Genetti Pushes Plan To Restore Historic Wilkes-Barre Train Station

WEST PITTSTON— It was this important to area hotelier Gus Genetti:  He admitted he had donned a suit “for the first time in two weeks” since having open heart surgery.

The cause that spurred him? Saving Wilkes-Barre’s historic New Jersey Central train station.

“This is a gateway to the historic part of Wilkes-Barre,” Genetti told the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority Board at its meeting Tuesday afternoon.

The authority bought the train station and surrounding land, including a strip mall on Market Street near Wilkes-Barre Boulevard, in 2006 using most of a $6.1 million loan from Luzerne County.

Read more:  http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/681056/Genetti-pushes-plan-to-restore-train-station

Wilkes-Barre Resident Bashes Mayor Over Crime

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WILKES-BARRE — Seated alone before city council Tuesday night, Darla Carey spoke for many people concerned about crime in the city.

Her three-minute appearance seemingly overshadowed the other speakers and business council handled during its nearly two hours of meetings, even the call for ending the prayer said after the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of the public sessions.

Carey, of Gates Street, read from a letter, chastising Mayor Tom Leighton for being “self-centered” and “selfish” and abandoning her and others who can’t sit on their porches, go to the store or walk the streets for fear of being robbed or killed.

“I know Wilkes-Barre’s past, but I’m afraid of its future,” said Carey, 53, who said she is a lifelong city resident.  “You should be ashamed of yourself for what the city has become.  Are you that blind when traveling around town how disgraceful it is?”

Read more:  http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/681053/W-B-resident-bashes-mayor-over-crime

2 Firms Eye Reading Regional Airport Hangars

English: Reading Airport, Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Reading Regional Airport has two firms looking at potential hangar sites on the airfield – the newest of them to house corporate jets and the other a huge firm still interested in bringing hundreds of jobs to refurbish airliners.

Both have been looking at the site of the historic Hangar 501, built in World War II and razed in 2008, but also at other sites on the airfield.

And both would benefit from the state’s move last week to eliminate the sales tax on repair and maintenance of fixed-wing aircraft.

Airport manager Terry P. Sroka said that could bring many new jobs to the state.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=493499

Reading School Board Confirms Suspension Of Superintendent

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dr. Carlinda Purcell, superintendent of the Reading School District, wasn’t at work last week.

She wasn’t sick, and she wasn’t enjoying a vacation.

Instead, Purcell was serving a five-day unpaid suspension handed down by the Reading School Board.

The board voted 7-1 on Tuesday night to retroactively approve the suspension, with Robert F. Heebner Jr. voting no.  Yvonne L. Stroman was absent.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=493521