W-b Lauds Decrease In Crime 
Mayor Mcgroarty And The Head Of The 
Police Union Offer Different Reasons For 
The Turnaround

2 Hurt When Car Spins Out Of Control 
Bear

By SANJAY BHATT; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Thursday, January 09, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1C 





WILKES-BARRE -- On Monday, Meyers senior Wesley Farmer took an opportunity
to tell Mayor Tom McGroarty what improvements the city could make. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The mayor took notes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Were it not for a little bit of gumption, the high school students might be
discussing another paper, another topic that day. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A few weeks ago as part of a writing assignment, Barbara Chamberlain's
class discussed city improvements they considered necessary. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Among them: Converting vacant lots along Wilkes-Barre Boulevard into ball
courts and fields for youth sports, inviting businesses to open movie theaters
and pool halls downtown and adding more lighting and police patrols at night. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 They also questioned the judgment of the city's Neighborhood Impact Team,
which inspects housing for code compliance, and the efficiency of waste
collection and disposal. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The class even discussed solutions. "It was like a simulation," Farmer
said. "We thought, `Why don't we get the real thing here?' " &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So the students wrote business letters, made some phone calls and conducted
a few meetings to set an agenda for their talk with McGroarty. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On Monday, students could not help but laugh and grin as McGroarty jotted
down their concerns and promised some improvements. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bent rims, broken glass and dim lighting at a neighborhood basketball court
annoyed Farmer. McGroarty promised to have the rims fixed by the end of the
month and the lighting installed by April. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Senior Gino Mercadante expressed concern about a lack of safety and
activities for youth in downtown. Twelve new movie theaters will be built in
downtown this year, McGroarty replied. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As for safety at night, the mayor seized the moment to explain his woes
with the police union, with which he is negotiating a new contract. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McGroarty contended that the union did not want to change scheduling so
more police would work the streets at night. "You could sleep in, then go out
at night," Mercadante joked. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "But you don't need them in the day," Farmer said with a sigh. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Students also questioned McGroarty about the Neighborhood Impact Team,
which they saw as unfairly disrupting the lives of residents. One student was
under the impression the team destroyed houses. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The city is going to be sued either way," McGroarty said, because houses
which do not meet code are prone to accidents. "When you clean up housing, you
clean up crime." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As for trash collection, McGroarty showed students with a bit of chalk how
the city loses $1.5 million each year on it. "Just for garbage?" Farmer said
in disbelief. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At the end of class, several students said they were pleased with the
mayor's response to their concerns. "I don't think he gave us the runaround,"
said Mercadante. "He has such a good attitude." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Farmer said other classes could do what his did. "All because you are a
teenager doesn't mean you don't have the power." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER PHOTOS/LEWIS GEYER &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While at Meyers High School on Monday, Mayor Tom McGroarty shows a class
how the city loses $1.5 million a year on municipal trash collection and
disposal. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Meyers senior Wesley Farmer, 19, listens to McGroarty speak in class on
Monday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

When W-b's Mayor, Class Meet, They Both Get An Education 
Students' Invitation Brings 
Mayor Tom Mcgroarty To Meyers High School 
Where He Hears About City's 
Concerns From A Younger Perspective

When W-b's Mayor, Class Meet, They Both Get An Education Students' Invitation Brings Mayor Tom Mcgroarty To Meyers High School Where He Hears About City's Concerns From A Younger Perspective