Woman Killed In 2-car Collision 
Two Men Hospitalized 
Following The Tuesday 
Afternoon Accident On 
U.s. Route 11

Act To Prevent, Treat Frostbite 
Frostbite Is A Very Serious Problem, Which, If Not Handled Properly, Can 
Result In Loss Of Fingers, Toes Or Whole Limbs. The Best Way To Avoid This 
Problem Is To Be Prepared For The Cold.

Tuesday, January 14, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





Gambling fever grips county &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Don't bet the double block on it, but I believe Super Bowl Sunday is
America biggest illegal gambling dayLuzerne County's biggest, too. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; So it's 12 days and counting until hundreds of bookies in hundreds of towns
throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania will be holding down the phones as an
army of bettors young and old call in to try and beat the odds. Last Saturday
was no different as four National Football League teams vied for the top two
spots in the county's sports obsessed heart. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Millions of dollars in pledges likely poured through the telephone wires as
bookies broke the law to satisfy the gambling cravings of many otherwise
supposedly good citizens. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Most people in this community seem to be pro-gambling. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Most people also seem to be pro-bookie, especially untamed male bettors who
respect their bookie(s) more than they respect their wives and kids. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This is why progress regularly bypasses us. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I'm talking real progress -- not plans for a new movie theater or a coal
drop on New Year's Eve or a damn hockey team in a damn arena. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Because too many of our neighbors are too easily satisfied, they exchange
entertainment for achievement. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I'm talking about real growth, such as a real president for Luzerne County
Community College; county commissioners with qualifications other than a
willingness to play footsie with corruption; and public servants who are truly
concerned about education, ethics and justice. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Right now, we lack all of the above. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Until this changes, we are doomed to repeat the dismal failures of our
unfruitful past. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Victory means more than a state championship high school football team. It
means more than a handful of local athletes who make millions in the pros. It
means absolute civic courage rather than the funky public service embraced by
the local status quo. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Illegal gambling's influence pervades every aspect of Luzerne County public
service. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Few people care enough to try and make it stop. More people want it to
continue because one way or another they benefit. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A state senator receives a campaign contribution from an admitted illegal
bookmaker and justifies keeping it. A local lawyer who admits to having been a
bookie rises up the political ladder and eventually lands on the public
payroll. A Pennsylvania Department of Transportation employee from
Wilkes-Barre pleads guilty in federal court to being a bookie. A county
commissioner's voice turns up on state police wiretaps as he places sports
bets. He easily wins re-election twice. A county courthouse worker pleads
guilty to federal gambling charges yet county commissioners refuse to fire him
pending sentencing. The man continues to receive his public service paycheck
and even shares a condo with the betting commissioner so they can attend the
Notre Dame games together. The newest county commissioner and running mate of
the gambling commissioner cowers instead of criticizes, timidly accepting
marching orders from political bosses. Still another county courthouse worker
cops a plea to federal gambling charges. An area state cop runs an illegal
gambling operation. A local district justice and his brother who works at the
courthouse go down in a video poker machine scandal. A state lawmaker from
Nanticoke admits to playing video poker in his home town and accepting payoffs
when he wins. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And they're just the guys I can remember off the top of my head. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Meanwhile, a new wave of illegal video poker payoff investigations is
underway. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bottom line? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Luzerne County loses all the way around. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But, hey, cheer up sports fans, it's almost Super Bowl Sunday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Compared to our gang, Green Bay's "cheese heads" are Einsteins. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Steve Corbett's column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gambling Fever Grips County Don't Bet The Double Block On It, But I Believe Super Bowl Sunday Is America Biggest Illegal Gambling Day.