W-b Administrator A Witness For Leighton, Says Source 
Wilkes-barre City Councilman Tom Leighton Hedges When Asked Whether He Has A 
Witness.

Agnes Harvey 
February 3, 1997 
Agnes L. Harvey, 84, Of The Star Hill Rest Home, Beaumont, Where She Was A 
Guest For The Past Year, Formerly Of Noxen, Died Monday At The Home.

Thursday, February 06, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Lesson for downtown Wilkes-Barre: `Heart is where the home is' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I just can't share in the enthusiasm surrounding the ongoing Stegmaier
renovation. Hailed as part of a downtown renaissance, I see it as immaterial
or possibly even a minus in this categorySure, it's great that the old eyesore
will soon be gone, but offices are offices. People migrate to them in the
morning, then depart just as quickly when the workday is done. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Other than Palooka's Diner, McDonald's, and the Market Street Square
complex, I don't see much immediate benefit to local business. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Only time will tell if anyone will venture the distance into Wilkes-Barre
proper for lunch and shopping, especially in the winter. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 More offices and large businesses aren't the catalyst for a rebirth in
Wilkes-Barre. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 To revitalize downtown you must bring back its lifeblood: people. More
specifically, residents. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Federal offices and other pork-propelled projects are largely cosmetic
improvements. If the city continues in this vein, it's vacant nighttime
streets may well default to vandals, prostitutes, drug dealers and gangs, as
has happened in other places. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Years ago the evening streets of downtown Newark, N.J., were bustling with
shoppers, alive with retail business, and safe to walk. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Then came the office invasion. Now after 5 p.m., when occupants of these
once sought-after prizes flee to the suburbs, central Newark becomes a
dangerous ghost town. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Are the seeds of a similar calamity being planted here as well? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 To make a city work you need taxpaying, committed, take-pride-in-the-area
residents. But such people want amenities, something central Wilkes-Barre
doesn't have. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Instead of touting offices, inflatable dams, parking garages and dikes, the
city should be promoting the construction of townhouses, garden apartments,
small parks, and condos. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Instead of heavy equipment centers and earth conservancies, priority should
be placed on renovating and converting properties like the Hotel Sterling. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Panic-inspired dike renovations, which could ultimately create more
problems than are solved, may also consume the natural beauty of the
riverside, arguably one of the biggest people-selling points the city has. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And now Wilkes-Barre is to be a "college town." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Yes, kids have money, but they come and go. They don't pay major taxes --
neither do the autocratic, bloated, colleges and other non-profit institutions
that occupy a good bit of prime real estate. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And have all of our college-town advocates forgotten the perennial spring
and fall complaints about loud parties featuring students vomiting and
urinating in people's yards? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Now, by decree, are these problems to become festivals? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Say what you will. When middle and upper income people move out, cities
die. Bring them back and the area will flourish again, the streets alive with
families, window shoppers and small businesses. These people shop. They spend
money. They won't put up with crime and squalor. Money and security stimulate
retail business, and retail business brings tax revenue for police, fire and
other municipal improvements. All of this will result in a better place to
live. This will attract more people, both residents and shoppers. More people
will spend more money ... &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 You get the picture. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 How to bring this about? Simple. For now there are enough offices in
Wilkes-Barre. Start courting people with disposable income to spark the
longed-for renaissance. Promote development of attractive housing. Gentrify
the place. Keep small shops open later. Police South Main and South Franklin
streets to rid them of the pond scum that gathers there after dark. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Mr. Kanjorski, if you can shake loose the bucks for a dubious regional
equipment center and the renovation of a building that arguably should have
been demolished years ago, you most certainly have the talent to help the city
purchase and renovate decaying buildings. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Mayor McGroarty, get city real estate out of the hands of profiteers who'd
rather see vacancies than moderate their rents to foster long-term occupancy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Encourage local banks to provide low-interest loans so that owners can
convert, upgrade and modernize apartments. Give first year retail businesses a
rent and tax break to locate downtown. Phase it out over a three to five year
period as they become established. Give them an option to purchase and restore
city-owned buildings they locate in. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 To reawaken Wilkes-Barre it will take people. People who are willing to
move in, bring their money and stay. Attract them; improvements will snowball,
and you'll once again see people shopping and strolling Public Square at
night. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wilkes-Barre can become a modern clean, safe, small city, but it needs
middle and upper class residents to succeed. No inflatable dam, no dike
enlargement, Stegmaier renovation or college town theme can accomplish this.
It's time to look beyond low-income housing, offices and large businesses. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wake up, Wilkes-Barre. Your salvation lies in the people you've ignored. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jack Pytleski of Sweet Valley is a field engineer and worldwide consultant
in municipal and industrial water treatment systems. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Lesson For Downtown Wilkes-barre: `heart Is Where The Home Is' 
I Just Can't Share In The Enthusiasm Surrounding The Ongoing Stegmaier 
Renovation. Hailed As Part Of A Downtown Renaissance, I See It As Immaterial 
Or Possibly Even A Minus In This Category.

Lesson For Downtown Wilkes-barre: `heart Is Where The Home Is' I Just Can't Share In The Enthusiasm Surrounding The Ongoing Stegmaier Renovation. Hailed As Part Of A Downtown Renaissance, I See It As Immaterial Or Possibly Even A Minus In This Category.