Every time I sit to blog these days, I get bummed. I start to write, quickly discover that what I'm writing about is depressing, then just stop writing. Bad enough that it brings me down, there's no sense forcing it on others, right?
Sometimes the things that move me to write have me looking for that bus. You know that bus, it's the bus they throw people under, which I consider throwing myself under at times.First, Boscov's is in trouble. Big trouble. Should I care? Yes, sirs and mams, I do care, care on several different levels.
First of all, I like Boscov's. A lot of the suits in my closet came from Boscov's, because Boscov's once had the best selection of respected brand name men's suits in the area at the absolute best prices. I don't want to get into any fru-fru BS about suits, but Boscov's had tons of suits at tons of savings.
Whenever W-B's decline is discussed you can count on at least one voice saying, "If Boscov's ever closes, they might as well turn out the lights, it's over."
Is it that bad? I don't know. With any luck, we won't find out. However, entering Chapter 11 is not a move dripping with optimism. According to "experts," companies that do so have roughly a 15% chance of survival. Plus, the 15% that do survive are often unrecognizable after all is said and done.
Up north a bit, Boscov's is the main anchor tenant of the Steamtown Mall. Even more so, Boscov's was the driving retail force that got that mall built in the first place. There's a lot at stake here, and about all those who care can do, and I mean the consumer, is to continue to shop Boscov's.
Scranton/W-B/Hazleton is one of the fastest dying metro areas in the country. To that I say, BULLDOOGIE. How about you? Are you tired of the endless parade of lists, the ones on which this area is the greatest place to live in the whole wide world? Then the next list gets issued saying we suck beyond description? You can't have it both ways, you can't be the best and the worst at the same time. Look at some other cities on the list. Cleveland? C'mon, Cleveland may be one of America's older cities, but it is a big, prosperous, and bustling city.
Besides, is there really a Scranton/W-B/Hazleton Metro? Uhhh, I doubt it. Scranton and Wilkes-Barre have never snuggled up to one another, so there really ain't much chance that Scranton and Hazleton are about to start going steady in the very near future.
Reassessment. Not that anyone asked, but here's our deal. That new fair market value on our property was way beyond what it should be. Yeah, I know, us and ten thousand (a modest figure) other property owners. We had a certified appraisal done, by a licensed appraiser of course. Armed with that, and photos of unusable portions of our house, like basement and attic, I went and got myself informally reviewed.
The gentleman doing the reviewing was polite, gracious, and helpful. The entire office staff was nothing but nice, they were all wonderful. I left the Reassessment Office somewhat happy. They'd reduced the fair market value of our property to my satisfaction. OK, fine for us, but what about the literally thousands of others who have gotten no such satisfaction?
One county commissioner is now calling for a criminal investigation. Groups are beginning to form and grow and calling for an end to this mess. One group wants to secede from Luzerne County and become part of Wyoming County. I'm also hearing there is a similar movement afoot along the Luzerne/Columbia County line. Is that possible? Hell if I know, but it sure will be interesting to see how such a movement can swell to the point where it becomes a serious possibility. Look, county lines were once drawn, then redrawn, and oftentimes redrawn again. That might have been well over a hundred years ago, but was some law passed prohibiting it from ever occuring again? I somehow don't think so.
Then I hear the word "impractical" tossed around when it comes to trashing the reassessment and all of its new values. It would be "impractical" to even delay, let alone reject, this mess.
Impractical? Impractical for whom?
Is "impractical" excuse enough to justify taxes on countless properties that have tripled, even quadrupled? Regardless of where this goes, when it goes there, or even if it goes there, there is one inescapable reality; the mistakes that have been made are egregious, and the number of mistakes is staggering.
Lawn Length Legislation. Happy to say that Factoryvillians can now let their grass grow to ten inches before the lawn police come by and haul you and your unused mower to the magistrate. Phewwww, it was a close call there. Initially, borough council wanted to codify an ordinance restricting maximum lawn heights to six inches, but a cooler head prevailed and ten inches is now the rule.
Oh, make sure you watch for noxious weeds, they're on the books, too. Noxious weeds are completely verboten. Get caught with some ragweed out back, and you're in deep compost. I'd bet their PD was just tickled about the prospect of going around measuring the guy up the block's fescue or Kentucky Blue.
I figure if all Factoryville has to worry about is your lawn's height, then Factoryville has to be the nicest town in America, one completely free of the problems that plague every other municipality across the nation.
Not that this ordinance is all about maintaining the aesthetic loveliness of Factoryville alone. No, there is the "scary critter" element involved. Why, by golly, there might be a snake or mouse or even a skunk hiding in that grass. Hiding because it's #1 instinct is to survive. Cut that grass. If they want to survice, let 'em survive somewhere else, not in Factoryville. There are roughly 1,400 humans living there. We have no numbers on other mammals or reptiles.
Have you been to Factoryville? Beautiful little town that it is, it's being saddled with a misleading name has been a thorn in the paw of a good many borough residents over the years, many of whom have worked to change the name. So far, no good, it's still Factoryville. The story holds that many years ago some factory or another was supposed to be built there and bring peace, prosperity, truth, beauty, wisdom, and light...in the haste of anticipation, the town became Factoryville. The factory never came, the name has never left.
Below you'll find the weekly report out of Factoryville as it appeared in a Tunkhannock newspaper, Tunkahnnock being the county seat...
Factoryville News8/10/2008
On Tuesday Evening, 8/5/08, after 11 pm, voices were heard coming from the grade school parking area and the Mathewson Park, not too loud, but heard on College Ave. and Thompson St. The next morning, the Staff at the Grade School and walkers in the park were delighted to have to pick up empty Busch and Miller Lite Beer Cans, an empty bottle of Rum, an empty cigarette pack, an empty chip container other unmentionables. There is a borough curfew, laws against littering, smoking and drinking. Why have the laws if they are not carried out. Many have asked where is the security.
All is quiet along the lawn front. God's in his/her heaven, and thy grasses do not exceedeth the limit. Rest thee well.
