Representative Michele Brooks and Senator Bob Robbins Hold Meeting Regarding Lake Wilhelm Marina

Written by Roberta Biros

Representative Michele Brooks and Senator Bob Robbins received a mention in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette this weekend, but the folks in the “big city” don’t seem impressed with our local legislators . . . and they don’t even know them!

The article in the Post Gazette was reported a recent meeting that was held by Representative Michele Brooks regarding the closing of the marina at Goddard State Park. This is an issue that has been 'floating' around my desk for a few weeks now (no boating pun intended), and the Post Gazette story brought the topic to my attention again.

I received an email message a few weeks ago from a concerned citizen regarding the marina at Lake Wilhelm. The docks are empty, and the individual stated concerns about budget cuts causing the closure of State Parks like Lake Wilhelm / Goddard. He asked that I write a story about the problem in an effort to give it some attention. I reviewed the issue briefly, and had full intention of taking a visit to take pictures and report the condition of the marina and park. I also did some research regarding the possible closure issue. My initial findings were that House Democrats have been threatening park closures (offering no specifics) as a response to the Senate Republicans’ proposed budget cuts. I’ve heard many mentions of various "cost cutting threats" and "political games" going on from both sides of the House in an effort to posture for budget negotiations. I’ve been trying to parse out the details and simply haven’t had the time to do the necessary research (after all, this is just a hobby for me and not a vocation . . . I usually leave the research stuff up to The Herald).

Today’s article in the Post Gazette [READ HERE] explains that Representative Michele Brooks held a meeting on May 15th at McKeever Environmental Learning Center in Sandy Lake. The meeting was attended by roughly 50 slip holders, State. Sen. Bob Robbins, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) officials and a representative of the governor's northwest office. The article stated that Representative Brooks held the forum in order for slip holders to “blow off steam”. In this statement, the author (John Hayes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) implies that maybe the meeting didn’t have much of a valuable purpose (or outcome).

The article went on to explain that the marina is vacant for the 2009 season because the marina lease agreement had not been renewed. The previous lease holder claims that he was “forced out”, and the DCNR insists that the former lease holder chose to not renew the lease and no one bid on a new contract. The article closed with a less than stellar impression of the final outcome. In the words of the Post Gazette, “The meeting ended without resolution, with politicians promising to take boaters complaints to Harrisburg.”

Hmmm. I suppose the folks at the Post Gazette expected more from our "politicians" other than promises?

As a side note, it is unfortunate that no email notice was sent out regarding the May 15th meeting. Had more people known about the gathering (newspapers, bloggers, etc.), the issue may have received more coverage . . . but then again, maybe that was the idea.

BLOG POST UPDATE:

Like clockwork, The Herald followed our story with some additional details. CLICK HERE to read more.
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Take Me Out to the Ball Game (Again)

Written by Roberta Biros

(NOTE: if you drive by and see my yard cut in the pattern displayed to the right, you'll understand my inspiration)

We made it to another Pittsburgh Pirate baseball game today. This was our third game this year. After the success of our first two games (both wins for the Pirates), we had high expectations. Unfortunately, it seems that we set ourselves up for disappointment. Today’s game was the Pirates vs. the Houston Astros. It couldn’t have started out any better. Nate McLouth was the lead batter and started the bottom of the first inning with a home run. It was all pretty uneventful after that. The Pirates lost the game 2 to 1.

Win or lose, you can’t beat the fun of a baseball game. Travel from central Mercer County took only a little over an hour and fifteen minutes from our front door to the parking garage on 6th Avenue (a mere $5.00 parking for events). It left us plenty of time for a leisurely stroll over the Clemente Bridge to PNC Park. If you are looking for bargain tickets, you can check out deals on Ebay. We did. We got today’s tickets for about $6.50 including shipping for two seats from a reputable Ebay vendor. We were in an upper section of PNC Park, but I promise you that there are absolutely no bad seats in this stadium. It is an entertaining and inexpensive day if you are looking for good family fun. Total cost for the day including tickets, parking, cotton candy (for me), and a soft pretzel (for my husband) was less than 20 bucks. Ball park rules allow you to carry in sealed bottles of water and snacks if you are visiting on a budget. Bottles of water are a must as drinks purchased at the park require a small mortgage. Vendors outside of the park sell ice cold bottles of water for $1, so be sure to pick one up before you go in so that you can save your money for much needed nachos, wings, or good ol' Cracker Jack.

If you haven’t made it to a game lately, you need do so. The baseball game itself is fun, but the other “activities” make the day very entertaining. The Pierogi Race (pictured below) is always a crowd favorite. Non-Pittsburghers may not get the whole “pierogi” thing, but the hometown crowd loves it. My husband enjoys watching them shoot free hot dogs from shoulder-mounted artillery launchers, and I like the t-shirt shoot where souvenir t-shirts are “sling shotted” into the crowd (also pictured below). It all makes for a fun time for the whole family.

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PAGovWatch.com: Promoting Good Government in Pennsylvania

Written by Roberta Biros

PAGovWatch.com is now up and running!

My loyal readers know that I’ve been writing under Mercer County Conservatives for a while now. My focus has primarily been political and governmental issues specifically related to Mercer County PA. I’ve found that my interests and activities have begun to far outreach the borders of Mercer County, and I thought a new site might be appropriate. I will still continue to follow and publish information specific to Mercer County, and that information will continue to be posted under the Mercer Conservatives website. I will, however, also begin to expand my political activism across the Commonwealth. It is my intention to focus on lawmakers and legislation, and I will provide details and opinions about both.

In addition to my original content, I will also be posting updates and announcements from Pennsylvania Legislators as well as links to articles and other blogs that I find interesting and on-point. If you have a post (or a link to a post) that you would like published regarding Pennsylvania Government, Lawmakers, or Legislation, email me and I’ll post the information on your behalf. I am also currently accepting requests from other contributors who would like to post content of a similar nature on a regular or semi-regular basis. If you are interested in keeping the heat on our State Lawmakers and you'd like to be part of the PAGovWatch team, please email me.

Come and take a look at PAGovWatch.com . . . or even better . . . follow me on twitter or subscribe to an RSS feed (available from the upper right hand corner of the main screen) to view our latest updates automatically.

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Rep. Mark Longietti Opposed to I-80 Tolls

LEGISLATOR ANNOUNCEMENT

As you may have read in media reports, the issue of tolls on Interstate 80 has resurfaced recently. Let me assure you, I will continue to fight against any attempt to toll the highway.

A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story quoted Gov. Edward Rendell stating that he told state Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler that resubmitting the application to toll I-80 to the Federal Highway Administration would be a "waste of time" and a "waste of his energy." I agree.
[read Rep. Longietti's full statement HERE]

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Let’s Just Skip the Election Process and Let Judges and the Governor Appoint Government Officials

Written by Roberta Biros

The 2009 Primary Elections in Mercer County, Pennsylvania were not particularly exciting. In Countywide races, ALL candidates ran unopposed on their own tickets, and most ran unopposed on BOTH tickets. The results of Primary voting in countywide races determined three candidates that will run completely unopposed in November (County Controller, Jury Commissioner-D, and Jury Commissioner-R). Only one race will carry over to the November General Election . . . that being the race for County Treasurer.

This year in Mercer County we also had the delight of selecting candidates for three Magisterial Districts in our fine County. In races for District Judge, candidates had the ability to run on both Primary tickets. In most cases, they did. When the final votes were counted, the winners from the Democratic ticket and the Republican ticket in each district were the SAME candidate in all three races. In essence (and at this point), the candidates will all be running against themselves in the November General Election (District 35-2-01 Judge: Dennis Songer (D) vs. Dennis Songer (R); District 35-3-02 Judge: Neil McEwin (D) vs. Neil McEwin (R); and District 35-3-03 Judge: Brian Arthur (D) vs. Brian Arthur (R)].

[you can read a complete summary of the 2009 Primary for Mercer County HERE]

It is true that the results of the election were unexciting, and it leaves the prospect of turnout for General Election to be drastically low. However, the election process “is what it is”. It is an established procedure that is clearly outlined and enforced to ensure “a fair election process”. There are specific rules in place for “running for office” [read the document provided by the State of Pennsylvania HERE], and there is an Election Calendar that is followed to the letter by the Elections Bureau [read the full calendar as published by the State of Pennsylvania HERE]. These standards were put in place to guarantee a fair and open election process.

It seems that those in power in Mercer County feel that the election process simply isn’t important any more. According to an article in The Herald this morning [READ HERE], Mercer County President Judge Francis Fornelli wants to just skip the legal election process in Mercer County and jump ahead by simply appointing the District Judges (since they have apparently “already won” their elections). The Herald states “Fornelli has been in touch with our county’s state representatives and the county chairmen of both the Republican and Democratic parties. Fornelli is hopeful they can help push Rendell to make the appointments and lighten the heavy load on our area.”

Well then . . . why don’t we just call the election now in ALL of the races? The District Judges have already APPARENTLY won their races . . . the Controller and Jury Commissioners are running unopposed . . . and the incumbent Treasurer figures that she has this one in the bag too. Why not just let Governor Rendell call ALL of the races now and skip the “unnecessary” semantics and “worthless” gyrations and effort of a General Election completely!

Why not? Allow me to explain . . . because it isn’t for the Governor to appoint “elected officials”. That is the job of the VOTERS. According to the established procedures for elections, the “game isn’t over until the fat lady sings” . . . and I’m NOT SINGIN’! If you look closely at the election rules and calendar, there is a process in place where candidates are determined for the Republican and Democratic tickets through the Primary Election, but the FINAL decision is made in November during the General Election. Between the time of the Primary and the General Elections, changes can be made, candidates can change (through withdrawals and party appointments), and INDEPENDENT candidates have the opportunity to enter the fray. It is not until August 3rd (of this election year) that Independent candidates file their nomination papers. It is not until August 10th that candidates that don’t wish to run in November are required to withdraw their names from the General Election Ballot. It is not until September 14th (of this election year) that political parties can name replacement nominees. It is not until September 17th (of this election year) that objections can be filed against nomination certificates. Most importantly . . . it is not until November 3rd that the VOTERS get to cast their final ballots to determine who the winners of each of the races will be.

At the point that a judge (in this case, Judge Francis Fornelli) feels that it is proper and legal to circumvent the elections process and simply allow the Governor to appoint “elected officials” without the final vote and approval of the citizenry, “We the People” are no longer in charge. The last I checked, “We the People” are the ones who make that decision . . . not a judge . . . and certainly not a Governor!

I find the suggestion of such an act to be a slap in the face of the VOTERS in this County. If you are similarly concerned, voice your opinion. Don’t allow leaders in Harrisburg to appoint our “elected officials”. Comments and complaints can be forwarded to any and all of the following:

Hon. Robert D. Robbins
337 Capitol Building
Senate Box 203050
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3050
(717) 787-1322Email: rrobbins@pasen.gov

Hon. Michele Brooks
153B East Wing
PO Box 202017
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2017
(717) 783-5008
Fax: (717) 705-1948Email: mbrooks@pahousegop.com

Hon. Mark Longietti
103 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202007
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2007
(717) 772-4035
Fax: (717) 780-4785Email: MLongietti@pahouse.net

Hon. Richard R. Stevenson
155B East Wing
PO Box 202008
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2008
(717) 783-6438
Fax: (717) 705-1949
Email: rstevens@pahousegop.com

The Honorable Judge Francis J. Fornelli
President Judge
Mercer County Courthouse
North Diamond Street
Mercer, PA 16137
(724)-662-3800 ext. 2521
Fax (724)-662-7524

Governor Edward G. Rendell's Office
225 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120
Phone: (717) 787-2500
Fax: (717) 772-8284

Mercer County Voter Registration and Election Bureau
Jeffrey W. Greenburg, Director
5 Mercer County Courthouse
Mercer, PA 16137
Telephone (724) 662-3800 or (724) 962-5711
FAX (724) 662-1530
jgreenburg@mcc.co.mercer.pa.us

If you have not read the comments regarding this post, please do so HERE . . . and be sure to join in on the conversation.

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Representative Michele Brooks Addresses Questions from Constituents

Written by Roberta Biros

There are plenty of polarizing political figures in Mercer County (present company included), but none are more so than Representative Michele Brooks. The simple mention of her name causes violent reactions from Democrats and Republicans alike (or perhaps I should clarify and say ‘ALL Democrats and SOME Republicans alike’).

I give her credit for being a very hard worker, and I’ve been accused of giving her too much credit when she didn’t deserve it. Unfortunately, though, Representative Brooks has the uncanny ability to alienate and offend some of her most fervent supporters. I know this from talking to voters across the County, and I’ve experienced it personally. Any one that has received a ‘scolding from an angry Michele Brooks’ knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Regardless of your personal opinions of Rep. Brooks, she has managed to win her position in the State Legislature twice . . . and by a very notable margin in the last election (11/08). Some might say that it is because she has never been challenged by a half-decent candidate, but Representative Brooks will tell you that it is because she is good at what she does. I figure that the truth is somewhere in the middle.

There were two town hall meetings on Rep. Brooks’ schedule this week. The first was set for Wednesday, May 27, at the North Shenango Municipal Building, Linn Road, Espyville, and the second for Thursday, May 28, at St. Paul’s Keifer Building, at 341 East Jamestown Road in Greenville. Both meetings were scheduled to run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

I found it interesting that with the sprawling size and layout of the 17th District, Representative Brooks chose to hold both town hall meetings in the northwest corner of her district (focusing on northwest Mercer County and southwest Crawford County). Her detractors would argue that she prefers to hold public meetings in or near her comfort zone because she is afraid of a poor reception elsewhere, and I wonder if there might be some truth to that suggestion (read my Closing Comments for an illustration). The locations in Espyville and Greenville are less than 18 miles apart (with her hometown of Jamestown smack in the middle), and yet the 17th District stretches over 50 miles from north to south and over 30 miles from east to west. Her choice of locations seem uninviting to folks from northern Lawrence or southern Mercer Counties, but both locations were convenient enough for me to make the trip to document the meeting.

I chose to attend the Wednesday, May 27th meeting, which was scheduled to begin at 6pm. I made the 28 mile trip in roughly 40 minutes (during a torrential downpour), but I was still late and missed the first few minutes of the meeting. While I could have easily asked Representative Brooks tons of my own questions regarding the budget, current legislation, and economic issues, I decided that I would simply observe and document the interests and concerns of typical constituents and ‘friendly neighbors’. There were about 20 people in attendance, and below is a brief summary of the question topics:

• State Budget
• Funds Availability for Community Groups and Facilities
• Casino Gambling
• Video Poker Gaming
• The Distribution of Lotto Funds
• The Property Tax Relief Fund
• Feeding of Fish at the Linesville Spillway
• Graduation Assessment Testing
• Property Tax and Rent Rebates
• Welfare Reform
• PA Agricultural Caucus
• Gun Control
• Tolling of I-80
• Stimulus Funds
• Rate Caps on Electric Providers

Below is a more detailed overview of some of the more interesting topics:

Casino Gambling / Video Poker / PA Lottery

The question was asked if additional casinos might be considered across the state (going as far as to have a casino in each County).

Representative Brooks pointed out that the original plan allowed for a limited number of casinos (13 or 14 licenses). It was her feeling that there should be a pause and review of the existing casinos before any thought of expanding should be considered.

Rep. Brooks is concerned that “promises that were originally made with gambling haven’t been fulfilled yet”. “I have a problem with the way that this thing was sold. They should have been honest with their expectations so that people would have confidence in what they were being told. Has anyone’s taxes really been eliminated or lowered like they promised?”

On the issue of legalizing video poker, Representative Brooks pointed out that there would be an initial cost of approximately $25 million just to get it up and running. In the meantime, “kids think they can go to college for almost nothing and it isn’t going to deliver what was anticipated.”

When asked “does that mean that you don’t support the expansion of gambling”, Representative Brooks answered “I’m for an honest conversation about what expansion of gambling means. It hasn’t been proposed yet. You were promised property tax elimination . . . have you seen that yet?” She continued “There are legal concerns about the licenses right now. There needs to be an open and honest dialog.”

Regarding the lottery fund, Representative Brooks pointed out that when the fund was created it was supposed to be for senior citizen programs, but there were eventually changes in how senior programs and budgets were funded. She stated “if you are going to create a program and base it on a promise, you need to stick with what you promise”

[you can read more about Casino Gambling and Video Poker HERE]

Graduation Assessment Tests

Representative Brooks brought up the issue of Graduation Assessment Tests. She stated that language was added in last year’s budget to prohibit the administration from spending money on these tests, but with the previous budget ending at the end of June that language will expire. Anticipated costs for the tests are roughly $201 million. It is Representative Brooks’ opinion that the tests “won’t help our children achieve more”. She stated that the test is taken in 11th grade, when it is generally too late to correct a problem if one exists. She pointed out that “the money would be much better spent in elementary testing rather that at the 11th grade level”. She added “shouldn’t the help start sooner?”. Rep. Brooks further argued that testing at the 11th grade level may actual discourage students and actually be the cause of more high school drop outs prior to graduation.

Representative Brooks was asked if these tests might result in teachers simply gearing their teaching of students based on the end result of passing the test. Ms. Brooks responded that a test should not be the focus of teaching. Instead the focus should be a “well rounded, life learning student that can apply practical solutions to difficult problems.”

Property Tax and Rent Rebate

Representative Brooks discussed legislation that she sponsored which would create a moratorium on Property Tax/Rent Rebate eligibility. The legislation would allow senior citizens who have received a small Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) this year to remain eligible for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program.

[you can read more about this issue on Representative Brooks site HERE]

Welfare Reform Legislation

Representative Brooks discussed legislation that recently passed the House (but not the Senate) that includes a “statute preventing liquor stores from accepting the electronic welfare payment cards”.

[you can read more about the legislation (HB 74) HERE]

Representative Michele Brooks also discussed legislation from last year that was passed in the House but was eventually stalled in the Senate regarding the addition of photo identification on welfare health care cards. The legislation was intended to prevent fraud in the system where welfare recipients were passing around their welfare card and ineligible individuals were receiving fraudulent services. Representative Brooks labeled the legislation as “a commonsense approach to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars”.

Those in attendance were disappointed that a good piece of legislation didn’t get passed and they asked what could be done about it. Representative Brooks pointed out that there are a number of pieces of legislation that simply die in committee each year.

[read more in our article titled “So Much Legislation, So Little Time” regarding the amount of legislation that expires in committee on a typical legislative calendar year]

Gun Control

On the issue of gun control, Representative Brooks pointed out that Philadelphia recently wanted to pass its own gun control laws. She stressed that “we as a state won’t permit that . . . each community having different laws . . . how do you as a citizen know what the laws are”. She expressed her belief that laws need to be uniform. She added that courts have ruled on the side of Pennsylvania on the issue, but Philadelphia is repealing the decision.

Tolling on I-80

The issue of the possible tolling of I-80 was brought up by an attendee of the meeting. Representative Brooks stated that last year a “strongly worded letter” was sent to the Federal Government from a dozen concerned Pennsylvania legislators to the Federal Government asking that the Federal Highway Administration NOT approve the tolling application. She stated that the letter pointed out that the issue was being “railroaded through”, and we need help from the Federal level to stop it.

An attendee of the meeting asked “What does it cost to fix the road (referring to I-80) each year? Would the tolling of THAT road pay for the maintenance to fix and repair THAT road? What is left would be money for our OTHER roads, right?

Representative Brooks pointed out that the tolling of I-80 would not simply charge out of state trucks and traffic to travel our roads. Instead, “much of the traffic is OUR goods and services.” She stated that one local company estimated that the tolling of I-80 would increase their transportation costs $50,000 to $70,000 annually, and those costs will eventually increase general costs for goods and services across the state. Another local business (specializing in bus tours) estimated that the tolling of I-80 could cost the company an “extra million dollars” annually.

Ms. Brooks explained that the original House floor discussion regarding the tolling of I-80 was focused on mass transportation. It eventually turned into an issue of roads and bridges. That point was important in the State’s application being denied by the Federal Highway Administration. Rep. Brooks stated “the application was denied because they were using the money for things that they weren’t supposed to be using it for.”

Rep. Brooks also mentioned that standards for toll roads are different than those for non-toll roads, and if I-80 is eventually tolled, there will be costs associated with converting the road to toll road standards. She also clarified that the gas tax was originally supposed to go toward roads and bridges, but it was not used as it was originally planned.

Representative Brooks feels that this approach is “reacting to the crisis instead of trying to prevent the crisis and be proactive”, and she labels the current problems with the roads and bridges as a “self-imposed crisis”. “We didn’t need to be in this situation with roads and bridges. If they had spent the money originally as intended, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

An attendee asked “roads and bridges have been in bad condition for 25 years . . . if you don’t support the tolling of I-80, what are we going to do to fix the problem?”

To explain her stand against the tolling of I-80, Rep. Brooks commented that “if you neglect your house for 30 years, and you don’t maintain it, can you afford to fix the problems overnight? You’re going to need to prioritize the needs and you shouldn’t further collapse the people that are paying for this (the taxpayers). You should put a reasonable plan in place to pay for that.”

Representative Brooks took time to explain that another important issue that is often overlooked is the fact that much of the traffic that would generally travel on I-80 will be diverted to non-tolled roads in our area and across the State. She stated “the unintended consequences of that is that our roads and bridges (that can handle occasional heavy truck traffic) can’t take it. Our small communities will be hurt by that.”

[read our MANY articles regarding the tolling of I-80 HERE]

Stimulus Funds

Representative Brooks pointed out that “billions of dollars of taxpayer money will be coming out of the stimulus funds”. Unfortunately some of the most severe projects will not be addressed because there is a 120 day timeline associated with the Stimulus Funds (and the most important projects don’t fall within that timeline).

Rate Caps for Electric Providers

An attendee asked for more information about the rate caps on electric providers. Rep. Brooks explained that the rate caps on Penn Power had already been removed and customers have already experienced an increase in their monthly bills in a range of 10% to 30%. She expressed that “this is a prime example of not planning for the future and pushing through a piece of legislation without understanding and taking into consideration the consequences.” She explained that the cap was originally intended to be in place for 10 years. “After ten years wouldn’t it be logical to control the rate increases of these companies. When they drafted the legislation, they should have included a phase-in of the rate increases, but they didn’t preplan.” She further stressed that “phase-ins on increases should have been considered when the legislation was drafted.”

When asked “would you support rate caps again?”, Representative Brooks explained that she (along with Representatives Longietti and Stevenson) “looked at ways that we can put them back on”, but the efforts were unsuccessful. “This happened 10 years ago and now we are picking up the pieces. We’ve had the discussion regarding putting caps back on, but not sure whether it could even be done legislatively.”

My Summary and Closing Comments

The meeting was interesting, and the attendees had valid questions. It was clear, however, that Representative Brooks selected a very ‘friendly’ area to hold her meeting. At one point one gentleman made an off-hand comment that “we need to keep an eye on the people in Harrisburg”, and he was immediately told “she said that most of these things happened before she even got to Harrisburg . . . don’t be negative toward her because it isn’t her fault”. The room was obviously filled with friendly backers, and that made for rather ‘soft’ questions and little conflict. It sort of made me laugh and think back to a question and answer session that I had a few months ago. My crowd was ‘not so friendly’, and the questions were much more challenging. Representative Brooks carried herself very well, but I’d be curious to see how she would handle pressure from less supportive attendees.

In general, the town hall meeting format is a great way for regular people to get to ask questions and get informed. The range of topics was wide, and the subject matter was pretty detailed considering the limited time constraints.

Representative Brooks will have her second such meeting this evening in Greenville. If you are interested in “what is going on in Harrisburg”, I would urge you to attend.

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Conneaut Lake Park: A Shell of Its Former Self

Written by Roberta Biros

Conneaut Lake Park opened its gates for business during the Memorial Day Weekend this year for the first time in almost two years. Back in the day, Conneaut Lake Park was a gem of a place nestled away in rural Crawford County that attracted folks from near and far. My husband has memories of his visits with his family in the 70’s, and he and I continued that tradition when we visited regularly in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Unfortunately, Conneaut Lake Park has suffered one financial set back after another since then, and it is struggling to keep its head above water.

In mid-April it was announced that Conneaut would be opening for the Memorial Day Weekend of 2009. The press release explained,

"Although 90 percent of the Park’s rides will be in operation, the Blue Streak, the wooden roller coaster, will not be open until at least next year. This ride has been idle for two years and needs repairs, but plans are to have it operational as soon as possible, but probably not before toward the end of the 2010 season. "

We marked our calendar and looked forward to the re-opening of the Park. We made the short drive on Saturday, May 23rd, and I wanted to share our experiences with you.

Saturday, May 23rd was expected to be a busy day at the park. There were various events planned including a car show, live music, and a volleyball tournament. We arrived at the park just before 1pm. The outside and main entrance of the park looked great. Parking was available at the main gate for a steep $5.00 per car fee.



Once inside, we found several rides and concession stands that were brought in by an outside company, but many of the original Conneaut attractions and booths were not in operation. On the up side, many of the old favorites were up and running. The carousel, Kiddieland, and the Devil’s Den were fully operational, and they arranged for added attractions like a stagecoach to be on hand for private rides through the park.









Most disappointing, though, was that the midway was shut down and abandoned. I found it amazing that they even allowed foot traffic through the area as it was obviously not the shining star that it once was. All of the booths were closed and locked, yellow caution tape and orange construction netting was an obvious warning of the sad state of affairs.









One you cleared the midway area, things started to look up. The Hotel Conneaut has undergone much work and was looking good. The porch of the Hotel Conneaut was the most popular destination for ‘old folks’ like us.





The Beach Club was in full swing . . . inside and out. Unfortunately, the owners were obviously unprepared for the crowds and it took between 60 and 90 minutes to get served. It was worth the wait, though, as we were able to enjoy our window side seats with a full view of the lake and boating activities.





The boardwalk is set to receive major updates this year. The structure is being replaced with composite decking, and the construction was obviously underway. They are being careful to keep the boardwalk fully operational during the process, though.



In an effort to fund the project, the park has started the Board by Board Project. Donors are asked for donations ranging from $100 to $4000 to upgrade the boardwalk area. At the $100 donation level, donors receive a laser engraved message on a composite decking board in the project. Several of the donated boards are already on display.



If you are interested in the Board by Board Project, you can call 1-800-332-2338 for more information.

While Conneaut Lake Park isn’t anything like ‘the good ol’ days’, it was still a fun day out. With spectacular views of Conneaut Lake and old-fashioned charm, a visit to Conneaut Lake Park is still like stepping back in time. I’m hopeful that the trustees are able to organize a plan with some long-term goals that will provide the park with hope for the future. It would be a shame to see Conneaut Lake Park slide off the map like so many other small amusement parks around Pennsylvania.

Can We Stop the Tolling of I-80 Through the U.S. Congress?

Tony Phyrillas brings up a great point regarding Federal interest in stoping the tolling of federal highways in his piece titled 'Freedom from Tolls Act' introduced in Congress

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Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to Reapply to Toll I-80

This is a great summary from the Commonwealth Foundation regarding the issue of tolling I-80. It includes a great history and a number of valuable links:

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to Reapply to Toll I-80

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State Budget 101: Cut Costs or Increase Taxes

Written by Roberta Biros

As we head into the state budget negotiations, both sides have already started to draw lines in the sand.

Governor Rendell proposed a big fat budget that included tons of spending with money that the state doesn’t have.

Pennsylvania State Senate Leaders (Republicans), who are attempting to re-brand themselves as fiscal conservatives, came out with Senate Bill 850. SB 850 was developed to cut all of the Governor’s proposed spending increases.

Pennsylvania House Leaders (Democrats) have now come out to give us a little idea of how they intend on balancing the State’s budget. Of course it will be . . . increasing taxes.

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review reported yestserday that “a top aide to a leading House Democrat on Tuesday raised the possibility of increasing the state income tax to tackle the problem” [read the full story HERE]. While the possibility of raising taxes is not being talked about much, Democrats have failed to explain any other way to pay for the spending. Since the idea of raising taxes would not fair well with ‘taxpayers’, Democratic legislators are avoiding the topic.

They can avoid the topic all they want, but when it comes down to it there are only two ways to balance the budget. You either need to decrease costs or increase income . . . you either need to cut spending or increase taxes. Either option is going to be painful for Pennsylvanians, but that is the thing about being ‘responsible” . . . it isn’t always easy.

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State Representatives Michele Brooks, Brad Roae, Dick Stevenson, and Scott Hutchinson Renew Call to Fight I-80 Tolls

LEGISLATOR ANNOUNCMENT as received from Representative Michele Brooks and Representative Brad Roae


Several local lawmakers – including Reps. Michele Brooks (R-Crawford/Mercer/Lawrence), Dick Stevenson (R-Mercer/Butler), Brad Roae (R-Crawford) and Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango/Butler) – are encouraging residents to renew their fight against a plan to toll Interstate 80 as state officials are beginning discussions to resubmit their proposal to the federal government.

Just this week, Secretary of Transportation Allen Biehler, who was recently named as chairman of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, said both PennDOT and the commission plan to meet with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to review the failed application from last year in hopes of resubmitting it. Last September when the revised application was denied, the FHWA said the turnpike commission’s application did not meet requirements of a federal pilot program that would have made the tolling possible.

The subject was raised Tuesday at a hearing of the House Democrat Policy Committee, where testimony was only offered by Biehler and other top officials from the Turnpike Commission. The committee neglected to include residents, businesses and organizations that would be directly impacted.

“At a time when we are working toward rebuilding and strengthening our economy, there are plans moving forward that would destroy it,” Brooks said. “As billions of taxpayers’ dollars in federal stimulus funding are coming to Pennsylvania, including hundreds of millions for highway projects, I am disappointed that the Turnpike Commission would continue to advocate for a plan that is contrary to stimulating our economy by placing yet another financial burden on our local taxpayers.”

With a new administration in Washington, local lawmakers are not surprised talk is resurfacing on resubmitting the application. However, they are concerned that such a tolling policy would be contrary to all of the economic recovery efforts advanced by President Barack Obama.

“Tolling I-80 would not only be devastating to our businesses and residents, but it also places a heavier financial burden on local municipalities that must address problems caused by traffic diverting from the highway,” Stevenson said. “Ultimately, local taxpayers are the ones shouldering this burden on multiple levels, not out-of-state trucking companies and tourists that the plan’s proponents would have people believe. Due to the change in our economy since the application was submitted, I urge the Turnpike Commission to listen to the people and businesses that will be directly impacted by this decision before resubmitting its application.”

“Tolling Interstate 80 is nothing more than a tax increase on local residents and businesses,” Roae said. “In light of our current economic situation, Iurge taxpayers, business owners and motorists to join us in fighting this new tax.”

“The recent history of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has been plagued with questionable actions and it would be irresponsible to allow the tolling of Interstate 80 to take place under anyone’s watch, especially theirs,” Hutchinson said. “The responsibility of our Commonwealth’s roadways should not be in the hands of a dysfunctional commission and I ask the people of Pennsylvania to take a stand and advocate for not tolling I-80.”

The lawmakers are encouraging residents, travelers, businesses, organizations and others to contact their federal representatives and voice their opposition to tolling I-80, as the federal government will make the final decision on whether or not to toll the highway. Those representatives include Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey, along with Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Erie) and Congressmen Jason Altmire (D-Aliquippa) and Glenn Thompson (R-Bellefonte). They can be reached through the following contact information:

Sen. Arlen Specter, 711 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510. Phone: (202) 224-4254. Web site: http://specter.senate.gov/. His regional office in Erie, located in Suite B-120 of the Federal Building at 17 South Park Row, can be called at (814) 453-3010.

Sen. Bob Casey Jr., B-40 Dirksen Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510. Phone: (202) 224-6324. Web site: http://casey.senate.gov/. His regional office in Erie, located in Suite B-150 of the Federal Building at 17 South Park Row, can be reached by calling (814) 874-5080.

Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, 516 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. Phone: (202) 225-5406. Web site: http://dahlkemper.house.gov/. Her full-time local office is at 208 E. Bayfront Parkway Suite 102, Erie, PA 16507. Phone: 877-528-4948.

Rep. Jason Altmire, 1409 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC 20515. Phone: (202) 225-2565. Web site: http://altmire.house.gov/. His regional, full-time office is at 2110 McLean Street, Aliquippa, PA 15001. Phone is (724) 378-0928.

Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, 124 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515. Phone: (202) 225-5121. Web site: http://casey.senate.gov/. His local office is located at 127 West Spring Street, Suite C, Titusville, PA 16354. Phone: (814) 827-3985.

Since the application was first submitted in 2007, local lawmakers have sent numerous letters and spoken with federal officials on how tolling I-80 does not meet standards set by federal law.

Rep. Michele Brooks
17th District
(724) 588-8911

Rep. Dick Stevenson
8th District
(724) 458-4911

Rep. Brad Roae
6th District
(814) 827-6054

Rep. Scott Hutchinson
64th District
(814) 677-6363

BLOG POST UPDATE:

Representative Mark Longietti released an announcement regarding I-80 tolling too, and I thought I should include a link to it here for easy reference. Read his full release HERE.

Small Business Credit: It May Be Time for a Rainy Day Fund

Written by Roberta Biros

We’ve been hearing for months that the availability of credit to small businesses was drying up. I’m a small business owner, and while I read all of the reports I had not experienced any problems myself. We run a very tight ‘fiscal ship’ in our household, and my business is no different. Our credit history is excellent, and credit has always been available when we needed it. Many years ago I established lines of credit for my business that were ‘there when I needed them’. They were business credit cards that often offered cash advances at extremely low rates. We’ve used the lines from time to time to purchase inventory or to make capital purchases, and we’ve always repaid the debts promptly.

While credit isn’t something that we like to rely on, it is often a necessity for cash-flow purposes in a small business. I’ve always kept our accounts in good standing, and I’ve kept the accounts semi-active by using them on a rotating basis from year to year.

When I heard the reports that credit was tightening for small businesses I figured that it would effect only those businesses that had difficulty in repaying past debts or that had experienced problems with credit in general. I never expected that the problem would hit a company like ours that has an immaculate credit history. Well . . . I was wrong.

Earlier this month I received a letter from Capital One stating that our business line of credit was going to be closed at the end of the month. They stated that because the account had no outstanding balance and it had not been used recently, they had decided to close it. While I was disappointed in their decision (because I had the account for many years), I wasn’t concerned. We had another similar account with Advanta that generally had better terms anyway. Well, today I received a shocking letter. Advanta notified us in writing that they would also be closing our business card account. The letter from Advanta read:

"Your Advanta Busines Card account is funded by an independent trust which owns the balances you owe on your account and provides funding for new transactions. We expect the trust to stop funding activity on your accounts. The trust also restricts our flexibility to fund activity on your account. Unfortunately, as a result, effective May 30th all Advanta Business Credit Card accounts, including your account, will be closed."

This is not an instance of a troubled business having difficulty borrowing money. This is not a situation where a small business is in over it’s head and can’t get money to pay daily operating expenses. This is the case of a small business with immaculate credit losing its established credit lines with large credit card companies due to a general tightening of purse strings. The part that I find so bothering is that the decisions are being made by a mysterious "independent trust" that controls the banks ability to lend money.

While this has no immediate impact on my business finances, it is a concern that my small business will have fewer options when we have cash flow concerns. We’ve been seeing this problem coming for quite some time and we’ve made adjustments to our spending and cash flow habits to anticipate the problem, but I’m surprised that is happening so quickly and all at once. I’m especially concerned for small companies out there that aren’t on solid ground . . . companies that are really feeling the crunch right now . . . companies that weren’t prepared for the worst. What are they going to do? How will they stretch their dollar during the inevitable valleys that come after every peak?

If this is a sign of things to come, I am nervous. I knew that credit was going to become more difficult to get, but I thought that it would always be readily available for ‘good customers’. Are the small business lines of credit the first in a long chain of life-long changes for the credit industry? If this is the way that it begins, I wonder how bad things will get before it ends.

My husband and I have often said that the concept of credit is going to revert back to ‘the old days’ where cash was king and credit was rare and unaffordable. Back to the days when you bought used cars for cash and you drove them until they needed to be towed away. Back to the times when you couldn’t purchase a home until you could afford to put down 20% or more in cold hard cash. Back to the basics where you paid for your groceries, clothes, and gasoline with the money in your pocket. Back to the times like the 1950s and 60s when you only spent what you could afford and you saved for a rainy day.

I’m ready for that rainy day because I've been preparing for it for quite some time, but I’m not so sure about the rest of America.

Very scary stuff.

BLOG POST UPDATE:

We logged into our on-line account with Advanta this afternoon to get additional information regarding our account closure. The two statements below are noteworthy:

As communicated in our recent letter to customers, we deeply regret that all Advanta Business Credit Card accounts will be closed effective May 30, 2009. Please refer to the questions and answers below for additional information about this action.

Q: My account is in good standing, why are you closing my account?
A: This action is not a reflection of your creditworthiness. All Advanta Business Card accounts are being closed, regardless of credit status.

The situation with Advanta is even more alarming that I had understood. They were not selective AT ALL with regards to the closing of 'some' accounts. They have simply closed EVERY SINGLE business credit card account. I feel bad for the small companies out there that were relying on those lines of credit to operate.

READ MORE from the Philadelphia Inquirer about Advanta closing ONE MILLION small business credit card accounts at the end of this week HERE.

EVENT REMINDER: Rep. Michele Brooks Holds Town Hall Meetings Tonight and Tomorrow

Written by Roberta Biros

Representative Michele Brooks (R-17th) will hold two town hall meetings this week.

The first is scheduled for this evening (May 27) at the North Shenango Municipal Building, Linn Road, Espyville.

The second meeting will be held tomorrow (Thursday, May 28), at St. Paul’s Keifer Building, at 341 East Jamestown Road in Greenville. Both meetings will run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

If you are unable to attend, don't worry . . . you won't miss anything. I will be attending the Thursday night meeting in Greenville to document the event. While I have hundreds of questions that I'd like to ask regarding budget and legislative issues, it is not my intention to ask questions of my own. Instead, I intend on reporting what sorts of questions are asked by the typical constituents that attend these meetings. I'm also interested to hear what Representative Brooks has to report about the status of the State Budget and current Legislation. If there is a shortage of questions, I might jump in with a few of my own . . . but we'll play that by ear. It is my intention to have the details of the meeting published by Thursday night or Friday morning. Be sure to check back.

Tolling of I-80 May Be Just Around the Corner

Written by Roberta Biros

On April 30, 2009, I reported “Tolling of I-80 Still an Open Issue”. At that time I reminded Pennsylvanians that the application to toll Interstate 80 was simply rejected by the by the Federal Highway Administration and that the Turnpike Commission and PA Department of Transportation were open to resubmitting an application again in the future. There was nothing in place to stop it. Some concerned lawmakers in Harrisburg introduced House Resolution 197 in an attempt to cease further application submissions, but the resolution still sits in the House Transportation Committee.

On May 14, 2009, I attempted to bring attention to the fact that commercial interests were clearly interested in pushing forward with the I-80 tolling project in my article titled “Commercial Interests Have Much To Gain With Tolling of I-80”. I anticipated that businesses would have the wherewithal and stamina to push the tolling forward through their friendly Harrisburg contacts, and I was afraid that lawmakers may have lost interest in the project (since it isn’t an election year).

Today the Pittsburgh Post Gazette published an article titled “State may resubmit plan for tolls on I-80”. In it we are told that officials from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission intend on beginning meetings with the Federal Highway Administration as soon as June regarding the I-80 tolling issue.

In the Post Gazette article [read HERE], Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Philadelphia) is quoted as saying “We are giving out-of-state traffic a free ride through Pennsylvania”. Unfortunately, Representative Boyle obviously doesn’t realize that there are plenty of taxpayers here in Pennsylvania that actually use I-80 on their daily commutes too. He is apparently not interested in how the tolling of I-80 might affect communities along the I-80 corridor. If Representative Boyle isn’t interested, can you tell me who is?

I urge lawmakers to push for House Resolution 197 in an effort to stop re-application for the tolling of I-80 before it is too late. Once the process has begun, the power will be out of the hands of the legislature and firmly in the hands of the Turnpike Commission, Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and the various commercial interests that have much to gain if the tolling of I-80 goes through.

I also urge taxpayers to contact the Representatives that introduced House Resolution 197 (HUTCHISON, GABLER, OBERLANDER, MILLARD, FAIRCHILD, BELFANTI, BOBACK, BROOKS, CAUSER, EVERETT, HANNA, HARHART, HARRIS, MAJOR, METCALFE, MOUL, MUSTIO, PEIFER, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, RAPP, ROAE, ROHRER, SCAVELLO, SMITH, SONNEY, STEVENSON, TALLMAN, TRUE, TRUZAI AND VULAKOVICH). Perhaps they can help to bring much needed attention to this issue.

Lastly, I urge Mercer County residents to contact our state lawmakers in effort to get their attention regarding this issue. Their contact information is posted below:

Hon. Robert D. Robbins

337 Capitol Building

Senate Box 203050

Harrisburg, PA 17120-3050

(717) 787-1322
Email: rrobbins@pasen.gov

Hon. Michele Brooks

153B East Wing

PO Box 202017

Harrisburg, PA 17120-2017

(717) 783-5008

Fax: (717) 705-1948
Email: mbrooks@pahousegop.com

Hon. Mark Longietti

103 Irvis Office Building

PO Box 202007

Harrisburg, PA 17120-2007

(717) 772-4035

Fax: (717) 780-4785
Email: MLongietti@pahouse.net

Hon. Richard R. Stevenson

155B East Wing

PO Box 202008

Harrisburg, PA 17120-2008

(717) 783-6438

Fax: (717) 705-1949

Email: rstevens@pahousegop.com

REMEMBER: These are our elected officials. It is their job to focus on the issues that are important to us. Be sure to make your voice heard. Call them, fax them, write them a letter, or even email them a copy of this post to let them know that you are concerned.

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Pennsylvania Budget Cuts Trickle Down to Counties

Written by Roberta Biros

If you live in a closet, perhaps you don’t realize that this Country is in financial dire straits. Spending is out of control, and the madness needs to stop at some point. Everyone realizes it, but no one can come to an agreement on how to fix it.

In Pennsylvania, our Legislature is currently struggling with its own budget issues. In February, the Governor proposed a budget filled with unaffordable spending. The Pennsylvania State Senate took the Governor’s proposed budget and chopped it up with Senate Bill 850. SB850 passed the Senate and has been handed to the PA House [READ HERE]. Lawmakers in the Legislature realize that there is a serious problem, but thoughts on fixing the problem are split along Party lines. In general, Democrats support higher spending with more money for Education and other key projects. Conservatives feel that spending cuts are in order, and no projects are protected or off the table. There are many Legislators that are standing somewhere in the middle with more concerns about special interests (and re-election) than responsible leadership. When the PA House of Representatives returns to Harrisburg at the beginning of June, they will be hard pressed to get a budget passed before the July 1st deadline. If the budget is not passed on-time, payroll for State Employees may shut down until a budget is agreed upon.

The struggles at the State level are now beginning to trickle down to the Counties and School Districts in Pennsylvania. Counties that ‘counted their chickens before they hatched’ have based their budgets on monies that were expected to come from the State. Those same Counties are now just realizing that some of those funds may not show up after all. GrassrootsPA.com referenced a great article from TheMorningCall.com today [read the full story HERE]. In the story we are told that County Commissioners from Lehigh, Chester, Dauphin, Monroe, and Somerset Counties have warned State Lawmakers that they will be forced to cut services or raise taxes in their respective Counties if they do not receive help through the State Budget. Mercer County Commissioners made similar statements in an article that was published in The Herald [READ HERE]. Mercer County is considering layoffs and temporary shut downs of the courthouse in order to save money.

My response is . . . NO KIDDING!

Have these County Commissioners had their heads buried in the sand? Have they not seen the State’s fiscal crisis build? Have they just figured that the money was going to appear from a magic hat? Did they not realize that the cash from the State was due to dry up at some point? Have they not considered that cutting spending would need to happen at the County level too?

If this is the case, every single County Commissioner needs to be booted to the curb. County spending is their responsibility, and they should have seen this coming. To moan and cry about the lack of State funding now is ridiculous.

I can’t begin to address the fiscal issues of Lehigh, Chester, Dauphin, Monroe, or Somerset Counties, but I am in a position to comment on the fiscal issues of Mercer County. Mercer County Commissioners are threatening that they might need to consider layoffs and temporary shutdowns of the courthouse, as well as cuts to benefits packages and the potential reopening of union contracts. Does anyone else agree that “it is about time”?

If Mercer County Commissioners are really serious, they should lead by example. I propose that the elected officials in Mercer County should take an immediate and voluntary 10% pay cut. Just like many State Legislators voluntarily returned their pay raises to the State, County Officials should voluntarily return 10% of their salary to the County through a give-back to the County’s general fund. If it is necessary to implement layoffs or shutdowns in the courthouse, perhaps the Commissioners should suggest a Countywide four-day work week for County employees. The County Officials could again lead by example by refunding an additional 20% of their salaries too. I’m talking about all County Elected Officials here . . . Commissioners, Controller, Recorder of Deeds, Prothonotary, and . . . yes . . . Treasurer.

The financial problems of the state and counties are serious. Serious problems call for serious measures. County leaders shouldn’t just sit back and blame their problems on the State Legislature. Instead, they should control their own ‘houses’ by operating within their own budgets. There are no cuts that should be off the table, and every opportunity for saving should be considered. Cut backs in benefits and labor contracts should be ‘on the table’, but it is important for elected officials to suck it up too. Self imposed cuts from County leaders would serve as a good-will gesture to labor unions (not to mention to the taxpayers of Mercer County).

No one ever said that cutting cost is easy, and sometimes you have to ‘give until it hurts’. Now may be one of those times.

As always, just my opinion.

~Roberta Biros, Mercer County Conservatives

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News from a Mercer County Parade that I Missed

Written by Roberta Biros

While the Memorial Day Parade in Downtown Mercer was intended to have NO politicking, the parade planners in Greenville were not so explicitly clear. The Mercer parade had plenty of politicians, but it did not allow or tolerate obvious campaigning. All of the politicians were forced to march together like one big happy family (as shown in the photo below).


Above, the Mercer County Gal Pals all meet up. Liz Fair (D-Prothonotary), Ginny Richardson (R-Treasurer), Michele Brooks (R-State Representative), and Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Congresswoman) hang out together. Deb Kochems (D/R-wife of DA Bob Kochems) was pulling up the rear (but is not pictured here). I wonder if they all gathered for tea and crumpets afterwards?

The Greenville parade on the other hand seemed to allow inappropriate self-promotion on a day that was intended to honor our veterans. Our friends at the News Now Network published a great little piece titled "Every Parade Needs a Clown Car or Two" in which they state:

"Every Parade is not complete without a clown car, and this parade is no exception, as Michele Brooks walked the route, with her personal aide and secretary in tow, driving behind her for some unknown reason, a political banner on the car as if anyone cares about her on this day dedicated to the Military and those lost, I had to shake my head and say some people are just downright stupid and ignorant." [read the full story HERE]

I realize that the News Now Network often tends to be on the extreme ends of most issues (because 'shock' is a great draw for a site that claims to be "the funniest news in the business"), but they did a great job of illustrating why self promotion shouldn't be allowed at these sorts of events. Politicians all prescribe to the concept of 'look at me' and 'see how great I am', when in reality most people would be more impressed if they just acted like 'normal people' without having to be the center of attention. The absolute truth is that none of the politicians pictured above would have bothered to attend the Memorial Day parade yesterday if they weren't going to be a focus of public attention. None of them would have been satisfied to stand in the crowd to enjoy the parade for the sake of being part of the community.

Maybe the label of 'stupid and ignorant' is appropriate after all.

As always, just my opinion.
~Roberta Biros, Mercer County Conservatives

The Best News I’ve Had in a While

Written by Roberta Biros

I’ve been the topic of local political discussions lately. I won the Democratic nomination for the position of Mercer County Treasurer, and friends and foe alike want to know if I’m going to stay in the race. I ceased my campaign in mid-April amid dirty politicking from both sides. It has been talked about in the paper, I’ve discussed my situation on the radio, and it has been mentioned at water coolers and dinner tables throughout the County.

Most political pundits have an opinion of what I should do. Unfortunately, this political pundit turned candidate (that’s me) has not made a final decision, and that uncertainty is now the focus of additional criticisms.

My review of the daily paper is a chore. I’m never quite sure what to expect. On Saturday I quickly scanned The Herald and was pleased to see that my name was not mentioned. It wasn’t until Sunday night that a friend pointed out that I missed my best ‘shout out’ yet.

I saw Lynn Saternow’s opinion piece titled “Cookery’s best-anywhere omelets fade into history”, and I read it briefly. I find the story of the Cookery interesting and I quickly read Lynn’s take. About half way through I skipped to the next article. MY MISTAKE. I missed the BEST NEWS that I’ve had in a while. Lynn Saternow took a few minutes at the end of his article to explain how and why he doesn’t like me! It was wonderful. If I could ask for one thing in this County, it would be for Lynn Saternow to hate me.

Mr. Saternow is a political lightning rod. He gets attention by stating his opinions about polarizing issues. I respect Lynn and I enjoy reading what he has to say, but I’d never want his endorsement. Why? Because readers seem to really dislike him and they usually disagree with what he says. So when Lynn Saternow said “Who in their right mind would vote for Roberta Biros for county treasurer?” it made my day.

Thanks Lynn.

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A Weekend Tour of Mercer and Crawford Counties

Written by Roberta Biros

I wrote on Saturday that I had big plans for the weekend. In looking back, we pretty much did everything that we had planned. On Saturday, May 23rd, we had a fun driving tour of the hot spots in Mercer and Crawford Counties. I have a brief overview for you all today, but I intend on writing some additional details about our trips to Conneaut Lake Park and Linesville Spillway next week (as these are some topics that deserve closer observation and discussion). Here is a brief photo summary of our tour.

First up? A trip to newly re-opened Conneaut Lake Park. This week I intend on writing some details about the current state of the Park and its facilities later this week.



Our trip included a quick visit to the Hotel Conneaut and the Beach Club.





We were excited that we could also enjoy a very crowded Car Show during our visit. Old cars are a favorite of both me and my husband (he his pictured with an old truck that he’d love to have for himself).





We were entertained by a bluegrass band, which I absolutely loved. I grew up playing bluegrass music, and I was impressed by this group. I knew they'd be good when I saw that the guitar player was playing a Martin Guitar . . . the best of the best (and my personal choice).



My husband saved me a great seat on the porch of the Hotel Conneaut . . .



Where we had a great view of the festivities and the lake.



We left Conneaut Lake park . . .



And headed for Linesville Spillway.



If you’ve never had an opportunity to feed the fish at Linesville, it is a ‘must see’ destination. I'll be writing more about Linesville Spillway next week too. Linesville made the news last year when the State wanted to end the feeding of the fish and ducks (with bread), and it caused an uproar in the community. I want to take a closer look at what I found during our recent trip.



Last but not least, we ended up where we ALWAYS seem to send up . . . Hunger Buster in Jamestown for soft-serve ice cream. If there was a discount program for ‘frequent visitors’ at Hunger Buster, we’d definitely qualify.



On Monday, May 25th, we took part in the Memorial Day events in Downtown Mercer. We arrived early for the stage show.



The parade started at 11am sharp. There were brave individuals and patriots from the military.





There were floats and bands . . . and even Uncle Sam.







And then there were politicians. There was to be no 'politicking', but have you ever known a politican that could control themselves? Ugh. They all do stick together don’t they . . . all puffed up with themselves? I found it odd that they weren't all holding hands. Oddly enough, there was no applause from my side of the street.




[Above, the Mercer County Gal Pals all meet up. Liz Fair (Prothonotary), Ginny Richardson (Treasurer), Michele Brooks (State Representative), and Kathy Dahlkemper (Congresswoman) hang out together. I wonder if they all gathered for tea and crumpets afterwards?]

Luckily, the newest military recruits were there and they received a very warm round of applause from EVERYONE.



After the parade, the program moved to the cemetery where there were speeches . . .



And even a fly over.



It was all beautifully wrapped up at the end with a musical dedication.



It was a great weekend. Our area offers wonderful destinations. If you haven’t taken the time to enjoy them lately, I would suggest you take the time to do so. All of the sights and hot spots listed above are within a 30 minute drive from central Mercer County. If you are from an area other than Mercer County, be sure to come up and visit. We have wonderful things to offer.

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