4 IOWA 52540 G * VOL. 86 NO. 28 THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1975 by Terry Bonifanti You: niean besides drink beer and smoke pot?” ‘‘They get info automobiles and drive around, once in a while they come to a dance and have a fight” or ‘They are usually on lonely stretches of road, off the beaten path drinking.” Tesi 1uotes were the initial reactiont of local law enforcement officers ‘to the question, ‘‘what do young a do at night in the Back ¥ Mountain. All of the officers in- terviewed, however, agreed with Leh- man Township Police Chief Willard Russell who said, ‘‘we’ve had a very, very good summer, with practically no vandalism.” Looking around the Back Mountain on three different occasions, it’s quite easy to believe that the young people are ‘‘off the beaten path.” Driving up Routes 309 and 415 and over 118, there are no signs of the night life of young people. EvenlmperialBowling Lanes, a winter site ‘of a great deal of ac- tivity, stands with as little as three cars in the parking lot on a Saturday night. The. proprietors, the junior and senior Tony Bonomos said, ‘‘there are too many other things to do in the summer. Mostly they hang around the lake.” At the lake a weekend ‘‘Crowd’’ of 30 or 40 can be found around Sun- set...maybe 20 outside Hanson's and driving around, a few house parties are visible. (Week nights the numbers on issues In the wake of a rumored county- wide tax reassessment, Dr. Budd Schooley, president of the Back Mountain Protective Association, has proposed to make public assessments on property owned by the Luzerne County Commissioners and members of the tax assessment board. Schooley issued the challenge following last week’s Back Mountain town meeting called by the association. Schooley said it was his belief, ‘‘the little 4 pays the taxes,” and although, ‘‘the Back Mountain Protective Association believes in good schools, good education and good sanitation, there is a iimit to what taxpayers will spend.” Schooley said when the last county- wide assessment took place the assessor working on his property was “an out of work bricklayer from Hazelton.” He suggested the A fall gir, the thirteenth of its kind, will be 8d Sept. 5, 6 and 7 at the Leh- man Horse Show Grounds on Route 118. The fair which began in 1961, as the Dallas Rotary Fall Fair is now sponsored by the Dallas Area Fall Fair Association. This year the fair is called the Luzerne County Fair, having received both state and county fair recognition. i The Dallas Area Fall Fair Association is made up of members of the Dallas Rotary, Kiwanis and Lion’s clubs. This year’s chairman is Kiwanian Ray Hillman, co-chairmen are Buck Albert, Rotary; and Tom Reese, Lion’s Club. A country and western theme has been: chosen for this year’s fair. In keeping with the theme, local country and western bands will play each night of the fair and a square dance will be held Sept. 6 at 7 p.m., with Red Jones calling. A firemen’s parade will open the fair, Friday night at 6 p.m. Sparky and Dot the clowns will be on the 3 i ¥ x assessors follow the precedent set in Wyoming County and hire “professional assessors’ and keep politics out of the question. The town meeting called by Schooley and the association last week, ‘‘at the request of the taxpayers,” was attended by 11° interested citizens. Dr. Schooley and Attorney James L. Brown, who serves as councel to the association. * Schooley and Brown opened the meeting by recounting past success of the association, including the sanitation collection system fight to join the school districts and a fight against tax assessment made by the Dallas School District. Schooley said he called the meeting on behalf of the taxpayers who had come to him dismayed with the rising costs of school administration and the need for a good water distribution system. No real discussion was held on countrytheme grounds throughout the entire fair. Skydivers will jump both Saturday and Sunday and helicopter rides will be available. Competitive skill events featuring local fire companies will be presented Sunday from 1 - 5 p.m. Although amusements and rides at the fair will be available at a cost of 40 cents, advance tickets may be pur- chased from any Rotarian, Lion or Kiwanian at the reduced rate of 25 cents. The Luzerne County Fair will also feature many commercial exhibitors. Manufacturers, retailers, and mer- chants who wish to exhibit are asked to contact William Shaner, Kingston, or Ray Hillman at Hillman Office Equipment, also in Kingston. Proceeds from the fair are kept by the Dallas Fall Fair Association, earmarked for a medical care facility in the Back Mountain area on land donated by Joe Parks, a long-time area resident. (See related article, “page one) either subject although a remark from the floor stated that trying to establish a water company for the Back Mountain would be a mistake since, ‘‘we can’t get people to pay for their sewage bills.” Following Schooley’s and Brown’s remarks, Schooley asked those localities they would like to discuss.” The question on the reassessment was made and the woman questioning the reassessment asked, can something be done to show protest, ‘before the reassessment is made?” Dr. Schooley said it was his belief that something could be cone. He said that he would send a letter from the protective association to the assessors voicing protest. ‘Brown however, said it was his belief nothing could be done until the association’s best recourse in the past had been in the courts, and “we can’t take someone to court until they do something.” Brown also made the statement at this time that, “You will never get taxes lowered.” He added it was his belief the protective association should fight for ‘“‘a dollar’s worth of service for a dollar’s worth of taxes.” During the meeting, Schooley Council for being ‘Progressive’ in the field of sanitation and recreation. He claimed some other Back Mountain municipalities were holding up progress in both fields and also in the area of education. After hearing complaints on a bad condition at the entrance to Route 309 from Center Street and raise for Kingston Township’s recreation program, Schooley closed the meeting. He said more meetings will be called in the future. Schooley closed the meeting by reiterating a remark made several times during the meeting directed at local ‘“‘elected officials.” “The Back Mountain Protective Association is alert and vigilant and if the need arises and we are compelled we will take progressive action for the welfare of the taxpayer.” DALLAS, PA. TWENTY (NTs Residents of the Back Mountain who have been wondering about the possibility of a hospital constructed on the site along Route 118, need not wonder any longer. The possibility of a fully-equipped hospital in the Back Mountain has been completely ruled out. This decision was made following investigation over a year ago by representatives of the HEW Department. Members of the Back Mountain have not given up. Tom Dombroski, chairman, and members of the committee are going ahead with another approach. They plan to solicit proposals from architects and engineers for limited hospital facilities to be erected. The facilities will be one of three types - emergency care, primary, or custodial with emergency. Originally, the committee thought their efforts were successful when they persuaded the Rural Health Corporation to look over the hospital site. Following the resignation of Richard Lampman, executive drop to maybe 10 or 12 in Joe's, the same for Hanson's). Where are the kids? i “Joe's Grotto,” ‘‘Dances at the amusement park at Harveys Lake,” “home watching T.V.”’ ‘Evans Beach at Lake Silkworth,”! “over a friends house,” ‘‘at the Dallas Recreation Center when something is going on,” “‘the arcade at Sunset,” ‘“‘at Elby’s in Dallas’ or ‘‘gone skating or to a show in town,” according to the “kids” themselves. Karen Laver, a 16-year-old from Harveys Lake said, at 11:45 Saturday outside Hanson's, she believes ‘‘there is no place where we can go in this whole Back Mountain that we don’t get thrown out, chased or sent home.” Miss Laver added, ‘You've gotta have. money to join the clubs so there’s nothing to do around here but George Weaver, a Dallas resident, 17 years old, disagrees with Miss Laver, ‘‘there’s plenty to do, you just have to open your eyes and look.” However, Weaver added, ‘‘If you have the transportation.” Weaver's belief that there is plenty to do was a minority opinion of one. Even the police officers agree that there are not many places for young people to congregate. ‘There is no place in Dallas Township they can legally go,” according to Chief Carl Miers. “Lehman Township is too spread director, Dr. Robert Gouldstone was appointed executive of Rural Health, Members met with Dr. Goudlstone and representatives of health management who were going to do a feasibility study and report back to the local committee. Dombroski stated that they received no word from Rural Health but recently read in the news, that they had a proposal before Health and Hospital Planning Council for a $225,000 grant to build an addition to the Noxen building. A spokeman for HHPC said that because of Rural Health Corp.'s request for federal funding, additional building will have to be in Wyoming County. Rural Health therefore, is considering two other sites within Wyoming County which rules out the Back Mountain site on Route 118 donated by Joseph Parks. Dombroski, Back Mountain, stated that the committee will select an architect-engineer on a contingent basis to prepare a plot plan and documents necessary for loan and grant funds for the purpose of implementing any proposals from out, there's no place to congregate,” according to Chief Russell. And ‘‘the picnic grounds, Joe's Grotto and Sunset,” are the only places Harveys Lake Police Chief Walter Lienthal finds groups of young people. Many of the young people in- terviewed said when they go out at night in the summer, it is usually ‘‘to the lake.” They ‘‘play a little pinball, go to Joe's, maybe a drive-in at Dallas, maybe a swim,’” according to 12-year-old Joe Dominick and 16-year- old Mike Simmons. A 16-year-old girl at Sunset on Monday night said that, for the most part she, ‘‘bums Two young men sitting in Joe's said they, “come to Joe's,” go to a party” and ‘‘do a lot of fishing.” One of the young men said he spent some of his nights at work. Seventeen-year-old Patty McGath and 18-year-old Brian Agnew, both work at night. Neither considered the fact that they would be ‘‘missing’’ out on anything before taking their night time jobs. Agnew, who works 3-10 at McMinn's Arco, said he usually doesn’t go anywhere when leaving work at 10. “I would go someplace if there was someplace to go, but I usually just go home.” McGrath said she felt much the same way Agnew did, “I don’t feel I'm missing anything by working at night, when I'm not working I only go to Joe's (where she works as a interested parties. d The committee is an adjunct to the Dallas Fall Fair Committee which raises the money for a Back Mountain Health facility. 4 The committee is still searching for a facility to serve the Back Mountain. According to Dombroski, there is room for all three of the aforementioned facilities on the site. The committee has the funds to carry out a study but plans to use the money for something more specific. Any group of individuals interested in submitting proposals should send them to Thomas Dombroski, Back Mountain Medical Center, 222 Terrace Ave., Trucksville, Pa. 18708. In the meantime, a 15-bed, 50-bed, or 100-bed, fully equipped hospital for the Back Mountain will not be--it has been ruled out of the question. ..Pg. 4 waitress) or down town to a movie or to a friends.” : ; ‘Miss McGrath who will be a senior at Lake-Lehman this year added, *‘the winter is different, with school sports and all, there's pretty much to do.” What do these young people suggest be added to the Back Mountain for “something to do.” *‘I don’t know," was the response most often given. In last week's heat the suggestion for “a swimming pool’ close to Dallas and vicinity was suggested by a few. And “More recreation areas like that in Dallas came as a suggestion as did a movie theatre in Dallas. For the most part, however, those interviewed had to really search for a suggestion. The new skating rink planned for the area brought response to mixed emotions from those interviewed. Agnew seemed to pinpoint the feelings on how the rink will be received, “Those who like to skat will go there." And according to Mark Phillips, an 18-year-old Kingston Township skating is a real good idea, a lot of kids go down to Wilkes-Barre skating now. Skating is a big thing now." For the rest of the summer, one. would have to assume most of the young people are home, at friends, in town, of ‘‘off the beaten path.” If they are not in those places they must not be many around, because it isn't easy to find many out on the Back Moun- tain's beaten paths. "Photo by Terry Bonifanti of A
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