Wednesday, April 21, 2004
Arbor Day Idiots or Mayor Proclaims Thursday as Arbor Day
National Arbor Day Foundation
The shining example of Hazleton (that’s a joke folks), Mayor Lou has decided in his ‘wisdom’ to declare tomorrow, Thursday, April 22 as Hazleton’s Arbor Day! Hoo-rah! What I mean to say, is ‘What an idiot!’ Arbor Day is celebrated individually by all fifty states at different times from January to May of every year. At least Hazleton could get it together just once and celebrate according to Pennsylvanian tradition, which places Arbor Day on the last Friday of the month of April. So why is Mayor Lou (no relation to Chef Lou, well maybe) bumping it ahead of schedule by a week and a day? Is it to make Hazleton show once again how ‘special’ a place it is? I’d call it Special Ed, but that’s really an insult to those handicapped in that respect. Idiots! Hazleton is a town of idiots (*see Institute Bulletin poll)! Oh and by the way, the Shade Tree Commish is planting a tree at memorial park. I believe that’s in memory of all the trees we DON’T have around here anymore! So for Arbor Day (Friday, April 30th)this year, why not ignore the morons of Hazleton and celebrate Arbor Day most properly by planting a tree no matter what the day (after all the powers-that-be aren’t holding themselves to any traditional schedule). Yes, plant a tree or even just tend to one; clean it up, feed it plant food or give it a bed of mulch (Duu…plants like mulch!).
Earth Day
This Thursday, April 22 is actually Earth Day. Well, no it’s not that either. But everyone celebrates it generally on this day. Ya know, these holidays are getting even more confusing and contradictory then anything we do at the Institute! Anyway, evidently Earth Day was first celebrated in San Francisco on March 21, 1970. However, I think the Druids have been celebrating the Earth for a lot longer then that (and the trees too!). It was started by a fellow named John McConnell now recognized as the Founder of Earth Day, to celebrate and care for the world (we only got one!). It was placed at the March Equinox in order to signify nature’s special day of equilibrium? I dunno. The only practical point that I found in my research is not to disregard April 22nd as an Earth Day celebration and try to better the environment and appreciate nature more so, but that everyday should be Earth Day and that everyday we should try to honor our birth world. Don’t toss trash out yer car window, try to recycle, plant a tree (especially on HazleArborI-Ty Day!). If everyone helps out we live in a cleaner healthier world, not just for one day a year, but everyday! And whatever a Rain Stick is sounds like a waste of time. So don’t bother
*NOTE: Most of the editorial comment on Hazleton Pravda is the sole opinion of Gom ‘Mr. Editor’ Beggar and sometimes may be at odds with Institute policies
Other Earth Day Links:
Wilderness Society
Earth Day Grocery Project
EPA Earth Day Message
National Arbor Day Foundation
The shining example of Hazleton (that’s a joke folks), Mayor Lou has decided in his ‘wisdom’ to declare tomorrow, Thursday, April 22 as Hazleton’s Arbor Day! Hoo-rah! What I mean to say, is ‘What an idiot!’ Arbor Day is celebrated individually by all fifty states at different times from January to May of every year. At least Hazleton could get it together just once and celebrate according to Pennsylvanian tradition, which places Arbor Day on the last Friday of the month of April. So why is Mayor Lou (no relation to Chef Lou, well maybe) bumping it ahead of schedule by a week and a day? Is it to make Hazleton show once again how ‘special’ a place it is? I’d call it Special Ed, but that’s really an insult to those handicapped in that respect. Idiots! Hazleton is a town of idiots (*see Institute Bulletin poll)! Oh and by the way, the Shade Tree Commish is planting a tree at memorial park. I believe that’s in memory of all the trees we DON’T have around here anymore! So for Arbor Day (Friday, April 30th)this year, why not ignore the morons of Hazleton and celebrate Arbor Day most properly by planting a tree no matter what the day (after all the powers-that-be aren’t holding themselves to any traditional schedule). Yes, plant a tree or even just tend to one; clean it up, feed it plant food or give it a bed of mulch (Duu…plants like mulch!).
Earth Day
This Thursday, April 22 is actually Earth Day. Well, no it’s not that either. But everyone celebrates it generally on this day. Ya know, these holidays are getting even more confusing and contradictory then anything we do at the Institute! Anyway, evidently Earth Day was first celebrated in San Francisco on March 21, 1970. However, I think the Druids have been celebrating the Earth for a lot longer then that (and the trees too!). It was started by a fellow named John McConnell now recognized as the Founder of Earth Day, to celebrate and care for the world (we only got one!). It was placed at the March Equinox in order to signify nature’s special day of equilibrium? I dunno. The only practical point that I found in my research is not to disregard April 22nd as an Earth Day celebration and try to better the environment and appreciate nature more so, but that everyday should be Earth Day and that everyday we should try to honor our birth world. Don’t toss trash out yer car window, try to recycle, plant a tree (especially on HazleArborI-Ty Day!). If everyone helps out we live in a cleaner healthier world, not just for one day a year, but everyday! And whatever a Rain Stick is sounds like a waste of time. So don’t bother
*NOTE: Most of the editorial comment on Hazleton Pravda is the sole opinion of Gom ‘Mr. Editor’ Beggar and sometimes may be at odds with Institute policies
Other Earth Day Links:
Wilderness Society
Earth Day Grocery Project
EPA Earth Day Message
UPDATE: We at Hazleton Pravda have notice a substantial amount of our traffic has been in conjunction with BizNet Productions and the SCAMS they are trying to hit people with. We hope that our warning that any BizNet Productions are discovered to be scams and pyramid schemes is reaching people and helping them to better secure their time and money in REAL products or operations of legitimate natures. After all, any company or business that mandates its sales representatives and scam pushers NOT to tell you what the company or business is about is just a little underhanded, just a little. If I can’t tell you what I’m selling over the phone or outside one of these meetings then what is it that I’m hiding?
Brush Fire in Stockton
Well, the police and fire authorities claim that an 8 acre fire was started by spark from an illegal campsite fire. I can’t say for sure. If that is the case then it must be stated that one MUST be more responsible especially when making campfires in the woods. Use your heads people. If yer sitting around a fire drinking beer then you know perfectly well that you have an almost inexhaustible fire hose in yer pants. Now, remember: NEVER piss into the wind when putting out a fire cuz that just really smells bad! However, all that aside, the damn fire was probably caused by somebody irresponsibly (note this word again!) tossing a cigarette butt into some brush along the roadside because their ashtray was too full to accommodate that one last stub of a cancer stick! Either way, don’t burn down the woods people. This dump of a town looks bad enough already!
Split Rock: a Time Share Scam
Keeping in the flavor of scam ranting, I thought I’d mention something about the time shares set up at the Split Rock Lodge up in the Poconos. The place was pretty much a dump anyway, but at least at one time you could go rent a villa or a room and party for a weekend or on your vacation, whatever. No more. A place that has very little to offer in the first place (tiny ski slopes, miniscule golf course, drunken snobs in buzzing around the place in golf carts, etc.). However, now you can’t even stay at the place even if you’d care to. It’s all time shares all the time. Evidently the place went under and pulled a chapter 13 just one too many times before being bought out by some scamming time share company. We at Hazleton Pravda had the luxury of sitting in on one of these time share scams a few months back.
They really didn’t have too much to offer except to get a person in the door and signed up with a contractual obligation that just isn’t equitable for the restrictive nature of their contract and policies. This all comes down to people in this area not having any money
Brush Fire in Stockton
Well, the police and fire authorities claim that an 8 acre fire was started by spark from an illegal campsite fire. I can’t say for sure. If that is the case then it must be stated that one MUST be more responsible especially when making campfires in the woods. Use your heads people. If yer sitting around a fire drinking beer then you know perfectly well that you have an almost inexhaustible fire hose in yer pants. Now, remember: NEVER piss into the wind when putting out a fire cuz that just really smells bad! However, all that aside, the damn fire was probably caused by somebody irresponsibly (note this word again!) tossing a cigarette butt into some brush along the roadside because their ashtray was too full to accommodate that one last stub of a cancer stick! Either way, don’t burn down the woods people. This dump of a town looks bad enough already!
Split Rock: a Time Share Scam
Keeping in the flavor of scam ranting, I thought I’d mention something about the time shares set up at the Split Rock Lodge up in the Poconos. The place was pretty much a dump anyway, but at least at one time you could go rent a villa or a room and party for a weekend or on your vacation, whatever. No more. A place that has very little to offer in the first place (tiny ski slopes, miniscule golf course, drunken snobs in buzzing around the place in golf carts, etc.). However, now you can’t even stay at the place even if you’d care to. It’s all time shares all the time. Evidently the place went under and pulled a chapter 13 just one too many times before being bought out by some scamming time share company. We at Hazleton Pravda had the luxury of sitting in on one of these time share scams a few months back.
They really didn’t have too much to offer except to get a person in the door and signed up with a contractual obligation that just isn’t equitable for the restrictive nature of their contract and policies. This all comes down to people in this area not having any money
Monday, April 19, 2004
Saturday:First Day of Fishing
Area residents came out in droves to fish overstocked waterways this weekend. Sport in North East PA fashion! Might as well fish at your local grocery store in the Freezer section for Vandekamps!
Explosion at the Hazleton Sewer Cuts Power
Duu…Momma, I brokes da toilet…and the whole sewer too!
Proposal to Mine What’s Left of Hazleton
Happy days! They wanna mine more of Stockton out. *singing*…And they’re taking all the coal from the ground here in Hazle-town!
NOTE: Hazleton Pravda is looking for information about the fellow from a real newspaper (one from out of town, of course) who visited Hazleton a while back. The man spent like one day here and summed the GREATER HAZLETON AREA up for his publication as the dump it is. And Louie Barletta was all uptight about this guy…for telling the TRUTH, that Hazleton is a dump. Any information concerning this reporter and the publication of his article would be greatly appreciated. Please, E-mail Gom “Mr. Editor” beggar at the email link below on this page. Thanks!
Area residents came out in droves to fish overstocked waterways this weekend. Sport in North East PA fashion! Might as well fish at your local grocery store in the Freezer section for Vandekamps!
Explosion at the Hazleton Sewer Cuts Power
Duu…Momma, I brokes da toilet…and the whole sewer too!
Proposal to Mine What’s Left of Hazleton
Happy days! They wanna mine more of Stockton out. *singing*…And they’re taking all the coal from the ground here in Hazle-town!
NOTE: Hazleton Pravda is looking for information about the fellow from a real newspaper (one from out of town, of course) who visited Hazleton a while back. The man spent like one day here and summed the GREATER HAZLETON AREA up for his publication as the dump it is. And Louie Barletta was all uptight about this guy…for telling the TRUTH, that Hazleton is a dump. Any information concerning this reporter and the publication of his article would be greatly appreciated. Please, E-mail Gom “Mr. Editor” beggar at the email link below on this page. Thanks!
The Greater Hazleton Health Alliance Makes Plans
Well, it’s no secret that medical care as an institution in Hazleton has a reputation of being poor and disreputable. The medical centers are outdated and outmoded, and the Health Care is notably poor quality. So it is good to see that plans are being made to upgrade and flesh out our local hospitals, however, this should have been done twenty years ago or better! But so far it sounds like they’re just making cuts across the board. Save, save, save that’s the Hazleton way! Yeah, the way to cut our throats a little deeper!
Nurse Shortage Not a Problem
See above! Of course, we don’t need nurses. We have interns who have half the qualifications of RNs if they’re lucky…But look! We can pay them on the cheap! Better minds for a better Hazleton! No benefits either! Disgusting!
KOZ/KOEZ Under Investigation
It comes as no great surprise to me that the KOZ/KOEZ program (Keystone Opportunities Zones) is under investigation to see if the moneys and tax breaks are being handled properly by the middlemen involved in supposed urban renewal projects. It is even less of a surprise that the Fabulous Markle Building in down town Hazleton is a huge recipient of KOZ/KOEZ funds and exemptions.
Todd Eachus is heading the investigation because he claims that the moneys and the paths they travel are very difficult to keep track of and that the answers these middlemen that are handling the funds are giving vague, unspecific answers and accountability. ‘You really can’t get good data on whether KOZ is working efficiently,’ said Eachus. I suspect the money is going the usual routes of Hazleton filling undeserved pockets with kickback money, while drawing huge salaries for doing nothing but dragging feet soft-soaping. If this KOZ worked properly it would encourage businesses to come to the GREATER HAZLETON AREA *great thunderous orchestral music* promising these prospective businesses tax free status and other stick and carrot treats. I’m all for rebuilding the downtown area of Hazleton and urban renewal. That is what the downtown needs so very desperately, but when it gets done the Hazleton way with everyone’s hands in the till grabbing for whatever they can get, well, I just don’t hold much hope for it working out. And even then it would only keep the wolf away from the door for a year more years. Hazleton is dead. That’s why the people who can move away do so.
Mr. Eachus…Good luck to you in your search. I hope you’re really concerned about finding if there are misappropriated funds or dishonest data materials. Eachus is also supporting an economic stimulus package. In theory another good urban renewal plan. Cross yer fingers everybody!
The Fabulous MARKLE BUILDING
Ya know there’s a LOT of history to that cornerstone of the downtown area. At least that’s what I was told. I couldn’t find anything worth going on about. Oh, just like the wonderful Altamont, all these places have such a rich and fantastic history even going back just a few decades. Bullshit! The Markle building was a bank that was put together by the affluent people of this area like Ario Pardee and George Bushar Markle for the sole purpose of aiding them in their financial fleecing of this area, and also because the nearest bank for them to use was eighteen miles away in Mauck Chunk (Jim Thorpe, today). All these places were set up for the convenience of the rich and been held onto for years vacant and run down by those wanna be rich Hazleton bigwigs (boneheads) trying to keep this town in check and under thumb waiting to get some fantastic amount of money for these old buildings. These current bigwigs wanna get in on the past glory of the Pardees and the Markles and just fleece and skim like their heroes did years ago. Well, the bigger idiot theory must be working cuz they’re finally starting to move these ancient places. Federal funds and tax breaks don’t hurt much either. Hazleton powers-that-be are just cheap and corrupt, but I digress.
The point I’m making is that this rich and wonderful area as remembered by the walking dead of Hazleton (the ancient shadows of people that just refuse to lay down and die already!) is some kind of fantasy of theirs. This town was never much of anything but a coal mine full of coal crackers and their masters (now its factory slaves and their masters. Same deal different hats!). There’s nothing to look back fondly at. The Markle building was run into the ground. This urban renewal funding has been used to practically gut the entire building out and start over. It probably would have been cheaper just to knock the damn thing down and start fresh. But Hazleton wants to hang onto its glory. Well, we’ll see. As I’ve said I’m all for reinvigorating the downtown of Hazleton, but to hell with this crap about the glorious past of these buildings!
Well, it’s no secret that medical care as an institution in Hazleton has a reputation of being poor and disreputable. The medical centers are outdated and outmoded, and the Health Care is notably poor quality. So it is good to see that plans are being made to upgrade and flesh out our local hospitals, however, this should have been done twenty years ago or better! But so far it sounds like they’re just making cuts across the board. Save, save, save that’s the Hazleton way! Yeah, the way to cut our throats a little deeper!
Nurse Shortage Not a Problem
See above! Of course, we don’t need nurses. We have interns who have half the qualifications of RNs if they’re lucky…But look! We can pay them on the cheap! Better minds for a better Hazleton! No benefits either! Disgusting!
KOZ/KOEZ Under Investigation
It comes as no great surprise to me that the KOZ/KOEZ program (Keystone Opportunities Zones) is under investigation to see if the moneys and tax breaks are being handled properly by the middlemen involved in supposed urban renewal projects. It is even less of a surprise that the Fabulous Markle Building in down town Hazleton is a huge recipient of KOZ/KOEZ funds and exemptions.
Todd Eachus is heading the investigation because he claims that the moneys and the paths they travel are very difficult to keep track of and that the answers these middlemen that are handling the funds are giving vague, unspecific answers and accountability. ‘You really can’t get good data on whether KOZ is working efficiently,’ said Eachus. I suspect the money is going the usual routes of Hazleton filling undeserved pockets with kickback money, while drawing huge salaries for doing nothing but dragging feet soft-soaping. If this KOZ worked properly it would encourage businesses to come to the GREATER HAZLETON AREA *great thunderous orchestral music* promising these prospective businesses tax free status and other stick and carrot treats. I’m all for rebuilding the downtown area of Hazleton and urban renewal. That is what the downtown needs so very desperately, but when it gets done the Hazleton way with everyone’s hands in the till grabbing for whatever they can get, well, I just don’t hold much hope for it working out. And even then it would only keep the wolf away from the door for a year more years. Hazleton is dead. That’s why the people who can move away do so.
Mr. Eachus…Good luck to you in your search. I hope you’re really concerned about finding if there are misappropriated funds or dishonest data materials. Eachus is also supporting an economic stimulus package. In theory another good urban renewal plan. Cross yer fingers everybody!
The Fabulous MARKLE BUILDING
Ya know there’s a LOT of history to that cornerstone of the downtown area. At least that’s what I was told. I couldn’t find anything worth going on about. Oh, just like the wonderful Altamont, all these places have such a rich and fantastic history even going back just a few decades. Bullshit! The Markle building was a bank that was put together by the affluent people of this area like Ario Pardee and George Bushar Markle for the sole purpose of aiding them in their financial fleecing of this area, and also because the nearest bank for them to use was eighteen miles away in Mauck Chunk (Jim Thorpe, today). All these places were set up for the convenience of the rich and been held onto for years vacant and run down by those wanna be rich Hazleton bigwigs (boneheads) trying to keep this town in check and under thumb waiting to get some fantastic amount of money for these old buildings. These current bigwigs wanna get in on the past glory of the Pardees and the Markles and just fleece and skim like their heroes did years ago. Well, the bigger idiot theory must be working cuz they’re finally starting to move these ancient places. Federal funds and tax breaks don’t hurt much either. Hazleton powers-that-be are just cheap and corrupt, but I digress.
The point I’m making is that this rich and wonderful area as remembered by the walking dead of Hazleton (the ancient shadows of people that just refuse to lay down and die already!) is some kind of fantasy of theirs. This town was never much of anything but a coal mine full of coal crackers and their masters (now its factory slaves and their masters. Same deal different hats!). There’s nothing to look back fondly at. The Markle building was run into the ground. This urban renewal funding has been used to practically gut the entire building out and start over. It probably would have been cheaper just to knock the damn thing down and start fresh. But Hazleton wants to hang onto its glory. Well, we’ll see. As I’ve said I’m all for reinvigorating the downtown of Hazleton, but to hell with this crap about the glorious past of these buildings!
