» VOL. 88 NO. 13 TWENTY CENTS Sister Ann Miriam Gallagher, R.S.M., president of College Misericordia in Dallas, announced Tuesday that the college has been named the prime contractor for a state training program that will involve over $200,000 in funds and will cover a 15-county area of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Sister Ann Miriam made the announcement during a press conference held at the college Tuesday morning. The state contract calls for the college to provide a special training program for staff personnel of area agencies on aging that will increase the effectiveness of the delivery of services to the aging in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The contract is funded at $222,632.53 and is being administered through the Department Office in Scranton. The college will initiate the program, Sister Ann Miriam said, by by Hilda Goldberg A new code of ethics for Northeastern Pennsylvania school boards may be the result of a blanket verbel blast made on national TV by a Scranton-based U.S. attorney. Only one member of an area school board apparently took public exception to an accusation that corruption exists in ‘‘all Northeastern Pennsylvania school districts.” Little if any rebuttal was issued from most Lackawanna and Luzerne County school districts, the prime target of the accusations. Anthony J. Mussari, an American History teacher at King’s College and a member of the Wilkes-Barre area school district, subsequently launched a one-man crusade to seek out persons who claim to have paid for positions or who knew of persons who have paid for positions with the area school district. “We are trying to devise a new set of ethical precepts for the conduct of HIT THIS ONE--Dallas pitcher Steve: Skammer’s tongue might get there before the pitch as he blazes one across the plate for a strike in the game with Hanover, Monday afternoon, at the Dallas field. The Mounts won 5-4 going into extra innings. school board business,’’ said Mussari. “In the past when these kinds of accusations were made, officials seemed to feel intimidated. It was the common opinion that if nothing was said or done time would erase the problem. Well, that’s like ignoring a malignancy and hoping it will disappear.” On January 14, assistant U.S. Attorney Sal Cognetti, Jr., Scranton, told an NBC reported on a national broadcast, that ‘it is an accepted practice in Northeastern Pennsylvania for the parents of children applying for teaching positions in school districts to pay for these jobs.” NBC reporter, Brian Ross, asked the going rate. Cognetti replied, “Sixteen hundred to two thousand dollars.” Mussari made a formal complaint to the Justice Department regarding Cognetti’s statement. “‘Cognetti’s response to the question raised by the NBC reporter was phrased in such a way that it could apply to every school district in Northeastern Pennsylvania,’’ said Mussari. “I felt that comment set back every good thing school districts have been trying to do. Wilkes-Barre was never specifically mentioned.” ‘But because it was broadcast on national TV, Wilkes-Barre could be interpreted as part of the area accused,” said Mussari. “I felt terribly angered because the alternate side of that issue had never been aired. Never did NBC try to get the other side of the story.” Mussari, past president of -the school district, said that the only person who has ever really spoken out about this accusation was himself. Since speaking out against the statement, Mussari said he has received anonymous phone calls and “hate mail.” He said that one Dallas resident called him and gave him a ‘verbal lashing.” The caller said he believed that all school board members had taken money for jobs and that the practice had been ‘‘going on for all eternity.” “He was adamant in his beliefs,” said Mussari. ‘‘He said that maybe I was an exception but if so, ‘truly an exception.” Mussari said he had received an unsigned letter, postmarked Hunlock Creek, in which the writer was highly incensed that “I could say that NBC, the F.B.I. and the Justice Department were wrong.” “I think it is imperative that we (meaning school board officials) stand up and be counted on these issues,” said Mussari. ‘This type of thing has been said for years. No one bothers to deny it. People in general accept it as fact. However, there never has been a conviction for this particular crime - buying of positions.” Mussari said that the Pennsylvania school code says: Nothing of any value shall be given in exchange for a vote for employment. Since January, the Wilkes-Barre Area School District has filed a protest with the National Broadcasting Company. NBC reviewed the tape of the particular broadcast and advised that their reporter did not make the statement. The statement was made by assistant U.S. Attorney Sal Cognetti. The district also filed a strong objection with NBC for making such a blanket statement. NBC replied by saying that ‘‘it was in our story, but our reporter did not make the statement.” The W-B district also filed a protest with the Federal Communications Commission in Washington. The FCC sent back a long brief plus the guidelines for the FCC Fairness Doctrine. FCC advised that the Wilkes-Barre Area School District (Continued from P. 16) It’s been discussed before but Harveys Lake borough council president Guy J.Giordano confirmed at the council meeting Friday night that the lake is privately owned. Giordano said Borough Solicitor John Thomas confirmed the private ownership of the lake bed while preparing condemnation papers in conjunction with the Worden Place drainage project, presently underway in the borough. The council president proposed the borough consider obtaining ownership of the lake bed in preference to permitting the lake to revert to state control. He suggested the possibility be discussed a future meeting of the council. Lake ownership was an issue in September of 1969 when the Pennsylvania Water and Power Resources board sought to tax property-owners for doucks constructed on the lakefront. At that time the Harveys Lake Protective Association and other Lake property owners reportedly retained Atty. James Geddes who did a title search on the property. Geddes apparently discovered proof that the Commonwealth had granted lake bed rights to three individuals, Charles T. Barnum, Hendrick Wright and William Simms, more than 100 years ago. Wright was a prominent Plymouth resident, reportedly a congressman. Records indicated that the lake bed rights were never returned to the state. Geddes reportedly used the information to successfully rebuff the state tax attempt, which “was not enforced. The heirs of the three grantees are presumably owners of the lake bed at the present time. Solicitor Thomas said his title search indicated that the Common- wealth made a rare grant of lake rights to Barnum and Wright, one half each. They later exchanged rights so hiring a regional coordinator whose responsiblity it will be to conduct a survey of area agencies to establish specific training needs and resources available. Once those determinations are made, the coordinator will initiate appropriate steps to meet those needs, including purchasing training services from other institutions. The second phase of the program, according to Sister Ann Miriam, will consist of the creation and operation of a regional resource center containing literature and audiovisual materials relative to gerontology and aging services. The center will be located at College Misericordia in Dallas. The training contract is one of four awarded in the state and the only one awarded to a college. Counties to be served in this area are: Luzerne, Wyoming, Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, Monroe, Pike, Wayne, Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Lackawanna, Carbon, Tioga, and Schuylkill. 3 The award is the largest training contract ever bestowed upon College Misericordia, Sister Ann Miriam said, and is the result of a proposal prepared by Sister Mary Glennon, R.S.M., director of continuing education, and Thomas O’Neill, chairperson of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Work. Nine other colleges and universities in Northeastern Pennsylvania competed with Misericordia for the contract, she noted. Prior to the award, College Misericordia had been involved in other gerontology programs and is currently conducting an Institute on Gerontology for professional personnel. The Institute is scheduled to continue in addition to the training contract. An interdisciplinary concentration in Gerontology is currently available at College Misericordia through the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Work. Lake? that each many owned half of the entire lake rather than geographically described portions. Thomas said that Simms name did not appear in his search for the title involving the lake bed near Warden Place. He said that, regardless of ownership, the state has separate laws controlling the water in the lake. Dallas Borough solicitor, Charles Lemmond, will discuss in detail a proposed low rent housing project for. the elderly, with Charles Sickler of the Luzerne County Housing Authority before Dallas Borough Council enters into any agreement with the Authority for construction of the housing facilities within the borough. At the council meeting on Tuesday night councilman Harold Brobst explained that he and several others of the council met with Sickler and with the housing project. Sickler, as requested, sent literature to Atty. Lemmond but time was not sufficient for study before Tuesday’s meeting. Council members indicated they wanted to know more about the units before entering into a legal agreement. President Jerry Machell told Council that it will be May 16 or 17 before the borough will know whether or not their application for a grant to construct a new municipal building will be approved. The borough’s option on the property adjacent to the present borough building expires May 18, so Machell instructed Garris to ask the realtor if his clients will extend the option for an additional week at no further cost. Chief of Police Ed Lang reported that the new vehicle code which goes into effect July 1 will permit right turns on a red light. He explained that he and Mayor Robert Post were not certain about the advisability of a right hand turn onto Lake Street. He indicated that PennDOT is willing to send in a traffic engineer to survey the situation and if the borough is opposed to the right hand turn, it must so advise PennDOT. ' Otherwise, all right hand turns will be permitted. The matter was turned over to the road committee for study, who will call in an engineer from PennDOT. Post stated that a letter had been written to Anthony Bonomo asking him to appear before council within 60 days with a plan for an ingress and egress from the recreation facilities as well as his agreeing to have a special security officer on duty. Bonomo operates a bowling alley and skating rink in the borough. Crusade : begins..P. 2 : : Enforcement deadlock ... P. 3 Home & Garden ...5ee Supplement Franklin Twp. re : 4] considers fee i change in zoning Changes in the Zoning Ordinance of Franklin Township are contemplated for adoption at the May meeting of Franklin Township supervisors on Monday May 2, at 8 p.m. in the Orange UM Church social rooms. Fees to be paid in accordance with applications under the ordinance, after adoption of the changes, will be as follows: a : A minimum of $10 will be necessary i for a zoning permit with an additional $1 per thousand of estimated cost over $5,000. A certificate of occupancy will cost $5. An application or appeal to the zoning board of Franklin Township will cost $50, and an application for a zoning change will cost $50 also. of the pole is more than an aerial artist. He is balancing himself on a small wooden seat atop the 100 foot high flagpole in front of the newBurger King, Shavertown, putting ona second | coat of paint while high winds sway both him and the two-ton pole. The flagpole is the highest in Luzerne County. (Photo by Charlot M. Denmon) ; 2 3
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers