1954 WILKES-BARRE RECORD ALMANAC LUZERNE COUNTY IN 1953 Hostilities ended in Korea with the signing of the armistice in July, but at the year’s end residents found little change in the cost of living. Demands for wage increases were being heard frequently. Abolition of the Wage Stabilization Board enabled workers to seek increases without governmental interference. Land-lords were able to raise rents because rent controls were abolished. At least 2,500 mine workers lost their jobs through the closing of mines and breakers, but many were absorbed at other workings. An estimated 13,000 men and women in the Wilkes-Barre Labor Market were unemployed. At the beginning of the year and at the end the number had tapered considerably. Greater Wilkes-Barre Industrial Fund, Incorporated, and the Committee of 100 continued to bring more industries into Wyoming Valley through its “Operation Jobs” campaign launched in 1952. In March the McGregor Sportswear firm leased the Duplan Building in Nanticoke with prospects of 450 jobs. In May Woodbury Manufacturing Company brought Weave Mill No. 5 of Wilkes-Barre Lace Company and promised 350 additional jobs. In August Muskin Manufacturing Company brought three units of Wilkes-Barre Lace Company plant and planned jobs for 300. Erection of the giant $5,200,000 Foster Wheeler plant at Mountaintop was about completed at year’s end and hiring of 600 men was scheduled to get under way. County Commissioners began constructing highway facilities to the site as well as to Crestwood Industrial Park, a new 1,200-acre industrial development tract. A 26,000 sound motion picture film in color “This is Wilkes-Barre.) was made to help attract new industries to the area. Construction of multi-million dollar flood protection dike system got under way in the spring of 1953, on the West Side of the Susquehanna River to assist Forty Fort, Swoyersville, Exeter and Wyoming. Land damages were assessed as follows” State, 50 per cent; county and municipalities, 25 per cent each. Commissioners operated on a budget of $3,403,331.98, based on a tax levy of 8.2 mills, the same millage as during the three preceding years. No salary increases were granted county employees despite numerous requests. The county floated a $700,000 bond issue to finance the following improvements: $100,000 for the flood control project; $137,000 for Avoca Airport terminal building; $75,000 for highway land damages; $62,000 for Hazelton Airport; $99,000 for Wright and Fairview Township roads; $75,000 for county prison and courthouse work. The county’s outstanding debt was raised from $940,000 go $1,640,000 Commissioners approved commitments totaling $223,000 for land damages connected with contemplated State Highway Department improvements. The commissioners lowered the ceiling of Courtroom No. 2 and installed acoustical tile and new lighting fixtures at a cost of $25,000, with similar work in other three courtrooms to follow in 1954. Luzerne County Board of Assessment and Revision of Taxes fixed the county’s 1953 total valuation at $273,097,778 an increase of $469,746 over the 1952 figure. The State Department of Highways spent or awarded contracts totaling $8.7 million for highways and bridges in the year traffic started moving over the newly-constructed four-lane Ashley Boulevard project between Ashley and Mountaintop. When work was halted because of cold weather the $3,000,000 widening project between Mountaintop and Hazelton was well under way by three prime contractors. In September B. G. Coon Construction Company started to widen the Wilkes-Barre Nanticoke Highway into four lanes at a cost of $547,000. Work on construction of two bridges on the Narrows Road between Kingston and Plymouth was nearly finished. Nanticoke-Glen Lyon road was completed at cost of $417,000. Nearly three miles in Wilkes-Barre and some streets of Kingston and Avoca were repaved by the State. Work also was finished in relocating The double railroad grade crossing on the Bear Creek-White Haven Highway, eliminating one of the most hazardous grade crossings in the country. Gasparino Excavating Company of Peckville was awarded a contract for $2,779,593 for construction of the Avoca By-Pass (3.98 miles) to eliminate a series of traffic bottlenecks in Upper Luzerne and Lower Lackawanna Counties and pave the way for an adequate approach to Wilkes-Barre-Scranton Airport. The airport, opened in June, 1947, continued to enjoy steady progress. A new control tower was completed at a cost of $250,000. Attempt to persuade the Air Force to locate a $73,000,000 air jet maintenance depot near the airport failed. After more than a year’s preparation and expenditure of $1,250,000 Bell Telephone Company placed a new dial 2-5 numbering plan into operation on August 1. The 2-5 project, permitting eventual inter-toil dialing with other cities, brought to Wyoming Valley telephone exchanges the same telephone numbering system in effect in metropolitan New York and Philadelphia New central offices names were assigned to Wilkes-Barre, “VA” ; Kingston, “BU” ; Plymouth, “PR” ; Mountaintop, “GR” ; Pittston, “OL” . Wyoming Valley Community Chest Volunteers raised $721,804 in cash and pledges or 91 per cent of the $792,412 goal. In 1952 the Chest drive netted $711,988. TYPED BY DIANNE TRANSUE CORBY 1/11/2009