Newspaper: The Sentinel
Date: April 10, 1979
Article: ‘Survival’ party planned for Goldsboro
Author: Deb Cline

State Rep. Eugene Geesey, R-92, wants to help the residents around Three Mile Island prove something to the world.

To do it, he’s planning a big party in the Goldsboro area for them, the national media, the president, the governor and his staff and others after a cold shutdown is achieved at the crippled nuclear power plant.
Goldsboro is one of the towns closest to Three Mile Island.

The bash will feature entertainment and refreshments made from all local products to prove to the world that there’s nothing wrong with Central Pennsylvania meat, milk, or candy – or people.

“OUR AREA GOT a whole lot of adverse national publicity” during Three Mile Island, Geesey said. “If something isn’t done to counteract it soon, this could end up as a sort of depressed area.”

Geesey hopes the Three Mile Island ‘survival’ party will prove to the national media “that our ears didn’t fall off, our hair didn’t turn green, that we are normal human beings living in a healthy area.”

It is also designed to give the people living near the plant a good time after their ordeal last week, to get them “thinking good things again.”

The giant get-together could happen as soon as April 29 but Geesey is waiting for the cold shutdown before a definite date is announced.

HE’S WORKING with the Fairview Township supervisors and Goldsboro emergency preparedness director to organize the affair. And he hopes local people will donate some of their products, including local pigs and steers for roasting, Hershey chocolate bars, milk and other products.

Some of these products are reportedly being rejected outside the area because of fear that they might be contaminated with radiation.

Geesey said one farmer took his pigs to auction, but they were not accepted.

Another person had his canned goods rejected in New Jersey.

Rumor has it some grocery stores in Baltimore have posted signs outside saying they do not sell Pennsylvania products.

“We will use all local products to prove to the rest of the country there just isn’t a darn thing wrong with them,” Geesey said.