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Shenandoah prepares to advertise immigration and English ordinance

BY STEPHEN J. PYTAK
STAFF WRITER
spytak@republicanherald.com
10/17/2006

SHENANDOAH — The Shenandoah Borough Council decided Monday to advertise the version of the Illegal Immigration Relief Act and Official English Ordinance that Hazleton approved on Sept. 21.

“This is the revised version?” asked Council President Leo J. Pietkiewicz before the vote.

“Correct,” said solicitor Michael A. O’Pake.

The council intended to approve the Illegal Immigration Relief Act that Hazleton passed into law on July 13. It threatened to punish landlords who rented rooms to illegal immigrants with $1,000 fines and businesses who employed illegals by taking away their licenses for up to five years. It also insisted that all correspondence to and from the municipality be in English.

The Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against Hazleton in August.

While other Schuylkill County municipalities adopted the law during the summer, including Gilberton, Mahanoy City, Mahanoy Township and West Mahanoy Township, Shenandoah held off to see how Hazleton would take action.

In September, Hazleton Mayor Louis J. Barletta and Hazleton City Council broke its ordinance into two.

The new City of Hazleton Illegal Immigration Relief Act puts the burden of verifying immigration status on the municipality, giving landlords and businesses time to correct violations before imposing sanctions. By creating an “Official English Ordinance,” Hazleton separated the topic of language from illegal immigration.

Frackville took action to advertise these revised laws on Oct. 10.

In other matters Monday, the council said it will address two liquor license requests at a special public hearing to be held the week of Nov. 13-17, which is just prior to the next council meeting.

One is an appeal from Robert J. and Andrea M. Bubarsky, Shenandoah, who are looking to open a night club in the former Goodwill Industries store at 121-123 N. Main St. The council denied the Bubarskys’ initial request on May 17.

“That was taken up on appeal. We had a brief hearing today where the judge requested that the matter be sent back to borough council so we can do some findings of fact and conclusions of law and things of nature. So we’re going to need another public hearing on that issue,” O’Pake said.

The second request was from the restaurant La Casita de Familia, 8 E. Centre St., which opened November 2005. Borough Manager Joseph L. Palubinsky said the hearing date had not yet been set.

In other matters, the council hired Jonas Excavating at a bid of $25,800 to demolish and remove dilapidated properties at 300-312 S. Ferguson St.

There were five bidders. The other four were: Northeast Excavation Inc., $47,100; AMC Enterprise, $29,949; Northeast Industrial Services, $37,825, and Empire Wreaking Services, $46,330.

The demolition will be financed with state Community Development Block Grant funds, Palubinsky said.

In a related matter, council released $20,000 in state CDBG funds allowing Rescue Hook & Ladder Company to purchase a new fire truck.

“They anticipate receiving their new truck sometime in November,” Palubinsky said.



©The REPUBLICAN & Herald 2006