The Times-Tribune from Scranton, Pennsylvania • 3

THE SCRANTON TIMES, TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 1986 Mayor May Back Arena; Seeks Inn Plans weeks, but the sessions had to be postponed The OECD director was attempting to reach Campbell today in order to set up a meeting for late this week to refine the plans and perhaps enter into an option agreement Meanwhile, Wenzel said that if Campbell is not prepared to follow through with his plans, he has two developers who want to take on the -project One of the potential developers, he said, is based in this area, while the other has no local tics The mayor refused to identify either developer, however $3 5 million deficit in its first five years To date however, Wenzel has not supported the arena proposal, which has the backing of City Councilmen Thomas Gilhooley and Thomas Comer-ford The mayor has stated that he wants another feasibility study to be conducted to determine where an arena should be built, how large it should be and whether it can be supported by the area He also has gone on record as saying the city will not guarantee its taxing powers to pay for the bond issue On the Casey matter, Timothy McDowell, director of the city Office of By WILLIAM J. MANG Times Staff Writer Mayor David Wenzel will decide before the end of this week whether he will support plans for the construction of a proposed civic arena on a site off the North Scranton Expressway near Memorial Stadium The mayor also said he wants to receive firm plans this week for refurbishing the former Casey Inn from an Arizona developer or he will turn to two other potential developers who have expressed inteist in developing the vacant, city-owned landmark which once was a posh hotel To Maine Firm Channel 22 Sold For $22.5 Mi 1 1 ion Economic and Community Development, said today he is attempting to set up a meeting with Robert Campbell of Design Construction, Scottsaale, Anz to discuss his revised plans for the Casey Campbell originally planned a $13 million project that would transform the building at Lackawanna and Adams avenues into an ultra modern hotel those plans had to be revised when the city was unable to obtain a $3 million Urban Development Action Grant from the federal government as part of the project McDowell said he and Campbell have been attempting to meet for several i ndow Dress i Some wiseacre just couldn't resist sketching today's date on the frost-bitten windshield of this car early this morning. He, or maybe she, even went so far as to adorn the windshield with flowers. The local weather scene is detailed on Pages 2 and 7. (Staff Photo by Phillips Butler) In Wednesday Editions The Southeastern Capital Corp has announced the sale of WDAU-TV, Channel 22, for $22 5 million to Diversified Communications of Portland, Maine If the transaction is approved by the Federal Communications Commission, it would mark the" second time it has been sold in two years Since its acquisition by Southeastern Capital Corp in 1984, WDAU-TV has made significant progress in improving its product and its position in the marketplace, declared Hein Pou-lus, senior vice president of Southeastern Diversified has a long track record of success and we are confident that under its new ownership WDAU-TV will continue to improve and regain its former position of market leadership -Southeastern- bought- WDAU-m-1304- from the family of the late Frank Megargee, which had operated the station for 31 years In that latter stages of the 'familys ownership, WDAU'was unseated as the premier local broadcast outlet The station was troubled by mtra family management disagreements and a lack of investment in its operation By the time it was formally sold after years of speculation about an impending programming was technically inferior to its chief local competitors, WBRE-TV and WNEP-TV Southeastern bought WDAU-TV for $12 million July 1984 and the company reports it invested more than $3 million in the station, including massive expenditures for equipment Horace Hildreth Jr, president of Diversified, said Monday that if the sale is approved the new owners of -WDAU plan to hold on to the property The strategy plan of Diversified has always been to purchase properties for their long-term viability and WDAU fits that strategy perfectly, he said Hildreth added that the Scranton area will be the largest television market served by the company.

ZLliUh' 3 HP 5 STV Times To Distribute Survey Forms the completed survey forms which will be tabulated by James Connors, who heads the citys Departmentof Community Development Completed forms may be returned to Times carriers or dropped of at any of the following locations any Times branch office, the mayors office in City Hall, Penn Security Bank at Pe-WenzeLisconducting ihe survey. to tersburg Corners or atJhe Hill Neigh- fulfill a 1985 campaign promise that he borhood Association office at 721 would survey city residents to find out Mulberry St how the city can better serve them Generally, the sjirvey will attempt to The Times will mail copies of the develop a demographic portrait of the survey forms directly to those city city and determine how quahty-of life residents who are not subscribers -factors are rated here The newspaper also help collect Specifically, it asks residents to rate The Houston Sports Association of Texas and MGT Ventures of Jersey City, want to construct and manage a 10 000-seat arena and have made a proposal to city officials and members of the Scranton Public Auditorium Authority The authority has sold $24 million in short-term bonds to finance the project and must remarket the bonds next month to continue with the project A study by Touche Rose Co a national accounting firm, has concluded that the city arena project is feasible However, the Greater Scranton Chamber of Cpmmerce has questioned the results of that study and claims the project could accumulate a Southeastern stated the Scranton market is the 46th in size nationwide, according to A C. Nielsen figures; Diversified said the local market is rated 58th in size George Anderson, president of Diversified broadcast division, said the latest investment represents the third television station the company has purchased in the last 18 months and in each case the overriding factor for the chosen market was not only the economic viability of the area, but more particularly the degree of pride which the local people take in their own community We see and welcome that spirit ih the Scranton Wilkes-Barre area, he added Anderson also said Diversified hopes to instill a feeling of localism in the market- Once the FCC approves the sale, he declared, We are committed to bn additional investment of at least $2 million in capital expenditures for the first year in order to better serve more residents of the area Diversified is a family-owned company which owns WABI-AM FM TV in Bangor, Me WCJB-TV in Gainesville, Fla WCTI TV in New Bern Washing-ton-Greenville, and WPDE TV in-Florence and Myrtle Beach, Diversified also operates six regional cable TV systems in the New England area, which serve more than 40,000 subscribers It also is involved in the commercial fishing and seafood industries. Diversified publishes National Fisherman and Seafood Business and owns the International Marine Publishing Co a publisher of marine-oriented books It also produces trade shows in the commercial fishing and seafood industries Southeastern Is based in Denver and formerly maintained headquarters in Atlanta In addition to its management of WDAU through its subsidiary, Keystone Broadcasters Inc the company also distributes petroleum products J' 4 'C fv sf 4 s.1- MS Mary has a place in her heart for everyone Shes a very humble person who always wanted to stay in the background even though she has so much to give and offer, said Peter Flynn, her last boss Both Flynn, who soon will become the superintendent of the Davenport (Iowa i Community School District and Mary ended their careers with the district Friday Some say Mary retired because she lust didn want to break another superintendent She had served as secretary to former superintendents Eugene Langan and John Stephens, before Flvnns tenure Mary counters that charge saving she should have quit a long time ago 1 had an opportunity to leave right after World War ll but my dad wouldnt let mego, she recalled (Continued on Page 9) Joseph X. Flannery The Real Bob jDne of Harry's Bits and pieces Bits and pieces 1 ve been covering Bob Casey since he ran tor state senator 24 years ago and I thought I knew everything about his life However Tom Fox, a columnist with The Philadelphia Inquirer, told a Casey story I had never heard He wrote that Caseys father, Al-phonsus, a streetcar operator in Scranton, decided a few years after his tparriage to study law The couple moved to New York where Alphonsus enrolled at For-dham Law School while working at night as a dishwasher at an all-- night restaurant One day the law student came home to the couple flat in Jackson Heights and his wife told him she was pregnant The law student was frightened He had no money to pay a doctor He went to the pastor of his parish and asked his advice The priest told the law student to go to Dr Harry Cagney He 11 work it out for you," he said Alphonsus went to Cagney, whose brother was James Cagney, a vaudeville song and dance man just getting started in Hollywood Cagney assured the law student he would take care of his wife And on Jan 9, 1932, he delivered Bob Casev, now the Democratic gubernatorial candidate Fox wrote that Casey never met Dr Cagney who is now dead But he became a fan of Jimmy Cagney Four years ago Cagney was being honored by the American Diabetes -Airseeiatwro-at-Franklin Plaza in Philadelphia Cagney, a diabetic, entered in a wheelchair Casey was introduced to him One of Harry's Cagney said Well, well, laddie, so ou re one of Harrys babies from Jackson Heights, are you7 The two exchanged a few more pleasantries Cagney said Its a pleasure meeting you, boy And good luck with tne politics, lad Casey was on the primary trail a few months ago when he heard that Cagney had died Fox said he probably said a silent prayer for the old Yankee Doodle Dandy Mrs Howard Price, a reader from Jackson Susquehanna County, to me about a column I had done two earlier about John MacArthur an eccentric billionaire who was born in Pittston 1897 and died in Florida in 1977 I either a terrible procrastinator or my 77 years have slowed me down considerably," Mrs Price wrote In writing about MacArthur, who left most of his money to a foundation to give grants to "achievers, I had portrayed his father, the Rev.

William Telfer MacArthur as a Bible thumping self appointed messenger of God who dragged his family around the country, stopping for a few years in Pittston That and other things about the father came from a book I had read about the billionaire son But Mrs Price said she had received a different view of the old preacher from Miss Bertha Pope, the oldest person Susquehanna County when she died at 104 in 1975 Mrs Price said she had read several times in The Scranton Times that the Rev Mr MacArthur had once been the pastor of the Jackson Street Baptist Church in Scranton However, she said he was pastor of the Jackson Baptist Church in the 1 Susquehanna County community of that name She quoted from the Jackson Notes in an 1894 Montrose newspaper Rev and Mrs MacArthur have returned from visiting friends in Windsor, NY Record Cleared Mrs Price said that Miss Pope knew and admired the clergyman and recalled him going to Jackson to officiate at the funeral of her grandfather The minister traveled by train to Ararat where he was met by Miss Popes father with horse and buggy, Mrs Price informed me An unflattering view of the Rev Mr MacArthur as someone who used a leather strap to instill religion into his children was told by his son John but Mrs Price said mere was more to the man than that and she asked me to set the record straight I happy to oblige Speaking of Susquehanna County, I reminded that prior to the death of Avoca Patrolman Richard Janczewski. early Tuesday the last officer from this area to die in the line of duty was State Trooper David Monahan who grew up in Brackney Susquehanna County He was assigned to Berks County and positioned his car across a roadway to stop a burglar who was being pursued by other troopers The fleeing car slammed into Monahans car fatally injuring him On a lovelv dav in April, 1980, I covered Monahan funeral at St Augustine Church in Silver Lake, a rural part of Susquehanna County where Monahan grew up About 200 policemen from Pennsylvania New Jersey and New York attended that Mass and the burial that occurred at the parish cemetery just across the highway -I never knew before that day the strong bond that exists among policemen The Rev James Siangan who celebrated the Mass, explained whv its there He said when a policeman dies in the line of du'y, a little bit of every cop dies city services and seeks opinions on a host of city issues Mrs Edye Ranson, chairman of the task force overseeing the survey, urges all disabled city residents to respond to the survey In addition to the other parts of the survey Mrs Ransom advised disa-bled persons, be sure to fill out the special section for the disabled Please include your name and address A more extensive survey for the disabled will be sent to those responding so that we may better meet the needs of the handicapped population residing in Scranton 5 rt fj nii ef trx -ma MARY VACENDAK CL I I i6 i CGK Uiiimer juu And Stayed 50 Years ve Dad gift of elegance ne Chr stan Dior fashions Handsomely ta lored sport jackets and slacks Moke the scene this summer styfe In Our Men's Shop On One tkpf- Shop Wednesday I 10 5 30 OO CS. By JIM COLLINS Times Education Writer THE WAY Mary Vacendak had it planned, it was only going to be a summer job That was nearly 50 years ago, when the late Jake Eckersley. then secretary to the Scranton School Board, hired her to work on the districts tax books Now, nine presidents later, Mary has decided to end that sum mer job, finishing what some say is the longest career of anyone who has worked for the Scranton School District Interviewing Mary is no easy task Waiting for her to "open up about her years with the district proved arduous She has plenty of memories, to be sure She 11 privately adijjit they are not all good ones, but she will never utter a negative word about anyone.