Scrantonian Tribune from Scranton, Pennsylvania • 3

t'r 4.1", If Scranton Tribune, Thursday, June 18, 1987 3 .1.:06: Jr. on Nov. 20, 1942, and James. Valerie Bideil Owens was born in Boston and Frank in Wilmington, where Joe and Jean, Finnegan Biden reside Mrs. Biden recalls enrolling son Joe in Marywood Seminary "it was the last year they accepted boys" and of transferring him to St.

Paul's School a "week or so later." She said he spent first and second grade in St. Paul's and transferred to No. 39 School "at the end of Fisk Street" in third grade. She said the family left Scranton when young Biden was in the last half of third grade. Joe Biden Sr.

and Jean Finnegan were married in St. Paul's Church by the late Rev. Thomas Manley. By Tom Casey Joseph Robinette Biden, father of Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden, treasures his recollections of "shooting the breeze" with Tom Phillips, Carlon O'Malley and Mike Eagen at the Phillips homestead on Dimmick Avenue in Green Ridge. Jean Finnegan Biden, mother of the U.S.

Senator from Dela- who has his eyes on the White House, declared "Scranton's our home town we have fond memories of it." Mr. and Mrs. Biden talked about Joe Biden's "Scranton in a telephone interview Wednesday and it's clear ais three years in Green Ridge plus frequent visits for many after had a lot to do with transforming a boy into a egitimate presidential contender -Joe Biden Sr. and Joe Biden Jr. owe their middle names to the tormer's mother it was her family name.

Joe Biden Sr. said the Robinette family, of English stock, arrived in this country in 1687 And received a huge lyd grant from William Penn. It covered what is now the community of Media, near Philadelphia. The elder Biden said his father's family was of Dutch origin. Joe Biden Sr.

was born in Baltimore, and moved to with his family. His father was a division manager for American OH Co and in 1934 was transferred to Scranton. "Scranton's our home town we have fond memories of it." Jean Finnegan Biden the city editor of a newspaper (Phillips), a district attorney (O'Malley) and a future Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (Eagen). Veteran newsmen in the area can attest to the select company that regularly gathered in the Phillips kitchen. "I was Only a kid then," the elder Biden said.

"But I certainly enjoyed it. We kept up our acquaintance and when Joe made his announcement of running for the Senate, Tommy Phillips made the trip down here for it." The elder Biden attended St. Paul's School and graduated from St. Thomas High School when it was situated on Adams Avenue in downtown Scranton. He followed his father into employment with American Oil Co and worked out of York and Harrisburg.

He left American Oil Co. in 1941 to launch a marine engineering company that eventually had offices all over the country and employed 6,000 workers. Ile headed the Boston division. After World War II, he became a partner in the purchase of an airport in New York. This venture apparently was not successful because his only comment about it was "I wish I had never seen an airplane." The Biden family next returned to Scranton and it was in the years 1948, 1949 and 1950 that young Joe Biden grew up in Green Ridge with boyhood pals like Jimmy Kennedy, Larry Orr, Jimmy Bell and Charlie Roth.

The elder Biden recalls coaching a team in the Green Ridge Little League. He said the league was the first to be franchised after the original franchise went to Williamsport. And he recalls that his son Joe, a lad of tender years, was a member of the team. Mr. and Mrs.

Biden visited Scranton "a couple of years ago," according to the elder Biden. When they visit here, they are hosted by Marion McCormick (Micky) Finnegan, a sister-in-law of Jean Finnegan Bider'. Mr. and Mrs. Biden feel confident their son will gain the Democratic nomination for president, although Mr.

Biden said "a lot of hurdles" remain to be cleared. Even after leaving Scranton, the Bidens made periodic visits to the Finnegan homestead. Mrs. Bien made it a point to call on "Tommy and Ada Phillips they were very dear to me Tommy Phillips was like another father to me." The late Tommy and Ada Aronsohn Phillips rated highly with young Joe Biden, too. Years later, after becoming a U.S.

Senator, Biden dropped in to visit Phillips in The ScrantonianTribune news room whenever he happened to be in Scranton. Phillips was city editor of the newspapers and is generally given credit for dubbing Biden "Pennsylvania's third senator." The kitchen of the Phillips home was a favorite refuge for newsmen and politicians because all of what was said was "off the record," the Phillips' were gracious hosts and breakfast was served with the dawn. The elder Biden rated Tommy Phillips "a very close friend" and one can imagine him listening to political tales unfolded by The Biden family lived in the vicinity of Marywood College and so did at 2446 isl. Washington Ave. the Finnegan family of which Biden's bride- to-be was a member.

A brother of Jean Finnegan introduced Joe Biden Sr. to Jean and the couple wed in May of 1941. Jean's father, Ambrose Finnegan, was an employee of The ScrantonianTribune "Pop used to get ads for the papers and instead of retiring, he worked in the 'morgue' for many years," Mrs. Biden said during the interview. A newspaper library is known as a morgue.

Two of the Bidens' four children were born in Scranton Joe llfl. Currently, the IllIton Is managed Motor Hotel of It reported that at one point during the meeting between, the bankers and Rieeluti, Riceuiti claimed 1 1.,..,::. 0 01. 4 i litN-: ...0 4 '7" 1 4J-11441 :i.1.11,':, A 11, i 1 :.7::::..,....:.: .1 I- 6,:.. 4, I II tN 41 4.

7 1 pet ri tisitA had bee Scranton banks with a $508,766 claim awarded the financially ailing electrical -contractor by awanna statIon to the tuitc: of lawyer fflifllon Want more financial details and rcpresentlng the electrka contractor sontething. In from the hotel Said partners would be owners for paying the lzprove tither the prior; to any bankruptcy reveal OwflershIp Scranton Tribune teained vduaI tax returns, fnaflcta1 state Wednesday "tnents and Earlier this week, the' banks Met wIth After Scranton cIMm a gainst.EitA.;: architect and one Of the three said he was temptating filing said'. he a 'of unsecured itictultl. reportedLy gave littLe or No proceedings have financial detaIls on the possibIlity of been lodged 'Against the hotel, nor ba Serviconc4cli.tteaCraini.,Ecach;;::Fla44.'.::P:::''ithe hotel tiled tat putting lattisloh of into the It Is the local banks position that change in the management of the ton have to be approved by initially. revealed that which banks because of a prior agreement 55.

'hotels In la states. had been'. between ELRA The holds true At any transfer of '4 management takeover hotel'a E1.411A didnt need the banks approval for a new management takover or the Apparently, a local investment group headed by Jack Sweeney 'Owner of the Hobby and Craft Center; 420. I.Ackawanna and operator of gift shops at the III Iton. and Pocono: has taken a back In any talks of a i buyout of the Sweeney reportedly ilas not revealed thc.banks either the financial terins of any buyout or the names of group's Theifillon reportedly Is continuing to suffer from a cash 'flow' problem.

In December, Ricuitti said the hotel owed: experiencing 72 percent atan't sieea the baiiks7 approval Le.1.,v. management i. Investment eiouli 11 oard under attack Zoning Scranton Tribune JERRY PIFER Scranton Tribune- JERRY PIFER DESTROYING GUNS Scranton Public Safety Director James Klee holds a new Crossman pellet gun which was tossed in with a heap of other weapons destroyed Wednesday. The confiscated guns had to be rendered into harmless Junk rather than auctioned off because an ordinance forbids the sale or possession of pellet and BB guns within the city limits. allow Hobert Sherman special variances to operaterooming houses at 439 Monroe 439 McKenna Court, H49 Capouse Ave.

and 312-314 New St. All four had existed as rooming houses and the critics of the vote said the only reason Sherman came before' the zoning board on Friday was because he was made to do so by zoning enforcement officer Ron Kitias. "Tommy said it all," explained Edmund Pisano, director of public works in the Wenzel administration and still active in the Hill Neighborhood Association. Pisan said he worked for 10 years to help bring back the Hill Section and takes it hard seeing the zoning board ripping apart the community. "We have to protect the integrity of the neighborhood," he insisted.

"Rooming houses belong in commercial districts. They wouldn't allow this in Clarks Summit or Dalton." Pisan predicted that seven more requests for rooming house variances will come before the zoning board in coming meetings (Please turn to Page 7) By Lew Marcus A City Councilman, a cabinet official, two neighborhood association leaders and a rabbi from the Hill Section attacked the Zoning Board of Appeals Wednesday calling for a reappraisal of their role and actions. The salvos against the zoning board began with Councilman Thomas Comerford who said he toured the four rooming houses approved last Friday by the board and discovered them to be in dilapadated conditions. "The saddest part of the trip was the realization that the neighbors have had enough. They are now consigned to a losing battle to profiteers," the councilman bemoaned.

He strongly urged the mayor and his colleagues to meet with the zoning board members to help them understand their priorities. "I thought the situation with zoning was under control," he explained. "We have to have an understanding on this. I don't know if I can tolerate this in my neighborhood." Comerford was referring to the board decision last Friday to 'City destrspy's weapon Disabled By Mitch Grochowski Saying he's just doing his job, Scranton's Public Safety Director James Klee Wednesday supervised the destruction of police confiscated pellet and BB guns. The crushing took place in the yards of the Department of Public Works.

The weapons (Klee classifies them as such) were seized over 7 the years by police from a variety of investigations including cruelty to animals, criminal mischief and injuries to people. One of the guns destroyed Wednesday, a replica of an AR- 40 machinegun, was used in a bank heist, the public safety director "Air rifles and BB guns are illegal in the city," said Klee, holding a copy of a 1951 city council ordinance. "City residents are prohibited from using them. possessing them, storing them, Please turn to Page 8) gain part victory .441 i 'IL L--'- ------V :0 7 4,:17:: 4,0 4', Am 4rAr' 40; .14 a -64 pa, 4 4-41u 1 ,,,,.........,,,....,.....1., (- Ot 4,1 I .4,1 )1-, 'i 4 117'4 3 10 4' If" it, 1, ,...0 4 i 1 i. ,1,4 ir (4.0.."-''''' 't '''''t -4 14 04k 'AotAte' 444' I ,..4,6 AI ---i; ry.p.41 tr 0 l''" at A- 'rr''' a I a'94 4.

4 'A 4 I imp 4 '4 i- 4 I I By Dan Orr In an important decision for handicapped postal workers, Chief Federal Judge William J. Nealon has ruled that they are entitled to the same starting salaries as non-disabled workers. At the same time, however, the judge refused to order the Scranton Post Office to hire a Throop man and give him a choice of jobs under a program for the handicapped. The plaintiff, Robert J. Davis, 329 Charles had failed to qualify for a permanent position during a 90-day probationary period at the South Side facility two years ago.

He claimed that he might have passed the training if postal officials had granted him more time practicing on a mail sorting machine. He charged that non-handicapped persons training with him were given such a break. Davis suffers from (Please turn to Page 5) ---') 1-1 c- .0 0, 0 0 0 Ir- 4" ''A' A'Nf-t 4- e- 4 1 4,,,, a Vg At fet.e 1. 049 1,.... 4-7'; 1 --i 4, -4 t.

.4 144 ltto 4-. P. Of. 0 044 4 V0( 4, '4--I--11 6- le- 4, 11- '1, 3 et', 3s10- -2-4 4 Alto 4, "Ill" Scranton Tribune- SANDY TEDESCO too PACKMASTER ARSENAL Pictured are BB guns and air rifles placed into a city packmaster for crushing on Wednesday. Such weapons are supposed to be seized and destroyed in the City of Scranton but breaking up the guns proved difficult.

A bulldozer was pressed into service to run its heavy shovel over the weaponry. 1 RIPE FOR PICKING The strawberry season is in full swing once again and weather conditions this year seem to have been ideal for producing a bomber crop of the sweet red berries. Anne Capereill of Jessup joined other area residents Wednesday in hand-picking some strawberries at Pa Ilman's Farm, located along the Morgan Highway. Amin I.