`philadelphia': ~`city Of Brotherly Love'~

Alice Stacey 
Jan. 17, 1994 
Alice Stacey, 94, A Resident Of Dorrance Manor, Kingston, Died Monday In 
Nesbitt Memorial Hospital, Kingston.

By ROBERT SITTEN; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Wednesday, January 19, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A QUICK WORDS: REESE DEFENDS US OF
PRESS AGENT ON SNOW PLAN 





KINGSTON -- In an often angry work session, Mayor Gary Reese on Tuesday
defended his use of local public relations agent Debra West to write and issue
news releases, denying rumors that he's hiring her as his press secretary. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The action didn't sit well with members of Kingston's municipal council,
who questioned the mayor's reasoning that releases needed to be
"professionally done." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "One of the things we covered in hiring an administrator was the ability to
handle releases and press conferences," council member Kevin Boylan said.
"This seems like a duplication of services." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I think Jim (Phillips) is professional enough," said council member David
Capin, referring to the current administrator. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 West, of Debra James West Public Relations in Kingston, put together a news
release this week detailing Reese's new snow removal plan. The plan calls for
odd-numbered sides of Kingston streets to be plowed on odd-numbered days, and
likewise for even-numbered sides of the street. It was the first project West
had done for the municipality, she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "This may be the only thing we need from her this year," Reese said early
Tuesday. "But we needed it done professionally and we needed it done in a way
the community could best understand it." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Reese said the Kingston Police Department issued a short early statement
about snow emergency routes, which are the first roads to be plowed and salted
for emergency access. The release about his snow removal plan is much more
detailed, he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Reese said West charged $100 to write the release. During the work session,
Boylan asked Reese where the money was coming from in the budget to pay for
using an outside public relations firm. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Reese replied that Royer Industries of Kingston had agreed to recycle the
municipality's old Christmas trees free of charge, saving Kingston the
recycling fee it normally would have to pay. The mayor also made budget cuts
which eliminated a secretary's position and consolidated the code enforcement
officer and recycling officer's positions. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That action, which was announced Saturday, meant the layoffs of code
enforcement officer Bill Isaacs and secretary Jean Griffith. Recycling officer
Robert Granick assumed Isaacs' duties, Reese said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I knew recycling wasn't keeping him (Granick) busy enough, and I asked him
if he thought he could do the code enforcement officer's job," Reese said.
Griffith's case was simply one of too many secretaries in the office, he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Capin was strongly against Reese's actions, particularly since they were
taken without the knowledge of the solicitor, council or administrator. "Those
positions were budgeted for in the 1994 budget, so finances weren't a
problem," he said. "To me, saving money doesn't mean taking money from one
column and putting it in another. And that's just what he's doing. Those
people were given a day's notice." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 West said she is not under contract with Kingston. "I do any releases that
need to be professionally written or ads that need to be professionally
laid-out, but it's all on a per-project basis," she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The decision to use West's services was all Reese's, he said. He informed
Phillips about it, he said, but the decision didn't have to be cleared by the
council. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Former Mayor Frank Sorochak said news releases were handled by the Kingston
administrator when he was in office, not by an outside public relations firm. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 West's firm handles a variety of clients, including the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation, Akzo Salt, Pocono Design Systems and Mercy
Hospital, Wilkes-Barre, but doesn't do work for any other municipalities, she
said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I've never done it before, either. But it is my business," she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kingston also gets a reduced rate for West's services. She didn't want to
give specific numbers, but did say what she charges "doesn't even cover my
time in the meeting." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 West, who is a friend of Reese's, said she also does work for Reese's
advisory committees, such as the recreation center committee, free of charge.
Some of what she does includes putting together reports for meetings, doing
the minutes and reporting on committees' progress for the media. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I can't do everything pro bono, but I do what I can to help Kingston," she
said.

Reese Defends Use Of Press Agent On Snow Plan Officials Don't Share The Mayor's Reasoning That New Releases Need To Be Professionally Done