Localism: Scranton, PA

Scranton PA Toilet Lawsuit: $19,000 Flushed Away!

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:29:19 -0500

Scranton PA: Woman Gets Arrested for Cursing at Her Toilet & Wins a $19,000 Settlement

It’s been a while since I wrote a Wild Card Wednesday blog. Unfortunately, today is Thursday, but this blog fits the category so well, I’m going to put it in there anyway.

I prefer to stay on the subject of real estate in Pike and Wayne County, but sometimes you have to deviate from the norm. Since many residents of northeast PA head to Scranton often (myself included) I thought this would be interesting to my readers.

Indeed, NEPA (as Northeast PA is known) is an interesting and fascinating place.

A while ago, Scranton PA made the news because a woman was arrested for cursing out her own toilet as it overflowed, spreading gross liquid across her bathroom floor and into her kitchen.

Her windows were open, and her neighbors heard her use some unsavory language - and called the police.

That in itself is silly. I do not generally say “bad words.” I don’t like movies riddled with foul language. My dad had a pretty rough mouth. But it never occurred to me to call the cops on a potty mouth.

The next part - the cops arrested her for disorderly conduct. (remember she was inside her own home.) Wow. This is what the citizens of Scranton pay taxes for?

The story doesn’t end there - the ACLU got involved and this lady successfully sued the city of Scranton and won a $19,000 settlement.

Scranton is a hurting city - it made the Forbes list of America’s Fastest Dying Cities. And now, because of something so STUPID, they have to shell out nearly $20,000. More taxpayer dollars, literally flushed down the toilet.

What's concerning me about this, however, is that some people commenting on a local message board are upset over this lady winning a "frivolous lawsuit." I for one am upset that she was arrested over this in the first place.

Read the story from WNEP.com here.


WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Paupack Group Independently Owned and Operated

Karen E. Rice is a real estate agent working in Pike & Wayne County of Northeastern PA in the Pocono Mountains. Lake Wallenpaupack is one of Pennsylvania's most popular destinations for vacations, retirement, and purchasing a home.

Free First Time Home Buyer Education in NEPA - Pittston, PA

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:40:06 -0500

Buying a home can certainly become a daunting task. It sure helps if you have some information before jumping in. You should always create a structured plan before beginning your home search.

Consumer Credit Counseling Services (CCCS) is a local not-for-profit firm that is dedicated to educating buyers about the home-buying process.

If you plan to buy a home in the near future, your first step is attending this free course at their NEPA office in Pittston, PA. It's going to be held Wednesday, September 17 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. You can click here to enroll in the course to ensure you have a spot.

Of course, you should also meet with a Credit Specialist if you fear you may have issues with your credit report. CCCS is a very good company for debt management programs and education, but they will not perform "Credit Repair Services". Credit Repair Consultants, LLC. does perform these services, like deleting negative information from your report if it is found to be unverifiable.

Watch Out Scranton Times. There's a New Dog In Town. The Scranton Post!

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:54:34 -0500

We live in America, the land of choice. We can choose our elected officials. We can choose whether to use a small mom-and-pop shop or a big store like Walmart. What we haven't had here in Scranton is a choice of newspapers.

One person, one company, one organization could never fill all our needs in NEPA. There are too many of us and our population is diverse. Could you imagine having one grocery store in town? One hardware store? One news show on TV? There are people who are ademant about their news shows, whether it's 16, 22, or 28. There's no reason to not have that excitement about our city's newspapers.

When I first heard about it, I thought what some of you may be thinking. What's the big deal? The news is the news. You either read it or don't, no matter who wrote it. It's factual so there can't be much difference between two newspapers.

Ted Brunelle put me at ease. He explained that The Scranton Post will have a different viewpoint. They are going for a more local feel and staying away from content that you can see anywhere. The Associated Press releases stories for local news media to use. The Scranton Post is going to get a locally written article about this content so that we can share our views, not the views of a national news service.

They also encourage readers to submit your own stories and announcements. The tagline of The Post is "The People Of Scranton's Newspaper" and I believe that is what it will be based on my conversation with Ted.

You may want to pay special attention to a certain section of the paper. There seems to be a section with a Q&A about Mortgage and Credit Issues. Brilliant! It's about time someone answered the concerns that have affected people's lives so much lately. Oh, wait. That person is me! Ted and Barbara have been kind enough to allow me to lend my thoughts to their newspaper.

I think the Scranton Times is a good paper. I'm just glad that there will be another option in town. I, personally, will be reading both. I suggest everyone do this to give a new viewpoint a try. It promises not to be too political while offering plenty of local content.

And don't forget about the guy giving free mortgage and credit advice! Email me to see your question in the paper.

Big Plans For Downtown Scranton Renovation

Wed, 14 May 2008 22:15:44 -0500

Here we go! Scranton is transforming.

I can still remember watching "The Implosion". A long row of businesses on Lackawanna Ave were blown up from the inside. My brother and I watched as the buildings folded into themselves and came crashing to the ground. In what felt like a moment, the Steamtown Mall was upon us. The transformation of Downtown Scranton was in full swing.

Here we are again. We're back on Lackawanna Ave, but this time there are no explosions. Just celebration for the ongoing renovation project. You can expect to see restaurants with inside and outside seating along the street. The area will be inviting for pedestrians that can stop for a bite during some shopping or after a movie.

Perhaps the more important aspect of the new buildings are the condominium units above. To turn the city around, we need to bring people Downtown. If they live here, they will work here, shop here, and eat here.

So let's toast the improvements here in Scranton. The accolades from national media, the medical school, the train line to NYC... these are all reasons to believe that Scranton is improving and will only become a more desirable place to live as time goes by.

Scranton - Top Ten List from Money Magazine

Tue, 13 May 2008 13:16:33 -0500

Check out Scranton's good news from Money Magazine

What can it be???

Maybe it is because Scranton is home to The Office.

Maybe it is because the cost of living is relatively cheap.

Maybe it is because of our many universities.

Maybe it is because Scranton residents aren't buying in to the national media's negative outlook on real estate. I bet this wonderful news will barely make the media spotlight. That is why I feel compelled to share it with all of you.

If you live in Scranton or the surrounding areas, now is the time to buy and sell. The market is doing great. Homes are affordable and people are buying them.