pea 8 sere oe 73 YEARS A NEWSPAPER Oldest Business Institution - Telephone Numbers Back of the Mountain ' 674-5656 . 674-7676 a nny RETR TEN CENTS PER COPY—SIXTEZN PAGES MORE THAN A NEWSPAPER, A COMMUNITY INSTITUTION \ VOL. 75, NO. 15 THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1963 HE DALLAS POST \WO EASY TO REMEMBER Council Tables Mill Tax Issue: Resolves To Borrow Added $5000 Halt Forest Fire On Schooley Mountain Noxen Fire Company and about forty forestfire fighters battled a * blaze which stretched over some fifteen acres of Schooley Mountain early Saturday afternoon, and sub- dued it within two hours.’ Equipment used was mostly rakes and Indian tanks, although the company used around 200 gallons of water to protect several houses from heat and sparks. A number of homes were threatened, but none damaged. Fire Chief Calvin Strohl and As- sistant Chief Ernest Teetsel direct- ed the company, and Fire Warden Francis Schenck led the forest-fire fighters. Board Says Home Must Shoulder Responsibility Not Function Of Schools To Punish Moral Infracticns 8 Lake-Lehman school directors 18 to 2, exact penalities for moral laxness among the students, holding that morals are the business of the homes and the churches, not of the school board. To bar any student from receiv- ing an award won in fair competi- tion or to make provision for such a student to receive a diploma in " private instead of with the remain- der of the class, was unjust dis- crimination, according to Willard Sutton, chairman of the joint board, and could in fact be considered li- belous, subject to redress by law. Last month, a delegation of about thirty, including Rev. James Garra- han, pastor of Maple Grove Meth- odist Charge, and Carl Swanson, appeared before the board, asking for action. They were asked to return at a . Jater date after inguiries had been. "made of other school systems to determine a standard State-wide policy approved by State Board of Education. Seven of the original thirty con- fronted the school board Tuesday evening, to hear a six-point code of student conduct purportedly recom- mended by the Policy Committee headed by Charles Womer, Noxen Township, and proposed for adop- tion by [Howard Piatt and Mr. Womer. Last month, Dean Shaver, a member of the policy committee, took exception to the statement that’ the code was recommended by the committee. It had been, he said, presented to the committee, which had met with only four mem- bers present, two for and two against the proposal, and had been referred to the school board for consideration, but not with the blessing of the policy committee. declined Tuesday evening to On being asked to express their views, members of the delegation remained’ silent. Mr. Sutton then took .the floor. He stated that in- quiry had been made of various RN districts in this area and of the Attorney General of the State of Pennsylvania, and in every in- stance the answer had been that adoption of such a code was not in the interests of the student or of the school. He continued: “I do not feel that this lis entirely a problem for school administrators, but rather a par- ental and church problem which should be dealt with at the home level.” He congratulated the board on voting down a proposal which might well have resulted in a court case and much laundering of soiled linen in public. The problem is not a new one. It is a rare high school which does not have one or two cases of preg- nancy during a school year. School directors felt there was little per- centage in crying over spilled milk, heaping further humiliation and em- barrassment upon the victims by singling them out and depriving them of normal companionship and contact. A brisk business meeting follow- ed the exodus of the delegation. Three teachers were hired, accord- ing to recomrhendation of Lester Squier, supervising principal: Mary Alice Hand, Florence Billings, and Geraldine Goodman. April 19 was set for of new band uniforms, at the an- nual spring band concert. Old band uniforms were donated to the Band Sponsors for disposal. Refinancing of bonds was granted Lehman School Authority, if such a move would result in saving the school district money. School calendar of 180 days was fixed, 185 teachers. Opening date for students, September 4; last day . dedication Will Suggest Jeter For Service Honor On recommendation of solicitor to the effect that it would be a shame for the two municipalities to be fighting in a courtroom, borough council tabled the matter of $4500 real estate transfer tax now dis- puted with Dallas township, at the meeting Tuesday night. In other business, council award- ed bids on road materials, and voted approval of a resolution to borrow an added $5000. Borough engineer John Jeter is council’s unanimous recommenda- tion for an award given by the In- stitute of Municipal Government, Wilkes College, in May, for out- standing, devoted, and unselfish service by a municipal official. Mr. Jeter remembers doing work for Dallas in 1917. Council tabled a proposal brought up in a letter from the school dis- trict that the borough pay $76, esti- mated fair share of a 1963 census to be taken throughout the district. Last census was in 1961. ; Solicitor Robert Fleming con- tinued to stress that he did not feel that the township wanted to go to court over the tax sum, de- rived from the sale of Natona Mills’ two years ago and sent by mistake to the township rather than the borough. Township supervisors tabled the matter at their meeting last week, and the issue is now at somewhat of a stalemate. According to solicitor, ~in the event of suit, proceedings would be initiated against the mill itself, which would then join township as added defendent. Legal obligation, he said, is still on Natona to pay the tax and the accumulated interest up to point of notification of township of the error. He will write to the: company again, and apprise them of the borough’s view of the situation. Confusion stems from the deed- ing of the mill when it changed hands, and a decision by the Su- perior Court in 1952 to the effect that henceforth the mill property was within borough boundaries, and permanently annexed to. the bor- ough. ‘Maps: were never changed follow- ing that decision, and deeding of the transfer followed the old deed which said the mill was in the township. Contracts were awarded at the meeting as follows: bituminous ma- terials, Dale Parry; stone and gravel, bituminous materials, Mathers Con- struction; patching, Dale Parry; stone and gravel, Airport Sand and Gravel; ' stone, American Asphalt; salt, International Salt; motor pav- er, Koon Concrete. No bids were received on pipe or street sweeper. Jointure PTA Elects W. Frey Group Enjoys Night Of Music And Art William Frey, Oak Hill, was elected president of Lake-Lehman PTA Monday evening in the new high school. Other officers are: 1st vice presi- dent from the high school, James Darling; area vice president from Lake township, Mrs. Taft Truska, Jr.; from Noxen, Mrs, J. Franklin Patton, Lehman, Mrs. Thomas G. Brown; Ross Township, Mrs. Bur- ton Gordon; secretary, Mrs. Preston Mingus, and treasurer, Earl Crispell. On the nominating committee were: Elwood Ruckle, chairman, Harry Edwards and Gilbert Tough. | Richard Williams presided; Mrs. Myron Moss led in prayer; secre- tary’s report was given by Mrs. Mingus and treasurer’s report by Mr. Crispell. Mrs. Mingus announced that the Charter has been received. | The group voted to donate twenty | five dollars to the Hannah Kent Schaff Memorial Scholarship Fund. Anthony Marchakitus reported that selection of courses for 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade students is in progress. chairman, announced the topic for . the evening’s entertainment ‘Music and Art.” The Reed Choir, made its first appearance before an audi- ence. The Brass Choir was the second group to perform, both choirs under, direction of John Miliauskas. The Dance Band, newly formed, student director Jay Ruckle, completed the musical program. . PTA members visited the ‘Rcom to see the Art Exhibit. Judges Graydon Mayer, Mrs. Thomas Long- nounced the winners: 1st prize, Rita Zbick, for collage; 2nd prize, Douglas Ide, for his figure study in charcoal; 3rd prize, Richard Wil- liams, for his oil painting entitled “Still Life.” Honorable mention for a Paper Mosaic was given to anne Ide. “2 of school, June 11. Cornell, Mrs. Jonathan Valentine, program Caddie Wants A Vicious Ugly Dog Caddie LaBar says he would be glad to take a vicious dog off the hands of anybody who wants to get rid of one, after being robbed again early yesterday morning. As was the case several months ago, and many times before, his store and Orchard Farms Restaurant were broken into the same night, as was Parry’s Gulf which was burglar- ized the week before last. Caddie was the most seriously hit, losing two revolvers, four radios, two tape recorders and a spotting | scope on a tripod. Parry’s, across and down the road, | had a cigarette machine broken in- to, and telephone ripped off the wall, and an attempt was made to open ! a 4x4 safe. there, as happened the last time the restaurant was vandalized. Thieves broke the same plate- glass window in the front of Caddie ds before, and the same plate of ! glass in the kitchen door at Orchard | Farms. Caddie says he thinks it must be | the same group which hits his place | every time, and intends to get either a dog or a burglar alarm. Borough police officer Raymond | Titus checked Parry’s and Orchard | Farm soon after the LaBar theft was | discovered by state police at 2:20 a.m. At that time they had not been touched. On re-check at'4 a.m., the other’s had been hit. Three similar burglaries in Ed- wardsville shopping center and Kingston on Wyoming Avenue that night are also under investigation. Ninety-Five Residents Get Chest X-Rays Made Ninety five local residents had chest X-rays on Monday when the Wyoming Valley Mobile Unit visited the Back Mountain area. George C. Mills manning the X- ray unit without assistance, report- ed congenial comers kept him oc- cupied during the pleasant spring day. Director Candidates May Be Questioned " [Citizens Committee for Better Schools invites candidates for Dallas School Director to state their case, their qualifications, their ideas about a. good educational system, confin- ing themselves to five minutes each, at a Town Meeting Wednesday, April 24, 8 p.m. at Dallas ‘Senior High School. Invitations were issued to these candidates: William E. Davis, Fran- cis J. Dixon, Andrew Kozemchak, Charles H. Mannear, Donald A. Pet- erson, Rev. William W. Reid, L. L. Richardson and William Wright. Questions to be answered are: 1. Why do you want to be a School Board member? Why do you feel qualified to serve ? What do you think most needs to be accomplished and how do you propose to accomplish it? . What is the primary function of the School Board ? 5. We all know that better ed- ucation costs money. Are you willing to raise taxes in order to improve the quality of educat- ion ? 2. 3. Art | more and Mrs, Lester Hauck, an- will hold its annual Spring Concert | for the first time in the new high | school auditorium April 19 and 20. The 114 members of the senior band will make their first appearance in new concert uniforms of black and gold. Well-known throughout the Back Mountain Area and much of Wyo- ming Valley, the group has won championships at New York State for the past two years. They were broadcast over WNAK radio from Faye Brown, Esther Arendt, Peggy | Clarke, Georgeann. Adams and Di-|ed on Sunday Serenade, seen on Art Supervisor is Jane | WBRE-TV in December. the Idetown Festival last summer and ‘the Brass Choir section appear- 1 | | Nothing seems to have been taken | | | materials, 1st. Row—Lelt to Right—Vicky Tannery Sold! ‘Armour Tannery in Noxen has been sold! ; All of Noxen = area is electric with anticipation this week, won- dering if a new industry is to oc- ‘cupy the long-idle plant. Williamsport office of Armour and Company has not issued a state- ment as to what will be the dis- position of the tannery, or who has bought it. " Many Noxen villagers fear the plant has been sold for dismantling, although no concrete grounds for the belief exist. Manager Raymond Evlan, at the Williamsport office, informed Fore- men Elvin Bean and Leslie Kocher, both of ay cen, that “the nt nd company houses nearby were sold. ‘Word from Williamsport has it that official declaration can not be expected until next week at the earliest. And Noxen and the Back Moun- tain are waiting. Supervisors To Consult League; Major Answers Winter's Charges Lehman township supervisors have agreed to consult with representa- tives of the Pennsylvania Economy League on demand of secretary auditor Fred Winter. Winter appended to the audit, filed at the courthouse, a state- ment of several “irregularities” in the management of funds by sur pervisors. This is not a surcharge, he points out, but simply a dec- laration of what he has seen wrong. ‘Winter says ‘the statement of alleged “irregularities” has nothing to do with the fact that he is*rufi- ning for supervisor against Alan Major, in the May primaries. Major says the board will con- sult with ‘the Economy League to avoid “commotion,” but stresses that there is no misappropriation of funds involved ‘in this attack, but simply technicalities on wheth- er, for example, a police car could be bought with funds slated for “road machinery.” It was all township money, he added, and bids and plans were openly advertised. The only prob- lem is that money, not slated for any other use anyway, was used to buy a cruiser, for which a loan would have had to have been taken out otherwise. Other points disputed by Winter concerning pipe purchased, building and missing fire equip- ment, as well as a complaint about the imcongruency of police salaries with income tax forms were all ex- Prize-winning Lake-Lehman Band | Gennetts, Wendy Allen, Mary Lou Casterline, Debbie Reish, Gail Kelley, Linda Minor, Pam Raklewicz, Joyce Spencer, Richard Williams, Helen | Dugan, Ruth Adamshick, Judy Stortz, Beverly Bonning, Mary Ann Jeffery, Barbara Sebolka, Karla Ray, Emily Minckler. 2nd. Row—Sheldon Ehret, Bob | | Piatt, Diane Ungvarsky, Marion Per- | kins, Charles Murphy, Fred Valen- tine, Steve Kenyon, Kathy Price, Kathy Mingus, Joy Agnew, Joe Mar- | chakitus, Roberta Ide, Lillian Schlos- | ser. 3rd. Row—Mr. John Miliauskas, Richard Mazonkey, Curt Swanson, Donna Wesley, Sandra Agnew, Judy Kocher, Dawn Covert, Carl Nem-| . IA 4 plainable, according to Major. Economy League said it had not yet been consulted, but that, if it were, some of the constructive sug- gestions it might make would be on budgeting, accounting control, and recommendations - on ap- proaches to purchasing. Winter said he had found more than $4000 worth of ‘irregulari- ties,” ‘although he did not itemize them. His signature, in any case, is: affixed, with that of auditors Paul Doris and Jean Agnew in ap- proval of the audit. -Inithe. space where hig signature appears the second time, as the attest secretary, he refers to the exceptions made at the end of the audit. Major says he is getting tired of people calling him up at night and accusing him of all kinds of things as a result of a report of the meet- ing last week. He feels everything is readily explicable. For example, he says, all build- ing material purchases made in 1962 were under the mandatory bid mark of $1000. Discrepancy be- tween police’ salary allotments and W2 forms comes from the old sys- tem before the cruiser was bought, in which some money was expenses on personal cars used in police work. In the case of the strictly legal point of whether or not a police car could be bought out of road | machinery funds, Major says the supervisors had it on authority of czyk, Edward Jones, Gary VanScoy, Gene Bertram, Darrell Loomis, Linda Conner, Joe Zbick, Rebecca Mon- tross. 4th. Row—Marlene Patton, Shirley Disque, Joy Johnson, Jane Delkanic, Eunice Oney, Marguerite Hackling, Joanne Wesdloski, Karlen Jones, Cathy Newberry, Howard Ellsworth, Dorne White, David Sutton, Alan Landis, Homer Baker. 5th. Row—Lillie Ferrey, Susan Fielding, Eileen Crane, Joyce Del- kanic, Bruce Anderson, David Bates, Ruth Shouldice, Kathy Stroud, Mar- jorie Evans, Douglas Gentile, Lee Johnson, Renald Davenport, Roy Squier. 6th. Row—Eileen Miers, Pat Kutz, Owls Stomily Decline Invitation To Hoot Hurricane type winds howling through the area Thursday evening frustrated bird lovers on an owl- calling expedition. Members of Back Mountain Bird Club had assembled at the home of Edwin Johnson, Midland Drive, to coax forth their nocturnal friends. Mr. Johnson, adept at hooting, has frequently brought the birds swooping about his home, but the restless night found the owls cling- ing to their favorite branches, un- willing to venture forth. Possibility of presenting the Au- dubon Lecture Series in this region next’ year wag: discussed. Evans presided. A movie, “Protection of Southern Birds” was shown by Terry Balti- more. Present were Mr. and Mrs. William Pierce, Jr., Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Chester Nesbitt, Ronald Naveen, the officers and the host and hostess. ned the editor of Township News maga- zine that such appropriation was permissible. Winter replies that the board should consult with solicitor more carefully before making such de- cisions. Major adds that it was indeed Winter who cost the township money by holding on to the account books, so that supervisors were un- able to apply to Harrisburg for their usual allotment of funds, thus neces- sitating an expensive loan. Both parties, in any case, seem satisfied with invoking the Economy League. Prize Winning Band Schedules Annual Concert Marsha Thomas, Wilma Long, Gaile | Harrison, Phyllis Ross, Richard Sar- | monis, Tony Stefanowicz, David Dershimer, Gary Hackling, Jay Ruc- kel, Cherryl Thomas. 7th. Row—Elizabeth Shaver, Rob- ert Rood, David Kenyon, Foster Bul- ford, Joseph Kernag, Bill Ehret, Gary Miers, Kris Miller, Doug Ide, Barry Ray, Bill Baer, John Fielding. 8th. Row—Ronald Culver, Keith Swanson, Blair Newberry, Gary Hop- fer, John MacMillan, David Arendt, Thomas Shalata, Lewis Hopfer, Stan- ley Palmer, James Worth, Xen Ellsworth. Absent—John Balavage, Jerry Balavage, Barbara Ross, Donna Par- rish, Kathy McHose, Richard Maye. William | Arnott Name Date For Kick-off Dinner The seventeenth annual Back Mountain Library Auction will take place this year on July 11, 12, and 13 with Atty. Robert Fleming serv- ing as general chairman and Frank Huttman co-chairman. As usual the scene of the Auction will be the barn and surrounding grounds of the late Howard Risley whose guidance and enthusiasm will be sorely missed this year. Starting off the Auction season on Thursday May 16 will be the kick- off dinner, fast becoming an annual institution like the Auction itself. John N. Conyngham III, who served as general co-chairman last year, will be in charge of the dinner. Held in the main dining room of Irem Temple Country Club at 6:30, it will be attended by all auction personnel, the three local service clubs- Kiwan- is, Rotary and Lions as well as other interested residents of the com- munity. Tickets will be available soon. Mr. Huttman is new to the Auction | scene but not to the community, | having lived here for six years. He | is an active member of the Dallas Methodist Church where he serves on the Board of Trustees and Official Board. He is also a member of the George M. Dallas Lodge F. & AM. and the Irem Temple A.A.O.N.M.S. His wife is the former Edna Martin of Long Island, New York where Mr. Huttman was also raised and educated. The couple have two child- ren, Robert and John. Mr. Huttman is with the Boston Store as mer- chandise manager for women’s ap- parel. Other chairmen of the Action booths and activities will be an- nounced at the kick-off#&iiner. Little League "Farm" Planned Baseball For Boys To Assemble Tuesday Expansion of the league to eight teams and development of a farm league are projects this year of Back Mountain Baseball for Boys, organ- ization which fostered the 1962 state champion Little League All-Stars. Added interest in the sport has come about as the Back Mountain boys led the area to the front of the news last year, and new teams, as Weias a request “ar new. bl Jod av mong “the Boosters, will "be ‘among’ topics considered at the first meet- ing Tuesday night, 7:30, at the YMCA in Shavertown. For this initial meeting of the 1963 season president Bob Parry an- nounces the following agenda: Expansion of the league to eight teams. Presently the league is made up of six teams, but many boys do not have the opportunity to play. The development of a farm league, which the Kiwanis Club of Dallas has offered to sponsor. The league would be in charge of the Dallas Key Club and for boys ages 8, 9, and 10 who did not make the major or minor league. ment stand and press box, at the lit- tle league field in Dallas Township. Adoption of a fund raising project to underwrite the cost of the new buildings. The organization of the official opening for both the Little League and Teenage League. All men in the area who are in- terested in Baseball for Boys are urged to attend. With the plans of expansion and forming of a new league, new faces and new blood is needed. At present the organization needs managers, coaches and um- pires. If you cannot attend, but are interested, call -Bob Parry 674-7206. Family Homeless After Noxen Fire Harveys Lake and Kunkle Fire Companies joined the Noxen crew in a three-hour battle to restrain a fire which gutted a house in the middle of Noxen Tuesday night. . Made homeless by the four-hour blaze Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Hubbell and son were given shelter by neighbor Don Meeker. The Hubbell home, one of the oldest in the vil- lage, is located between Market Street and the railroad tracks. Alarm was turned in by Al Gobel, who lives nearby. Three companies were comprised of about 50 men, and they used tanks of all trucks in addition to running three lines from Bowman's Creek. The ‘home was partially covered | by insurance. Family escaped with only the clothing they were wear- ing and a few articles of furniture. The fire, which probably started in an adjoining garage, shot thirty foot flames through the house at one point, and eyewitnesses said smoke pouring from the - building was of many colors and very thick. Mrs. Hubbell was the only one in the house when the fire broke out in the garage, and she was not aware of it until she heard the siren. = Son Richard was at a neigh- bor’s house at the outbreak, and Mr. Hubbell was still at work. Assistant Chief Ernest Testsel, Noxen Fire Company, directed the operation, Projects of building a new .refresh-. Dallas Directors Adopt 7 :1:tative Budget Lor Year Spiralling Costs Mandate Increase Of Real Estate Tax With Mrs. Ann Vernon pressing for a review of the proposed budget for the school year 1963-64, Dallas Area School Board will testudy. sev- eral items. Tentative budget of $1,203,810.00 was approved Tuesday evening with Richardson, Davis and Mitchell, dissenting. Efforts to forestall any tax in- crease failed when spiraling school costs necessitated a proposed 4 mill increase in real estate taxes. Per capita assessment remained at the previous level. Morris Slater, representing Citi- zens for Better Schools, stated that an increased quality of education was worth paying for and that his group would accelerate its program. School term was set at 181 days. An estimated 2,862 students will enroll in September, an increase of 122 over the present figure. Av. erage cost per pupil was set at $420.62. A letter from Attorney Bernard Kotulak, representing Luzerne County Housing Authority, revealed that accumulated deficiencies of that body represent a total of $104,998.45 and that no payment in lieu of taxes can be made in the foreseeable future. ; Disclosure followed a conference between Housing Authority mem- bers and ! ea’ \fficials, Dr. Robert Mellman, Lester swauck, William Johnson, Atty. Jonathan Valentine. Mrs. Vernon. noted the local Hous- ing ‘Authority was the only one in the,state not making payment. Dr. Mellman proposed that state repre. = sentatives directly contact Depart- ment of Public Instruction, 2 Resignation of Mrs. Gloria Bron-. ! son was accepted, effective May 10, with Mrs. Raymond Goeringer re- placing her as Home Economics In- structor for the balance of the year. Resignation of Jeannine Hoover, clerk stenographer, was accepted. Mrs. George Voorhees, Shaver- town, was placed on the substitute | teachers list. : Mrs. Helen Michaels and Mrs. Marian Katacinski were approved as part time cafeteria workers, : placin ing Mrs Albert. Co d Mri. Joanna Phillips. 0. aa 4 Joseph Chisko was added to Tist yi! of substitute custodians, Mrs. Jo- | seph Noon to substitute Ci 3 workers. ba Mabel Jenkins was appointed in- structor in girls’ hockey field. William Price was approved as track coach at junior high school, following resignation of John Cath- rall. i3 Sister M. Catherine Elizabeth, studying for her doctorate at Temple {| University was granted permission to conduct. an experimental study of fourth grade reading. / Key ‘Club was responsible for packing many cartons of clothing for 50,000 homeless .in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia floods re- cently. . Dallas School District was granted permission to participate in North- eastern Pennsylvania Educational Television Association activities. Director Earl Phillips urged recog- nition of teachers doing extra study on their own time. % Train Company received order for a unit ventilator at their low bid of $447.00. Purchase of a Water Softener Unit was awarded to Dacar Chem- ical Company at low bid of $634.75 delivered. Contracts for purchase of Art Supplies totaled $1,765.34, custodial needs, $1,309.92, general supplies, $8,613.38, medical equipment, $297.45. Cer Bi Hd Four Fires Keep Firemen On Jump Shavertown firemen were busy Saturday afternoon when four fires broke out within a two hour period. First call was' from Shagbark Drive where a spark from the Rich- j ard Rudy incinerator flew into the dry grass threatening the wooded area of the near hill iravelng up to Summit Street. fll Firemen were next called to Mt. Airy Road where an unidentified person had started a grass fire and then left the scent. Area ignited was in the rear of the Walter Karl prop- erty and nearly involved sheds and other buildings nearby. Volunteers were just loading equipment when the Shagbark Drive blaze re-ignited. While directing his men behind Lehigh Street, Chief Arnold Yeust spotted smoke and | flames on the railway trestle along Shaver Avenue. ol Youngsters had started a blaze there which would have threatened heavily populated Shaver Avenue had not firemen been immediately on the alert. : Major Barn Damaged Thursday evening's high winds | caused extensive damage to Bur- ton Major's barn at Lehman, when the side and door ripped loose. u