At first glance, one could be cynical and think there is no way they can survive here.  However, after walking around Tractor Supply for about an hour (and waiting for another half  hour to check out) I realized that the people who were there, were not just buying the specials, but actually shopping for things needed.  Things they would have had to drive to Scranton or Binghamton in many cases to get. 

Although the merchandise is different, it sort of reminded me of when we had an Ames Store about a mile up the road (now it’s Price Chopper for all you flatlanders).  People came from all over the county to shop there.  Did they have the best quality, price or selection?  Absolutely not.  But I can tell you this, the population here was absolutely loyal to “our Ames store”.  In fact, it stayed open long after most others had closed.  Sales were so good, they brought in merchandise from other stores during the store closing sale to keep “our Ames” open.  Yes, the corporate management of the company failed, but certainly not from a lack of support here!  I see this level of support at Tractor Supply. 

The other evening, I was away from home at dinner time and found myself in the Great Bend area.  I was pondering the choices of Dobbs, McDonalds, Arbys and Burger King, feeling sorry for myself and wondering whether or not I should stop at Reddons for a dose of Lipitor, when a lightbulb went on.  I remember seeing the full page ads for the Golden China Buffet and thought this would be something completely different.  Yes, there are several Chinese restaurants in Susquehanna County; and yes I have tried them all over the years with great success, but they are mostly set up for take out, not staying and relaxing.  This was completely different.  It is a real restaurant! I didn’t do a formal seat count, but I bet they have seating for 75 or more.  Oh yes, the buffet had a good selection of  food and the price was reasonable.  Worth a trip there. 

Both businesses have friendly staff who actually are happy to see you come in.  Let’s support these new additions to our county which have made our quality of life here a little better.

One sad note, for those who like authentic Mexican food.  Mamasita’s Mexican Restaurant in Lenox Plaza (Lenox at PA 92 & PA 106 at I-81 Exit 211) is open, but only Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  A sign in the window says “for sale”.  I asked why.  I learned that it certainly is not from a lack of business.  Go  there any of the three days they are open and you will see  what I mean.  That place has really excellent food.  People come from Scranton, Binghamton and beyond to eat there.  One word of caution, it is definitely NOT a fast food restaurant.  Great staff there who enjoy what they do!  Everything is home made.  The drive and the wait are worth your time.  Actually, I hope they don’t sell.  It will be difficult for someone else to duplicate the food and the atmosphere.  Get there while you can!

Anyway, all three businesses deserve your support.  They are people who have made a business decision to invest in Susquehanna County.  When you go there, or any local merchant that does business here, please take the time to thank them for investing themselves here.

One last comment.  None of these businesses were brought here by our great Economic Development arm (Central Bradford Progress Authority.  They all made their own business decisions and invested in Susquehanna County on their own, and at no taxpayer expense.

No, I wasn’t paid, bribed, coerced, given free food or merchandise or anything else to write any of this.  I just like to give credit where it is due.

Quiet Muslim-Only Town in N.Y. Founded by Alleged Terrorist

Note the dateline - Hancock, NY 

Here is the URL

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,510218,00.html

The story also has a video. 

Check out the location on GoogleEarth

Also on the front page of the foxnews.com website is this story

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/23/fusion-centers-expand-criteria-identify-militia-members/

So, the following thoughts and questions come to mind here… What is going on?  It seems what is or was accepted or acceptable is being turned upside down at an ever increasing rate. 

So, are we unAmerican if we question what is going on in Islamberg, NY, but (or and) are we unAmerican if we subscribe to any of these thoughts in the second story? 

To be absolutely clear, this writer is accusing no one of anything improper in the community of Islamberg, NY.  But could you be considered to be a member of a militia if you support (ed) Ron Paul in the past election for example? Isn’t this awfully close to a double standard for our government?

What is happening to Free Speech (and with it Free thought).  If one didn’t know any better, one could assume that it is only for non judeo-christian types.  Or, if it isn’t politically correct, don’t think it or say it.

Not going to happen here.  How about you?  I love the First Amendment, Don’t you?

On the first page, the headline grabbed me: Can Rural Drinking Water be Protected from Gas Drilling.  Here is the link:

 http://74.95.82.236:591/rconline/FMPro?-db=rconline.fp5&-format=record%5fdetail.html&-lay=detail&-sortfield=currentrecordid&-sortorder=descend&TopStory=Y&ArticleStatus=Current&-max=20&-recid=12610889&-find=

George Turner, a certified geologist, who is interviewed for the story, indicates that you can’t stop the drilling around you, but you can protect yourself legally by getting an independent party to take a water sample to a certified lab. 

The importance of this is to maintain the “chain of custody”.  This means that the water sample can be documented to have been taken at a specific location and transported via a third (independent) party to a certified lab for testing. 

Once this is done, you have a record of what the water quality was on your property as of that day. 

So, that being said, what about the water tests which were taken by the homeowner and sent off for testing.  The first question which will be raised if there is a problem will be ” Can you prove where this sample came from?”  Unless you have a disinterested third party taking the test and conveying it to a certified lab, you don’t have much to work with. 

Good article.  It ’s worth the read.

************

The second article is entitled “Gas Boom Could Bring Wave of Philanthropy”.   It is not available on the web currently, but it is an interesting read as well. 

Here the author of the article explores a few of the limitless possibilities of what people could do in the area by combining a portion of their natural gas revenues for the betterment of the community.  Of course, since the paper is based in Wyalusing, the areas mentioned are located primarily in Bradford County, but there are some which are pretty much universal.

Two well written articles which are worth the time and the $1.15 if you want the actual paper.

Your thoughts

The first is the “Gas Task Force” was still being considered and looked at by the executive director of the Central Bradford Progress Authority.  The membership was to be disclosed later in the month.  If anyone gets this information, please post it here as a reply.  One taxpayer noted there didn’t seem to be a sense of urgency. 

The second item, which occurred during the public comment portion of the meeting was a question raised by the sametaxpayer who wanted to know who was going to get stuck with the Railroad Authority’s legal bill?  Commissioner Warren replied that she didn’t know.   - Maybe it will just go away, right MaryAnn?

No information was given from the commissioners why they were not helping the Authority in securing a transload facility or with passenger service.  - It’s not going away, MaryAnn. 

Elections are getting closer every day.  Let’s hope the electorate is more awake this time…

Your thoughts.

Actually, as has been discussed here earlier, a delay in the switch to digital will only prolong the situation, rather than fix it.  Most who needed to have purchased converters or have HDTVs.  There are a number of folks in these hills (actually the valleys) who will not be able to receive the new signal period due to the terrain of NorthEastern Pennsylvania.  Eventually, there may be translators (repeater towers of TV signals) erected where needed, but this will be years out. 

In the mean time, you can still watch WNEP.  If you still didn’t upgrade, don’t wait.  As noted by WNEP, they are broadcasting an analog signal “until further notice”.

Are any Binghamton stations still broadcasting an analog signal?

The Scranton Times-Tribune had an article in the February 16th edition entitled Gas Well Lessors Weigh Environmental Cost.  Here is the link:  http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/articles/2009/02/16/news/sc_times_trib.20090216.a.pg1.tt16dimock_s1.2296976_top3.txt

 Do you feel the DEP and other State agencies, Federal agencies (EPA) and the like, along with our local agencies are doing enough to reasonably inform us about and protect us from these operations?   

If so, please explain.   If not, please explain.

There are many on both sides of the issue.  Let’s start talking.

In other parts of our nation we have seen real estate prices fall 20 - 40%  in some cases and large layoffs.  Retailers are struggling to stay in business, while some others, such as Circuit City, have thrown in the towel.  US automobile manufacturers are fighting for their existence. 

It has been said that a significant number of small dealerships will wind up closing.  Locally, Tom Kerr’s Chevrolet dealership in Montrose recently closed after 26 years (which is a sad event to be sure).   

Aside from that, are we (in Susquehanna County only) seeing the same effects as are occurring in other parts of the country? 

To this writer, things seem to be a little slower than they were a few months ago.  But is that to do with the time of year as much as anything else?  If you ask a server in a local restaurant, you will probably be told that things are slow.  When pressed a little farther, you may hear that things seem to be a little slower than last year at this time, but not much. 

People are still buying groceries, gas and the staples which are sold in Susquehanna County.  To be sure, probably not many tractors or skid loaders are being sold at Pickerings, or new cars at Montrose Motors, Hornbecks, Simmons-Rockwell or any of the other remaining new car or implement dealers here.  But, if you ask them or repair garages if they have slowed down, most of them will tell you they are still doing “all right”. 

The economy in Susquehanna County, as has been discussed here in many previous posts, has not been strong in a long time.  We haven’t had a lot of retail in this county in years.  Until 25 years ago, you could still buy a suit or dress in several stores around the county, but that has all gone away.  We just don’t have a lot of retail here. 

The obvious exception in the past 25 or so years was the Ames store in Montose.  Not a fashion mecca, but always had something you needed, it was well supported and reportedly made money until the day it closed due to the parent company’s failure. 

Since that time, many county residents have lamented Ames closing.  Personally, this writer never liked the selection in the store, but it did fill a purpose - and it did provide significant employment (by Susquehanna County Standards).  Maybe the new Tractor Supply, when it finally opens will fill some of that retail void.

Over the past two recessions - the early 80’s and early 90’s, most businesses here survived.  In the early 90’s with the end of the Cold War, defense based industries, such as those in Binghamton, suffered terribly, causing about a 20% drop in real estate values in the Northern half of Susquehanna County, along with significant job losses. 

The difference this time, at least in the forseeable future, is that we may not see that type of impact.  Many of the  jobs that were lost in the early 90’s were good paying, skilled labor positions - which have never been replaced.  To be sure, a number of service industry and entry level positions exist where they didn’t 20 years ago, but meaningful employment has not really come back for the Susquehanna County resident who works in the Binghamton area.

For the most part, the same is true for our Southern Susquehanna County Residents working in the Scranton area, although things seem to be a little better there.

In any event, over the next six months or a year, unless something cataclysmic occurs in the world (and don’t rule that out completely), life will continue here, generally as we have seen it in the past - at least through the past two recessions.   Our moribund way of life will most likely continue significantly unchanged.  In this uncertain world around us - is that entirely bad?

To be sure, this writer and most who read this will agree that it is a real shame that Tom Kerr closed his business and his employees will suffer.  But let’s remember that history repeats itself.  Do you remember when there was Smith, Cleveland and Smith, a Ford dealer, Bevans, a GM dealer and Wescott (later KL & Sptiler), an Oldsmobile dealer - all in the Susquehanna area.  They were victims of the 1980’s recession. 

Have we seen the worst of it?  Who knows?  All this writer knows is that the residents of Susquehanna County are survivors.  No matter what is thrown at us, we will pick ourselves up and carry on.  We always have and we always will that’s one thing you can take to the bank.

Back to the original question.  Has the recession affected you personally?  Let’s talk about it here.

A case in point is WNEP TV, the ABC affiliate in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market.  A couple of days ago, WNEP announced they would be holding to the original termination date of February 17th, ending analog broadcasting.  Now for many, those who have a new HDTV, a dish or cable or those who live in the Northern portions of Susquehanna County it may not make a difference. 

However, there are a fair number of people who, for one reason or another, have not purchased a new HDTV or do not have cable or a dish and do care about the continued reception of WNEP.  Why, you ask?   

Simply put, WNEP is the most watched TV station in Northeastern, PA.  One of their account executives recently told me that the CBS and NBC affiliates (WYOU and WBRE) combined do not have the viewership of WNEP.  Traditionally, WNEP has covered news, sports and other events in Susquehanna County with greater regularity than either or both of the other two previously mentioned.  In short, this facility is generally thought of  as a staple of information in Susquehanna County. 

Unfortunately, those who haven’t upgraded their TV set yet, or have purchased a converter box (with or without a government issued coupon) will be watching static on Channel 16 after Tuesday. 

For those who like WYOU and WBRE (Channels 22 & 28), don’t feel left out, they just announced they will not be transmitting an analog signal after Tuesday as well.

If you watch WBNG (Channel 12) from Binghamton in analog, you will probably see the same thing after February 17th - static.

So, what you need to do, if you haven’t already, is to get a converter box (about $50) or a new HDTV for a whole lot more, or get a dish or subscribe to cable.

One other note on over the air, digital broadcasting, if you are down in a valley, or behind a hill (much of Susquehanna County), the converter with rabbit ears (UHF & VHF) may not do it.  For those folks, the only option may be a dish or cable.

If you choose to do nothing - that is what you will be viewing after Tuesday - nothing. 

If you think this only applies to a few here, you are wrong.  Many can’t afford a new TV  or can’t get a coupon for a converter box.  For some, they may not even be able to find a store in Susquehanna County who sells converter boxes.  Run out to Wal*Mart you say?  Great idea.  And while you are there, maybe you should pick up an extra to give to your neighbor who can’t afford one or can’t drive to get one.

In the end, the switch to Digital Television is a good thing.  Let’s be good neighbors and make sure no one left gets left in the dark.

Your thoughts?

The letter, reproduced here is a request for an annual carloading report to be delivered on or before April 15.  This seems as if it is a reasonable request if you don’t know anything about the history of this matter. 

pyers-letter-to-sharp.tif

There are a couple of problems with this request.  The Bureau of Rail Freight was completely aware of the fact that there was no project where the SCRA obtained any funding from that agency.  In fact, if there had been a project …  Instead of all that, please read the response that Sharp, now a private citizen drafted to Ms. Pyers. 

sharp-letter-to-pyers-at-railfreight-2-2-2009-pdf.pdf

So, in the end, the Authority still has $50.38 in their treasury.  They still have good members with good ideas.  They still have the plans for a project which actually makes more sense today than it did originally.

But……… 

They are still dealing with:

A do nothing Susquehanna County economic development board whose members tend to hang on every word issued by the Central Bradford Progress Authority.  Don’t believe it?  Attend a meeting for yourself.  4th Thursday, 10am, 31 Public Avenue, Montrose. 

The Central Bradford Progress Authority is the funded economic development arm of Susquehanna County who talks alot, but also does absolutely nothing. 

Let’s not forget our very own arrogant, non-supportive, condescending county commissioners who won’t even help this Authority with minimal funds to operate, never mind support a project which would help the residents of this county in so many ways. 

And finally, the Commonwealth’s own Bureau of Rail Freight, who doesn’t even remember they told the Authority they didn’t have a project, but still require reports.  Is this bureaucracy at its best or what? 

To steal a few words from ABC News’ John Stossel - “Give Me A Break”.

Your turn.