Letter to the Editor: Elephant training by bullhook not acceptable, no matter what circus says

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Music Box Playhouse in Swoyersville presents ‘Guys & Dolls’

WILKES-BARRE TWP. &#8212; Bids for the proposed expansion of the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza came in high again and the board overseeing the facility will meet next week on the project.Dave Palermo, chairman of the Luzerne County Convention Center Authority, did not have specific amounts available Thursday, but said they put the construction costs over the approximate $3.5 million budgeted for the project.&#8220;When you take all the apparent lowest bidders, it&#8217;s close to a million (dollars),&#8221; Palermo said.The bids still have to be reviewed to verify they contain the required documentation and meet the specifications, Palermo said.The authority that oversees the operation and management of the arena has a regularly scheduled meeting on Feb. 10. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to be having our meeting next week and see what we want to do from that point on,&#8221; Palermo said.The high bids were first reported Wednesday night on the WILK Newsradio Facebook page. Bids were opened Tuesday for the project that would add eating and drinking space on the concourse and suite levels.The project was scaled back and redesigned at no cost by Quad 3 engineers and architects in Wilkes-Barre after the initial bids last June came in nearly double the $3.6 million set aside for construction. The board rejected the first set of bids ranging between $6.4 million and $6.9 million.The board in June 2014 gave the go ahead to explore expanding the arena that opened in 1999 as a way to keep it competitive with local and out-of-town venues. A feasibility study showed the market could support the project.In the latest round, approximately 20 contractors picked up the bid documents. Quad 3 segmented the project so the board had options on how to proceed.Sam Scarantino, a principal with Quad 3, said the redesign incorporated cost savings such as a &#8220;cantilever structural steel framing&#8221; in place of an excavated foundation, scaling back on some of the interior finishes and placing the heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment on the roof of the proposed addition.The new design included a &#8220;club pub&#8221; that could be built on its own or as part of the expansion. The &#8220;club pub&#8221; would be located for club seat holders in the area of Chickie&#8217;s &amp; Pete&#8217;s concession on the concourse. If the board decided to go that route, Chickie&#8217;s &amp; Pete&#8217;s would have to relocate to another spot on the concourse.The project had a tentative start date in April. Interior work would be delayed until after May 2 to avoid a conflict with schedule of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the anchor tenant of the arena.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Jerry Lynottjlynott@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</shirttailMeta></div>

Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza expansion bids high again, board to meet next week on project