VOL. 83 NO. 30 On House Following a caucus which lasted more than two hours last Thursday night, Dallas Borough Council grudgingly agreed to permit flood victims to locate house trailers in the borough. The de- cision was hardly a free will choice: a scant two days earlier, the State Council of Civil Defense had mandated that com- munities throughout the Commonwealth “extend we fullest possible cooperation and assistance to all federal and state agencies engaged in the supply of emer- gency housing facilities.” To make sure this directive was follow- ed, Civil Defense waived any zoning or- dinances which prohibited mobile homes or house trailers. A similar order issued July 1 by Luzerne County’s President Judge Ber- nard Brominski was rescinded, and where there had been questions about the judge’s jurisdiction in the zoning issue, there were none about Civil Defense’s authority. As Dallas Borough Council- man Willard Newberry pointed out: “This order has real teeth in it.” The controversy about permitting trailers in the borough seemed an open and closed ¢ase. Already ¥iowever, there have been in- dications that misunderstandings exist about the Civil Defense order. For one thing, Civil Defense Director. Richard Gerstell states that the C.D. order ‘shall remain éWective only for a period of 120 days.’”’ Dallas Borough Council President George Thomas has interpreted this to the borough for only 120 days. ‘‘After that,” Mr. Thomas told the Post, “the trailers are out.” Not so, says Edward Sites, the Depart- ment of Community: Affairs representa- tive who is implementing the Civil De- Trailers fesne order at the local level. The 120 days specified in the order pertains to the period of time during which flood victims may apply for trailer permits. Once a trailer permit is granted, Mr. Sites says, the “trailer is okay for a year on the approved site.” Site approval, too, may prove a sticky problem. When the trailers are provided by HUD, there apparently will be no question. A flood victim will file an appli- cation with HUD for temporary housing, and HUD will then turn the application over to an inspector from the Department of Community Affairs’ ‘‘arm,’”’ the Wilkes-Barre Redevelopment Authority. If the inspector certifies that the appli- cant qualifies for temporary housing, HUD will provide a mobile home or travel trailer for the individual. The Department of Community Affairs will in turn provide local zoning officials with the names and addresses of persons to whom HUD has supplied trailers. “It’s then up to the community’s zoning official to seek out the persons on the list,” Mr. Sites says. ‘‘He should explain the provisions of the order and make certain that they understand that they can remain in the trailer for only one year—and perhaps have them sign a waiver acknowledging this fact.” For individuals who have purchased their own trailers, the procedure is not nearly so clear cut. Because HUD will have no record of privately purchased trailers, the Department of Community Affairs will not have these persons’ names and addresses either. “This has got us stymied,” Mr. Sites admitted. “We don’t know how many of these cases there will be, but it’s possible (continued on PAGE NINETEEN) Chukinas Photo Studio Misericordia Since Flood FIFTEEN CENTS The Nesbitt Medical Center located in Alumnae Hall at College Misericordia phased out of operation Monday as a caravan of local community ambulances returned the Medical Center patients to the hospital’s facilities in Kingston. Housed in the girls’ dormitory since June 23 when flood waters forced the evacuation of Nesbitt Memorial Hospital, the Medical Center has treated over 5,000 emergency patients, admitted over 300, and delivered 52 babies. At the time of return to Kingston, the facility housed 23 bed patients, including six from the in- tensive care unit. The intensive care patients were moved first following a by Dottie Beckham After a full 36 hours of negotiations, inmates at State Correctional Institution, Dallas, voted July 26 at 8 p.m. to return to work---having struck the previous morning gg 7: 30. : In a series of peaceful meetings bet- ween an eight-man Resident Peace Com- mittee, which represented 650 inmates housed in the local facility, and Supt. Leonard J. Mack, 34 issues were resolved and the entire inmate population agreed to resun < their assigned work the following Wiorning. During the long hours of bargaining, the opportunity to vote was presented to the population on three separate oc- cassions---the first time after 10 con- cessions had been granted by the insti- tution’s administrator. The population felt that 10 concessions from a list of 90- odd grievances did not warrent accept- Peace at Dallas by William Scranton 3rd “The degree of civilization in a society can be mized by entering its prisons.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky There is, as we go to press, an uneasy peace at the Dallas State Correctional Institution. Last week’s work strike by inmates, although over, is far from forgotten, and there is considerable apprehension on the part of inmates as to whether the reforms they were promised will actually come about. Although it is difficult to enumerate the causes of the recent strike, it is most convenient to refer to a meeting held July 17 between the Resident Peace Com- mittee and Leonard Mack, Charles Seiber, and Thomas Figmik, prison ance, and their first vote was a negative one. In a Wednesday morning session, the Peace Committee assented to taking the issue again to the entire body, cell block by cell block, and once more inmates voted for rejection. After the second vote, Supt. Mack and Commissioner Allyn Sielaff, Bureau of Correction, discussed the situation via telephone. It was at this point that 34 concessions were granted, and in the third and final vote, the striking residents agreed unanimously to return to work. Some 1,000 copies of the negotiated issues were printed in the superin- tendent’s office, with each resident receiving a copy. The directive stated that effective im- mediately, or as stated in the negotiated issue concerned, there shall be imple- mentation of the following: (1) Com- Prison Depends administrators. At that meeting a long list of grievances was revealed by committe members, grievances to which Supt. Mack replied in order. The inmate complaints varied from requests for soap racks in the showers to closing the dungeon, once-a-year medical checkups, and the clear definition of the criteria for furloughs. To some of the complaints Mr. Mack promised im- mediate redress, on some he postponed consideration, and for others he promised investigation. Eight days later the in- mates struck. According to members of the Peace Committee the strike occurred because reforms were not implemented despite indications from prison officials in general, and Mr. Mack in particular, that mittee men shall not be transferred, nor will anyone be disciplined or punished for participating in strike. (2) Men can speak on their own behalf at furlough hearings, and will be given definite reasons if furlough is not granted. (3) Visiting room seating arrangements will be changed for men in S-1 (maximum security). Divided table removed immediately, with re- placement by regular table and chairs until upholstered can be purchased. Men in S-2 will now be permitted regular visits in the regular visiting room. (4) Men can order slacks or casual pants. (5) Visiting clothing will be checked for fitness, for condition, neatness and press. (6) Guards are not to be inside chapel during the time of Muslim services. They will be out in the corridor. (7) T.V. on all the time during dayroom periods. (8) Dayroom time extended until 11:30 in the morning and 4:00 in the afternoon. Men on Reforms they would be. The strike lasted two days after which the inmate population voted to return to work on the strength of 30 reforms which Mr. Mack promised immediately (see related story). The implication was that the Peace Com- mittee would continue to meet with Supt. Mack to iron out further grievances. As one member of the Peace Committee put it, ““We believe Mr. Mack has been fair and that he has shown his good faith by implementing reforms and by promising to continue these talks.” At the end of last week the atmosphere inside the prison was relaxed, in marked contrast to the tension which prevailed earlier in the week. Mr. Mack seemed at ease as he talked casually with prisoners (continued on PAGE FOURTEEN) can go into the dayroom and blockout im- mediately after coming back from dining hall in the evening, until time for yard or gym. (9) Showers for general population will be granted twice daily between the hours of 2 and 4 p.m. and between the hours of 8 and 9 p.m. Kitchen men will be permitted to take additional showers be- tween the hours of 9 and 10:30 a.m. each day. These showers will not have to be supervised by correctional officer per- sonnel. Residents assigned to the shower room can operate the shower controls. There will be no change in block assign- ments for kitchen residents. (10) The following representatives of the press shall be allowed to rap with the residents: Chuck Stone, Philadelphia ‘Daily News; Edward Schrode, Wilkes- Barre Publishing Company; William Scranton 3rd, Greenstreet News Com- pany; D. Beckham, Dallas Post; June Cohen, Philadelphia Free Press; and a representative of Muhammed Speaks. (11) Action on the request of the residents to obtain the auditorium or gym for inmate meetings is forthcoming from the attorney general. (12) Literature sent by organizations and groups is to be sent inside. Only literature with purient subject matter or of a highly inflam- matory nature or concerned with weaponry and its manufacture will be held back. (13) Any spoilage of any item will not be placed on sale in the com- missary. (14) Picnic visits are to be in- stituted immediately. This means visitors to residents may bring in light lunches and food stuffs to be eaten during into the institution out of the visiting room area. (continued on PAGE TWENTY) trial run with one patient less seriously ill. To move the patients back to Kingston, the hospital utilized ambulances and personnel from seven local communities, including Dallas, Edwardsville, Harveys Lake, Kingston, Larksville, Swoyersville, and Pringle. An additional ambulance from the Irem Temple was also used. The ambulances were escorted in caravan by the Pennsylvania State Police from Dallas to Nesbitt in Kingston. Supplies and equipment used at the - college were moved later in the day by rented trucks. All necessary services have been re- instated at Nesbitt Memorial Hospital in Kingston, including the emergency room (continued on PAGE TWO) Engineer Study Suggests DAMA Consider Growth Expansion of the present sewer system to certain designated areas was recommended to the Dallas Area Municipal Authority at its July 27 engineers. Weston’s feasibility study recommended that D.A.M.A. “proceed with application for HUD grant-in-aid and with design and construction of sewer extensions into the following areas: White Birch Trailer Court, Orchard View Terrace, Stone- hedge, Powder Horn Drive-West Machell Avenue, Dug-Carverton crossroads area.” : Four conclusions were reached by Weston in its feasibility study. They were: (1) Expansion of the sewer system into White Birch, Orchard View Terrace and Stonehedge is economically at- tractive at this time. (2) Expansion of the sewer system into areas designated Powder Horn-West Machell Avenue and the Dug-Carverton crossroads should be undertaken at this time to serve a definite need for sewerage service. (3) Extension of sewers into areas except those in- dicated in Number One above is not economically feasible without federal grants-in-aid. (4) It is estimated that the (continued on PAGE TWENTY) { s.r Bai
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