Sunday, October 30, 2005

Inflatable dam in Wilkes-Barre


The inflatable dam in W-B is in the news again. When I first heard about it my first reaction was this sounds like pie in the sky. After reading up on the project, it still does.

When I was a kid I went fishing between the the Market St. and Pierce St. bridges. We would throw our lines out and reel in sucker after sucker with an occasional carp. We didn't even use bait, not much has changed. The last time I was near the river it smelled like a sewer. From what I understand, when it rains the storm water runoff overwhelms the treatment plants because they are tied to the same drainage systems. Some action has been taken to isolate the systems but it will take a long time and much money. I remember seeing these orange things in the water and a buddy explained they were "Jimmy Floaters."

The Jimmy Floaters are a result of sewage mixing with mine water and the rest of the poison in the river. I think congressman Kanjorski should at least be credited with trying to come up with an idea to improve things. But a river has to flow and building a dam is not a viable option.

When I wrote about his opponent in the upcoming election who's main criticism was the dam, Joe Leonardi the Republican candidate made it a centerpiece of his campaign. It's probably a minor issue for most people but the cleaning up the river is important to all of us.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

His Holiness agrees with Gort--the ID project is a bust. There are many projects revolving around the river that completly baffle your Holy Pontiff. The Waterfront Park in Pittston at first seems very good until you fathom in the obvious fact that several times a year the river floods the area--one need not have summoned the Army Corps of Engineers to figure this
out. Also, the illuminated Water Street Bridge which, despite His Holiness' cynical nature--looked positively impressive--that is until the first flood following the lighting's installation--which
blew out the power box. There is no funding for the repairs {a very high cost, but I do not have the exact figures} so the bridge has returned to its "dark" days. Who was the idiot that decided to install the power box in an area which every Pittstonian knows will flood several times yearly? Finally, there is the Multi-Million Dollar Condo project that will be erected riverside; highest $$ value purchase/rental 200,000--lowest 80,000. No one from Pittston will be living here--and if you had that kind of money--why would you want to live there? Take a walk riverside near Cooper's restaurant in the peak of the Summer--it smells like a Roto Rooter COnvention! Sorry to be ranting so long, but His Holiness' final point is that we should do all we can to clean the Susquehanna up in a realistic fashion. Good Luck Pittston and GOd speed Luzerne County!