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Reggie Jackson takes executive role with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

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Our Opinion: Bazaars add zest to summers in Northeastern Pennsylvania

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Five row houses in danger of collapsing will be razed next week after the city Friday awarded an emergency demolition contract to level the dilapidated and vacant properties.</p><p>The city&#8217;s Bureau of Code Enforcement condemned 318 to 326 N. Main St. after a neighbor called about a television set left in the weeds in front of one of the houses.</p><p>&#8220;Somebody had to actually carry it over here and dump it,&#8221; said Toni Tenebruso.</p><p>Her house at 316 North Main stands less than 10 feet from the row houses that she said were frequented by homeless people. She said one man had been sleeping in one of the buildings at night.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s dangerous because something could happen and nobody would know (someone was inside),&#8221; Tenebruso said.</p><p>Yellow emergency tape, strung between the row houses and a railing along the raised sidewalk atop a historic stone wall, the blocked public access to the walkway. Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George and city Fire Chief Jay Delaney escorted demolition contractors to the rear of the row houses to get a look at the brick walls on the verge of collapse.</p><p>A PPL Electric Utilities lineman working from a bucket truck disconnected electrical wires in preparation for the demolition.</p><p>George said Stell Enterprises Inc. of Plains Township submitted a bid of $57,000, the lowest of three received by 4 p.m. Friday. Stell was awarded the contract and should begin work Monday or Tuesday. In order to get access to the site, some of the pillars in the stone wall will have to be dismantled and later reassembled, George said.</p><p>&#8220;There&#8217;s no other way to get the equipment up there,&#8221; he added.</p><p>Tenebruso watched the activity next door with neighbor Rafael Barreto. They complained about the lack of a street light on the block, which they said keeps the row houses hidden at night. &#8220;You can&#8217;t really see anything because it&#8217;s always dark,&#8221; Barreto said.</p><p>Barreto said the owner of the property had fixed the porches, put in new doors and windows &#8220;and then (they) just stopped.&#8221;</p><p>Luzerne County property records identified the owner as Kenneth B. Haas of New Rochelle, New York. He bought the row houses in 2004. Haas could not be reached for comment Friday.</p><p>George said Haas had been contacted and notified of the emergency demolition.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George and other city officials survey the dilapidated row houses at 318-326 N. Main St. and escorted contractors onto the site Friday afternoon to assess the condition in order to submit bids for emergency demolition. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL072316property1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George and other city officials survey the dilapidated row houses at 318-326 N. Main St. and escorted contractors onto the site Friday afternoon to assess the condition in order to submit bids for emergency demolition. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL072316property2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The dangerous condition of a five row houses on North Main Street in Wilkes-Barre led the city to condemn the properties Friday and award an emergency demolition contract. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL072316property2.jpg</photo1><caption1>The dangerous condition of a five row houses on North Main Street in Wilkes-Barre led the city to condemn the properties Friday and award an emergency demolition contract. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre condemns row houses, schedules emergency demolition