Winter Of '94 Brings Feast And Famine For Businesses In Poconos 
It's The Best Skiing, And 
Profits, In Years For Resorts.

2a 
Jenkins Township Board Oks $25,000 Loan 
Tax Collector Thomas Ruskey 
Said The Township Will Begin 
Making Payments On The Loan 
When Tax Revenues Are Receivedin March

By MITCH MORRISON; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Wednesday, February 09, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A QUICK WORDS: AS THAW NEARS, EXPERTS
WATCH THE RIVER 





WILKES-BARRE -- As winter inches toward spring, weather watchers take a
daily trip to the Susquehanna River to monitor its crest. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Four feet on Tuesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But the low level isn't creating a false sense of security. People clearly
remember last year's frequent flooding in low-lying areas: Plainsville
residents riding all-terrain-vehicles across flooded streets to reach their
homes, Shickshinny and Mocanaqua homeowners in rowboats, and other people who
live near creeks searching for higher ground. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "You look at the elderly people and you can see the fear in their faces,"
said State Rep. George Hasay, a Shickshinny Republican who recalled how Canal
Street in his hometown turned into a canal last year and how the neighborhood
Acme market sat on a small peninsula. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Despite the river's present calm, county officials aren't sitting still,
said Jim Siracuse, director of the county's Emergency Management Agency. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So far, the news looks good. The 30-foot crests of last spring seem
unlikely, say officials here and in New York. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Snow upstream in upstate New York has thawed a little, reducing the chances
of a rapid spring thaw sending massive amounts of Binghamton's dissolved snow
to Wyoming Valley. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The river leaves its local banks at 22 feet and floods low-lying
unprotected areas when it reaches 28 feet. Dikes along the river can hold back
the water up to 37 feet. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The threat, said Siracuse, lies in the thaw. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I'm sure there are a lot of people getting nervous because of last month's
snowfall and memories of last year," he said, adding he monitors the river
daily and reviews projected forecasts. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Siracuse said last week's temporary warming helped spill some of the snow's
moisture into the river, reducing the tension of a spring flood. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In Binghamton, where plenty of the 80-inch snowfall remains, National
Weather Services meteorologist Jeff Waldstreicher hopes the mercury
occasionally visits post-freezing temperatures over the next six weeks. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "If the temperature goes to 35 in the day then cools in the evening, it
would create a gradual thawing," Waldstreicher said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Weather watchers say the next six weeks will offer a glimpse of whether a
repeat of last year's mess is likely. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Many residents aren't waiting. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 John Joyce of Joseph J. Joyce Associates Insurance in Pittston said a
"significant" number of Wyoming Valley residents have been ordering flood
insurance in recent weeks. Depending on where you live, insurance may cost as
much as $300 a year for $150,000 coverage for a home and contents. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "You're seeing more insurance companies advertising flood insurance than
you did a few weeks ago," Joyce said.

As Thaw Nears, Experts Watch The River Memories Of High Water And Flooded Streets Revive In Many Communities Along The Susquehanna