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BOX 336,
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Blanche: Thompson looks
Miss MacCloskey’s
1776. + See story on P. 4.
~ Mrs. Robert Hughes, chairman of
Dallas Borough Bicentennial
Commission, has announced that
Dallas Borough has been recognized
as an official = Bicentennial
community. An official American
Revolution Bicentennial flag and
certificate will be presented to
borough officials on Jan. 20 at 7:45
p.m., at the borough building by
Luzerne = County
officials. The public is invited to
attend the ceremony. ;
The first official event will be an
What do
2 by Charlot Denmon
What « lies ahead for local
municipalities for 1976? What
ecumenical service sponsored by the
Back Mountain Ecumenical Council.
The service will close out a year of
observance of Christian Unity with a
bicentennial theme.
The service will be conducted by Dr.
Clarence Goen of Wesley Seminary,
Washington, D.C. He will speak on
“The American Revolution as a
Religious Revival.” Rev. Steven
McGough, president of the Back
Mountain Clergy, invites all area
residents to attend.
At a recent meeting of Dallas
THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1976
“We will rebuild and open our tire
service as soon as possible. We are
working on it now. I have too many
faithful employees to close down and
walk away from it all,” said’ Ray
Elston, owner of Elston Tire Service,
Memorial Highway, Dallas.
Elston’s building and business
along the highway was heavily
damaged in a general alarm fire in
the early morning hours last Saturday
in four degrees below zero‘weather.
More than 75 volunteers from five
Back Mountain fire companies turned
out to battle the flames which
progress
A mediation session between
striking workers of the Com-
munication Workers of America and
Commonwealth Telephone Co. ended
Tuesday aftermoon after four or five
hours of discussion with no progress
made, according to a Commonwealth
representative.
Charles. McHugh of ‘the Federal
Mediation and Conciliation Service
called the meeting for 11 a.m. in the
office of Gov. Milton Schapp in
Harrisburg. Representatives of the
company and management were vice
presidents Paul Mazza and John A.
Heller. =
The union spokesman said that
McHugh planned to schedule more
meetings but no date was announced
this afternoon. :
Members of six locals of the
Communications Workers of America
are involved in the strike but service
(Continued on page four)
Borough Bicentennial Commission, it
was disclosed that borough officials
have agreed to donate a plot of
borough-owned property for the
purpose of establishing a mini-park
for borough residents. A detailed plan
of the park will be preapred and all
organizations or businesses who wish
to participate in its development are
urged to do so.
A third undertaking of the
Bicentennial group is to catalog and
(Continued on page sixteen)
destroyed more than two thirds of the
building.
Three automobiles and a truck were
saved by the quick response of the
Dallas, Shavertown, Trucksville,
Kunkle and Lehman Fire Companies.
Adjacent buildings were also suc-
cessfully protected by the fire
fighters.
Dallas fire chief Don Shaffer
reported that the fire was spotted by a
young man on his way home from
work and an alarm turned in about
3:30 a.m. When the chief arrived at
the fire about five minutes later,
flames were pouring out of the doors,
windows and roofs at the left corner of
DALLAS, PA.
the building.
Chief Shaffer said that they were
lucky to save the most of the contents
of the building but one truck was
destroyed.
“We had the use of a huge water
tank of Valley Offset Paperback. The
concern allowed us to use 500,000
gallons of water in battling the fire.
We were taking 1,000 gallons a minute
at the height of the fire,”’ said Shaffer.
The firemen were hampered in
battling the blaze by the icy highway.
Shaffer confirmed that repeated calls
were made to PennDOT at Bear
Creek requesting that they send a
truck with cinders but no truck came
out until nearly noon. In the mean-
time,
Township road department who came
on the scene about 8:50 a.m. to cinder
Madden of Luzerne, state road
caretaker, but were unable to reach
him by phone.
fire marshall investigated and, from
caused - by heating tape wrapped
around a water pipe right inside the
front door. The state police are
continuing their investigation.
Photo by Fay Broody Studio
opportunities, problems or programs
do community officials foresee.
Jerry Machell, president of Dallas
Franklin Township supervisors said
taxes will remain the same in their
township during 1976. The decision
was announced following a
reorganization meeting last week.
Chairman = Alex Matukitis said
taxes will contine at the same rate as
those in effect during 1975, including a
six mill property tax, five dollar per
capita tax, 2 per cent earned income
Wilkinson Agency is earned income
tax collector for the township.
All Franklin Township supervisors
regular meeting are held the first
Monday of thé month at 8 p.m. in the
Orange Methodist Church.
good economic year. He said the
Dallas council if prepared to meet an
aniticpated population growth within
the borough and plans to place
emphasis on improving the recreation
facilities. . ]
The borough president said he
foresees no great problems because
most have been resolved throughout
past years.
The one great expectation of the
council is that the recently appointed
planning consultant will be able to
obtain financial support in improving
the overall picture of Main Street,
especially those businesses which
lookout at the highway.
The opportunities within the
borough are many with it being
centrally located with easy access to
bus service, good sewage facilities,
recreation facilities and above
average school bus transportation.
The one problem borough council
hopes to see resolved in 1976 is that of
a fire company building.
Police protection is more than
adquate with above average coverage
provided by four full time and five
entire borough area.
Fred Fielding, chairman of Jackson
Township Supervisors, stated that
there has been a steady increase in
population in his township since 1970
with an average of 12 to 15 new homes
constructed each year. If economy
remains as usual he anticipates
The supervisors plan to keep the
township a resential area and adopted
their 1976 budget without an increase
in taxes.
Fielding was not certain in which
direction the supervisors will move as
far as emphasis on special projects is
concerned. With a minority member
on the board this year, some things
may be done differently than
previously.
The supervisors plan to continue
their improvement of township roads
as needed without going overboard.
Jackson Township has a good road
crew and Fielding is sure the men will
continue their good work. x
Despite some difficulty in getting
off the ground, he feels the township
has capable police protection and that
the supervisors are obligated to see
that it continues.
Overall, he said he foresees Jackson
Township progressing as it has in the
past five years. ; =
The Kingston Township Supervisors
(Continued on page sixteen)
transfer tax.
During the reorganization meeting,
_the supervisors reappointed township
officials to their respective posts.
Matukitis will continue as chairman
‘of the board of supervisors; Russell
Race will continue as vice chairman
and township roadmaster; Harold:
Hoover is
police chief; solicitor is John Morriss
III.
Appointed to a five year term on the
zoning commission was Donald
Searfoss. Ray Turner Jr. will serve a
three year term on the zoning hearing
board. Robert Morgan is zoning
enforcement officer. The = Don
by Bob Kelley, President
Back Mt. Jaycees
Across the state, across the nation,
young men from all walks of life will
next Sunday begin celebrating Jaycee
Annually set aside as the time when
Jaycees celebrate the
begin planning the many areas in
which the organization will become
involved during the coming year,
Jaycee Week has also evolved into a
membership campaign to extend the
opportunities of being a Jaycee to
other young men.
M
Locally, the Back Mountain Jaycees
have much to celebrate. Having come
into existence less than one year ago
they have quickly earned the respect
and recognition of the communities
they serve as well as that of othe area
service clubs. In nearly every
year, the Back Mountain Jaycees
were called on to serve.
Both behind-the-scenes and on
center stage the Jaycees served in
such events as the Folk Arts Festival,
the Library Auction, the Luzerne
County Fall Fair, the “Up With
People’ concert, the Bicentennial
%
Kickoff, and a myriad of other events.
Organizers learned of the
dependability and willingness to work
which is so much a part of the local
Jaycee philosophy.
The Back Mountain Jaycees got
involved in other things too: the
childrens’ films shown monthly to the
delight of as many as 500 kids;
bimonthly recycling campaigns for
glass and aluminum; the Toby’s
Creek clean-up which netted some
four tons of assorted trash in a ¥ mile
stretch of the stream; blood donations
to a Scranton man in desperate need.
“The best thing about the Back
y
Mountain Jaycees” said President
Bob Kelley ‘is that 50 young men who
one year ago hardly knew each other,
are now friends working together
toward the same goal-a better
community.”
How does one become a Jaycee?
Membership Chairman Joe Stager
answered this way: ‘“‘Any young man
between the ages of 18 and 35 is
welcome to join. It does not matter if
he is married or single, nor what he
does for a living.”
Contrary to the belief that the
club, the local organization represents
a good cross-section of the
community. More than half of the
members work in a trade, a few are
businesmen, several are
professionals, and some are
unemployed.
‘““When all these people are
assembled to exchange ideas,” added
Stager, ‘‘the results are often
profound-and we have a lot of fun!”
The Back Mountain Jaycees will
p.m. at the Brothers Four Restaurant,
now called ‘Hearthstone Pub.’
.