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WBS Pens miss chance to clinch playoff spot in loss to Providence

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Easter egg hunts delight area children, families

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Not that anyone anticipates the possibility of yet another flood anywhere, but the thought of seeing a giant inner tube being inflated along Susquehanna Avenue does have a somewhat peculiar allure.</p><p>Having experienced the horrific effects of flooding &#8212; West Main Street in Plymouth in June 1972 &#8212; I sincerely hope and pray that something even near that never happens again.</p><p>But, I guess, the odds are that it will.</p><p>Anyone who was around when Agnes poured rain for days upon the region and the Susquehanna River burst through the protective, yet vulnerable, levee system, will tell you the whole thing stunk.</p><p>The smell brought through our front doors by that voracious event remain with us today. And the losses so many endured still linger. Far beyond the loss of homes, furniture, appliances, etc., was the loss of memories &#8212; pictures, diplomas, books, record albums, jewelry, family photographs, heirlooms and on and on.</p><p>That reality was all too real and every time the river begins to creep up and up, the prospect of another flood strikes fear in our hearts.</p><p>This is why the thought of placing an inflatable tube along historic Susquehanna Avenue is so palatable. The people of West Pittston certainly have endured more flood-related damage than most other towns. Shickshinny has all but disappeared along Route 11 and the river. The West Nanticoke section of Plymouth Township has lost more than its fair share of taxable properties, as has Duryea Borough and other unprotected towns.</p><p>And while West Pittston seems genuinely interested in at least listening to the folks from Floodblock discuss their inflatable flood-protection tube system, one question comes to mind: Would protecting West Pittston result in even more flooding in those towns that remain unprotected?</p><p>As Jim Brozena, Luzerne County&#8217;s flood expert said, &#8220;The water has to go somewhere.&#8221; I would think, and hope, that determining where the diverted water would go is imperative before any giant tube is deployed.</p><p>West Pittston Mayor Tom Blaskiewicz said his top priority is protecting his town. His main argument is that more flooding could result in more people selling their properties to FEMA, thereby substantially eroding the borough&#8217;s tax base.</p><p>And if businesses also decide not to come back after yet another flood, the town will find itself on the road to perdition. Nobody will be around and West Pittston, a town that reminds me of Mayfield of &#8220;Leave It To Beaver&#8221; lore, would become, well, something far less attractive.</p><p>So yes, let&#8217;s listen to the people from Floodblock about this inflatable tube. We&#8217;re told it&#8217;s a relatively inexpensive solution to all of West Pittston&#8217;s woes. That is, if you feel just under a million bucks is far less expensive &#8212; especially when the tube usually lasts just five years.</p><p>As ugly and aesthetically unpleasant as a levee can be, it would last much longer. But, of course, that would depend on if the federal government feels a town like quaint old West Pittston is worth preserving. So far, government engineers seem to think the cost to build a levee far outweighs the value of what it would protect.</p><p>Take that Susquehanna Avenue.</p><p>So it is a dilemma. Mayor Blaskiewicz wants his town protected and it should be. But what form that protection comes in presents another dilemma. An extension of the Wyoming Valley levee system seems to be the most effective solution, but it may not sit well with those folks on Susquehanna Avenue who like to look out their windows or sit on their wrap-around porches and see trees, water, birds, kayakers and Pittston City&#8217;s skyline.</p><p>That&#8217;s why an inflatable tube seems like a reasonable alternative &#8212; if it is cost-effective, if it works, if there is little seepage, if it comes in designer colors and if it can be taken down and stowed away before the annual river regatta.</p><p>And then there is this worry &#8212; is it unreasonable to think in this age of unexplainable stupid crime, that some idiot might decide it would be funny to drive a knife through the big tube or put a few bullet holes in it?</p><p>But for now, let&#8217;s hope the idea of a water-filled mile-long tube is feasible and not just some money-making scheme that only inflates our hopes.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bill O&#8217;Boyle </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_OBoyle_Columnshot-1-1-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bill O&#8217;Boyle </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle, or email at boboyle@www.timesleader.com.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Beyond the Byline: Don’t inflate our hopes