Woman Charged With Harassment

Agnes Shipp 
January 13, 1997 
Agnes Shipp, Formerly Of Garfield Street, Honey Pot Section Of Nanticoke, Died 
Monday At The Nanticoke Villa, Where She Was A Resident For The Past Three 
Years.

Thursday, January 16, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Private colleges can gain from Penn State expansion &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.'' Remember that maxim, because
on &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tuesday, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania delivery trucks figuratively dumped
lemons outside the wrought iron gates of King's College, College Misericordia
and Wilkes UniversityCan the colleges "make lemonade"? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The answer is yes. It can and must be done. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Tuesday brought great news to Penn State branch campuses in Northeastern
Pennsylvania, but grim tidings to the admin offices at King's, Misericordia
and Wilkes. The good news: State Education Secretary Eugene Hickok approved
the expansion of the branch campuses in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton
from two-year to four-year institutions. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The bad news sprang from the stepped-up competition those campuses will
give to the private colleges. Soon students will be able to earn four-year
degrees at state-school prices, close to home. You bet that threatens the
independents, whose financial health depends heavily on enrollments and
tuition. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The state's move is puzzling -- and disappointing. We wish only the best
for Penn State/Wilkes-Barre, Penn State/Hazleton and Penn State/Worthington
-Scranton. But as the private colleges argued, Pennsylvania's statewide
problem is one of too many college classrooms, not too few. The Penn State
expansion simply will add to that over-capacity, and may threaten the very
survival of some private schools. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Instead, the state should have upped its commitment to higher education by
boosting the financial aid given to Pennsylvania residents. By making private
colleges more affordable would have sent more students their way and used the
state's existing resources more efficiently. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It also would have increased the options of prospective college students.
And isn't it odd that Secretary Hickok, who argues so strongly for giving
"choice" in the form of tuition vouchers to grade- and high-school students,
opts in the case of college students to give money to the state? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But what's done is done. Congratulations to the branch campuses for their
sudden jump in responsiblity and prestige. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And condolences to the private schools -- along with the blunt message,
"Forget mourning; get to work." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In the face of the new competition, there's one and only one way for the
private schools to thrive, we believe. The colleges must grow the market , and
entice a higher percentage of Northeastern Pennsylvania's 750,000 people into
starting or going back to school. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Easier said than done? You bet. But not impossible to do. The colleges have
both economics and demographics on their side, and that's a heck of a one-two
punch. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Economically, the U.S. is in a "historic hiring boom," Time magazine
proclaims on its cover this week. And huge numbers of the new jobs have one
thing in common: They demand a college degree. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Time brands this shift toward knowledge industries a "revolution" in
American social life. And as more and more people wake up to the raw power of
college-level skills and degrees, the future for established schools such as
King's, Wilkes and Misericordia can only glow. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Demographically, on the other hand, the schools may seem at a disadvantage.
Northeastern Pennsylvania boasts an older population than does the rest of the
nation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But at the same time, more and more adults and seniors in America are going
back to school. Our graying population is a huge and untapped market in that
way. Other colleges (such as Oberlin in Ohio) have set up special programs to
cater to older students and ease the college transition for them. We suspect
Northeastern Pennsylvania's institutions won't be far behind. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Here's another worn but not worn-out maxim: "Crisis is the crossroads where
danger and opportunity meet." The Penn State expansion will mean great things
for the branch campuses. It could mean great things for King's, Wilkes and
Misericordia, too, if they stand up to the challenge and grow the market to
meet their needs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Private Colleges Can Gain From Penn State Expansion 
``when Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade.'' Remember That Maxim, Because On 
Tuesday, Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania Delivery Trucks Figuratively Dumped 
Lemons Outside The Wrought Iron Gates Of King's College, College Misericordia 
And Wilkes University.