BRIGHTON
BOX 336,
TA KE ER
VOL. 87 NO. 36
A
Members of the Dallas School
Board approved survey of local
students proposed by the Back
Mountain Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Council at a special board meeting
Tuesday night.
Earl Fritizges, board member,
recommended that the council be
allowed to conduct its survey through
grades fifth to 12 with the stipulation
that extreme caution be taken in
obtaining parental and student con-
sent and that responsibility rest with
Q
slips with both the signature of the
student ana tne parent or parents, or
guardian in lieu of parents. Fritzges
asked that these permission slips be
returned to the school thus signifying
consent. The district will handle the
mechanics of distributing and
collecting the permission slips on
behalf of the council.
School Solicitor Ben Jones III ex-
plained that the board’s concern was
with the new Juvenile Rights Act due
to the absence of any case law or any
state or federal opinions.
The approval was seven to one with
director William Price voting no.
The Hon. Daniel J. Flood will be
imprisoned from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.,
Monday, Oct. 11 at the State
Correctional Institution at Dallas.
Charges listed against the
congressman are guest of honor of the
Centurion Jaycees, and lending his
support to raise money for the fight
against muscular dystrophy.
Congressman Flood has agreed to
appear at the institution to assist the
alenturion Jaycess, a prison chapter,
"Sh their effort to raise funds for the
muscular dystophy organization.
The Jerry Lewis Telethon held each
Labor Day is the main source of
revenue for muscular dystrophy.
However, thousands of civic groups
each year stage a carnival to raise
money.
The Centurion Jaycees said they
feel that they are a part of the
community, and as such, have certain
obligations not only to their own
community but the communities
which surround them.
For the first time in the history of
the Pennsylvania Prison System, the
authorities have granted permission
for the chapter to conduct a
fundraising drive for the fight against
MD by the sale of food which will be
cooked in the yard. The inmates of the
institution have placed their orders in
advance but invited guests from the
media and other Jaycee chapters may
purchase their food that day.
There will be live music provided by
three groups from the institution,
track and field events, basketball
tournaments, and sandwiches and
vevergges. The program will begin at
8:30 a.m. and continue throughout the
day until 3 p.m.
Regional Jaycee chapters such as
Scranton and Wilkes-Barre will be
represented as well as other chapters
and representatives of the various
newspapers, radio and television
media.
General chairman of the
fundraising is Joseph Quinlan. Robert
Jones is president of the Centurion
Chapter and E.F. Savage of the
institution is the coordinator.
Ernest Ashbridge, president of the
board, stated that he was opposed to
the survey in the beginning because
See Page 9
he could not get an answer from the
council on what they were going to do
with the survey, but that he was not
trying to hide anything. William
Dierolf, board member, stated that
although a Sweet Valley newspaper
indicated the board feared the results
of the survey, this was not the case
since he and several other board
members had indicated they already
knew there was a problem.
Mrs. Donald Watchulonis, president
of Dallas Borough PTO, presented the
board with a petition requesting that
old Dallas Borough School, a frame
structure located on the school
grounds adjacent to the present
Dallas Borough Elementary School,
structure is considered a hazard, with
broken glass, rotted steps and
splintered wood; that the Kin-
dergarten and first and second grade
students play on the swings and other
playground equipment directly under
the windows of the building.
Dierolf will contact the fire com-
panies and seek their cooperation in
using the building for training schools,
if the board is able have part of the
building razed. He will report to
Richard Hislop, chairman of the
board’s property committee, who in
turn will try to reslove the issue with
officers of the Dallas Borough PTO
and other parents.
The general meeting ofyfhe Dallas
Scheol Distriet will be Oct. 11, 8 p.m.
at the Dallas Senior High School.
“We are not moving to Florida, nor
has Ray gone,” said Mrs. Ray Titus in
a conversation with a Post reporter
this week. ‘Rumors to the contrary,
Ray has placed his applications with
a number of places (in the area) and
will continue to do so.”
“My sister has been here visiting
The tradition of town meetings was
revived last Sunday when more than
fifty residents of the Dallas area met
at the Dallas Junior High School to
the area.
The town meeting was sponsored by
the Dallas Junior Woman’s Club in
conjunction with the Pennsylvania
University as a continuing education
service.
Keynote speakers included Col.
William Dierolf, representive of the
Dallas School Board, Mrs. Sylvia
Hughes, representing Dallas borough.
Kit Karuza for Kingston Township
and Chuck Bouton for Penn State-
Wilkes-Barre Campus.
The representative from Dallas
township was unable to attend.
The speakers informed the group of
present facilities available for public
use in each area, of recreation
programs presented and of future
plans for recreation. They noted that
school properties throughout the area
were being utilized year round for
township-sponsored programs, adult
education and recreation courses,
Little League, youth sports clinics,
etc. Both Penn State and College
Misericordia have facilities available
also.
The school district is presently
investigating funding for the addition
complex. Dallas Township presently
has no township recreation program
but does own land that could possibly
be developed for recreation purposes.
Dallas Borough is unique in being
* the smallest municipality and having
two recreation areas, one on Burn-
dale Road and a mini-park under
construction at the corner of Hunt-
sville Road and Waters St. Volunteer
this Saturday.
Kingston Township is developing a
community park to be located at the
Land clearing and grading should
begin in the near future. However, the
lack of sufficient funds may
necessitate the use of volunteers to
complete the park.
After hearing the speakers, the
audience divided into four groups
(Dallas School District, Dallas Twp.,
Dallas Borough, and Kingston Twp.)
where they could discuss the
problems and possible solutions for
each area. Discussion groups were
guided by leaders trained for this
specific purpose by Penn State.
Discussion leaders included Al Craft,
Gerry Gregory, Walter Royall, and
Fred Stefon. ;
After an hour of discussion, the
groups reassembled for refreshments
and to hear the reports from each
group. The consensus of opinion from
each group included the following
points.
The group felt that there was suf-
ficient interest throughout the com-
munity for the construction of a school
swimming pool but realized the
problem of lack of funding for con-
struction and maintenance. It was
suggested that a family membership
fee for evening and weekend use be
established to cover maintenance
costs and that a bike-a-thon could
possibly be held to raise monies.
Participants also suggested that the
adult education classes that were cut
from this year’s budget could be
continued if participants would be
willing to pay a nominal fee. Plans
were discussed to develop the acreage
behind the school into tennis courts,
obstacle course, ball fields, etc. Coin-
operated lighting was suggested for
the school tennis courts.
It was suggested that a community-
wide council of local officials be
formed to plan recreation facilities
throughout the area and that a
community-wide council of service
club representatives could be formed
to assist it.
The Back Mt. Bicentennial Council
representative felt that his group
could be developed into a recreation
commission for the area. The Dallas
Township residents plan to form a
Citizen’s Advocacy Group to promote
recreation council for that area.
Dallas Borough residents asked for
volunteer help to finish their minipark
and improve landscaping at the
Burndale site. Funds for fencing the
minipark and a backboard of the
Burndale tennis courts is needed.
Kingston Twp. residents are asked
to support the five-man recreation
committee and to attend their
meetings on the third Monday of each
month at the township building.
Kingstown Township Little League
and Girls'softball teams need practice
fields. Residents of Kingston Twp.
expressed hope that the Center Street
park construction be underway
shortly and that miniparks throughout
the township will be a future project.
It was the consensus of the entire
group that the solution to the
recreation problems of the Dallas
area can only be found if officials and
townspeople from all the townships
and boroughs come together to work
for that common goal. It was decided
(Continued on page four)
.
from Tampa and she has wanted us to
come down to visit her and her family
but’ we had decided against that
before Ray resigned.”
Mrs. Titus was referring to her hus-
band’s recent resignation as chief of
police of Dallas Borough due to ‘‘per-
sonal reasons’. She said that she
wished that he had not turned in his
resignation but that once Ray had
decided to do so that was it.
The former police chief had been
with the borough in that position for
nearly eight years. His resgnation has
been the basis for widespread rumors
which have not been helped by the
confirmation or denial of such rumors
on the part of the council members.
Titus’ resignation was read at last
week’s council meeting and unani-
mously accepted by the members.
Despite questions, no explanation was
offered at that time and none has been
given since for public release. Ac-
ceptance of the resignation removed
the issue from council’s jurisdiction,
according to Council President Jerry
Machell, speaking at last week’s
meeting.
District Attorney Patrick Toole and
District Magistrate Leonard Harvey
said they knew of no charges having
been filed in connection with the
resignation. District Attorney Toole
stated that his door is always open to
any citizen who has a basis for
charges in any case.
Quality ;
of design
..see p. 4
The majority four of Harveys Lake
borough council reaffirmed their
decision against any borough
development of property at Sandy
Beach during a borough planning
commission meeting last Friday
night. The commission also proposed
a Sunset location for a new borough
building.
Despite the strong pleas of Mayor
William Connolly to at least give the
Sandy Beach proposal serious study,
‘Councilmen Andy Morgus, Guy
Giordano, Bob DeRemer and
Margaret Purcell rejected the site,
calling the acquisition and
development too costly and unfair to
other resident property owners in the
borough.
Backers of the Sandy Beach
proposal, Council President Robert
Wintersteen, .and councilmen Jack
MacManus and William Sherksnas
did not attend the planning meeting.
The meeting had been publicly
announced in legal ads in three area
newspapers but no individual
invitations were issued, according to
Commission Chairman Giordano.
The reaffirmed rejection of the
Sandy Beach proposal came after
lengthy discussion. Connolly’s pleas
were directed toward securing council
investigation of the potential site. He
said he believed council majority vote
at the September meeting constituted
an ‘improper action of council.”
Giordano rebutted the mayor’s
contention, speaking for the majority
and saying the group did not want the
matter to proceed beyond the point it
had already reached.
The councilman also claimed
Council President Wintersteen had
taken an action ‘hostile to the
majority” following the September
meeting when he filed an application
for federal grant for the Sandy Beach
acquisition despite the 4-3 vote against
proceeding further.
Giordano said the action could
“seriously damage the borough's
chance for a grant since the
applications were forwarded and
filed.” He said the borough’s planning
consultants, a Nanticoke firm,
advised that, if withdrawn, the
recreation grant application could
lose its priority for federal funding.
Lake resident Andy Sordoni
discounted the consultant’s
statement, noting that he believed it
regain priority consideraticn with
congressional help. He urged the
councilmen to disregard ‘‘false
pressures of form and time.”
Another aspect of the Sandy Beach
location which drew considerable
comment was the status of three
easements, held by up to 400 lot
owners in adjoining areas, which were
reported to oblige about 48 feet of the
site. Area residents reasserted the
easement property claim but also
asked planner for consideration of
Sandy Beach improvements so the
easements could be used.
Giordano recommended that
easement holders band together and
improve the lake access at Sandy
Beach as a cooperative effort, saying
he would support a borough measure
to provide legal assistance with such a
project. .
Over the objections of Mayor
Connolly, who called the suggestion
meaningless, Giordano asked for a
poll of the citizens attending the
meeting on the issue of Sandy Beach.
Giordano said that, since the meeting
was publicly advertised, the
attendance represented those who
cared enough to attend the discussion
The poll occur: _u on a motion from
the floor by Frank Burnside, a local
resident, and not only called for a
rejection of the Sandy Beach plan but
also a restraint by council against any
major “commitment to burden the
taxpayer until the cost of the sewer
system becomes known.”
Residents attending supported the
motion by approximately 55-5 on a
vote by show of hands.
Giordano then proposed an
alternate site for a new borough
building, which Sandy Beach backers
had intended for the recreation site.
He recommended a location at Sunset,
on land adjoining the present sewer
authority building. 2
Giordano said available vacant
easily accessible land that needed a
“face lifting’ could be obtained by the
borough. Mayor Connolly adamantly
opposed the site, noting that flooding
was a probability at the site.
Giordano acknowledged that he too
had some reservations about the
drainage on the site but asked that the
subsoil at least be evaluated by
professional engineers. A resident
Idetown if the lower site was not
suitable for construction.
One resident urged that property
having the least value for taxation be
considered by the borough. Another
asked how the borough planned to
borough building, noting that federal
financing would not apply to land
acquisition. :
Giordano said surplus funds
budgeted for another project could be
applied to the land acquisition. He
asked for another poll of the citizens
attending the meeting. <
Approximately 54-6 favored a study of
the Sunset site, according to a show of
hands.
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