nn Who P.1 XR VOL. 88 NO. 26 DALLAS, PA. TWENTY CENTS Lake-Lehman School Directors approved salary increments for five of the district’s nine administrators, with motions to raise the salaries of three others failing to pass in the absence of the affirmative vote of a majority of all the school directors. A scant half dozen observers at- tended the July 11 meeting, sub- stantially fewer than have been present during recent budget meetings. Salary increases were approved for High School Principal James Nicholas, ( an increase of $2,000, bringing his annual salary to $23,000); John Zaleskas, Assistant High School Principal (a $1,500 increase, $20,700 salary); John Oliver, Assistant High School Principal ($2,000; $19,200); Charles James, Supervisor of Elementary Education ($1,000; $20,650); Raymond Bowersox, Business Manager ($1,500; $15,500). Director Ed Mark abstained from voting on all salary increases. Director Don Jones voted ‘‘yes” only to increase the salary of Elementary Education Supervisor Ambulance rescue squads that serve the Back Mountain ‘area of Luzerne County will receive federal funds to assist in purchasing needed equipment, according to George S. Pulakos, the: Governor's Represen- tative for Highway Safety and Acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The federal grant will provide $4,894 and the six area ambulance squads will supply $4,894, for a total of $9,788. Lehman Township is acting as the sponsor for the local area’s share of the total. The money will be used by six area ambulance squads. They are Back Mountain Squad, Lehman Township, Dallas, Franklin-Northmoreland, Kingston Township, and Kunkle. The equipment consists of medical and extrication equipment which the IF YOUR NOSE ITCHES-what else, scratch it. That's exactly the thinking of this little boy at Noxen ‘Homecoming last weekend. His squads use when involved in an emergency situation. All six squads presently are working toward certification under the Pennsylvania Department of Health Voluntary Ambulance Cer- tification Program. The Highway Safety Group of PennDOT acts as liaison with the federal government in preparing grant applications and coordinates the efforts of various Commonwealth departments and local communities to resolve highway safety problems. The program includes all phases of highway safety such as police ser- vices, alcohol and drug abuse, emergency medical services, pedestrian safety and traffic control. For more information, contact the Highway Safety Group, Tran- sportation and Safety Bailding, Harrishurg, yo. 17120. James; he voted ‘no’ on all other he couldn’t see ‘‘taking away from the children’s educations in order to give administrators big raises.” Director Angelo DeCesaris voted ‘‘yes’ on all salary increments with the exception of the motion to in- crease James’ pay. Administrators who were denied salary increments due to the absence of five affirmative votes include Anthony Marchakitus, assistant to the superintendent; James Kunkle, assistant principal, and Alan Bates, building and grounds supervisor. salary increments for the ad- ministrators denied increases will be brought up again at the board meeting in August. : In other business, the directors approved Roberts Roberts, John Comitz and Timothy Lukachic as assistant football coaches. Florence Finn was named coach of the junior high school girls’ field hockey team. A motion to continue a summer driver education program under the direction of Instructor Buda failed to garner the necessary votes to pass. According to Superintendent David Preston, approximately 26 students had indicated they would be in- terested in taking the behind-the- wheel driver training during the summer. All had completed the required driver education theory during the school year. Approximate by Tom Mooney Harveys Lake cable TV users will learn Aug: 3 whether Back Mountain franchise for operations within the session held last Thursday evening, the borough council received and debated proposals from the two companies and agreed to choose between the two at the regular August meeting. Back Mountain has been providing cable TV service to the borough for some years without benefit of an official franchise, having been challenged only recently by the newer Gamma firm. A Hershey-based company, Phoenix Communications, has been negotiating with Back Mountain and is reportedly interested in purchasing the local firm to expand and upgrade its service. Gamma was represented by Robert Hosey of Dallas, identified as its Murph Hislop, manager and part owner; and Atty. Murray Utberg. Hosey said that Gamma would provide 12 channels with the possibility of including such special services as Home Box and a channel reserved for broadcast of such public events as borough council meetings. Charges would be $6 for the basic service, new customers being charged $10 and special services being added on an individual basis. Back Mountain, represented by principal George Barni and Atty. Roger Wiest, offered a package that Wiest said afterward “will probably come out to 11 channels.” He said that the company currently offers seven and would ask FCC permission months of service followed by $7 for cost of the program was listed at $1,200. the training would have to be made available to all qualifying residents in private schools. Voting in favor of offering driver education were Directors DeCesaris, Jones, Mark and Arnold Garinger. Directors Gilbert Tough, Peg An- derson and Paul Crockett voted no. The resignation of Citizens Ad- visory Committee member Stephanie Rowland was noted by Elizabeth DeCesaris, committee chairperson. The board authorized Supt. Preston to thank Rowland on its behalf for her “diligence and hard work.” Following nearly three years of preparation, the Jackson Township Planning Commission adopted a zoning ordinance, comprehensive plan, capital improvements program, and sub-division and land ‘develop ment ordinance Monday night. The agricultural portion of the zoning ordinance caused some con- troversy with farmers of the com- munity. When originally proposed, the ordinance defined a farm as a tract of land not less than 10 acres. Under that definition, if a farmer wanted to sell off some acreage, he In response to councilman Guy Giordano’s question about the need for increased rates, $6 being the present annual fee, Wiest replied that improvements in the system will justify the higher charges. - Each company, expressed willingness to post a bond in the form of an irrevocable letter of credit. Back Mountain offered to make a deposit of $2,500 against franchise fees and asked for a 15-year franchise with a 10-year option. Council president DeRemer’s proposal to grant the companies equal access to the borough and permit them to compete by both firms on the grounds that there would not be enough customers to make the plan economically feasible. DeRemer had made the proposal at pledging to consider it pending a ruling on its legality by the Federal Communications. Commission. FCC ruled it legal, the proposal died when the two firms spurned it. Council questioned the companies’ representatives sharply on a number of points. When the possibility of being without cable TV during the installation period should Gamma obtain the franchise was mentioned, Hosey replied that there would be a blackout of 90 days to three months. He urged council to act quickly, suggested that Back Mountain might continue to serve the borough during that period purely as a business proposition. Back Mountain took some stinging criticism from council and from Mayor Albert Zim. Zim complained that some residents cannot obtain cable TV because of Back Mountain’s The board voted 6-1 to increase by 35 cents per hour the salaries of ‘all clerical, secretarial and Jones cast the sole dissenting vote. Al Babetski, former chairperson of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee, asked whether or not the board had a contingency plan in place should the Dept. of Labor and Industry opt to its inspection this month. Board President Gilbert Tough replied that several plans were under consideration, including the possibility of double sessions. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board will be Aug. 8 at would have to sell it in 10 acre plots. . At a meeting held last Friday, farmers expressed a strong desire to have the minimum lot of one acre in the agricultural district. This would allow them to sell off an acre at a time if so desired. Since public opinion was so strong in favor of this issue, township planner Marlene Pawlowski recommended that the planning commission go along with this proposal. have no desire to develop their land at the present time. However, they policy of demanding that at least 15 homes be available for connection on every mile of line. When Wiest pointed out that the system must be economically feasible, councilman Guy Giordano argued that if the company can obtain a good financial return overall it should not be necessary to make money on every customer. how many residents live in such isolated areas and would be affected, with the Back Mountain represen- tatives emphasizing the extra costs be necessary. No representatives of Phoenix were present at the meeting. Questioned about the purchase status of Back Mountain vis-a-vis Phoenix, which had earlier been reported about to buy Back Mountain, Barni and Wiest replied that the purchase would be largely dependent upon Back Mountain’s obtaining the franchise and becoming a more desirable acquisition. Russell Brong, Phoenix president, had said several times in recent day away from purchasing Back Mountain. Mountain, even if not bought out, would upgrade its service by buying additional equipment from Phoenix. Ufberg repeatedly took issue with statements that Gamma is ‘‘an unknown quantity,” stressing that its management is local and that Hislop is the former manager of Back Mountain and knows the franchise area well. Barni contended that Hislop, given his tenure as manager, must bear much of the blame for any problems laid by council at Back Mountain's door. tleman. He's making it easy for himself and his son by carrying him around in a pack en his back at the Harveys Lake Firemen’s Fair last weekend. See more photos on P. 15. {Photo by Charlot M. Den- ron zoning law | would like to have the option to sub- divide into one acre lots if farming does not prove feasible in the future. Before accepting the ordinance, the planning commission made changes in the text of the zoning ordinance due to the change in the agricultural and major sup- changed to conform with the one-acre minimum. This material will now ‘pe turned over to the township supervisors for review and adoption. x Councilman Andrew Morgus chided Back Mountain for allegedly never paying any franchise fee money to the borough but added that he believed that council did not properly force the issue. Giordano contended that he and councilman Bob Wintersteen had tried to make the company pay but had received no real support from council several years ago. Wiest pointed out that, since Back Mountain did not have an actual franchise, it was not obligated to pay a franchise fee. In reading highlights of Back Mountain’s proposal, he noted that the FCC allows for a fee amounting to three percent of gross receipts and that his company would be willing to pay as much as five percent if the FCC would allow the borough to charge it. Much of the discussion centered upon the number of channels to be provided. Councilmen Giordano and Jack MeManus preference for a system maintained at fewer than 1000 customers, basing. their preference on a reported FCC regulation . permitting smaller systems to offer any number of channels while restricting larger ones to just seven channels. Giordano suggested that several separate companies might be formed 4 to parcel out customers and prevent the 1000 mark from being topped while McManus demanded a guarantee from Gamma. Hosey pledged that the company would be small enough to avoid the cutoff point. Back Mountain did not formally offer a guarantee but did promise to go beyond its present seven channels. The companies emphasized the “extras’’ they claimed they could provide. Each firm mentioned the (Continued on P. 14)
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