W-b Enforcement Of Meters Resumes

Ann Bruno 
January 2, 1998 
Ann Bruno Of Thomas Street, Edwardsville, Died Friday At Wilkes Barre General 
Hospital Shortly After Admission.

Sunday, January 04, 1998 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Out with old tradition; in with consolidation &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Tradition has always been a strong suit in Northeastern Pennsylvania. From
the church bazaar to the ethnic foods we love to the way we make
trick-or-treaters perform for Halloween candyMost traditions smooth the
passage from one generation to the next. They give context, security and
continuity. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But some traditions, those that outlive their appointed time, are just
painful, pointless or wasteful. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Like the binding of women's feet in China. Or India's caste system. Or
military hazing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 One tradition Luzerne County must outgrow, for the good of all its people,
is the patchwork of 75 municipalities into which the county is carved. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With their small and shrinking tax bases and overstretched services, the
smallest of those municipalities- one third have less than 2,000 residents-
have ceased to be economically viable. Many have mostly part-time police
protection. Some have no police at all. Some have deteriorating roads. Others
have difficulties providing trash service, snow removal and fire protection. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That's why it was heartening to hear the positive response of local
officials to Wilkes-Barre Mayor Thomas McGroarty's call for more cooperation,
shared services and, perhaps, outright mergers between local municipalities. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In a Dec. 22 meeting with those officials, McGroarty pointed out that our
fractured political landscape taxes the county's cities as much as it
hamstrings the smallest boroughs. For instance, the city fire department,
because it is the best-equipped, must respond to alarms at big institutions in
small communities, such as the Valley Crest Nursing Home in Plains Township. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But the issue is not one that involves Wilkes-Barre alone. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For instance, imagine the political and economic clout a West Side
community that extended from Plymouth to Forty Fort- the area covered by the
Wyoming Valley West School District. Imagine what a price such an enlarged
community might demand for the tons of recyclables it would produce. Imagine
the savings it would realize when buying everything from dump trucks to road
salt to wood screws. Imagine the taxes that might save yo

Out With Old Tradition; In With Consolidation 
Tradition Has Always Been A Strong Suit In Northeastern Pennsylvania. From The 
Church Bazaar To The Ethnic Foods We Love To The Way We Make Trick-or-treaters 
Perform For Halloween Candy.

Out With Old Tradition; In With Consolidation Tradition Has Always Been A Strong Suit In Northeastern Pennsylvania. From The Church Bazaar To The Ethnic Foods We Love To The Way We Make Trick-or-treaters Perform For Halloween Candy.