel score of 58-42. OFFENSE: Powell ended with six touchdown passes for 314 passing yards going 18-30 on attempts. Jules led Wilkes with 148 rushing yards and 84 receiving yards. DEFENSE: Senior John Washington recorded eight solo-tackles and one assisted-tackle to lead the Colonels with nine. Junior Angel Ramos added three solo-sacks and two assisted-sacks, totaling five. Wilkes honored 15 seniors (by number): Adam Piston, Billy Costner, Quincy Banks, Jeremie Hernandez, Washington, Brandon Holcomb, Schweizerhof, Whitaker, Walter Lewis, Kevin Brown, Lucas Scott, Brendan Boris, Ryan Martel, Billy Andeson and Michael Goralski. Junior Elijah Jules (4) runs head on into Monarch defenders after reciving a handoff from junior Xavier Powell (0) in the start of the second quarter. �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 13 TOP: The Colonels gather during a timeout as they were up 35-14 in the second quarter. Head coach Jonathan Drach chose to kick a field-goal, 38-14. BOTTOM: Junior Xavier Powell (0) lifted in the air after a touchdown pass. BOTTOM: The Colonels recover a Monarch fumble and gain possesion. Photos: The Beacon//Baylee Guedes �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Opinion Opinion 14 Have an opinion or want to write a guest column? Contact the opinion editor: Wren.Haze@wilkes.edu - -C-~- - - - Editorial Staff 2022-23 MANAGERIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief - Emily Cherkauskas Adviser - Dr. Kalen Churcher SECTION EDITORS News - Maddy Kinard LA&E - Jordan Daniel Opinion - Wren Haze Sports - Baylee Guedes DESIGNERS Lead Designer - David Marks Assistant Editors LA&E - Morgan Rich Section Staff Writers News - Zach Paraway Opinon - Sydney Allabaugh Interested in joining The Beacon? Several positions are open! To learn more about what you can do, contact : Kalen.Churcher@wilkes.edu 141 S. Main Street Clayton and Theresa Karambelas Media & Communication Center Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 Phone - (570) 408-5903 www.thewilkesbeacon.com Want to advertise in The Beacon? Contact: Kalen Churchert at kalen.churcher@wilkes.edu The Beacon Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Our Voice Each week, The Beacon’s editorial board will take a stance on a current issue. Thanksgiving should be given its time Christmas is argueably one of the most popular holidays in the world. That is something not many people would attempt to dispute. Regardless of how much it has been changed and repackaged from the simple holiday it was back centuries ago, Christmas is the flagship holiday for one of the biggest religions in the world, Christianity. It is the time of year for gift giving and for students at all levels to get a break from their studies. It is a holiday very iconic for the festivities surrounding it. From the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting to the Christmas Day Parade, to the many and many Christmas songs that get played every year—people love Christmas. However, for all the people that love Christmas, there is a good amount of people who would love to stop seeing the celebration of Christmas come so early. Especially in American culture, the celebration of Christmas begins on November 1st, the day after Halloween. The jokes about many stores ripping Halloween down just for Mariah Carey to be played the day after are everywhere, and very funny, too. The jump to Christmas does not seem that crazy in America, until you remember that we do have a major holiday in November. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November every year to celebrate the Pilgrims breaking bread with Native Americans way back during the colonization of America. It was to celebrate the journey to how far they had come and the winter they had had before, with barely anyone surviving. Americans break bread with their families and enjoy time with them and whatever it is they want to do that day with the meal. Many watch NFL games on that day, as they have marketed the holiday a lot. It is a great holiday, but why do so many skip it? Much of it can be down to two reasons: many of the same things done during Thanksgiving are done on Christmas now, and Christmas is much more advertised and commercialized. The first point is true, yes, but the second point is a problem for many. At the end of the year, Americans go from holiday to holiday with no break in between. From September through October, people celebrate Christmas. From November to Dec. 25, people celebrate Christmas. From Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, people celebrate New Year’s. A break from holidays being nowhere to be found can be a problem for many. Holidays like Christmas are great, but can remind people of those that they lost. For those not as fortunate, it reminds them of how little they have. People protect November for Thanksgiving because people want a break from the constant celebration. Thanksgiving is much more laid back and calm and no one gets marketed to like crazy. Yes, Black Friday is a thing, but it gets paired with Christmas shopping. People will say that there is no music or fun to be had on Thanksgiving, but that’s the point for many. It serves as a break and gives a tiny fraction of time for lives to go normal before Christmas right after Halloween. Christmas is great—no one is saying that it is not. But, time is needed for some to be away from the constant marketing and reminder of things they do not have. Christmas, you are loved, but give time to Thanksgiving, please. Letter to the editor policy: The Beacon welcomes letters to the editor from differing viewpoints. Letters must contain contact information, including name, city, state and phone number. Phone numbers will not be published but may be used for verification purposes. All letters to the editor must be sent using one of the following methods: Email: Emily.Cherkauskas@wilkes.edu Phone: (570) 408-5903 (Voicemail: 30 seconds or less, please.) Mail: 84 West South Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18766 Attn: The Beacon �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Opinion 15 Smino’s ‘Luv 4 Rent’ is a genre-bending masterpiece By Sydney Allabaugh Opinion Staff Writer On Oct. 28, American rapper Smino released his third studio album “Luv 4 Rent.” On first listen, I was not expecting to be blown away by this album, but it significantly exceeded my expectations. “Luv 4 Rent”—with its unique and interesting vocals, sounds and themes—may be one of my favorite albums released this year. Let’s dive further into each track. “4rm Da Source” The album starts off with a quiet, distorted instrumental with coinciding obscurely pitched vocals. It ends with a soundbite interlude. The use of unusual vocal techniques combined with a calming and relaxed tune perfectly sets the tone for the album. “No L’s” This second song draws from old school hip-hop and R&B influences in the beginning of the track to develop a warm and upbeat vibe. Towards the end of the song, the percussion pattern and strings relax, and the vocal choices emulate some of Smino’s signature sounds. This song feels like watching the sunset on a summer night and is a highlight of the album. “90 Proof (with J. Cole)” This song was released as a single, and it is a favorite among Smino and J. Cole fans. It has over 10 million streams on Spotify, making it 10 times more popular than most of the other tracks. The ascending chorus combined with the warm melody is catchy and smileinducing. Although I do not listen to J. Cole, I enjoyed his feature on this song. His vocals differ greatly from Smino’s melodic hums, which added perfect contrast. Overall, this song is enjoyable to listen to and one of my favorites on the album. “Pro Freak (with Doechii and Fatman Scoop)” To me, “Pro Freak” is the best song on the album and is unlike anything I ever heard before. I would consider it to be a party song, with its loud instrumental and light-hearted lyrics. It begins with a loud chant from Fatman Scoop, which leads into the—quite addicting— pitched chorus. Female rapper Doechii’s fast-paced verse later transitions into a relaxed verse from Smino. This song is a perfect mix of sounds from start to finish and is severely underrated. “Ole Ass Kendrick” This next song comes down from the exciting high of “Pro Freak” into a slow, melodic song likely inspired by— as stated in the title—Kendrick Lamar. The song follows the story of a time Smino spent with a girl listening to old Kendrick Lamar songs. It is a simple and sweet one. “Louphoria (with Cruza)” “Louphoria” continues with a slow, spacey track with echoing reverbs. I enjoyed this song, but I do not think it is necessarily super interesting or revolutionary. “Blu Billy” This one is a little more upbeat with a seemingly conflicting pessimistic message as Smino talks about how we all—from drug dealers to preachers— act on condition with wavering morality. He later flaunts his self-made success as an artist. The contrast between the sweet tune and the grim message is amusing. “Matinee” Matinee is another popular song on this album, as it was the other single released before the album alongside “90 Proof.” With a simple fast-paced beat, mellow hums and chants, repeatafter-me outro, and playful lyrics about drinking, smoking and sex, it feels as it would be the song of the summer if it was released earlier in the year. “Modennaminute (with Lucky Daye and Phoelix)” The song starts with an accelerated mellow chorus that I initially thought was a sample from an early 2010s pop song. The chorus is actually sung by Phoelix. The song takes a different approach from others on the album as it ditches warmth for a more solemn theme of heartbreak and reflection. I enjoyed this one. “Defibrillator” This song is airy and lighthearted with beautiful harmonies. It ends with a touching snippet of what seems to be a voicemail recording from Smino’s uncle. He mentions how he is proud of his nephew for being gifted. All elements of the track are uplifting. “Garden Lady” The mood calms down once again on this relaxed and melodic track. Although the echoey reverbs did not impress me on “Louphoria,” I thought the reverberated vocals were fitting and beautiful on Garden Lady. The purposefulness of each element of this song grew on me. “Settle Down” (featuring Cory Henry and Ravyn Lenae) “Settle Down” is another highlight of the album. It features compact, gospelinspired harmonies and percussion components that feel as if they were part of a marching band. In the feelgood chorus, Smino and Ravyn Lenae vocalize about doing their best, not having stress, and relying on God to do the rest. The combination of hip- hop and gospel elements produces a captivating sound. “Pudgy” (featuring Lil Uzi Vert) This song features another catchy chorus of tight, upbeat bars. I was pleasantly surprised by Lil Uzi Vert’s feature on this song. Usually, Lil Uzi raps distinctively in his style on features, but it seemed as if he stepped out of his comfort zone to conform to the theme of the album. The transition from Smino to Lil Uzi was seamless and fitting. “Curtains” This song is a rollercoaster in the perfect way. It starts off with a subtle melody with Smino’s traditional flows. As it continues, the vocals are edited and sound like those of Travis Scott. The subtle melody stays with a new percussion pattern. The song ends with a pitched and distorted verse from Smino’s little cousin. I think the vocal editing was a creative choice. “Lee & Lovie (featuring Reggie)” This last song draws from retro soul influences of the 1960s with rich vocals and warm instrumentals. Thematically, it is about falling in love and not having worries. It was a satisfying closing to the album, and I finished this last song smiling. WANT MORE FRESH MUSIC REVIEWS? SEND US YOUR SUGGESTIONS INSTAGRAM : @WILKESBEACON �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Opinion 16 Wren’s Watchlist: ‘Operation True Love’ is a new take on love By Wren Haze Opinion Editor This week it is a little different because “Operation: True Love” is a Webtoon manhwa and not a show to watch. But hear me out, I am reading with my eyes—the same eyes that watch shows. Therefore, let us proceed. “Operation: True Love” follows Su-ae Shim, a girl who is in the worst type of relationship that I have seen in real life as well. Shim starts off with being in a relationship with Minu Kang, a man who needs therapy or a life lesson on how to treat a girl right because his game is lacking hard. Kang treats Shim so horribly that the school is used to it. However, Shim goes through this cycle of being mad, ignoring him and when Kang gives her a strawberry milk, life is good. Until she discovers an old flip phone that starts calling her out. If real life people cannot knock sense into her, what makes you think that a lousy flip phone is going to change her mind? I was right, kind of. Around the time of this phone’s appearance, Shim starts getting friendly with Kang’s best friend, Eunhyeok Go. Go is clearly the most mature between the both of them which leads me to wonder what makes Go remain friends with Kang. Well, the thought finds an answer after a bit. Go actually cannot stand Kang and ends up punching him in the face. After many chapters, we finally meet the blonde girl in the polaroid at the beginning of the story. Her name is Ra-im, and we see that she lives with Shim and her family, but is not family. Shim best describes their relationship as best friends. Ra-im looks and acts like a red flag, and boy, was I right. Ra-im and Kang are caught kissing each other by Go, but the gag is that Shim was walking towards what shocked Go so much and saw what was going on. From there, Shim avoids her best friend like the plague and starts getting closer to Go, who ends up standing up for Shim in front of people at school. However, he claims that Shim broke up with Kang, but Shim did not get the chance to. Shim does get her opportunity and uses Kang’s own words against him to do so and that was a proud mom moment in my books. What is not a proud mom moment is that Ra-im is also involved with Go and Dohwa Baek, a rather popular figure at their school. Baek is known for his good looks but his terrible personality. Back to the terrible flip phone that reality checks Shim. The phone ends up showing her a program that helps people like her experience love. There is a scale that ranks it and she is at a zero. The program shows her how to gain love points. She decides to come up with this miraculous plan to get back with Kang but use Go to get back at Kang- usually his jealousy to boost her love points. Shim uses Go as well so Ra-im can feel jealous of their relationship, but we learn that Go is no longer interested in Ra-im. Boy has started falling for Shim and how this will end is entirely up to Shim and this author that has me cursing at 2D men on my private Instagram story. The story does keep me on my toes and I do appreciate that, but I was not expecting the plot to be the way it was advertised. But hey, the shock value earns this read a 8.5/10, and a new chapter will be coming out next week and I do have my notifications on to receive the update notification for when it drops. Triple H Must get control of WWE before he loses control By Zach Paraway News Staff Writer Paul Levesque has worked for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) since 1995. Then he was known as Triple H, an eight-time WWE Champion and threetime WWE Hall of Famer. He has worked in talent development since his retirement from in-ring action in 2011 and his greatest achievement was NXT, a developmental promotion that has become a factory of new WWE superstars. He was promoted to Head Booking Officer after the departure of Vince McMannon and now has four months under his belt as head booker for the company. Reactions to his time have been positive. Many love the storylines created and the new feel that WWE has, a feeling that many have not felt in years. A lot of these feelings can be attributed to the fact that many became stale to the storylines that McMannon would put out on a nightly basis, but it is positive. Triple H has brought back many formerly released wrestlers, many of who were stars for him in NXT. Ever ything has looked good for Triple H, but I am afraid that the reason he looks good may become the reason people turn on him. The idea of this came to me when looking at the first promos for Bray Wyatt. My favorite wrestler of all time had returned to the company after being cut by McMannon in the summer of 2021. He has returned, to my immense joy and tears, in a role similar to the one he had before. He is looking to lead a group of cult followers (right now benign) called the Wyatt 6. This is a good idea and Bray fits this role like a clown mask. The issue arises when looking at the size of the roster and what can be done. W W E currently has 236 members on its on-screen roster. This is good for three full shows worth of characters, until people realize the amount of them that do not get on screen and the even more amount of people still in development are not ready for TV. This is already a large roster, but not accounted for is Triple H still bringing in more and more guys that McMannon cut, making the roster even bigger. A roster too big to showcase everyone is a problem currently with its biggest competitor, All Elite Wrestling (AEW). AEW has had many problems this year with their roster because of too many people on the roster and those new people getting more opportunities than the ones that have been here for a while. The backstage brawl that left AEW without a world champion or a Trois champion was a result of this overcrowded roster. Not saying that this will happen to WWE, but the animosity is inevitable. I am not saying that the guys brought in are not good additions. Karrion Kross has been amazing since way back. Brawn Stroman got his return to pay-per-view this past month, and Bray Wyatt will of course do amazing things. The conversation that needs to be had is that of what internal talent is available in order to avoid the hell going on in AEW and to avoid an issue that will tank a great beginning to a new career for Triple H. Graphic by Maddy Kinard �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Opinion 17 Graduating seniors: Is it already time for graduation? By Rudy Urenovich Staff Writer I remember when I first visited Wilkes in high school and I more or less decided it was the college I wanted to attend. I was pleased that my prospective school had niceties like an art gallery (and its own newspaper, wink wink). Fast forward to the end of my freshman year, and I was actually starting to work at the Sordoni Gallery. I had a class taught by the gallery’s outstanding director Heather Sincavage, and we hit it off quite well, so I was flattered and excited to work for her and the gallery. I think organizations such as these, not only on a college campus or an educational setting, but just in communities in general are extremely important. All the people who make them what they are get to express their creativity and have it validated as something needed and meaningful. Artwork itself always contains history, messages and themes that are timeless. A work from hundreds of years ago that comments on society at that time, can also offer insight and invoke thoughts and conversations about current events and can help put personal and public issues into perspective. At the Sordoni, highlighting works by artists who may not normally have their voices heard and work shown is a main goal, which was one of the things I learned right away when working there, and makes me love it more and more the longer I am there. Seeing a show, or more formally an exhibition, come together. From the conception, starting with a theme, a group of artists, or a specific medium of art, to seeing it physically displaced, with the public walking through the space is an astounding thing that never gets old. I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to work on every aspect of helping a show come together, from measuring and hanging the artwork, writing catalogs, social media promoting, and making print materials like programs. Doing all this, it’s hard not to get attached or identify with artists and art in a show and feel the impact on a deep personal level, but to also take great care into everything produced. Seeing the backend operation of an art gallery come together is a true experience. Though I and many of my colleagues have had a lifelong love of art and design, I honestly believe that if you put someone who has no interest of flair for art in the operation that would have just as an eye opening and immersive experience that they would leave with a different view on art and how three dimensional and tied to emotions and life it really is. Our current exhibition “David C. Driskell and Friends: Creativity, Collaboration and Friendship,” for me, was perhaps the most immersive one yet. It’s astounding to think that this time last year we were just getting the list of artists together and I was enlisted to write a short bio on each one. It is an immense honor for me, and I was touched to have something that will last as part of the show. This particular exhibition honors the historic legacy of David Driskell and his impact on the art world, as well as her personal and professional relationships with tons of other notable artists. We want to hear your voice! Let your thoughts be known within the community. Join the Opinion section! CONTACT: Opinion Editor: Breanna.Ebisch@wilkes.edu Editor-in-Chief: Emily.Cherkauskas@wilkes.edu I probably say this everytime we have a new show, but it may be my favorite yet. The gallery itself is transformed with its wall painted warm shades of crimson and olive green, creating a cozy atmosphere that furthers the feeling of warmth and friendship in connection with the theme of the show. Or it’s because I was honored to work on this show since its inception. But no words I can say will ever do it just; you will have to see it for yourself. I suppose I am reminiscing on my time at the gallery, as I know it is quickly coming to an end with mine and some of my coworkers graduating this spring. It is bittersweet. I try to savor every moment. Working this is truly the thing that shaped my college experience and advanced in the field of design the most. I will be forever grateful to Heather Sincavage, our director and my personal friend and mentor, our past and current fellows, and everyone I have the pleasure of crossing paths with there. �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Opinion 18 Fashion trends: Why heroin chic should stay in the past By Lauren Gardner Staff Writer Editor's Note: This article contains topics that may be triggering to the reader. Many of us have seen the TikTok edits of Bella Hadid, the 26-year-old model who has been on the cover of countless magazines such as Elle, GQ, Glamour and Vogue numerous times. According to a study conducted by Julian De Selviva, a highly respected cosmetic surgeon, she is the most beautiful woman in the world due to her facial symmetry which has helped her in her career. It is no secret that Hadid is beautiful, but as her rise in popularity continues, so does her influence. If you see a picture of her, you notice her face and small, lean figure often sporting the newest fashion trend or being a trendsetter herself. Many teens and young women look up to her as inspiration or most dangerously known as “thinspiration.” The term "thinspiration" rose in the early to mid 2000s and has had severe consequences to young teens and women. The term was so dangerous that Instagram banned the word and the slang term, “thinspo” in 2012. This was a first in social media as they were one of the first companies to have a regulation on what was happening on their platform. E a r l y proponents in the beginning were Lindsey Lohan, Brittany Spears, Nicole Richie, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson and most memorable, Paris Hilton. These young women were photographed wearing “baby tees” or crop tops as they are often referred to as and super low waisted jeans. Many young girls looked up to these celebrities, wishing to be like them and to live the glamorous life they were living but instead developed eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia to adhere to what was a socially acceptable body standard. As years went on, it appeared that it was more acceptable to have a different body type than what was often shown in the media. With Kim Kardashian rising to popularity in the 2010s, so did the trend to emulate her look. Unfortunately, as we have seen that trend die down, we see the rise of ultra skinny returning. Even more recently, we have seen celebrities such as Kardashian herself and her sister Khloe Kardashian losing a significant amount of weight. As for Hadid, she is the biggest proponent for the ultra skinny trend to resurface as as has been seen all over TikTok and Instagram wearing lowrise jeans, crop tops, light makeup and clear " You are beautiful just the way you are. " skin with her hair often slicked black in a sleek bun. As heroin chic is rising from the dead, we have to remind ourselves: It is OK that we look the way that we do. Heroin chic got its name in the 1990s from the appearance of waif-like models who consumed the drug. Noted features include pale skin and darkness around the eyes, as well as emaciated features. We all live the lives, at least most of us do, of normal everyday people with unique characteristics and different backgrounds. We have the faces of our ancestors and the bodies that are real and authentic to ourselves. Why would we want to change that? Recently, I put a picture of my 4-yearold self on my mirror to remind myself that everytime I pick apart my appearance, that picture reminds me that I am telling that little girl that there is something wrong with her. I challenge you to do the same. You are beautiful just the way you are. KEEP UP WITH CONTENT! VJll .... ·~ 19)6 AIIOCllllJOD Mc:mbcr THE BEACON The news of today reported by the journalists of tomorrow. �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Sports 19 Sports Want your sport covered? Deserve to be Athlete of the Week? Contact the Sports Editor: Baylee.Guedes@wilkes.edu MIH combines the new with the old in high standings spot By Baylee Guedes Sports Editor After going 20-5-1 in the 2021-22 season and earning the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championship, the Colonels look to keep the momentum going after graduating a large number of their roster. While there are 17 who return from the 20-win season, Tyler Hynes. head coach and MAC 2021-22 Coach of the Year, added 11 newcomers to their roster. Additions to the roster include transfer students Garrett Nieto (senior) and Luke Dobles (sophomore) along with first-year’s Christian Blomquist, Patrick Roginski, Christopher Paige, Matt Carlson, Cam Lowe, Carter Jordan, Kyle Mandleur, Mason Vonk and Steven Spetz. “Our young guys have stepped in and embraced our culture from day one,” said Hynes. “I give a lot of credit for that to our older players for showing them how we do things and the standard to which we do them too.” Returning skaters include graduate students Phil Erickson, Ben Stefanini, Ryan Galvin and Scott Mueller; seniors Nick Godfrey, Billy Berry and Michael Paterson-Jones; juniors Jimmy O’Kane, Luc Fox and John Barrett; sophomores Nick Swain, Max Cocchi, Lorenzo Marcolin, Cole Jungwirth, Joe Johnson, Judson McGrath and Jack Perna. “We practice extremely hard and our players are dialed in from the moment they step on the ice,” said Erickson. “Our team has high expectations for ourselves, I'm excited about what this new group of Colonels can do moving forward.” In the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) preseason polls, Wilkes was ranked third under Stevenson University (second) and Utica University (first). Thus far, the Colonels sit at 2-3-1 and are in the number two seed in the UCHC standings. They tied their first game of the season 3-3 against SUNY Cortland, lost 3-2 in overtime to King’s College, and went 1-2 with Albertus Magnus College winning 3-2 and losing 5-1. In a doubleheader against Manhattanville College, Wilkes split with the Valiants with a 4-3 win in overtime and a 3-1 loss. The newcomers are already having exceptional performances on the ice. In his first win in goal, Nieto received the MAC Defensive Player of the Week for the 3-2 win over Albertus Magnus where he saved 30-32 shots taken while calculating a .938 save percentage. Overall, Nieto has been in goal for six games while making 151 saves with a .921 save percentage. Lowe was announced as the UCHC rookie of the week during the first week of the season as he added three points on one goal and had two assists. First-year’s Vonk, Mandleur and Carlson have all scored for the Colonels, while Roginski and Spetz each recorded points for Wilkes. Vonk has also recorded the most blocks on the team at seven. “As a newcomer on this team, I find myself being more of a learner than a leader at the moment,” said Lowe. TOP: Johnson engages with his opponent, attempting to secure the puck. BOTTOM: Johnson, Galvin and their teammates celebrate a scored goal. Photos: The Beacon/Julia Mazur “Our team culture is immaculate. I am incredibly confident we will keep Wilkes a winning and competitive program moving forward.” The returners have also been continuing to make their mark. Erickson has recorded one goal on the season, three assists, as well as adding four points to his name.Last season, Erickson recorded 14 goals (fourth most on the team), 26 points and 12 assists. “I find myself being a leader both on and off the ice,” said Erickson. “Our performance in these games has offered some bright spots. We've been able to come back from deficits in multiple games.” O’Kane, Johnson, Sefanini, Berry, Godfrey, Galvin, and Swain have each recorded goals for the Colonels. Perna has added 26 saves in goal with a .839 save percentage in his two goaltending appearances. Berry tied Vonk for the most blocks on the team with seven. On Friday and Saturday, Wilkes will travel to Utica to face off in a doubleheader. The Colonels have lost to their UCHC rival seven out of the nine times the teams have faced each other. Wilkes recorded one win and one tie in the 2021-22 season. “This is a crucial year for our program having graduated so many quality young men and hockey players,” said Hynes. “While our personnel has changed a bit, our goals as a team have not. We will not rest until we are UCHC Champions.” Most recently, the Colonels lost 7-4 in the UCHC Conference Championship match. Under Hynes, the team is seeking to get to the finals and claim their first UCHC Championship title. “One of the main goals we have for this season is winning a MAC championship as it is our final year of being in the conference,” said Erickson. “We're also excited about contending for a UCHC championship. There is a lot of parity in the conference this year which shows just how tough it is to win in this league each and every night.” �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Sports 20 MBB: Colonels look toward a winning 2022-23 season By Baylee Guedes Sports Editor Coming off of an 8-17 overall record and a 5-1 conference record last season, the Colonels are looking to turn things around and have a winning season. In his ninth season as head coach, Izzi Metz holds a 101-95 overall record and is utilizing his coaching experience to continue holding a positive overall record for this team. “The team has been working hard so far on coming together, both offensively and defensively,” said Metz. “I have been very pleased with the overall attitude and hunger to improve each day.” In the 2021-22 season, Wilkes was ranked fifth in the league in scoring with 1763 total points and averaged 70.5 pointsper-game (PPG). The Colonels sat at third for 3-point field-goal percentages at 0.347, making 213 3-point shots. Wilkes returned 10 upperclassmen to their roster while adding five first-year’s to the team. The Beacon/Lauren Bowers Marshall driving towards the basket during the home opener W on Nov. 8. Returning players include graduate student Drake Marshall; seniors Bradley Anacreon, Nickerson DeMelfi and Jake Robel; juniors Matthew Davidheiser, Joey Zvorsky, Jackson Shafer and Jason Eberhart; sophomores Cayden Merrifield and Colin Post. First-year players include Colin Ackerman, Elias Walker, Jack Argento, Elias Walker and Matthew Prociak. Thus far, the Colonels stand at 2-1 after opening up with a 67-51 win over Clark Summit University on the 8th where Metz earned his 100th win, as well as a 64-48 win against the Gettysburg College Bullets and a 65-58 loss to Eastern University in the Gettysburg Tip-Off Tournament on the 11th and 12th. “Going into this year I feel very confident with where we are at,” said Fisher. “I believe that through this pre-season we have taken a large jump as a team in a very short amount of time and it will show on the court.” Last season, forward Fisher received an All-MAC Freedom First Team award as he led the conference in scoring at 16.2 PPG as well as being ranked at fourth for rebounds at 9.6 per game. Fisher has scored an average of 9.0 PPG and 8.33 rebounds-per-game (RPG) in their three contests this season. “I’m lucky enough to have a great surrounding cast around me that allows for me to flourish in opportunities where I am needed,” said Fisher. “For this year I am going to continue to be a great team player and do whatever is needed to put W in the win column.” Shooting guard Marshall returns after receiving an All-MAC Freedom Second Team award last season after placing second in PPG at 14.9 and 10th in rebounding with six per game. “I am looking to contribute to the team in any way that I can,” said Marshall. “We have worked hard all off-season, so finally being able to play some games, we are amped up and excited.” Marshall added an average of 16.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG up to this point of the season. “We believe the way to be successful is process driven,” said Metz. “We are excited to get the season started and look forward to people coming out to the Marts Center and supporting the Colonels.” The Colonels will host the University of Scranton tonight at the Marts Center with gameplay beginning at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Wilkes will travel to Alvernia University for a matchup starting at 1 p.m. WBB: Colonels look to build off prior success in ‘22-‘23 season By Adam Grundt & Baylee Guedes Staff Writer & Sports Editor The women’s basketball team is looking to continue the successes of last season at the start of this year. Head coach Tara Macciocco is entering her fifth season at the helm of the program and is excited to build off of what last season brought to the program. “Last season, we reached the playoffs for the first time in 20 plus years,” said Macciocco. “We are really excited to build off that momentum with our returning group and exciting newcomers.” In the 2021-22 season, the team placed the highest in the standings since 19961997 and finished Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom play with a 7-9 record. This was the Colonels first appearance in the tournament in 25 years and only the fifth time the team reached the tournament in the program’s 62-year history. “Reaching the MAC Freedom tournament was a pretty cool experience for the team last year,” said junior guard Julia Marino. “I believe being able to play in the tournament prepared us for big conference games that we’ll have throughout this season. Come tournament time this year, the returners will know what to expect and the first years will be more than prepared for it.” Wilkes is welcoming back graduate student Kendra Smith as well as seniors Ariel Reed, Brenna Babcock and Brianna Horton. Three juniors return including Marino, Erin Shober and Tess Edwards in addition to three sophomores Emma Stout, Jordyn Jennings and Julianna Askins. The Colonels add six first-year players: Victoria Crooker, Nadia Evanosky, Reagan Holden, Yamirelis Matos, Madison Robel, and Brandy Varner. Wilkes sits at 1-0 after opening with a 76-52 win over Keystone College. Matos led the Colonels with 23-points coming off of the bench and collected six rebounds. Babcock tied Matos with six rebounds. “It feels like the beginning of a dream come true,” said Matos. “It’s exciting to finally see the results of the hard work and time I put in. The season opener was very emotional for me and my parents, who attended from MA, because both my mom and my dad sacrificed a lot for me to be in college and on the basketball court.” Macciocco is excited for what the entirety of the team will bring to the table this season. “We have a lot of experience from the upperclassmen that played significant minutes last year,” said Macciocco. “We have a great group of leaders to help the newcomers become familiar with the college game and team. For the past four years we have been preaching to get better little by little and last season was a huge accomplishment, but we have some unfinished business. Especially with this being our last season in the MAC, we want to leave our mark.” The Colonels return to action on Nov. 17 when they face Gwynedd Mercy University at the Marts Center. Editor’s Note: Baylee Guedes is a former women’s basketball player. �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 WIH, from front LaBaff took over as head coach in June of this year after previously coaching SUNY Canton for the past seven years. LaBaff holds a winning mentality with four previous postseason appearances with SUNY Canton. Wilkes also added Caty Flagg as the assistant coach. Flagg is the former 2016 ESPN "Miss Hockey," 2016 Boston Globe Player of the Year and the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) 2017-18 and 2018-19 Goalie of the Year, to name a few accolades. Sports This was an essential change after the Colonels had gone 8-58-2 over the course of four seasons under the previous coaching staff. The women's ice hockey team sits at 2-4 with two conference wins, two conference losses and two out-of-conference losses. The Colonels began their regular season United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) play with back-toback weekend games against Neumann University. Wilkes won 2-1 on Nov. 4 with both goals netted by junior forward Bella Kaczorowski. The team won 4-0 on Nov. 5 where Kaczoroski netted two more goals for the Colonels and ended up with 4 points on the weekend. Addy Olson, junior goaltender, played both games in goal for Wilkes. Olson stopped 34 shots faced and posted her first career shutout. Olson was named goaltender of the week by the UCHC for the week of Oct. 31 to Nov. 6. “It was very rewarding and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the team I had in front of me,” said Olson. With the coaching staff, the team has also experienced a major change in attitude. Wilkes has bonded much more 21 this season than ever before. Senior defender Abigail Barcless has been a part of the team since her first collegiate year during the 2019-20 season. Barcless is now in her final season playing for the Colonels. “We have proved to ourselves that with the right systems and chemistry, we have the chance to be a very successful team this season,” said Barcless. “I think that's the backbone of what keeps us getting up at 4:50 every morning with positive energy.” Wilkes will return to the ice on Nov. 30 as they travel across town to King’s College. TOP: Senior forward Quinn Rodefeld (23) fighting for defensive positioning. BOTTOM: Kaczorowski (9) preparing for a face-off with her Nazareth opponent. Photos: The Beacon/Baylee Guedes Dave LaBaff coaching his Colonels from the bench during their home game on Nov. 11. �The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Sports 22 Athlete of the Week Jack Bauer Senior Wrestler The Beacon: Male Athlete of the Week Bauer was chosen as our Athlete of the Week after his perfomance during the Ned McGinley Invitational this past Saturday. Bauer won his first match by major decision 8-0. In his second match, Bauer won by fall at 1:01 2-0, placing him in the semi finals. Bauer won in an 8-6 decision leading him into the finals. In a close one point decision, Bauer took his finals match 3-2, winning the 141lb champion title. Major: Marketing The friendships and bonds you Hometown: Ringoes, N.J. build with the other players on High School: Hunterdon Central the team. What had been your favorite sports memory from your time as a Colonel? My favorite memory so far would be the charity event we did hosting a practice for the local kids. It was fun to be able to give back and it made me feel special being able to work with kids who look up to us. What is your favorite professional sports team (any sport)? What sports movie is your go-to for movie night? Coach Carter. If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? Basketball. How do you feel about being selected as the Athlete of the Week? The New York Giants. It is an honor to be recognized for this achievement. What is your favorite thing to do away from sports? I want to say thank you for this and shout out to my team and coaches for making this all possible. I am a big gamer and I love playing video games outside of sports. The Beacon/Lauren Bowers Editor’s s elec tions are mined by ts ditor's note note:: Athlete Athlete of of the the Week Week selections are deter determined by the the spor sports staff nd of mic year, year, we ill post post aa reader poll on taff each each week. week . At At the the eend of the the acade academic we w will reader poll on Tw itte r @ B eacon to row n an Twitter @ Wilkes WilkesBeacon to ccrown an “Athlete "Athlete of o the the Year." Year. " What is your favorite part of being an athlete at Wilkes? Compiled by Baylee Guedes, Sports Editor �Sports The Beacon - November 16, 2022 Athlete of the Week 23 Bella Kaczorowski Junior Hockey Center The Beacon: Female Athlete of the Week Bella Kaczorowski was chosen as our Athlete of the Week after her perfomance this past week as she scored four goals and also won 20 faceoffs, helping the team go 2-0. Kaczorowski also recived the MAC Offensive Player of the Week honor. Major: Biology Hometown: Anchorage, Ala. High School: Dimond High School What had been your favorite sports memory from your time as a Colonel? My favorite sports memory as a Colonel so far was sweeping Neumann this past weekend and the team atmosphere after the games has been really refreshing! What is your favorite professional sports team (any sport)? The Dallas Stars. What is your favorite thing to do away from sports? My favorite thing about being a student athlete at Wilkes is that everyone is super supportive of the athletic teams here. What sports movie is your go-to for movie night? My team has recently really been loving "Miracle on Ice" so we have had a few movie nights. If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? If I didn’t play hockey, I would have wanted to play soccer. How do you feel about being selected as the Athlete of the Week? My favorite thing to do away from sports is hang with my friends and try out new activities. I feel honored to be selected as the athlete of the week and I’m very grateful for my teammates and the support that I’ve gotten at Wilkes. What is your favorite part of being an athlete at Wilkes? Compiled by Baylee Guedes, Sports Editor The Beacon/Lauren Bowers Editor’s elec tions are mined by ts ditor's note: note : Athlete Athlete of of the the Week Week sselections are deter de termined by the the spor sports staff At the year, we ill post post aa reader poll on taff each each week. week . At th e end end of of the the academic academic year, we w will reader poll on Tw it ter @WilkesB eacon to n an Twitter @WilkesBeacon to crow cro wn an “Athlete "Athlete of o the the Year." Year." �The Beacon - November 15, 2022 24 REGISTER RECilSTER FOR FOF WINTER WINTER SESSION! SESSIO EARN CREDITS & CHILL WINTER WINTER SESSION: SESSION: DEC. JAN. 13, DEC. 26, 26, 2022 2022 TO TO JAN. 13, 2023 20~.., Take Take undergraduate undergraduate courses courses at at the the reduced reduced tuition tuition rate rate of of $530 $53( per credit. about our our Winter/Summer Winter/Summer 2023 2023 discount discount deal! deal! credit. Ask Ask about REGISTER REGISTER NOW! NOW! Visit Visit the the schedule schedule and and register register at at wilkes.edu/winter. wilkes.edu/winter. Wilkes on the the University’s Wilkes University University is is an an equal equal opportunity opportunity institution. institution. For For information information on University's Policy Policy on on Non-Discrimination, Non-Discrimination, visit visit www.wilkes.edu/nondiscrimination. www.wilkes.edu/nondiscrimination. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon Newspaper Collection, 1947-present Description An account of the resource <p>This is Wilkes University's <em>Beacon</em> Newspaper collection, 1947-present. We also have digitized copies of the <em>Beacon's</em> predecessors, <em>The Bucknell Bison Stampede</em>, 1934-1935 and <em>The Bucknell Beacon</em>, 1936-1947 June. It should be noted that Wilkes University does not have a complete set of issues for the Bucknell Bison Stampede and Bucknell Beacon. For researchers who are interested in seeing the complete issues for these publications, please contact <a href="https://researchbysubject.bucknell.edu/scua">Bucknell University's Special Collections Department</a>.</p> <p></p> <p>Missing Issues:</p> <p>1947 August 8th<br />1947 September 5th<br />1947 October 3rd<br />1947 October 17th<br />1947 October 31st<br />1947 November 21st<br />1947 December 19th<br />1948 September 9th<br />1950 April 28th<br />1953 April 10th<br />1962 February 2nd</p> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Beacon staff is comprised of Wilkes University students who are advised by a full-time faculty member of the Communication Studies Department. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1934-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright of the Wilkes Beacons is retained by Wilkes University. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Professor Emeritus Harold Cox digitized the collection from 1934-1970 and created a <a href="https://beaconarchives2.wilkes.edu/">legacy website</a>. Digital Archives student John Jenkins digitized the collection from 1970-present. Special thanks goes to Communication Studies Professor Dr. Kalen Churcher, Editor-in-Chief Kirsten Peters, Beacon staff member, Emily Cherkauskas, and other Beacon staff for their help in acquiring digitized copies of the Beacons from 2006 onward. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon, 2022 November 15 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Communications Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 November 15 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/55813920577bc0f39bbf1a9c97d64316.pdf 24d254c1bee488fb5758226bf3bb1d3e PDF Text Text The Beacon - November 9, 2022 THE BEACON Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Wilkes University - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Volume 75, Issue 7 1 “The news of today reported by the journalists of tomorrow.” Wilkes receives $2.5 million grant to improve Darte - ' '1!' - ......... -~~..::.:...;_.,. --.:--.; ~ .. :'" _ ... The Beacon/Maddy Kinard Gov. Tom Wolf has announced the allocation of $2.5 million in funding through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant to assist the university in making the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center more accessible. While this will occur over a series of installments, the Wilkes campus and greater Wilkes-Barre community can expect several projects that will make the world of art through performance and lecture more obtainable. For the full story, see page 3. Wilkes recieves ABET reaccreditation, page 6 Unique exhibition debuts at the Sordoni Art Gallery, page 7 Pros and cons of Musk’s Twitter purchase and reign, page 17 WREST: Colonels take third at Ned McGinley Invitational, page 21 �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 News News 2 Have a breaking story or a press release to send? Contact the news editor Maddy Kinard: Madelynn.Kinard@wilkes.edu Student Government notes: November 2 weekly meeting By Claudia Cuchran Staff Writer Student Government held its eighth meeting of the semester, covering three fund requests, three upcoming events and the member/club of the month. First, the schools of Nursing and Pharmacy presented again a fund request for this fall semester’s Late Night Lift. This event was started by the Health and Wellness Club in 2014, and this is the first time the event is returning since 2019 due to COVID-19. This year’s Late Night Lift will be hosted by the Wilkes Barre YMCA on Nov. 21 from 8 to 10 p.m. The facility will be open exclusively to Wilkes students, and students will have access to all areas of the YMCA. There will be events, services and giveaways to the first 150 participants. There was a motion to allocate the whole fund amount requested, which was passed. Kappa Psi, Wilkes’ chapter of the nationwide Pharmaceutical Fraternity, presented to the council for a second time with a fund request to host this year’s Fall Northeast Province Assembly. The conference is set to take place at Genetti’s in WilkesBarre. Kappa Psi is involved in community events through conferences, fundraisers, events and community service. These conferences allow future health care providers to network and learn more about their field of study. A motion to allocate a portion of the fund request to cover conference expenses was put forth and passed. Finally, the Wilkes Veterans Council presented to the council with a fund request to cover expenses to attend the 15th annual Student Veterans of America National Conference in Orlando, Florida. These conferences connect students with potential employers and 500 plus companies and empowers student veterans to lead and live their best lives. Wilkes’ Veterans Council aims to have a positive impact on the community here at home and during travels. The goal for this conference is to show potential employers what they are capable of and to expand upon information and sources gathered at last year’s event. The fund request will help cover conference registration, hotel, meal and travel expenses. The Veterans Council members will present again to the Student Government next week. Beacon Briefs: Upcoming campus events Compiled by Beacon News Staff Spring parking applications available Commuter and resident parking applications for the spring 2023 semester are now available to fill out. The deadline for all applications is Nov. 30. Applications will not be accepted or reviewed after the deadline closes. If you would like to aply for a Ralston parking permit, please specify in your application. Any other questions must be taken with parking at 570-408-7275, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Manuscript accepting submissions Manuscript Society, the university's creative writing magazine, is accepting submissions until March 31. Please email submissions to magazine@ wilkes.edu Submissions should be no more than five pages double-spaced text, five poems, or five images per submitter. Please include the title of each piece clearly at the top of the page or as the file name. Please submit files as .doc or .docx format, .jpeg or .png for images and graphics Do not include your name or any identifying information within the document. Diploma Orders If you are a candidate for graduation in May 2023 with a bachelor's degree, then it is time to order your diploma. Diplomas must be ordered whether or not you are attending the graduation ceremony. The order form for your diploma can be accessed with the following link: https:// etcentral.wilkes.edu/#/form/4 Before you order your diploma, you must register for courses for the spring 2023 semester. The deadline for diploma orders is December 21. Signups for WBS game Student Development is hosting a trip to see the WBS Penguins for $5. Register for tickets at the info desk in the SUB. The game starts at 6:05 p.m. on November 18. The huttle will leave at 5 p.m. to get to the arena. The Fall 2022 Wilkes Open House is Nov. 12 from 8:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event begins in the Henry Student Center and includes breakfast, an academic and information fair, lunch, a campus tour and a student panel. The 2022 Casino Week will take place from Nov. 14 to 18, and will include various games, foods, mocktails and prizes. This year’s theme is James Bond: Casino Royale. The Student Government member and club for the month of October were chosen at this week’s meeting. Sophomore Eliana Kramer and the Society of Women Engineers were selected as winners. Student Government will meet again on Wednesday, Nov. 9. Table of Contents News..................2 Life, A&E............7 Opinion............14 Sports................19 Upcoming Events: 2022 Fall Semester November 9 - GSA Variety Show 10 - Paint N' Sip 23 - Thanksgiving break begins 28 - Classes resume December 12 - Classes end and finals begin 19 - Final exams end �������������������������������� ���������� ������ ������� ������������� ��� �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 News 3 Wilkes receives grant to increase accessibility of Darte By Maddy Kinard News Editor Wilkes received $2.5 million in funding through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant which will see to increased accessibility of the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for the Performing Arts. “This funding will have a long-term positive impact on Wilkes University and the surrounding community and will better reflect our commitment to modern and inclusive facilities. This results in improved connectivity and accessibility that ultimately enhance the visitor experience,” said Wilkes University President Greg Cant in a News@Wilkes story. In the story, Cant thanked Sen. Marty Flynn, Sen. John Yudichak, Sen. Lisa Baker, Rep. Aaron Kaufer and WilkesBarre Mayor George Brown. He also recognized Wilkes alumnus Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski. Pashinski spent time in the Darte as a student and he continues to support the university performances. As the second-largest grant in the university’s history, this grant will allow the university to install ramps, an enhanced entrance, accessible restrooms, seating and parking, as well as improved lobby space and a new interior elevator. “This project will provide great accessibility to the campus community as well as for the members of the greater Wilkes-Barre community to enjoy programs, lectures and performances offered on the Wilkes campus,” said Charles Cary, executive director of campus support services. As of now, campus support services will still be working through the construction design process over the next several months. Until this is completed, a timeframe for construction is still to be decided. The Darte Center is home to and makes possible many productions, performances and lectures from nationally known speakers. Four mainstage productions from the Wilkes Division of Performing Arts are held each year, along with ensemble performances from members of the greater community. Two such productions held this semester have been Clue: On Stage! and a musical retelling of Little Women. Aari Gould, a senior musical theatre and public history major, analyzed the Darte’s accessibility as part of her disability history course. As part of the project, she found many aspects of the Darte like the upper lobby and the theatre itself to be not very accessible. The Darte also lacks in automatic door buttons. “The accessible update to the Darte is definitely a very good thing,” said Gould. “It will not only allow more people access to see art on stage, but it will also make the Darte an inclusive space for everyone. And hopefully, it opens up the conversation for a more accessible campus and community.” This seems to be the case as Cary states that Wilkes is committed to making all of its buildings accessible. “We are constantly assessing and looking for ways to make improvements to our buildings,” said Cary. Photos courtesy Dr. Jon Liebetrau and Patty Deviva Jake Wood delivered his speech “Conquering Chaos” Oct. 11, 2022 in the Darte center as part of the university’s Allan P. Kirby Lecture in Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship. Wood showcased the ways in which entrepreneurial thinking and leadership is similar to being a soldier. Left to right: Olivia Scarborough, Maddie Meier, Rachel Kern, and Jay’na Johnson. Wilkes Clue: On Stage! ran from Oct 6 to 8 of 2022. Similar to the boardgame, audience members watched as beloved characters tried to solve a murder mystery. �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 News 4 Women's reproductive rights headlinee diversity series By Sam Mullen Staff Writer During the week of Nov. 14, the Office of Diversity Initiatives will host its 11th Annual International Diversity Series. This year the event will highlight women’s reproductive rights in three lectures from Professor Heather Sincavage, Dr. Andreea Maierean and Dr. Troy Lynn Lewis. The series takes place in the Savitz Lounge, located on the second floor of the Henry Student Center. The lecture on Nov. 14 will be at 4:30 p.m; Nov. 15 will be at 11 a.m; and Nov. 17 will be at 4:30 p.m. The first talk of the series will feature Heather Sincavage, associate professor of art and director of Sordoni Art Gallery, on Nov. 14. She will address how art has lacked women’s body autonomy throughout history. As well as showing how female artists started to change their art to fit this narrative. Sincavage will then close her talk by showing artists today who use art as a form of protest and activism for women’s rights. Sincavage said that her lecture is “showing artists taking matters into their own hands to be the voice of dissent.” The following day, Nov. 15, Dr. Andreea Maierean, associate professor of political science, will focus on the 23year period where Romania had bans on contraception. In the lecture, Maierean will go indepth about the consequences that came with this decision and how Romania was able to maintain one of the most repressive reproductive policies of the twentieth century. On Nov. 17, Dr. Troy Lynn Lewis, assistant professor of pharmacy practice, will discuss the maternal mortality rate in the United States and how there is a major difference in race when it comes to maternal mortality. Erica Acosta expressed how “the overturning of Roe vs Wade would criminalize females if they choose to not go full turn with the pregnancy." She continued, stating "It’s important for students to know what laws and implications this is causing female rights over their own bodies.” As a disclaimer, those who are interested in attending these events should be prepared to engage in conversations and learn about where women’s reproductive rights are at this point in time in history, which may include potentially-triggering topics being covered. There will also refreshments and food like pizza and salads included at each lecture. “The diversity series is looking to provide our Wilkes community with an in-depth understanding about the consequences of being denied access to healthcare and how this has been handled domestically and internationally,” said Sincavage. DIVERSITY SERIES SCHEDULE "ARTIST AS THE VOICE OF THE PROTEST" By Heather Sincavage Monday, Nov. 14 @ 4:30 p.m. Savitz Lounge "CONTROLLING ABORTION RIGHTS IN COMMUNIST ROMANIA" By Dr. Andreea Maierean Tuesday, Nov. 15 @ 11 a.m. Savitz Lounge "IMPROVING MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES" By Dr. Troy Lynn Lewis Thursday, Nov. 17 @ 4:30 p.m. Savitz Lounge Wilkes addresses rumored music minor suspension By Amanda Montgomery Music minor safe and new faculty to be hired Staff Writer A recent rumor - both online and off that said the Wilkes music minor would be terminated is false, according to the university. In reality, the university is looking to add faculty to the program. “I have spent the past three weeks talking to students, advisers, alumni and administrators assuring them there is not, nor has been, any change to the music minor,” said Dr. Jon Liebetrau, chair of the division of performing arts. “Recently I learned, to my surprise, that some Wilkes music students have been fretting since the beginning of semester about the 'suspension' or the 'termination' of the music minor.” Liebetrau believes that the rumor originated after a member of the department left for another job opportunity in late-July. That departure, departu1'--, coupled with an unrelated retirement rement last last May, may have caused somee people people to to worry. “Most likely, someone made nade aa false false assumption that music classes sses wouldn’t wouldn't be covered this school,I year,” year;' he he continued. Students heard the rumor .1mor around around campus, and there was 1s aa petition petition created on the website change.org. :hange.org. “I heard it from a junior junior in in the the psychology program, am, the one who had the petition, and she said they didn’t have the professors to teach some of the classes, and they were going to put someone on hold and the seniors were going to have to wait to graduate or not not be ._,~ able to graduate with with their their credentials,” said Isabella Isabella Ruiz, sophomore biochemistry major. bioche Th petition TI e mentioned the idea m that the music minor had been suspended due to lack of staff, and claimed that none of the classes needed for the minor can be taught as a result. Liebetrau explained that a senior asked about the possibility of a course substitution for a music class sur that that would would not be offered this semester, and and that that aa suitable substitute was found af er and approved, so that this .1,{)rtly aft shortly student could graduate with their music minor in May. Even with a staff shortage, students can be assured that they can still earn their music minor, and that certain substitutions and solutions can be found to facilitate this. “I can confirm that the rumor about the suspension of the music minor is not true," said Dr. Paul Riggs, dean of Arts and Sciences. "We have advertised for two new tenure-track faculty members in music, and fully expect to make both hires before the end of the academic year." Both Liebetrau and Riggs advise that anyone with questions or concerns about any Wilkes program should seek out the director or chairperson of that program to clear any confusion and settle any uneasiness. Graphic by Maggie Murphy �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 News 5 Dr. Chelsea Chamberlain joins Wilkes as assistant professor By Maddy Kinard News Editer Historian Dr. Chelsea Chamberlain joined Wilkes this semester as an assistant professor of global cultures. Chamberlain is from the northwest and grew up in Idaho. She completed her undergraduate at Whitworth University, Washington as a history major and then went on to complete her master’s in history at the University of Montana, Missoula. From there, she stayed in Philadelphia for seven years and earned a doctor of philosophy in history from the University of Pennsylvania, which led her to Wilkes. “I decided I wanted to be a historian after I had a really great high school history teacher,” said Chamberlain. “She made me love the subject and showed me how history wasn’t just about names and dates but was actually about narratives and arguments and about bringing your perspective to the past and letting it inform how you see the present and the future.” Over the course of her graduate studies, Chamberlain narrowed her focus, becoming a disabilities historian. because they were racial minorities or In particular, she focuses on the women that did not behave the way they history of disability in the United were expected to. “I’m going to States, in addition this conference to medicine and and talking about education in how even though childhood. it’s hard to find This emphasis them in the of study came sources because about during her they couldn’t write, masters as she was it’s important reading sources for historians to that sounded “so pay attention to strange”, hearing people who had social leaders really significant talking about disabilities in the “feeblemindedness” past and connect and “eugenics." with them and tell Chamberlain Photo courtesy Dr. Chamberlain their stories,” said described it as “going Chamberlain. down the rabbit hole” Chamberlain finds that she learned from that point forward as she wanted to a lot about being a teacher in graduate know more. Chamberlain will be going to a school and how to teach history in ways conference in Chicago the weekend of that hopefully engages her students and Nov. 12 where she will be presenting teaches them how the subject matter is on the topic about when historians important and matters. Unrelated to her education, during talk about mental disability in history, they often focus on people who were her masters in Montana, she also began constructed as mentally disabled stand-up comedy where she participated in open mic nights. “That stuck with me–it made me a way better teacher because once you get used to bombing in front of an audience and trying to crack a joke and just getting nothing in return, it actually makes you much better in the classroom at handling a lack of response or figuring out how to get the response you want,” said Chamberlain. In her free time, Chamberlain loves to walk her dog. She conducts “walking office hours," which is an hour-long spot on Wednesday afternoons where she invites students to walk with herself and her dog around the riverwalk. A word of advice Chamberlain would give to students is to communicate with professors. She sees students struggle with this the most and knows that faculty members want to help, but they can not know that a student needs help unless they express so and ask for it. Chamberlain states that students will find a lot of grace, encouragement and support from faculty, so long as they are willing to ask for it. of soccer and interacting with many of GIS methods. Anaya Archilla has returned to the Panamanian students that are on Wilkes after spending time at California campus. State Polytechnic He is looking Un i ve r s it y, to help create Humbold. opportunities for “I was here for his students and four years, and wants to do more during COVID, for them. He wants there was the to send them to opportunity to go conferences and to California. I create memories decided to leave with all of them. my comfort zone Anaya Archila and try to be d e s c r i b e d exposed to this big his academic university. It was a background in great opportunity engineering as Photo courtesy Dr. Anaya Archila because at least 50 broad, which percent of the students, they were from has led to him doing a wide variety of different research projects. He has minorities,” said Anaya Archilla. In his spare time, he enjoys the game done research in synthesis, application and toxicity of nanomaterials, fate and transport of pollutants, water quality and fluid dynamics. Anaya Archila is very proud of the research that he has conducted and enjoys talking about it with others. He spoke about how it is this research that will help people discover solutions to the current problems in order to move on to the next ones. Anaya Archila has won numerous awards including fellowship awards from the department of energy in Puerto Rico and the department of transportation in Rhode Island and the Student Travel Award from the Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization When asked what he loves most about his job, he said he loves to be in the classroom and he loves to accommodate his students so that they can learn in the best way possible. Dr. Nelson Anaya Archila returns to Wilkes after time away By Zach Paraway News Staff Writer Dr. Nelson Anaya Archila is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Wilkes and is currently teaching his first semester. Anaya Archila is native to Columbia, a country in the northern region of South America, right below the country Panama. He has his bachelor's degree from the Industrial University of Santander in mechanical engineering, a master’s from the University of Puerto Rico in civil engineering and his doctor of civil and environmental engineering from the University of Rhode Island He teaches classes in principles of environmental engineering, fluid mechanics, solid waste, hydrogeology, principles of nanotechnology, nanotools, CADD, air quality, advanced CADD and �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 6 News Wilkes engineering program recieves ABET reaccreditation Program must follow seven extensive student criteria By Zach Paraway News Staff Writer The engineering program at Wilkes has recently been reaccredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. The ABET has been reviewing and approving programs for higher education engineering programs since 1932. The Wilkes program has received a six-year accreditation, the full amount that the ABET can give. Accreditation by ABET means that a program follows seven student criteria points, making a six-year period a statement to say that a program excels in all seven categories. These seven categories must be shown as being well taught to the students and must be large themes for the program as a whole. The seven points cover a wide range of fulfilments that include but are not limited tt oO ,, not limited public speaking ing skills, skills, p r o b l e m - s:olving, olving, e c o n o1 m m ii cC consideration, on, environmental tal consideration Jn and teamwork ·k Dr. Edward ud Bednarz, Class :lass of 2001, was was a full-time ime student at Wilkes. ilkes. ,ending After spending 12 years in1 the the army, army, he became aa professor professor at at Wilkes. Having fag helped helped and and seen the accreditation editation process process h::i~ seen ~PPn the thP growth orrmrth of Af the thP as a whole, heP has department. “Our program is a really great experience for our students. They get to come up with their own inventions and work work as as aa team. team. Some Some of our senior projects for patents projects have have gone gone on < and and have have created creat< companies,” said said Bednarz. Bednarz. He explained how He exr the reaccreditation the is as the is important import accreditation keeps accreditatic Wilkes competitive, Wilkes giving for giving something s, high high school schc students to look look at. a An area of the the program that he he feels especially highlights Wilkes hi, competitiveness co is the senior is projects. proje, Senior projects are done in two semesters at Wilkes, with the first being about the creation of an idea and the planning for which to build that idea. The second part is the building, testing and REMINDER! Build your resume with a diverse set of skills! The Beacon is looking for News writers! 0 000 You can write about ... • campus happenings • National news • Current events • Politics • And more! O full creation of said project. Brad Hepner, a senior mechanical engineering major, is currently in the process of getting a research article fully published in an academic journal. ”I've had a great experience with the students and faculty in the department over the past three and a half years. The professors are extremely nice and wish for your success and are a big help along the way,” said Hepner. The belief in the program is echoed by students and faculty. Hepner said the camaraderie between all the students and how everyone can work together is his favorite part, while Dr. Bednarz loves the growth of students. “I truly stand behind our program. I think our students leave here prepared for the real world. They get the lecture experience, one-on-one attention, and especially lab experience,” said Bednarz. ~ NEWS ------ ---□ CONTACT: News Editor: Madelynn.Kinard@wilkes.edu �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 7 Life, Arts & Entertainment Life, Arts & Entertainment Have any events or artists to be shared? Contact Life, Arts & Entertainment Editor: Jordan.Daniel@wilkes.edu Unique exhibition debuts at the Sordoni Art Gallery By Laury Angeles Martinez Life, Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer A new exhibition called “Creativity, Collaboration and Friendship” by artist David C. Driskell has arrived at the Sordoni Art Gallery. This exhibition will be open to the public until Feb. 26, 2023. The purpose of the exhibit is to point up Driskell’s history and legacy as an artist along with the importance of his and his friends’ friendship. The exhibition centers around his work as an artist, curator, educator and organizer. Driskell’s long and creative career began in the early 1950s and lasted until his death in 2020. “We felt it was important that we show the artistic achievements of David alongside the artists that he advocated for and inspired him throughout his career,” said Heather Sincavage, associate professor of art and the director and program coordinator of Sordoni Art Gallery. “We essentially tell a life story throughout the space.” The exhibition has been co-curated by Heather Sincavage, Prof. Curlee Raven Holton of the University of Maryland, and Dr. Sheila Bergman of the University of California-Riverside. “I think people should come to see it just because it is different,” said Devyn Cammarota, a senior digital design and media art major. “It is not like every show we have done so far because of the collaboration with other artists, like the colors and honestly the work itself is just something you should come to see in person rather than online.” Parking and admittance to the Sordoni Art Gallery to view this exhibit is completely free to the public so that anyone can come and see Driskell’s work. “I think is really important to recognize everything Driskell did, you know, to influence how Americans view African American artists,” said Melissa Carestia, assistant director of the Sordoni Art Gallery. Sincavage also adds that we are seeing Black excellence within this exhibit because for far too long exhibition spaces and textbooks have favored white, heterosexual men. This exhibition allows all people to show their support for minority artists and combat societal injustice. The Sordoni Art Gallery is the first to see this historical exhibition. The exhibition will be traveling for the next two years to universities across the United States. Photos: The Beacon/Laury Angeles Martinez This piece of art entitled “Posse,” oil on canvas by artist Keith Morrison, 1994. “Seated Mother and Child, “ Elizabeth Catlett, Cast Bronze on Wood, 1982. Piece of art entitled, “Family Ark,” offset printing by John Thomas Biggers, 1992. �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment 8 Cocktail of the Week: Easy-to-make Mexican White Russian By Haley Katona Staff Writer Looking for a more caffeinated way to celebrate the leaves falling down and the clock turning back an hour? Do you also enjoy the classic white Russian? Consider trying this energizing variation of the typical white Russian but with tequila! This remix of a drink is called the Mexican white Russian. Not only is it the perfect remedy for the slow tiredness that accompanies this time of year but it is super simple to make at home. Try it out the next time you need a boost for the night. Ingredients: 1.5 ounce Tequila 1 ounce Coffee Liqueur 1 ounce Irish cream ac Whipped Cream (optional) Directions: First, pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake thoroughly. Then, strain the drink into a frosted glass with new ice. Garnish with whipped cream if you want a sweeter approach. That is it. Cheers! The Beacon reminds everyone to drink responsibility… and that the legal drinking age is 21 The Beacon/Haley Katona This drink is tasty and simple to make, o n B um Emily Cherkauskas, Editor-in-Chief: She - dodie Maddy Kinard, News Editor: Shirt - SZA Zach Paraway, News Staff Writer: BackOutsideBoyz - Drake s p B e Each week, the Wilkes Beacon staff picks their favorite song of the week. Check out this week’s bumps to the right! Jordan Daniel, LA&E Editor: Shirt - SZA Morgan Rich, LA&E Asst. Editor: Midnight Rain - Taylor Swift Wren Haze, Opinion Editor: I I Here to Forever - Death Cab for Cutie Sydney Allabaugh, Opinion Staff Writer: 90 Proof - Smino, J. Cole Baylee Guedes, Sports Editor: To The Bone - Quavo, Takeoff, YoungBoy Never Broke Again David Marks, Lead Layout Designer: Me (heavy) - Fred again.. �The Beacon – November 9, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment 9 Students love Programming Board’s “Magicroni and Cheese” event By Anthony Cazun Staff Writer Magic, a wildly secretive and mythical concept, and macaroni were the pillars of entertainment and at Programming Board’s recent “Magicroni and Cheese.” “It’s a yearly tradition,” said Samara Carey, first-year psychology and criminology major, as well as a member of Programming Board. “It stopped because of COVID for a bit but we’re back. It’s always a hit with everyone.” During the event, accomplished and talented magician Ran’d Shine amazed and bewildered students by performing near tricks to an audience. One could choose to dine from a wide array of macaroni and cheese from various restaurants such as Panera, Franco’s and Mission BBQ. “It’s really cool to have [Ran’d Shine] here as a smaller school because it feels like we’re being noticed by bigger people,” said Carey. “It feels nice that someone well known in various circles came to our school. It makes Wilkes feel noticed and it shows that we’re interested in growing.” The room was decorated with various magic-themed banners. Free bracelets and small pieces of plastic cheese occupied the rows of chairs that were soon filled with eager viewers and participants. The stage was reserved for none other than seasoned-magician Shine. While on stage, Shine performed several tricks, including a spin on a classic card trick that involved guessing an unknown card with three volunteers. Another trick involved escaping finger cuffs repeatedly while secretly swiping somebody’s wallet, cutting a rope and then magically forming it back together several times. “I thought it was really cool,” said Johnathan Kochanski, a first-year criminology major. “I’ve never been picked to participate in one before. It was a pretty cool and fun experience. I would absolutely do it again in a heartbeat.” Shine’s most elaborate trick was one involving dozens of audience participants. Shine would request that the participant write their parent’s name on a piece of paper, toss it into a bag, mix it around and then he would guess whose parent it was while using only eye contact with the entire crowd. The trick completely enthralled the audience, especially the lucky participant who had their mother’s name guessed by Shine. The magician was particularly delighted to be performing back in his home state. Shine has toured the world, and has appeared on various high profile television programs. He also performed for former U.S. President Barack Obama. “I love being back home,” said Shine. “This is where I got my start, in Philadelphia. It’s nice to come back home where you started and perform for friends and family as well as meet new people.” Shine not only began his magical journey in Pennsylvania, but also within a well-known university residing in the state. A Penn State University cafeteria is where his magic career began. “It’s very nostalgic performing for a university, where I got started,” said Shine. “I never thought for a moment at the time that I’d do this for a living. It’s come full circle now.” Shine had many positive words to say about Wilkes University and its students before his departure. “When I walked in, the energy was like level 10,” said Shine. “I don’t know if it was me or the macaroni. I thrive off the energy of the crowd. I hear them excited and talking and bobbing their heads to the music, I know they’re here to see some magic. Their faces, their claps, I know I have to give it my all, even before I perform a trick.” The Reveille with Ryan Evans: Stop making veterans’ service poltical By Ryan Evans Staff Writer One of my biggest pet-peeves, something I find more loathsome and irksome than most anything I can think of, is when veterans sell their service to a political party. I will work to keep my own political views out of this, but I see it all the time at my day job. I work full-time as a reporter for the Times Leader and occasionally I get assigned a veteran’s story, because I am our resident veteran and without naming names, somehow the story always ends up being politicized by someone. Recently, I wrote about a man who was transported from the VA medical center to see his Hometown Heroes banner that hangs on a downtown Wilkes-Barre Street. It was an emotional experience. Again, without going into much detail about the man, I shed a tear or two while trying to maintain my professionalism. One of the first comments on that story after it was published said, “Vote Red.” Now have your beliefs. That is all part of the freedoms we enjoy as American citizens, within reason of course because there are certainly those out there who believe in some, shall we Ryan Evans say ‘scary’ stuff. But what lack of taste and common sense do you have to have to make that comment? The comment has since been removed but this man earned a Bronze Star for Valor in Korea and that somehow gets boiled down to “Vote Republican.” No. That man’s service means much more than that. Everyone who has served honorably, their service means much more than that. Yet, I see it constantly. There is always someone in the community trying to help the veterans and those people always claim, “Senator So-and-So truly cares. They said they will help.” Yeah, they are all about helping until the election results are released. Then, they are equally quick to disappear. Why else do you think the daily suicide rate for veterans on average remains at least 22 a day? Being a real patriot is not about voting for one side or another because you think it makes you a patriot. It is having the ability to think for yourself. It is not about proving another side wrong or throwing insult after insult or verbally berating a female reporter in a parking lot outside of a rally, which I have witnessed. It is having the courage to admit that maybe one does not have all the answers. It is having respect for other human beings—not just other Americans—but for other human beings as a whole and to hear a new side or a new perspective one may not have thought about before. That is what change is: having an open mind and being willing to accept that you do not know everything like about a woman’s body and her right to choose, for instance (I knew I would not be able to keep my opinions out of it). Take up a cause, vote how you see fit and try to make a difference but do not for a single second think that makes it okay to dehumanize anyone else, simply because you do not agree with them. I did not enlist to serve blindly. I enlisted for a second chance at a life that I actively tried to destroy and nearly lost, and there are thousands out there just like me. There is so much more to this life than left or right, red or blue, liberal or conservative and to draw your lines so vehemently only seeks to limit the human experience. Try kindness instead. The world, this country is changing. How long do old, white, Christian men get to sit back and rule while we fight amongst ourselves? And one more harsh truth before I sign off from this tangential rambling. For many, the military is the greatest thing they have ever done. If you are a veteran, here is my challenge to you: Do something greater than that and make sure it is greater than your own desire to simply out-America somebody else. �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment 10 Meet the Majors This week’s major: Sports Management Every week, The Beacon will offer a chance for majors to be placed in the spotlight. Each student who is chosen will have a few words Jordan Daniel to express why they chose the major and how they feel it will benefit Life, Arts & Entertainment them in the future. Interviews and photos by Editor Elizabeth Spoon Sophomore Chris Silverio First-Year “My favorite aspect of sports management is learning to work with sports teams within the business aspect. “I’m looking forward to learning more about how to manage with a team and to publicly speak to others. “If football does not work, I want to work for an NFL team, maybe even own or help a team. “I hope to complete this year and to possibly get recognized for an organization.” “I hope to achieve a vast knowledge on what it takes to run a sports franchise. My long-term goal is to become a college ice hockey coach. This will help me because I will be able to gather lots of experience in the sports world and have the education to not only be an effective coach but also be able to take care of the administrative side of coaching and leading a team.” The Beacon/ Jordan Daniel Luc Fox Junior “This year I am looking forward to being able to apply what I learned from my classes in my internship with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. “I chose this major because I’ve played sports my whole life and I’m very passionate about sports. I also couldn’t see myself working a desk job selling paper. “I hope to continue working in hockey by owning my own goalie coaching business.” Steele Hess Junior “I like that I have grown a strong connection with Dr. Lee, as he taught all the courses I have taken thus far. I also enjoy going to class, learning new and intriguing things every day. “I have been involved in sports my whole life, whether it was me watching my siblings play or me playing. I chose this major because of the love I have for sports and it has made me the person I am today. Sports is something that I can not live without. ” �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment 11 L By Morgan Rich Life, Arts & Entertainment Asst.Editor This week was one of the most unique weeks I experienced during my Disney College Program internship. It was filled with plenty of fun experiences and all kinds of surprises. On Oct. 31, I was fortunate enough to go to Universal Studios with my mom, nan and a friend. I was excited about this since my favorite holiday is Halloween and I would get to experience Harry Potter World during this time of year. This was definitely something on my bucket list. We spent the day going on all of the rides we possibly could before nighttime fell. That is when all of the Death Eaters were going to come out in Hogsmeade at Harry Potter World. Death Eaters in Harry Potter are supporters of Voldemort, the main antagonist in the series, and Universal Studios only has them come out from the middle of September until Oct. 31. We were lucky enough to see them on their very last day. What was fun about seeing them is that they come up and interact with guests, attempt to scare them and even create a fun light show on Hogwarts castle. I brought a mini Death Eater plushie with me, along with a Draco Malfoy one, and they loved it so much that I received over six different interactions from them. After our long day, we went to CityWalk to enjoy dinner at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen. This restaurant is known for its 19th-century-inspired dining experience and its huge desserts. My mom and I shared a hazelnut milkshake, which came topped with loads of whipped cream and nutella-flavored ice cream. The next day I was able to work in Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland again, which is one of my favorite places to work. However, Tuesday was not nearly as fun as it was previously because I only stayed in one shop all day, instead of moving around in different shops like I normally do. It was not a total loss though since I still did have lots of fun. Nov. 2 was an entirely different story. That morning I was finally able to work stock on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood Studios. Hollywood Studios is my favorite Walt Disney World park and another new work location that I can finally cross off my bucket list. I was doing all sorts of things such as draining the drink and fan carts, filling up the misting fans, bringing our cart different merchandise products and refilling the drink carts. The only downside about that was working outside in about 90 degree heat so I was feeling overheated and sunburnt. Despite all that, I thought that it was a super fun experience. That night was what I was most excited about for this week. Walt Disney World was allowing their cast members to have a cast-exclusive preview of their most popular show in Hollywood Studios, “Fantasmic!”, which is inspired by Disney’s film “Fantasia” and features plenty of fireworks, characters, light effects, lasers, music, floats, mist-screen projectors and much more. The show was closed for refurbishment since the pandemic hit, so I was one of the first ones to see it. I felt so fortunate to watch this show because of the nostalgic feeling it creates for me. The show itself was magical, even though the last five minutes of it got canceled because of a thunderstorm and we had to walk back to the parking lot in the pouring rain. However, it created lots of fun core memories for me and an unforgettable experience. The Beacon/Morgan Rich Rich shows off her favorite thrill ride at Hollywood Studios, “Tower of Terror,” alongside her favorite Walt Disney World live returning show, “Fantasmic!” Need a break from studying? Try this festive fall puzzle HOW TO PLAY: The goal is to find all of the words in the pyramid. Start at the top and the first word is given. Then go one step down and find the next word. This word will be one character longer and must contain all the letters from the word above. 7: harvest 6: hearts 5: earth 4: heat 3: ate LEVEL CLUES 3: Past tense of eat. 4: Energy that causes things to become warmer. 5: The planet where we live. 6: To hearten, encourage. 7: The act of gathering and picking the fruit and vegetable you grow. Puzzles by www.edu-games.org �The Beacon - November, 9 2022 12 141.'S lt:E IOt:llEP t•II 111111•1 111 10 Sophomore Cadden Kucek holding position on top of his opponent wa Sophomore Charles Everdale controlled his Stevens opponent in a leg hold. Senior Kyle Tino tries to get out of a hold by their opponent from Penn College of Technology. Pictures by Baylee Guedes �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 13 The Colonels line up for the playing of our Nation Anthem during pre-game ceremonies. Junior Jimmy O'Kane looks to make a pass as his opponent emerges towards him. The Colonels send shots on senior goal tender Michael PatersonJones to prepare him for game day. Graduate student Phil Erickson and senior Billy Berry look to get a shot off in their game against First-year Mason Vonk, junior Jimmy O'Kane and first-year Patrick Roginski join one • King's College 011 another to have a celly after a Colonel goal. Oct. 30. _., Pictures by Julia Mazur Page Design by Lara Mullen +Pe +Pe +Pe _., ~ �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 Opinion Editorial Staff 2022-23 MANAGERIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief - Emily Cherkauskas Adviser - Dr. Kalen Churcher SECTION EDITORS News - Maddy Kinard LA&E - Jordan Daniel Opinion - Wren Haze Sports - Baylee Guedes ASSISTANT EDITORS LA&E - Morgan Rich SECTION STAFF WRITERS News - Zach Paraway Opinion - Sydney Allabaugh DESIGNERS Lead Designer - David Marks Interested in joining The Beacon? Several positions are open! To learn more about what you can do, contact: Kalen.Churcher@wilkes.edu 141 S. Main Street Clayton and Theresa Karambelas Media & Communication Center Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 Phone - (570) 408-5903 www.thewilkesbeacon.com Want to advertise in The Beacon? Contact: Kalen Churcher at kalen.churcher@wilkes.edu The Beacon Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Opinion 14 Have an opinion or want to write a guest column? Contact: Emily.Cherkauskas@wilkes.edu Our Voice Each week, The Beacon’s editorial board will take a stance on a current issue. NCAA needs to give student-athletes breaks One of the biggest aspects of college life is athletics. The importance of it is well-known. Without it, countless interactions and friendships would cease to exist and millions of students would never have the opportunity to seek higher education. Athletes work extremely hard to perform in their sports while also having to still be students first, hence the title of student-athlete. Despite this extra responsibility, it is important to realize that student-athletes are still human. They still have lives, flaws and most importantly, families that they have to see less because of their sport. With the extra time and devotion that has to be given out of their lives, the importance of breaks on holidays should be immense—yet, in many cases they are forced to stay. Most athletes, especially those who participate in winter sports are many times forced to stay on campus for the duration of the vacation or, get it severely shortened to the point where they get only a day. They are forced to stay in their dorms or houses off campus and while that may sound nice, with no classes and extra privacy, the problems outweigh it. Everyone has gone home, and any free time that you have usually gets spent in more practice. The living situation, if not yet clear, is not ideal. During these in-between semester breaks, there are no student body-related campus events, community rooms and spaces are empty, the dining halls are closed and more. With the dining hall being closed, Wilkes has to give students extra money for food. Even if coaches try to lift spirits, the situation is still not ideal. This is not the fault of Wilkes, however. The schedules and matchup are done by and for the National College Athletic Association (NCAA), the governing body for all of college sports. Everything that is done must be approved and fit the idea of what the NCAA wants to do. This is a bigger issue as one goes up division with collegiate sports. Division I during the winter runs the mileage of their athletes to no end. College football is in full bowl season by that point, and winter sports at that level play regardless of season, holiday or time. Bowl games are played the day before and after major holidays like Christmas and New Years, all while they still have to travel across the country. Again, these athletes are humans— young people just coming out of adolescence. The athletes are anywhere from 18-23 usually, and asking an 18 year-old kid to spend their time away from home and social lives, pushing them to complete their daily rough practice amidst long travel is not great. The NCAA should, and needs to, look into having a holiday break for all sports. Admittedly, this would not be effective for fall sports so much, as no major American holidays are then. However, for winter and spring, it would be an opportunity for breathing room. In winter sports, making students go extra long without seeing their families just because of the sport they play is not fair. Athletes do great things in their sport, but they are still human. You can’t ask them to go long without seeing their families just because they have a talent—it’s a punishment with damaging consequences. Letter to the editor policy: The Beacon welcomes letters to the editor from differing viewpoints. Letters must contain contact information, including name, city, state and phone number. Phone numbers will not be published but may be used for verification purposes. All letters to the editor must be sent using one of the following methods: Email: Emily.Cherkauskas@wilkes.edu Phone: (570) 408-5903 (Voicemail: 30 seconds or less, please.) Mail: 84 West South Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18766 Attn: The Beacon �The Beacon -November 9, 2022 Opinion 15 Album Review Joji’s comeback album shines a glimpse into the past “Die For You” 10/10 By Wren Haze Opinion Editor “Glimpse of Us” 10/10 Regardless of gaining popularity on TikTok, this song sent me rolling upon first listen. This song introduces the common theme that he presents to the album. It is safe to say that he is reflecting on a past lover who has clearly moved on. However, he tries to move on as well but struggles to find that connection that he had in the previous lover, hoping to find the glimpse of her in this poor girl’s eyes. This song shows the events of an unintentional rebound after relationships and how easily it happens. Feeling Like The End 8/10 The lofi vibes in this are immaculate here but his message is clear in this 1:42 track. This track reminds the singer of all of these things that the couple used to do, but after the relationship has now ended, it feels like it is simply the end, even though he is fully aware that it is not the end of the world. It simply just feels like it. I wish this song was a bit longer, but the emphasis of “too many too many things we did together” really helps the meaning get across. “Dissolve” 8.5/10 This is definitely one of Joji’s best songs when it comes to telling a story through lyrics. This shows that the ex-lover will do anything for her, regardless that she has moved on and is happier elsewhere. This song also shows that he is happy that she found what she wanted in a relationship that he was not able to provide her. This song definitely has the same vibe as a song that would appear on his BALLADS 1 LP, but the theme remains strong on this LP. This song is important but this is the epitome of confusion. In the last song, he is realizing this era (this relationship) is coming to an end, but the confusion is swallowing him whole, making him want to disappear. “Who are we and what have we become?” is such a strong lyric and it really makes you question along with him. I was not a huge fan of the guitar presented in the song. “Before The Day Is Over” 9/10 A lofi banger. This song feels like the aftermath of a fallen relationship as he wishes this person was still here. He misses their touch, their presence and their everything. Want to know how it feels when someone falls out of love with you and you have no idea what to do? Well this song explains every gut retching feeling you may experience. The beginning of the song goes through the confusion of what is truly going on with the other person. How a bleak smile turns into something dull. The last part of the song feels very blurred and it is almost like an anxiety induced plea to understand what is happening before the relationship is over. This song definitely hurt a bit upon first listen. “NIGHT RIDER” 7/10 “BLAHBLAHBLAH DEMO” 9/10 I am not even shocked that he threw a song in here with no correlation to what the song is about in an album like this. However, I was expecting something immature here due to the name of the song, but I really enjoyed this track. This song definitely should have been included on a previous LP as it talks about what he could have provided to his lover, but I love the lyrics in this song. It definitely proves that he has matured. “YUKON (INTERLUDE)” 10/10 What happens is Yukon is up to Joji and God because this song is a banger. The song was made for me, myself and I to blast in my car on repeat. I danced my ass to this song on the first listen because it is so good. This is a classic Joji song and it did not leave any crumbs. There are a lot of allusions in this song to express the cycle of the relationship. “1 AM FREESTYLE” 10/10 “I do not want to be alone” does not mean a codependency on a past lover. I think the song depicts how hard it is to establish independence when someone goes and ruins it. This is my favorite track off the album. Overall I rate this LP a 10/10 as Joji returns with a banger. This LP really shows the development of Filthy Frank to this and how much he has grown since. I am still pissed that I was not able to attend his tour for the second time, but next time he announces his tour, I will be front and center. WANT MORE FRESH MUSIC REVIEWS? SEND US YOUR SUGGESTIONS! INSTAGRAM: @WILKESBEACON �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 Opinion 15 Wren’s Watchlist: ‘Bloom Into You’ has some fast bloomers By Wren Haze Opinion Editor Editor’s note: this review contains spoilers. Lesbians move fast, but Yuu Koito and Touko Nanami move faster. After getting paid, I decided to get the HIDIVE subscriptions so I can finally watch “Bloom Into You,” a GL anime that has gained popularity since its release in 2018. The show follows first year student Yuu Koito struggling to decide how to tell this boy she was friends with that she is in fact not interested in dating him. She monologues for the first five minutes of the show about how she has yet to find her first love, but she is sure that he is not going to be the one she falls in love with. After that, she gets tricked into joining the student council by her professor and this particular council room is in the middle of the woods. Not going to lie, I would have feared for my life if someone told me to go there. When Koito gets there, she eavesdrops on two people in a conversation. The boy is confessing to the girl and it is a reflection almost of what Koito is going through. After the boy leaves with the satisfaction that he got rejected by the girl, the girl notices that Koito was watching them and swears to secrecy about it. Koito discovers that the girl is a part of the student council and she introduces herself as Touko Nanami. Nothing screams “I am the love interest” like this wind blowing introduction. Fast forward to a few days later and Koito is being pestered by the boy who confessed to her prior entry to high school. Koito seems to be unsure of what to say to him and also unsure on who to turn to about it. Koito ends up turning to Nanami, and she ends up giving her the courage to reject the boy. Not going to lie, the boy is such an NPC (non-playable character) in this show, I hurt for him. The rejection process occurs, and somehow, Nanami and Koito are holding hands. What a way to move on fast. They decide to move a bit faster. Nanami ends up confessing to Koito that she feels this spark between the two, but due to Koito’s confused expression, Nanami ends up dropping the conversation and focusing on the upcoming election for the Student Council. With that new focus, Nanami assigns Koito as the Campaign Manager for Nanami and assigns her with the speech to give to the school on behalf of Nanami. Koito does not understand why she was picked over Nanami’s best friend and Vice President nominee Sayaka Saeki. Even Saeki becomes hurt from the decision as well, questioning the trust she had with Nanami. However, Nanami proves to Saeki it was not because of trust, just because she felt that it was right. Honestly, just say you are gay. Nanami and Koito end up walking home together when a train stops the crowd from crossing. At this moment, Nanami ends up kissing Koito and I am sitting in my car in the Wyoming Valley Mall parking lot, wondering what the hell is going on. That is where I did stop for this week, but due to their fast pacing, I believe I need a slight break from the series. I currently rate the show a 7/10 and wonder what goes on in Nanami’s head. Is Halloween dying? The evolution of the holiday By Fernando Zumaran Staff Writer Halloween is a very popular day in our culture. Many people celebrate the spooky season with a costume or horror movie marathon. It is a big part of people’s lives, and it goes without saying that everyone knows what it is. However, in more recent years, at first glance, it does appear to be declining in popularity. The main example is trick-ortreating. Trick-or-treating is a very popular activity for people of all ages, mainly those under a certain age. The idea of getting free candy with your friends and family walking around the neighborhood dressed as your favorite fictional or nonfictional character is truly exciting. Although getting free candy seems like a no-brainer, it appears fewer kids are out trick-or-treating and not taking advantage of the opportunity. In my experience, I went to my hometown for the “holiday” and spent it with my family. When it came to nighttime, we did not witness a single person in costume walk past our house. Figuring everyone may have been downtown, we drove around the neighborhood, and what we saw was shocking. There was not a single person in the street in a costume. It was not too late, and it was peak trick-or-treating hours, and yet not a single person was in the streets this Halloween. So, what happened? Well, people have many different reasons and theories for why Halloween appears to be dying. One theory is that after COVID-19, people are not willing to walk around town knocking on random people’s doors. While this sounds plausible initially, I do not believe this is right. First of all, a large number of costumes require masks anyway, so social distancing would still be possible. The decline in popularity started years before 2020, so blaming COVID for the lack of trick-or-treaters would not make sense. In 2017, people were talking about the lack of people at their doors as well, so it is not only a postCOVID problem. Lastly, people usually leave candy bowls out for kids anyway; no contact would be necessary. So, what is the problem if it is not COVID? Probably, the most popular theory and reasoning is because of “trunkor-treat.” It is essentially a location in town that has a bunch of cars a few days before Halloween, and everyone has lots of candy for kids, and there is music and even games. It is a communitybuilt event that takes place yearly. The idea that you and your family can go to a place with candy, music, and lots of other people in costumes your age while also taking place during the day would sound appealing to any kid and especially any parent. Parents today are more concerned about their children’s safety than ever before, and walking around with strangers at night does not sound as appealing anymore. In my personal opinion, I believe that “trunk-or-treat,” while a good idea, robs the Halloween experience for those who do not partake in that event. They sit at their homes waiting for someone to show up, only for them to have no one at their door and a full bowl of candy. However, all this being said, keeping children safe should be a priority, so while people may prefer the traditional method of wandering the streets at night from house to house, it may not be all too safe. So no, I do not think Halloween itself is dying. Rather, the traditional trick-or-treat activity is evolving into keeping kids more safe. People still dress up every year for social media pictures, and costume parties are still popular as well. This year alone, there were dozens of popular celebrity costumes making their way across the internet. Halloween shops and movies still grow in popularity every October. With the modern age of children and social media, people just want a safer environment for their kids. They want to let their child dress up and get free candy but not have to worry about the mysterious people who wander around in the night, and that should not be a bad thing. �The Beacon -November 9, 2022 Opinion 17 Pros and cons of Musk’s Twitter purchase and reign By Sydney Allabaugh Opinion Staff Writer ����������������������� �������������� � �������������� �� �������� ������������ ������� ��� �� ����� ������������ ������� ���� ������������� ��� �� ��������� ������ ������������������������� ����������������� ������ Financial decisions �� ���� �������� ������� �������� ��� ���� ���������� ��������� ��� ���� ��� ���� �� ���� ���� ��� �� � ���������  � � � ���� �������� �� ��������������­�������������� ������������������������������ ���������� ���������� ��������������������������������� ����� ���� ������ ��� ���� �� ����� �� � €‚�������€ƒ„�������������������…� ��� �������� ��� �� � ���� ���������� ����� ������������������������������������ ���� � �� ���� �������� ���� � � ������ �������� �������� ������� ����� ����� †���� ����� ���� ����� ������������ �������� ��� �‡ ������ ��� ���� ��� ˆ‰ � � � ������ ����� ��� €€„���������������������������� ��� ����� ������� ����� ��� ������ ��� �� ������� ��� ��� ��� �� �������� ��������� Š�����������������������‹������������� ��� ���� ����� � ������ �������� �� ��� � � ����� ����� ������������ ‹������������ �� ������� ������������� ��� ������ ������ ������������� ��� ������ ����� ����� ��� ��� ��� ���� ����� ����� ���������������� ������ ���� ������� ����� ������������������ ��� ��� ��� ������ Œ€� �� ������ ���� ��� ��������� ���� � ������ � � �������� �� ��� �� ��� ����� ������ �� � ���� ƒ�� ��� ����� ��� ��� ����� ��� ������ ������� ����� ���� ������� ����� ��������� ���� ��� ������ ��� �������� ��� Œ„� �� ������ �� ������ ����� �� ������ ���� ������ ���� ������� ����� ��� ����� ������� ���� ��� ������ ���������� ��������������������������������������������� ����������������� ������������� ����������� ���������������������� ������� ������ ������ ���� ����� ��� ����� ������ ��������� ��� ����������� ­�������� �� ��� ���� ������ � ����������������������‹������������������� �������������� ��� �������� �� �������� ����� ��� ��� �Ž�������� �������������������������‘���������������� ��������������������� ������������������������ � ����� ��� �� ������������������ ���������� ������������ ���� �� ����������������������� ������������� ����������������������������� ��������������� ����������� Š � � � � � � � � � ��� ������ ��� ��� ����� ��� �������� � � � � � � � � � � �� ���� ���� ��� �������� ������ ������������ ����� ���������� ������ ������� ��� ��� ���������������� � ������ ���������� � � ����� �� ���� ��� ������� ��� Freedom of speech ��������������� ��� �� ’ ���� � ����� ����������“� ���� ����� ��� � �� ���� ������ ������� ����� ��������� ��������� ��� Š”�� ����������� ��������������•��� ������������� ������������� ����������� �� ����������� ������������� ���� ���� � ����� ����������� ����� ���� ��� ��� ����� ����� ���������� ����� ��� ������ � �� ’�������� ���������� �������“� ����������������� ������­���������������� �� ��� ���� �� ������ ����������� ����� ��� ����� ��������������������������� ����������� ­�� ����� ����� ��� ������ ��������� ����� ����� �� �������� ��� ������ ����� ��� ���� � �� ����� ����� ��������� ����� ����� ������� ��� ���������� �Ž�������� � ����� ��� ���� �� ������ ����� ��� �������� ��� ���� We want to hear your voice! 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CONTACT: Editor-in-Chief: Emily Cherkauskas@wilkes.edu ������ ����� ���� ��������� ��� ������ �������� ��� �� ��� �� ���� ƒ€–����� ������ �—���� ����‘�� ��������� ���� ���� � � ���� �–����� �����������������‰ � �� ����� �������� �������� ��� ��������� ���������� ��� ���� ������� ˜��������� ”�������� ����������� ������� ��� ��������������������� ������� �Ž����������������� ������������� ��‡��� ������������ ��� ���� �� ������ ���� ����� �������� �����…����������������������™šš��������� ������� ������ ��� ���� �������� ��� ���� ������� ������ ��� ������ ���� �� ��� ��������� ������˜›œ�ž–ƒ��†�������������������� ���� ���� ��� ����� ����� ������ ��� ���������� ����� �� �� ������ ������ ���� ���������������������������� ������������ ��� ����������� ����� �� �� ������ ��� ����� ������ ­������������������� ����������������� � ���������‡���������������������†���������� ���������� ����������������‡ ������������� ���������������������� ������������������ ������ ��� ����� ���� �������� ��� ����������� ������� ���� ������ � ���� ���� � �������� ��� ������� ������� ����� ������ ������� ��� ����� ��� ������������ ��� ���� ���� ������ ���� �‹��� �������� ������ ����� ������ � ������ �������Ÿ���������� ��� �•���� ���� �� ���� � � ����Ÿ����� ������� ���� ��� �� ��š�����������������—�������������� ���� �The Beacon -November 2, 2022 Opinion Opinion 18 Review of ‘Thnee Real Hills’ season 12 Real Housewives Housewives of of Beverly l By Rudy Urenovich Staff Writer Editor’s note: this review contains ins spoilers. �������� ���� ��� ���� ��������� ���� ������ st ������� ��� ������� ��� ��� ������� ���� e ������� � ���� ���� ��� ������ ��� ���� ���� � ����� ���� ���� ������ ��� ���� �� �������� ���� ��������������������� �������������� ���� ����� �� ���� �������� ��� �� ����������������������������� ������ ����������������� ���� �������������������� ������������ ����������������������������� � ���� ��� ������ � ��� ���� ����� ��� ���� ���� ��� ��� ���� ���� ��� ���� ������ �������� ��� ����������� �������������� ����� ���� ������������������� ������ ������ ���� ���� ����� ����� � ���� ���� ���� ���� ��� ��������� ����� � �� ������� ��� �������� ����� ������� ��� ���� � � ���� ����������� ����� �������   ­� €� �� �� ������� ‚���� ������� ƒ��„�� …�������� …�� � ������������†�����€��� ����‡������ ‡��� „�� ���� ˆ����� � €���� ‰��„�Š� ��������‹��� ��������������������€����� �� ����Œ������� �������� �Ž������������€� �� �� ������Œ���������������������� �������� �����Ž� ������� ��� �� �� ������� ��� ���‘ ��� ����������� � ��������� ����������� �������� �� ����� ����� ������ �� ���� ���� ���� �������� ��� ����� ������ ���������� ��� � � ������ †����� ’��„����� “������ ��� ��������� ���� �”•����� ��� ‹� � ‡������ ‡������ –�������� ���������������������������� ������������������ ���� ���� ������� �������� �Š�� ��� ����� ��� �”������ ����� ����� ���������� †����� €��� ��� ���� ����� ��� ��������� ��� ���� ������ ���� ������� ��������� ����� ��� ���� ���������� �—�������� ��� ����� ������ ������������������������� ����� ������ �� ������ ��� ����� ��� ����� ����� ����� ���� � ������� �� ������� ���� �������������������������������������� ������ ����������� �������� �� ��� ���� ���� ������ ��� ��� �� �� ˜����� ��� ����� �� �� ��� ƒ��„�� ’������ ������ �� …�������� ������ ���� ���� ���� ���������������������� ��� ������� � �� �� ����������� ������ ������������� ����� ��� ������� ��� ���� ���� ���� � ���� ���� ��������������������������������� � ���� ���� pop �star, � � � �� ���� gay � ���� icon, �feminist, � � � � � � � �� �������� married ��� to �� �� once ��������� renowed, ��� but ���� now ������ ��� disgraced ������ lawyer ������� Thomas …�������� � �� ������������� �� Girardi. I could write a whole ������ )ther ���� �� article ��� on ����� them ��� as �� �� well. ���� � ��� Basically, .e � ������ scammed �� ����� millions ����� from vu)nP,.~i.• ��� �� ���� �� ������� 'ients. � ���� ����� �� �� ����� ������� ���� ���� ��„��� �����• ���� � ��� � � ���������� ���� ����„�� ���� �� ��� �� ������� �� ���� ������������������������������������� ��������������������������������� ������������� ����� �������������� ��� ��� ���� ������� ���� �� ����� � �� �� ������ �������� ��� ���� ��� ���� ��� ���� ������� ��������������������������������������� � ��� �� ����� ��������� ���� ���� ��� � ��� �� ��������������—���� ������������������� ��������� ���� ������ ���� ��������� ���� ��������� ���� ���� „�� ����� ���� � ������ � ��� ���� ��������������������������������������� �” ����� “���� ���� ���� ������ ���� ����� �������������������������������������� �������™������������������������� ������ ���������������������������������������� �������� …� €� �� �� ������ ����� �������� ����� š������� � ��������� ‡��� ���� ���� ��� ���� ������� ���������� ›��������‹������������ ��� ������ �� ��� ���� ��� ����� ��� � ����„� ���� ������������������������‡��������� ������������ ���������������������������� ���������������������� ������������ ������ ���� ������ ����� �������� ���� ������ �� ������� ���� ������ ���� ��� � �Š��� ‰���� ��� ���� ���������������������� ������������������� ���� ���������������� ������������� ����� ��������������������������������������� ���������� ‡��� „�� ���� ‰��„�Š�� ���� �—���� 1 ��� at ����� odds � w �i �t �� h ���� the � �� old Œ � � �� �tire � � � � Ž� � � � � � � � housewiv� � � �� �� ��������������…�����������€��� ������ -rli and Kem · ���������� ������������������������� ���� "and ����� ���� ��� �� ����� ������� ������� ���� � ���������������������„�������������—���� ������� ���� �������� ���� � ��� ���� ��� ������ ����������� ����� ����� ��� �� ������ �������� ���� „� ����� ���� ���� �������� ������ ����� ���� �� ������� � �������� �„�� �� ������ ����� � � ���� ����� � ��� ���� � ��� ���� �”������ ���� ���� ����� �”������ ��� ��� �����œ����� ������� †��� � ��������� ��� ����� �� ���� ���������ž� ‹� �� � ��� ���� ����� ������ ���������������������������������������� � ��� ��������������������������������� ������� ��� ��������������������� ������������������������������ ������� ������������������� �„���� ����� ����� †��„�� �������������������������� ������ � lJ«. ��������� � ������������������������������ and hf ‡��� She'���� ����� ��� �� ��� ��� ������ ���� ���� sh, ��� � ����� ��� ������� ������� ���� ������ �� �������� „���”���������� w �������������������������������€����� �� ���� ���������� ��� ��� �� ������� �� ����������� �� ��� ��������� ���� ��� � ��������������������������������������� ����� ���� ���� ����� ���� �� �� ������� ������ ���� …�������� ������� ���� ���� �� �� ������ ������� ������ ����� ��� ������ ������������ ���� ���� ��� ������ ���� ��������� ����� ���������� �� ������ ��� ���� ���� ��� ��� ������ �������� ��� �� ���� �� �������� ��� � „� ��� ������ ������ ’�� ����� �������� ����������� �������������� �����������ž PLACE YOUR AD HERE! Do you own a business? Have an upcoming event? Advertise with The Beacon and reach up to thousands of clients per week! Sizes range from 1/8 of a page up to a full page Advertisements are in full color Can be ran in one issue up to an entire semester For more information, please contact: Kalen.Churcher@wilkes.edu �Sports The Beacon - November 9, 2022 Sports 19 Want your sport covered? Deserve to be Athlete of the Week? Contact the Sports Editor: Baylee.Guedes@wilkes.edu WBS Penguins head into November after October showout By Julia Mazur & Baylee Guedes Staff Writer & Sports Editor As of Nov. 6, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) hold a record of 6-2-1, heading further into November game play. The Penguins feature a team composed of players mostly in the start of their professional Careers, with almost half of the team consisting of players 22-years-old or younger. For this young group, in this new era of hockey, the quick speed of the game is paying off so far in the early portion of this season. Five out of the seven games that the Penguins have played had only been won or lost by one goal. Three of those games have gone into overtime or a shootout. The Penguins currently have 13 out of a possible 14 points, a near perfect record for the month. The Penguins only loss came in their home opener on Oct. 15 when they lost with less than two seconds left in overtime to one of their in-state rivals, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Penguins outshot the Phantoms 40 to 22 and lost 3-2. Their second game of the season against the Utica Comets was suspended with 2:43 remaining in the second period due to a power outage at Adirondack Bank Center. The Penguins were losing to the Comets 2-1 at the time of the outage. This game will conclude on Jan. 24 and will not be reflected in the Penguins or Comets overall season record until its conclusion. The remainder of the games that the Penguins played in October were not high-scoring affairs, however, the Penguins were able to outshoot their opponents in five games. The Penguins also currently lead the league in the fewest goals made against them with only 13 goals scored. With this statistic, the AHL announced that Dustin Tokarski, the Penguins goaltender, received the Goaltender of the Month award for Oct. as he stands at a .949 save percentage. The start to the Penguins season is promising going into the month of Nov. They will play 11 games, most of which will take place on the road as they will only host four events. The Penguins will face off against their rival, the Hershey Bears, four times this month. Catch the Penguins at home on Nov. 11 and Nov. 12 as they host the Hartford Wolf Pack and the Springfield Thunderbirds. O'Connor driving the puck away from the Penguins net, advancing on offense after a big defensive stop. Drew O'Connor preparing to win a face-off over his opponents, the Cleveland Monsters, who they faced on Oct. 26. Photos: The Beacon/Julia Mazur Ty Glover edging towards the puck in an attempt at an offensive play against the Monsters. �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 Sports 20 MLB: Back-and-forth World Series end with WHO on top By Chris Gowarty Staff Writer On Nov. 5, The Houston Astros won Major League Baseball’s (MLB) 118th edition of the World Series. The Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in six games in the best-of-seven series to win their second championship in franchise history. GAME ONE The series opened up in Houston and game one saw the Phillies come back from an early 5-0 deficit to score six unanswered runs to win the first matchup 6-5. Starting pitcher Aaron Nola had the ball for the Phillies and was attacked early as Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker opened up the scoring with a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. After a handful of base hits by Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel and outfielder Chas McCormick, catcher Martin Maldonaldo hit an RBI single to extend the Astros lead to 2-0. In the following inning, Tucker struck Nola again with a threerun home run, his second of the game, to bring Houston’s lead to 5-0. Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander held the Phillies scoreless through the first three innings of the game but found problems in the fourth as the Phillies rallied to score three runs. In the top of the fifth inning with two runners on, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto hit a game tying double to even up the score at 5-5. Both offenses were quiet the rest of the game which led to extra innings. Realmuto proved to be the hero as he hit a go-ahead solo home run in the top of the 10th to put the final score at 6-5. GAME TWO Game two was all Houston as the Astros beat the Phillies 5-2. The Astros offense jumped on Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler early as they hit three straight doubles to jump to a quick 2-0 lead. Second baseman Jose Altuve, shortstop Jeremy Peña and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez helped Houston become the first team in MLB history to open up a World Series game with three consecutive extra base hits. A sacrifice fly by Tucker allowed Alvarez to move to third base and was scored via an RBI error by Gurriel to put Houston up 3-0 in the first. No more runs were scored until the bottom of the fifth inning when Astros third baseman Alex Bregman hit a two-run home run to put the score at 5-0. This would be all the runs that Houston would need to win the game as starting pitcher Framber Valdez shut down the Philadelphia offense. Valdez threw six and one third innings, only allowing one run and three walks while striking out nine to earn the victory. GAME THREE Game three saw total domination from the Phillies as they shutout the Astros 7-0. The series shifted to Philadelphia and saw immediate action from the Phillies as outfielder Bryce Harper opened up the scoring with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the second, Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm hit a solo home run. Later in the same inning, outfielder Brandon Marsh hit a solo home run of his own to bring the score to 4-0. In the bottom of the fifth inning, outfielder Kyle Schwarber crushed a two-run homer and was followed by a solo home run by outfielder Rhys Hoskins to bring the Phillies up 7-0. With the five home runs hit, the Phillies tied a World Series record with most home runs hit by a team in a single game. Starting pitcher Ranger Suarez earned the win for the Phillies by throwing five scoreless innings while striking out four. GAME FOUR Game four was historic as the Astros threw just the second no-hitter ever in World Series history. Starting pitcher Cristian Javier and relief pitchers Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly combined to no-hit the Phillies in the 5-0 victory. Javier earned the win with six shutout frames to go along with nine strikeouts and only two walks. The Astros scored all five of their runs in the top of the fifth via a bases loaded hit-by-pitch by Alvarez, a two-run double by Bregman, an RBI sacrifice fly by Tucker and an RBI single by Gurriel. GAME FIVE The Phillies offense proved to be silent once again in game five as the Astros won 3-2. The Astros put a run on the board quickly as Altuve led the game off with a double and was scored by Peña via an RBI single. The Phillies answered right back in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run from Schwarber to tie the game at 1-1. However, the Phillies would struggle to put hits and runs together as Verlander kept them at bay. He pitched five innings of one-run ball to go along with six strikeouts which would be just good enough to earn him his first World Series win after nine career starts in the fall classic. Peña helped Verlander secure the win by breaking the 1-1 tie in the top of the fourth inning with a solo home run. His home run made history as he became the first rookie shortstop ever to hit a home run in the World Series. The Astros would add an insurance run in the top of the eighth with an RBI groundout by Alvarez that scored Altuve. The Phillies put together a rally in the bottom of the eighth as second baseman Jean Segura hit an RBI single to put the score at 3-2. Their rally was short-lived however, as Pressly came in to pitch two outs of the eighth inning and the entirety of the ninth inning. He earned the save and gave the Astros a 3-2 win and a 3-2 lead in the World Series. GAME SIX The Astros were able to hinder the Philadelphia offense once again as they secured the world championship with a 4-1 victory in game six. The Phillies and the Astros were without a run heading into the top of the sixth inning as both Valdez and Wheeler were in a pitcher’s duel. The Phillies struck first in the sixth as Schwarber hit a solo home run, his third in the World Series, to put his team ahead 1-0. The Astros answered right back in the bottom of the frame as Alvarez crushed a 450 foot, three-run home run to put his team up 3-1. Houston added on an insurance run right after Alvarez’s home run as catcher Christian Vazquez scored Bregman with an RBI single. The score would remain 4-1 for the rest of the game as the Astros closed out and won their second World Series championship in franchise history. Peña was awarded World Series MVP honors after batting .400 (10-25) with one home run, three RBI and a 1.023 OPS. rem1um tu ent ous1ng FURNISHED ALL INCLUSIVE 1-4+ BR Aparllllant and •1111an atyla llvlng LEASE NOW FOR MAY 20 Mova inl www.znpropartlas.com 570-592-3113 Close to cla•... closer .to IIDme! �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 Sports 21 WREST: Colonels take third at Ned McGinley Invitational By Baylee Guedes Sports Editor Wrestling hit the mats on Saturday at the Ned McGinley Invitational Tournament hosted by King's College, placing third overall in the tournament. Jon Laudenslager, who entered his 20th season as head coach, coached the young men in their 2022-23 season debut and looks forward to what the rest of the season will bring. “We put five guys in the finals today, had two champs and went third as a team,” said Laudenslager. “Our young guys learned a lot about college wrestling and we’re looking forward to growth” Five Colonels came into the matchup being ranked in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Southeast region preseason rankings. Sophomore Austin Fashouer ranked second in 125 as well as ranking sixth in the country; senior Jack Bauer ranked sixth in 133; junior James Geiger ranked second in 165; sophomore Cameron Butka ranked 4th in 197 and junior Nevin Rauch ranked sixth in 285. 125: Fashouer beat his first opponent of the day, Justin Schifter from Scranton University,11-6 by decision, Ari Dinerman from Roger Williams University (RWU) 10-6 by decision and Gustav Petruske from King’s College 18-2 by technical fall at 3:28, placing him in the finals with Luke Hoerle from Stevens University where Fashouer fell by decision 7-2. “It felt very good making it to the finals,” said Fashouer. “The first day back on the mat felt good.” 133: Junior Michael Richardson made it to the semi finals where he fell by major decision 20-6 to Nico Diaz from Stevens. In his first win of the day, however, Richardson beat Andrew Finateri from Stevens by decision 3-0. 141: Bauer won his first match against Clay Rankin from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) by major decision 8-0. In his second match, Bauer won by fall at 1:01 2-0 over KJ Sherman from New York University (NYU), placing him in the semi finals with Noah Hunt from Penn College. Bauer beat Hunt by a 8-6 decision leading him into the finals. In a close one point decision, Bauer took his finals match with Nick Kruczynski of NYU 3-2. 149: No Colonels made it past the round of 32. 157: First-year Nikko Partsanakis made it to the quarterfinals before falling to a 4-0 decision by Ryan Smith from Stevens. In his first two wins, Partsanakis won 4-1 by fall at 2:27 over Alan DeVries from York College and by fall again at 1:45 and 10-0 over Ryan Bacher of Waynesburg University. 165: No Colonels made it past the round of 16. 174: Geiger’s 3-1 decision over Lenny Breit of RWU placed him in the quarterfinals where he won by fall at 3:26 0-0. Geiger faced Kade Kravits from Kings in the semi finals where he came out on top with a 4-2 decision of sudden victory, placing him in the final round of his weight bracket. In the finals, Geiger won by medical forfeit over Jason Geyer of NYU. “I felt pretty good at a new weight class,” said Geiger. “The team looked good as well. It was a great day to represent Wilkes University.” 184: Senior John Divito fell in the round of 16 to Daryl Cowley of the US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), but won three matches in the Consi rounds with scores of 2-0, 6-3 and 16-0. 197: Butka won three matches leading up to his finals match. In his first win, Butka beat Jordan DelValle of RWU by major decision 10-2. An 8-6 sudden victory by decision brought Butka over James Cruz of USMMA in the quarterfinals placing Butka in the semi finals where he won 3-2 over Josh Harkless of RIT. In the finals, Butka fell to Camden Farrow from York by a 6-0 decision. 285: Sophomore Caleb Burkhart added three wins to his bracket column as he won by fall 6-0 over Christian Gillich of Scranton University, 14-0 by fall over Billy Bumbarger of Penn and by major decision over teammate Rauch 11-3 in the semifinals. In the finals, Burkhart lost 16-7 by major decision to Michael Dooley of Stevens. Final Placement: Fashouer (125) second place; Bauer (141) first place; Partsanakis (157) fifth place; Geiger (174) first place; Divito (184) fifth place; Butka (197) second place; junior Hunter Lowe (197) fifth place; Burkhart (285) second place; Rauch (285) fourth place. The Colonels will be on the road for their next five matches. You can catch them at home on Dec. 9 as they host Delaware Valley University in the Marts Center. TOP: Fashouer rides out the clock as he was winning his match by five points. BOTTOM: Partsanakis gaining position on top of his oppenent. Photos: The Beacon/Baylee Guedes Geiger locking arms with his oppenent in his first match and win of the day in the 165 weight class. �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 Sports 22 Athlete of the Week Elijah Jules Junior Football Running Back The Beacon: Male Athlete of the Week Jules was chosen as our Athlete of the Week (AOTW) after his perfomance during the football team’s 24-7 win over Lycoming College this past Saturday. Jules recorded 101 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards, adding to his 733 rushing yards and 223 receiving yards overall on the season. Major: Business Management Hometown: Red Bank, NJ High School: Red Bank Catholic What had been your favorite sports memory from your time as a Colonel? My favorite memory so far would be the charity event we did hosting a practice for the local kids. It was fun to be able to give back and it made me feel special being able to work with kids who look up to us. What is your favorite professional sports team (any sport)? The New York Giants What is your favorite thing to do away from sports? I am a big gamer and I love playing video games outside of sports. What sports movie is your goto for movie night? Coach Carter If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? Basketball. How do you feel about being selected as the Athlete of the Week? It is an honor to be recognized for this achievement. I want to say thank you for this and shout out to my team and coaches for making this all possible. What is your favorite part of being an athlete at Wilkes? The Beacon/Lauren Bowers Editor’s s elec tions are mined by ts ditor's note note:: Athlete Athlete of of the the Week Week selections are deter determined by the the spor sports staff nd of mic year, year, we ill post post aa reader poll on taff each each week. week . At At the the eend of the the acade academic we w will reader poll on Tw itte r @ B eacon to row n an Twitter @ Wilkes WilkesBeacon to ccrown an “Athlete "Athlete of o the the Year." Year. " The friendships and bonds you build with the other players on the team. Compiled by Baylee Guedes, Sports Editor �Sports The Beacon - November 9, 2022 Athlete of the Week 23 Kayla Lopez Graduate Student Soccer Forward The Beacon: Female Athlete of the Week Lopez was chosen as our Athlete of the Week (AOTW) after her perfomance in the soccer team's 1-1 tie on Senior Day agasint Arcadia University as she scored the only goal for the Colonels. In her final season as a Colonel, Lopez recorded 3 goals and 2 assists. Major: Bioengineering Hometown: Binghamton, NY High School: Chenango Valley What had been your favorite sports memory from your time as a Colonel? My new favorite memory is scoring in the last game. I am glad that I was able to leave it all on the field and make the most out of a bittersweet ending. What is your favorite professional sports team (any sport)? New York Giants. What is your favorite thing to do away from sports? Getting chipotle with Mia. What sports movie is your goto for movie night? Remember the Titans. If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? Lacrosse. How do you feel about being selected as the Athlete of the Week? Being selected for athlete of the week following my last game ever is a good way to end 5 years of playing at Wilkes. What is your favorite part of being an athlete at Wilkes? The team; being with the girls is always the best part, both on and off the field. The Beacon/Lauren Bowers Compiled by Baylee Guedes, Sports Editor Editor’s elec tions are mined by ts ditor's note: note : Athlete Athlete of of the the Week Week sselections are deter determined by the the spor sports staff At the year, we ill post post aa reader poll on taff each each week. week . At the end end of of the the academic academic year, we w will reader poll on Tw it ter @WilkesB eacon to n an Twitter @WilkesBeacon to crow crown an “Athlete "Athlete of o the the Year." Year." �The Beacon - November 9, 2022 24 REGISTER REGISTER FOR FO~ WINTER WINTER SESSION! SESSIO EARN CREDITS & CHILL WINTER WINTER SESSION: SESSION: DEC. TO JAN. JAN. 13, DEC. 26, 26, 2022 2022 :ro 13, 2023 20~J Take Take undergraduate undergraduate courses courses at at the the reduced reduced tuition tuition rate rate of of $530 $53( per credit. credit. Ask Ask about about our our Winter/Summer Winter/Summer 2023 2023 discount discount deal! deal! REGISTER REGISTER NOW! NOW! Visit Visit the the schedule schedule and and register register at at wilkes.edu/winter. wilkes.edu/winter. Wilkes the University’s Wilkes University University is is an an equal equal opportunity opportunity institution. institution. For For information information on on the University's Policy Policy on on Non-Discrimination, Non-Discrimination, visit visit www.wilkes.edu/nondiscrimination. www.wilkes.edu/nondiscrimination. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon Newspaper Collection, 1947-present Description An account of the resource <p>This is Wilkes University's <em>Beacon</em> Newspaper collection, 1947-present. We also have digitized copies of the <em>Beacon's</em> predecessors, <em>The Bucknell Bison Stampede</em>, 1934-1935 and <em>The Bucknell Beacon</em>, 1936-1947 June. It should be noted that Wilkes University does not have a complete set of issues for the Bucknell Bison Stampede and Bucknell Beacon. For researchers who are interested in seeing the complete issues for these publications, please contact <a href="https://researchbysubject.bucknell.edu/scua">Bucknell University's Special Collections Department</a>.</p> <p></p> <p>Missing Issues:</p> <p>1947 August 8th<br />1947 September 5th<br />1947 October 3rd<br />1947 October 17th<br />1947 October 31st<br />1947 November 21st<br />1947 December 19th<br />1948 September 9th<br />1950 April 28th<br />1953 April 10th<br />1962 February 2nd</p> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Beacon staff is comprised of Wilkes University students who are advised by a full-time faculty member of the Communication Studies Department. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1934-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright of the Wilkes Beacons is retained by Wilkes University. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Professor Emeritus Harold Cox digitized the collection from 1934-1970 and created a <a href="https://beaconarchives2.wilkes.edu/">legacy website</a>. Digital Archives student John Jenkins digitized the collection from 1970-present. Special thanks goes to Communication Studies Professor Dr. Kalen Churcher, Editor-in-Chief Kirsten Peters, Beacon staff member, Emily Cherkauskas, and other Beacon staff for their help in acquiring digitized copies of the Beacons from 2006 onward. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon 2022 November 8 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Communications Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 November 8 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/7c47482d48508099803536f6f1caab14.pdf 0c8f8b9127403644d5393433d340dd6d PDF Text Text The Beacon - November 2, 2022 THE BEACON Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Wilkes University - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania A taste of Polish food, hosted by Polish Room Committee Volume 75, Issue 6 1 “The news of today reported by the journalists of tomorrow.” Fall sports coming to an end... By Baylee Guedes Sports Editor EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. – Fall sporting events are coming to an end in the Wilkes-Barre area. Football has two games remaining and will play this Saturday at Stevenson University and then Nov. 12 at home for Senior Day, as well battling it out for the Mayors Cup agasint King’s College. The women’s soccer team completed their season at 4-11-3. The men’s soccer team ended the season with a record of 7-9-2. Women’s volleyball finished the season at 8-20. The cross country team’s season has come to an end with one final run remaining. On Nov. 12, the team can be found at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional hosted by Susquehanna at the West Branch Cross Country Course. Men’s golf ended with a record of 5-6 while the women went 0-1. Field Hockey ended with a 4-12 record, winning their final game 2-1. For the winter sports preview, please see page 19. The Beacon//Baylee Guedes Left, Grace Gluszak (junior, public administration and political science major) and right, Heather Brinig (junior, international relations and political science major) enjoying some traditional favorites made by members of the Polish Committee. For the Taste of Polish article, see page 6. The Beacon/Sam Mullen Wilkes hosts community forum focused on literacy, page 4 Cocktail of the Week: Tasty chocolate-covered cherry shot, page 8 Semester burnout is a real thing that we all experience, page 15 Alumnus Nick Fea played in preseason Baby Pens game, page 20 �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 News News 2 Have a breaking story or a press release to send? Contact the news editor Maddy Kinard: Madelynn.Kinard@wilkes.edu Student Government notes: Oct. 26 weekly meeting By Claudia Cuchran Staff Writer Student Government held its seventh meeting of the semester, covering four fund requests and three upcoming events. First, the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations presented again to Student Government a fund request and plans to renovate the Henry Student Center Ballroom, honoring Jean C. (‘78) and Paul S. (‘77) Adams. Questions from the council were answered, and updated design choices, fundraising totals and timelines for construction were proposed. As one of the most popular and community-oriented gathering spaces on campus, the ballroom has not been updated since its opening in 1999. Renovations will make the space handicap friendly, and will include new lighting fixtures, updated furniture and new curtains for behind the stage. A motion was made to allocate the full amount of the fund request, and the motion was passed. Renovations of the ballroom are set to be finished by the start of the spring 2023 semester. Next, the schools of Nursing and Pharmacy presented to the council a fund request for this fall semester’s Late Night Lift, an event started by the Health and Wellness Club in 2014 and picked up by the schools in 2018. This collaboration will be hosted by the Wilkes Barre YMCA on Nov. 21 from 8 to 10 p.m., where the facility will be open exclusively to Wilkes students. Participants will have access to weights, ellipticals, the pool, basketball court and yoga and spin classes will be offered. Fifteen clubs will come together to provide services such as BP screenings, BMI indices and health related activities to participants. There will also be giveaways such as T-shirts, shaker bottles and rally towels for the first 150 students to attend. Late Night Lift has not been hosted since 2019 due to COVID-19, and the schools of Nursing and Pharmacy hope to bring this event back and make it a Wilkes tradition. There will be another presentation followed by voting at next week’s meeting. Wilkes’ chapter of the nationwide Pharmaceutical Fraternity, Kappa Psi, presented to the council with a fund request to host a conference this fall. Kappa Psi is involved in community events through conferences, fundraisers, events and community service. These conferences allow future health care providers to network and learn more about their field of study. This year’s Fall Northeast Province Assembly is to take place in WilkesBarre at Genetti’s. Kappa Psi will present again to the council next week. Beacon Briefs: Upcoming campus events Compiled by Beacon News Staff Diploma orders If you are a candidate for graduating in May 2023 with a bachelor's degree, then it is time to order your diploma. Diplomas must be ordered whether or not you are attending the graduation ceremony. The order form for your diploma can be accessed with the following link: https:// etcentral.wilkes.edu/#/form/4 Before you order your diploma, you must register for courses for the spring 2023 semester. Spring parking applications available Commuter and resdient parking applications for the spring 2023 semester are now available to fill out. The deadline for all applications is Nov. 30. Applications will not be accepted or reviewed after the deadline closes. If you would like to apply for a Ralston parking permit, please specify in your application. Any other questions must be taken with parking at 570-408-7275, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Interested in Wilkes Adventure Ed? If you are interested in WAE or want to stay up to date on planned trips and other outings, go to the link: https://forms. gle/8SCdTmrU7rFg9m9j6 Interested in Chess Club? If you are interested in starting up a chess club on campus, contact jake.middleton@ wilkes.edu Manuscript Society accepting submissions Manuscript Society, the university's creative writing magazine, is accepting submissions until March 31. Please email submissions to magazine@ wilkes.edu. Submissions should be no more five pages of double-spaced text, five poems, or five images per submitter. Please include title of each piece clearly at the top of the page or as the file name. Please submit files as .doc or .docx format, .jpeg or .png for images and graphics. Do not include your name or any identifying information within the document. Finally, the committee for the 2022 Casino Week presented to the council with fund requests. This year’s theme is James Bond - Casino Royale. Theme nights, which will take place Nov. 14 to 18, will include various games, foods, mocktails and prizes. A motion to allocate the full amount of the fund request was passed. Student Government will meet again Nov. 2 for the ninth meeting of the year. Table of Contents News..................2 Life, A&E............7 Opinion............14 Sports................19 Upcoming Events: 2022 Fall Semester November 3 - Magicroni N' Cheese 8 - Election day 9 - GSA Variety Show 10 - Paint N' Sip 23 - Thanksgiving break begins 28 - Classes resume Want your event featured in the calendar? Email: Madelynn.Kinard@wilkes.edu �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 News 3 Civic Engagement LEAP alternative spring break trips By Amanda Montgomery Staff Writer LEAP-Alternative Break announced three upcoming experiences for Spring Break from March 4 to 11, 2023. The three experiences include Give Kids the World, Carolina Tiger Rescue and Guanin. The LEAP alternative break program stands for leadership, education, advocacy and partnerships. Megan Boone Valkenberg, coordinator of civic engagement, has been advising these experiences for more than 17 years. Valkenberg said that these smaller “bite sized” experiences are a really good way for students to ease into getting back into travel and seeing how an alternative break can impact future plans and majors. Give Kids the World is a nonprofit resort in Kissimmee, Florida that provides critically ill children and their families a place to stay. They are treated to weeklong vacations with lots of activities and meals at no cost. Volunteers can expect to be put to work in a variety of different roles. In the past, students have bussed tables, operated small rides such as trains and carousels and even baked cookies and delivered them to the families staying at the resort. The site also holds parades once a week and students also can participate in the parades with various costumes. Participants spend most of their time volunteering, but one excursion day is provided. Teams can either spend the day at Disney World or Universal Studios. Valkenberg said that the experience is great for, but not limited to, healthcare students and describes the experience as gaining a “sense of families and kids that you may experience in your working world.” Carolina Tiger Rescue is a wildcat rescue facility that houses various wildcats, including lions, tigers, mountain lions, bobcats, and jaguars, and is located in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Volunteers won’t know their tasks until they actually arrive at the facility, but can expect physical activity outdoors. In the past, students demolished older enclosures and helped build new housing for the animals. They also completed trail work, like removing trees and working around the facility grounds to keep them in shape. The facility values education and advocacy towards animals, and so First row from left, are Morgan Rich and Kaelin Hughes. Second row, Mel Fouts and Emma Freels. Third row, Jen Mclaughlin and Sami Uggla. The group traveled to Kissimee, Florida last summer. During their time here, the five students and Mclaughlin helped facilitate the oganizations traditional weekly events such as holidays (Halloween trick-or-treat and Christmas) with arts, crafts and games. They were also trained to operate the amusement rides and serve food to the families. volunteers are educated on the various topics related to wildlife conservation and care along with tending to facility grounds. Fundación Centro Cultural Guanín, Inc. is an organization that helps young people to discover, develop and achieve their full potential as adults, citizens and leaders. Located in the Dominican Republic, the program acts as a pillar of the community they are in. Volunteers can expect to work with individuals in the community to participate in ESL teaching experiences with real students, as well as help with medical clinics and food distributions and handling. In past events, students helped new mothers with their babies and aspiring students in the medical field got to help take blood pressures and medical intake. They have been in partnership with LEAP for more than 10 years and “there are a lot of things that students can provide,” Valkenberg explains. Valkenberg also mentioned that during intercession, there is an opportunity to do some Hurricane Ian relief work with All Hearts and Hands in Florida. Each experience is organized and prepared in similar ways: There are one to two advisers who accompany students, and there are four pre-trip meetings where they go over trip expectations, student responsibilities and getting to know one another. Then there is the experience itself and finally a re-orientation which helps students reorient themselves back to student life. Space is limited as there are only 10 spaces available for the Give Kids the World and Carolina Tiger Rescue experiences and 20 spaces available for the Guanin experience. The deadline to apply for the spring break opportunities is being extended to Nov. 18, and can be found on Today@ Wilkes. Contact Megan.boone@wilkes.edu for more information. Photos Courtesy Megan Valkenburg �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 News 4 Wilkes hosts community forum on literacy Helping underserved childern in the community By Zach Paraway News Staff Writer A forum on childhood literacy, “America’s Reading Crisis: The Impact on our Children, Families and Community Plus Solutions," was held on Oct. 25. The event featured a panel of eight speaking childhood literacy and its impact on life. Panelists included professors, nurses and some of the top voices in northeast Pennsylvania. The audience was made up of area teachers and educators as well as students from Wilkes. The event began with Vicki Jones, an assistant professor and program coordinator for literacy at Wilkes. Jones discussed literacy statistics among young children. She went into the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on early childhood learning and how teachers have been helping in this last year. It is believed that once a child reaches third grade, they must begin to read in order to learn instead of continuing to learn to read. According to the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, 34 percent of students are below a proficient reading level. Bill Jones, president and CEO of the United Way of Wyoming Valley, spoke on the work that the United Way has done to help underprivileged children, including offering many programs such as book drives that give children a chance to get ahead of this curve. Jones spoke on how literacy among third graders can give clues into who will drop out of high school and/or will become incarcerated in the future. The goal of the United Way programs is to help keep this from occurring by addressing the issue at a young age. The next two speakers were Shannon Bennett and Kimberly Nizegoda. Bennett is the director of special education at Hanover Area School District, and Nizegoda is the director and program coordinator of the Intensive English Program at Wilkes. Both spoke on the issue from their perspective as educators and how teaching methods need to change and adapt to different students. Both have experiences in many different classroom environments and highlighted the pros and cons of all in the goal of blending them to make a better classroom. Wilkes’s own Kimmy Nguyen, an assistant professor of pharmacy practice, and Emily Havrilla, an associate professor and the chair of undergraduate nursing, spoke on health literacy. Only 12 percent of adults are health-literate, meaning that they can understand and complete the task needed to take medicine and complete wellness. The literacy needed to understand items such as this begins at a young age and making sure young children can read proficiently. The seventh speaker was Christine Ferrato, an associate professor of reading at Luzerne County Community College, continued to speak regarding learning in higher education. Ferrato spoke about how many people assume that once someone is in college that they can read and are literate and while most of the time this is true, work mmay still needed to get them to a proficient level. “Once primary education ends, the learning still should not. The best way to create more contributing members of society is to push the learning after they receive their diploma,” said Ferrato. The last speaker of the night was the superintendent of Hanover Area School District, Nathan Barrett. Barrett spoke about the importance for action from the legislators and how teachers were taking the first step by coming to the forum and listening to how to create and make changes. “The voices we need are all in this room. The people on this panel will not stop until the courts hear us. And even then we will fight for the help needed for our educators,” said Barrett. Jones also addressed the importance of literacy forums. “Literacy is everyone’s concern and eventual students may have children and they need to understand that there is a right way to teach reading. "We all need to ask our schools and our legislators that our curriculum we are using is based on the science of reading.” The Beacon/Zach Paraway The childhood literacy forum included a panel of eight speakers, each explaining what they have done to help children and what still can be done going forward. �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 News 5 Spring 2023 spring break study abroad trip to Costa Rica By Maddy Kinard News Editor Over 2023 Spring Break, Dr. Jeff Stratford, professor of biology, and Dr. Andy Miller, associate professor of political science, will conduct a study-abroad trip to Costa Rica. The trip will be a part of the three-credit course, PS 289 Sustainable Ecotourism which will run from 2 to 2:50 p.m. Mon., Wed. and Fri. The course goals are to understand the economics of ecotourism, the place of ecotourism in the economy of Costa Rica, sustainable and unsustainable aspects of ecotourism, the basics of tropical biology and the tropical targets of ecotourism. Students will fly out on March 4 and return on the 11. “It is an amazing experience, I wish I could go,” said Dr. Andreea Maierean, director of study abroad. The main goal of the course and trip is to see, do and learn. While abroad, students will also complete community service outreach for the areas they are exploring. Past projects have included painting, refurbishing sports equipment, teaching English and whatever else the community may need. Currently, the cost of the trip is to be around $1,000 to $1,500 with a $300 deposit due by Nov. 25 and the remaining full amount by Jan 31. This price includes transportation to and from the airport, accommodation and meals in Costa Rica along with activities. It does not include airfare, personal expenses and “extra” activities. With food experiences being one of the frequent activities, Dr. Stratford and Dr. Miller assured many options for those with dietary restrictions or specific vegetarian preferences. Students attending will need a passport but do not need a VISA. It is also encouraged to ask a doctor about vaccinations (for yellow fever, hepatitis C, etc.). There is also no malaria in Costa Rica where the trip will be taking place and very little malaria overall. “I always find it amazing how similar people are between different places and then how different people are within a Participants took a side hike at a local national park to observe wildlife and birds. In this region, the rainforest only exists at higher elevations so students were able to observe dry tropical forest and rainforest place,” said Dr. Stratford “The big thing is how common humanity is.” For more information about the trip, please reach out to either professors at jeffery.stratford@wilkes.edu or andrew. miller@wilkes.edu. For any questions about study abroad, reach out to Dr. Andreea Maierean, at andreea.maierean@ wilkes.edu Photo Courtesy Dr. Jeff Stratford Greater participation possible among young, female voters By Sydney Allabaugh Staff Writer Although young voters typically have the lowest turnout, threats to abortion rights may lead to greater participation among college-aged women in the Pennsylvania general election. Out of five female Wilkes University students questioned, four expressed interest in voting or plan to vote in the upcoming election on Nov. 8. All four cited threats to women’s rights as a major issue inspiring their interest in voting. First-year mechanical engineering major Lauren Bowers said she was once involved with politics as her mother is a politician, but women’s rights issues further rekindled a desire to vote. “Because of recent events with women’s rights and Roe v. Wade, I want to vote and get into it again,” Bowers said. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24. This landmark case made access to an abortion a federal right, but now that it is overturned, state governments have the full authority to make decisions about abortion. Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania for now, but this may change depending on who wins the upcoming election. “I feel like it (Roe v. Wade) is going to turn more moderate voters to the left side because even if you are a little iffy on reproductive rights, they are trying to totally get rid of them,” said junior biology student Jocelyn Cussatt. “The candidates for governor are totally on different sides of the issue.” According to their campaign pages, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro believes abortion is healthcare and will defend a woman’s right to choose, while Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano plans to sign the “heartbeat bill” into law and end state funding to Planned Parenthood. The “heartbeat bill” makes it illegal without exceptions to perform an abortion after a heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as five weeks into pregnancy. Psychology student Lacie Walsh said she was thinking about voting for the first time because she does not support new abortion laws like the “heartbeat bill.” These concerns over reproductive health rights may increase turnout among those 18 to 24 years old, the least politically active age demographic traditionally. Political science professor Kyle Kreider said that this youth voter participation is important as sufficient voter turnout from a specific demographic allows for proper representation in government. “Clearly there is an argument that people make that—from a numbers perspective— their vote doesn’t matter,” Kreider said. “But if you look at what politicians talk about, things they vote on, … it’s clearly skewed to those who vote.” Thus, a potential increase in voter turnout among young women may lead to proper representation of young women in government, which is unusual considering most politicians are more considerate of older, more active voters. This newfound interest in politics may not extend to all young people, however. Only half of the male students interviewed plan to vote. Sophomore Taylor Christman said he does not plan to vote as he does not approve of candidates from either party. Another student, first-year Chase Whittaker, said he is unsure about voting as he is not informed enough about either party to decide. Although young men will likely continue to vote at average rates, it remains to be seen if young female voters will affect the outcome of the election. For more information about the Pennsylvania state election, visit www.vote. pa.gov. �6 The Beacon - November 2, 2022 A taste of Polish food made by members of Polish Committee By Sam Mullen Staff Writer Members of the Polish Room Committee at Wilkes hosted on Oct. 27, a taste of Polish foods. The event has been going on annually for several years, and there are plans to continue. Polish food is held with high regard in the Polish community and culture. The event allows students to get a glimpse of what Polish culture is like, as well as to try the food. There was an array of different types of Polish food for attendees to enjoy. A majority of the diet in Poland involves some form of pork meat with mixtures of herbs and spices and vegetables. Some food that was provided included pierogi, sausages, potato salad and meatballs. Desserts were also available for those who attended. Brendine Tarasek, one of the members of the Polish Room Committee, said the event helps with “keeping the culture alive” as well as bringing a bit of the Polish culture onto campus. Many of the students who attended felt a sense of home with the food. Grace Gluszak, a junior public administration and political science major, “grew up eating Polish” so the event was like being at home. Gluszak also loved the mixture of seeing the difference between New York Polish food and Wilkes-Barre Polish food. Gregorio Soto, a junior civil and mechanical engineering major, felt the same way as Gluszak. Soto said that it reminded him of something his mom would have made. Heather Brinig, a junior international relations and political science major, has Polish heritage but didn’t grow up eating Polish food. She did say that “the food was fire” and the whole thingwas fun. Some students on campus are not able to go home often during the school year, so an event like this helps bring a little bit of home to campus. For those who are interested in other Polish events, on Christmas Eve, there will be a blessing of wafers at the Amber Palace. Jean Levandowski, another member of the Polish Room Committee at Wilkes, said it is a time when everyone can come together and sing some Polish Christmas carols before the new year. Taylor Quackenbush (junior, engineering major) enjoys some Polish food while doing work. “ [The Polish Room] is dedicated to the memory of settlers from Poland who since 1856 have made their homes in Wyoming Valley. By their efforts they contributed to the development of its major industries mining and farming. By their sense of fair play they encouraged the principle of collective bargaining through their homes, schools, and churches they have proclaimed their faith and love of country.” - Wilkes University Members of the Polish Room Committee served attendees their homecooked traditional polish favorites. �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 7 Life, Arts & Entertainment Life, Arts & Entertainment Have any events or artists to be shared? Contact Life, Arts & Entertainment Editor: Jordan.Daniel@wilkes.edu Global engagement celebrates Diwali with coffee hour By Laury Angeles Martinez Life, Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer The Office of Global Engagement celebrated Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, on Oct. 26 in that week’s Global Coffee Hour. Guest speakers Dr. Anu Ghai and Dr. Prahlad Murthy shared a presentation with the story of the festival of Diwali. “The Office of Global Engagement was excited that Dc. Ghai and Dc. Murthy probated excellent inside into the traditions and history of the holiday,” said Mary Ellen McLean, assistant in International Student Services. “Everyone who attended really enjoyed it”. In the presentation, Dr. Ghai and Dr. Murthy shared that Diwali is a time to reflect on the year that has passed and to be grateful for the privileges and good things that have come to life. Diwali takes place mid-October and November of every year, being a sign of the victory of good over evil, or better said, light over darkness and is part of one of the significant religious celebrations in India. Diwali is known as the “Festival of the Lights” and is one of the most important festivals within Hinduim. The main festival falls on a different date each autumn season and normally falls sometime in October or November. It is also timed to the Hindu lunar calender. “This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about Indian culture and as someone from America I only know about Diwali from the TV show “The Office” so I am grateful for the professor Dr. Ghai and Dr. Murthy who shared their culture with us. Namaste,” said Kevin Straka, professor of mathematics and English as a second language. In addition, Drs. Ghai and Murthy shared in the presentation that different parts of India have their different way of celebrating Diwali. An example in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, which they mention has its own unique form of celebrating Diwal, when the sky is getting dark, thousands of diyas (knows as oil lamps) are floated in the river. Mumbai, Maharashtra, in which Diwali begins with a celebration called ‘Vasu-baras‘ celebrates the honor of cows since cows were regarded as mothers for the Hindus. Following rituals of women offering prayers to the cows with calves, this is a symbol of the gratitude of the woman toward the cow for serving them and their children. In Bengaluru, Karnataka, in each courtyard there are innumerable lamps lit and more. Finally, in North India, Dawili is celebrated by lighting rows of clay lamps and celebrating the day Lord Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura. Dr. Anu Ghai also talked in more detail about the traditions that are done in North India. Another detail of Diwali is that giving gifts is something common on this date, as well as clothing, food, jewelry and having a good time with family and friends. “I really enjoyed it because I learn something new about the history of India, and I really was surprised because they have many languages,” said Erica Ortega, a sophomore education major. Photo courtesy of Jordan Daniel Erica Ortega , a sophomore education major and Kevin Straka, a professor of mathematics and English as a second language, create dazzling paper lanterns at the Diwali celebration. �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment 8 Cocktail of the Week: Tasty chocolate-covered cherry shot By Haley Katona Staff Writer Indulge in this year’s scorpio season with a sweet and tart chocolate–covered cherry shot. Perfect for setting the mood for an eventful evening. Ingredients: 1/2 ounce grenadine 1/2 ounce kahlua or coffee liqueur 1/2 ounce Irish cream Cherries (optional) Directions: First, pour the half an ounce of grenadine into a shaker filled with ice and shake thoroughly. Then, strain the grenadine into a shot glass. Next, put the half ounce of the ac coffee liqueur into a shaker with ice and shake again. Take a spoon and flip it upside down to then slowly pour the coffee liqueur over the bend of the spoon to layer it on top of the grenadine. Finally, pour the half ounce of Irish cream in the shot glass layered to the top of the shot glass. Garnish with a cherry if you prefer and that is it. Cheers! The Beacon reminds everyone to drink responsibility… and that the legal drinking age is 21. The Beacon/Haley Katona One sip of this toasted almond drink and it will make you fall in love. o n B um s p B e Each week, the Wilkes Beacon staff picks their favorite song of the week. Check out this week’s bumps to the right! I I Emily Cherkauskas, Editor-in-Chief: The Loneliest Time - Carley Rae Jepsen, Rufus Wainwright Maddy Kinard, News Editor: No More Drama - Charlie Puth Zach Paraway, News Staff Writer: You’re All I Need - Method Man, Mary J. Blige Jordan Daniel, LA&E Editor: Backstage Passes - EST Gee, Jack Harlow Morgan Rich, LA&E Asst. Editor: Anti-Hero - Taylor Swift Wren Haze, Opinion Editor: About You - The 1975 Sydney Allabaugh, Opinion Staff Writer: At the Campfire - The Garden Baylee Guedes, Sports Editor: talk to myself - Nessa Barrett David Marks, Lead Layout Designer: Antidote - Orion Sun �The Beacon – November 2, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment 9 First-year students learn to deal with first feelings of burnout Focusing on yourself during the busy college lifestyle By Anthony Cazun Staff Writer Burnout is real. Everybody feels it from all corners of life. “I experienced a ton of burnout during my senior year of high school while prepping for college,” said Anthony Elms, undecided first-year student. “It was horrific.” Students especially are incredibly familiar with burnout, as the task of being a student can be rigorous and relentless. Deadlines, socialization and constant expectations can make one feel overwhelmed and possibly even lead to apathy toward their work. “It comes in waves,” said Emma Broda, first-year history major. “I open my schedule book and it’s like a punch in the gut. It brings a sense of dread and you lose all motivation.” It is important to not remain complacent in a burnout mentality as it can affect one’s career, education and even personal relationships. Burnout can arrive at nearly any point within one’s journey. “I feel a lot of burnout especially before exam—like things are just piling up constantly, and it’s easy to feel lost,” said Elms. The catalysts of burnout are plentiful and may be easy to pinpoint. However, the solutions are particularly difficult to enact. “I have to remind myself that it won’t last forever,” said Broda. “I give myself a break to recollect my thoughts and regain motivation.” As to avoid future burnout, a few suggested some simple and relatively reliable precautions. “Pick up a planner and manage your workload,” said Broda. “Also, prioritize yourself because you won’t get anywhere when you overwork yourself.” A planner and a clear headspace can go a long way when battling burnout. Being able ~~ ) to tangibly record and review upcoming workloads is vital for time management and keeping up with deadlines. As for a more psychological solution, some students recommend shifting thought processes. “I recommend practicing forms of practical thinking to clear your thoughts and reduce anxiety,” said Elms. One cannot thrive unless they are in the correct headspace to tackle the challenges ahead of them. For some that comes in the form of mediating and spirituality to relax their mind. “Taking time to myself, a lot of self care,” said Jacquilyn Bickel, first-year political science major. “I’m very spiritual so I bring myself back down to earth. I meditate, use crystals and read a lot about spirituality.” Relaxation works wonders for some. For others, it can mean thumping music “Self care also comes with selfdiscipline.” JOIN THE BEACON! against the walls for a release of energy. Everybody tackles stress differently and finding the most effective solution not only requires trial and error but also understanding of one’s self. “Honestly, make time for yourself,” said Bickel. “Schedule yourself. I know when I wake up in the morning, what my goals are for the day, what time I’m eating, what time I’m gonna study, etc. Managing so I’m not overwhelmed by a massive workload.” Self care also comes with self-discipline. Although it is important to partake in personal hobbies, it cannot overtake one’s focus on career or education. A healthy balance must be struck to successfully navigate through day to day life. Pump the breaks and slow down a little. Take time away to pursue personal ventures and sharpen already existing skills. Personal hobbies are essential to self fulfillment, they are not optional or any less important than what is on the planner for the week. Always remember that the struggle is temporary but the results can be more than worth it. ~ Lif-e, Arts & Entertainment Welcoming allyears and majors! Contact LA&E Editor: Jordan.Daniel@wilkes.edu �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment 10 Meet the Majors This week’s major: Pharmacy Every week, The Beacon will offer a chance for majors to be placed in the spotlight. Each student chosen will have a few words to express Jordan Daniel why they chose the major and how they feel it will benefit them in the Life, Arts & Entertainment future. Interviews and photos by Editor Gillian Dudeck P3 Student Stefanie Kramer P3 Student “I chose pharmacy because I love learning how medications alter the body’s chemistry and applying this knowledge to better patients’ lives. “My end goal is to pursue a residency and become a clinical pharmacist specializing in infectious diseases pharmacy. Pharmacists play a critical role in choosing appropriate antimicrobial therapy and preserving it for future generations.” “I am looking forward to attending ASHP Midyear in Las Vegas this December. At this conference I will be able to present the research poster I have been lucky enough to work on with Wilkes faculty. “I chose this major as I wanted a job in health care and loved what pharmacists are able to do and the difference they make in patient care. I hope to become a clinical pharmacist in a hospital setting.” The Beacon/Jordan Daniel Julia Firestine P3 Student Hannah Vitale P3 Student “I am looking forward to learning more about oncology this year. It is a tough class but very relevant in terms of cancer treatment and we cannot take it until this year. “I chose this major as I always had an interest in STEM degree pathways but knew I preferred to be involved in health sciences and interact with patients.” “I knew I wanted to work in health care since I was in high school. There are so many areas in health care but I wanted to choose a career that complimented my strengths and could make a difference in public health. “Pharmacy was where my strengths and interests met and I am grateful for my decision five years ago to attend pharmacy school.” �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 By Morgan Rich Life, Arts & Entertainment Asst. Editor This week was fairly uneventful during my internship on the Disney College Program. However, during internships like these, it is good to have relaxing weeks once in a while. When I have weeks that might not be as interesting I remind myself that it is all a part of the process and the experience of the program. Not every week is meant to be this exciting and a new adventure. Sometimes work will just be work, and we have to utilize off days in order to do schoolwork. On Oct. 24, I worked my usual shift from 5 until 11 p.m. This was one of my favorite kinds of shifts because I was able to stock all night long. After days at the register and having to be out on the floor interacting with guests it is nice to have that little break from the outside world. Sometimes being with 11 Life, Arts & Entertainment yourself at work and doing your own thing is what you need to regenerate your energy. Monday was my fourth day working in a row and although I am fortunate enough to only usually work four days in a row, I could feel myself getting burnt out and overall just plain tired. Luckily enough, I had Tuesday off and just primarily did school work all day. I think that this is perhaps one of the most “non-glamorous” parts of the internship that many people do not get to see. Even though I block out my time and attempt to go to the parks as much as I possibly can, there are days and weeks that I need to devote my time to school work and this week was definitely one of those weeks. Later that night I celebrated completing my speech by heading out to eat at Disney Springs with a friend. We ate at Wolfgang Puck’s and we finished off the night by getting the best dessert at Disney, dole whip. Oct. 26 was a normal workday as well, but I got called in early to go to work. They asked me if I could come in an hour and 45 minutes early and although part of me wanted to say no, I said yes. Ultimately, I wanted the experience and the extra internship hours. Thursday was my favorite day of the week, though. I picked up another shift in Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland. My shift started out at Hundred Acre Goods on the register before I was sent over to Sir Mickey’s for around an hour. I was even able to pixie dust roughly eight people all in the span of one hour. Having my hands caked in glitter was worth it to see all of the smiling faces. Even though Hundred Acre Goods is not as fun to me as Sir Mickey’s, I still had a blast. My shift was during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, so other cast members and I played a game with the children. The game involved the children flipping over a card and then having to act out the card in order to get a button. To end off the week with a bang, my mom and nan decided to come and visit me. It was the first time I saw them in around two months and we ended out the week by spending the entire weekend together. this “Roadhouse Blues” lyric tattooed together: “The future’s uncertain and the end is always near.” It brings a certain pain for me to write that, given Ryan Evans Brendon’s end was indeed near and we had no idea. Brendon hailed from San Luis Obisbo, Calif., and it was evident through his obvious love of Sublime. He was tall— gigantic. I would often endearingly call him “Big Bird” because of this and try to throw in as many jabs as possible, returned in kind. No one was quicker with a comeback than “Cortese” as everybody in our group called him. He was in my brother division in boot camp. Mine was Division 007 and his was 008. We would see one another in passing, go through all our training evolutions together and ultimately graduate standing just a few feet from each other. From there, we both headed on to Center for Information Dominance Unit Corry Station in Pensacola, Fla. It was there that we would hit it off. Being that we were both 21, we spent as much time drinking rum and laughing at each other on Florida beaches as we did marching, training and learning the ins and outs of intelligence and cyber security. I am not much of a football fan these days, deployment saw to that (because who wants to wake up at 2 a.m. to watch grown men play a silly game from the other side of the planet?) but he was a Ravens fan. I was a Steelers fan. For those of you who know anything about those two teams, the rivalry is nothing short of bitter. Even so, we saw through the superficiality of all that. Game days were fun and filled with vulgar insults and laughs. There was that one time a bird flew into our hotel room to eat leftovers in the wreckage of my 22nd birthday and we told Brendon it was a long-lost cousin. Upon graduation, I got my orders to Commander Submarine Group 7 in Yokosuka, Japan, and left the country. Brendon went to where the military sent him. We stayed in touch, albeit sporadically. And then, one day, I logged into Facebook and saw his obituary—dead at just 23 years old. Despite all our ribbing, Brendon was the kindest, most selfless human being I have encountered to this day. Every morning and night, my buddy is in my thoughts and serves as a driving force for why I continue to work toward something greater. A part of Brendon’s obituary reads as such: “In lieu of flowers and in honor of Brendon’s kindness, please be kind to someone. Call a friend or relative you have not reached out to recently. Forgive someone. All acts of kindness are appreciated.” So, that is my challenge to you and not just on Veterans Day (as it looms nearer) but every day. Honor my friend and honor our humanity. Be kind. Brendon, I miss you every day, brother. The Beacon/Morgan Rich Rich at Islands of Adventure in Universal Orlando Resort in Hogsmeade Village. The Reveille with Ryan Evans: Our duty for Veterans Day By Ryan Evans Staff Writer For the past several Veterans Days, as well as a few other holidays, I have had the privilege to offer my perspective, at several large-scale public events, on what it means to be a veteran. From my previous institution of Luzerne County Community College, which is still, in my humble opinion, the most veteranfriendly school in the state, to right here at Wilkes, politicians, officials, university presidents, other vets, friends and family alike have come to see me ramble. They tell me I do an alright job, but that is not the point here. For some of us, not only is everyday Veterans Day, we also somberly, and far too often quietly, celebrate Memorial Day as well. Brendon Samuel Cortese was one of the best friends I ever had. I only knew him for seven months, and I still know that little bit of information to be true. The only person I ever met who loved The Doors as much as I do. We even had plans to get �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 12 Freak Week! By Jordan Daniel Life, Arts & Entertainment Editor Programming Board’s Freak Week was another successful hit to get the student body feeling amped up for Halloween. The week consisted of many scary and festive activities to keep the spooky spirits alive in the midst of everyone’s hectic schedules. Freak Week is a five-day event with something new happening every day. To kick off Monday, Programming Board hosted a fun “Eye Spy” game, which involved students looking around campus for 25 plastic eyeballs. If they found one, then they were to return it to the Henry Student Center information desk for a valuable popular Halloween prize. On Tuesday they hosted a spooky escape room for students to attempt in the parking lot of the Ron & Rhea Simms Center on Main. There was even a hot drink bar for those to use as they waited their turn to enter the escape room. On Wednesday, things became joyous and cute with Programming Board’s pumpkin patch. Students were able to paint, carve and decorate their own pumpkins in the Henry Student Center while enjoying some fall snacks. Bingo occurred on Thursday and participants played to win fall-themed prizes. Programming Board also encouraged people to wear a costume in order to win an extra board and increase their chances of winning. To end this frightening week of fun, Programming Board presented “Circle of Scream” on Friday. This closing event offered a limited number of students a chance to experience a night at a haunted asylum and carnival. RIGHT: For those interested in staying inside, students were able to pick their own pumpkin from a multitude of different sizes. ABOVE: The glowing, dark-red interior of the escape room, the location where students were given a chance to solve the puzzles and escape in a certain amount of time. ABOVE, BELOW: Each pumpkin was uniquely decorated. �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 13 From left to right: Joanie Schaffer, Mackenzie Cook, Addison Gardner and Emilee Barnhardt decorate their individual pumpkins with paint, pompoms, googly eyes, markers and more. Programming Board allowed students to get creative with their personal pumpkin art, regardless of the level of spookiness needed. While others created clowns and ghosts, others created cute bees. Students filled the SUB ballroom to play bingo. Page Design by David Marks Alexis Reedy shows off YETI merch and gear that she won. Photos courtesy of Jess Kuckle and Programming Board Cameron Butka happened to win a brand new computer during the festivities. �The Beacon - November 2 , 2022 ������� Editorial Staff 2022-23 MANAGERIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief - Emily Cherkauskas Adviser - Dr. Kalen Churcher SECTION EDITORS News - Maddy Kinard LA&E - Jordan Daniel Opinion - Wren Haze Sports - Baylee Guedes ASSISTANT EDITORS LA&E - Morgan Rich SECTION STAFF WRITERS News - Zach Paraway Opinion - Sydney Allabaugh DESIGNERS Lead Designer - David Marks Interested in joining The Beacon? Several positions are open! To learn more about what you can do, contact: Kalen.Churcher@wilkes.edu Emily.Cherkauskas@wilkes.edu 141 S. Main Street Clayton and Theresa Karambelas Media & Communication Center Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 Phone - (570) 408-5903 www.thewilkesbeacon.com Want to advertise in The Beacon? Contact: Kalen Churcher at kalen.churcher@wilkes.edu The Beacon Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Opinion 14 Have an opinion or want to write a guest column? Contact: Wren.Rubino@wilkes.edu ��������� ����������������������������� ������� ��������������������������� ������� � Ye’s antisemitism has tarnished his musical legacy Over the past month, Kanye “Ye” West has made a series of controversial antisemitic remarks. West’s behavior and messages are unacceptable and have become dangerous to the Jewish community. West’s antisemitic tweet from Oct. 9 has gained widespread attention and backlash. In this tweet, he said he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people.” This has been assumed to be a misspelling of the military term “Defcon 3,” which means forcing defensive readiness above normal levels. This tweet implies that West views Jewish people as a threat in some way and plans to act against them. Playing into a conspiracy narrative in which Jewish people are threatening, controlling, or harmful in front of his millions of followers can create serious harm. He has elaborated on this tweet since it was taken down. On Revolt TV’s “Drink Champs,” West makes accusations that “Jewish people have owned the Black voice” and control the music industry. In the subsequent days, he told Chris Cuomo on NewsNation about a “Jewish underground media mafia” that allegedly all music artists have in their contracts. These comments play into the false antisemitic conspiracy theory that Jewish people control the economy. According to the Anti-Defamation League, this is a belief held by many antisemitic extremist groups, and these groups have publicly supported West. By spreading messages approved by antisemitic extremist groups, West is promoting extremist hate speech to his audience. In an interview with WCPO, regional director of the American Jewish Committee Justin Kirschner said, “The Holocaust did not start with violence, it started with wild conspiracies, narratives, isolation, boycotts, things like that and his remarks have to be recognized as such that is damaging and have true implications not only on the Jewish community but other minorities.” Kirschner and others in the community illustrate how this language can truly negatively impact the way people view the Jewish community and how it can have real repercussions. These potential repercussions have led to Jewish people speaking out on social media about feeling unsafe. Hate speech that invokes coming from such an influential figure should not and will not be tolerated. The weeks of antisemitism followed another controversy West was involved in during which he wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt to his Yeezy fashion show. According to The Southern Poverty Law Center, this phrase is associated with a Neo-Nazi group made to combat beliefs held by Black Lives Matter. Between these hateful behaviors and other controversies this year, West has severely damaged his reputation and legacy as an artist. He has been dropped from Adidas, shunned by Skechers, publicly criticized by his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and other celebrities, and has lost the respect of his fans. Hopefully, West, one of the most influential music artists of all time, will take responsibility for his actions and aid the situation in some way. For now, however, his behaviors remain reprehensible and dangerous. Letter to the editor policy: The Beacon welcomes letters to the editor from differing viewpoints. Letters must contain contact information, including name, city, state and phone number. Phone numbers will not be published but may be used for verification purposes. All letters to the editor must be sent using one of the following methods: Email: Wren.Haze@wilkes.edu Phone: (570) 408-5903 (Voicemail: 30 seconds or less, please.) Mail: 84 West South Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18766 Attn: The Beacon �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 Opinion 15 Semester burnout is a real thing that we all experience By Rudy Urenovich Staff Writer Fall break? Did we have one? To be honest with you, I have no recollection of a single memory from it. Not one thing. All I remember is having assignments due and work shifts since September. Time really does fly when you do not have control of your life. But I digress. Burnout. Thats how I feel. And I’m sure many of you do too. Or actually maybe I don’t feel like that. The word “burnout” implies that I did have a handle and energy and motivation at one time. And I do not quite recall that time. Maybe 2018? Anyway, that burnout is real. And noticeable. Who isn’t feeling it now? The leaves are falling and so are my grades and effort. But you really do see visual effects of burnout on campus. If you were coherent and somewhat present in class these last couple weeks all you had to do was look around the classroom. I’m sure it’s not just in my classes, but many of yours too: They are empty. There are a lot more absences than usual. We are not just talking about the godforsaken 8 a.m. classes or 3 hour lectures, but literally every class. Any subject, any time of day. Believe me, I am not judging anyone. If I did not have anxiety and FOMO (fear of missing out), my seat would be empty on the regular. Reassured as a commuter from 40 miles away, if I did not have to make a conscious effort to come to class, I would let these demons win. I totally get it. Sometimes you physically and mentally cannot bring yourself to class. Sitting in a particular classroom or working on a particular assignment. Not to be rude or shady, but even being around certain classmates or one specific professor. All these things, no matter how small, can set one over the edge. That being said, I have also noticed COVID is still very much running rampant. Not only at school, but everywhere. Work, friends, family. I have known more people that have gotten sick with the virus this year than in the past two years of the pandemic combined. It’s quite disheartening, but I also feel like we’re quite used to it at this point. COVID is coming for the common cold and taking her job. I also do feel like the burnout can impact the immune system, which obviously makes one more susceptible to COVID. That is a thing right? I’m not in medical school, so those of you that are don’t come for me. Burnout results in poor diets, crazy sleep habits and just general lousy wellbeing. Having to take a week off sick, makes it even more unbalanced. Having to bounce back immediately after being sick puts one in an even more hectic position. I’m also willing to bet the seasons changing has something to do with the burnout as well. All the foliage dying, daylight getting shorter, the air getting colder. Not the nice fall chill, or the crisp morning where it is in the seventies by noon, but when it is cold in the morning and stays cold all day. With the pain-inthe-neck wind, it is not the nice fall breeze. Seasonal depression is a real thing. Yearround depression is too, if we are being honest. It is hard to crack down on school work, sports, extracurriculars and jobs when you are not taking care of your mind and body. Do not worry, I am not going to insert some cringeworthy inspirational quote. I will spare us all from the eye roll. However, one thing I do now, that whether things go smoothly or it is like a rollercoaster ride that leaves me sore and bruised, the semester will be over by midDecember, and we will have made it. The end may not be triumphant or satisfying but it will be the end nonetheless. Then you can look forward to me complaining about all the seasonal spring problems in my articles. Sending you peace and light. Graphic by David Marks Wren’s Watchlist: “Given” is a gift that keeps on giving By Wren Haze Opinion Editor I took the time to review “Given,” a BL anime that I watched in the summer. I was told that the show was extremely sad and I love watching things that make me cry. The show follows Ritsuka Uenoyama, a young popular guitarist who has not found inspiration for music lately. His character is stern and mopey and I swear he sleeps on stairs with no fear at all. It is pretty impressive. On one of the lovely days that Uenoyama goes to sleep on the stairs near the gym, he discovers an orange haired male sleeping on the stairs hugging a red guitar. The name of the boy is Sato Mafuyu who only speaks in two word phrases and gleaming eyes. He asks Uenoyama to fix his guitar with broken strings and originally Uenoyama rejects the question. After some pleading, Uenoyama gives in. Once Uenoyama fixes the guitar, Mafuyu asks him to teach him how to play the guitar. Two episodes are spent of Mafuyu following and begging Uenoyama to teach him how to play and of course Uenoyama gives in. Uenoyama eventually introduces Mafuyu to his band, The Seasons, and we get introduced to Akihiki Kaji, the drummer and Haruki Nakayama, the bassist of the band. I got immense gender envy from Nakayama when I first saw him with his tied up hair and his mom friend personality. Nakayama takes Mafuyu under his wing a bit as Uenoyama teaches him how to play. Uenoyama finally gets excited and found inspiration for new music as he starts to teach Mafuyu more. Over the course of the next few episodes, Uenoyama and Mafuyu’s relationship grows as Mafuyu’s past starts surfacing as past friends become prominent as he is assigned to write lyrics for a song that they are going to perform at a festival. Mafuyu has trouble with the song as the past comes up and on the day of the concert, he still has not given any lyrics for the band to review which causes Uenoyama to freak out. Due to this, Mafuyu ends up breaking the strings of his guitar because of the stress. On the other hand, we get to see that Nakayama has a small crush on Kaji, despite Kaji leading Uenoyama’s sister on and being involved with Ugetsu Murata, a violin prodigy. I really did not like Kaji at the beginning, but he gets better at the end of the season. Mafuyu ends up telling the story that happened one winter and the relationship between his late boyfriend Yuki Yoshida who passed away to suicide. Yoshida and Mafuyu were childhood lovers and the song expresses Mafuyu’s feeling about how he can never forgive Yoshida for what he did but also freeing himself from the past. At the end of the performance, Mafuyu and Uenoyama go off stage and Uenoyama praises Mafuyu and ends up kissing him. The whole episode had my mouth open and tears falling down my face. The episode gave us so much information, but the creators of the show paced it so well to not overwhelm the viewer. After their performance, Uenoyama and Mafuyu finally confess to each other and they ask the rest of their bandmates permission to start dating. Nakayama gives them a warning due to them being in the same band as them whereas Kaji is fully supportive of their relationship. At the end, the relationship between the two grows and they start working on more music to play for their next gig which is an opening act for a band in Shibuya. The show made me cry a multitude of times and was pretty realistic when it came to overcoming a young death in society. I really enjoyed the show and will rate when I watch the movie and the OVA. I rate the show a 9.5/10. �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 Opinion Rating every single song from Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” 16 A look at Swift’s latest album (3 a.m.-listening edition) By Wren Haze Opinion Editor “Lavender Haze” 8.5/10 The vibes are immaculate here— however, the lyrics are not my favorite. The verse that mentions “talk your talk and go viral” simply does not make sense in my opinion. The rest of the song feels like I am with a lover and I am so immersed with them; the outside forces not being able change my perception of this person. Originally, I placed this song a lot lower than my final ranking due to the lyrics of the song. However, the rhythm of the song made it seem like this is what butterflies are like when you see the person you adore. “Maroon” 7/10 This song makes the connection between love and the color red. This song seems to take on a story of the present and past. In the present at the beginning is the past of their relationship. She eventually changes the tense of the song to the past after the relationship has ended. I did enjoy this song, but I feel this song can only play when I am in my feelings. “Anti-Hero” 10/10 Either this song is really good or I am still haunted by my past trauma of blaming myself for everything. I would like to say it is both. “I am the problem, it’s me,” really gets me reliving past mistakes and regrets, but the beat of the song makes me want to shake my ass. It truly is a win-win situation that definitely started a trend on Tik-Tok because of the lyrics. “Snow On The Beach (ft. Lana Del Ray)” 6/10 Or should I say featuring back up vocals? This collaboration was extremely disappointing as Del Ray served as a backup vocal on this track. The song definitely had Del Ray vibes but it did not hit as a Del Ray song would. “You’re On Your Own, Kid” 7/10 A lot of artists tell their own experience of balancing personal life and work and each artist tells a different story. Mitski best explained her experience as a Japanese-American artist as “working for the knife” and Swift tells her story of how she was “on her own.” Her story goes through some of the highs and lows she faced, especially her eating disorder that she mentioned in the “Miss Americana” documentary. What gets me as once she starts getting to the present of her life, the song proceeds to get faster as a balance of the two troubles starts to actually balance itself out. “Midnight Rain” 2/10 Please tell me that no one else hears James Charles singing the intro. This song is so horrid and an easy skip. Anyone who says that this album has no skips is delusional when it comes to this song. There is nothing else to say. “Question…?” 4/10 No Taylor, you cannot ask me a question. If it takes you a bunch of different scenarios to grow the courage to ask a question, was it truly meant to be asked? The song does hit in a way of reflecting on past relationships, but it did not hit compared to other songs. “Vigilante Sh*t” 8/10 This song was truly on the wrong album as it should have appeared on “Reputation.” The song is definitely a good hype song or a pregame. I think this song stands out compared to the rest of the album as it gives revenge vibes. Also, people think Swift works for the FBI now. “Bejeweled” 3/10 The beginning of the song was giving a “Steven Universe” vibe, but I just could not get behind this song. The beat of the song is what threw me off; however, “I miss sparkling” really resonated with me as relationships in our life are so toxic despite the depth it may hold, but it holds us back from living our life. “Labyrinth” 7/10 This song is the epitome of “oh. oh.” in books. The sole verse carries the whole song as it takes us through the fear of her falling in love to finally being happy that she found someone to love. “Karma” 10/10 “Karma” is God. “Karma” is a cat. “Karma” is my boyfriend. “Karma” is everywhere and I support it. The lyrics, the beats and the rhythm makes me want to dance the night away. This is a perfect song for the crowd going and I love this song dearly. “Sweet Nothing” 8/10 Not going to lie, I thought this song was going to be a rendition of “Sweet Nothing” by Calvin Harris, an ex of Swift, but it was very melodic and gave off an anthem for people who are into fairycore. It was a cute song. “Mastermind” 5/10 Lorde’s “Melodrama” album ran so this song can walk. I liked that it reminded me of Lorde’s music, but I did not enjoy the song as much as I hoped I would. “The Great War” 8/10 This song is an anthem for Luke Pearce from “Tears of Themis,” but it is in fact a song that made me cry upon first listen. It is a bit slower paced compared to other songs on the album, but the lyrics make it WANT MORE 3 A.M. MUSIC REVIEWS? SEND US YOUR SUGGESTIONS! INSTAGRAM: @WILKESBEACON relatable to the listener like “Anti-Hero”. “Bigger Than The Whole Sky” 7/10 This song gives me the vibe of a main character having a bittersweet moment at the end of a romance movie. I was a bit disappointed that this song was not at the last song of the album, but the song reminds me of the beat present in her “Red” album. “Paris” 4/10 The placing of the song is strange considering the slower song seems to appear at the bottom of the album. I did love that Karli Kloss advertised this song, but it would be an easy skip if I had to listen to it again. “High Infidelity” 5.5/10 Oh, Miss Swift can rhyme. I did forget this song existed and I should have forgotten it again because it was not it. It was cute but I do not need to know where you were on April 29 please and thank you. “Glitch” 3/10 I cannot tell if Swift can handle a situationship or if she struggles with long distance. I really did not care for this song. “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” 9/10 This song was definitely better the second time around I listened to it. It gives a mix of her older music and makes me want to cry on the floor at the same time. It makes me want to go on a late night drive and scream out the window. The song made the urge to cry grow higher and higher as the song continued its course. “Dear Reader” 4/10 Why is she telling the reader to commit arson, I thought she worked for the FBI. �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 Opinion 17 Planet Fitness does not deserve the constant hate Why the gym’s inclusive measures should be applauded Opinion Staff Writer access to a gym during the early mornings and late nights allows me to fit fitness into my schedule. Bodybuilders and self-identified “gym rats” outspokenly ridicule commercial gym chain Planet Fitness, but as someone who has been a member for years, I think this hate is undeserved. There are three main reasons why I think Planet Fitness is better than many make it out to be. Practical amenities Perhaps the biggest criticism Planet Fitness receives is that it does not have equipment they may need. It may not have the bells and whistles of other gyms By Sydney Allabaugh Accessibility One of the most defining advantages Planet Fitness has over other gyms is its accessibility. At only $10 a month, a membership cost is significantly lower than the average monthly gym fee, which is $58 a month, according to Healthline. This makes physical fitness significantly more accessible to those who may not be able to afford a gym membership otherwise. Not only is it financially accessible, but locations and hours allow for attainable workouts. With nearly 2,250 locations in the U.S., there is likely a Planet Fitness close by. Black Card members, the premium membership that is still only half of the national average, can access any Planet Fitness across the country. Additionally, being open 24 hours a day during the week with staff allows me to go when I am available without worry. As a college student, I cannot workout during typical hours of operation, so having that have state-of-the-art equipment and amenities, but it has everything the average gym-goer needs like cardio machines, smith machines, dumbbells, and other equipment. Although many disapprove of Planet Fitness having no free weights and few heavy dumbbells, smith machines are available. Most heavy lifts, including squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and even hip thrusts, can be achieved—in arguably a safer manner—on the smith machines. Many feel pressured to buy expensive gym memberships with promises of better amenities when the equipment is nearly identical. Although Planet Fitness may not have a pool, track, or intricate modern equipment, it has the services most actually use. Typically, the average person goes to the gym to lift weights or do cardio exercises. Both are achievable at Planet Fitness for a sixth of the cost of other gyms. Welcoming environment Planet Fitness’s motto is that they are a “Judgement Free Zone,” and for the most part, this statement is true. When I We want to hear your voice! Let your thoughts be known within the community. Join the Opinion section! CONTACT: Emily.Cherkauskas@wilkes.edu am at the gym, I see older people, young people, men, women, bodybuilders and beginners working out within the same facility. There was never a time I felt judged or unwelcome. A common criticism of Planet Fitness is that it is “anti-bodybuilder” due to their “lunk alarm” that goes off to discourage unwanted behavior, such as slamming weights or grunting loudly. I do not see it as anti-bodybuilder. I see this as a measure against fitness elitism and obnoxious egotists. It is possible to lift heavy without slamming it and damaging the equipment in the process. In my experience, the “lunk alarm” sounds incredibly infrequently anyway. After going to Planet Fitness a few times each week for two years, I have heard the alarm about two or three times due to excessively dangerous acts. There is also a great sense of community at Planet Fitness. It just looks different from other gyms. Since people of all walks of life go to Planet Fitness, not everyone is there because they’re competitive athletes. Older people may be there for mobility, parents may be there to increase confidence, and young people may be there to better their mental health. Regardless of the reason, most are supportive of others and help each other when needed. That is what the fitness community is all about. Graphic by David Marks �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 Opinion 18 Remote work can not only be convenient, but also depressing By David Marks Lead Designer So, we all remember when the pandemic started going down. Classes were moved to virtual sessions, in-person meetings of any kind were strictly prohibited, and everybody was, for the most part, sent away to their rooms (or houses, for our commuters), and told to hang tight until the big scary virus went away, or at least until we could get everyone vaccinated. At first, I remember feeling pretty elated my new educational situation. I would join whatever Zoom classes I had to, put the Zoom window itself on one monitor, and then play video games on the other monitor. Occasionally, I’d turn my microphone on and say something to maintain that sweet, sweet participation grade, and then I would flick it back off, returning to whatever game I happened to be playing at the moment. It wasn’t even always games. Sometimes I would cook, watch a TV show, walk my dog, and all while a Zoom class was happening in the background. I was essentially free to do whatever I wanted. I had no real obligation to do much of anything, for the most part, and so it barely even felt like I was in school. Then, the whole thing really started to lose its luster. It felt like I was really starting to be deprived of human interaction. Add to that the fact that I barely knew any of my classmates or my professors. For the duration of “Zoom University,” as it has been lovingly called, I made almost no meaningful connections. When we finally did come back to in-person classes, it ended up being a huge relief. It wasn’t totally normal, (we still had masks on, mind you), but it was something much closer to normal human interaction, something that I had forgotten I needed and loved. If you asked me again if I would ever go back to remote learning if I had the choice, I would almost certainly say no. Now, you would think I would have remembered the lesson I learned about myself during this time. That I need in- person interaction to make meaningful First of all, anytime I am working, I on a casual level with the people you connections and to feel happy. But, alas, try to work in a public setting, preferably work with remotely. I did not. No, it’s not the same as being inaround people I can chat with. This This semester, I started a remote really fills the social interaction vacuum person, but it’s the best we got—at least internship at an ad agency. Similar to you can often feel until Elon puts a chip in our head. what happened Where I interned, the atmosphere with remote work. with remote Secondly, I inside the group chat was absolutely I started to feel much the same would learning, the highly ludicrous. It felt almost like I was in a novelty of being recommend still Discord channel or something. People way I felt when we were doing able to earn money following all of are firing off GIFs, making all sorts of virtual classes: cut-off, and in and complete tasks your normal jokes, sharing hilarious stories about without having to hygienic routines their lives, etc.. Engaging with this gave dire need to be around other wear a suit and tie, you would me the feeling that I was a part of a real people. make small-talk, otherwise follow group, albeit a virtual one. adhere to normal Let this be a warning: You may very if you were going office social well not be able to do remote work and to an in-person Eventually, I figured out that I dynamics and etc., remain mentally healthy, at least in position. simply cannot do virtual work was at first, very, There is remote work’s current state. I’m highly very alluring. optimistic about the future of remote something about completely alone. It’s too lonely, The notion that the brain, my brain work, though. there’s too many distractions I could get all my As virtual reality innovations seem at least, that feels work done, submit like its ready for to shatter what was previously thought and too little accountability. it for review, and the day when I’m to be possible again and again, I think then just chill, all all cleaned up and remote work will look quite different while getting paid, wearing clothes within our lifetimes. was amazing. Perhaps with time, it will be just as that I would feel comfortable going out However, for me at least, there’s of the house in. satisfying as being in-person with your something about sitting alone at a Finally, make every effort to interact fellow coworkers. computer in your dimly-lit room for a long period of time that really starts to get to you and the flaws in remote work become highly apparent. There’s no in-person celebration when the project you’re working on is Do you own a business? successful. The communication process Have an upcoming event? is greatly handicapped by the limitation of written word and Zoom. And perhaps Advertise with The Beacon and reach up to most importantly, you can’t form strong thousands of clients per week! bonds with people you only know through the medium of text and video chat, or at least I can’t. After a little while, these problems Sizes range from 1/8 of a page up to a full page really started to drag down my general demeanor. I started to feel much the Advertisements are in full color same way I felt when we were doing Can be ran in one issue up to an entire semester virtual classes: cut-off, and in dire need to be around other people. Eventually, I figured out that I simply cannot do virtual work completely For more information, please contact: alone. It’s too lonely, there’s too many distractions and too little accountability. Kalen.Churcher@wilkes.edu So, over time, I picked up a few tricks or to make remote work more sufferable, for those of us who are more “neurotic,” Emily.Cherkauskas@wilkes.edu so to speak. PLACE YOUR AD HERE! �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 Sports Sports 19 Want your sport covered? Deserve to be Athlete of the Week? Contact the Sports Editor: Baylee.Guedes@wilkes.edu Winter sports preview: here comes the winter storm By Wren Haze & Baylee Guedes University for their home opener on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Marts Center. As fall runs its course, athletics prepare for the storm that winter sports will bring. Women's ice hockey The women’s ice hockey team returns with a new head coach. Dave LaBaff, hired this past June, will take on his first season coaching for the Colonels as he spent the last eight seasons at SUNY Canton. Senior Julie Patterson led the Colonels with six goals last season as Kendall Castro had five and junior Rachel Morey with four. Valerie Koenig and Castro, who have both graduated, had six assists as Morey and Patterson followed with five each. The Colonels will be having 25 regular season games, including their home opener against seventh ranked Nazareth. During preseason polls, the team was ranked fifth in the MAC and 10th in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC). Opinion Editor & Sports Editor Women's basketball The women’s basketball team was voted to finish six out of nine teams. The Colonels finished fifth last year and lost in the Quarterfinals to Misericordia University 51-43. Tara Macciocco returns for her fifth season as the head coach for the Colonels. Senior Brianna Horton returns as the teams' top 3-point scorer with 30 3-pointers last season. Horton also had a 7.6 scoring average for the team with a season total of 180 points whereas junior Julia Marino led the Colonels with 86 assists last season. The women’s basketball team will be competing in 25 regular season games with 16 of them being Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) games and 13 of them being home. Their first game will be away at Keystone College on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. Their first home game will be Nov. 11 against Penn State Alto in the Marts Center. “The team is looking really strong this year,” said graduate student Kendra Smith. “We have a veteran team that I think is doing a really great job at leading the way for our underclassmen. The intensity of practices are at a new level this year and everyone works to push each other and get better everyday.” Men's basketball Men’s basketball was voted sixth in the MAC preseason poll. The team finished 8-17, 5-11 on the season last year under Izzi Metz, his ninth year as head coach. Junior Matthew Davidheiser led the Colonels with 38 3-pointers last season as Sean Coller had 33 and sophomore Cayden Merrifield with 29. The team lost Coller to graduation. Defensively, junior Trent Fisher led the Colonels with 38 blocks. The Colonels will host Clarks Summit Men's ice hockey On the other hand, the men’s ice hockey team continues on under the coaching of Tyler Hynes. Hynes returns for his fourth season as head coach for the Colonels. “Last year was a tremendous season for our program and set a bar we are trying to uphold,” said Hynes. “We return 17 players from last year’s team who will have more responsibility leadership wise and an expectation to produce.” The team finished 20-5-1 on the season and three of their players were announced as Players To Watch, according to the UCHC. Graduate students Phil Erickson and Scott Mueller and senior Michael Paterson-Jones were the players named. Erickson tallied 26 points on 14 goals and 12 assists last season whereas Mueller tallied seven. Paterson-Jones, goaltender, has 1,212 career saves and 33 wins. Men's and women's swim The men’s and women’s swim team is currently 0-2 on the season under new head coach Christopher Paynter. The men’s team fell to FDU-Florham 62-102 and Messiah University 27-167 in a tri-meet on Oct. 22. The women’s team fell 174-4 and 164-7. Graduate student Shane Miller and firstyear Ashton Dainty finished fourth and fifth consecutively in the 200 freestyle with Miller finishing with a time of 2:05.87 and Dainty with a 2:07.27 in the six swimmer race. Miller went on to place third in the 200 freestyle relay with Dainty, senior Liam White and junior Stephen Verosko finishing with a time of 1:44.53. Senior Maddy Kinard is the only returning female swimmer for the Colonels. Kinard placed fifth out of 10 swimmers in the 100 backstroke and sixth in the 200 backstroke. Wilkes will face Dickinson College and Lebanon Valley College on Nov. 5 for a trimeet in Carlisle, Pa. Wrestling Wrestling will be hitting the mats starting on Nov. 5 at the Ned McGinley Invitational Tournament (NMIT), which will be hosted by King’s College. The team returns under Jon Laudenslager who is in his 20th season as head coach. Sophomore Austin Fashour returns after going 32-6 during his first season as a Colonel in the 125. Last season, Fashour placed second place at NMIT, second at the Wildcat Invitational, first at the Blue Jay Classic, first at the Wilkes Invitational and second at the SE Regionals. “The team looks good,” said senior Cody Dix. “The young guys are keeping the energy levels high and there is a lot of talent on the mats.” Senior Jack Bauer will also be returning after going 21-9 his junior season, adding to his 40-24 overall record in the 133. For more information on all of the winter athletic events and contests, go to www.gowilkesu.com. The Beacon//Baylee Guedes ARCHIVE PHOTO: Graduate student Phil Erickson preparing to win a faceoff last February. �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 Sports 20 Where are they now? Former Wilkes hockey player Nick Fea By Julia Mazur Staff Writer Nick Fea, a Wilkes ice hockey alumnus, had the opportunity to play in an American Hockey League (AHL) preseason game on Oct. 5. Fea graduated from Wilkes with a degree in business management this past spring. Fea was also a part of the first-ever men’s ice hockey program at Wilkes while completing four full seasons. During his time as a Colonel, Fea had a total of 121 points: 42 goals and 80 assists in 86 games played. His success at Wilkes helped him to be noticed by scouts in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins organization. This led to Fea being invited to attend the Penguins training camp in early October. “I was excited for an opportunity to play hockey at a high level and to try and continue my dream of playing hockey for a living,” said Fea. When the morning of Oct. 5 came around, Fea was excited to find out that he would be suiting up for the Penguins in their opening pre-season game. With over 3,700 fans in attendance, including his former coach and teammates, Fea got a taste of what it was like to play professional ice hockey. Although Fea had been preparing for this moment his whole life, it was still a bit of an adjustment for him. In comparison to the pace of the game at the collegiate level, the AHL pace was the biggest overall change for Fea. “Decisions have to be made quicker,” said Fea. “But at the end of the day, it is just hockey and once you adapt to the pace it just feels like a normal game.” Fea worked hard for this moment, not only on the ice but off of the ice as well. He has become more acclimated to the environment of a professional organization through the opportunity of attending this training camp. Through Fea’s experience, it is seen that being a successful player not only involves your abilities on the ice but also learning how to better your mind and body, as well as being prepared for any situation. “I enjoy the process of getting better every day,” said Fea. “Being prepared is something that I take pride in.” Fea credits his current success to the past four seasons of playing hockey at Wilkes. Fea was able to learn a lot about hockey throughout his time as a Colonel, while also learning about himself and the things he is capable of. “No matter what happens, always try to have a positive mindset and attitude,” said Fea. “You can only control what you can control, and there are a lot of things you can not control” Although the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins did not offer him a contract, Fea has high hopes for his future career. He is currently unsure of what he will be doing this upcoming season professionally, but one thing is certain. Fea is determined to continue to pursue his professional career in hockey. Determination and hard work go a long way in professional sports. Fea is a perfect example of these traits, helping to show others that anything is possible if you work hard. The Beacon//Julia Mazur Fea looking for a teammate to advance the puck to in the preseason game. SWIM: Colonels hoping for early success under new coach By Adam Grundt Staff Writer Christopher Paynter is looking to build a new culture around the Wilkes swim team as he enters his first season as head coach. Paynter spent last season at Hobart College and William Smith College in Geneva, NY, where he handled the program’s recruiting as well as serving as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s programs. Along with his coaching position, Paynter was also an intern strength and conditioning coach. “My passion for coaching started when I joined the coaching staff for my parents’ track club, Hershey Blaze,” said Paynter. “I found joy in seeing athletes progress and in helping them in any way I could with achieving their goals. The relationships and bonds that I made over the years at that track club really helped push me to want to do more with coaching, so I started looking toward the collegiate level.” Prior to coaching, Paynter was a twotime Big East champion swimmer and diver at Villanova University. His times recorded at Villanova place him among the top three fastest Wildcat swimmers of all time. He graduated from the university in December 2021 with a degree in liberal arts and sciences. Before attending Villanova, Paynter was a National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA) All-American at Hershey high school in Pennsylvania. “During my time at Villanova and at Hershey High School, I had the honor of being coached by some of the best coaches as well as learning from some of the best,” Paynter said. “One thing I learned was that having those relationships with your athletes makes everything easier. Athletes start to trust you and believe in what you are telling them. They start to buy into the new culture we are trying to build and that puts everyone on the same page.” Maddy Kinard, a senior and the only female swimmer on the team, is looking forward to what the season will bring with Paynter now at the helm of the program. “While Paynter’s practice style is different than some of us have ever had, I can honestly say we’ve all had our moments of struggle but have now pretty much adjusted and have really gotten into the swing of things,” said Kinard. “This is especially thanks to coach who regularly works with us on scheduling, checks in on us, and is always open to any comments or concerns we may have.” Some of the swimmers’ goals for the season are based upon what is instilled into the swimmers by Paynter. “He (Paynter) was very quick to set his goals and set his intentions for the team,” said junior Stephen Verosko. “I think what we need to focus on for the season is to be headstrong, and know that as long as we’re having fun, we will become a stronger team in the future to win meets and even bigger events.” The Colonels will travel to Dickinson College for a tri-meet with the Red Devils and the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen on Nov. 5. T he meet will be live-streamed at gowilkesu.com where the meets statistics and results can also be accessed. �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 Sports 21 FB: Jonathan Drach’s love of football started at a young age By Baylee Guedes Sports Editor In his fifth season as the head coach of the football team, Jonathan Drach has acquired many accolades. However, it is essential to look at how he got to this point. Drach’s football career started long before he could play. While he was still in diapers, Drach was around the game of football as his father was the head coach of a high school football team. “I have had a close relationship with football my entire life,” said Drach. “I have been going to games and riding the bus since I could walk. I have always loved the chess match of the game.” When Drach began playing football in third grade, his love for football grew even more and he decided in middle school that being a quarterback was what he fancied. Drach continued playing into his high school years as a quarterback, starting as a junior and eventually earning several allstate and all-league honors. Drach graduated with a large class of over 1000 students and student-athletes. He was given the opportunity to receive a full football scholarship to Western Michigan University, which he accepted. “I went on to start at quarterback for three years in college after red-shirting and backing up the current WMU head football coach Tim Lester,” said Drach. During his senior year as the starting quarterback for the Western Michigan Broncos, Drach completed a single-season record of 67 percent of his passes for 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also received the MAC All-Academic Team selection twice as well as receiving the Broncos' 2003 John Gill ScholarAthlete Award. Following the completion of his collegiate career and graduating with a double major in economics and finance, Drach coached with his father at West Aurora High School as the offensive coordinator for two seasons. During this time, he spent two years trading European Equity Futures for a company in Chicago called DE Trading, which allowed Drach to be able to coach alongside his father as well as support himself. After two years of experience, Drach decided that it was time to further his coaching career. “I transitioned to college coaching at Hobart College in upstate New York,” said Drach. “I started as an intern and worked my way up to a full-time position after my second season with the program. I loved every aspect of coaching college football and I was passionate about making this my career.” After 11 years at Hobart and helping that team collect many accolades, Drach came to Wilkes to take over the head coaching position in 2018. “I have loved working at Wilkes,” said Drach. “The people that I get to work with every day are amazing and we have a great family bond on our staff and team. It is fun to come to work every day in a place that is supportive and driven to improve. We have a long way to go to accomplish some of our goals but we have a blast working toward that with all that we do.” During his time at Wilkes thus far, Drach has led the team to get better every season. He turned the program around from having a winless season the year before he began coaching, to a 6-4 record, one of the largest turnarounds in Division III football, according to gowilkesu.com. He has also supported his team in earning multiple All-MAC awards. However, Drach could not have accomplished this without his coaching staff. “It is everything (to have a good coaching staff ). I would not do what I do without them,” said Drach. “One person can only do so much and you have to lean on one another to accomplish the greater goal. My piece is equal to theirs, and we all need each other to reach the top.” Drach’s main goal is to help these young men develop on and off of the field as well as be their support system when needed. He hopes that the players he has been coaching can cling to the lessons that the coaching staff has been teaching them, in hopes that they will apply it off the field and in real life, post-graduation. Drach’s experience with coaching has shown us that his true passion lies on the football field and he leaves us with a piece of advice for those who want to follow in the footsteps of him and other coaches in finding their true passion. “Put your head down and keep working,” said Drach. The most progress is made when you do not worry about outside factors that you cannot control.” Catch Drach coaching the Colonels every Saturday during the fall season. The Colonels are currently sitting at 5-2 (as of Oct.28) and are looking to improve throughout the season. The Beacon//Baylee Guedes Drach speaking to the coaching staff through his headset to determine the next move. DO YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN WRITING ABOUT SPORTS? Contact Sports Editor Baylee.Guedes@wilkes.edu �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 Sports 22 Athlete of the Week • • Caleb Edwards - -~----= - I -=--_..aa.._ - ---=- First-Year Cross Country Runner The Beacon: Male Athlete of the Week Edwards was chosen as our Athlete of the Week (AOTW) after his perfomance at the LVC Last Chance Run Fast 8k event. Edwards ran a personal best time of 27:12.1. This put him in the Colonel record book as he set the third best time in Wilkes cross country history. Along with being our AOTW, Edwards received the MAC Runner of the Week award. Major: Enviromental Science Hometown: Grahamsville, NY High School: Tri-Valley Central What has been your favorite sports memory from your time as a Colonel? Every race. Each time I step up to the line I get to test my limits and find out if I am willing to give it all out on the course. That in conjunction with representing Wilkes, it gives me a good feeling to represent something greater than just myself. What is your favorite professional sports team (any sport)? I don’t have a favorite professional sports team but I do have a favorite athlete. Eluid Kipchoge is an Olympic gold medalist in the marathon and currently holds the world record for the fastest marathon time in history. His motto “No Human is Limited” is very inspiring and seeing him run makes me want to drive myself to be the best athlete I can be. What is your favorite thing to do away from sports? I like to play instrumental pieces and jazz on my ukulele and sing with my guitar. The Beacon//Lauren Bowers Editor’s s elec tions are mined by ts ditor's note note:: Athlete Athlete of of the the Week Week selections are deter determined by the the spor sports staff nd of mic year, year, we ill post post aa reader poll on taff each each week. week . At At the the eend of the the acade academic we w will reader poll on Tw itte r @ Wilkes B eacon to row n an Twitter @WilkesBeacon to ccrown an “Athlete "Athlete of o the the Year." Year. " What is your favorite part of being an athlete at Wilkes? I unfortunately was a latecomer to taking running super seriously in high school, but with the help of my coach and a lot of hard work my running skyrocketed in just my senior year. Being able to continue the same work ethic I had in high school at a higher level of athletics is a privilege I am glad to have. What sports movie is your go-to for movie night? “Cars.” “I am speed,” You can’t beat that. If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? Ultimate Frisbee, that seems to be the only other sport I can do well in. How do you feel about being selected as the Athlete of the Week? I am thankful. I have big aspirations for what I want to accomplish in Cross Country. I am excited about the progress that I am making with the help of my coach and teammates who help me to give it all each day. Compiled by Baylee Guedes, Sports Editor �Sports The Beacon - November 2, 2022 Athlete of the Week 23 Nicole Fitzpatrick Junior Volleyball Outside-Hitter The Beacon: Female Athlete of the Week Fitzpatrick was chosen as our Athlete of the Week (AOTW) after her perfomance after contributing 18 kills to the Colonels big 3-1 win over St. Joseph's College. Fitzpatrick ended the week with 40 kills, 13 aces, 30 digs and four blocks in her past three games. Along with being our AOTW, Fitzpatrick earned the MAC Offensive Player of the Week award. Major: Psychology Hometown: New Hampton, NY High School: Minisink Valley What has been your favorite sports memory from your time as a Colonel? Finally defeating Kings in our conference match. What is your favorite professional sports team (any sport)? New York Yankees + NY Rangers. What is your favorite thing to do away from sports? Spending time with my friends. If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? I probably would have been playing soccer still. How do you feel about being selected as the Athlete of the Week? It is coming to the end of our season and I’m honestly really proud of all the hard work being put in and it only makes me want to grow more as an athlete. What is your favorite part of being an athlete at Wilkes? Throughout my years here I’ve made so many amazing friends and memories. What sports movie is your go-to for movie night? Remember the Titans. The Beacon//Lauren Bowers Editor’s elec tions are mined by ts ditor's note: note : Athlete Athlete of of the the Week Week sselections are deter determined by the the spor sports staff At the year, we ill pos postt aa reader poll on taff each each week. week . At th e end end of of the the academic academi c year, we w will reader poll on Tw it ter @WilkesB eaconn to Twitter @WilkesBeaco to crow crow n n an an “Athlete "Athlete of o the the Year." Yea r." �The Beacon - November 2, 2022 24 Door’s open! ���������������������������������������� ����������� ���� ��� ��������� ��������������� ����������� II ������� ��������������� �������� �������������� ���������������������� Ii ������������ 1, .I Contact: ���������������� �� ����� �������� ������ � ������ �� � �� �� �� ������� ������� ������ � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon Newspaper Collection, 1947-present Description An account of the resource <p>This is Wilkes University's <em>Beacon</em> Newspaper collection, 1947-present. We also have digitized copies of the <em>Beacon's</em> predecessors, <em>The Bucknell Bison Stampede</em>, 1934-1935 and <em>The Bucknell Beacon</em>, 1936-1947 June. It should be noted that Wilkes University does not have a complete set of issues for the Bucknell Bison Stampede and Bucknell Beacon. For researchers who are interested in seeing the complete issues for these publications, please contact <a href="https://researchbysubject.bucknell.edu/scua">Bucknell University's Special Collections Department</a>.</p> <p></p> <p>Missing Issues:</p> <p>1947 August 8th<br />1947 September 5th<br />1947 October 3rd<br />1947 October 17th<br />1947 October 31st<br />1947 November 21st<br />1947 December 19th<br />1948 September 9th<br />1950 April 28th<br />1953 April 10th<br />1962 February 2nd</p> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Beacon staff is comprised of Wilkes University students who are advised by a full-time faculty member of the Communication Studies Department. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1934-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright of the Wilkes Beacons is retained by Wilkes University. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Professor Emeritus Harold Cox digitized the collection from 1934-1970 and created a <a href="https://beaconarchives2.wilkes.edu/">legacy website</a>. Digital Archives student John Jenkins digitized the collection from 1970-present. Special thanks goes to Communication Studies Professor Dr. Kalen Churcher, Editor-in-Chief Kirsten Peters, Beacon staff member, Emily Cherkauskas, and other Beacon staff for their help in acquiring digitized copies of the Beacons from 2006 onward. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon 2022 November 1 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Communications Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 November 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/a4770eb50e0b2f25a2d45102f62037b3.pdf fa4b74da13739d607b0ea0fc09f4b318 PDF Text Text The Beacon - October 5, 2022 THE BEACON Est. 1936 Wilkes University - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Pa. Newspaper Association Member Volume 75, Issue 5 1 “The news of today reported by the journalists of tomorrow.” FB: Colonels take Homecoming victory with 27-0 blowout By Baylee Guedes Sports Editor The Beacon/Baylee Guedes Head coach Jonathan Drach links arms with (left to right) senior Jeremie Hernandez, junior Cory Pelzer and sophomore Mike Balichik. Fore more photos of the homecoming game, see pages 12-13. Office of Diversity Initiatives hosts “Taste of the Town”, page 4 Cocktail of the Week: Perfect for fall; toasted almond drink, page 8 Your vote this election will determine your future, page 17 EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. – Family, friends, fans and alumni all helped celebrate the 27-0 Colonel shutout win over Albright College for the homecoming day game. “It was great (to get a homecoming win),” said head coach Jonathan Drach. “It was fun to get that kind of fan support and I think our guys played really-really hard.” Wilkes won the toss at the beginning of the game but decided to defer and kickoff the ball to the Lions. The Colonels held Albright’s drive, forcing them to punt at fourth and 12. With the ball in Wilkes’ possession, seven plays in, junior running back Elijah Jules took a handoff from sophomore quarterback Isaiah Rodriguez for a 10 yard running touchdown. First-year kicker Nick Volpone’s extra point attempt was satisfactory, putting the Colonels up 7-0. HOMECOMING, page 19 VBALL: Close set scores in tri-match did not result in wins, page 21 �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 News News 2 Have a breaking story or a press release to send? Contact the news editor Maddy Kinard: Madelynn.Kinard@wilkes.edu Student Government notes: Sept. 28 weekly meeting By Claudia Cuchran Staff Writer Student Government held its fifth meeting of the semester, covering one club fund request, three club rerecognitions and one constitution update. First, the president of the proposed Spanish Club presented to the council with requests for club re-recognition for the first time since before COVID-19. The club, which will provide Spanish language and culture related activities for the Wilkes community, plans to meet twice a month and is accepting members of all levels of the Spanish language. They plan to host cultural events, shows and films, game nights, educational trips and community service events. The Spanish Club will hold another presentation next week, with voting to follow. The Wilkes Gender and Sexuality Alliance presented their constitution updates to the council for a second week. A motion was made to approve the changes and was passed. The UNICEF Club, which was proposed to the council last week for re-recognition, has not been available to students since before COVID-19. An officer recapped their presentation and constitution. UNICEF Club, sponsored by the United Nations, will give Wilkes students the opportunity to experience humanitarian development and aid at both a local and worldwide level. A motion was made to approve the club, and was passed. Next, The Indian Cultural Association presented to the council with the request of re-recognizing the chapter. This club will bring Indian students closer to their diverse background, make international students feel comfortable by embracing their culture and provide friendly opportunities to welcome students into Indian traditions. They will host events such as Diwali and Holi, volunteer at food banks, clean up parks and run fundraisers such as henna tattoos and Indian snack sales to support club activities. Officers will present again at next week’s meeting, where voting will take place. Lastly, the GeoExplorer’s Club approached the council with a fund request for their Spring Break 2023 trip to Hawai’i. This trip, which runs every three years, provides students the Beacon Briefs: Upcoming campus events Compiled by Beacon News Staff Polish Room Committee Scholarship The Polish Room Committee Scholarship welcomes applicants from Luzerne County residents to apply for an up to a $3,000 award. Applicants must write a brief description of their Polish heritage (family immigration description) and what that means to them. Preference will be given to those in financial need. The letter must include applicants name, WIN, contact information and is to be submitted to Vera Krewsun of the Alumni House. Applications can be mailed to vera. krewsun@wilkes.edu, with the subject line “Polish Heritage Scholarships.” Honors Online Clothing Store Are you an Honors student looking for merchandise? The Honors apparel store is open now till Oct. 1. They are selling joggers, shirts, hoodies and clothing for parents as well. To purchase itemss, go to www. axelradshop.com/wilkeshonors/shop/ home Free Flu Clinic on Campus The Wilkes-Barre Department of Health will host free flu clinics in the SUB, Henry Student Center, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 11 and Oct. 20. No appointment is needed. Vocal Ensembles Seek New Members Wilkes University Chorus is accepting any new members, including students, staff, faculty and administrators. A voice placement audition is required for all participants. To audition, the chorus meetings from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Geis Hall in the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center. Chamber Singers is also accepting new singers. Students, staff, faculty and administrators are also welcome to audition. Participants will be required to complete a song of their choice that showcases their skills, ear training, andight reading If interested in either, contact director Matthew Rupcich, at matthew.rupcich@wilkes.edu Interested in Wilkes Adventure Ed? If you are interested in WAE or want to stay up to date on planned trips and other outings, go to the link: https://forms. gle/8SCdTmrU7rFg9m9j6 Interested in Chess Club? If you are interested in starting up a chess club on campus, contact jake. middleton@wilkes.edu opportunity to explore new climates, environments and cultures different from that of Wilkes-Barre. It also allows geology students to collect samples from volcanoes and beaches to grow their geological collection and to use in class. This trip will include visits to the Hawai’i Volcano Observatory, Green Sand Beach, Waipio Valley, Mauna Kea Volcano, Kona and brewery and plantation tours. The GeoExplorer’s Club executive board will present to the council again next week, covering cost breakdowns, incidentals and fundraising efforts. Table of Contents News..................2 Life, A&E............7 Opinion............14 Sports................19 Upcoming Events: 2022 Fall Semester October 4 - Voter registration 11 - National coming out day 13-16 - Fall Break 20 - Wilkes career, internship and graduate school fair; LGBTQ+ legislation day November 9 - GSA Variety Show �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 News 3 Wilkes Veterans Council and Air Force ROTC co-host 5k By Sam Mullen Staff Writer One of the many events over homecoming weekend was the Kisses to Cancer 5k, held on Oct. 1, aiming to bring awareness to cancer and to raise donations for various charities. The event took place bright and early on the busy Saturday, continuing with the homecoming festivities. All proceeds from the event will be donated to The Valor Clinic, which gives back to veterans in the NEPA area; Relay for Life to help with the fight against cancer; and the Wilkes University Gold Bar to provide funds to future officers at Detachment 752. The donations will all be in memory of Major Candice Adams Ismirle, a Wilkes alumnus from the class of 2003. All runners received a Major Candice Adams Ismirle short-sleeve shirt, as well as a swag bag with different gifts and promotional materials. Awards were given out to those who were top overall in both female and male and for each age group. REMINDER! The Beacon is looking for News writers! Anneke Bouma (front) and Gianna Manzi (back) race to the finish line as their volunteer hours come to a close. Have a news event you want to see covered? Email News Editor Madelynn.Kinard@wilkes.edu or Editor-in-chief Emily.Cherkauskas@wilkes.edu You can write about. .. • • • • • Campus happeni ngs National news Current events Po lit ics And more! CONTACT: -- News Editor: Madelynn.Kinard@wilkes.edu �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 News 4 Office of Diversity Initiatives hosts “Taste of the Town” By Zach Paraway News Staff Writer Last Tuesday, Wilkes students and staff gathered in the square for “Taste of the Town,” hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. “Taste of the Town” is a monthly opportunity for students to experience and try the food of the many different cultures present within Wilkes-Barre, all at no cost to the students. For September, students attended La Tolteca located within the Square. According to its website, La Tolteca is “prepared fresh daily and includes traditional Mexican grill favorites like fajitas, enchiladas, burritos, tacos, as well as daily lunch specials, signature drinks, and cocktails.” The restaurant is proud of its authentic Mexican menu and preparation within their food. La Tolteca was chosen for the celebration of Spanish Heritage Month, celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 every year. It is done in a long timeframe of celebration as many of the different days of independence fall within those 30 days. The first day of the celebration of independence for many Latin American countries includings Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico. All of them are close because it was all achieved in the Mexican War of Independence. Chile was also close as its independence came on Sept. 18. “The importance of events such as this is not only to expand the kinds of food we eat but also to honor history. We celebrate American holidays without hesitation and we should come together and do the same for our friends,” said Erica Acosta, director of diversity and inclusion. The event included many Wilkes students and even members of Wilkes staff. Students of all different backgrounds were present as well having grown up around different cultures. “The event was a cool way to show everyone’s culture. You like to think that you are diverse and that you attend events like this and see there is still more you can learn,” said Quincy Banks, La Tolteca was able to open its location on Public Sqaure last March after the pandemic had delayed its grand opening. “Taste of the Town” will occur once every month and is available to all Wilkes students, staff and faculty. senior digital design and media arts major. Participants ate a variety of foods, including fajitas, which are a stripped meat with peppers and onions served in a corn or flour tortilla or even on a skillet. The presence of history and community was there as well. Before eating, Acosta led everyone in introductions and conversations to bring everyone together before they began to “break bread.” This allowed everyone attending to open up about where they were from. “I think that part of the experience brought everyone together. Many of us had never seen each other before so it was nice to make new friends and put names to faces of people I see around campus,” said Starr Sandt, a sophomore psychology major. “Taste of the Town” occurs every month through the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. For more information, contact Erica Acosta at erica.acosta@wilkes.edu. Photos: The Beacon/Zach Paraway �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 News 5 Screening of documentary "Agnes" for 50th year anniversary By Josh Garced Staff Writer This summer marked the 50th anniversary of Hurricane Agnes, the flooding of the Susquehanna River and the destruction of Wyoming Valley. To show support for the Wilkes community amidst the anniversary, a screening of the documentary “Agnes” was held on campus. Those who went through the flood slowly started entering the ballroom, picking up a beverage of their choice with a bag of popcorn. As they filled the vacant seats, President Greg Cant and Alan Stout, one of the three producers, writers and narrators for the documentary, went around the room and greeted everyone individually, thanking them for being able to come. At around 7 p.m., Greg Cant spoke to the Wilkes community. “The story of Hurricane Agnes and its impact it had on Wyoming Valley can be seen in the small posterboards placed throughout the campus. Since arriving in Wilkes, I’ve witnessed and heard about the resilience and strength this community has built after the devastation of Agnes. Not just throughout all of Wyoming Valley, but just on this campus alone,” Cant said. Hurricane Agnes affected the Wyoming Valley from June 14 to July 6, 1972. As Agnes made its way north from Florida, its arrival in Pennsylvania was met with heavy amounts of rain, with most of the rain deposit landing in the Wyoming Valley. As the Susquehanna River continued to fill and fill, the Governor and the people of Luzerne County noticed the imminent danger of rising water levels. The levees that were in place were set to control the water level at a certain maximum level. The overflowing river broke that limit resulting in the levees not working, leaving the dikes to be the last defense. This resulted in sandbagging. All members of the community, from teens to the elderly, created barriers of sand and dirt to help add two to three feet of a wall so that the water would not overflow The Beacon/Josh Garced Dr. Greg Cant opens event with discussing the impact Hurricane Agnes had on the Wilkes-Barre community. if the dikes did not work. It took one day of sandbagging until the governor sent out an evacuation order to all residents of Wyoming Valley and rang the sirens to commence the evacuation. “Well, actually, the strength of the Wilkes community (and also the King's community) was made apparent at the dike along the River Common by the Darte that day (and in the many hours preceding the river's breach),” said Chuck Slavish, Wilkes alum and resident during Hurricane Agnes. “It was mostly all college students, those who stayed for the summer, or who were from here, or home for the summer, and lived in the neighborhoods surrounding the universities, that put forth that superhuman sandbagging effort.” All buildings were flooded with 60feet of water with gas pipes exposed, causing fires. Firefighters were unable to reach them. It took months for the community to get government funding and back to the way things were, but the community always stayed strong and helped each other to rebuild Wyoming Valley into a new, better community. Alan Stout, one of the three producers, writers and narrators for the documentary, was present at the screening. He shared with the audience and his fellow community how much this film meant to him, as he was only 5 years old when this event took place. Stout remembers how his grandmother had her house destroyed, but he does not have any vivid memories of what was happening in the world and especially to Wilkes-Barre. “I wanted this film to capture the flood as the main character, but to also have the people of Wyoming Valley be the heroes,” said. The idea for this documentary began on the 40th anniversary of Hurricane Agnes. He bought books about floods for his children and looking through these images of floods gave him the idea of finding as much information as possible about Hurricane Agnes. Whether it was interviews, images, news broadcasts or articles, he was interested in making a documentary or “collage” about the nation’s coverage and local stories of what Agnes did to Wyoming Valley. “I want this film to be a tribute to the people of our community who experienced this devastating event; I want them to feel honored,” said Stout. Helen Ralston and her son, Tom Ralston, made appearances at the event as well. Helen Ralston shared the story of her love and marriage with her husband, George. George and Helen Ralston were married for about 51 years and in their long, happy marriage, they contributed their talents to the university’s community. George worked and helped Wilkes University for 50 to 60 years, while also creating and becoming head of the athletics program and its department. Helen studied to become a musician at Wilkes, and eventually taught musical techniques at Wilkes. Helen recollected back to the summer of 1972 when Hurricane Agnes began its descent upon Wyoming Valley. She talked about the aftermath of Agnes and how she was “blessed” to have the previous owners of the house install metal reinforcements behind the walls of the house. The house was two blocks away from where the dike was overcome by the flood and was still standing after the flood cleared. Helen and George began the rebuilding process of their home. George would travel to Wilkes University to help rebuild the campus, then come back home to rebuild the house. “As I looked around the wreckage inside my house, there was some furniture that survived while clamps and nail reinforcements were needed for others,” said Helen Ralston. “Like the furniture, the people survived and were reinforced by this tragic disaster and helped each other build and grow as a community.” �6 News The Beacon - Ocotber 5, 2022 Alumnus meets with business students about networking By Ariel Reed Managing Editor As part of more homecoming celebrations, Andrew Seaman, a 2010 graduate of Wilkes, returned to campus to talk with students about ways to improve themselves on LinkedIn Seaman also spoke about general business networking tips. Seaman is a managing editor at LinkedIn and also the host of the podcast “Get Hired.” In attendance at the event were various business students, professors, the office of career development and various others. “Hopefully it is not just a moment in time where they hear a lecture or presentation and just walk away,” said Bridget Turel, the director of personal and professional development programming (PPD). “I hope that they take some of the tips and information and put that into use and see success from it.” During the event, Seaman first spoke about how a degree sets the foundation for what someone wants, but real life experience is what truly allows a person to work where they would want to work. Seaman also went on to express how students should not be afraid about non-typical job paths. “I’ve only had a few actual job jobs and I’ve stayed there,” said Seaman. “So I’m actually not like a typical millennial that sort of hops around to a new job every two or three years. If you want to do that, totally fine, normal.” After touching on career highlights, Seaman turned to his specialty: LinkedIn and marketing yourself. He talked about how posting on LinkedIn can be extremely beneficial, but also warned to not post things without depth to them. He emphasized that commenting “atta-boys” is not beneficial, and students should shy away from that. “I think I can not be worried about what I am posting on LinkedIn,” said senior accounting major Liam Photo courtesy Patty Deviva Above: Andrew Seaman addresses students by talking to them about general business practices and ways to improve their online presence. White. “I should post more about my accomplishments, and I now know that people see it as a good thing.” Seaman transitioned and talked about current industry trends and gave general tips on how to get jobs after graduation. He even discussed grad-school and whether or not it was a mandatory requirement in today’s market. The lecture was beneficial to not only students, but also the professors in attendance. “I think that it is all about keeping up with current trends and hearing from people that are working in the industry,” said Turel. “I took a lot of notes for myself and got a lot of inside tips from andrew. I think as Wilkes professionals we are always trying to keep up with current trends and those are things we are trying to bring to our class.” Wilkes plans on making similar events available to students and faculty throughout the course of the year. Student 2323 Student Housing Housing 23-24 3-244 Open House 0 enHouse Sunday .., Oct 9, 2022 ** 12-2PM 1212 2-2PM UPSCALE UPSCALE CLEAN CLEAN ALL ALL INCLUSIVE INCLUSIVE APARTMENTS APA TMENT Availability Availability mix mix and and match match SINGLES SINGLES or or 2,3,4 2,3,4 BR B MANSION STYLE LIVING LIVING + + 3 3 and and 4+ 4+ BR BR West West River River Lofts Lo s MANSION STYLE REGISTER NOW FOR NEXT YEAR HOUSING To register: WWW. ZNPROPERTIES.COM or Call or text 570-592-3113 for your invitation Tours are approximately 20 minutes long. REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED! �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment 7 Life, Arts & Entertainment Have any events or artists to be shared? Contact Life, Arts & Entertainment Editor: Jordan.Daniel@wilkes.edu Students celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at coffee hour By Laury Angeles Martinez Staff Writer In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, at the latest coffee hour, several Hispanic students and faculty gave short presentations, representing and speaking about the Hispanic country they come from. Information and curiosities were shared about Puerto Rico, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Colombia. Traditional foods from the countries were also shared. Two Hispanic students, Josh Garced, a sophomore communication studies major and senior Gabriel Arauz, supply chain management, gave a short lesson in Bachata, which is a danced rooted in the history of the Dominican Republic. Clockwise, from top: Josh Garced (left) and Gabriel Arauz, senior supply chain management (right, who was also representing Panama) teach how to dance Bachata to the students at the Coffee Hour. Ian Dewar, a senior hospitality leadership major represented Spain at the international coffee hour. Joshua Garced, a sophomore communication studies major, representing Puerto Rico, gives a thumbs up to a photographer during the international coffee hour. The coffee hour celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month. Photos: The Beacon/Laury Angeles Martinez �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment 8 Cocktail of the Week: Perfect for fall...the toasted almond Feeling a little nutty for the fall season? Then try making this toasted almond cocktail, an amaretto-based drink that is sweet and decadent and will have you feeling squirrely. Ingredients: 1 part vodka 1 part amaretto 1/2-part coffee liqueur (Kahlua) 1 part heavy cream Whipped cream Caramel syrup Sliced almonds You will need a cup, ice and something to shake the liquor into. This is optional but for a pretty fall vibe, sprinkle some fresh nutmeg on top of the drink. This will add a warm spice, perfect for the fall. ac Directions: Add all ingredients into a shaker and add ice. Shake thoroughly and strain into a glass. Add the sliced almonds and whipped cream. Then, top with caramel syrup as an additional garnish. For a different approach, switch the vodka to coffee for a more mild and caffeinated drink. Enjoy! The Beacon reminds everyone to drink responsibly...and that the legal drinking age is 21 By Haley Katona Staff Writer The Beacon/Haley Katona One sip of this toasted almond drink and it will make you fall in love. o n B um Emily Cherkauskas, Editor-in-Chief: Electrical Feel - MGMT Ariel Reed, Managing Editor: Pool House - The Backseat Lovers Maddy Kinard, News Editor: Sabrina (i am a party) - Fred again.. s p B e Each week, the Wilkes Beacon staff picks their favorite song of the week. Check out this week’s bumps to the right! Jordan Daniel, LA&E Editor: I’m In Love With You - The 1975 I I Morgan Rich, LA&E Asst. Editor: Charlie Boy - The Lumineers Baylee Guedes, Sports Editor: Not Good At Not - Morgan Wallen David Marks, Lead Layout Designer: you’re a parasite - Riovaz �The Beacon – October 5, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment Center for Career Development opens doors to say welcome By Bailey Dejesus Staff Writer On Sept. 30, the Center for Career Development and Internships had an open house for all students to come in and learn about the services available right on campus. “This open house is mainly to make sure people know we are here,” said Carol Bosack, the director of Career Services. “We want students to be confident in their career choices and abilities when they begin looking for jobs. “All too often, students get caught off guard when trying to enter the workforce. That is why we are continuously networking and assisting students with resumes and job applications.” Bosack gave some easy, personal advice regarding future career choices. When a student tells her their major she is able to help them map out a career path. The Center for Career Development and Internships is a valuable resource for the students. They organize job fairs, review resumes, call in major companies to hire students and help students walk through their plans for careers starting with which major would suit them best. According to Olivia Wychock, a junior English major and career peer, as well as an ambassador at the Center for Career Development and Internships, her job is to “help with editing resumes, plan events, reach out to students and get them into the Center and run different career fairs.” Wychock aims to make students feel more confident talking about their futures. Also, Wychock is there to help students feel more comfortable in asking for help from someone who is similar in age to them so they are able to relate more. The Center for Career Development and Internships offers many other features to help students succeed too. “One major asset we offer is our Clothes Closet that helps students have professional clothing to wear for any of their interviews so they can dress the part and look put together,” said Anna Bateman, coordinator of Career Development. “It is free and a great way to save money on expensive clothing.” There will be a Career, Internship and Graduate school prep session held on Oct. 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Center for Career Development and Internships building. Walk-ins are welcome and encouraged. This event will help students learn what to do in interviews, what to include in their resumes and how to dress for professional events. Also, those interested in learning more about the Center for Career Development and Internships should visit the Job Fair on Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students can register for it through Handshake. There will be other fairs going on throughout the year, which are being planned now. This open house allowed students to better understand not only where the Center for Career Development and Internships is but also how it is there to assist them. Students wandered in and out, familiarizing themselves with everything so when they need help they know exactly where to go. “I used to go trick or treating and I enjoyed it immensely,” said Reagan Weldon Peri, firstyear environmental engineering major. “I love taking my brother around too.” There is no Halloween without some iconic Halloween movies. Films, such as “Friday the 13th,” “Scream,” “Child’s Play,” “Beetlejuice,” “Coraline,” “Halloween” and even “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” although that may be a controversial pick for the Halloween season, are all in common rotation during autumn. Pumpkin is the star fruit of the fall season for many during Halloween, as there is nearly a pumpkin flavor for anything one may think of. “To get into fall spirit is to firstly have pumpkin everything,” said Basma Al-Salem, an undecided first-year student. “Like everything has to be pumpkin flavored.” A journey to the pumpkin patch is a particular favorite among many during the season. “I love to go to the pumpkin patch,” said Gabriella Amaya, first-year nursing major. “It’s so soothing.” For those that are feeling particularly artistic, pumpkin carving is a joyous activity. Pumpkins transform into beautiful and masterful carvings of recognizable faces, landscapes, logos and even original designs. Whether someone is a master pumpkin carver or just trying to have fun, pumpkin carving is an excellent way to pass the time with some friends and family. Thanksgiving is a time of unification and harmonization within the family and amongst friends and significant others. There are few feelings more comfortable than dining on some homemade food with loved ones while listening to some relaxing tunes. The root of Thanksgiving is connection on an elevated level. Along with the zen-like feeling of peace and unity with Thanksgiving comes the chaotic, adrenaline fueled rush of Black Friday. The +tow-&-~ ~11t,t;fVJIJ Thursday, October 20, 2022 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 1. Join Handshake Go to www.joinhandshake.com and create an account using your Wilkes email 2. Register for the fair Go to "Career Center" in the top right corner, then scroll down to "Upcoming Career Fairs." Click on the Fall 2022 fair and click the blue "Join Event" button on the right 3. Get ready to meet employers! Attend our Career Fair Prep Sessions in the weeks leading up to the fair, and use this checklist to help! If you have any questions or need help preparing for the fair, contact: Anna Bateman, Career Development Coordinator anna.bateman@wilkes.edu Carol Bosack, Director of Career Services carol.bosack@wilkes.edu Fall-ing in love with autumn; students talk season favorites By Anthony Cazun Staff Writer Pumpkin spice, turkey, sweaters and oranges with reds. Autumn is a special time for many, as it often represents change, the second chapter of the year. As those leaves change color, life itself does as well. It is also a time to feel cozy and kick back before the holiday season. There is no shortage of activities to participate in during the fall. Halloween may be the most distinct holiday during the season, a cornerstone of autumn and maybe the most recognizable. Ghouls, ghosts, skeletons and pumpkins generate a special kind of spooky excitement for eager participants all over the world. Trick-or-Treating may be what most people associate with Halloween. Every October, many costumed children go out during the night to knock and collect candy from every door in their neighborhood. 9 nation’s favorite time to splurge on extravagant televisions, kitchen utilities, toys, video games and more. “I love the rush of Black Friday,” said Aleczia Britt, first-year computer science major. “It makes me feel liberated and I love spending money.” Many also take the sale opportunities of Black Friday to purchase all sorts of clothes. A nice flannel and boots go a long way; however, sweaters seem to be the particular favorite among many on campus. “The weather is so beautiful, I love to break out the sweaters,” said Amaya. Although sweaters are made for fall weather, it is also great for various outdoor activities. From the perspective of an athlete, fall often means the beginning of a tireless practice and competition cycle. “I played tennis a lot in the fall during high school,” said Bethany Yashkus, firstyear neuroscience major. “I always felt the anticipation leading up to it.” �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 Life, Arts & Entertainment 10 Meet the Majors This week’s major: Musical Theater Every week, The Beacon will offer a chance for majors to be placed in the spotlight. Each student who gets chosen will have a few words Jordan Daniel to express why they chose the major and how they feel it will benefit Life, Arts & Entertainment them in the future. Interviews and photos by Editor Olivia Scarborough Junior Rylee Gaskill Senior “My favorite production we have done has to be Chicago. It was such a fun show to do and the feeling of pride being able to produce something we worked all year on is unmatched. “I like how we can physically see how far we are progressing with our learning. Our major is really hands on and I like being able to see everyone get better with each performance rather than on a test. “I hope to keep performing as much as and for as long as I can.” “I hope to be a successful performer in the industry for as long as I can be. Although performing can be a tough business, I have learned so much in so many different aspects that there will always be something I can do in the arts, even if I am not acting all the time. “Having such a well rounded education is one thing I am most thankful for in our program because I can always count on my training to continue a career path in the arts no matter what.” Photos: The Beacon/Jordan Daniel Rachel Kern Junior “My favorite aspect of my major is being able to do what I love every single day. I wake up, dance, learn acting & theater history, sing, go to rehearsal for hours at night, and do it all again every week. “I chose this major because I cannot see myself doing anything else and being happy. Knowing that I can try even with the possibility of failing is still more than enough for me to pursue this path.” Olivia Schanbacher Senior “This year I am looking forward to our production of “Sweet Charity” in February. It’s another Bob Fosse piece. He is one of my favorite choreographers and our choreographer, Lynne Esgro, is amazing at interpreting his work. “I hope to continue to perform and choreograph professionally. I love to travel as well, and to combine those two things would be a dream.” �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 11 Life, Arts & Entertainment Disney Magic prevails for interns even with Hurricane Ian By Morgan Rich Life, Arts & Entertainment Asst. Editor This week was a little different than expected due to Hurricane Ian making landfall in Florida on Sept. 27. I had a great start to my work week with two days off; however, we were definitely preparing for the hurricane ahead. My friends and I decided to spend Monday and Tuesday at the Disney parks Epcot and Hollywood Studios. It was one of their first times in the parks and it was also my first time since January. The first park we visited was Epcot and the most memorable part about it was getting to see Winnie the Pooh and trying all of the sodas from around the world at Club Cool. My advice is never drink the sour plum soda from China because it tastes like liquid barbecue sauce. The wait times there were not long at all and we were able to go on the Tower of Terror three times, Toy Story Mania, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Smuggler’s Run and Rise of the Resistance. Our favorite ride was the Tower of Terror, and we did not enjoy the Star Wars rides. Personally, we thought that Rise of the Resistance was not as good as what lots of people said it would be. We had higher hopes for the ride and not to mention it is always a wait time of at least 90 minutes. Smuggler’s Run also made us extremely nauseous and gave us very bad headaches. We then went to the Boardwalk Inn Resort after the parks. Over the past week I was working caseline, which is where we hand out all of the sweets and treats and I wanted to try all of the different sweets that we had. I got a churro cupcake, a pumpkin spice cupcake and a Mickey Mouse rice krispie treat that was coated with chocolate. I was mostly excited to try it because all of the time guests come in and ask me what my favorite treat from caseline is and every week I have to tell them I have not tried anything yet. Now, I can finally tell them that the churro cupcake is the best cupcake to get in Walt Disney World. Wednesday and Thursday I had off because of the hurricane. Ian hit my area as a category one hurricane. The parks were all closed and I was honestly kind of excited to ride out my first major hurricane. According to the weather.com, Hurricane Ian was a category four hurricane, and the fourth deadliest hurricane to ever hit Florida. They are estimating it caused $120 billion in damage. During the Hurricane, my friend Carla came over to my apartment and we had a “hurricane party.” Those two days we sat and watched the new Netflix series, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” which was really interesting. Even though this hurricane was not the first one I have ever experienced it was certainly the scariest. I love storms though and was kind of excited to bring back this sort of story with me. After all, Walt Disney World hardly ever closes and nobody I know has experienced a hurricane like this. We were fortunate enough to not lose any power but our internet was not working very well. My building did not have much damage but the streets around us were very flooded and there were lots of wildlife roaming the streets. Even though I did not get to work for my internship this week, Hurricane Ian brought a new experience to my Disney College Program adventure. Column: The Reveille with Ryan Evans: A non-traditional student focus By Ryan Evans Staff Writer “Reveille, reveille! All hands heave out and trice up. Uniform of the day is as follows...” These were the first words heard every morning for eight weeks at Great Lakes Recruit Training Command, more commonly referred to as Navy bootcamp. That intercom-broadcast message was typically carried out in unison of drill instructors screaming at the top of their lungs about one thing or another, banging on trash cans or using clipboards as crude noisemakers. Five minutes to get in uniform, shave, make your bed and be ready for inspection before the day actually began. Looking back, all of that was the easy part. You see, entering into the military, one rarely has time to think about too much or process what’s happening. And that’s the point: Learn how to react—and make it snappy. The following three and a half years post- bootcamp passed like a warm summer day; all too quickly, and perhaps a little bittersweet. But, I’m not here to reflect on that stuff, at least not yet anyway. Four years ago, my time in uniform came to an end. With 100 percent post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement earned, I left the Armed Forces and returned to Luzerne County to once more try my hand at being a college student for the first time since dropping out of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania way back in 2012. In the time since, I almost dropped again, got a PTSD diagnosis, finished an associate’s in journalism at Luzerne County Community College and was somehow named Outstanding Graduate in my class. I then enrolled at Wilkes back in the fall of 2021, and here we are (of course, I don’t share these things to be braggadocious. On the contrary, I’d just like to point out that if this goofy dude can do it, anyone can). “Where is here?” you may ask. Well, here is where we address the unique challenges and concerns of being a non-traditional student. Whether, like myself, you were irresponsible at 18 and enlisted to gain some sense of purpose or are returning to school after years or decades away to finish up a degree and further a career as a civilian, we face very unique and daunting situations and scenarios. My hope is that we can address those things here and perhaps walk away with a new perspective. And so, let’s get after it. As a kid, I remember hearing the phrase “there’s not enough hours in the day.” I’d laugh it off in my naivete. Now at almost 30, it’s certainly become a mantra of sorts. Between staying up on full-time classwork, working a full-time job, doing around the house chores (laundry, cooking, cleaning), caring for the dog and still trying to maintain some semblance of a social life, it’s maddening at times. Fun fact: it’s due to these very circumstances that, a month into this semester, I’ve already considered withdrawing from the university or quitting my job more times than I’d like to admit, knowing deep down that neither route is feasible. And then there’s kids. While I don’t have any of my own, I spend a lot of time with my nieces, trying to be involved in their lives. I absolutely could not imagine raising children full-time on top of the aforementioned responsibilities. For those of you that are doing it, if you’re ever feeling depleted, please know that this columnist is absolutely cheering for you. It’s for these overwhelming circumstances that I reference my military service. Wrapping that joyful excursion up, the realization is that nothing will ever be that difficult again, though sometimes it sure as hell feels like it. We’re quick to forget the things we’ve accomplished when faced with the next obstacle. While living in the past isn’t recommended, it is important to remember what you’ve overcome. From that Continued, on page 11 �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 12 The defense heading into the field along with their coach. Photos: The Beacon/Baylee Guedes The Beacon/Wren Haze The campus has spoken: Student Body President Megan Makovsky and John Hannaway, both P2 pharmacy students, were voted as homecoming queen and king, as revealed during Saturday’s football game. A cluster of Colonel defenders gather to hear feedback from one of the assistant coaches. �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 13 Sophomore Elijah Lee was ecstatic on the sidelines during the homecoming win. Photos: The Beacon/Baylee Guedes Junior Elijah Jules makes moves on a run play as he heads towards the Lions. The women’s volleyball team prepares to go into a set, gathering around to discuss. The team embraces in a huddle and celebrates after scoring on a kill. Graphics by Lara Mullen �The Beacon - October 5 , 2022 Opinion Editorial Staff 2022-23 MANAGERIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief - Emily Cherkauskas Managing Editor - Ariel Reed Adviser - Dr. Kalen Churcher SECTION EDITORS News - Maddy Kinard LA&E - Jordan Daniel Sports - Baylee Guedes ASSISTANT EDITORS LA&E - Morgan Rich SECTION STAFF WRITERS News - Zach Paraway Opinion/Sports - Wren Haze Opinion - Sydney Allabaugh DESIGNERS Lead Designer - David Marks Interested in joining The Beacon? Several positions are open! To learn more about what you can do, contact: Kalen.Churcher@wilkes.edu Ariel Reed at Ariel.Reed@wilkes.edu 141 S. Main Street Clayton and Theresa Karambelas Media & Communication Center Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 Phone - (570) 408-5903 www.thewilkesbeacon.com Want to advertise in The Beacon? Contact: Kalen Churcher at kalen.churcher@wilkes.edu The Beacon Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Opinion 14 Have an opinion or want to write a guest column? Contact: Emily.Cherkauskas@wilkes.edu Our Voice Each week, The Beacon’s editorial board will take a stance on a current issue. Why Autumn is the best season ever It’s that time of the year again—a time that we, in particular, adore. In fact, we find it is the best time of the year. On Thursday, Sept. 22, we entered the fall equinox. While autumn may simply be a transitional period for some into the “most wonderful time of the year,” it is more than just a waiting period till winter. It is the perfect weather to be not too hot and not too cold. The perfect weather to light a candle, read a book. Some might even say it is the perfect weather to rewatch “Twilight: New Moon.” Robert Frost writes, “Nothing gold can stay” and it is especially true for our ephemeral friend Autumn. It is the sound of the leaves breathing their last breath of life into the trees overhead, the crunch of fallen acorns beneath shoes—the beauty that is the temporary. Death and change never seemed so beautiful, but autumn shows just how impactful and vital it is to nature and humans. Now, we know that autumn may not be everyone’s favorite season. After all, it is quite difficult to compete with the hauntingly beautiful, snowy and quiet winters; the fun, energizing and warm summers; or the blooming spring season that brings on rebirth. Additionally, we understand that autumn has some not so aestheticpleasing traits, as well. Those changing leaves? After they turn into the gorgeous reddish hue, they have to fall from their branches eventually. Well, who has to clean up and possibly slip on them once they finish their cycle for the year? All of us. Those annoyances won’t last forever, either. Soon, admittedly, we will be cleaning up inches (or maybe even feet) of snow. Then, we will be dealing with seemingly never ending rain showers and the infamous spring allergies. After that, we will be dealing with sunburns and summer jobs. Then, it will be back to watching the leaves turn color and fall. And because of that, you should take the time you have and enjoy the current state of the environment for what it is. Now that we are in the autumn season, put on a jacket and go for a walk. Take a look at what is around you and ponder on it. Observe the changing and falling of all types of leaves and petals, the colder temperatures, that cool breeze, the hiding sun and more. Relax with the cooling temperatures and satisfying crunching sounds. With the temperatures continuing to lower as we delve deeper into the autumn season, you might find yourself cuddling in a blanket, sipping on some tea or wine—perfect in time for the autumn season (depending on your age, of course). It is those little moments and observations that serve as core memories for us as human beings. Those moments of peace and calm that allow for autumn to mark a particularly unique time on the earth’s calendar. The autumn season—and the rest of them, too—tell us one thing: nothing lasts forever. The seasons prove that, with their constant changing. To quote the poet John Keats who authored a special ode “To Autumn:” “think not of (the other seasons), thou hast thy music too.” Letter to the editor policy: The Beacon welcomes letters to the editor from differing viewpoints. Letters must contain contact information, including name, city, state and phone number. Phone numbers will not be published but may be used for verification purposes. All letters to the editor must be sent using one of the following methods: Email: Emily.Cherkauskas@wilkes.edu or Ariel.Reed@wilkes.edu Phone: (570) 408-5903 (Voicemail: 30 seconds or less, please.) Mail: 84 West South Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18766 Attn: The Beacon �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 Opinion 15 Student Government’s lack of inclusivity during homecoming Steps to more progressive environment were incredibly inconsiderate By Jay Guziewicz Staff Writer This year, Student Government decided to add a new category to the homecoming court, adding the position of homecoming royalty alongside homecoming king and queen. This option was described as a category for “those who identify as neither (ladies or gentlemen).” This was an awesome step forward for people who identify as non-binary, it was finally a chance to be included in a deeply rooted tradition without conforming to gender binaries that can create extreme discomfort. Student Government said they would take the top 10 individuals nominated and put them on the homecoming court. Yet, somehow, there was a completely even split between female and male nominees—and not one person who was nominated for homecoming royalty. Now, I don’t want to claim this was an intentional oversight from Student Government, but the even split is what makes me question how much thought went into this process. It leaves nonbinary and trans students with questions about how the court was determined. Was it really an even split? Were nonbinary students even given a fair chance to end up on homecoming court? Why even put the category in there, if you were just going to take the top five male and female nominees? The fact of the matter is that cisgender Government that only had one person students outnumber transgender and nominated for a position, but they still nonbinary students. In a small campus allowed the student body to vote for that like Wilkes University, this number is person. probably more extreme than at schools It would’ve been easy to do that, and with a larger student body. However, that continue this trend of representing doesn’t mean that representation isn’t transgender and nonbinary student on important. campus. But Student Government instead To include a category without specific just decided to eliminate the position gender constraints like homecoming entirely, and take the top five nominees royalty was for the other a great step two positions t o w a r d s instead. representing Now, you “ Even if there were four, three and noticing could argue or even one nomination for transgender that they did homecoming royalty, they could’ve and nonbinary what they said allowed them on the ballot. We’ve students on they would, the Wilkes and they took seen previous polls from Student c a m p u s , the top 10 Government that only had one but to not nominated person nominated for a position, include any of individuals them seemed and put but they still allowed the student inconsiderate. them up as body to vote for that person. ” The option homecoming was there, but court. nothing was But, it’s done about it. Student Government could interesting that in a school in which there have solved this problem easily by taking is a great female population (1,082 female the top five students in each category, undergraduate students to 925 male and then allowing voting out of that undergraduates) that they would have a population. perfectly even split between five men and Even if there were four, three or even five women. one nomination for homecoming royalty, Is it possible? Absolutely, but it’s they could’ve allowed them on the ballot. extremely unlikely. In all honesty, it’s more We’ve seen previous polls from Student likely that Student Government took the top five female nominees and top five male nominees because it was easier. It comes off as if they don’t really care about students who don’t fit into those gender binaries, which isn’t a good look. If Student Government wanted a traditional homecoming, with only two people on the court, they shouldn’t have given students the option to vote for homecoming royalty. It comes off as performative and not actual activism. This truly could have been the start to a new and progressive, tradition on campus. Instead, it fell back in gender binaries and further alienated nonbinary students from their cisgender classmates. I want to be clear: I do not think this was intentional. I do not think that Student Government did this as a publicity stunt, but I do want people to be aware that this is how it comes off. It may have been poor planning, or it just became too complicated to enact. But the option should never have been presented to the student body if they were not going to do anything with it. Next time Student Government wants to be progressive and include transgender and nonbinary canidates in something, I suggest they fully follow through. Student Government could’ve done better, and treated their fellow students better. As all the signs around campus say: “At Wilkes, you will.” So, will Student Government be better? argument. I am arguing that we should have more time in class to actually work on assignments, not the other way around. By now I think that I have a grasp on how college classes, or really all educational courses at some higher level work. We are instructed in the class and go complete the work on own time. I get how it works, and can see why classes are organized this way. I really do. However, I really do believe that we need to class to work on the tasks we are given. I mentioned how we have class usually multiple times a week. Well, at At a job, internship or really any sort of a professional position where you clock in and out of, the goal is to do most of the work there so you do not have to do anything on your free time. Now I know, we all signed up for college, so this is what we should expect. Higher education is rigorous for a reason, and we should expect to devote the necessary time to work towards excellence. But like i have said, some class time set aside to work on and troubleshoot assignments would be beneficial in countless ways. Why more class time is needed for college students By Rudy Urenovich Staff Writer I know you have probably heard the same thing: we need more class time to complete assignments. This is even said for children in elementary school—but it still applies for all of us in college. We have classes, what, only 2-3 times a week? We also have a ton of technology, that has advanced unprecedentedly without limits in the past two years, making completing work on own time more probable. However, that is not the least one of these class periods should be slated as a workshop for projects. A handful of courses already include workshops, adding an additional credit hour. But still, it is not enough for students to mend their workload from class. Getting help and feedback immediately from your instructor and classmates is a lot easier. You do not have play the game of email tag and pray you get a response. Speaking in person also would result in less miscommunications. Having people right next to you to bounce ideas off is also beneficial. �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 Opinion 16 Wren’s Watchlist: The impact of “Cyberwatch Edgerunners” By Wren Haze Opinion/Sports Staff Writer For a show so short, it feels a lot longer than it seems. This week, I took the time to see what the hype was about on Netflix’s “Cyberpunk Edgerunners.” The show is 10 episodes long and each episode runs about 25 minutes long. The show follows a young man David Martinez who is a student at Arasaka Academy who is an outcast due to his social class. Due to that, he is constantly bullied by his classmates—one of them named Adam Tanaka. Remember that last name, it’s very important for the end of the show. Martinez and his mother Gloria get caught up in a cyber-tech assault and Gloria passes away, which does not make anything better, considering they were financially unstable to begin with. Martinez does not cope with his mother’s death well, you know classic main character behavior. He ends up getting expelled from Arasaka Academy, but he discovers cybertech that his mother owned. Curious main character obviously installs the sandvestan and suddenly he gains new abilities due to the new techware. With this new installment, Martinez piques Lucyna Kushinada’s interest. The netrunner and Martinez meet when Martinez is targeted and captured due to the popularity of the cyberware that he had installed. Kushinda gave me the biggest gender envy ever. Kushinada shows Martinzez a bit about Evans, from page 11 motivation, anything should seem possible. And this is, of course, not to take away from those of you that came to college right out of high school. Quite honestly, I’m jealous I didn’t have the sense of responsibility to be able to do it. I’m thankful for the experiences I’ve had since then, but I never did picture myself still in school at 29. That is, however, my reality and the reality of many others. There’s a quote I discovered just before my PTSD diagnosis and it’s one the city they live in, and warns Martinez. She calls the city a prison and dreams of one day of leaving and going to the moon. However, she remains calm and mysterious. Of course, Kushinada is used to gain Martinez’s attention to be captured by Maine’s crew. I discover that Kushinada is a part of this crew and the head is named Maine. Maine is this big burly man who is mainly cyberware and got a killer punch, literally. The sandvestan that Martinez wears is military grade and his mother was originally going to sell it to Maine before she passed. Martinez explains to Maine that his mother was recently killed in the line of fire and makes a deal to Maine that instead of taking the cyberware off and killing him, he can be of use to Maine and the rest of his crew. Maine offers the rookie a chance to prove himself and of course Martinez pulls through. I get to see the rest of the crew which includes Rebecca and her brother, Falco, Kiwi, Lucy and Dorio, Maine’s partner. The first few episodes, Maine’s crew takes Martinez under their wing and show him the ropes to becoming an edgerunner. Everything goes south when Rebecca’s brother is killed in action by someone who was taken over by cyberpsychosis. Cyberpsychosis occurs when the cyberware that is installed rejects the body and causes the body to be taken over by the cyberware technology. The situation gets handled, but Rebecca becomes more protective of the group since her brother’s passing. Especially more protective of Martinez as we see that she cares for him deeply. At the same time, the relationship between Martinez and Kushinada finally makes its moves as they confess to each other under the stars. It is romantic, but do not get too hopeful. Maine’s crew is given a job from a client named Faraday and just from his face, I knew he was suspicious. Faraday gives the crew a job to overthrow Arasaka, a military technology company. They use Tanaka, to get information about the company, but it backfires when Tanaka flatlines mid netdive. Due to Arasaka being on their tail, the crew finds themselves with no breaks on defending themselves. This is where everything gets crazy and goes downhill at the same time. While everything is going downhill, Maine starts experiencing major cyberpsychosis and we get to see that there is simply no cure for this and that despite his antibiotics, he is destined to fail. With this, he injures Kiwi and his partner tries to bring him back to reality, but only does so much until they are attacked by Arasaka. Dorio sacrifices herself for Maine and in the end Maine takes his life so he can die with his lover. Martinez witnesses this and returns to find that Kushinada leaves the group due to this. However, Kushinada is digging deeper into Arasaka and gets caught by Faraday. I told you this man was two-faced. Faraday somehow convinces Kiwi to come up with a plan to take down the rest of the Edgerunners, but does not know that Martinez is getting a major upgrade to the point he is almost unrecognizable. Kiwi does her part and leaves only to be killed by Faraday for not continuing to work with him. Kiwi at the beginning of the show told Kushinada to never trust anyone in the city only to betray Kushinada in the process. Martinez starts experiencing cyberpsychosis as he installs his last piece of cyberware to end this situation once and for all. He discovers that Faraday is the one behind this mess and kills Faraday. At the same time, Martinez saves Kushinada and they escape the building. Kushinada was able to bring Martinez back to his senses, but she gives him a final goodbye kiss before they are broken apart by “Adam Smasher” which is the Adam Tanaka that got him expelled at the beginning of the show. Rebecca sacrifices her life for Martinez and distracts Tanaka from Kushinada and Falco who are escaping. Martinez’s last wish was for Falco to take Kushinada away from this mess and let her follow her dream of going to the moon. Martinez is then defeated and killed by Tanaka and I have never cried more in my life from a scene. The goal was Kushinada to free Martinez from this city, but in turn, she is freed from the city to live her own life. At the end of the show, we get to see that Kushinada finally makes it to the moon. She has a reflection of the time that Martinez and her went there in virtual reality, and at this point I am sobbing in my shower, quite literally. All in all, I was surprisingly shocked that I really enjoyed this series due to its popularity on TikTok. I rate this show a 10/10, however, I will be recovering from this show for a long time. that certainly helped me through a very strange time in my life. “There’s nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility lies in being superior to your former self,” stated by Ernest Hemingway. And I think it’s important to bear that in mind. As non-traditional students, we’re very aware of doing the work, of showing up to class, of participating (even though sometimes it is a little overwhelming to try and share ideas amongst peers that are sometimes 10 years younger … or more). What’s key is to remember why you’re doing it. Are you looking to be Summa Cum Laude? Homecoming Queen? Dean’s List? Or are you trying to create a better life with more opportunities for yourself and for your family? To set an example for your kid(s)? To, like myself, become the first member of your family to hold a four-year degree and break a generational cycle of underachieving? Finding a “why” makes all the difference. And even though it may still, to be frank, seem ridiculous at times, the “why” should always be greater than the “what.” Don’t agree with an assignment? Feel like you’re just being assigned busy work? Doesn’t matter. Focus on the “why.” And, for my fellow GI Bill veterans, if all else fails, remember: you’re getting paid to be in that classroom. Easy money. I certainly hope someone needed to hear this, because I know I did. I’ve given up on the thought of downtime for right now. Rest of this semester and one more to go. Hopefully, but who needs downtime when you could be conquering? The great Henry Rollins once said (and if you don’t know who that is, start with hardcore DIY punk legends, Black Flag … all apologies for taking the easy way out and closing on a quote), “No such thing as spare time, no such thing as free time, no such thing as down time. All you got is lifetime. 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������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������� For Zumaran’s full column, check out www.thewilkesbeacon.com �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 Opinion 18 “The Invitation” is a hilariously terrible movie By Jeremiah Eyler Staff Writer Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. This year has seen the release of great horror movies, such as “X,” “Nope,” and “Bodies Bodies Bodies.” “The Invitation is not one of those movies.” “The Invitation” has read the sins a director can make when making a movie, and decided to commit everyone of them. The movie has an aesthetic of a cheesy, 1980’s B-rated horror movie, while also having the action feel like something out of the 90s and early 2000s. Of course, both of those eras had amazing movies but the bad aspects of those movies are the only thing “The Invitation” took from them. “The Invitation” follows a young woman forced to work as a caterer for the wealthiest people in New York City, and is subjected to abuse because of her low social class. However, she discovers through an ancestry test that she has rich distant relatives from the United Kingdom and decides to fly with some total stranger to meet her extended family. The family appears nice, but there is a hidden supernatural element that is behind the facade of the movie. The plot is pretty basic, but the way the movie presents itself completely ruins any sort of suspense.I will go into spoilers to include the absolutely insane choices the movie made, but of course I will give warning ahead of time if you so happen want to have a great laugh at the dumpster fire that is the movie. Before going into the actual scenes for the movie, the biggest problem that completely blows away the horror aspect is the soundtrack. Since it is a horror movie, it has the usual spooky soundtrack, but the music the directors decided to use for the music is completely baffling. There is no perfect way of describing the soundtrack and the only way to understand what I mean is by seeing it yourself, but, the best way to describe the soundtrack is that it sounds like it belongs in the animated children’s halloween movie “Scary Godmother.” If the one song in the movie was played without any context, the first thing anyone would think of is “Scary Godmother,” but instead it is in a terrible B-horror movie. Anytime the soundtrack played, even if it was supposed to be a pivotal moment in the movie, it brought me to tears with laughter. I cannot conceive how the director possibly thought any sane person would take the movie seriously. Now for some spoilers to further prove the terrible directions this movie takes. The family the main character sees is made of vampires. There is a long fight scene where she slowly kills off each member of the family, until the head of the family comes back to kill her for the damage she did to his family. The main character then proceeds to drive a steak into his heart, where he slowly withers away and dies. This does not sound all that bad, except that the movie adds a slow motion scene with her walking away as the mansion burns all around her. When I mean slow motion, I mean as in the scenery seemingly shaking as it trucks along, something that was a huge thing with movies back in the 90’s for dramatic purposes. Instead, what it does is it adds to the comedic purposes of the movie as it adds to the seemingly fever dream that is “The Invitation.” Normally with bad movies, recommending it to other people usually does not happen. And the movie itself is terrible; however, I do recommend seeing “The Invitation” not because of the movie itself, but just the experience from it. The movie is an absolute ride that not one anyone asked to be on and the fever dream feeling of the movie just makes it all the more hilarious. “The Invitation” is not bad, but rather amazing to watch for the sole purpose of getting a good laugh out of it. But do not go in expecting a well fleshed-out plot or anything remotely scary, as it is none of those of things. Haley’s Hot Takes: Amendments should be above politics By Haley Katona Staff Writer The Constitution of the United States has not been amended since 1992 after the passing of the 27th Amendment. Though more than 11,000 amendments have been proposed, only 17 have been ratified since 1791 with the initial Bill of Rights. There are those who believe the Constitution should not be amended due to it being the traditional legal document that set the founding principles of our country. Yet, Article V of the Constitution was written to lay out the amendment process, implying there would need to be changes and amendments proposed/ratified over the course of however long the document were to last. But alarmingly, what ends up being more dangerous are those in power who are more than reluctant to work with the possibility of fostering change and modification of the legal document. This is because the vague framework of its design allows for massively powerful parties that dominate and overwhelm the political system. Hyper-partisanship and polarization have essentially locked the door on the amendment process currently as we stand. “I don’t think the American public is reluctant to change the system,” said Dr. Benjamin Toll, political science professor. “What we see is a system where the two major parties have a monopoly and are winning under the current rules. So, they are not interested in changing how things are done because it would upset their monopoly on power. We also have seen limits put in place (by Congress) to how long the process can take to amend the Constitution, and with growing polarization if one side wants to change something the other side invariably wants to fight change.” The hesitation to amend the Constitution because of ideological differences and power play tactics only minimizes the public’s role in government. It forces other branches such as the Supreme Court to be relied on to decipher and interpret the meaning of the Constitution and how it applies to laws made by the legislature. Rather than relying on the representatives of the states’ people to make the best decisions, they focus on themselves. These factors all contribute and result in an institutional paralysis, which provides no outlet for change. “In some sense, the paralysis from lack of institutional change creates pressure on the Court,” said Toll. “We have a Congress and executive branch full of people more interested in maintaining the system. “They make less policy which creates the need for a Court to answer the important questions when it should be elected representatives doing it.” Unarguably, our society has evolved and changed in innumerable ways. The evolution of technology and concerns of privacy being just two obvious examples. These changes not only affect our personal lives and our society, but how government is handled and participated in. Take social media and political campaigning as an example. When there is a historical 27-in-11,000 chance of an amendment being ratified by Congress regardless of public support, there is clearly a lack of beneficial representation. There is a lack of care to support the people the government is there for: us, not just elected members who serve it. “There are a lot of things that are popular among the public that would necessitate an amendment,” said Toll. “However, they will go nowhere because it would upset the current system and make those in power have less of a chance of knowing the outcome of elections. We (the public) want change, but Congress is unwilling to change how elections are run, how we vote, etc. and we get angry. This means we trust the system less and are less likely to participate as a result.” The founders intended for the amendment process to be deliberate, difficult and long. But they did not intend for the process to be unattainable due to those who are afraid to lose their power and a heavily polarized twoparty system that is out to win and attack the other. And though there are senators who propose amendments consistently, the unwillingness to consider them important and legitimate proposals especially when they regard benefiting the public is indicative of a failure of representation that is very clearly in front of our eyes. The Constitution is not just about Congress or the Court. It is about us, the American people, designed for “We the people”—not the political parties of the United States. �Sports The Beacon - October 5, 2022 Sports HOMECOMING, from front "Playing infront of some of the alumni was fun," said Rodriguez. "We kept getting positive plays and kept the ball moving." The Colonels kept the Lions off of the scoreboard, stopping them seven plays in, forcing another Albright punt. Wilkes then turned the ball over on downs and the Lions finished with possession as the play clock ran out for the first quarter. Going into the second quarter, Albright’s possession did not last long as the Colonel’s defense forced another punt eight plays in. The Lions punt put Wilkes at the 20-yard line as it was a touchback in the end zone. Rodriguez completed two passes for eightyards along with rushing for one-yard to get to the 29-yard line. After an offside call and then a false start, Wilkes capitalized on the extra time they were given between plays.Jules rushed for three-yards and then caught a pass for a 60-yard gain on a screen. 19 Want your sport covered? Deserve to be Athlete of the Week? Contact the Sports Editor: Baylee.Guedes@wilkes.edu “My biggest key moment was the screen for 60-yards,” said Jules. “It was a thirddown, a key down and to execute that in such a critical moment definitely stuck out to me.” First and goal for the Colonels led to Rodriguez taking one in himself for an eight-yard rushing touchdown, putting Wilkes up 14-0 after another extra point from Volpone. Albright was forced into another punting situation, but Wilkes was unable to take advantage of their last first-half drive. The Lions finished with possession of the ball to end the first-half. “I think our defense did a really good job of getting in the run lanes,” said Drach. “Our defense was quicker and faster than their offense and we found the gaps.” Wilkes started off with the ball in the third quarter after receiving a punt at the 33-yard line. The Colonels were forced to punt on their drive and Albright picked up a penalty on the play, putting them back on Isaiah Rodriguez gets taken down by the Albright defense. Rodriguez rushed for 21-yards and also passed for 163-yards and 11 completions. their own 22. Three plays into their drive, the Lions were forced to punt again. Sophomore Zane Grover received the punt on the 44-yard line, fumbled it, but was able to recover it for no gain. In a three and a half minute possession, Wilkes got the ball up the field and scored another touchdown as Jules rushed for a 10-yard run to put Wilkes up by three touchdowns. Volpone’s extra point put the Colonels at a secure 21-0 score. “It felt great (scoring twice),” said Jules. “Being to do it (score) twice on homecoming is a special feeling I won’t forget” Another forced punt by the Colonel defense led to Wilkes gaining possession for the remainder of the third. The start of the fourth quarter led Wilkes to have the ball for over seven minutes, pulling off 12 plays. On fourth and eight, the coaching staff decided to have Volpone attempt a field goal from the 27-yard line. The kick was good and Wilkes was now up 24-0. Forcing another Albright punt, Wilkes regained the ball and went on to have Volpone kick another field goal from the 31-yard line. Another good kick put the Colonels up 27-0. Personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct put the Lions at third and 37. Wilkes’ defense made it harder for Albright as they pushed them back another three-yards on a run attempt. At fourth and 35 after a five-yard rush play, the Lions were forced to punt again. Wilkes punted the ball on their drive as they made substitution changes on the field. Junior wide receiver and quarterback Xavier Powell had a few incomplete passes, leading to the punt decision. Albright did not capitalize on their drive and turned the ball over on downs at their own 38. Wilkes finished out the play clock with two rushing plays to lock in the win. The Colonels will play on the road at Alvernia University this Saturday at noon. Photos: The Beacon/Baylee Guedes Elijah Jules making moves on offense as he ended the game with 115yards. �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 Sports 20 MSOC: Schulmeister shines in MAC conference opener By Ariel Reed Managing Editor EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. — Opening up conference play, the Colonels battled a 4-3 win with the help of junior Colin Schulmeister. The pressure of conference play started to build throughout the early stages of the contest, but Wilkes did not let that get in the way of their stride. At the 11-minute mark, Schulmeister got to work, breaking through the defensive pound of DeSales and finding the head of senior Owen Breisch. “So the assist in the first half definitely set us on for a better game,” said Schulmeister. “We knew if we came out strong, we’re going to have at least a little bit of an advantage.” The early goal set the comfortable tone and allowed the team to let off a little bit of pressure as noted by Bresich. The next twenty minutes both teams would attempt to rattle off shots, but neither would be successful. First-year Will Wagstaff recovered a missed shot off the crossbar and smashed it into the back of the net. “I think this is just the start,” said head coach Michael Piranian. “So yeah, the intensity, the flavor we’ll call it, of the game was definitely getting heightened.” Heading out of the half, DeSales started to get aggressive. “It depends on the game, but this game, definitely, because we knew they were chippy themselves,” said Schulmeister. “So we definitely wanted to come out with some authority.” DeSales finessed a goal past senior Zach Tone, cutting the lead to one, but Schulmeister nailed two back-to-back shots to give the Colonels a little more breathing room. DeSales managed to get a pair of goals to put themselves within one within the final minutes of the game. The Beacon/Ariel Reed Colin Schulmeister celebrates with one of his teammates aftera big goal. Toward the end of the game, multiple the game.” yellow cards were dealt to both sides of the As the final moments of the game began ball, but neither team relented. to wind down, DeSales rattled off plenty of “You could feel a conference game, shots to attempt to get one final point on right? It felt very exciting and everybody the board. The Colonels held strong and really wanted it,” said Piranian. “I think thwarted all their attempts. that that’s where it was, a lot of tension on Wilkes continues conference play the line and the game wasn’t quite settled, tonight in Williamsport against Lycoming so I just felt like we had a good majority of College at 6 p.m. WSOC: Wilkes falls to DeSales after losing momentum By Amber DeJonge Staff Writer EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. – The Colonels faced off against DeSales University on Saturday in their conference opener. The Colonels came out with speed and intensity to put Desales’ game to the test. In the first half, Wilkes’ defense was able to keep the Bulldogs on their toes. Strong defensive stops kept DeSales from scoring until 27:53, leaving the game at 0-1 at the half. “I thought we executed things pretty well,” said head coach John McNichol. “I thought there were moments where we really held possession well. As the game progressed, failed clearance led to their first goal and we struggled to get out.” On the offensive side, the Colonels had some great passing and carrying through the midfield. They were able to get the ball to senior Erica Feese, who was able to get a shot off, which appeared to be a goal but was called off. “I think we could have had more energy (if the shot was counted),” said Feese. Senior Hannah Hart and graduate student Kayla Lopez both agreed that the momentum of the game would have changed if the goal was counted, but the officials made a call that took that opportunity away from the Colonels. “Not only do I think that it would increase our energy, but I think it really would have gotten into their heads,” said Lopez. “They are a very big mental and energy type of team so if we scored, I think it really would have affected how they played.” The halftime score remained 1-0 in DeSales’ favor. In The second half of the game, despite Wilkes’ defensive efforts, the Bulldogs were able to score two more goals during the second half. “At the beginning of the second half, overall our effort was there, but they (the Bulldogs) finished their opportunities and we did not,” said McNichol. This resulted in a 3-0 loss for the Colonels. DeSales barely outshot Wilkes 4-3 in the first half and both teams came back more aggressively in the second half resulting in nine shots for Wilkes and 12 for DeSales. Junior Hannah Landis was in the net for Wilkes recording eight saves. “We are right in the middle of conference play,” said McNichol. “We are really excited for the opportunity to continue to compete, watch our team grow, build and continue to improve each day.” The team is now 2-7-1 overall and 0-1 in conference with eight games left in the regular season. There are still plenty of conference games for the team to improve their ranking in hopes of making the playoffs. Wilkes returns to action on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. against Stevens University at Bruggeworth Field. The Beacon/Ariel Reed Erica Feese looks to drive the ball as two DeSales defenders approach her. �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 Sports 21 WVB: Wilkes goes 0-2 in close scoring sets during tri-match By Wren Haze Sports Staff Writer WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -- During the busy homecoming weekend festivities, the women’s volleyball team took part in a trimatch with New Jersey City and Neumann University in non-conference play. New Jersey City started the day by defeating the Colonels and Neumann closed the day with wins as well. The Colonels sit at 3-14 for the season. In the first game, Wilkes took on North Jersey City University and fell with three close matches of 25-23, 25-21, 25-20. “Our NJCU match was excellent overall,” said head coach Joe Czopek. “They are a top ranked team in their Conference. Statistically we were similar, they just came up with a big serve or block at a key point in each set that gave them the slight advantage. I felt we did a great job minimizing their multi point runs with ones of our own.” Sophomore Alexis Reedy led the Colonels with 10 kills against New Jersey City as juniors Hope Ousey and Nicole Fitzpatrick followed with eight kills each. 27 assists came from sophomore Alexa Cassel. The Gothic Knights took the lead in the first match 11-6 but as the game drew to its final stages, Wilkes started closing the gap with aces from senior Emily Gentzel and two kills from Reedy. The two teams went back and forth but New Jersey took the first set 25-23. In the second set, Wilkes led 16-12 with a five point run that included junior Nicole Fitzpatrick, Ousey, Reedy and sophomore Sierra Hines. The Gothic Knights ended the second and third matches strong to sweep the Colonels in the match. After a game break, the Colonels took on Neumann and fell. Ousey led the Colonels with 16 kills with senior Kelsey Carroll following with eight kills. Cassel stayed strong with 28 assists. The Colonels took the lead in the first set with a kill by senior Allie Murie and an error by Neumann. The Knights caught up to the Colonels and took the lead following a block attempt from Murie and Fitzpatrick to take the win in the first set 25-19. In the second set, the Colonels took the win from Neumann to tie 1-1 with three kills from Carroll, a kill from Ousey and a mix of errors from the Knights. The winning streak came to a quick end in the third set as Neumann took the win from the Colonels. Both teams went back and forth to tie the game 19-19 as the Knights remained strong to score their remaining six points, taking the set 25-22. Neumann stood 2-1. In the final set, the Knights took an early lead 16-8 but the Colonels quickly bounced back to rack up the scoreboard 16-15. “When we get to really close points, it becomes more of a mental game,” said Ousey. “We struggle with that and stay out of our heads. We start to play ‘not to lose’ instead of ‘playing to win.’ That brings up a mental barrier that none of us seem to get past.” Ousey, Fitzpatrick and Hines were key players in the last set, but the team fell with a final score of 25-20. The Knights won the match 3-1. “Volleyball is such a game of momentum,” said Czopek. “After being on the road for almost the entire month of September, along with not having our The Beacon//Baylee Guedes Alexa Cassel tricks New Jersey City as she tips the ball instead of setting. own gym to practice in most of the season individually and collectively.” due to construction, the team is finding Wilkes hosts Lycoming College for the confidence they need to push through a MAC matchup tonight at 7 p.m. For to the ‘W’. Success is right around the more Wilkes athletic updates go to www. corner as they continue to develop both gowilkesu.com. Have a passion for sports? Do you have an interest in sports photography? Contact Sports Editor Baylee.Guedes@wilkes.edu �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 Sports 22 Getting to know... Will Wagstaff First-Year Soccer Player The Beacon: Male Athlete of the Week Sep. 26 to Oct. 3 Why Wagstaff was selected: In a 3-0 win over Keystone College, Wagstaff scored the first goal of his collegiate career to secure the win. Name: Will Wagstaff Year: First-year Major: Pharmacy Hometown: Allentown, Pa. High School: Parkland H.S. Position: Winger Driving force for your decision to come to Wilkes? My driving force to come to Wilkes was the guaranteed-seat pharmacy program. Post-graduation plans in terms of a career? After graduation, I would like to work in hospital pharmacy. Favorite memory as a Colonel? My favorite memory as a Colonel is scoring my first collegiate goal. When/Why did you first begin playing? I started playing soccer at the age of four because it was fun. Favorite thing to do during practice? My favorite thing to do during practice is finishing drills. Other interests or hobbies off of the field? Off the field, I like basketball and lifting. Editor’s elec tions are mined by ts Editor's note note:: Athlete Athlete of of the the Week Week sselections are deter determined by the the spor sports staf nd of mic year, year, we ill post post aa reader poll tafff each each week. week. At At the the eend of the the acade academic we w will reader poll on itte r @ B eacon to row n an on Tw Twitter @ Wilkes WilkesBeacon to ccrown an “Athlete "Athlete of o the the Year." Year." The Beacon/Ariel Reed Favorite building on campus? My favorite buidling on campus is the Marts Center. Favorite meal to eat on campus? My favorite meal to eat on campus is french toast sticks. If your life was a movie, who would you want to play you and why? If my life was a movie, I would want Chris Hemsworth to play me because I love Thor. Go to karaoke song? “Let It Go.” Most influential person in your life? The most influential person in my life is Miles (my best friend). A quote you live your life by? “If you ain’t first, your last.” Anyone to give a shout-out to? No. - Compiled by Ariel Reed, Managing Editor �23 Sports The Beacon - October 5, 2022 Getting to know... Nicole Fitzpatrick Junior Volleyball Player The Beacon: Female Athlete of the Week Sep. 26 to Oct. 3 Why Fitzpatrick was selected: In a doubleheader split, Fitzpatrick recorded 11 kills in each match, tallying 22 for the day. Name: Nicole Fitzpatrick Year: Junior Major: Psychology Hometown: New Hampton, N.Y. High School: Minisink Valley H.S. Position: Outside Hitter Driving force for your decision to come to Wilkes? I fell in love with the campus and when I got the chance to play in college, it solidified my choice. Post-graduation plans in terms of a career? I am still trying to figure out my exact plans, but I am definitely going to grad school. Favorite memory as a Colonel? Freshman year as a whole because of all the connections and friendships I made. When/Why did you first begin playing? I began playing in sixth grade just to try out for the modified team, and the sport has stuck with me ever since. Favorite thing to do during practice? Our favorite warmup - “All Around The World." Other interests or hobbies off of the field? I love my animals, so anytime I can be with my dogs, you can find me snuggled up with them. Favorite building on campus? My favoite building on campus is Weckesser. Favorite meal to eat on campus? My favorite place to eat on campus is Starbucks. If your life was a movie, who would you want to play you and why? Melissa McCarthy is one of my favorite actresses. She is hilarious and I think we have similar humor. Go to karaoke song? “La Mama de la Mama” - El Alfa. Most influential person in your life? The most infuential person in mu life is my grandma, “ma." A quote you live your life by? “YOLO,” you only live once. Anyone to give a shout-out to? My roommates back at 367. - Compiled by Ariel Reed, Managing Editor Editor’s note: Athlete of the Week s elec tions are deter mined by the spor ts staff each week. At the end of the academic year, we w ill post a reader poll on Tw it ter @WilkesB eacon to crow n an “Athlete of the Year." The Beacon/Ariel Reed �The Beacon - October 5, 2022 24 The Beacon will upload online exclusive stories for the next three weeks, incuding an exclusive Oct. 19 online edition, before returning to print on Oct. 26. Want to stay in the loop? Keep reading on www.thewilkesbeacon.com Follow us on social media: Instagram: @thewilkesbeacon Twitter: @thewilkesbeacon Facebook: The Beacon VJ{{ THE BEACON The news of today reported by the Journalists of tomorrow. NEWS • OPINION • SPORTS • LA&E • ONLINE EXCLUSIVE PLACE YOUR AD HERE! Do you own a business? Have an upcoming event? Advertise with The Beacon and reach up to thousands of clients per week! Sizes range from 1/8 of a page up to a full page Advertisements are in full color Can be ran in one issue up to an entire semester For more information, please contact: Kalen.Churcher@wilkes.edu or Emily.Cherkauskas@wilkes.edu � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon Newspaper Collection, 1947-present Description An account of the resource <p>This is Wilkes University's <em>Beacon</em> Newspaper collection, 1947-present. We also have digitized copies of the <em>Beacon's</em> predecessors, <em>The Bucknell Bison Stampede</em>, 1934-1935 and <em>The Bucknell Beacon</em>, 1936-1947 June. It should be noted that Wilkes University does not have a complete set of issues for the Bucknell Bison Stampede and Bucknell Beacon. For researchers who are interested in seeing the complete issues for these publications, please contact <a href="https://researchbysubject.bucknell.edu/scua">Bucknell University's Special Collections Department</a>.</p> <p></p> <p>Missing Issues:</p> <p>1947 August 8th<br />1947 September 5th<br />1947 October 3rd<br />1947 October 17th<br />1947 October 31st<br />1947 November 21st<br />1947 December 19th<br />1948 September 9th<br />1950 April 28th<br />1953 April 10th<br />1962 February 2nd</p> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Beacon staff is comprised of Wilkes University students who are advised by a full-time faculty member of the Communication Studies Department. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1934-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright of the Wilkes Beacons is retained by Wilkes University. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Professor Emeritus Harold Cox digitized the collection from 1934-1970 and created a <a href="https://beaconarchives2.wilkes.edu/">legacy website</a>. Digital Archives student John Jenkins digitized the collection from 1970-present. Special thanks goes to Communication Studies Professor Dr. Kalen Churcher, Editor-in-Chief Kirsten Peters, Beacon staff member, Emily Cherkauskas, and other Beacon staff for their help in acquiring digitized copies of the Beacons from 2006 onward. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon 2022 October 4 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Communications Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 October 4 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper