i VOL. 83 NO. 34 ~ An Editorial Valley With A Dream It seems to us that two vital areas of concern stemming from the recent flood disaster have been largely ignored in the rush to meet the immediate needs of the citizens of the Wyoming Valley. There can be no doubt that the Wyoming Valley's number one priority must be to isd homes for its homeless and to set up the mechanisms by which those who have lost pieces of their lives can find promise for the future. There has been a good deal of criticism aimed at the Federal Government's incapacity to satisfy these basic needs quickly and efficiently, criticism that is not without justification. But the Wyoming Valley community must not allow its vision for the future to be built on the dictates of emergency measures. stamina to.come back and rebuild. But what are they coming back to? What is the possibility that a family, who must pay back a mortgage on what is now a pile of debris and who, to reconstruct their lives, must go even further into debt, will only be wiped out again by another flood? As it stands now, the Wyoming Valley will be rebuilt by people with an extremely narrow (if any) margin of financial seclbity. These people have the right to know the nature of the gamble they are taking and, further, that their futures will be protected by intelligent and well- planned measures to diminish that gamble. So far the tremendous energy put into rehabilitating Wyoming Valley has been channeled in directions designed to rebuild the area much as it was before the flood. This is understandable in light of the totality of the disaster and the emotional need for a return to familiar surroundings. However, before recovery efforts proceed much further, the question should be asked whether a return to the status quo is the wisest course to follow. Even the worst catastrophes contain the seeds of advantage, and the Agnes flood is no exception. The Wyoming Valley community is currently faced with a golden opportunity to rebuild itself into a well-planned, restructured, modern urban environment. The municipalities of the valley have a chance to come together, study the mistakes of the past, and develop an innovative plan for the future based on cooperation, creativity, and vision. The possibilities for the future of the valley stagger the imagination. There exists among the ruined homes and businesses a bright promise that no other community can boast. It is exciting to think that, instead of returning to the past, the choice can be made to take advantage of the destruction and thereby create a trulyaanique and outstanding urban area. Thelchallenge of the Agnes disaster can go far beyond a mere rebuilding. If the effort is begun soon enoiigh, what today is a disaster area can tomorrow become a proud example of modern urban planning as well as a safe place for the flood : we is no reason why (‘The Valley with a Heart,” can’t also be ‘The Valley wit a Dreams” pd Sh oe ” VICTIMS. “ p , Disturbed that only a little over 1,000 house connections have been made to date, the Dallas Area Municipal Authority is urging local residents to connect to the sewer system as soon as possible. Connections represent only about one- third of those that should be made from a listin®)" of approximately 3,000. Chairman R. Spencer Martin Jr. stated that the rate of connection has been slowed down somewhat by the absence of plumbers since the Susquehanna flood. However, local plumbers capable of making the connections are available to do th work. Chairman Martin listed six reasons why connections should be made as Mr. Mack Enthusiastic J quickly as possible. They are : (1) The sewer system was constructed to correct a public health hazard. The system has been operational since March 2, 1972, and all homes and commercial establish- ments should connect to the sewer system to accomplish the objectives for which the system was built. (2) Or- dinances adopted by each of the member municipalities, Dallas Borough, Dallas Township and Kingston Township, require that all persons adjoining the sewer system connect within 60 days after the system is completed. (3) All sewer rents will begin May 2, 1972, regardless of date of connection to the sewer system. Therefore, there is no (continued on PAGE EIGHTEEN) Effects of Agnes FIFTEEN CENTS Officials of schools in the Back week that the previously scheduled date for reopening has been postponed. The Dallas School District, Lake-Lehman School District, and Gate of Heaven School, Dallas, have rescheduled the beginning date of school for pupils until Sept. 19, two weeks later than the Sept. 6th date which had been planned. According to a spokesman for the Dallas Schools, the change has been made to provide school officials throughout Luzerne County to ac- complish more of the planning necessary to overcome those difficulties created by the effect of Hurricane Agnes. Districts in the flooded area have the re-construction of added facilities. Districts such as Dallas will use the additional time to plan as adequately as possible for the influx of students resulting from the temporary displacement of families in the Back Mountain Area. : Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and In- termediate Unit 18 have recommended a common starting date for schools in an all-out attempt to cooperatively solve the problems that are common to all school districts. The State Department of Education has given ‘approval to the school districts to have a school session of less than the required 180 days without being penalized for the short term. At a special meeting of the Board of Education Monday, Lake-Lehman school directors voted to revise the 1972-73 school calendar. Under the revised calendar, the Sept. 6 teachers’ day is retained as originally scheduled, with activities beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing until 3:20 p.m. Sept. 7 will be a student registration and orientation day. Buses will run on regular schedules as previously published in the Dallas Post, and all students in grades one through 12 will report to their assigned buildings at 8 a.m. Since dismissal is scheduled for 1 p.m., there will be no cafeteria service. A teachers’ in-service program and kindergarten registration and orientation have been scheduled for Sept. 8 from 8: 30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Kindergarten students and their parents should report for registration as follows: Noxen Building, 9 a.m. until conclusion, parent transportation; Ross Building, 9 a.m. until conclusion, parent transportation; Lake Building and Leh- man Building, morning class, 9 a.m., afternoon class, 12:30 p.m., bus pick-up ‘Are you interested in expanding li- ‘brary facilities and services at State Correctional Institution?’”” asked Sue Davern, librarian at Back Mountain Memorial Library. The enthusiastic answer from Supt. Leonpyrd J. Mack was “My word, yes.” The two interested persons met Friday morning in Mr. Mack’s office at the local institution, and after their exchange of question and answer began to make plans for the expansion of library services. Mrs. Davern said that the library board had voted to permit current and best- seller books, as well as others, to be loaned on a regular three-week basis to inmates at the institution. “The board was very happy to provide this service,” revealed Mrs. Davern. Supt. Mack’s only stipulation is to ban those books dealing w “ prurient or revolutionary subjects, or “w to make weapons. In further talks with Thomas Figmik, deputy superintendent of treatment, and Barbara Shaw, a teacher at the insti- tution, it was learned that vocational- type books, sociology and philosophy books, as well as more popular types, such as westerns and science fiction, are greatly requested by inmates. Also, inmates will have the opportunity to compile a list of books they would like to borrow from Back Mountain Memorial Library. Mrs. Davern said she would have a list giving the title, author and an annotation. “We will send as many books as possible,’”’ she explained. The books will be picked up at the li- brary by an institution employe and will be kept at the institution’s library for three weeks. They will then be returned to the main library and exchanged for others. Inmates will be charged for all damages to books. Mr. Figmik reported that Mike Hen- dricks, an institution resident, has been classifying and sorting books that are placed permanently in the institution li- brary. : ; Although many Back Mountain resi- dents donate books to Back Mountain Memorial Library for its annual auction, any persons wishing to donate books solely to the correctional institution li- brary may contact Mrs. Davern. How- ever, the Back Mountain Memorial Li- brary is still soliciting books for its an- nual auction, which is to be held this year—in October rather than July. The delay was necessary due to the June flood. At Friday’s meeting of Mrs. Davern with institution officials, all agreed that inmates have the ‘right to read—they should have the same privilege of reading as everyone else.” according to mailed notice. Two-way bus transportation to the Lake and Lehman buildings will be provided only for this special registration session. Additional teacher in-service days will be held Sept. 11 to 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Employees will have a free day Sept. 18, with school scheduled to begin the following Tuesday with full cafeteria service. In-service days originally scheduled for Oct. 20 and Jan. 26 have been can- celled, and classes will be in session as usual on these dates. The remainder of the 1972-73 school calendar remains unchanged from the previously an- nounced schedule. June 11 through 15 are reserved as snow make-up days. Dallas School District, in announcing pupils had been rescheduled for Sept. 19, registered, should not report until Sept. 20. Registration for new pupils can take Dallas Senior High School. Charges of murder and assault by life prisoner were brought against two State Correctional Institution inmates at an arraignment Aug. 23. Freddy X. Butler, 25, of 519 Arch St., 65 E. Herman St., Philadelphia, appeared before District Magistrate Stephen Stefanides, Swoyersville. The two men, both serving life sentences, pleaded not guilty. On Aug. 14, Thomas Melvin Wilson, 27, of: 869 Belmont Ave., Philadelphia, received fatal stab wounds in the throat and body. He was attacked at ap- proximately 3:25 p.m. in the inmates’ toilet in the academic building at the Dallas institution, and was rushed to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, where he died at 7:35 p.m. on the same day. Magistrate Stefanides, who was specially appointed by Judge Bernard Brominski in the absence of Dallas District Magistrate Leonard Harvey, read in the charges that the murder weapon was a ‘‘sharpened table knife.” After the arraignment proceedings were officially over, First Assistant District Attorney Dan Daley requested that the complaints be amended to include ‘‘and- Magistrate Stefanides denied this motion and stated the request for amendment could be made at a hearing before Magistrate Harvey. The hearing will be held Aug. 31 at 11 a.m. before Magistrate Harvey in the Dallas Borough Municipal Building. Atty. James Reinert, Public Defen- der’s office, represented the two inmates at their arraignment. Atty. Daley ap- peared for the Commonwealth. State Police, under the direction of Lt. Donald Dorris, conducted an ir vestigation after the fatal stabbing. Trooper Donald Taylor signed the charge papers. In a statement following the arraignment, Lt. Dorris said the in- vestigation will continue. The next procedural step after the Aug. 31 hearing is to present the case to the Grand Jury. The two inmates were returned to the State Correctional Institution; Dallas, Flood Victims Tax Boycott UrgedbyFVAC The Flood Victim’s Action Committee, a group formed to spur citizen action for victims to refrain, at least temporarily, from paying property taxes. A formal statement given to the Dallas Post earlier this week reads, ‘The Flood Victim’s Action Committee urges all who are tax- payers to refrain from paying property taxes for 1972-73-74 until we have clear information as to the amount of help available from the federal government Act of 1970. that the move was prompted not as a pro- test but rather by the possibility that flood victims might be exempted from property taxec under the law. “We are not asking people to refrain totally from (continued on PAGE EIGHTEEN)
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