BOX by Nancy Huff Plagued with procedural problems and arguments among the council members, the Harveys Lake Borough Council decided last week to take into a private work session the possibility of purchasing the Sandy Beach recreational area. The beach area was involved in a 1976 council controversy which resulted in a realignment of council leadership at that time. Bitterness over the issue has haunted council activity since then. In the 1976 controversy, the Sandy Beach area was considered as a municipal building and recreation site, with an asking price of @ap- proximately $125,000 for the land. The move was defeated 4-3, according to Council President Robert DeRemer, because council members were concerned about the method of financing the purchase. 336 Now the controller of the estate which owns the site asks $140,000 for the property, said DeRemer, but the courcil has tentatively decided to otfer no more than $125.000. Pending consideration in the work session, the council toyed with the idea of putting the decision up for public vote. DeRemer said the purchase would be for a free recreational access to the Lake for borough residents who do not own lakefront land. Non-residents would likely be charged for use of the beach. DeRemer said the borough was considering issuing municipal bonds to finance the purchase. The redevelopment needed to bring the property up to workable standards could be funded through state grants, DeRemer claimed, referring to a communication from State Representative Frank O'Connell. The borough solicitor, Joe Kasper, said he doubted, however, that enough funds could be secured from the state level to redevelop. Another councilmember, Margaret Purcell, was skeptical about the purchase. ‘How can we ask to raise four mils for garbage,” she said, “then turn around and buy property for $140,000. They'll think we're crazy.” The council also checked into the purchase of a tract of land owned by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission between Sandy Beach and Sandy Bottom Beach. In a letter to the borough, the Fish Commission said the land could be sold only through an act of legislation. This matter was also taken into a private work session scheduled for a later date. In other business, council voted to change the speed limit on Old Lake Road from 25 mph to 20mph after a complaint was lodged by a resident of that road. Council also voted to mark ’ Ji nC the road as a congested area. On the subject of speed limits, Council Member Robert Wintersteen said that in one week there were three accidents near his home, and he felt a speed trap may eliminate future accidents. Although the speed limit around the lake is set at 35mph by state regulations, no signs have been posted. Council decided to take this matter into work session. Concerning the Warden Place project, the council heard complaints from several residents of the Center and Second Street area. The residents argued that water from the Warden Place is being diverted into a small stream behind their homes. The stream is then becoming overloaded and spilling its banks thus flooding their property. Council decided to check into this matter. In other business, Councilmember John McManus reported that work on ~~ the new borough garage was un- derway and should be completed before the cold weather sets in. The borough is doing 90 percent of the work itself, he said, thus saving the high cost of a contractor. Richard Tattersall, a Harveys Lake resident, has volunteered to do most of the manual labor without pay, McManus said, but was promised some compensation when the work was completed. The council decided to draw up a contract between the borough and Tattersall to make sure the borough would not be liable for any accidents. The council also voted to allow Mec- Manus to spend up to $500 for two garage doors with hardware. In other business, council secretary Ann Marie Shaver reported that the council received one proposal for a new borough police cruiser. This is the second time the council has ad- vertised for a new cruiser, she said, without receiving any sealed bids. Several dealers had been contacted to replied. DeRemer said he contacted Kingston Dodge and was told prices for the new cars were not in. The one proposal received asked $7170.90 minus $790.90 on trade-in for in price was unacceptable to the council. Council decided to allow the purchasing committee to walk with the proposal dealers to select the best car with the lowest price. The council voted: --To rename Wintersteen to the Civil Service Commission until 1981. --To accept a new police pension plan. hour for four hours of work done for the borough. Vol. 88 No. 34 Did twp. hire cop illegally? by Joan Kingsbury A controversy over the status of a Lehman Township patrolman was the focal point of discussion at the Leh- man Township meeting Monday night. Supervisor Ignatius Hozempa made a motion to have patrolman Larry Oney relieved of his duties as Lehman Township part-time policeman, claiming the officer had not fully complied with state regulations for municipal police offiters. Hozempa stated that according to an official of the State Police Academy, Hershey, Oney had been denied an extension from the state police commissioner to continue police work because he had not ap- plied for required schooling under Act 120 following one year of duty. Hozempa further claimed that township supervisors were subject to arrest since he was informed that every day Oney remained on the force and was paid for his services is a crime. Oney agreed that his extension had been denied. He said, however, that upon learning this he immediately applied for law enforcement related schooling at Lackawanna Jr. College. Since this course is one year in length, and since other employment kept him from beginning sooner, Oney is scheduled to begin schooling on Sept. 16, 1978. Chairman of the supervisors Paul Goodwin stated. that it was his un- derstanding that no legal recourse could be taken against the township as long as Oney had registered for the schooling. According to a Corporal Clark, Academv Hershey. any person authorizing payment of an individual for performance of police duties following the one year time limit 1S subject to arrest. Since Oney has been accepted for schooling by a certified school, Clark said it is probable that upon proof of registration an ex- tension would be granted. Hozempa raised the question after Oney was allegedly driving the Leh- man Twp. police cruiser when it was involved in an accident Friday night. For several months, Lake Silkworth residents have complained about earlier auto accident. Secretary Alvin Cragle was informed by the Luzerne County Department of Bridges that the bridge in question does not belong to them. Upon investigation, Cragle learned that although the driver claimed responsibility for the ac- cident, he had not informed his in- surance company, Maryland Casualty. Cragle informed the company of the accident and was assured that an investigation would be made. A motion was passed to take over the remaining blacktopped roads in Town and Country Manor and the Burke's Lake Silkworth development if they meet with state approval and the approval of Roadmaster Alan Major. Kelley, Denise Walsh, Suzanne Department of Labor and Industry notified Dallas School District on Monday night that a recent inspection of Dallas Elementary School revealed alleged safety violations. The department gave the district the alternative of correcting the violations before Dec. 8 or vacating the classrooms located on the second floor. In this case, the district would have the use of only three classrooms on the first floor. As a result of that inspection, the Department of Labor and Industry ordered the school district to vacate the second floor of that building by Dec. 8. That order to vacate the second floor and lock the stairways leading to it was issued because the cafeteria section of the building is not separated from the front classroom section by a proper fire wall. Labor and Industry reported that the front classroom section of the structure is Type III, incombustible construction, while the cafeteria section is Type V, ordinary construction. Since the Type V, cafeteria section, is not separated from the Type III front classroom section by proper firewalls, the entire complex was classified as Type V, ordinary construction. Additional orders contained in the official report received on Monday, Sept. 11, included the following: Replace hoiler room doors with required fire rated doors; Provide positive latching on double doors leading to fire towers; Provide fire resistive ceiling con- struction in selected basement areas; Provide hand rails on both sides of stairways with widths greater than 40”; Vacate and close the third floor conference rooms at the top of the fire towers; and . Provide additional emergency lighting at exits. The members of the district staff and school board are vitally in- terested in the safety of the children. The district recognizes the value of such inspections and the benefits derived in terms of improving school district facilities. The district will work in cooperation with labor and Industry to implement all recom- mendations that will assist us to prvide the safest learning en- vironment possible. During the inspection on Aug. 30, the inspector indicated that the overall building did promote the safety of students. Many of the verbal comments that were provided at that time, although not included in the official report, have already been implemented as a means of im- proving the overall safety of those occupying the school. The main emphasis of the listed citations does not deal with fire prevention--those measures have already been taken--the concerns encompassed in the report deal primarily with measures to retard the spread of fires should they occur. The school district has previously restricted areas within the Dallas Elementary School from student use as a safety precaution. District fire and safety procedures were reviewed with members of the faculty on the opening day of school. All students in the school district, including those in the Dallas Elementary School, were instructed in these procedures during the first week of school. These procedures will continue to be en- forced throughout the school year. In addition to reviewing the report with the school district architect and developing plans for compliance with the inspection orders, the school district will immediately install smoke detectors in the basement and corridors leading to the second floor, increase the regular custodial in- spections of the entire facility throughout the school day and has scheduled additional fire drills to decrease the time necessary for student’ evacuation, and has met with local fire officials for any additional recommendations that they may suggest ‘while the construction or- dered by Labor and Industry is being completed. All of these efforts are aimed at providing maximum safety for our students. In responding to the report, the school district has the option of ap- pealing, implementing measures to correct the situation by a variety of means, or requesting an extension of time in order to complete the work necessary. Alternatives proposed by the district architect will be evaluated by the administration and the members of the school board in the best interest of students’ safety and will be sub- mitted to the Department of Labor and Industry for their approval in order that the school district may respond positively and correct these citations prior to the Dec. 8, abatement date. In other business, the directors rescinded a motion of June 26 ap- proving the list of administrators and their salaries for the 1978-79 year and then approved a motion to approve the list of administrators and their salaries for the 1978-79 year as follows: Dr. Richard Shipe $31,900; Gerald J. Wycallis $24,500; Anthony A. Palermo $16,000; Edgar W. Hughes, Jr. $22,000; Frederick J. Case $22,000; Walter’ A. Prokopchak $21,000; Ruth T. Husband $18,725; and John Gabriel $15,700. Mrs. Virginia Jenkins was ap- pointed as building coordinator at the Trucksville Elementary School for the 1978-79 school year. Mrs. Jean Myers was appointed as a long-term substitute professional employee to teach sixth grade at the Dallas In- termediate School. Mrs. Margaret Schuler was named assistant coach of the junior high girls hockey team to replace Miss Janice Phillips, who resigned Aug. 29. Holding firm on their decision to close the Noxen Elementary School, Lake-Lehman School Directors voted 6-3, Tuesday night to keep the building closed and to bus Noxen students to Shortly after confirming their decision to close the school, the directors voted 8-1 to give the building to Noxen Township without charge. Harold Bennett, Noxen Township supervisor, was on hand to formally request that the school be deeded to the township. He and nearly 50 other Noxen residents listened as Atty. Charles D. Lemmond, Jr., school board solicitor and chairperson of an ad hoc com- mittee appointed to consider disposal of the old building outlined the steps which could be taken by the board in this matter. According to the solicitor, the State school code provides that the struc- tures and equipment deemed ‘‘unused and unnecessary’ by a school board can be sold at public auction, at a private sale, or by requesting the submission of sealed bids from prospective buyers. In addition, Lemmond stated a school board can ‘‘convey without unused and unnecessary structure to the municipality in which the structure was located. It was the last proposal that the board acted on, with Director Ed Mark casting the only dissenting vote against returning the Noxen building to Noxen Township. : Supervisor Bennett indicated that he and his fellow supervisors were considering using the wood frame structure as a senior citizens’ meeting place. The motion which resulted in the closing of the Noxen School was made by Alan Keiper, who sought to have the first floor of the building kept open proximately $45,790. Superintendent of Schools David full good conscience” recommend Keiper’'s motion to the board and the directors voted 6-3 against the plan. The vote which duplicated the vote of Aug. 29 when the board decided initially to close the school, found Directors Garinger, Alan Keiper and Donald Jones voting to keep the school open. 8 : Wo A ; ; if A a , y a Lt et eet
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