First of A Series & by J.R. Freeman Despair runs rampant in Wyoming Valley where a year ago the worse civil disaster ever to hit the country forced 100,000 residents to flee their homes in the wake of the killer Susquehanna River as it thundered through the region on a $3 billion rampage. Today, an outsider can sense the feeling of despair, depression and hopelessness that has been creeping up on this flood-ravaged region as it tries desperately to recover. Since that fateful day last June 23 when the Susquehanna ripped this valley apart, many of the 70,000 residents left homeless have all but given up hope in trying to find their way through bureaucratic red tape, repair their homes and lives amid an atmosphere which permeates with consumer fraud, high prices, and a false economy created by federal and state dollars pouring into the community. A few experts on the scene express concern that this false economy may become the major crippler of the mental health of valley residents in months and perhaps years ahead. Some say flatly that should the economy begin to crumble, mental health will become the valley’s number one concern. A few predict-the economy is already faltering. Housing remains the priority item now, followed closely by concern for an in- flated economy. And given the enormity of those problems, mental health ranks a close third. With 118 persons dead from Florida to Pennsylvania, 46 in this state, and 100,000 people evacuated in Wyoming Valley, it was 16 inches of rain dumped by Hurri- cane Agnes that started these problems. And though this feeling of despair has been stalking these citizens for nearly a year, the most nagging manifestation of all rests with the river itself. It leaves A Greenstreet News Co. Publication behind a question that cannc i, swered—will it happen again? Take Roselle McGrath, for example now of Pad 369 of the Lombardo Trailer Park. Her problems caused by the flood finally wound up in the hands of a state- agency psychiatrist. Mrs. McGrath, a petite 30-year-old valley native, owns a two-family dwelling at 109 Carey Ave., south Wilkes-Barre. Recently divorced, Mrs. McGrath found herself incapable of providing for herself and her four daughters. All four, born by Caesarian section, have sight and walking deficiencies. Mrs. McGrath says that she was barely HE managing to get along in pre-flood days. she owned her $15,000 home, with a : $12,000 mortgage. Her home received flood water up to the first floor ceiling, : destroying almost everything she had. The residence now stands mud-caked ina row of similar houses on a debris-ridden street. Mrs. McGrath moved into a Housing and Urban Development mobile home last August, only to see her troubles multiply. The trailer was located on a street that was perpetual mud. The children walked through the mire knee- (continued on PAGE FIFTEEN) A 15-year old Wilkes-Barre youth pulled off a brazen auto theft near the Dallas intersection last Thursday morn- ing. The car was a 1970 Ford Fairlane, owned by Stanley Scott, RD 5, Shaver- town. The car has since been returned and the boy apprehended. Four Wilkes-Barre boys, ranging in age from 13 to 15, hitch-hiked as far as the Dallas intersection, when one of their members decided to take an automobile. Looking through the Dallas Dairy lot, he found the Scott car with the keys in the ig- nition. The boy got in, without his friends, and locked the doors. According to Dallas Borough police chief Ray Titus, the novice driver had a difficult time getting the car out of the lot. While backing-up in an attempt to get away, he once backed into and damaged a new Dallas Dairy truck. » Wilsort" Garinger, owner of the dairy, and three other men, noticed the at- tempted robbery and went out to put a stop to it. According to the chief, the boy “was as cool as could be’, paying no attention to the men, frantically running around the car, trying to get in. The chief reports that “‘it’s a wonder he didn’t hit somebody.” The boy finally got the car backed onto Lake Street, after attempts to break the window by the men outside failed, and took off through a red light. Mr. Garinger reported hearing screams and seeing the boy narrowly miss two women at- tempting to cross the street. Mr. Garinger ran to the borough build- ing and told Chief Titus what had happen- ed. The chief jumped into the cruiser and chased after him, south on Route 415. He was unsuccessful in finding the boy, how- ever, and reported the incident to area police departments. (continued on PAGE THIRTEEN) VOL. 84 NO. 25 DALLAS, PA. THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1973 FIFTEEN CENTS Harveys Lake Borough now has a mandatory hook-up ordinance for the proposed sewer system. Passage of the ordinance came about during the regular June 14 meeting of council, at which a letter of resignation from council chairman Thomas Cadwalader was read after he had excused himself late in the meeting. Mr. Cadwalader’s resignation was read shortly after the vote on the ordinance was taken. Calling for mandatory hook- up to the proposed Harveys Lake sewer system, the ordinance passed five to one. Councilman William Hoblak cast the lone no’’ vote. Mr. Cadwalader voted ‘‘yes’’ after explaining that the vote did not reflect his own judgment, but the obvious will of the voters. : In the recent primaries, the Harveys Lake voters seemingly let their opinion be known, by voting out incumbents Mr. Cadwalader and Mr. Hoblak, the two most vocal against the Harveys Lake Municipal Authority’s (HLMA’s) han- dling of the sewer project. Mr. Cadwalader reported that he was personally against the ordinance because of the ‘‘go-ahead”’ it would give to HLMA even though they haven’t submitted final specifications and plans to council. The chairman expressed concern that the lake’s growth potential might exceed the capacity approved by and negotiated with the Dallas Area Municipal Authority (DAMA), meaning problems and A formal charge of murder was lodged against two inmates at the State Correc- District Magistrate Leonard Harvey handed down a decision that a prima facie case had been established against Freddy Butler and Glenn Jordan in the Aug. 14, 1972 stabbing death of Thomas M. Wilson, also a SCID inmate. The case is expected to go to the Luzerne County Grand Jury. Both men pleaded not guilty. Asst. Dist. Atty. Chester Muroski, during the Monday preliminary hearing, told the court that the prosecution is basing a major portion of its case on the testimony of two SCID resident wit- nesses to the alleged murder. Court- appointed defense attorneys Lemmond, representing Mr. Butler, and former Judge Albert Aston and his son, Albert Aston Jr., representing Mr. Jordan, are expected to try to show that testimony of the prosecution witnesses is not trustworthy. The defendants, present during the hearing in Dallas, were under heavy guard. trict Attorney repeatedly halted cross- examination of witnesses by defense counsel with objections. It was his con- tention that the defense attorneys were Deans Vote Sister Chairman Sister Ann Horgan, RSM, dean of students at College Misericordia, has been named chairman of the Luzerne County Dean’s Association for 1973-74, it was announced today by outgoing chair- man, John Murphy, dean of students at Pennsylvania State University, Wilkes- Barre Campus. It is the first time in the organization’s two-year history that a woman has held an executive position. Sister was elected chairman during the Association’s meeting at Misericordia re- cently. Participating in the election were representatives of King’s College,, Wilkes, Luzerne County Community College, and Penn State University, Wilkes-Barre Campus. Photo on page 16. going beyond the scope of the case in their efforts to establish that during magistrate hearings they should be aler- ted with information showing what kind of case the prosecution was expected to present, and what evidence was avail- able. Defense attorneys argued that they needed extensive questioning privileges to determine just how strong a case was being prepared by the prosecution. Atty. Muroski’s objections were usually over- ruled. After SCID records officer Andrew Rusnak established that the two defen- dants and the dead man had been in- carcerated at SCID at the time of the incident, Mr. Jordan and Mr. Butler serving life sentences, deputy superin- tendent Gerald L. Lightcap was called to testify. Mr. Lightcap was major of the guards at the institution at the time of the alleged murder. court that at the time of the alleged murder, the first of the three men he saw was Thomas Wilson. Mr. Wilson was (continued on PAGE FOURTEEN) possible higher rates in the near future. He also found fault with other aspects of the report by HLMA engineers, Glace and Glace, plus with their finance study’s reliance on 100 percent collection on customer bills. oa (continued on PAGE FOURTEEN) George Nichols To Head Center Former Gov. George M. Leader, presi- dent of Commonwealth Industries Inc. has announced the appointment of George W. Nichols as assistant adminis- trator of the Leader Nursing Center, located at Wyoming Avenue and Dorrance Street in Kingston. Mr. Nichols John O’Hara in the overall operation of the large West Side nursing complex. Mr. Nichols is a native of Trucksville and has had extensive working ex- perience in the health care field. (continued on PAGE THIRTEEN)
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