Suprising Scranton & Wilkes-Barre PA

[James Bond Agent 007]

Soooo . . . when's the next trivia quiz?

[donybrx]

that's a good question............

[James Bond Agent 007]

^
Was that the quiz?

[donybrx]

Nevermind Scranton & Wilkes-Barre. Some of the more intriguing surprises have to do with nearby Hazelton. Not only has Hazelton drawn hordes of Hispanics from the NYC boros, but check this out!: below..... ( I knew that eastern PA was beginning to get sucked into metro NYC, but I didn't imagine that the incursion extended as far inland as Luzerne County to any appreciable degree...).......................................................................

Posted on Sat, May. 21, 2005
Hasidic Jews look at Hazleton area as potential home
Shari Limud Inc. needs area rezoned to realize plans to build 400-plus acre community of 1,000 residential units.

By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES jandes@leader.net

A community of Hasidic Jews from New York wants to build 1,000 residential units on more than 400 acres near Hazleton.

The project could eventually attract as many as 5,000 new residents and boost the local tax base.

The Hazleton Area School District, already struggling with overcrowding, wouldn’t be affected because developer/owner Shari Limud Inc. plans to build its own private schools.

Shari Limud has an agreement to buy the property if it can get the roughly 380 acres in the Stockton section of Hazle Township rezoned from conservation to residential, said attorney John Michelin, who represents the group through the law firm of Donald Karpowich.

The rest of the land is in Hazleton and already zoned residential, he said.

Representatives of Shari Limud said they picked the Hazleton area because it is rural, the people seem friendly and it is relatively close to New York City and other areas of New York where transplants might have relatives, Michelin said.

The 1,000 dwellings would be a combination of single family homes, townhouses and multi-family residences.

Medical facilities and grocery stores are also planned, although Michelin said the residents would still shop locally.

Hasidic Jews speak English, but converse in Yiddish among themselves, Michelin said.

They plan for their community to remain part of the local government subdivisions, and don’t want to create their own borough or village, he said.

“They don’t keep totally to themselves and welcome people to come into their development,” Michelin said. “They want to be part of the fabric of the community.”

The township planning department plans to issue a recommendation soon to township supervisors. Supervisors, who will ultimately decide whether the zoning change is granted, plan to hold a public meeting, tentatively scheduled for June 13, to gather more information and seek public feedback.

Michelin said residents of more crowded Hasidic communities in Brooklyn and a New York village named Kiryas Joel about an hour from New York City might be interested in coming here.

The Hasidic culture is unfamiliar to many Hazleton area residents, he said. Some people wrongly believe they are more like the Amish, shunning technology, but they drive cars and were at a recent meeting in Hazleton carrying cell phones, Michelin said.

Hasidic Jews tend to live in communities and have large families.

Hasidic men sport long side curls and beards, and always keep their heads covered with skullcaps and broad-brimmed hats. The women dress modestly, and the married ones wear wigs or head coverings. The Village of Kiryas Joel shuts down on Saturdays for Sabbath, just like Christians adhere to a Sunday Sabbath.

Some people will notice white strings – called tzitzis or tzitzit -- hanging down outside the men’s pants. They are part of a four-cornered garment that might be worn under or outside a shirt.

Michelin expects many of the people who come here to be highly educated and work at the businesses they open within the community.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7333.
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© 2005 Times Leader and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.timesleader.com

[donybrx]

Significant news re: Wilkes-Barre's impending slots 'racino'-casino:

05/20/2005
Mohegan Sun casino will be 400,000 square feet
By Elizabeth Skrapits , Staff Writer

Plains Township Planning Commission got to weigh in Thursday night on plans for expansion of the Pocono Downs to include a 400,000 square foot slot machine casino.
Attorneys Mark Van Loon and Matthew Turowski, representing the Connecticut-based Mohegan Sun Tribal Gaming Authority, and engineer Joe Mullen of Clough, Harborough and Associates, presented informal sketch plans to the commission for comment.

Van Loon said Mohegan Sun wanted to see if the board had any specific concerns that should be taken into account during the early stages of design.

In December, Penn National Gaming Inc. sold the 400-acre harness race track to Mohegan Sun for $280 million.
The property is already zoned for the proposed casino, so all Mohegan Sun will have to do is get land development approval from the township, Turowski said.

There will be a four-lane tree-lined "grand boulevard" leading up to the slots parlor, and an employee/service entrance that can also be used by emergency services.
Van Loon said it was not yet certain how many slot machines the facility will have.

Planning commission chairman Gerald Yozwiak brought up issues of parking, increased traffic, and the fact that portions of land in a proposed parking lot are owned by PPL.
Van Loon said Mohegan Sun is in the middle of negotiations with PPL to purchase the property, and he is "very optimistic they will be successfully concluded."

A proposed 4,000-car parking lot close to the Hudson section of Plains could cause issues with lighting projection, Yozwiak pointed out.
"You don't want it to be a beacon, beaming out towards residents of this area," he said.

Mullen said the least intrusive lighting is already under consideration.
Yozwiak asked the gaming authority to consider a multi-level parking garage. He said 4,000 spaces is "a lot of asphalt," and, besides the aesthetic issue, there is the question of heat in summer and snow removal in winter.

As for traffic, Mullen said studies will be done from the Dupont through the Wyoming Valley interchanges of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Interstate 81.
The intersection of Route 315 and Jumper Road can get bottled up even today, Yozwiak said, but Mullen assured him that "part of our responsibility is to make adjustments to each of the signaled intersections."

Additionally, Mullen said engineers will be sent to study traffic at other casinos in Saratoga, N.Y. and West Virginia, because currently there is no documentation to show what kind of issues there are at specific kinds of facilities.

Mullen said there is a full set of checklist items to go through, and issues such as stormwater runoff to be resolved.
Van Loon said preliminary plans will be submitted to the planning commission in June, but would probably not come up for a vote to approve until the July meeting.

Yozwiak thanked the Mohegan Sun for its cooperation and urged the authority to keep open the lines of communications with the township.

[James Bond Agent 007]

We still await the next quiz . . .

[donybrx]

Speaking of quizzes.....Contratulations to Pennsylvanian (Lancaster) Brad Rutter in ousting Ken Jennings in the Jepoardy Tournament of champions last night. Way to go Brad...you do yourself and your state very proud!! Bye, Ken...sayonara, see ya, sorry, sorry, soorrrrreeee!.....

[donybrx]

Inflatable dam project a little closer to reality. Don't get yer canoe out yet.........and when you do decide to float upon the Susquehanna...don't swallow anything if you capsize ....
05/27/2005
Dam project still afloat in W-B
By James Conmy Staff Writer

WILKES-BARRE - It will take a year before proponents of Wyoming Valley's inflatable dam learn if they have cut through the most significant piece of government red tape standing in the project's way.
The Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority will submit an application next week seeking project clearance from the state Department of Environmental Protection

Approval would allow the project to advance to another two-year period of final design and construction, said county Engineer James Brozena.

"Once you obtain the DEP permit, you've really found a foothold and you're on pretty solid ground at that point," Mr. Brozena said. "But it's still three years away minimum. That's the best case scenario."

The dam would ensure water levels of at least 9 feet in the Susquehanna River between Forty Fort and South Wilkes-Barre. The hope is to provide increased boating and fishing opportunities.

The estimated cost of the dam is $14 million, but Luzerne County's share is $3.5 million because of a $10.5 million federal allocation.

Once constructed, the dam could recruit between 200,000 and 600,000 visitors to the Wyoming Valley each year, said U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke.

"Every day we worked on this project for the last 16 years will be worth it," Mr. Kanjorski said. "It will be one of the most significant economic development components we have ever had. This will be comparable to the effect the (Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza, Wilkes-Barre Township) had on the area."

The dam also will enhance the Susquehanna Riverfront $25 million beautification project, said Luzerne County Commissioner Todd Vonderheid.

A planned amphitheater, boat launch, fishing piers and pedestrian portals will thrive with a guaranteed water level, Mr. Vonderheid said.

He hopes the permit process does not uncover any environmental problems.

"What we're trying to do is use this ingenious technology to have Mother Nature help us out," Mr. Vonderheid said.






©Scranton Times Tribune 2005

[donybrx]

Weird, a very old building collapsed DT on W. Market, now it and two pthers are being dismantled, all of which might assist the Sterling Hotel project along....just yer ordinary unanticipated urban renewal......

05/28/2005
Downtown W-B demolition list grows
By Elizabeth Skrapits , Staff Writer

Clouds of dust from the demolition of the entire Perry Block property could have a silver lining for the Hotel Sterling.
The three buildings at 37-41 and 43 and 45 W. Market St. in Wilkes Barre are all being razed due to structural instability. They account for approximately 90 feet of frontage between the Hotel Sterling tower and Lowe's Restaurant.
"It is certainly a property that we have considered as part of the Hotel Sterling site overall," said Alex Rogers, executive director of CityVest, the non-profit owner of the hotel.

After work on 37-41 W. Market St. began Thursday, it was discovered that the two buildings next to it needed to come down as well, according to Wilkes-Barre Planning and Development Director Butch Frati.

"As the contractor became more involved with the demolition of the original structure, he noticed the interior wall of the adjacent building on the left had collapsed," Frati said. "We gained entry and discovered the roof had also collapsed into the second and third floors."

The city will retain Brdaric Excavating of Luzerne, already involved with 37-41 W. Market St., at a cost not to exceed $173,000, to tear down the other two buildings. Under the contract, the firm is also handling any environmental issues, such as lead paint and asbestos removal, Frati said.

Demolition of 43 and 45 W. Market St. will not begin until Tuesday, due to Memorial Day. The city is re-opening the block of West Market Street between River and South Franklin streets to traffic during the holiday weekend.
Frati said the city does not yet have a price for the additional work, but expects figures Tuesday or Wednesday.
Wilkes-Barre City Mayor Tom Leighton said the money has to come out of the city's Office of Community Development demolition fund for now.

"The money is budgeted for other items, but we will have to adjust it," he said. "It's something that could not be ignored or neglected. It's an issue we weren't expecting. But we took the initiative to protect the safety of residents and visitors."

The city definitely intends to attach a municipal lien to the property, according to city attorney Timothy Henry.
If a developer came in with a proposal and wanted the lien released, city officials would have to take the project under consideration before making a decision, Leighton said.

Perry Block's owners, Greg and Stephanie Lull, purchased the three buildings in 1997, with the intention of renovating them into commercial and residential space.
The property was designated a Keystone Opportunity Zone for 1999, but not afterwards.
The Lulls' attorney, Joseph Persico, argued the property should have been included in the KOZ program for the years 2000 through 2004, and on May 12, city council granted forgiveness of $17,000 in taxes.

The Perry Block buildings have been for sale for some time through the Mericle agency. Realtor John Rokosz said there were some calls from out-of-town developers on the properties, but nothing came of them, and he hasn't had any interest recently.
"Everything's kind of hinging on the development of that block," he said.

The Hotel Sterling project has two phases. The first is the approximately $22 million renovation of the historic main building on Market and River streets for mixed-use office and residential space. The second involves the hotel tower immediately next to the Perry Block.

CityVest has just completed an architectural design competition. All three participating firms concluded renovation of the 14-story building was not cost-effective or sensible due to multiple challenges, such as low floor-to ceiling height, a narrow floor plan, and inadequate windows, Rogers said.

Instead, the firms proposed building a new structure with larger square footage - and surrounding properties, including the Perry Block site, were kept in mind, he said.
"We are going to go ahead and select the architectural firm we would like for the entire project. The work they did in thinking about Phase II will now have to take into consideration the new condition of the adjacent property," Rogers said.

"The necessary demolition of the Perry Block property only enhances a very important redevelopment project on this important street in Wilkes-Barre," he added. "(Market Street) connects to one of the main thoroughfares, it's right at the gateway to the city with the Market Street Bridge, it will lead to the riverfront when the Riverfront Park project is completed, it leads to Public Square."
Leighton is cautiously optimistic.

"All of a sudden you're going to have a vacant lot next to a $40 million project," he said. "This could change the whole perspective of the whole development. It's a wait and see thing. I don't want to speculate until we know what's going to be done."

©The Citizens Voice 2005

[donybrx]

Wilkes-Barre's Theatrical past..well before television, when live performance was the main event....just a li'l histoire, ladies and germs............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted on Sun, Jun. 05, 2005

Local entertainment was a very different scene a century ago A LOOKBACK Local entertainment was a very different scene a century ago
Stars of the stage
Area once hosted nationally famous acts

By TOM MOONEY tmooney@leader.net

The patrons filing into Wilkes-Barre’s Grand Opera House on the evening of Jan. 24, 1893, surely knew they were in for a treat.

On the bill was Joseph Jefferson, one of America’s premier actors, playing the title role in the popular comedy “Rip Van Winkle.” Jefferson wasn’t just a star: he was a dominating presence, a performer who had played theaters all over America, to excellent reviews. And “Rip Van Winkle,” which he had adapted from the famous short story, was the show he was most closely associated with. To see the production was to glimpse some of the best of 19th-century theater.

What was he doing in little, out-of-the-way Wilkes-Barre?

In the 1800s and early 1900s the world’s most famous and accomplished actors and actresses toured the country, performing in large and small cities alike. Wilkes-Barre, with its convenient rail service and capacious theaters bearing names such as the Music Hall, the Grand Opera House, the Nesbitt and the Luzerne, commanded nightly entertainment by the most talented and famous.

A Wyoming Valley resident of those days, in fact, stood a far greater chance of seeing a matinee idol in person than his or her descendant does today.

The 63-year-old Jefferson, then at the height of his fame, was far from the only star who glittered downtown.

A favorite of local audiences was Kate Claxton. The waiflike beauty showed up every few years, and in 1893 she stole hearts at the Grand Opera House in her signature piece, “The Two Orphans,” a sentimental tale of a pair of sisters cast adrift by the chaos of the French Revolution.

Comedy and music were popular as well. DeWolf Hopper stirred laughter in 1905 at the elegant Nesbitt in “Wang,” a rollicking story about an Asian monarch who tries to alleviate his country’s bankruptcy by marrying a wealthy heiress.

The same year, actress-singer Della Fox – as famed for her uniquely curled hair as for her stage work -- headlined a vaudeville bill at the Grand Opera House, while Ernestine Schumann-Heink of the Metropolitan Opera sang “Love’s Lottery” at the Nesbitt.

Still, the percentage of drama was high, and if the names are unfamiliar today they were powerhouses in their time. E.H. Sothern brought “The Master of Woodbarrow” to the Music Hall in 1891, while Richard Mansfield starred in the tragicomic “Beau Brummel” at the Nesbitt in 1906.

Just as often it was the actresses who carried the show. Ethel Barrymore was a regular visitor, playing “Sunday” at the Nesbitt in 1905 and returning with “Alice Sit by the Fire” the following year. Shakespearian performer Julia Marlowe starred in “Twelfth Night” and “Much Ado About Nothing” in repeat performances in the 1890s. Maude Adams, an extremely busy lady who lived into the era of television and wide-screen movies, charmed local audiences in “The Little Minister” at the Nesbitt in 1905.

The grand era of stage, though, didn’t survive long into the 20th century. The growing popularity of the motion picture darkened one legitimate theater after another, and some resorted to burlesque – which led to conflict with local authorities – to stay alive.

By the 1920s the great stars were working in Hollywood or on Broadway, not Wilkes-Barre, and the professional live production was rare. “Stage” came to mean primarily amateur community groups or high school or college players.

The days in which a Joseph Jefferson or Ethel Barrymore might be seen strolling from an East Market Street hotel to a South Main Street theater with soft lighting and velvet seats had faded into history.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Mooney may be reached at 831-7328. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2005 Times Leader and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.timesleader.com

[James Bond Agent 007]

*still awaits next quiz*

[donybrx]

patience is a virtue. it's also a terrible thing to name a child these days........especially a boy.

[donybrx]

Maybe not big news in big towns but it is for WB: PHiladelphia architect Cope Linder has been selected for the Sterling Hotel re-do:
Key features are turning the 4-sided historic part into a 3-sided buiolding..and eventually tearing down the 124 story 'towers' (*sob*) and replacing with a "sleek tower atop a parking garage" (like, gag me with a spoon)):
06/06/2005
CityVest selects Philadelphia firm
By Heidi E. Ruckno , Staff Writer

Philadelphia architectural firm Cope Linder, which has revitalized buildings in Philadelphia, Cleveland and Baltimore, will renovate the Hotel Sterling.

Cope Linder's designs were chosen from three finalists, including the Wilkes-Barre firm, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, and a second Philadelphia firm, Bower Lewis. In all, nine firms submitted plans.

The announcement was made Sunday by CityVest, the non-profit development group that currently owns the Hotel Sterling.

"Today we begin an exciting and very visible phase in this project," said CityVest Executive Director Alex Rogers.

According to the firm's brochure, Cope Linder has done work on the Moravian at Independence Park, a Philadelphia landmark, and the Halle Building in Cleveland. In that project, the firm converted a 550,000 square foot downtown department store into an office building, Cope Linder partner Steven Henkelman said.

Cope Linder has also done work on Lockwood Place along Baltimore's Inner Harbor, a mixed-use retail, office and parking space, and the Great Plaza in downtown Philadelphia, the brochure said.

Phase 1 of the Hotel Sterling Project includes the conversion of the dilapidated seven-story building at River and Market streets into mixed-use commercial and residential space. Phase 2 is subject to change, Rogers said, depending on the success of phase 1.

The firms were told to design within a budget, Rogers said, as the first phase of the project is estimated to cost between $20 and $22 million. It will be financed with both public and private funds.

Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski said Sunday that CityVest might be eligible for tax breaks under the New Markets Tax Credit program.

"I've described this project to the funders and they're just waiting for an application," Kanjorski said.

An initiative created in 2000 under former President Bill Clinton, the New Markets program provides tax credits for commercial investment in low-income communities, Kanjorski said. The credit can equal up to 39 percent of the total investment.

"We've reached today's milestone thanks to the terrific support of our elected officials," Rogers said.

Wilkes-Barre City Councilman Jim McCarthy reflected on the past. He recalled the Sterling's glory days, before the building fell into a state of disrepair.

"All I can say is this is an extremely exciting day for the City of Wilkes-Barre," McCarthy said. "Stand up and applaud because it's the greatest thing since Mom's apple pie."

hruckno@citizensvoice.com
©The Citizens Voice 2005

[donybrx]

Originally Posted by James Bond Agent 007

*still awaits next quiz*

Okay, babycakes.....here ya go.....solve this one .
( Sure hope this is really good, and lives up to the hype)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted on Tue, Jun. 07, 2005
Mayor mum on clues to big surprise
Leighton says folks will be excited for and about Wilkes-Barre on Thursday.

By LANE FILLER lfiller@leader.net

WILKES-BARRE – According to Mayor Tom Leighton and city officials, “Something unbelievable is about to happen in Wilkes-Barre.”

But what?

No one is saying, and the building anticipation is just what Leighton hoped for.

Thursday, at 5 p.m., at the Genetti Hotel & Conference Center, all will be revealed. That’s what signs posted around town and letters mailed to businesses, colleges, high schools and some residents proudly state.

“Only eight people know what the story is, and you’re not going to get any of them to let on,” Leighton told a reporter. “Come out on Thursday and I promise you’ll be excited.”

Bridget Giunta, who sent out the fliers for the event, could not be coaxed into giving out any information.

Animal?

Vegetable?

Mineral?

Giunta merely replied, “The mayor is just very excited and he wants to make his announcement to the public Thursday.”

Giunta did say food and beverages would be provided at the announcement, and all members of the public are welcome.

Leighton said he chose to tease with the fliers yet remain mum on details because he wants to show the interest in progress through a big turnout.

So what could it be?

Economic development stories in the last year have focused on: the Call Center being sold, improvements to the Sterling Hotel, progress on a downtown movie theater and plans for an intermodal transportation center.

The mayor said the announcement would not concern any of those.

Past, more fantastic projections for the city have included monorails and moving sidewalks.
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© 2005 Times Leader and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.timesleader.com

[James Bond Agent 007]

^
Hmmm . . . another tortilla factory?

[donybrx]

^^^^gawd, no, por favor.......I was thinking West Side Stadium...cha cha cha......since it's been deep sixed in Monhatten, as they say in Jamaica.

[James Bond Agent 007]

Hmmm, what else could it be . . .

1. Some big new factory, or some other big new employer
2. A 50-story skyscraper.
3. Hustler magazine's new museum, casino/hotel and mega sex shop

[donybrx]

^^^hah. Yeah. got me ta wonderin' too.
.... Wish list: one or two tall (over 25 stories) towers on W. Market Street making the entrance to DT even more interesting...and well architected, not crappola....
.......or a mixed use dream of a tower on Public Square, using the handsome, old greek revival (empty) 1st Nat'l. Bank as an entrance/foyer--------------

But, more likely...an announcement of a tower in connection with the three old buildings that collapsed near the Sterling last week, OR an announcement of the River Museum project...
hey...maybe a Planter's Peanut Museum..wouldn't be the worst thing....
Probably something stupid like Wilkes U. actually buying the ugly, vacant call center building on South Main St. OR WALMART gonna build its 80th Wyoming Valley store....ot WALMART gonna buy Wyoming Valley and rename it WALMART VALLEY...... a testament to the trashing of Amuuuuurica.....oh i get giddy with delight at the options...don't you?
The word will be given Thursday. it better be worth waiting for and by virtue of all this anticipation by forumers far and wide.........

[donybrx]

GRRRR we might not know until tomorrow what the big deal might be, when all is revealed in the press.........After all is said and done, with the level of secrecy, hype and anticipation built up around this 'thing' it better be very huge news or I'll.....I'll...I'll... save my threats for later..... .
The wod 'overwhelmed' is even used below in the text, as quote....hopefully then it ain't a salsa factory.....
06/09/2005
Leighton reveals secret today
By James Conmy , Staff Writer

It's the best-kept secret in Wilkes-Barre's recent history.
The entire area, left guessing for more than a week by a closely guarded announcement of something "unbelievable" about to happen in Wilkes-Barre, finally gets its answer today.
A new bar or bookstore on Public Square?
A company bringing hundreds of jobs?
Planned events for next year's bicentennial?
Selling the Wilkes-Barre Golf Club for millions?
Even a host city for the Olympics in 2012?


They all have been mentioned as the answer to the riddle. Jokes and rumors aside, everyone is eagerly anticipating what is so "unbelievable."

"What does that tell you about the area?" Mayor Tom Leighton asked Wednesday. "People are excited about our future.
"It is almost 'unbelievable,'" Leighton said of people's enthusiasm about the puzzling announcement, playing on the key word of his star-covered invitation.

Leighton's top staff members, like Administrator J.J. Murphy, Finance Officer John Koval, Deputy Administrator Marie McCormick, aide Greg Barrouk and Special Events Coordinator Bridget Giunta, kept their promise - they may
know the answer, but they're not telling.

"I don't know what it is," Barrouk said Wednesday, but changed his answer seconds later when asked if it would meet people's expectations.
"It's big," he said.
The staff members are among a select group of eight who know the details of the 5 p.m. announcement at Genetti Hotel and Conference Center on East Market Street.

Luzerne County Commissioners Greg Skrepenak and Todd Vonderheid may be two of Leighton's biggest Democratic allies, but they were kept in the dark.
"It's the first time in Luzerne County a secret has been kept," Vonderheid said. "He should get bonus points for that. I won't even wager a guess."

Skrepenak fears Leighton may have set the public up for a letdown with all the hype.
"It's like waiting for Christmas. The longer you wait, the more time you have to guess what may be under the tree, and then when it's not there, it's a letdown," Skrepenak said. "But I'm confident it's good news for the City of Wilkes-Barre, which is good news for Luzerne County."

Leighton believes people, not his office, generated all the attention the puzzling invitation has received. The mayor also is confident the majority of hundreds committed to attend tonight will be overwhelmed.

"There probably will be a few people who are disappointed because you're never going to please everybody," Leighton said. "But eventually it's going to help them all in one way or another. This is something the public needs to be there for; you can't just hold another press conference in city council chambers."

©The Citizens Voice 2005

[donybrx]

Maybe this IS a big thing after all.....Gus Genetti, hotelier extraordinare, seems to think so....and is upping the hyperbole ante, as follows: (This really really better be good, Gussie)!----------After all the man claims that this 'thing' is really going to put WB on the map and change the way the world sees the city......-
Gosh are they going to rename it Tokyo, PA???hmmm. I am stumped....--------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted on Thu, Jun. 09, 2005

What’s so unbelievable for Wilkes-Barre?
Big day has arrived
Hotel owner to pay for party at which news to be unveiled

By LANE FILLER lfiller@leader.net

WILKES-BARRE – Just how big is “unbelievable?”

“It’s the biggest thing to come down the pike since I came here in 1963,” downtown businessman Gus Genetti said Wednesday. “The mayor’s announcement is going to really put Wilkes-Barre on the map and change the way the world sees us.”

Genetti offered the vague but enthusiastic comments when pressed for details of an announcement pegged for 5 p.m. today at his hotel and convention center. Mayor Tom Leighton has promoted the announcement by saying, “Something UNBELIEVABLE is about to happen in Wilkes-Barre.”

Genetti, though, is also offering more than supportive words in this case.

“I don’t do things for free if I don’t believe in them, and I’m hosting this party,” Genetti said. “I’m telling you, this will be a fantastic announcement.”

Leighton has said that only “eight people” know what he will announce, and they are all members of his administration, but Wednesday, he did admit that Genetti probably knew.

Throughout the week, suspense has built as more and more people have gotten to talking and guessing about the city’s big announcement. It’s been known that the party is planned for today at 5 p.m. but until Wednesday, no one mentioned that Genetti was footing the bill for it.

The city sent out more than 1,000 invitations to three separate mailing lists previously compiled to promote other events.

Bridget Giunta, who works in the mayor’s office and is helping promote this event, said the mailing lists were the same list the city has used to get folks excited about St. Patrick’s Day and other events.

Additional invitations have been plastered around Public Square and media coverage of the pending news has been considerable.

And no one, not even Genetti, really knows how big the party will be.

“I’m following the mayor’s lead on that,” Genetti said.

“If it’s 500 people that would be a good number, and if it’s a lot more, we’ll handle that------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2005 Times Leader and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.timesleader.com