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TODAY’S
The Times Leader timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE, PA
THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2011
SIGNING ON FOR A NEW HOME SEASON
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F E D E R A L B U D G E T B AT T L E
President targets debt, GOP
President’s plan seeks to cut $4 trillion by cutting spending and raising taxes. By DAVID ESPO AP Special Correspondent
PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER
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cranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees center fielder Justin Maxwell takes a few moments to sign autographs for fans at Wednesday’s home opener at PNC Field in Moosic. The home schedule didn’t start off too well, as the Yankees’ bats were silenced by the Buffalo Bisons in a 4-0 loss. For the story, see Page 1B.
Moon Lake Park plan needs public input What people want from the facility and how much it would cost to provide it to be decided. By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES jandes@timesleader.com
DON CAREY FILE PHOTO/THE TIMES LEADER
Moon Lake Park closed in January 2010 due to the county’s money problems, but the facility reopened with scaled-back amenities that March.
cility reopened with scaled-back amenities that March. The public is permitted to use the park for hiking, biking, fishing and other activities, though camping and swimming remain off limits. Commissioners have unsuccessfully tried to find a private entity to operate the park at no cost to the county. Commissioners said during Wednesday’s work session that they want to hire Sasaki Associates, of Watertown, Mass., to complete the master plan for $80,000. Sasaki designed improvements to the county’s River Common park along the Susque-
What would you like to see happen at Luzerne County-owned Moon Lake Park in Plymouth Township? The public will soon be asked that question as part of a new master plan being prepared to determine the park’s future path and how much it will cost to get there. The 650-acre park had closed in January 2010 because of the county’s money problems, but the fa- See MOON, Page 6A
Workers in two Luzerne County unions will receive a combined $72,542 in payments to settle outstanding grievances, commissioners disclosed during Wednesday’s work session. Grievances are complaints filed by a union on behalf of employees alleging that the employer has violated terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
WEATHER Ryan Brennan Sunny. High 63. Low 34. Details, Page 12B
An award of $22,000 will be made to close out a grievance regarding on-call pay in the county Public Defender’s Office. Workers in that Russin union filed a grievance early last year after it was publicly disclosed that former Chief Public Defender Basil Russin had been receiving $495-per-week on-call sti-
09815 10011
AP: Gas permits rubber stamped By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press
Local 401’s Pat Connors, who represents these employees. “It will be paid to the workers that we negotiated the on-call pay for who See GRIEVANCES, Page 6A
See PERMITS, Page 12A
I F YO U G O Luzerne County Commissioners will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the commissioners’ meeting room at the county courthouse in Wilkes-Barre.
23-year-old Exeter mayor featured in Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine Cassandra Coleman was 1 of 6 women across U.S. chosen for outstanding accomplishments. By ANDREW M. SEDER aseder@timesleader.com
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pends without approval of the County Salary Board. The salary board had to authorize payments above Russin’s $52,178 salary, and county officials said only union workers are allowed to receive on-call pay as part of their collectivebargaining agreements. Russin, who was not part of the union, repaid the money and later resigned. The $22,000 will be split equally among the county’s unionized assistant public defenders, said Teamsters
See OBAMA, Page 9A
ALLENTOWN — Pennsylvania environmental regulators say they spend as little as 35 minutes reviewing each of the thousands of applications for natural gas well permits they get each year from drillers intent on tapping the state’s lucrative and vast Marcellus Shale reserves. And the regulators say they do not give any additional scrutiny to requests to drill near high-quality streams and rivers even though the waterways are protected by state and federal law. Staffers in the state Department of Environmental Protection testified behind closed doors last
Workers in 2 county unions awarded $72K for grievances By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES jandes@timesleader.com
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama coupled a call for $4 trillion in long-term deficit reductions with a blistering attack on Republican plans for taxes, Medicare and Medicaid on Wednesday, laying down markers for a roiling debate in Congress and the 2012 presidential campaign to come. Obama said spending cuts and higher taxes alike must be part of any deficit-reduction plan, including an end to Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy. He proposed an un- “We have specified “debt failsafe” that would go into effect if Congress to live failed to make sure the national within our debt would be falling by 2014 relative to the size of the overall econ- means …” omy. President “We have to live within our Obama means, reduce our deficit and get back on a path that will allow us to pay down our debt,” the president said in a speech at George Washington University a few blocks from the White House. “And we have to do it in a way that protects the recovery, and protects the investments we need to grow, create jobs and win the future.” Obama’s speech was salted with calls for bipartisanship, but it also bristled with attacks on Republicans. They want to “end Medicare as we know it,” he said, and to extend tax cuts for the wealthy while
If there were a “Young Mayors of America” magazine, it would likely spotlight Cassandra Coleman. But since there isn’t, a feature in the May issue of Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine will have to suffice. The 23-year-old mayor of Exeter appears on pages 206 and 207 of the magazine that is on news-
of a large picstands now. She “I’m proud of what ture of the 2010 was chosen as one King’s College of six women from I’ve accomplished. I graduate sitting across the country see different things in an antique to be featured in an car with her article called “Love in my future that I name and title the age you are.” still have on my toon the door. She The article focused do list.” participated in a on women who Cassandra Coleman four-hour interhave made remarkaExeter mayor view with the ble achievements at story’s author in various ages. January and For Coleman, the experience “was an opportunity then on Feb. 17 took part in a dayof a lifetime and something I’ll long photo shoot that included PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WEEKENDER multiple outfits, a stylist never forget.” The short profile of Coleman Exeter Mayor Cassandra Coleman participates in a February phothat the magazine did is to the left See COLEMAN, Page 12A to shoot for the May edition of Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine.