`cleansing' Of Surplus Is Dirty Deal 
Over In Bosnia They Used Bullets To ``cleanse'' The Nation. In Washington, 
D.c., The Gingrich-dole Machine Is Trying To Use Medical Cuts To Cleanse Us Of 
The Poor And Helpless.

Agolino's Restaurant 
Times Leader/don Carey 
Clams Casino Are Listed As The Chef's Special Appetizer At Agolino's On 
Luzerne Avenue In West Pittston 
Where: Luzerne Avenue, West Pittston 
Atmosphere: Neighborhood Restaurant 
Menu: Italian

By JERRY LYNOTT; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Saturday, January 20, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





WILKES-BARRE -- As creeks and streams recede, the Susquehanna River is
expected to rise and come within 1 foot of the top of the levee that protects
Wilkes-Barre and much of the Wyoming Valley, say Luzerne County Emergency
Management Agency workers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The National Weather Service in Binghamton, N.Y., on Friday issued a flood
warning for the Susquehanna River from Towanda to Danville. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The river reached 26.7 feet in Wilkes-Barre at 10:34 p.m. Friday. Flood
stage is 22 feet. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The river is expected to crest at 35-36 feet Saturday afternoon. The height
of the Wilkes-Barre levee height is 37 feet. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We're projecting this is going to be a major event," said Dave Nicosia, a
meteorologist at the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center in State College. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The projected crest would be the second highest since the river level of
40.91 feet during the Agnes flood of June 1972. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In 1975, the river reached 35 feet. In April 1993, the river rose to a
height of 29.88 feet. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If the predictions come true, the river will have risen nearly 30 feet in
the 36-hour period beginning Friday morning. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 River-watchers blamed the rising waters on a combination of rain and rapid
snowmelt. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Last week, two snowfalls dumped 30 inches on the Wyoming Valley. By the end
of Friday, 2 to 3 inches of rain and record warm temperatures melted most of
the snow. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "They've all done their business and are going down to streams and rivers,"
Nicosia said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Low-lying areas and those areas unprotected by levees will be inundated as
they have been in the past each time the river has swelled. EMA Director Jim
Siracuse said Shickshinny, West Pittston and the Harding area are expected to
see flooding. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Siracuse said the rain and warm weather are the main problems because there
is no heavy snow pack near the headwaters of the river in upstate New York. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, closed the gates on a
number of flood control projects in New York state and in Pennsylvania to stem
the flow into feeders of the Susquehanna River. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But Siracuse said creeks and streams in Luzerne County were still draining
into the Susquehanna on Friday night to relieve flooding on the tributaries. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Corps activated its Emergency Operations Center to monitor the flooding
conditions during the next 48 hours. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lower temperatures moving into the area will slow the rise of the river
because the runoff will freeze, Siracuse said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But those temperatures might come a day too late. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "If it had snowed and the temperature was lower we wouldn't have had this
problem," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

36-foot River Crest Expected Tonight