Fag er The Dallas matmen wound up the 1973 season with an un- ‘defeated record of 13 wins and a tie--winning the Wyoming Valley Wrestling League Championship. Then the Champs went on to take the District 11 team title with four boys winning individual crowns. Dave Puchalsky, shown here working his way through the final match with Ken Butler, was named “Qutstanding Wrestler’’. The whole story and more photos appear on B1 of this issue. Dallas Borough Council took exactly 17 minutes at its second adjourned meeting last Thursday night to dismiss Patrolman Ronald J. Dudik on charges of ‘im- morality” and ‘“‘conduct unbecoming an Dudik’ s Feb. 11 suspension from the borough police force. Atty. Charles D. Lemmond Jr. borough solicitor, disclosed the findings of an investigation undertaken by Mayor Stephen Hartman and Police Chief Ray Titus following the suspension. According to the investigation, Atty. Lemmond reported, police assistance was re- quested at 3:45 a.m. Feb. 11 at the Machell Avenue apartment of Officer Dudik. “Mr. Dudik was ir the company of a married woman, not his wife, when the woman's husband arrived and an alter- calivn ensued,” the solicitor explained. The police officers whe mie cyllcd tot’ x scene supsequentiy left ‘the premises with the @oman’s husband while Officer Dud - and the woman ‘went another had donned a uniform although he was not on duty at the time. In addition to the charges of immor- ality and conduct unbecoming an officer, Mr. Dudik was charged by Chief Titus with neglect of an offical duty after he failed to appear at a court case to which he had been subpoenaed to appear, Atty. Lemmond stated. Borough Council was advised by the solicitor that it could act on the sus- pension in one of four ways. “You may choose to do nothing,’”’ Atty. Lemmond said, “or you may overrule the suspen- sion, reinstate Mr. Dudik and provide him with pay missed during the suspen- sion period. You may instead elect to sus- pend him for a specific period of time or you may discharge him on the grounds alleged.” Councilman Robert W. Brown, noting t at neither Mr. udik nor any spokes- man on his behalf had chosen to appear at the hearing, moved to discharge him. The motion was quickly seconded by Willard (continued on Page B12 Michael Pasternick Sr. celebrated his 77th birthday, Feb. 28 at the home of his brother, John, at Lake Carey. Michael Jr. got into his Ford station wagon and his wife, Marcella climbed in beside him. The birthday party was over and they were going to take the guest of honor home to Liberty Street in Ashley, from whee they would proceed to their own home in Wilkes-Barre. At approximately 10: 30 p.m. they were traveling south on Route 309. They passed brandt Road and Rt. 309 and suddenly a car came swerving out of control towards them. There was a violent crash. Michael Sr. had celebrated his last birthday and Michael Jr. would never see his 41st. Both men were pronounced ‘dead on arrival’ at Nesbitt Memorial Hospital. Marcella pital and then transferred to Wilkes- Barre General Hospital where she re- mains unconscious. According to Dallas Township police, Lawrence Bellas, 25 and his brothers, James, 16 and Tim, 15, had just left the Stoneridge Cafe in Fernbrook and were on their way home on Route 309 north to Noxen. inju Ms in a fall several weeks before, had his left leg in a cast. His Dodge Charger was still new and carried tem- porary plates. According to statements received by the police, Larry passed a car near the upper entrance to New Goss Manor and when he attempted to get back into his lane the car went out of control, the brakes locked, he spun and swerved to- ward the Pasternick station wagon. Impact was so great that the numerals on the Bellas wheels were imprinted on the Pasternick car door. All three boys were thrown out of their car. Tim landed under the station wagon. They were taken to the Nesbitt Hospital and Tim was removed to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital where he, too, is still unconscious. Larry and James are in fair condition at Nesbitt. It took 45 minutes to extricate the Pasternick men from their vehicle. Route 309 was closed for about an hour. Am- bulances from Dallas, Kingston Town- ship, and Lehman helped to transport the victims to the hospitals. Dallas Fire Company was called and stood by in case of fire. Dallas Township, Dallas Borough and Kingston Township police were assisted by State Police. One police officer who helped remove the injured, said it was one of the worse accidents he had ever seen. Construction of Movable School Weather is still hampering con- struction of the Dallas relocatable school building on Hildebrant Road. The $1% million complex was begun in October 1972 and was expected to be complete by February of this year. November and December brought rain and more rain, and below average temperatures in January and February prohibited pouring of concrete. William Houston, project manager for Panelfab Incorp., Miami, Fla. noted that work is about six weeks behind. It is hoped that a projected completion date of April 1 will be final, Mr. Houston said, adding that the building’s concrete floors would be poured today. Steel columns panels are in place, according to the project manager. As soon as the walls and floor are in, the finishing work can be : done, Mr. Houston explained. (continued on, Page B11 The trial of the man who is suing millions of dollars opened Tuesday morn- ing in Courtroom 2 of Luzerne County Court House. Edward Meck, Lehman re- sident who is on trial for resisting arrest, assault and battery upon a police officer, aggravated assault and battery upon a police officer, pointing a deadly weapon, attempts with intent to kill and assault with intent to maim, had earlier filed suit with the Federal Court of the Middle Dis- trict, alleging that, ‘“Various of his con- was taken into custody the morning of March 8, 1972 by Kingston Township and Dallas police. Interest in the case had been heighten- ed by the fact that the prosecuting officer is a former Dallas Borough patrolman Ronald Dudik. Mr. Dudik was discharged from his position last Thursday night, (see related story,) but Dist. Atty. Patrick Toole told the Post Tuesday morning that his office ‘‘is only concern- ed with the fact that at the time of the in- cident with Mr. Meck, Mr. Dudik was officially an officer in Dallas Borough.” Indeed, continued efforts by Mr. Meck’s attorney, public defender Peter Webby, to introduce the fact of Mr. Dud- ik’s dismissal met with a steady stream of objections from Asst. Dist. Atty. James Anzalone. Judge Bernard Pod- casy, presiding, sustained each objection and at last sternly admonished Atty. Webby to refrain from this line of ques- tioning. Officer Dudik testified first, recalling that during a routine patrol at'3:15 a.m., March 8, 1972 he observed an individual apparently hitchhiking on Route 415. He stopped the cruiser in front of the indi- vidual and asked for identification. The Dudik recalled, then struck him a blow, “with a metal Object” on his left cheek bone. The man then proceeded to run across @ Route 415 and up Highland Boulevard Mr. Dudik said, and after ducking into a car- § port at the Hedden Construction Com- [§R pany, fired a shot at the pursuing officer. | (continued on Page Biz) James Kozemchak Sr., well known Back Mountain photographer, was re- sponsible for saving the life of John Fela, 70, of 390 Owens St., Swoyersville, this week. Jim and his wife, Ann, were on their way to Scranton around 1 o’clock Monday afternoon, and as they passed Washko’s Grove in Northmoreland Township, they thought they saw a child sitting on the ice on the pond. At a second glance, it ap- peared to be an article of red clothing and the Kozemchaks continued on their way. Just then the ‘‘red object’ waved an arm, and Jim realized that a man was standing in the icy water up to his armpits. Jim had no rope, but he grapped a jum- per cable from his car and walked out on the ice which was ‘rotten’ and crumbled beneath his weight. He scrambled to shore and back to his car where he called | x for help on a two-way radio. passing in a truck. One went for a rope I while the other helped Jim push a boat Hf across the ice toward Mr. Fela. They BH could only come within 12 feet 2 the § stranded man, who by then was tt we fi § and cold to hold onto the rope they li N him. He finally managed to tie it around | ty. It took over half an hour a rescue the I nearly frozen man and he had already ; ists. Mr. Fela had been ice fishing and § only two inches thick. ) : 3) io (continued on Page B11 | i This dilapidated old boat at Harveys Lake might | well depict a typical scene of the once thriving, elite | resort community of Northeastern Pennsylvania. |
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers