ct” » High School Track Sedon’ . Begins Ey See Page 18 VOL. 84, NO. 16 ' FIFTEEN CENTS More than 70 persons crowded into the Daniel C. Roberts Firehall last Thursday night to find out at first hand the fate of the Harveys Lake Municipal Authority and its offspring, a sewer system for the borough of Harveys Lake. Rumors had abounded that an em- battled borough council would attempt to abolish the authority or, at the very least, strip it of its responsibilities. Neither rumor proved true, but the meeting provided some turbulent encounters in the borough’s turbulent--if brief--history. From the outset, Council President Thomas Cadwalader spoke in a concilia- tory manner, apparently attempting to lessen suspicions on the part of the gathiggd townspeople that a council- managed ‘‘take-over’”’ of the authority was in the making. He went so far as to offer his personal promise to Harveys Lake resident Leo Wodaski that no action would be taken by council on the question until a special meeting was held, a meeting which was to include not only council and authority members, but alse the sewer project engineers, solicitors for both groups, and council’s finaneial The joint meeting, which was proposed at a special session of council some two weeks earlier by Councilman Fred Merrill, would be a closed door session-- to permit what Mr. Merrill told the Post later would be ‘‘a free exchange of ideas.” Tentatively scheduled for April 28, the executive session will be followed by a public meeting, Mr. Merrill assured the Post. “There are so many different Pennsylvania Commissioner of Correc- tions Allyn R. Sielaff visited the State Correctional Institution at Dallas last week and found it in good order. At a press conference held in the office of SC1D superintendent Leonard Mack, who has received criticism Focentls by cer- tain spoligicians anc sources Mr, Sielafi, said, “Corrections is in vogue to- day. $ public is more concerned after Attica, and because Warren Burger, Pre- sidenfai¥ixon and President Johnson have said tat corrections have failed. In any field there are people who have ideas and speak out on them, but the overall re- sponsibility is mine and Mr. Mack’s and we won’t abdicate it.” The commissioner reported, ‘A thorough investigation of the recent es- cape has been made’’ and ‘‘an additional tower is being manned.” The institution has eight towers, three of which are nor- mally manned. Commissioner Sielaff ex- plained that budgetary restrictions have made for manpower priority pro- blems. It had been felt that these strate- gicallygchosen tower watches, plus roving patrof®ilong the gates would be the best preventative for escape. The commis- sioner pointed out that it’s been shown that there is no such thing as an escape- proof prison. He had high praise for SCID’s record of just this one escape from within its walls since it was opened 13 years ago. Francis Tomlinson, the recent escapee, had gone over the wall near the unman- ned, number four tower. Superintendent Mack pointed out that a two-man, roving patrol was designated to that area, but didn’t happen to be in that specific part of the area when the man went over the wire. Although they were within 20 feet of him, they failed to see him. The rainy night had made visibility from the towers very pocr, as well. Mr. Mack believes that Mr. Tomlinson positioned a stick diagonally ari ms8 aplace ‘where the barbed wire formed a corner, to pull him- self up, and then threw his jacket over the wire, to climb over unscratched. Regarding steps that they had taken and will continue to take'to strengthen security, Allyn Sielaff added, ‘Several internal measures will be taken with re- spect to inmate transfers and separa- tions. Additional manpower will enable us to improve supervision and reduce assaults. Ten new correction officer posi- tions and four steward positions have been established. Twenty-six more posi- tions are in our proposed budget and I am hopeful this will receive legislative sup- port.” (continued on PAGE TWENTY ONE) . opinions and conflicting reports that we all (council and authority members) need to have a chance to sit down together to talk things over without having to worry about being misquoted,’’ he explained. Public opinion at Thursday night’s meeting seemed lopsided in favor of retaining the authority and its project. (continued on PAGE TWENTY TWO) Bomb Explodes At Irem Temple A bomb exploded on the front lawn of Irem Temple Country Club in Dallas Township Tuesday night at 9:03, shortly after township police had cruised through the elub grounds. There were no injuries. State Police from Wyoming Barracks were called in. The bomb, described by township of- ficers Les Tinsley and Carl Miers as a homemade device, left two small craters in the front lawn of the country club. De- bris left from the bomb was being retain- ed for state police investigators, the offi- cers said. A spokesman for the club said that patrons were asked to leave the pre- mises after the bomb exploded, and the club was elosed for the night about 9:45 p.m. A source close to the police told a Dallas Post staff writer that a bomb threat had been received. The source had no further information. Dallas Township police said they also investigated an explosion which occurred about 5:45 a.m. Tuesday morning in an undetermined location. Police said they could neither locate the site, nor could they find any damage of the early morn- ing blast. Witnesses emerging from the Dallas School board meeting both heard and saw the explosion at Irem Temple, and police said they had reports from residents as far away as Kunkle. State police were continuing the in- vestigation at press time. It seems that this year’s reported light catches of trout have not cut down yet on the number of area fishermen turning out for the popular springtime activity. Michael Drobnicki, police officer for Harveys Lake Borough, who was on duty Saturday, the opening. day of trout season, and Sunday, reported that the lake was crowded with fishermen both days. The colder weather of Saturday, com- pared with the milder weather of Sunday, did not stop opening day from being the day when the most fishermen made their appearances at the lake, according to Mr. Drobnicki. The officer reported that he talked to Claude Neifert, waterways patrolman for the Luzerne County Office of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, When Mr. Neifert himself was con- tacted, he reported that the catch thus far has been “very slow’’ in ‘practically all waters.”” The only good reports are coming from the Lehigh River, he pointed out. He thinks that the ‘‘several days of very cold weather’ recently may be to blame. Mr. Neifert said he feels that have affected the number of fishermen. When asked if he thought the catch would increase as the weather gets warmer, he replied, ‘I hope it will improve.” A spokesman from Slocum Park said which therefore has just about every- thing in. it but trout. He reported that fishing there too is slow, with small pan fish being about all there is to catch. Angling for pan fish is legal all year long. 7 Two preliminary hearings have been heard in the courtroom of Dallas magis- trate Leonard Harvey, regarding the April 6 drug arrests in the area, and a third is scheduled. Already, one of those cases will go no further, due, according to Magistrate Harvey, to a poorly organized case by the Pennsylvania State Police. According to State Police trooper William R. Koscinski’s complaint against Ruth Solomon, RD 1, Box 501, Harveys Lake, Miss Solomon was in possession of a quantity of marijuana at her home at the lake, April 6. At the recent prelimi- nary hearing on the complaint, however, Miss Solomon’s lawyer was able to get the case dismissed because the trooper could not produce any evidence. As per a detailed report by the trooper, after he entered Miss Solomon’s home with the aid of a warrant issued by Magistrate Harvey, he discovered and seized the following: “One plastic bag containing suspected marijuana.’ “A can containing numerous items (paraphernalia, 29 pills (loose) in a medi- cine cabinet in the bathroom).” Suspected marijuana in a ‘Laredo’ can- two rolled ‘reefers’ and a bag containing suspected marijuana and cigarette papers on the kitchen table.’ “One glass container with ‘roaches’ and a wooden pipe taken from the window sill in the kitchen.” “A plastic bag containing cigarette papers and a pipe, top drawer of kitchen cabinet.” ‘One jar containing suspected mari- juana and one bag containing marijuana seeds, taken from the top of the refriger- i ator in the kitchen.’ : “One large, approximately 24 inch, marijuana plant taken from window sill | in kitchen.’ he “Two small marijuana plants, about x three inches in height were also seized, but were destroyed in transporting them : to State Police Headquarters, W yom ® Penna.’ 2 (“Reefer’”” is slang for a marijuana cigarette, ‘roach’ for the burned down, “butt’’ of a marijuana cigarette.) i If any of the seized material listed had been brought by the State Police to the preliminary hearing, according to Mr. Harvey, they could have established a prima facia case. The substances were not brought, however, and the case had to. be dismissed for lack of evidence. Most of the seized items were in the State Police Harrisburg erime lab at the time, the magistrate pointed out. He reported that even if they had brought the marijuana plant, which had been left at the barracks, there would have been a case. | Mr. Harvey added, ‘“‘they should have had their case ready.. .there was nothing I could do.” i Miss Solomon, who had been free on $1,000 bail following her arrest, can not now be further prosecuted on the charge which the magistrate dismissed. Magis- trate Harvey pointed out, however, that she may end up facing related charges, that “she probably won’t get away with this.” (continued on PAGE TWENTY TWO) Plans are well underway in Wyoming Valley for a major springtime festival. A committee chaired by Roy Morgan, outgoing president of the Greater Wilkes- Barre Chamber of Commerce, has been working for six months to put together “Rainbow Recovery Fair’ which will begin with the annual ‘‘Cherry Blossom Time’’ on Mothers Day weekend, May 11- 13, and will continue with the traditional Fine Arts Fiesta on the consecutive weekends of May 18-20 and May 25-27. A third major event, the Parade of Progress sponsored by the Greater 31 through June 3. The spring festival will conclude with a special event June 23, marking the first ‘anniversary of the 1972 flood and sym- bolizing the recovery strength exhibited Valley. Efforts by the committee took a positive step forward last week, with the announcement that the Department of Community Affairs is granting $16,550 in support of the scheduled activities. According to a release by the Chamber of Commerce, the concept of the program was initiated by Secretary’ William Wilcox, Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs, and Federal Judge Max Rosenn, former head of the Flood Recovery Task Force, both of whom felt that Wyoming Valley residents might the disaster. “Rainbow Recovery Fair’ will be run. under the auspices of the Flood Recovery
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers