et
ga
: [owns And Schools Reason Together On Tax; Defer To Lawyers; Franklin In Squeeze
Wage tax situation and the practical problems of agree-
ment between municipalities and school board were left up
in the air this week, as a Monday night joint meeting ad-
journed on a legal note.
However, the Dallas Post is made to understand, the
question of superceding Acts to be studied is not likely to
have practical bearing on Wilkes-Barre’s wage tax or on the
one proposed as a defense in the Back Mountain.
Adjournment was on the note that four lawyers, for Dal-
las, Dallas Township, Kingston Township, and Dallas School
District will examine what is essentially a recodification of
the old “Tax Anything” law. However, and more important,
the lawyers will decide on an approach to the city of Wilkes-
Barre to determine whether or not, in fact, any municipality
in the Back Mountain can pass a wage tax effective on resi-
dents who work in that city in 1966. Dallas Borough has
expressed doubt on this; Dallas Township and Kingston Town-
ship say they can. Both admit room for dispute.
~~ The real problems, even if there is no municipal wage
Oldest Business Instifution
Back of the Mountain
75 YEARS A NEWSPAPER \
tax here until 1967, are these, as revealed in discussion Mon-
day night:
® School Board succeeded in getting the three munici-
palities threatening a one per cent wage tax together with
the School District, which can legally take half the tax re-
ceipts. :
® School Board missed out on getting a fast, concrete
answer from all municipalities, an answer it needs before
School budget is made up in July.
® Left hanging: School Board’s offer to withhold col-
lection of its share for a few years, possibly, if the whole Back
Mountain could agree on use of money for a common need.
® Borough of Dallas asserted it does not need the tax
money really, but is passing levy as a defense against Valley
tax. Borough questioned why school board needs to pass one
too.
: ® Predominantly rural Franklin Township was caught
in a squeeze as a member of the school district, because the
municipality would not have passed its own wage tax. Only
HE DALLAS POST
a handful of its people work in Wilkes-Barre. :
® Nobody ‘suggested that a local tax would not be the
only natural defense against the Wilkes-Barre wage tax.
“Protective” Or “A Little More Service”
Meeting was called to order by School Board President
Ann Vernon with the assumption that governing bodies in
the Back Mountain were going to have “some extra funds
available,” an allusion to the almost certain wage tax which
would be passed in the Back Mountain.
She immediately offered the floor to the three municipali-
ties for comment as to whether they planned a tax and
whether they needed it.
Harold Brobst, Chairman of Dallas Borough Council, said
he did not think the Borough needed it, but was advertising
intention to tax as a “protective” measure.
LaRoy Ziegler, Chairman of Kingston Township Super-
visors, said the board felt the wage tax could provide “a little
more service,” and might permit the township to acquire
allowing reduction of real estate tax.
Frank Townend, solicitor for Dallas Township, observed |
that it was his understanding that the municipalities had been
called to hear a school board proposal, but anticipated the
proposal anyway by stating that he was of the opinion that
a general tax would not be usable for a sewer system, that
money for a sewer would have to come from those who would
use it.
Franklin Township replied that it had come to the meet-
ing to listen.
Mrs. Vernon then made the school board suggestion, to |
the effect that if all were agreed on passing wage tax, per-
haps the School Board would not take its “share” initially if
the revenue were used to solve what could be termed the most
important problem in the Back Mountain, later referred to as
a “larger need.”
Brobst and Atty. Mitchell Jenkins concurred with Atty.
Townend that the sewage problem specifically, could not be
recreational areas and would provide relief to pensioners by
solved by a general tax.
Superintendent of Schools
Robert A. Mellman reported on his
Department of Internal Affairs, who
informed him of the mechanics of
passing a wage tax ordinance. In-
cluding waiting period after adop-
tion of ordinance, the time elapsed
TEN CENTS PER COPY TWELVE PAGES
Dr. John Blase To Head Kiwanis:
Mitch Jenkins F eted For Service
i children, Scotty, Judy and Robbie.
He is a Shavertown native and
following his graduation from Kings-
ton Township High School attended
Penn State College of Optometry.
ming Avenue, Kingston.
with terms of office of Treasurer,
on numerous Club committees, in-
cluding several terms as a Com-
mittee Chairman “and has been a’
delegate to both the National and
State Conventions.
| George McCutcheon announced
that reservations can still be made
for the February 5 bus trip to
Baltimore to see the University of
| North Carolina versus the Univers
ity of Maryland basketball game.
Former Back Mountain basketball
DR. JOHN A. BLASE
star, Tommy Gauntlett, is a mem-
&, Blase.
8 * Also installed at last night’s in-
ber of the North Carolina team.
| Busses will depart from Dallas at
8:00 am., February 5.' Game time
Di. John A. Blase was installed
last night as President of the Ki-
wanis Club at impressive cere-
fos Wield at the Ire Torplo(s 200 bam.
monies held a e Irem Temple
Country Club. ' Lieutenant Gover- | , resident Blase noted that Al
Ackerson, Pennsylvania = District
nor Robert Dempsey of Division 15
Kiwanis International conducted
the ceremony in which Dr. Blase,
Kingston optometrist, was seated
as President of the Club. Blase
succeeds retiring President Robert
Dolbear.
Chairman of Circle ‘K, has been
busily engaged in Circle K activi-
ties. Recently he extended greet-
ings from Kiwanis at the Temple
University “Circle K. Club Annual
Banquet, and was also in Newton,
Wa Ree ; ., ! Pa., for the chartering of the Circle
The, Dallas #iwanians also paid Club at Lower Bucks County
tribute last evening to Attorney | community College
Mitchell Jenkins who has completed g
30 years of outstanding service to
the Club. Jenkins, a past Lieuten-
ant Governor of Pennsylvania Ki-
Is intra-corporate
2 é | ‘Realty transfer of Natona Mills
wanians, was presented with a 3 | property deed is within the corpor-
year pin and honored for his loyal ate structure of the Indian Head
service to Kiwanis International by Mills, says Jack Stanley, president,
land does not change anything in
the existing set-up in Dallas.
stallation, ceremonies were the
following: First Vice President,
(@/arry Lefko; Second Vice President, | “the deal for transfer may be with-
Robert W. Parry; Treasurer, James in the corporate complex of present
B. Huston, Sr.; and Secretary, Vin-
cent D. Roman.
Directors of the Back Mountain
Club are Carl Goeringer, George
Thomas, Edwin L. Thompson, Paul
J. Laux, Edward J. Wilson, Thomas
Kreidler, Donald S. Anthony, Wil-
| that some people derived from the
headline the idea that the plant
had been sold to a buyer outside
the organization.
DALLAS DOWNS SEMINARY
With Roy Supulski scoring 26
liam H. Baker, Jr., and Leo A.
Corbett.
~ The installation program opened
with singing of America and the
‘Pledge of Allegiance. Invocation
' points and Mike Wilkes, 21, Dallas
‘| High School basketball team beat
| Wyoming Seminary 93-63, yester-
day, Dallas controlling in all but
| the third quarter.
Hy hind Drive, Dallas, where he re-
was given by John Henninger, Sr.| —.
The new Dallas Kiwanis Presi- | Finishes AF Course
dent has been a member of Kiwanis | Airman Third Class Judith A.
r the past ten years and has Rother, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
"achieved eight years of perfect at- Paul G. Rother of 83 Maplewood
He i idont of High Avenue, Dallas, has been graduated
tendance. gana rom 8 | at Amarillo AFB, Tex., from the
| training course for U.S. Air Force
‘sides with his wife, Dorothy, and’ supply inventory specialists.
Blase has served the Dallas Ki- | Street, was taken to General Hos-
wanis Club with distinction having pital on Friday, Sheehan and Davies
preceded his election to President attending.
Second Vice President ‘and First | taken to Vets Hospi on Friday,
Vice President. He has also served | Davies and Sheehan as crew.
|
i
1
% Manor,
= { Humphries, RD 5
This corroberates the Dallas Post| General Hospital on Thursday, Lee
story of last week which said that | Wentzel
| tending.
, ownership”, but Mr. Stanley said |
: nue, was admitted to General Hos-
ert Shoemaker attending.
| took Mrs. Mary Anderson, Pioneer
' Avenue, Shavertown, from Nesbitt
He maintains offices at 289 Wyo- | Jim Davies as crew.
‘Back Mountain Area
Ambulance Logbook
Dallas Community
Library Assoc.
To Hold Annual
Meeting Jan. 27
Friends Of Library
Eligible To Vote
For Six Directors
Back Mountain ‘Memorial Library
Association annual meeting is sched-
uled for Thursday, January 27, at
8 p.m. in the Library Annex.
All persons who have contributed
Dallas Community ambulance
Hospital to Carpenter Convalescent
Home, Friday, Lynn Sheehan and
Bechtold,
George 99 Franklin
Dr. John Doan, Idetown, was
Mrs. Arthur Edwards, 207 Church
Street, was taken to General Hos-
pital on Sunday, Davies, Gilbert
Morris, Leighton Scott, and Ed
Roth as crew. | to be elected. : Officers are elected
Mrs. Milton Perrego was taken | by the Board, in separate sessions,
home to Fernbrook from General on a yearly basis.
Hospital on Tuesday, Scott and | = Eighteen directors serve, each for
Wayne Harvey attending. | a term of three years, with stag-
Blanche Thompson, New Goss | gered dates of termination.
was taken to Mercy Hos- |
pital and returned on Tuesday,
Scott and Harvey as crew.
| Nominating’ conimittee. this year
| is headed. by David Schooley, with
|
| to Friends -of the Library are en-. |.
| titled to vote for the six: directors. |
VOL. 77, NO. 3, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1966
Ice Fishing Season Opens At Harveys Lake; Smelts Big
from start to finish could be 50
days. Department also suggested
that a non-political, non-profit,
highly confidential tax collection
agency be employed.
be registered by May 31.
Brobst questioned what the
a wage tax was? He said it should
be a municipality's proposition.
John C. LaBerge, School Director,
entity eliminate the confusion by
passing the first wage tax. He
repeated now that Wilkes-Barre
was passing a wage tax, that Back
do it as a defense, that the School
per cent tax, and that the munici-
half.
into it,”
cept it as a source of income.
| tive, and that the money should
be slated to fill a community need.
Too Late This Year?
Dr. A
consultation with the office of the
Tax should
School Board's interest in passing
originally proposed that the School
District as the only unified overall
Mountain communities had better
Board has the power to levy a one
palities have the option to take |
“Because someone has forced us’
he said, we should ac-
Mrs. Vernon responded that self-
defense was not an adequate mo-
|
Lawyers then began to discuss
Franklin-Northmoreland
Franklin - Northmoreland am-
bulance brought D. C. Bishop, Sut-
ton Creek Road, home from Pitts- |
ton Hospital on January 11, Bill |
James and Mickey Koscelansky at- |
tending.
Noxen Ambulance
ambulance took John
to Lane's Con-‘|
Lemon, recently, |
Noxen
Cook, Beaumont,
valescent Home,
Bob Crispell, Al Goble, and Elmer
Lyons attending.
Lake Township {
Lake “ambulance took George Re- |
nard, Ruggles, to General Hospital |
on Saturday, John Stenger and]
Jim McCaffrey as crew.
Edward Mickalus, Shawanese, |
was taken to General Hospital yes- |
terday, Stenger and McCaffrey.
Lehman Township
Lehman ambulance took Mrs. Iva
Shavertown, to
and Pete Hospodar at-
Kingston Township |
On Friday, Sister Gregory, Col-|
| lege Misercordia, was taken t0/>day evening.
Mercy Hospital, Andrew Roan and |
‘William Frederick in attendance. i
Warren Marrow, S. Pioneer Ave- |
pital on Saturday, Harold Heidel, |
William Kreischer and Harry Smith |
attending. :
Mrs. Helen Swingle, Holcomb’s |
Road, was taken to General Hos- |
pital on Sunday, Frederick and Jack |
Lasher as crew. |
Monday, Mrs. Betty Lauderbaugh,
Hillside Road, was admitted to Gen-
eral Hospital, William Roberts and
H. Smith attending.
Wednesday ‘morning, Edward
Wojtowicz, Follies Road, was taken
to Nesbitt Hospital following a fall
at his home, Vought Long and Rob-
Drivers Uninjured In Wreck On Slippery Pavement
{
|
|
|
Two cars crashed on the slippery | struck toward the rear by 1965 |the two cars meshed grills as seen
surface of Memorial Highway just Pontiac driven by Mrs. Betty Moran, | here.
' 44, of 520 Hamilton Avenue, Kings- | Shelpack car was driven away. |
ton, who was emerging from the Mrs. Moran's car, owned by Al:
Brothers | Johns,
below. the new postoffice building
in Dallas ‘on Thursday, but neither
driver was injured.
Studebaker at left was driven
by Alex Shelpack, 60, of Dallas |
RD 4, northbound, when ear was
parking lot behind the
Four Restaurant.
Studebaker spun on impact, wad by Al Johns’ wrecker.
Dallas police investigated.
Pontiac dealer, was towed
{away by Wesley's, and from Dallas
—photo by Kozemchak
Robert Bachman and Mrs. Thomas
| tion chairman for 1965, will re-
| is due on or before the date of the
| the desk will accept’ the donation
F. Dingle Heads
Heffernan as members. ;
Richard Demmy, president for the
past two years, will preside.
Mrs. Richard Dale will give the
librarian’s report.
Merrill Faegenburg, Library Aug- long after residents. jokingly began
to wonder if it was going to be the
first freezeless winter.
Ice fishing boomed even before
the ice had formed "all over, and at
port on results. He already has
received written reports from all
Auction Committee chairmen.
Mrs. George Montgomery will re-
port for the Book Club.
The Book Club will have ywharge
refreshments. ne
Residents who wish to have a
voice in election of ‘directors are
reminded that their donation of $1
or more as Friends of the Library,
of
The Wage Tax, better street light
ing, clean-up week, accelerated po-
lice «action and municipal building
A librari t
BY oe yarian 8 sewage highlighted the recent meet-
annual meeting.
and make out a receipt.
According to Mrs. Fred Howell,
secretary of the board, response has
already been exceptionally = good.
Mrs. Thomas Heffernan is in charge
of the annual appeal. :
The regular monthly meeting of
Library Directors was held Tues-
visors.
No action was taken on the Wage
Tax ‘as Mr. Funke said the board
would like to know the: feelings of
the populace before making a de-
cision.” A ‘notice of intention was
filed prior. to ‘the passing .of the
Wilkes-Barre City Wage Tax. of
toi. counteract that of the city if
they so. desire: : :
"The past week saw a good steady this particular: spot fishermen clus
freeze-over at Harveys Lake, not| tered on 3 to 4 inch ice when]
Kingston Township Supervisors |SafeCrackers Solve
'L-L-Vault Problem FR SRF EY 45 dds before that
May Hold Town Meeting On Tax |
ing © of - Kingston Township super-
; 1% which’ entitled the municipality. {
“The Kingston’ Township Board is:
intérested in keeping ‘funds thus!
‘Seen: here “talking to a trout
fisherman is Assistant Sports Editor
| there ‘were none elsewhere. | Red Carr. Ice was about six inches
| Ice fishing was good. from the be- | thick at this point on the outlet,
ginning, with fine smelts- reported 'enough to support even Red's
| in “early catches. I ponderous weight.
Shp (Photo by James Kozemchak)
It was a ten-day struggle, but
: ; | the ‘wault door at Lake-Lehman
was ‘happy the trouble had been | High School is now open, as of last
found .as. the engine room was | Thursday. :
plagued with the existing condition. Stubborn resistance to attempts
Mr. Ziegler said the contractor had | of a safe-cracker from Acme Lock-
been notified and that costs would | smith Co. January 5, left the vault
be deducted from the plumbing bill. | still impervious, with its records,
Mr. Funke also promised specta-| keys, and small amount of cash
tors that ‘some action would be lying doggo within.
taken to improve the present light-{ On Thursday, the vault clicked
ing system, that brighter illumina- | open under the assault of special
tion and better distribution of light- | tool dreamed up by the locksmith.
ing was of importance. He said! With Anthony Marchakitus, high
study * of the. UGI survey would | school’ principal, waiting anxiously
continue. Tou Moses _ stated he | without, Custodian Varner offered
wanted: a light near his home at to be the guinea-pig. He stepped
; Bunker Hill and “that as ‘long. as inside and swung’ the door shut.
Townend, he did not think ‘that
lights. were: going to be ‘replaced. - Seconds later, he was out again,
that the township might as well pay | Proving that the’ vault has a safety
+ ‘device on the inside, no first cousin
Planning Board
Fred Dingle, « Trucksville
elected chairman of Kingston Town- |
ship Planning Commission at a
was’ |
citizens. - Mr. Funke suggested that
revenue, ‘which could amount to
$81,000" if levied, could be used .ih:
paft “for: the establishment ‘of : a’
derived. for ‘the’ benefit of “its. own
| Mathers. |
Ambulance Seeks
| able-bodied men
meeting of that board last week. sewage’ disposal plant, a problem
Mr. Dingle succeeds Jack Porter | which continues to mount in lieu
in the executive office. Chosen vice | of the increase in homes in the
chairman was Jack Dana. George | area. Chairman Roy Ziegler stated
Jacobs was named secretary. Board | this could hot be done as all would
members are Porter, and Richard not benefit but there is support for
| Mr, Funke’s proposal.
Fred Dingle, chairman of Kings-
| ton Township Planning and Zoning
| Commission reported one third of
| the township's residents are em-
[ployed in Wilkes-Barre City and
[ that a survey taken in 1960 showed
| the average salary to be $6,000. He
| said only 35 to 40 persons were
| employed in the township at that
| time.
Also present was William Ire-
land, of the Luzerne County Plan-
ning Commission, who is a frequent
visitor. ]
New Membership
A town meeting was suggested
With the opening of the 1966 by. Mr. Funke to arrive at a con-
season, L. R. Scott of Dallas ambu- | clysion to the matter. Mrs. Pat
lance membership ‘committee urges | Baird added a humorous note to the
Dl oe me | discussion when she suggested that
a oWnship, e coffee and refreshments would prob-
: CA Tals
the fastest-moving organizations in | ably be condusive to drawing out
& Park Momatal® bath: sot 4 | the crowd. The Board voted to at-
Sugar P| tend the meeting with Dallas School
for the ohne ea but BL | Board Monday evening to hash over
2 nen Who Five Wimoe ng, elion is problem of the wage tax. A
to ambulance service cannot serve | :
member of the ‘audience said. he
around the flock: Extn men, ate preferred the township to levy the
welcome. No experience is neces- X :
sary . . tfalning, on the job. | tax as the school board: received
y | state aid.
If you have trouble sleeping |
nights, Dallas ambulance emergency | Stanley Cashmark gave a 'de-
night calls may be right up your | tailed resume of wage taxation as
alley, figuratively speaking. Put | practiced in Duryea and Scranton
your insomnia to work helping | and said the tax had been collected
people. Your work will be truly ap- | there for some years. 3
preciated. Kingston Township's new munici-
: = ately a
Regular first-aid training is| pa) building which has had plumb-;
scheduled every year, and all men
are taught to drive the ambulance { ing problems since its erection pro=
Std i A REY duced the answer to the backing
e up of sewage recently in that struc-
who are regularly employed on | tur
night shift and are available for | direction of Lawton Culver uncover-
pine service during the ay 1 ed pipes last Saturday and found
Li Son —z Bn > | specifications were not carried out.
runs into a perennial problem at | . Requirements of terra, cotta pipe
that time of big demand and not Were substituted with cheap plastic
too much help. : { lines which had broken apart. Drain
Enlistees should contact Scott at field was found to be laid improper-
the Dallas Post, ly also. Jacob Harrison said he
| ture when the township crew under:
for private lights as well."
Mid Winter Clean "Up pa
A Mid-Winter Clean Up of:Christ-
{ was proposed by. Mr. Funke ‘tobe
| held the weeks of January 17 and
| 24, with collections staggered in
| the three areas of the township.
| Trucksville will have a ‘collection
Monday, Shavertown, Tuesday, and
| Carverton, Wednesday.
are to be placed near road for pick
{ up. Township crews will dispose
of the refuse.
| © Vought Long asked that care be
| exercised in the burning of such
material as fields were dry as tinder
boxes and that Trucksville Fire
Company would be glad to stand
by while the material was burned.
(Mrs. Pat Gregory had reported to
Mr. Ziegler on fires flaring up after
crews had extinguished them. Long
asked the ruling for no burning
after 5 p.m., be followed.
| Jacob Harrison requested that
| the state be contacted and asked
| to remedy the water and sewage
| allowed to ' form . hazardous
| patches in front of residences on
| Carverton Road. The secretary was
{ instructed to write. such a note.
“Mr. Ziegler mentioned “that little
help was expected as guard rails |
!'still remain to be installed on the
| precipice edge of the new piece!
{of highway laid near Frances Slo-
cum State Park, although long
promised by several officials,
_ The real estate transfer tax and
per capita tax were reenacted.
Supervisor Edward Hall moved that
four gallons of anti-freeze be pur-
chased for the civil defense weasel
and duck.
report. showed an increase in ar-
rests, 27 being made in December,
which was considerably more than
in ‘the past monts. He also report-
| ed that the feasibility report on a
sewage disposal system. is being up-
dated and a meeting planned with
Dallas Borough and Dallas Town-
ship officials in the near future. _
| to the refrigerators which annually |
‘mas trees and burnable ‘material records instead of a locked filing
Articles |
ice |
Mr. Ziegler noted that the police!
; smother ‘dozens of small children.
{4 Reason for installing a vault for
jase, says Mr. Marchakitus, is that
{the vault is guaranteed to with-
stand the heat of any ordinary fire.
Files kept in an ordinary steel cab-
inet would be charred in a matter
of seconds.
No lead has yet been discovered |
by local or State police in the at-
tempted robbery of Lake-Lehman
| vault over the New Year weekend. |
The dial, pried off with az tool’
from the school shop, afforded ‘the
would-be thieves no entrance to
the vault. |
Snowdon Admitted To |
Directors Institute |
The Snowdon Funeral Home, 140
North Main Street, Shavertown has |
"qualified for the membership in the |
Funeral Directors Institute. Only |
one funeral directing firm in a
| community may have membership
in the Institute.
‘Trailer-fire Burns
This steak launched a fire-
truck and fifteen men, and
lunched the Assistant Fire
Chief.
| Not a case of Mary overcooking
the steak, says the chief, Clifford
Foss, investigating here, it was
merely a case of the grease catch-
ing fire in the stove at his trailer
"home on Lackwanna Avenue at 4:30
| Tuesday afternoon.
i
Fire went out when the grease
{| burned up, but Foss took no
| chances and when the flames
{ erupted, he called the Dallas Fire
. Ccmpany which responded quickly,
| but ‘was not needed.
| The steak remained intact, no
extinguishers being needed, and
Cliff ate it for supper, right on
schedule. Fire Chief Donald Bul-
‘ford, was in charge of the company.
the problem of the time limit—de-
scribed in last week’s Dallas oPst.
Attorney Robert Fleming, Bor-
ough Solicitor,told the meeting he
did not think any municipality
could effectively tax its residents
who work in Wilkes-Barre this year.
He said the Third Class City
Code made it mandatory that
Wilkes-Barre budget be adopted by |
December 21 of last year, that other |
areas, would have ‘fo ‘have an-
nounced their intention o » passin
date. He said, in reply to Atty.
because Wilkes-Barre did not ac-
tually set their budget by Decem- |
ber 21 the other municipalities
were not subject to the city’s legal
time limit. ; fe
Dr. Mellman said “We have to
get some direction here,” stating
that the School District had to
know whether the municipalities
were going to pass a duplicating
wage tax in 1966 and thus take
half the District's expected revenue.
No answer was immediately forth-
coming. di
Attorneys agreed to work to-
gether tb approach the city of A
Wilkes-Barre on the matter, which
would save the taxpayers some ex-
pense. i
Some Make Money, Some Don’t
Franklin Township's predicament
was discussed, with the final asser-
tion by LaBerge that, despite pro-
tests to the contrary from Dallas
{| Township and Borough, Franklin
Township would actually benefit
| from the school wage tax because
School District could lower their
property millage and their wage
tax, as farmers, would certainly be
lower than others. )
A Franklin Township supervisor
summed up the plight of the farm-
er: “Some of them make money,
and some don’t.” Franklin probably
will not pass its own wage tax.
On Atty. Jenkins’ suggestion, the
meeting adjourned with the idea
that solicitors woul dstudy the legal
intricacies of the matter, including
what is known as Senate Bill 425,
recently enacted, which may have
effectively repealed Act 481, under
which a wage tax can be levied.
Another solicitor told the Dallas
Post that thé new law would prob-
ably not change the practical ap-
plication of the wage tax.
At The Steak