Eagle Observer

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EAGLE

EAGLE OBSERVER, MARCH 16, 2011

Opinion

From the Executive Editor

In the wake of Japan’s nuclear horror, looking back at another nuclear accident

By Gary Catt It was just about 32 years ago this month that the U.S. faced the most significant nuclear accident in the nation’s nuclear power history – Three Mile Island. I was there.

So, it’s with a sense of fear and awe that I watch Japan’s nuclear horror unfold in the wake of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that peeled open at least two of the country’s nuclear power plants and prompted the evacuation of thousands.

March 28, 1979 brought a bright, sunny and unseasonably warm day to Harrisburg, Pa., the state capital where I worked as the bureau chief for a metropolitan newspaper. It was a slow time in the legislative calendar and most of its members were back in their districts.

The newsroom was on the second floor of the Capitol at the rear of the rotunda. I was prepared for a lazy day of phone calls and maybe a walk around the grounds before calling it day.

As usual, I stopped by the Associated Press desk to see if what was making news overnight. The onduty reporter shrugged that there wasn’t much news, but something might be going on at the power plant down the (Susquehanna) river. He heard from a radio reporter who heard from someone else that the state police had been called to Three Mile Island.

The exchange raised my curiosity. There wasn’t much going on. It was warm, sunny and open sunroof type weather. I asked my colleague from another newspaper if he wanted to take a ride.

The sweep of subsequent events gobbled the next two years of my professional life.

Some 30 minutes later I was at the entrance gate to TMI. The gatekeeper and a single trooper manned the checkpoint outside the fenced causeway to the plant. We were, of course, barred entry and told to contact the plant owner, Metropolitan Edison if we had any questions. There was no other movement on the island that we could discern.

See Three Mile,Page 27

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NEWSPAPERS

The overall burden of local property taxes According to the Onondaga County Executive Joannne M. Mahoney, when you add all the taxes property owners in our county pay — the county, city, town, village, school, fire, water, sewer, sanitation, special districts and more — it totals a staggering $866 million dollars.

This is strictly the amount of dollars raised in direct property taxes on residential and business properties in Onondaga County.

It is a phenomenal amount of money to expect local property owners to pay year after year, especially when one realizes Onondaga County property taxes are among the highest in the nation.

The high rank is predicated upon the percentage of real estate taxes paid based on property assessed valuations.

The recent hullabaloo with the newly established

Clyde

Ohl

The good Ohl days sales tax distribution formula, with major changes effecting schools and all municipal governments, serves as a case in point.

Local municipalities, including school districts, really face what can be described as a triple whammy. The first is the loss of sales tax revenue, the second is the anticipated decreases in state and federal aid and the third is the specter of rapidly increasing retirement and health insurance costs.

Difficult situations should force us to question everything we do and to continually strive to do things better.

A new trend seems to be emerging, one taking the place of the earlier ef-

forts to merely protect the turf of local governments.

Municipal governments have several choices they can implement in their efforts to realize financial equilibrium. The first is to undertake belt-tightening efforts internally.

An example of this is the decision of West Genesee School District staff members to forego contracted salary increases for one year. The staff members of several other school districts in the county have joined in this cost-cutting is effort.

Another approach gaining some headway is the idea of examining the structure of our local governments. Can dollars be saved by merging services, thus reducing some budgetary pressures?

One example for consideration is a suggestion advanced by the Onondaga County Executive.

She has proposed turn-

My time, my place Ann

“Where do you get with the world. the ideas for your colI can’t even remember umn?” Where? Well, what I said in return. I am sometimes they just hoping that it was less vituRamblings perative than my thoughts. come quite energetifrom the cally out of the ether Those statements were an empty nest indication of a bizarre kind from an experience or a thought, other times of political correctness that bits of ideas kind of snuggle into my disparages anything that is associated consciousness. Something that has with “woman’s work” and a dismissal been scratching at my consciousness of activities that were once acceptable for quite some time is the thought that pursuits but have now been relegated the older we get, the further we get to a kind of pariah state. Not only are from being comfortable in the world. they considered female, but also a I am so out of sync with oversized waste of time, resources and, here is pants, you know … the kind that you the coup de grace… with an unprohave to hold up to cross the street, ductive existence. They are outmoded, with music so loud that it hurts my dated, relegated to history. ears, with TV shows that glorify Well, I am a female of a certain age. infidelity, promiscuity and the cartoon I have been crocheting and knitting men and women that populate their since I was a child, courtesy of my macasts, with the obsession to watch taw- ternal grandmother. There are many dry, immoral and dangerous behavior people who have worn my handas daily fare. I have little ken with crafted sweaters, scarves, mittens (I’ve those who feel they are above the need never tried to knit gloves) and such for the spiritual side of their existence and scores of babies who have worn or and for whom accumulation is a life’s been wrapped in my crocheted efforts. goal. All of these things seem almost Others have received pillowcases and mainstream to me and here I am off sheet sets with delicate crocheted lace on a side stream wondering what hap- edgings. Each of these items was made pened. with years of practice behind it and Now, this particular issue isn’t with something else… my time and world shaking. I don’t expect the my caring.

Times to seek me out for expansion I appreciate those of my generation of this, but last week, I told someone who chose not to indulge in my hobby that I was pleasantly surprised to find and I celebrate other ways to spend an old pattern book for filet crochet our time. But, just think about this… on the Internet. The response to this It does seem so au courant. I am using very innocent and, what I thought was the Internet to find resources with at least minimally interesting statewhich to pursue something that my ment about what you can find in cyber grandmother, born in 1889, taught space, was a tidal wave of eye rolling me a lifetime ago. I am who I am, condemnation. “Crocheting? What complete with my knowledge and century are you living in?” And, yes, enjoyment of a craft that may not be there were more negative comments the hallmark of the modern savvy about grannies and such. This was one senior woman. I claim this time and of those hairs-on-back-of-the neck place as much mine as anyone’s. That moments where my ire came bounddoes seem worthy of a few words on ing out of wherever it hides. I was, ac- paper... this one. cording to this intellect, out of touch

Ferro

ing snow plowing of the county roads over to the towns. Who knows, it might be possible to realize significant savings for snow removal for the entire county.

School districts, which account for more than 50 percent of our property taxes, might well be candidates for consolidation. A recent conversation with a professional school consultant indicates school districts in more rural areas are in very preliminary stages of possible merger talk. However, he indicated no such initiatives are under way in Onondaga County.

The time is now ripe for intensive and extensive efforts to examine all structures of governmental services in order to provide truly cost-effective solutions for the budget dilemmas.

Marcellus Memories

50 years ago, 1961 Mary Jane

Domurat

Years

ago

The Marcellus Mustangs retained their first place tie with Baldwinsville by downing Skaneateles 68-62 on the loser’s floor. The Mustangs were co-champions last year with Skaneateles.

The Mustang’s only loss was to Solvay and B’Ville lost to Marcellus by one point.

Skaneateles held a two-point lead at the half. With the score bouncing back and forth, Leo Miller picked up a loose ball and sped the length of the court to put the Mustangs out in front for good.

Tim Taylor led the scoring for the night with 23 points.

Dave Driver and John Parry had 18 and 12 respectively.

Tom Mullen was the leading Mustang scorer for the season with 199 points and made first string All-County. Tim Taylor, Dave Driver and John Parry made second string and Chris Wiles made third string. The Mustangs move on to the play-offs when they face Skaneateles on the West Genesee court. B’ville plays West Genesee on the North Syracuse court for the AD Division championship.

The Marcellus JV’s downed Skaneateles for the second time this season 45-40 on the loser’s court. The conSee Years ago, next page